A Place for Jewish History and Culture in the Pine Tree State: an Interview with Gary Berenson of the Maine Jewish Museum
May 10, 2011
While Maine may not be the first place many people think of when considering Jewish cultural hotspots, there is in fact at least one very important Jewish place in Maine which is working to preserve, protect and share the legacy of Maine Jewry. In this interview, Maine Jewish Museum Executive Director Gary Berenson discusses what inspired the creation of this fascinating New England institution, and how it has helped to rejuvenate the surrounding Jewish community.
An Interview with Daniel Elbaum, American Jewish Committee Regional Director in Chicago
May 9, 2011
Recently Daniel Elbaum, Regional Director for the American Jewish Committee in Chicago took some time to answer a few questions via email about the work of his organization which includes reaching out and forming connections to a diverse array of other communities and organizations. In this interview, Mr. Elbaum details some of the innovative programming his office is doing, including partnering with a wide variety of foreign consulates and cultural institutions and shares some of his own story and what led him to work for the AJC.
Tasting the Seasons
by Claire Rosenberg, Staff Writer
May 6, 2011
One of the most important ways that many Jews connect to family and tradition is through food, In this new essay, new Vilna Review staff writer Claire Rosenberg explores the wide range of Jewish cuisine, and how she sees connections between different holidays and the foods she associates with them. From the Matzoh ball soup of Ahskenzic tradition to falafel and spicy Morrocan salads, Ms. Rosenberg covers a wide range of Jewish culinary history and tradition.
An Evening of Remembrance, a Morning of Education
by Daniel E. Levenson, ALM
May 4, 2011
Boston 3G Board Members
For people whose lives have been impacted by the Holocaust, either by the deaths of family members or through the heart-wrenching tales of survival that have been passed down by grandparents or parents, Yom Hashoah (Holocaust remembrance Day) has a deeply personal resonance. In this new essay, New vilna Review publisher, Daniel E. Levenson, writes about the efforts of Boston 3G, a group of third generation Holocaust survivors, who have created a unique annual event which serves as a remembrance and a teachable moment.
Bus 174
by Rebecca M. Ross
May 2, 2011
Israel can be a very tense place for both Jews and Arabs alike. In this new essay, author Rebecca M. Ross contemplates the ways in which decades of violence and anger have fostered a general climate of mutual distrust in Jerusalem. What makes this essay so engaging and perhaps unique is the way in which she offers her readers a brief glimpse of hope in the shape of our common ability to recognize, at some level, the inherent humanity within each other.
Film Review: “My Perestroika” (2010)
by Jamie Bushell
May 10, 2011
Times of political and cultural upheaval often lead to periods of deep introspection and personal change. In a review of the 2010 film "My Perestroika," writer Jamie Bushell discusses the ways in which this film portrays just this sort of experience for a group of former classmates, as they look back on what life was like for them in the Former Soviet Union, both before and after the fall of communism.
Laughter, Music and Joy: The New Center for Arts and Culture Celebrates Mimouna
by Daniel E Levenson, ALM
May 6, 2011
The New Center for Arts and Culture has been doing some impressive work in Boston, creating events and programs which have a Jewish flavor, but are open and accessible to all. In this piece, new Vilna Review publisher Daniel E. Levenson writes about this year's Mimouna Celebration, an event which drew hundreds of Jews and Muslims from the Boston area to an evening of laughter, discussion and music all centered around the traditional Moroccan Jewish holiday of Mimouna, which marks the end of Passover.
A Review of Hillel: If Not Now, When? by Joseph Telushkin
by Gerald Sorin
February 18, 2011
The debates between the ancient sages Hillel and Shamai have fascinated scholars and observant Jews for thousands of years. In this new book by Joseph Telushkin, the author attempts a closer look at Hillel, considering the overall architecture of his ideas and why they remain relevant today. In this review, Gerald Sorin, professor, author and Director of Jewish Studies at the State University of New York at New Paltz, offers a candid and engaging review of Mr, Telushkin's new work.
Two Baseball Aficionados in Havana
by Larry Lefkowitz
April 25, 2011
In this new short story, author Larry Lefkowitz imagines a meeting between two very different baseball fans in Havana, Cuba - one an American Jew, the other, Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. As Lefkowitz's narrator and protagonist makes his way through the winding streets of this venerable Caribbean city, the reader is drawn into his world and begins to see the landscape around him through the character's eyes.
One Shabbat
by Clifford Lamm
March 22, 2011
In this new short story, author Clifford Lamm takes his readers on a journey through time and space, touching on Jewish culture, history and religious practice. In doing so, he draws a beautiful thread of connection, linking the Jewish past, present and future in a moving and though-provoking way.
Shabbes Goy*
by Paul Beckman
February 23, 2011
*Shabbes Goy— A gentile doing physical work for a Jew on the Sabbath.
In this new short story, author Paul Beckman brings his readers into the a world of Orthodox Judaism, parents and children, and the fragile nature of human relationships.
Thoughts on Goldstone, Part Three: Hamas Reprisals Against Fatah, Israeli Technology, and the Lost Cause of Gaza
by Daniel E. Levenson, ALM
May 10, 2011
Much has been made of both the initial release of the Goldstone Report and of Justice Goldstone's recent attempts to backtrack on some of the more damming conclusions the report has to offer on Israel's conduct during the 2008 war in Gaza. In this third part of his editorial series on the Goldstone report, New Vilna Review publisher, Daniel E. Levenson, looks at the misleading and incomplete nature of its conclusions when it comes to Israeli intentions, Hamas-led violence aimed at Fatah supporters in Gaza and raises once again the idea that it is time for either Egypt or the UN to take responsibility for Gaza.
Goldstone’s Regrets: Part Two
by Daniel E. Levenson, ALM
April 16, 2011
In part two of an editorial series on the Goldstone Report, New Vilna Review publisher Daniel E. Levenson considers the ways in which this UN report is flawed, incomplete and shows signs of a significant anti-Israel bias. He examines how the report's focus on Israeli actions (using incomplete information) as well as the ways in which the author of the report is reluctant to blame Hamas for its role in the hostilities, led to the creation of a document which has proven useful for those who seek to blame Israel for both fueling the conflict and the death of all Palestinian civilians during the war.
Goldstone’s Regrets: Once Again, Peace is Bogged Down in a Morass of Hatred and Lies
by Daniel E. Levenson, ALM
April 9, 2011
Justice Richard Goldstone, the South African jurist who authored the Goldstone Report which detailed the findings of a UN commission tasked with investigating purported war crimes during the Gaza war of 2008, has recently retracted some of the nastier assertions he made about the conduct of the IDF during this campaign. In this new editorial, New Vilna Review publisher Daniel E. Levenson considers how this retraction should be taken into account, both in light of the stalled peace process and a Palestinian drive to receive recognition for an independent state, at the United Nations this coming fall.
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Jochebed’s Song
Elazar and Itamar, Sons of Aaron
The New Vilna Review presents two new poems by poet Ruth Fogelman.
The Lynching of Leo Frank
-Zvi A. Sesling
April 25, 2011
The New Vilna Review present a two new poem by poet Zvi A. Sesling.
Inside the Conscious Earth, All Shifts are Inscribed
-Florence Weinberger
April 25, 2011
The New Vilna Review presents a new poem by Florence Weinberger on themes of Jewish refugees and World War Two.
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