Kitka/Davka TV special wins Accolade Award
“Kitka and Davka in Concert: Old and New World Jewish Music,” a 2006 TV concert special recorded live at Oakland’s Temple Sinai, has won an Award of Excellence.
Forest Creatures Entertainment, which produced the special, earned the prize. The Accolade Competition recognizes film, television and video professionals who demonstrate notable achievement in craft and creativity and those who produce standout entertainment or contribute to profound social change.
Kitka is a Bay Area women’s vocal ensemble cializing in Jewish and Balkan music. Davka similarly performs a variety of bracing Jewish and Middle Eastern styles.
“Kitka and Davka in Concert: Old and New World Jewish Music” was produced by Forest Creatures Entertainment in association with KEET, KTOP, Searchlight Educational Media and the Jewish Music Festival of the JCC of the East Bay.
Coexistence comedy comes to Bay Area
If “a Muslim, a Christian, a Hindu, an atheist and a Jew walk into a bar” sounds like the beginning of a joke to you, you’re half right — it’s actually the beginning of a night of jokes.
The Coexist? Comedy Tour will be making a stop at the Clubhouse in San Francisco on Friday, Sept. 21. The show features Tissa Hami (the Muslim), John Ross (the Christian), Tapan Trivedi (the Hindu), Keith Lowell Jensen (the atheist) and Chad Lehrman (the Jew) doing stand-up on the subject of their various religions (or lack thereof).
The show starts at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21 at the Clubhouse, 414 Mason St. No. 705, S.F. Tickets are $10. The show is appropriate for ages 18 and up. For more information, visit www.clubhousecomedy.com or www.coexistcomedy.com.
Enjoy your ‘Broccoli’ in Sacramento
A new musical comedy premiering in Sacramento next month may actually have you enjoying those leafy greens.
“The Broccoli Club” explores the Jewish immigrant experience of 1920s Detroit through 18 original songs and dance numbers. “Broccoli” follows hero Arnie Eastman, who’s been sent to Motor City to whack a mob boss, and his entanglement with local bootlegger Solomon Abramovitz.
The show runs from Oct. 6-15 at the 24th Street Theatre, 2791 24th St., Sacramento. Tickets are $16-$18. For information, visit www.the broccoliclub.com.
AJCommittee lauds apology from film fest
The American Jewish Committee today expressed appreciation to the San Diego Women’s Film Foundation and Festival (SDWFF) after it reversed a ban that the festival director had unilaterally imposed against showing Israeli films during the October event.
“We are pleased that the Film Foundation recognized the festival director’s errant behavior and has moved expeditiously to correct the injustice of excluding Israeli filmmakers,” said Tad Seth Parzen, president of the AJCommittee’s San Diego Chapter.
The foundation’s apology was posted on the SDWFF Web site after the AJCommittee’s San Diego chapter made a number of inquiries last week about the festival’s position regarding Israeli filmmakers.
“We are embarrassed and horrified to learn such a position was taken without our knowledge or consent,” the foundation’s board of directors said in the statement, posted on www.sdwff.org.
The AJCommittee had expressed deep concern about the recent decision of the film festival’s director to exclude Israeli films from the festival, which opens Oct. 4.
Parzen said the community should applaud the SDWFF Board for immediately correcting the situation.
“For the record, the San Diego Women’s Film Foundation and Festival is NOT boycotting Israeli films,” the SDWFF board statement noted. “We are hopeful that film makers from the Israeli community will continue to submit films. Actions regarding the Festival Director will be dealt with internally.”
Reutlinger books now on sale
Two books that trace their origins to the Reutlinger Community for Jewish Living in Danville are available for sale on www.amazon.com.
The first is “Embracing Art and Aging: A Story of Transformation,” by Reutlinger Executive Director Janice L. Corran, Betty Rothaus, Mitch Meyer and Brent Nettle. The other is “End of Life Issues for Patients and Families: Death in the Jewish Tradition,” by Reutlinger Rabbi Debora Kohn, Sheila Raumer and Michael Rosenblum.
The books cost $15 each, and are also available directly from Reutlinger Community for Jewish Living, 4000 Camino Tassajara, Danville, CA 94506, Attn: Janice Corran.
CopyrightJ, the Jewish news weekly of Northern California