Trevor Noah Is an Outsider’s Outsider
Born in segregated South Africa to a Swiss father and a Black mother—a match that was illegal at the time—Noah grew up a stranger in his own country.
Kyiv Diary 4/28/22: Ukrainians Waited in Line for Hours to Buy a Commemorative Wartime Stamp
I learned that people were waiting to enter the Central Post Office, which is a block away from my place, to buy a special postage stamp.
B’nai Mitzah Pairing Programs Honor Children Who Died in the Holocaust
Through pairing programs, many Jewish children have chosen to “share” their b’nai mitzvah ceremonies with one of the 1.5 million Jewish children who died in the Holocaust.
What’s Changed Since the Poway Synagogue Shooting?
Three years ago today, a gunman entered the Chabad of Poway synagogue in California and fired on the congregation.
Letters from the Lingerie Drawer: A Daughter’s Journey with Eleanor Reissa and Yehuda Hyman
What if you could suddenly see your parents’ lives before you were born? And they were Holocaust survivors, who had suffered greatly but still somehow found each other. This is what happened to Tony-nominated director and Broadway/television actor Eleanor Reissa when her mother passed away, leaving behind 56 letters she’d received from Reissa’s father in the years after he survived a death march. It took Reissa 30 years to have them translated from German and discover her parents’ story. She discusses what she learned and her recently released memoir, The Letters Project: A Daughter’s Journey, in conversation with playwright and artistic director Yehuda Hyman. Reissa also reads several selections from her book.
This program is in commemoration of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Is the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a Terrorist Group?
The United States, Israel and Gulf countries surrounding Iran have long identified the Revolutionary Guard as the main vehicle carrying out Tehran’s aggressive regional approach.
Beshert | Because I Wasn’t the Jazz Age
After meeting on a blind date, George and Laurie Fendel discovered they had a family connection going back generations.
Artist Tobi Kahn’s Works Explore Memory, Spirituality and Healing
Artist Tobi Kahn’s paintings and sculptures celebrate life and explore the realms of memory, spirituality and meditation.
Kyiv Diary 4/21/22: The Animals of Ukraine Are Also Suffering
The atrocities committed by the Russians, who attacked not only people but also animals, are beyond comprehension.
A Gothic Rendering of a Hero of Judaism
Slightly more slender than life-size, Moses sits on an unadorned stone bench, supporting the tablets with his left hand and making the apparent sign of benediction with his right hand.
Blacks, Jews, Jazz & Blues with Loren Schoenberg, Eric K. Ward and Nadine Epstein
In the 19th century Black spirituals were inspired by biblical stories in the Old Testament, especially those we remember during Passover. In the early decades of the 20th century, Black and Jewish musicians, often living side by side in the same impoverished neighborhoods, connected through legacies of oppression. With the music industry one of the few fields open to them both, it’s no surprise that blues and jazz became rich, crossover genres. Join Loren Schoenberg, senior scholar at The National Jazz Museum in Harlem, Eric K. Ward, executive director of Western States Center and Nadine Epstein, Moment editor-in-chief, for a conversation about these musical connections, the bonds and tensions, and a taste of the music itself including Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho and Go Down Moses to Bei Mir Bist Du Shein.
Kyiv Diary 4/19/22: A Wartime Passover Seder
This Passover, I attended a seder at Kyiv’s Central Brodsky Synagogue.