Extremism in Israel, whether manifested in deed or through rhetoric, should be a source of grave concern to decent Israelis who care about the future direction of their country. In recent days, vandals have desecrated the Church of the Multiplication, near the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, while a United Torah Judaism parliamentarian […]
Are you in the mood for some eclectic reading material? Sit back in your chair and enjoy the company of these books, published recently. The major league baseball season is in full swing throughout Canada and the United States. As you may know, American Jewish athletes, from Hank Greenberg and Sandy Koufax to Al Rosen […]
Roger Cohen, a New York Times columnist, has written a poignant memoir of identity, displacement and prejudice in The Girl From Human Street: Ghosts of Memory of a Jewish Family, published by Alfred A. Knopf. Born in London, raised in South Africa, schooled in Britain and now a citizen of the United States, he’s a […]
A voice from the past emerges in the pages of The Vilna Vegetarian Cookbook: Garden-Fresh Recipes Rediscovered and Adapted for Today’s Kitchen (Schocken Books), first published in Yiddish in 1938 when Vilna — a center of Jewish learning and scholarship — was part of Poland rather than Lithuania. It’s the inimitable voice of Fania Lewando, the […]
My introduction to the exotic flora of Saguaro National Park, in the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona, was inauspicious, to say the least. My daughter, Lauren, my occasional travelling companion, had convinced me that a visit to this immense, unspoiled park would be a worthwhile experience due to its signature attraction — the majestic saguaro […]
Technicolor was all the rage when it was introduced in Hollywood films decades ago. Moviegoers who had grown accustomed to the reality of black and grey gladly embraced the rainbow of vibrant colors. In a tribute to this ground-breaking technology, which revolutionzed the industry, the Toronto International Film Festival is presenting Dreaming in Technicolor, a […]
Vera Brittain’s memoir, Testament of Youth, struck a chord when it was published in 1933, just 15 years after the end of World War I, supposedly the war to end all wars. Brittain, a smart, spunky, independent spirit born in an epoch when women were expected to be meek, mild and submissive, elaborated upon themes […]
For more than 500 years, between the 10th and 15th centuries, Spanish Christians, Jews and Muslims coexisted in what Jeffrey Gorsky calls “unparalleled harmony.” This period, known by some as the convivencia, a word which means living together in Spanish, ended tragically in persecution, forced conversion and expulsion. Gorsky’s masterful account of this golden era […]
Reshef Levi’s Hebrew-language film, Hunting Elephants, is a non-stop exercise in farce. Scheduled to open in Toronto theatres on June 12, it’s set in Jerusalem and revolves around a nerdy 12-year-old boy and his grumpy, tough-as-nails grandfather. Jonathan (Gil Blank), whip smart but socially awkward, is the butt of jokes and pranks at his school. […]
The anti-Israel boycott, divestment and sanctions movement is gaining ground at a fairly rapid pace. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, some pro-Israel supporters who had previously downplayed this clear and present danger to Israel’s well-being have pressed the alarm button with alacrity. The most recent lover of Zion to do so is the outspoken […]