Thursday, March 28th 2024   |

Featured Article

Summer Lyric’s ‘Hairspray’ glistens

By ALAN SMASON, Theatre Critic, WYES-TV (“Steppin’ Out“)

When composer and lyricist Marc Shaiman and his writing partner Scott Wittman opened “Hairspray: The Broadway Musical” 15 years ago, there could not have been an expectation as to how well-received and how pervasive the musical, based on the same-titled 1988 John Waters film, would become. Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane is presenting just one of four separate local productions, but this...

These rabbis have no idea why they’re on the Israeli Chief Rabbinate’s ‘blacklist’

By BEN SALES

NEW YORK (JTA) — In 2012, Rabbi Jason Herman wrote a letter to Israel’s Chief Rabbinate certifying that a friend of his who wished to get married was Jewish and single.

The letter was declared invalid.

But several months later Herman, spiritual leader of the Orthodox West Side Jewish Center in Manhattan, obtained a license from the Chief Rabbinate to conduct that wedding in Israel — and...

Israeli rabbinate ‘blacklisting’ American rabbis

By BEN SALES

(JTA) — Some 160 rabbis, including several prominent American Orthodox leaders, appear on a list of rabbis whom Israel’s haredi Orthodox-dominated Chief Rabbinate does not trust to confirm the Jewish identities of immigrants.

Rabbis from 24 countries, including the United States and Canada, are on the list. In addition to Reform and Conservative rabbis, the list includes Orthodox leaders like Avi Weiss, the liberal Orthodox rabbi from...

Shir Chadash Nearly New Sale continues

For the past month, a dozen workers have been accepting lightly used clothing, goods, furniture and appliances in anticipation of yesterday’s and today’s annual “Nearly New” sale at Shir Chadash Conservative Congregation, 3737 West Esplanade Avenue in Metairie.

Working under congregation president Lisa Finkelstein, the volunteers and co-chair Diane Schleifstein inspected and catalogued all of the items. Those that passed muster were slated for sale and placed on racks or...

Rabbi Yochanan Rivkin assumes permanent pulpit at Anshe Sfard

By ALAN SMASON

With his acceptance of the interim rabbinical post last year, Rabbi Yochanan Rivkin became the first rabbi in the New Orleans Jewish community’s history to assume a rabbinic seat previously occupied by a sibling. More local Jewish history was marked two weeks ago with the acceptance of a new contract establishing Rabbi Yochanan as the permanent rabbi at Congregation Anshe Sfard, the last remaining non-Chabad Orthodox Jewish...

Suspension of Western Wall deal leaves Jewish leaders feeling betrayed

By BEN SALES

(JTA) — They’ve tried strongly worded statements. They’ve tried private meetings with the prime minister. They’ve tried negotiations, protest and prayer.

But for the past five years, despite broad internal consensus and consistent pressure, the American Jewish establishment has been unable to persuade Israel’s government to create an equitable space for non-Orthodox prayer at the Western Wall.

The latest setback in that fight came Sunday, when Prime...

UPDATE: Chicago LGBT march expels 3 Jews carrying rainbow flags with Star of David

By ALAN SMASON, Special to the CCJN

Three people carrying Jewish Pride flags, rainbow-striped flags with a Star of David at the center, were asked to leave a pro-LGBT march on Saturday, June 24, in the Chicago neighborhood of Little Village.

Representatives of the Dyke March Collective approached Laurie Grauer, the Midwest manager of A Wider Bridge, a Jewish LGBT advocacy group for Israel, and two of her associates, about...

Israeli government rescinds pluralistic Western Wall agreement

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet has rescinded a government decision to create an official egalitarian prayer section at the Western Wall.

The decision announced on Sunday comes after the haredi Orthdox United Torah Judaism party and the Sephardi Orthodox Shas party, both members of the current government, put pressure on Netanyahu to scrap the agreement, including threatening to leave the coalition government.

As part of the...

SLT’s ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ a surefire hit

By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“)

For those who truly love classic Broadway theatre, there are few shows that pack as much firepower as Irving Berlin’s “Annie Get Your Gun.” It was a tour de force for Ethel Merman, perhaps the greatest belter known on the Great White Way, and has since provided vehicles for the likes of Bernadette Peters, Reba McEntire and Patti LuPone.

With crowd pleasers...

Snadowsky to moderate FestiTalks™

For the second year in a row, Leslie Snadowsky, the multi-media news editor for Biz New Orleans, will be moderating a panel of women leaders from various fields called FestiTalks™ as part of the weekend’s FestiGals series of events, which began yesterday, Thursday, June 22.

“We kinda describe it as a rapid-fire, dynamic presentation of all sorts of topics,” she explained in an interview with the CCJN. “The trick is...