August 8, 2007 | 2:19 pm

A sporty symposium

Posted by Dikla Kadosh

Admittedly, Jews as a group are not an athletic powerhouse. But we have a notable and fascinating sports history nonetheless. We have our shining stars: Sandy Koufax, Mark Spitz, Sasha Cohen…We have our proud moments: 13 Jews won medals in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and 40 Israelis participated, the highest number ever to attend the games. And we have our heart-breaks: the massacre at the 1972 Munich Olympics. And there’s much more…

“Sports, Ethnicity, Gender and the Struggle for Human Rights,” will be hosted by the UC Irvine Program in Jewish Studies on August 14. Symposiums tend to be sleep-inducers, but this one sounds like a potential winner. The intellectual gathering is tied to the U.S. Youth Maccabiah Games going on in Orange County August 12-17 and across the country this month. Whether you participate in the games or not (ATID is organizing a Maccabia Sports Day for young professionals on Aug. 12), it would be interesting to learn how and when they began. And you can do that at this symposium without having to lift an arm.

“A History of the Maccabi Movement - Origins, Goals and Future Directions” will be a discussion led by Nina Spiegel, assistant professor of Israeli History at the University of Maryland. Who knew they were teaching Israeli history in Maryland? That’s pretty cool.

Another topic that peaked my interest is “Children and Play in the Holocaust: Games Among the Shadows.” I wonder what games kids played in the ghettos and concentration camps. Did they play hide-and-seek as in “Life is Beautiful”? Did they have a ball for soccer? Did they have the strength for tag?

The centerpiece of the symposium is a new documentary by history professor Dr. Linda Borish, “Jewish Women in American Sport: Settlement Houses to the Olympics.” With documentaries rapidly becoming the most riveting genre in the film industry, there’s a good chance this one based on original groundbreaking research will be up to current standards.

This evening will be, at the very least, an exercise of the mind, and at the most, an inspiration to get out there and exercise your Jewish tuchus.

Tuesday, Aug. 14. 5 p.m. (dinner - $25). 6:30 p.m. (symposium - FREE). University Club, UCI Campus, Building 801 on campus map. R.S.V.P., (714) 456-2317.

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August 6, 2007 | 4:42 pm

Jules Engel disappears in dvd disaster

Posted by Danielle Berrin

Jules Engel may have invented modern animation. He was a seminal cartoonist during the 1930s whose work animating for Walt Disney Studios and later as a founding member of UPA, constituted new formal and stylistic approaches to animation. He was the first to suggest that fine art aesthetics could infuse abstract animation and enjoyed an illustrious career as a painter and filmmaker before founding the Experimental Animation Program at CalArts. He demonstrated these formal experiments in Disney’s “Fantasia,” particularly in the mushroom dance sequences, where he culled from artists like Kandinsky and Klee, integrating bold contrasts between his figures and their backgrounds. His forms pulsed with rhythm. Geometric shapes bursting with color seemed to create “visual music” within his compositions. Imagine an art gallery screening these images, the ones that made animation history and the man who drew them a legend—and then imagine the dvd player malfunctions.

A disappointing turn to say the least, but such was the destiny for Tobey C. Moss Gallery’s tribute to Jules Engel (Thursday, Aug. 2). Smack in the middle of “Gerald McBoing Boing” and a mere three minutes into the screening, Engel’s famed cartoon about a young boy who can’t speak words but utters onomatopoeia instead, zapped to black. At first I thought it might be Engel’s famous use of dark backgrounds, but poor Gerald disappeared the minute the doctor arrived to try and cure him. The saving grace might have been special guest Amid Amidi, who was signing copies of his $40 book “Cartoon Modern: Style and Design in 1950s Animation,” but when a disgruntled woman from the audience asked if he could give his talk during the intermission (so organizers could acquire another dvd player), he replied, “I didn’t really prepare a speech.”

Oh well. At least there were a few bottles of uncorked wine present to distract guests from the minute-hand rapidly ticking towards “time to go.“Sadly, the press materials misled the public by promising a two-hour screening “presented” by Amid Amidi, whose animation blog Cartoon Brew is one of the most widely read on the web. So why didn’t he have anything to say except, “we’ll be showing some clips from an interview with Engel and selections of some of his works—it’s only about half an hour.” It’s also a half-hour drive home.

Jules Engel’s sketches, drawings and cartoons are on display (and on sale $700-$4800) at Tobey C. Moss Gallery through August 31. 7321 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles. (323) 933-5523. www.tobeycmossgallery.com

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August 5, 2007 | 11:12 pm

A tasty smooth-e

Posted by Dikla Kadosh

I met Eric Schwartz aka Smooth E at Jewlicious 3.0 in March and to be honest my expectations were not high for a singing Semitic satirist.

However, I was pleasantly surprised and amused at his sharp humor and genuine lyrical skill. The “suburban homeboy” is charming, funny, original and well…smooth. I was humming his Sanjaya diddly for weeks and I don’t even watch American Idol. Check out his latest satire slamming the sleeziest of celebs:

For more Schwartz parodies, tune in to BET’s “Take the Cake” on August 11 at 11 p.m.

To see him live, I recommend the King Davids of Comedy at the Improv in Hollywood on August 9 at 8 p.m. Some of the top Jewish comedians in the country will be entertaining and a portion of the proceeds go to benefit Magen David Adom.

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August 3, 2007 | 2:34 pm

Discovering Deena Goodman

Posted by Danielle Berrin

It’s not hard to find talented people in this town, which makes it surprising when you discover someone jaw-dropping.

It began when I heard Dov Rosenblatt was in town with his band, Fools for April, a dynamic pairing of acoustic and electric guitar. Having just returned from a weekend at Camp Ramah with his other band, “Blue Fringe—the Jewish one,” as he refers to it, he joined family, friends and fans for a Tuesday night gig at the L.A. dive, The Mint.

I threw on some pearls and drove down to Pico-Robertson to catch Dov’s act. The dark, intimate club with tables hovering around the stage and horseshoe booths lining the walls evoked the atmosphere of something you’d find in a back alley of downtown Manhattan. I sat down and watched Dov, who was sporting workman’s pants and a camel-colored beret, tune his strings. He sang sweet songs with his honey voice, pure and delicate, while his bandmate “C” Lanzbom ripped out aching riffs on the electric. For a Tuesday night, I was content to listen and go home.

But then something happened—a young woman with stringy red hair and bangs covering her eyes walked upon the stage. She sang back-up during a few of Dov’s songs and although she respectfully refrained from overpowering him, her presence was captivating. She crooned softly, contorting her face with fervid expression: pouty lips, squinting eyelids and a jaw that seemed elastic. Her name, he said, is Deena Goodman and they grew up together in New Jersey. Intrigued by the interplay of this duo, I stayed.

During a short intermission between acts, a crowd poured in. Not a seat was spared nor a space uninhabited. The energy revved up like the blaring speakers. With a full band behind her (and Dov on guitar) Deena unleashed the full force of her vocal coloratura—and folks, this gal makes Aretha Franklin sound timid. Her voice is this explosive, sultry sensation and her Joplin-styled performance is the perfect complement.

After the show, I caught up with the two of them. Introducing myself from the Jewish Journal, Deena exclaimed, “I’m Jewish!”

But there’s more to her story than that.

I learned that she graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Did she study musical theater? “Yes, but I don’t like to talk about that.” Why not? “Because I’m a rock star now!”

She is indeed; but she also possesses a harrowing tale that almost derailed her dreams.

In a few minutes, I’ll meet with Dov (pronounced with a long “o”) and Deena to get the dish on being young Jewish “rocker” friends from New York and why they love Los Angeles. Stay tuned for more on this wickedly talented team…

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August 2, 2007 | 4:36 pm

Feelin’ good about Israelis

Posted by Danielle Berrin

Guest blogger Jay Firestone, the Journal’s editorial intern and in-house comedian, writes about a night out rockin’ with the Israeli music group “Feel About”:

As the Israeli indie rock group, “Feel About” continued their U.S. trip to perform in Long Beach at The Blue Café on Wednesday night, I was truly impressed to see such dedication to music. Traveling all the way from Israel, just to play music…this was beautiful. See, I too made quite an extreme journey for the show…all the way from Brentwood, a rather grueling voyage considering a portion of the 710 freeway was under construction.

Upon arriving, 30 minutes fashionably too late, I was thrilled to pay the $7 cover charge that most likely went to the band’s drinks for the evening…tzedakah, right?

But who cares. I was at an Israeli rock concert, ready to meet some fine Israeli girls, and they were most likely ready to meet me…wrong. Through no fault of the band, the attendance was sub-par…definitely “less than minyan status.” But who could have predicted that a Wednesday night rock concert in Long Beach would draw such a modest crowd (insert sarcasm here)?

Despite a limited ability to mingle, I was still excited to be there and engage in Israeli culture…I love Israelis.

Having unfortunately missed the blurb about the band in last week’s Jewish Journal, I naively expected the lyrics of this Israeli band to be solely in Hebrew. Much to my surprise, however, English was the only language projecting from the amps. As I tried to understand the idea of an English-singing Israeli band, I listened to lead singer Roni Weinstock’s stunning vocals while the rest of “Feel About” jammed along. She truly has talent.

Roni, a rising star, has even been nominated for Best Female Vocalist for the Los Angeles Music Awards taking place this fall.

Did I mention I love Israelis?

From what I can remember of my 20 minutes at the bar, “Feel About” was enthused, pumped, and totally excited to be in the U.S. It was just really nice to be able to watch such a talented group of Israelis pursuing their dream. I was so ecstatic, I almost broke out in prayer. But then I remembered, there weren’t enough of us for a minyan.

Photo courtesy of Yohay Elam.

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August 1, 2007 | 12:14 pm

Justice just another ball

Posted by Dikla Kadosh

- A big-name performer: The Violent Femmes, recognizable though clearly past their prime, headlined the evening. Their biggest hit is the rock classic and karaoke favorite “Blister in the Sun,” which still had everyone crouching and whispering…then jumping and screaming.

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