Monthly Archives: December 2015

A Little Intermarriage Perhaps (Dorit Rabinyan)

Posted on December 31, 2015 by zjb

To much hue and  cry, the Israel Education Minister nixed the inclusion of Dorit Rabinyan’s novel “Gader Haya” (translated as “Borderlife” in English) into the highschool curriculum. About a love affair between an Israeli and a Palestinian, apparently there was … Continue reading →

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Men in Cars (Barack Obama & Jerry Seinfeld)

Posted on December 31, 2015 by zjb

You can see them here kibbitzing, President Barack Obama and comedian Jerry Seinfeld are two incredibly powerful men, one more so than the other, and one very rich, driving around in a very cool car, a 1963 Corvette. They then … Continue reading →

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地蔵 (Jizō the Bodhisattva of the Earth Matrix)

Posted on December 30, 2015 by zjb

Protector of those tormented in hell, women from childbirth, and warriors in battle, travelers and children, including dead children and aborted fetuses –Jizō the Bodhisattva of the Earth Matrix carries a pilgrim’s staff and a “mani jewel” whose protective light … Continue reading →

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The Idea of a Collection (Japanese Buddhism at the Museum of Fine Arts) (Boston)

Posted on December 29, 2015 by zjb

The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston is relatively small compared to the behemoths further south. But they pack a lot into its space. I slipped away from the AJS conference the other week to take a peek, particularly to … Continue reading →

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The Rapture of Seeing & Ellsworth Kelly (RIP)

Posted on December 28, 2015 by zjb

They’re not “pictures.” When I first started going out to look at art, I always liked Ellsworth Kelly’s compositions, if that’s the right word, primarily for the quiet view it brought to things like simple shapes and colors. While he’s … Continue reading →

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Oh, What the Hell

Posted on December 25, 2015 by zjb

I am ashamed to say that I did not celebrate the holiday as I’m supposed to. Actually, went for BBQ yesterday, not Chinese. Hometown BBQ in Red Hook was practically empty, a zero wait in line.  And then on to … Continue reading →

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Radical Religious Jewish Terrorism (Jewish Dance)

Posted on December 24, 2015 by zjb

The recent youtube clip of radical rightwing Jewish settler youth celebrating the slaughter of the Dawabsha family in the West Bank of Duma has shocked much if not most of the entire political and religious establishment, especially the rightwing who have … Continue reading →

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Son of Saul (Art At Auschwitz)

Posted on December 23, 2015 by zjb

Who cares about the Holocaust anymore? Who goes to see a Holocaust movie and what does one want from it? These were my thoughts going in to see Laszlo Nemes’ Son of Saul this afternoon. For some time now, so … Continue reading →

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Jewish Philosophy Marginalia (Margaret Olin Reading Arthur Cohen Reading Franz Rosenzweig )

Posted on December 22, 2015 by zjb

Bibliophiles along with Jewish philosophy and Jewish Americana people and maybe a couple of modern art historians will want to check out this extraordinary blogpost by Margaret Olin, which you can read here. In addition to her own inspired commentary, … Continue reading →

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Cuban-Hebrew Miami Gaudi

Posted on December 21, 2015 by zjb

I don’t think I’ve seen a synagogue exterior quite like this one. Menachem Feuer posted on FB this photo of Temple Beth Shmuel in Miami. It looks like a sand castle, ala Antoni Gaudi, but a bit more restrained. Designed … Continue reading →

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