CULTURE
-
Maestro ★★★★ — Jewish Renaissance
There was criticism from the Hispanic community that British actor Carey Mulligan was chosen to play Bernstein’s Costa-Rican wife; in fact, Felicia’s father was an American Jew. Ethnic casting is a sensitive issue: in 1958, Danny Kaye turned down the role of Noel Airman in Marjorie Morningstar, considering it “too Jewish” (Gene Kelly took it up instead). Maestro met with…
Read More » -
Omer Friedlander — Jewish Renaissance
Our series of ‘Urgent Voices’ continues with New York-based Israeli author Omer Friedlander, who reflects on the current crisis The most familiar sound during wartime in Israel is the blaring of sirens warning of incoming rockets. When I moved to New York City, I heard ambulance sirens and they made me think of Israel. Strange how such a frightening sound…
Read More » -
Anna Scher 1944-2023 — Jewish Renaissance
Despite her father’s wish that she follow him into dentistry, Scher moved to the UK to study at Brighton School of Music and Art. She juggled a job in local journalism, writing a column for the Islington Gazette, while trying her hand at acting and poetry, followed by a teaching position at Ecclesbourne Junior School. Her work there with children…
Read More » -
The Museum and Laboratory of the Jewish Comic Experience — Jewish Renaissance
Cartoons by women are represented by 16-year-old Liesel Felsenthal, who drew images from the labour and death camps where she was imprisoned, and American artist Lily Renée Wilhelm, whose mother saw an ad for illustrators at Fiction House and encouraged her daughter to apply for the job. Lily escaped Vienna in 1938 via the Kindertransport, joined her parents in New…
Read More »