News stories tagged with "jewish"

(05/04/12) The Crane School of Music Klezmer Band, Klez-mania, will perform at Beth El synagogue in Potsdam this Sunday at 4:30.

Todd Moe talks with clarinetist Matt Wurtzel about the group, Klez-mania, and their brand of this spirited and uniquely Jewish musical style. He says klezmer music combines the Yiddish folk melodies of Eastern Europe with early American jazz styles.

(02/14/12) A St. Lawrence County community is being reminded, again, of an 80 year-old rumor many people would rather forget.

A new novel re-imagines what happened when a little girl went missing overnight in Massena. It's based on a true story from 1928. The town's small Jewish community was accused of kidnapping her for a ritual murder.

Julie Grant set out to find out what really happened. She found that after 80 years, it's not easy to parse the truth from rumors and memories.

But she did find that people from cultures around the world brought together in America's "melting pot" were easily pulled apart in a time of crisis. more

(10/13/11) Potsdam writer Evelyn Weissman's first novel, Jairus' Daughter, is a fictional autobiography that began as a series of stories for her children as an answer to questions about her conversion from Judaism to Christianity. She calls it a modern tale of religious conversion. Weissman, like Sara in her book, grew up in a traditional Jewish family and reluctantly followed a spiritual path that led her to Christianity. Todd Moe spoke with her in the backyard of her Potsdam home about the book and her spiritual journey. She'll sign copies of her book at the Brewer Bookstore in Canton this Saturday afternoon (3 pm).

(07/20/11) The Newcomb United Methodist Church will host an afternoon of words and music this Sunday at 3:30 pm. California storyteller Tzipporah Marks-Barnett is one of the presenters who will share her love of telling tales. She's an ordained Jewish storyteller, who joins a long tradition of sharing stories, many with messages and life lessons.

Here, she tells a Hassidic tale of love titled, A Generous Wife. Todd Moe spoke with Marks-Barnett and asked about her journey to becoming an ordained storyteller.

(07/15/11) The Jewish "fusion" group, Zetz will perform their unique array of Jewish genres, including Klezmer, Israeli and Ladino music in Potsdam this Sunday. The concert, at noon at Temple Beth El, is in honor of the Crane School of Music's 125th Anniversary. Their first CD, Hine Ma Tov...How Good It Is, has received outstanding reviews. Todd Moe has a preview.

The concert begins at noon after a 10:30am brunch at the synagogue. All are welcome. RSVP at info@potsdamsynagogue.org

(04/13/11) The St. Lawrence University Chorus spring concert will feature music for Passover on Saturday night at 8 pm in Gunnison Memorial Chapel on the University campus in Canton. Todd Moe talks with director Barry Torres and guest artist organist Sondra Goldsmith Proctor about some of their personal connections to the music they'll perform.

(03/03/11) She won the first "Best Actress" Emmy Award, garnered a Tony Award and was a broadcasting pioneer. Gertrude Berg is credited with inventing the first television sitcom in 1949. She was principal writer and star of "The Goldbergs", a popular radio and TV show in the 1940's and 50's. Todd Moe talks with filmmaker Aviva Kempner, whose work investigates non-stereotypical images of Jews in history and celebrates the under known stories of Jewish heroes. Kempner says Berg was the Oprah of her day, but many of her contributions to show business have been forgotten. Aviva Kempner will host a screening of the documentary film "Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg," at St. Lawrence University tonight at 7 p.m. in Room 218 of Hepburn Hall. Free admission.

(04/02/08) Julia Pascal is a director and playwright with her own production company, based in London. Her work deals primarily with the lives of Jewish women, particularly in relation to the Holocaust. But she's also written a documentary about Charlotte Bronte and Jane Eyre, and explored Black and Irish themes. She recently completed a film archive of interviews with close to 50 women Holocaust survivors and their daughters, entitled Jewish Mothers and Daughters. She's at St. Lawrence University this week and will give a public lecture tonight on this latest work. She spoke with Martha Foley.

(04/13/06) Tonight is the second night of the Jewish holiday, Passover. Jews around the world will sit down for a ritual dinner called a "seder". They'll retell the biblical story of the Jewish slaves' exodus from Egypt. A Montreal-based music producer has recast the Passover seder for the hip-hop generation. Socalled - alias Josh Dolgin - used rappers, Yiddish and klezmer samples, and funky beats to make "The SoCalled Seder - A Hip Hop Haggadah". The CD cover shows a matzah on a record turntable. The songs include "the 10 Plagues", all four cups of wine, and L.M.P.G. - Let My People Go. David Sommerstein spoke with SoCalled about the surprising similarities between Passover and Hip-Hop.

(12/19/03) Tonight is the first night of the Jewish holiday Chanukah. We start celebrations a little early this year by cooking latkes, Chanukah's most typical food. NCPR's Ellen Rocco and Martha Foley make them live in the NCPR kitchen.

Potato Latke Recipe:

8 lg. potatoes (Idaho baking potatoes not recommended)
2 eggs
1 lg. onion
2 tsp. salt
2 T flour
pepper to taste
lots of cooking oil

Grate potatoes; mince onion (finely or coarsely, depending on preference). Add egg, salt, pepper, and flour. Drain mixture to remove water. Fry in hot oil until crisp on edges. Drain on paper towels or eat right away!