An upcoming exhibit at the Magnes museum in Berkeley brings to light a fascinating yet little-known slice of modern European Jewish history. “El Lissitzky’s Chad Gadyo at 100” focuses on a recent gift to the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life at UC Berkeley: a complete set of 11 colorful lithographic images by El…
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Culture
Celebrity Jews
Israeli star Tomer Capon fights superheroes; remembering Robin Williams; etc.
“Our Boys” and “The Boys” I’m four episodes into “The Boys” on Amazon Prime, and so far it’s very good. Critical reviews for the…
Off the Shelf
No time for summer reading? Short stories are your friend.
The books section is supported by a generous donation from Anne Germanacos. With autumn approaching, some of us find the idea of “summer reading” more…
Comics
Marvel rejected this essay because it compared Trump to Nazi supervillain
“Maus” creator Art Spiegelman said Marvel Comics rejected his essay for a comic book collection because it compared Donald Trump to a Marvel villain. In…
Photography
For Tu B’Av, enjoy 9 sweet photos of Israelis in love
Tu B’Av (literally, the 15th of the month of Av) is a minor Jewish holiday that has become a major driver for late summer romance and romantic gift…
Culture
NYC-based Jewish culture ‘lab’ expands to East Bay
Can classic Jewish texts inspire today’s artists and writers? The experience of a New York arts incubator called LABA, hatched at the 14th Street Y in the…
Poetry
One of Richmond’s favorite poets keeps hope alive in face of conflict
Poet Robert Lipton has witnessed violence in the Middle East — and in his East Bay hometown of Richmond. They are not the same, but both drive him to…
Film
‘Inglourious Basterds’ came out 10 years ago. Has its meaning changed?
Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds,” which turns 10 next week, is unlike any other movie set during the Holocaust. It follows a group of American…
TV
A revealing desert seder for the gorgeous ladies of ‘GLOW’
“GLOW,” the fictional series based on the real lives of the “Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling,” continues to delight with inventive character turns,…