Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on January 15, 2020

WED 01/15

Cleveland Stories Dinner Parties

Cleveland Stories Dinner Party is a weekly series that pairs fine food with storytelling. Through it, the folks at Music Box Supper Club hope to raise awareness of the mission of the Western Reserve Historical Society's Cleveland History Center. The goal is to "bring to life some of the fun, interesting stories about Cleveland's past from sports, to rock 'n' roll, to Millionaires' Row," as it's put in a press release. Admission is free, with no cover charge, although a prix fixe dinner, designed to complement the night's theme, is $20. Tonight, David Spero, a guy who's represented artists like Michael Stanley, Joe Walsh, the Raspberries, Billy Bob Thornton, Dickey Betts and Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) over the course of his career, will speak. Doors open at 5 p.m., dinner is served at 6, and the storytelling starts at 7. (Jeff Niesel)

1148 Main Ave.,

216-242-1250,

musicboxcle.com.

Katie Hannigan

New York-based comedian, actress and writer, Katie Hannigan admits she was "the crazy girl" in college and is now "just living the epilogue." Hannigan, who's appeared on The Late Show with Steven Colbert, Comedy Central, The Travel Channel and MTV, brings a manic energy to the stage. She performs tonight at 7 at Hilarities. Tickets start at $10. (Niesel)

2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.

THU 01/16

Disney on Ice Presents Road Trip Adventures

In what's become a tradition for this time of year, Disney on Ice storms into town to take over the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for a 10-day period, sending the Cavs and Lake Erie Monsters out on long road trips so parents can bring their toddlers and tweens to the arena for some family entertainment. Expect to see familiar figures such as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and Disney princesses. There will be singalongs to songs from films such as Finding Dory, Frozen, Toy Story and more. Tonight's performance begins at 7, and shows continue through Sunday, Jan. 19. Tickets start at $15. (Niesel)

1 Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketmortgagefieldhouse.com.

Midwinter Blues and Other Tunes

In an attempt to beat back the wintertime blues, the Akron Art Museum launches a new winter concert series tonight, dubbed Midwinter Blues and Other Tunes. Each week, the museum will present an evening of local music along with art activities, live artist demos and additional musical performances in the galleries. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the headliners take the stage at 7 p.m. Tonight, Cory Grinder Band headlines; advance tickets are $8 for museum members and $10 for non-members. (Admission at the door is $9 for members and $12 for non-members.) However, admission to the museum galleries and lobby is free and open to all. (Niesel) 1 South High St., Akron, 330-376-9185, akronartmuseum.org.

FRI 01/17

78th Street Studios Third Friday Art Walk

Tonight, the Third Friday Art Walk returns to the cavernous 78th Street Studios. More than 50 studios and galleries will participate in this popular indoor art walk; be sure to check out spots like the Derek Hess Gallery, Tregoning & Company and Hilary Gent Studio. Look for food trucks out front and live music on the first floor. Hours are 5 to 9 p.m. and admission is free. (Niesel) 1300 West 78th St., 78thstreetstudios.com.

Flanagan's Wake

No one knows grief and mourning like a Catholic, let alone an Irish Catholic. Flanagan's Wake transports the audience to an Irish wake where villagers tell tales and sing songs for their dearly departed Flanagan. Finding the humor in life and death, the wake acts as a dark backdrop to an otherwise hilarious show in which alcohol fuels the humorous reminiscing. Sort of like a tragic Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding, the interactive and improvised show engages the entire audience as the guests are treated as the friends and family of the deceased. Tonight's show starts at 8 and repeats tomorrow night at 8 at Kennedy's Theatre. Performances continue weekends through April 25. Tickets are $27. (Patrick Stoops)

1501 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

Gift

Inspired by Lewis Hyde's 1983 bestseller about precious things that can't be bought and sold, this 2018 documentary film examines Lee Mingwei's Sonic Blossom (performed at the Cleveland Museum of Art this past July) and three other gift-based artist installations. The movie makes its Cleveland premiere tonight at 7 at the Cleveland Museum of Art's Morley Lecture Hall. Tickets cost $10 or $7 for CMA members. (Niesel)

11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.

The Mozart Effect: Live! A Symphony for the Senses

The Mozart Effect: Live! A Symphony for the Senses promises to "take the presentation of the live symphony orchestra to an entirely new place." The event features the 40-piece Cleveland Pops Orchestra conducted by Charles Cozens. There will be high-definition large format immersive video and visual effects timed to the orchestra's performance of Mozart's music. The show begins at 8 p.m. at Connor Palace on Playhouse Square. Tickets cost $38.50 to $93.50. (Niesel)

1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

Pain and Glory

Pain and Glory, the latest film from writer-director Pedro Almodvar, finds the veteran Spanish director looking inward for inspiration. The movie centers on Salvador (Antonio Banderas), a filmmaker and writer who has decided to retire. "What will you do?" a friend asks him when she hears of his decision. "Live," he dryly retorts, suggesting the way in which the film will examine how he comes to terms with his past in order to proceed into the future. Anchored by a compelling performance by Banderas, who won the Best Actor award last year when the movie made its international debut at the Cannes Film Festival, Pain and Glory makes for a riveting character study. The movie shows at 7 tonight and at 7:40 tomorrow night at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. Tickets cost $10, or $7 for Cinematheque members and students. (Niesel)

11610 Euclid Ave., 216-421-7450, cia.edu.

JB Smoove

Famous for his portrayal of Leon, a fast-talking friend of Larry David's on the HBO hit Curb Your Enthusiasm, comedian JB Smoove was born in North Carolina and grew up in New York. He started his career back in 1999, when he moved to Los Angeles and landed a recurring role on MTV's The Lyricist Lounge Show. He also starred opposite Adam Sandler in Mr. Deeds. After a season as a cast member on the sketch comedy program Cedric the Entertainer Presents, he worked as a writer on Saturday Night Live before landing the Curb Your Enthusiasm gig. Smoove returns to the Improv tonight at 7:30 and 10 and tomorrow night at 7 and 9:30. Tickets cost $30. (Niesel)

1148 Main Ave., 216-696-IMPROV, clevelandimprov.com.

SAT 01/18

Aretha: The Queen of Soul

Singer Charity Lockhart stars in this homage to Aretha Franklin, one of the greatest female vocalists of all time. Franklin's iconic career spanned six decades, and she received 18 Grammy Awards and the Presidential Medal of Freedom during that time. Rolling Stone magazine also put her atop its list of the Greatest Singers of All Time. A 10-piece band will accompany Lockhart at this show that takes place at 4 and 7:30 p.m. at the Hanna Theatre. Tickets cost $47.50. (Niesel)

2067 East 14th St., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

Greener Grass

This film centers on two soccer moms who live in a pastel-colored suburban Neverland. Things begin to go awry when one of them gives the other her newborn daughter for keeps. Two veteran female improv comics direct and star in the movie, a hit at last year's Cleveland International Film Festival. It screens at 9:50 tonight at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. Tickets cost $10, or $8 for Cinematheque members and students. (Niesel)

11610 Euclid Ave., 216-421-7450, cia.edu.

SUN 01/19

Barry Lyndon

As part of a special series devoted to the films of director Stanley Kubrick, the Cinematheque will show his 1975 film Barry Lyndon tonight at 6:30. Set in England in the 18th century, the film centers on an Irish rogue (Ryan O'Neal) who wins the heart of a rich widow and assumes her dead husband's position. Admission is $12, or $9 for all Cinematheque members and students. (Niesel)

11610 Euclid Ave., 216-421-7450, cia.edu.

Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blach

Directed by Pamela B. Green and narrated by Jodie Foster, this documentary film examines the life of forgotten French-American film pioneer Alice Guy-Blach, history's first female film director and perhaps the first moviemaker to direct a narrative film. During her career, she experimented with color, synchronized sound, close-ups and minority casting. She even started her own company before disappearing from filmmaking. The movie screens at 1:30 p.m. today at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Tickets cost $10 or $7 for CMA members. (Niesel)

11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.

Nelsin Davis

Shop local. Eat local. Laugh local. That's what Cleveland-native Nelsin Davis hopes you'll do tonight when he performs at the Improv. Davis has been making his rounds throughout the state for the last few years, leaving a trail of side-split Ohioans in his wake. The situational comic focuses on storytelling in his routine, so expect more of a clever audiobook than a standup performance. Davis takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15. (Brittany Rees)

1148 Main Ave., 216-696-IMPROV, clevelandimprov.com.

MON 01/20

Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks

The Cavaliers have a good chance of notching a win today as the New York Knicks come to town. Like the Cavs, the Knicks are rebuilding. And while they likely have a superstar in guard/forward Rowan Alexander "RJ" Barrett Jr., they're a long way from becoming the kind of competitive team that the storied franchise deserves. Part of the NBA's special MLK Day celebration, the game commences at 5 p.m. at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Check the website for ticket prices. (Niesel)

1 Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketmortgagefieldhouse.com.

Free Programs at the Maltz Museum

The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage will mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day with an all-day free event. Cleveland's own Rev. Dr. Otis Moss Jr. will give a sermon at 10:30 a.m., the Evelyn Wright Quartet will perform at 1 p.m., and the documentary film Soundtrack for a Revolution: Freedom Songs from the Civil Rights Era, with talk-back by Kyle Kidd, will screen at 3 p.m. Guests are invited to tour the galleries and participate in family friendly hands-on crafts and activities at no cost. The museum opens at 11 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. (Niesel)

2929 Richmond Rd., Beachwood, 216-593-0575, maltzmuseum.org.

Open House at Severance Hall

Today from noon to 5 p.m., Severance Hall hosts a free day of music and community engagement. The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra and Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus will perform, and there will be a special presentation of Dr. Mark Lomax II's 400: An African Epic, a "journey through music that chronologically represents the Afrikan experience, past, present and future." A discussion led by Joy Bostic, interim VP of the Office of Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunity at CWRU, will follow the performance. There will also be line dancing in the Bogomolny-Kozerefski Grand Foyer. Admission is free, and tickets aren't required. (Niesel)

11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com.

MLK Day at the Rock Hall

Today's special MLK Day celebration at the Rock Hall begins at 10:30 a.m. with a screening of the film Let Freedom Ring in the Foster Theatre and a performance by the Rainey Institute Dance Team on the Klipsch Audio Main Stage. Throughout the day, there will be more film screenings and live performances as well as family activities and Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech will screen on a 22-minute film loop. Admission is free. (Niesel)

1100 Rock and Roll Blvd., 216-515-8444, rockhall.com.

MLK Day at the Art Museum

Normally closed on Mondays, the Cleveland Museum of Art will be open today for a special MLK Day Celebration from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be youth performances, gallery talks, art activities, and educational programs about King's legacy. Admission is free. (Niesel)

11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.

MLK Day at the Aquarium

The Greater Cleveland Aquarium will team up with the United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland, Inc. (UBF) for a community fund- and friend-raiser that takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at the aquarium. Every guest who donates $1 or more to UBF today, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, will receive discounted same-day $10 admission to the Greater Cleveland Aquarium. In addition to regularly scheduled Sharks & Scuba talks and animal encounters, the aquarium will highlight African-Americans who played prominent roles in the fields of marine science and scuba diving. There will also be a MLK Day Search for Greatness scavenger hunt and the chance to win an annual family pass. UBF volunteers will be stationed in the aquarium lobby to take donations and provide discounted admission vouchers. Both adults and children will receive the general admission rate of $10 when donating at least $1. No presales are available. (Niesel)

2000 Sycamore St., 216-862-8803, greaterclevelandaquarium.com.

Shit Show Karaoke

Local rapper/promoter Dirty Jones and Scene's own Manny Wallace host Shit Show Karaoke, a weekly event at the B-Side Liquor Lounge wherein patrons choose from "an unlimited selection of jams from hip-hop to hard rock," and are encouraged to "be as bad as you want." Fueled by drink and shot specials, it all goes down tonight at 10 p.m. (Niesel)

2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216-932-1966, bsideliquorlounge.com.

TUE 01/21

Classical Revolution Cleveland

Today, and the third Tuesday of every month, Classical Revolution Cleveland brings chamber music to the Happy Dog. Performers like the Trepanning Trio, students of Cleveland Institute of Music, and even Cleveland Orchestra members grace the stage in these exciting, free concerts. Tonight's performance starts at 8. (Stoops) 5801 Detroit Ave., 216-651-9474, happydogcleveland.com.

Gauguin from the National Gallery, London

This documentary film about the life and work of Paul Gauguin examines the artist's legacy through the lenses of art history, gender and postcolonial politics. It also provides an up-close and personal guided tour of The Credit Suisse Exhibition: Gauguin Portraits at London's National Gallery. The film screens at 1:45 p.m. today at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Tickets cost $15, or $11 for CMA members. (Niesel)

11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.

Jersey Boys

This hit musical tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and chronicles how the group went from the streets of New Jersey to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Expect to hear hits such as "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like a Man," "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" and "December 1963 (Oh What A Night)." Tonight's opening-night performance takes place at 7:30 at Connor Palace. Performances continue through Jan. 26. Tickets cost $39 to $119. (Niesel)

1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

Open Turntable Tuesday

Tonight from 6 to 9, the Winchester hosts its weekly Open Turntable Tuesday. Jason Gokorsch will book guest DJs and offer slots to people who want to bring their own vinyl and spin their favorite songs or deep tracks. First time DJs are encouraged, and equipment is provided. Patrons can also bring records for the night's DJ to add to their set. Sign up on Northeast Ohio Vinyl Club's Facebook page. (Niesel)

12112 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-600-5338, facebook.com/TheWinchesterMusicTavern.

Vinyl Night

Jukebox owner Alex Budin has described his 1,350-square-foot music-focused bar in the Hingetown 'hood as "a place where people can expect to hear and learn about music of multiple genres, all of which is concentrated in a constantly evolving jukebox." The club hosts a vinyl night every Tuesday that serves as a listening party for new releases, partnering with Loop in Tremont, so patrons can hear a new album on vinyl. You can bring your own vinyl and spin it too. It all starts at 5 p.m. (Niesel)

1404 West 29th St., 216-206-7699, jukeboxcle.com.

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Get Out: Everything You Should Be Doing in Cleveland This Week (Jan. 15-21) - Cleveland Scene

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Posted By admin on January 15, 2020

Good evening, lets start with todays top stories:

Putin accused of seeking to become Russias leader-for-life through constitutional changes

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed changes to the constitution that critics say clear the way for him to remain the countrys leader-for-life.

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Hours later, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced that he and his entire cabinet would resign to provide the president of our country with the ability to make all necessary decisions for this.

Later in the day, Putin named Mikhail Mishustin a 53-year-old political unknown who had previously headed Russias tax service as the countrys new prime minister.

This is the daily Evening Update newsletter. If youre reading this on the web, or it was forwarded to you, you can sign up for Evening Update and more than 20 more Globe newsletters here. If you like what you see, please share with your friends.

Canadian government may offer interim compensation to families of Flight 752 victims

Ottaway says its considering paying out interim compensation to families of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 victims who died last week in Iran after Tehrans military shot down their aircraft.

The Canadian government says it ultimately expects Iran to pay compensation to the families, but has acknowledged a full investigation could be take time to determine what happened. At least 57 Canadians were among the 176 people killed.

Meanwhile, officials from five countries, other than Iran, whose citizens died in the disaster Canada, Ukraine, Britain, Sweden and Afghanistan are meeting in London tomorrow over how to deal with Iran.

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Peter MacKay: Im in for federal Conservative leadership race

Ending months of speculation, former federal cabinet minister Peter MacKay entered the Conservative leadership race with a tweet this afternoon: Im in. Stay tuned. The new leader replacing Andrew Scheer, who stepped down after a disappointing election loss and as it was revealed he was using party money to pay for his childrens private school will be chosen June 27.

During the fall election campaign, The Globe and Mail reported that MacKays supporters were laying the groundwork for a possible leadership bid in the event that Scheer was unable to defeat the Liberals.

U.S. politics: Trump impeachment case advances; U.S.-China sign Phase 1 trade deal

The U.S. House today voted to send two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate and approve House prosecutors for only the third impeachment trial in American history.

The seven-member prosecution team will be led by the chairmen of the House impeachment proceedings, representatives Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler. The Senate trial is set to start tomorrow.

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Opinion: Impeachment has risen to a level beyond confidence in a particular official; it is about confidence in an office. - Geoffrey Vaughan, professor, Assumption College in Worcester, Mass.

Separately, Trump signed the Phase 1 trade deal with China, capping more than two years of tense negotiations and escalating threats. Its intended to open Chinese markets to more U.S. companies, but keeps in place many of the tariffs that Trump has placed on US$360-billion worth of Chinese goods.

The latest on Prince Harry and Meghan

The controversy swirling around Prince Harry and Meghan has intensified amid reports that the Duchesss father is prepared to testify against her as part of a legal battle with a British tabloid.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been in a long-running battle with the British press. This past October, she launched a lawsuit against the Mail on Sunday that largely centres on a letter she sent to her father, Thomas Markle, shortly after the couples wedding.

The Queen this week agreed to a transition period for the couple after their bombshell announcement that they planned to step back from Royal Family duties, seek greater financial independence and split their time between Canada and Britain.

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The Duchess is currently in British Columbia with the couples son, Archie, and paid a visit to the Downtown Eastside Womens Centre yesterday, which shared a photo on Facebook.

Meghan Markle, centre, poses with a group at the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre. (Photo via Facebook)

Downtown Eastside Women's Centre/Downtown Eastside Women's Centre

Opinion: Their presence will be awkward. They would be more or less permanent embodiments of a British monarchy that remains attached to our independent Canadian Crown, reminding us of what we were not what weve become. - Philippe Lagass, associate professor, Carleton University.

Read more: Meghan and Harrys Canadian solution: The plan so far, and the questions it raises.

ALSO ON OUR RADAR

5G network rollout: Rogers Communications is beginning to roll out fifth-generation wireless networks in the downtown cores of several major Canadian cities as the countrys telecom sector gears up for the global race to deploy 5G networks.

Ontario teachers strike: The Ontario government says it will reimburse parents for child-care costs if public elementary school teachers and education workers in Toronto, York and Ottawa stage a one-day strike on Monday. Also today, the Ontario Secondary School Federation announced its latest rotating strikes for next Tuesday.

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Rare B.C. blizzard warning: A powerful snowstorm that has closed part of Highway 1 east of Vancouver and shuttered every public school and university across southern Vancouver Island and Metro Vancouver today has led to a rare blizzard warning for a region just north of the city.

Meningitis acquittal appeal: The Alberta Crowns appeal of the acquittal of David and Collet Stephan in the death of their son 19-month-old Ezekiel is reported to have died from meningitis is set to be heard in June.

Rock HOF inductees: Posthumous inductees Whitney Houston and The Notorious B.I.G. are joining the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, joined by Depeche Mode, the Doobie Brothers, Nine Inch Nails and T-Rex.

Golden Knights fire coach: Gerard Gallant was abruptly fired by the Vegas Golden Knights today, less than two years after leading them to the Stanley Cup Final in their first season. Peter DeBoer, fired last month by the San Jose Sharks, takes over immediately.

Jeopardy! GOAT: Ken Jennings won his third match in the Jeopardy! Greatest of all Time contest televised on yesterday, and pocketed $1-million by dispatching James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter.

MARKET WATCH

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Key world stock market indexes climbed to new records today on hopes a U.S.-China trade deal will reduce tensions, but oil prices slid on doubts the pact will spur world growth and boost crude demand.

Wall Street stocks ended higher, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 90.55 points to 29,030.22, while the S&P 500 gained 6.14 points to end at 3,289.29 and the Nasdaq Composite closed at 9,258.70, 7.37 points higher.

In Toronto, S&P/TSX Composite index rose 62.27 points to 17,415.17 as marijuana producers shares surged.

Got a news tip that youd like us to look into? E-mail us at tips@globeandmail.com. Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop.

TALKING POINTS

Aeroplan, its time to stop grabbing back the miles of your inactive customers

Memo to Air Canada: As you head toward the introduction of a new version of Aeroplan this year, please give some consideration to not having points expire. Really, isnt it on you if your members arent motivated enough to stay active? - Rob Carrick

Tim Hortons identity crisis could erode chains long-established brand

Most of the iconic chains decisions have left Canadians scratching their heads. Many of its choices in recent months have been simply inexplicable. - Sylvain Charlebois, professor at Dalhousie University

LIVING BETTER

Is there such a thing as too niche? When it comes to cruising, the industry is constantly coming up with new ideas for themed trips, trying to show travellers that there is something for everyone. But knitting cruises or heavy metal cruises might not be quite your taste. If you like the concept of a theme cruise but crave tasteful over tacky here are seven choices to keep in mind. They include options for vegans, beer lovers and Jewish heritage enthusiasts.

LONG READ FOR A LONG COMMUTE

What kind of data is my new car collecting about me? Nearly everything it can, apparently

Your car knows all about you your habits, where you like to go and when, and maybe even what sort of temperament you have. Cameras inside cars even track your eyes to see whether youre watching the road.

If you spent as much time one-on-one with a friend as you do with your car, your friend would know an awful lot about you, too. The difference is that car companies, unlike friends, have a financial incentive for knowing things about you.

As cars become like two-tonne rolling smartphones always online, anticipating your needs, listening to your voice, tracking your movements and loaded with apps that have access to your credit card information what your car knows about you and who has access to that data for what purpose could become an increasingly contentious issue. Read Matt Bubbers full story here.

Evening Update is presented by S.R. Slobodian. If youd like to receive this newsletter by e-mail every weekday evening, go here to sign up. If you have any feedback, send us a note.

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Evening Update: Peter MacKay joining Tory leadership race; the latest on UIA Flight 752 - The Globe and Mail

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Posted By admin on January 15, 2020

Defections, betrayals, secret deals, the admission of the far Right, and prime ministerial interference are just some of the events that have characterized the chaos of religious-Zionist politics over the last 12 months.As of this writing, the supposedly liberal right-wing outfit of Naftali Bennetts New Right has united with the decidedly illiberal National Union; Bayit Yehudi is stuck with the extremist Kahanists of Otzma Yehudit; and Bayit Yehudi leader Rabbi Rafi Peretz has become an electoral liability and deeply unpopular within his own party.What has happened?For several months now, substantial parts of the Bayit Yehudi membership and central committee have become increasingly angry with Peretz for refusing to allow primary elections for leadership of the party and its electoral list.Peretz has proved to be an electoral liability, a religious hard-liner, and a generally charisma-less leader of Bayit Yehudi compared to the dynamism and electoral attraction of Bennett and Ayelet Shaked, all of which has seen the partys polling numbers plummet.Because of all this, when negotiations began to reunite Bayit Yehudi with its longtime political partner, National Union, it looked increasingly likely that National Union leader Bezalel Smotrich would wrest the leadership of the joint list away from Peretz.In a Machiavellian move, Peretz then did an end run around Smotrich to unite with the far-right Otzma Yehudit Party to outflank his National Union rival.This move heaped pressure on Smotrich because he essentially had no place to go. Bennett was insisting that New Right was running independently as a liberal, right-wing party, and National Union had no hope of passing the electoral threshold by itself.Enter Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Sometime earlier this week, Netanyahu got hold of internal party polling demonstrating that a joint list of Bayit Yehudi, National Union and Otzma would struggle to pass the 3.5% electoral threshold.Panicking that the center-left bloc would almost certainly gain a majority and evict Netanyahu from Balfour Street if close to 140,000 right-wing votes got thrown in the dustbin, the prime minister pressured Bennett to bring in Smotrich, and then Bayit Yehudi and even Otzma.While this was going on, Peretz and Smotrich were still in negotiations to form a united list, but Peretz seemingly reneged on a promise to allow internal primaries after a full party merger, which blew a hole in the proposed agreement.Smotrich was now only too willing to accept Netanyahus proposed unity deal with New Right, since it would rescue him from political oblivion and turn the tables on Peretz.Bennett subsequently folded in the face of Netanyahus pressure, which included threats to fire him from his long-coveted role as defense minister, and Peretz found himself out in the cold with the extremists of Otzma in a joint list, which will be extremely hard pressed to pass the electoral threshold.Netanyahu then weighed in again Wednesday night with the preposterous idea that senior religious-Zionist authority Rabbi Haim Druckman, 87 years old and in poor health, should temporarily take over the leadership of Bayit Yehudi, so as to bring unity to the religious-Zionist political scene and save the prime minister from appearing in the Jerusalem District Court to face his corruption charges.As it stands now, Bennett is resisting the demands to bring in Otzma to his joint electoral list and has invited only Bayit Yehudi, while Peretz is insisting that he will not abandon his radical partners and will join a united list only if the Kahanists can come, too.Whatever happens by the deadline for submitting electoral lists to the Central Elections Committee Wednesday at midnight, the wounds of this latest election campaign will be deep and painful, and will not quickly be healed.

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Religious-Zionist politics in turmoil as parties turn on each other - The Jerusalem Post

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Posted By admin on January 15, 2020

The First Zionist Congress took place Aug. 29-31, 1897. Courtesy of National Photo Collection of Israel, via Wikimedia Commons

The World Zionist Congress, in a sentence: Nobody knows what it is, laughed Mort Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America and a WZC delegate-candidate.

Though that is perhaps a bit of hyperbole 56,000 people voted in the last election Klein was speaking to a true blind-spot for many Jews across the world when he characterized the general lack of knowledge relating to the WZC.

The WZC, a 500-delegate legislative body, is the major voice of the Diaspora in Israel, according to Judge Abraham Gafni, a professor at Villanova Universitys Charles Widger School of Law and chairman of the U.S. Area Election Committee of the American Zionist Movement. The delegates, made up of Jews from all over the Diaspora, have decision-making power and influence with the Jewish Agency for Israel, the Jewish National Fund and the World Zionist Organization. Those organizations and their significant funds will, in turn, have serious impacts on Jewish life in Israel, in every sector education, security, immigration, religious authority and more.

Elections to choose the WZC delegates are held every five years; the last election was in 2015. This time around, voting will take place between Jan. 21 and March 11; any American Jewish person over the age of 18 who pays $7.50 can vote online to determine the makeup of the 38th World Zionist Congress, which will be held in Jerusalem from Oct. 20-22.

It will be just the 16th iteration to take place in Israel. All of those who took part prior to the 23rd World Zionist Congress in 1951 organized themselves around an idea, rather than a reality.

The first WZC was organized by Theodor Herzl in Basel, Switzerland, in 1897. Herzl, generally considered the founder of modern Zionism, helped to convene more than 200 delegates, who articulated the Zionist platform and adopted Hatikvah as its anthem, among other resolutions.

Were I to sum up the Basel Congress in a word which I shall guard against pronouncing publicly it would be this, Herzl wrote in his diary that year. At Basel I founded the Jewish State. If I said this out loud today I would be greeted by universal laughter. In five years perhaps, and certainly in 50 years, everyone will perceive it.

There were just a handful of representatives from the U.S. at the first WZC. Today, U.S. delegates make up about 30% of the WZC 152 out of 500 and have significant power in determining the direction of the body. Gafni and the AZM are charged with overseeing the U.S. portion of the voting, during which American Jews choose from one of 14 different slates, each of them a coalition of like-minded organizations with similar aspirations for the future of Israel.

Of course, the differences between each slate can be drastic, as they represent many of the various constituencies of American Jewry: left-wing, right-wing; Conservative, Reform, Orthodox; liberal Zionist, religious Zionist; Ashkenazi, Sephardic and so on.

If you look at the 14 slates that we have, they come from very many different approaches, Gafni said.

Kleins slate, for example the ZOA Coalition is made up of 27 different groups, from SaveTheWest.com to Aish HaTorah. Their vision of Israel is conservative, with special attention to funding Jewish life over the Green Line and combating the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. Delegates could include Klein, local Israel activist Lori Lowenthal Marcus and former New York Assemblyman Dov Hikind, among others.

Meanwhile, Hatikvah, the progressive Israel slate, counts J Street and New Israel Fund among its partners, with writer and activist Peter Beinart among the potential delegates, along with local liberal activist Jill Zipin. Hatikvah, according to campaign director Hadar Susskind, boasts a strong, pro-Israel, progressive platform, focused on ending the occupation of the West Bank and pursuing a two-state solution, among many other priorities.

For a lot of American Jews, theyve struggled for years to figure out what is a way to make your voice heard in whats really happening on the ground in Israel, Susskind said, and this is one that goes back to 1897.

Barbara Rosenau is a local delegate of MERCAZ USA. The group represents Conservative/Masorti groups like the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, and seeks to advance the cause of Conservative/Masorti movement alongside other policy positions.

We support Israel as a Jewish, Zionist and democratic state, Rosenau said, putting emphasis on Israels continuing responsibility to guarantee civil and political rights to all citizens. MERCAZ USA, like many of the other slates, counts several delegates from the Philadelphia region.

Zipin, co-founder of the Democratic Jewish Outreach Pennsylvania PAC, perceives a significant amount of interest in the upcoming WZC elections.

I think, because of general world changes, and there are significant issues that the world faces that Israel faces, too, there is interest around it, she said.

The full list of slates includes Eretz Hakodesh; Vote Reform; Israel Shelanu (Our Israel); Orthodox Israel Coalition Mizrachi; Vision; Dorshei Torah VTziyon; Ohavei Zion; Herut Zionists; American Forum for Israel; Americans 4 Israel; Kol Yisrael; MERCAZ US; ZOA Coalition; and Hatikvah.

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Diaspora Jews Have Their Say: World Zionist Congress 2020 - Jewish Exponent

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Posted By admin on January 15, 2020

Gilad Atzmonwrites:

Historically, a popular coup against an opposition party is rare. In the last General Election Jeremy Corbyns Labour Party provided us with just such an exceptional spectacle.

Labour managed to alienate its voters. Its leader turned his back on his strongest allies, including Ken Livingstone and Chris Williamson. For some reason Corbyns Labour turned itself into an Orwellian authoritarian apparatus; it even dug into its members social media accounts, picking out dirt (i.e. human right concerns) in order to appease one distinctive foreign lobby.

Consequently, many ardent Labour supporters angrily rejected their political home. They left the party and may never return.

The conduct of the contenders for Labours leadership in the last few days reveals that Britons were right to humiliate the party.

At the moment, Labours leadership candidates are, without exception, competing among themselves to see who goes the lowest in pledging allegiance to a lobby associated with a foreign state that is currently under investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for committing crimes against humanity.

Leadership contender Emily Thornberry is apparently on her hands and knees asking for forgiveness. And she is not the only one. The ZionistTimes of Israels headlines yesterday revealed that the top candidates for Labour leadership have all vowed to lead the fight against anti-Semitism. It said: Keir Starmer backs automatic expulsion for offenders; Rebecca Long-Bailey Corbyn bears personal responsibility for crisis; Jess Phillips suspends aide over anti-Semitic tweets.

On BBC Radio, front runner Keir Starmer said: We should have done more on anti-Semitism. I wonder, what did Starmer mean by that? What is the next step after thought policing and spying on party members? Re-education centres? Indoctrination facilities? Hypnosis or maybe physiological treatment, or perhaps lobotomy for those who dare to tell the truth about Israel and its lobby?

Meanwhile, the Mail on Sunday reported that leadership contender, Jess Phillips had on 10 January suspended an aide who equated the Jewish State with the Islamic State group.

Two days ago we learned that Zionist pressure on the Labour Party isnt fading away. The Board of Deputies of British Jews (BoD) published its demands of the candidates for Labours leadership. The ultra-Zionist Jewish Chronicle wrote: The Board of Deputies has demanded each of Labours candidates for leader and deputy leader sign up to its 10 pledges in order to begin healing its relationship with the Jewish community

Israel mouthpiece Board of Deputies of British Jews demands of Labour Party

Predictably, the demands made by the BoD do not accord with Western and Christian values of pluralism and tolerance. The BoD demands that contenders pledge to prevent re-admittance of prominent offenders. One may wonder what about forgiveness and compassion, are those fundamental Western values foreign to our Labourleadership candidates?

The BoD insists that leadership contenders pledge to provide no platform for those who have been suspended or expelled for anti-Semitism. What about freedom of speech and free debate? Are those also alien to Labours future leaders?

The bizarre development here is that Labours leadership candidates are engaged in an undignified battle to gain the Board of Deputies of British Jews support.

The new Labour leader is expected to support the bizarre idea that the Zionist Jewish Labour Movement will grant the kosher certificate for its anti-racism education programme. I thought to myself that if the Jewish Labour Movement is so good in anti racism education, maybe, and before anything else,it should contribute towards the cleansing of racism in Israel.

The fact that a Jewish organisation such as the BoD is so bold as to publish such ludicrous demands from a British national party is no surprise. The bizarre development here is that Labours leadership candidates are engaged in an undignified battle to gain the BoDs support.

I am not critical of the Jewish lobby and its orbit of Zionist pressure groups. Those bodies clearly accomplished their mission. But it is astonishing how dysfunctional the Labour Party and its leadership are. The party cant even draw the most elementary lesson from its recent electoral disaster.

Those who follow my work know that I have predicted the unfortunate downfall of Labour andthe demise of the left in general. The left, as I have been arguing for a while, has failed to reinstate its relevance and authenticity. It is unfortunately dead in the water.

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UK Labour Party on its hands and knees before Israel's Zionist terror networks - Redress Information & Analysis

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Posted By admin on January 15, 2020

There are moments in a person's life in which he must make a decision against all odds. With a heavy heart, I made one of the most difficult decisions of my life, based on one and only one reason - religious Zionism, Jewish identity and the Land of Israel were the only things that stood before me.

I decided to run on one joint list that would save the entire State of Israel from a left-wing government that would destroy any trait of the Jewish identity of Israel and negotiate with terrorist supporters.

Out of great responsibility for the future of Torah, religious Zionism and the right-wing camp, I made a tough decision tonight that will save the entire camp in the upcoming elections.

True, we are in the political field, but I have to be true to myself first and foremost, so I apologize to my friend, Itamar Ben Gvir, for having to painfully cancel the agreement with him.

When the left-wing camp crowds its lines in order to form a government, a painful decision is needed. National responsibility requires us to unite.

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Rabbi Rafi Peretz: Our list will save the entire camp, I apologize to Ben Gvir - Arutz Sheva

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Posted By admin on January 15, 2020

At the annual conference of the American Historical Associationthe major professional organization for academic historianstwo resolutions condemning Israel were defeated. This is the fourth time since 2015 that the same group of historians has put forward such resolutions. While the resolutions have always lost, the voting margin shrank somewhat this year. Jeffrey Herf comments on the unreality of the propaganda put forward by supporters:

When one reads the documents [submitted by supporters of the anti-Israel resolutions] one would have no idea that Israel has any security problems at all. These texts read as if, for reasons having to do presumably with the original sin of its founding, Israel inexplicably violates human rights, arbitrarily restricts student travel in Gaza, and willfully violates the academic freedom of Palestinians. . . . The [resolutions] fail to mention any actions taken by Hamas or the Palestinian Authority, not to mention Hizballah and the government of Iran, that would cause concern for the government of Israel. Theirs is a Middle East conflict in which there is no Arab terrorism, no suicide bombers, no rocket attacks on schools and farms, and no knife attacks in Jerusalem.

Equally troubling, to Herf, are the effects these resolutions would have if passed:

I would not be surprised if young Jews who are thinking of pursuing careers as historians will now think long and hard about doing so. Young Jews already in the profession, or others who may have a good word to say for Israel, will be likely to suppress their views in order not to offend. The resolutions could reintroduce an era of open discrimination against Jews, made all the more difficult to counter as it would drape itself in the language of human rights, intersectionality, and anti-racism.

Read more at American Interest

More about: Academic Boycotts, Anti-Semitism, Anti-Zionism

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When Academic Organizations Condemn Israel, They Send an Unambiguous Message to Potential Jewish Members - Mosaic

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Posted By admin on January 14, 2020

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a letter to an Israeli-American woman imprisoned in Russia on drug charges, promising to do everything in his power to secure her release.

We are here in Israel, and you are in Russia, but the distance between us is bridged by the closeness of our hearts, Netanyhu wrote in the letter, a copy of which was distributed by his office.

Our people have always been characterized by a heritage of mutual guarantee we do not abandon anyone to his fate, and so it is in your case. The State of Israel and I are making constant efforts for your release.

Issachar, 27, has been in Russian custody since April, when Russian authorities found 10 grams of cannabis in her luggage during a layover in Moscow. She was ultimately sentenced to seven and a half years in Russian prison on drug smuggling charges. It is widely believed that Issachars heavy sentence may have been designed to pressure Israel into not extraditing a known Russian cyber-criminal to the United States.

The letter was sent just a week before Russian President Vladimir Putin is slated to visit Israel, and according to Netanyahus office was received by Issachar on Sunday.

On Friday, Israel released two Syrian prisoners in what analysts say was a goodwill gesture to Putin.

Earlier this month, Issachars mother Yaffa called on Israeli President Reuven Rivlin not to host Putin, in protest over Naamas imprisonment.

It is inconceivable that you, the president of the state, will receive at the Presidents Residence the president of Russia, who is holding my daughter Naama as a political bargaining chip for extortion, Yaffa wrote in a letter published on Facebook. I would like to inform you that it is my intention to come straight from Moscow to the entrance to the Presidents Residence that same evening and block the entrance of the Russian president and his delegation with my body, she added.

In a call between Yaffa and Netanyahu, the mother expressed her gratitude to the prime minister for his letter, which she said greatly strengthened and encouraged her daughter, The Jerusalem Post reported.

I will continue to do everything to bring Naama home as soon as possible, he replied.

The post Netanyahu pens letter to Israel-American jailed in Russia, vowing to free her appeared first on JNS.org.

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Netanyahu pens letter to Israel-American jailed in Russia, vowing to free her - Cleveland Jewish News

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Posted By admin on January 14, 2020

Production images forRags The Musicalat Park Theatre shot by Pamela Raith.

The first production shots have been released for the acclaimed revival of Rags, which opened at the Park Theatre in London on 9 January and is currently booking until 8 February 2020. Taken by Pamela Raith, the production shots come less than one month after the production was last seen in rehearsals. The Park Theatre run marks the show's official London premiere, having previously played in the UK at Manchester's Hope Mill Theatre last year.

Rags The Musicalstars Carolyn Maitland as Jewish-Russian immigrant Rebecca, Dave Willetts as Avram, and Sam Attwater as Bronfman.

The musical also starsAlex Gibson-Giorgio as Sal, Debbie Chazen as Anna, Jeremy Rose as Jack, Martha Kirby as Bella, Oisin Nolan-Power as Ben, Rachel Izen as Rachel, andSamuel Jonesand Jude Muir as David. The LondonRagscast is completed byArthur Boan, Angela Caesar, Adam Crossley, Drew Dillon, Matthew Gent, and Natasha Karp.

The show, which received its world premiere in New York in 1986, features a revised book by David Thompson, music byAnniecomposer Charles Strouse, and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, who is best known for being behind the spell-binding magical musicofWicked.

The London Park Theatre production is directed by Bronagh Lagan and featurescasting by Jane Deitch, children's casting by Keston and Keston, choreography by Philip Michael Thomas, lighting design by Derek Anderson, musical direction by Joe Bunker, orchestrations by Nick Barstow, set and costume design by Gregor Donnelly, and sound design by James Nicholson.

The musical tells the story of a Russian immigrant named Rebecca and her son, David, who together journey to America to reunite with their father, Nathan, and find a better life. Eventually finding work in aManhattan sweatshop,Rebecca finally encounters Nathan again, butcan hardly believe her eyes when she sees he's assimilated into society with the greatest of ease. Soon Rebecca must decide whether she will follow in her husband's footsteps and give up her Jewish heritage, or stay true to her roots. The musical is a gripping and heart-warming tale of struggling with identity politics whilston thepursuit of happiness.

Don't miss the fantastic London premiere of Rags, now showing at the Park Theatre for a strictly limited season until 8 February 2020! Tickets are selling fast, so be sure to get your slice of the American Dream and book yourRagsmusical theatre tickets today to secure the best seats at the best prices whilst stocks last!

Ephram is a jack of all trades and enjoys attending theatre, classical music concerts and the opera.

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2nd Look: Official production shots for Rags at London's Park Theatre released - London Theatre Direct

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Posted By admin on January 14, 2020

A preliminary rendering of the Lakeshore Museum Centers upcoming expansion. Image courtesy of the Lakeshore Museum Center

Muskegons art and cultural institutions carried downtown through some dark years, drawing people to the blocks around Western Avenue in the wake of the shuttered indoor mall and bulldozed buildings.

Now, as Muskegon continues its comeback in 2020, the citys arts organizations are adding to the momentum by planning capital campaigns, expansions, innovative programming, and more.

The Muskegon Museum of Art is exploring the feasibility of an expansion and plans to devote its galleries to an all-permanent collection showcase this summer. The Lakeshore Museum Center will ask voters to renew its annual operating millage in May and bring the collections and operations of Muskegon Heritage Museum under its umbrella.

At the Lakeshore Museum Center, there will be two community-focused exhibits: one that will highlight the 50th anniversary of the citys vote that paved the way for the Muskegon Mall, a new City Hall, and more, and another exhibit featuring the history and people of Temple Bnai Israel, the smallest synagogue with a full-time rabbi in the nation.

And a task force that includes leadership from Muskegon Rotary and West Michigan Symphony aims to put permanent, weatherproof outdoor music instruments in Muskegon parks this summer.

Read on to see what else is in store for the arts and cultural scene in 2020.

Muskegon Museum of Art

Muskegons philanthropic father, Charles Hackley, always wanted to establish an art museum for Muskegon, but other public projects took precedence. Thanks to foresight and legacy planning, Hackley still had a hand in making it happen through a bequest in his will.

An expendable trust of $150,000the only money donated by Hackley for anything related to the fine artsenabled Muskegon Public Schools Board of Education to, as the philanthropist stipulated, purchase pictures of the best kind.

That investment played a key role in the formation of the Muskegon Museum of Art (MMA), which, since its inception in 1912, has grown its permanent collection holdings from those early Hackley Picture Fund purchases to more than 5,300 artifacts and artworks. Due to space constraints, less than 100 are typically on display because other galleries host traveling and temporary exhibitions.

This summer, instead of scheduling a big blockbuster exhibit, the museum plans to bring out an array of artwork that it usually hides in storage.

It will show what we could be every day if we had the gallery space to display it, said MMA Executive Director Kirk Hallman. We are looking at sustaining this museum for another 100 years.

MMA staff and board members have discussed an expansion at the museum for decades, and 2020 could be the year the project finally gains real momentum. As museum officials continue silent fundraising, they are gearing up for a capital campaign and plan to announce more details later this spring, Hallman said.

Weve always talked about it, Hallman said. We are focused on strategic planning right now.

The announcement will coincide with the museums opening of several in-house exhibitions designed to show off the museums impressive permanent collection, particularly its holdings in fine studio glass. MMA has nearly 150 glass works in the collection, yet only about a half-dozen pieces are typically on display.

Celebrating the Past, Shaping the Future: The Permanent Collection Exhibitions will run May 7-Aug 30. The feature exhibit, Glass Experience: Form from Fire in Sound and Vision, highlights works by many of the artists that defined the studio glass movement. Visitors will see Dale Chihuly, Harvey Littleton, and Marvin Lipofsky, joined by works made by contemporary glass masters, and collections of vintage Tiffany and Steuben lamps and glasswork.

The museums remaining galleries will feature its most notable and classic American and European masterpieces, German and Dutch classics, a century of photography, Renaissance prints, Japanese prints and pottery, African American art and more.

Its going to be a really eye-opening summer to the public, Hallman said. We want to get as many people through here as possible.

Before the ground thaws, there is still plenty to see. Every winter, MMA organizes a childrens book illustrator exhibit, and the current one offers a curated view of childrens illustrators from across the mitten. The exhibition, 20 for 20: Celebrating Michigan Illustrators, opens this Thursday, Jan. 16, and runs through April 19.

Excellence in Fibers V, an annual, international juried fiber arts competition organized by the Fiber Art Network, runs through March 15. That is paired with The Art of Making: Sculpture and Fiber from the Permanent Collection on display until March 22.

Looking ahead, MMA has booked a blockbuster Hollywood costume exhibition for summer 2021. The traveling exhibition features real costumes worn by movie stars such as Johnny Depp, Heath Ledger, Meryl Streep and more.

Its a big show and the only Midwest venue for 2021, Hallman said. I think everybody is reaching to do bigger and better things. I know we are.

Lakeshore Museum Center

Dedicated to preserving and sharing Muskegon County history, the Lakeshore Museum Center opened in 1937 and has been supported by a countywide operations millage since the mid-1980s. The museum center, which houses historical artifacts, offers free school programs, and manages several historic sites, plans to ask voters to renew its operations millage during the May 2020 election.

The millage brings in roughly $1.3 million for the museums annual $2 million budget.

In addition, the Lakeshore Museum Center plans to take on operations of Muskegon Heritage Museum at 561 W. Western Ave. The center will acquire the Heritage Museums assets and artifacts and employ a site manager to oversee the seasonal museum.

A passion project of Anne and Allan Dake and supported by a team of volunteers, Muskegon Heritage Museum has grown into a three-story museum focused on Muskegons industrial and manufacturing history. The goal for the acquisition is mid-to-late 2020, and Lakeshore Museum Center will manage the building and exhibits as-is on Western Avenue, said Lakeshore Museum Center Executive Director Annoesjka Soler.

The Heritage Association is going to donate that building and its contents to my museum, she said. The Heritage Museum is a perfect extension of what we do. Its a great location; all of it is within walking distance. Its a nice way to ensure the love they put into that museum stays on the landscape.

Soler reached out to the Dakes about a succession plan to preserve the museum in perpetuity.

They are still going to be very active volunteers, but they dont want to have to respond when the furnace breaks, she said. When the cruise ships are here, they want to be in there working with the visitors. They want to be doing all of that, and they have a lot of volunteers. We want to maintain that environment that they have there.

The Dakes did an excellent job to make sure the museum is self-sustainingincluding raising about $1.35 million in a capital campaignso it wont add additional operating costs to Lakeshore Museum Center unless officials change the business model or increase staff and hours, Soler said. In the coming years, the Lakeshore Museum Center will rebrand and roll the Heritage Museum into its marketing efforts.

More immediate things to experience include the recently opened Cheers! A History of Brewing in Muskegon, which runs through May 18 and celebrates the citys rich tradition of making beer. A next temporary exhibit opens this summer focusing on the 50th anniversary of the citys voter-approved move to tear down historic buildings to make way for the Muskegon Mall, a new City Hall and more. The exhibit will explore a number of topics pertaining to the vote, including the displacement of minority-owned businesses, Soler said.

The Lakeshore Museum Center also partnered with a Grand Valley State University professor and intern to develop an exhibit on Muskegons Temple Bnai Israel, the countrys smallest synagogue with a full-time rabbi.

The exhibit highlights the history, parishioners, and longtime Rabbi Alan P. Alpert and his wife, Anna. Set to open in September, it will be up throughout the holidays, giving people the chance to experience Jewish celebrations.

[Left to right] Rabbi Alan Alpert, Anna Alpert, Dr. Guy Stern, Jennifer Fairweather, and Pastor Chris Anderson at the 24th annual Shoah Commemoration in Muskegon last year. A Lakeshore Museum exhibit will highlight Muskegons Temple Bnai Israel, for which Alan Alpert is the rabbi. Photo by Anna GustafsonThe museum has increased its programs from 60 to 600 annually since Soler joined the museum five years ago, adding innovative activities like Mindcraft scavenger hunts, escape rooms, and Clue events at the Hackley and Hume Historic Site, which continue to sell out and draw younger visitors, Soler said.

Museum officials are in the early stages of planning and design work for an expansion on the main building at the corner of 4th Street and Clay Avenue. The proposed 40,000-square-foot addition will include dedicated childrens STEM space to enhance existing science and technology programs.

The museum center annually serves 25,000 schoolchildren and 25,000 families and is at capacity as far as hosting school groups, Soler said.

We already fold a lot of science into what we do, Soler said. Right now, we have a new STEM center in our existing footprint that was made possible through a grant from Arconic. It shows people what we are hoping to give them, but on steroids.

The planned addition includes more temporary gallery space to bring in rentals and organize larger exhibits and a facelift to the museums existing Coming to the Lakes history exhibit. The added space will bring the best of what the former Heritage Park outdoor living history museum had to offer indoors, Soler said, and encompass hands-on props and activities.

Most of the existing building will become administration space and house the centers collections. Right now, the 50,000 artifacts and objects are kept off-site and have to be packed and transported to various sites.

The project hinges on funding and voters approving a construction bond, but the tentative timeline is to break ground in 2022 and open by 2024, Soler said.

Were trying to time that too with the Convention and Visitors Bureau and city opening the new convention center, she said. Were kind of doing what the community is asking, but that doesnt mean its a slam-dunk vote. We really want to be more relevant and be able to serve more of our community in addition to the tourists.

West Michigan Symphony

Creating classical music for the past 80 years, the West Michigan Symphony has mapped out the entire 2020-2021 season and plans to announce the lineup later this month, when subscribers will have first dibs to renew their season ticketsand seats in the historic Frauenthal Theater.

Until then, the Lakeshores professional regional orchestra kicks off 2020 with several exciting concerts. Pops II on Jan. 31 brings the acoustic guitar duo of Frank Vignola and Vinny Raniolo on stage with the symphony. The March 13 Masterworks III: Sensational Sujari is dedicated to showcasing the under-represented in classical music with a March 14 performance by classical cellist Sujari Britt at The Block.

Other upcoming concerts include: POPS III: Mardi Gras in Muskegon on April 14, which celebrates the spirit of Mardi Gras with a night of New Orleans jazz; Masterworks IV: Four Seasons, Two Hemispheres on May 15; and Masterworks V: Voices of Resurrection on June 5, which features the Chamber Choir of Grand Rapids and Muskegon Chamber Choir.

Simultaneous to whats happening on the big stage, of course, is our busy schedule on the little stage, West Michigan Symphony Executive Director Andy Buelow said, referring to The Block in downtown Muskegon.

The Block, an intimate performance space adjacent to the symphonys offices at 360 W. Western Ave. has six musical performances, including jazz, folk and classical, between now and the end of May. The venues Movies+Music Wednesday night film series also returns for a second season on Jan. 15.

Regular visitors should also notice new equipment and physical changes to improve the live experience for audiences and performers. The project includes a permanent second-floor ticket counter and enhancements to improve sound isolation in the venue. The reconstruction removed a glass atrium that opened into Unruly Brewing, and new acoustic hard doors are being installed on the main entrance to the performance room.

We have a successful brew pub beneath us and a busy wedding and event ballroom next door, Buelow said. All three businesses work cooperatively and communicate regularly so that our events dont conflict, but clearly the nature of the performances at The Block make us particularly vulnerable to sound bleed from the outside. And this will only become more of an issue as the downtown becomes busier and more vibrant.

The Block is a subsidiary of WMS and has its own board of directors, but the organizations two boards are collaborating on a new strategic plan that encompasses the entire organization and the ever-expanding music education programs central to each, Buelow said.

This is a work in progress, and were not ready to go into specifics yet, he said. But program expansion, particularly of our work with youth and in the community, will figure prominently in this plan. Optimizing our financial health obviously goes hand-in-hand with that.

To continue growing the symphonys community footprint, Buelow said we need our business model performing at a peak level. In recent seasons, the focus has been on building attendance and philanthropywhich has led to a record number of subscribers (patrons purchasing season tickets) and an increase in symphony attendance, according to Buelow.

Now that both are now on an upswing, we need to build our endowment and rainy-day fund to best practice levels, he said.

Muskegon Civic Theatre

Continuing the tradition of community theater, Muskegon Civic Theatre is further celebrating its 35th season with performances exploring sexuality, family, finding the epic in the ordinary, and more. Too, the organization recently completed a roof project on the scene shop, and Managing Director Jason Bertoia credits the support of the community for helping to make it happen.

We are extremely grateful and thankful that our history of possessions will continue to be stored safe and dry in the building for many years to come, he said.

The second half of MCTs 35th anniversary season begins this month with the musical Fun Home, presented Jan. 17-25 in a black box setting on the Frauenthal Theater stage. The musical, adapted from Alison Bechdels 2006 graphic novel by the same name, tells the story of the main character, Alison, navigating life after the death of her father. A refreshingly honest and poignant performance, Fun Home takes us into explorations of family, sexuality and seeing parents through grown-up eyes.

Next, MCT takes on Our Town, a classic piece of American theatre never before produced by Muskegon Civic Theatre, running Feb. 14-29 in the Beardsley Theater. Described by playwright Edward Albee as the greatest American play ever written, Our Town bring the audience into small town America and is a celebration of finding the beautiful in our everyday lives.

The season wraps with everyones favorite modern classic musical, Bertoia said. Mamma Mia! takes the Frauenthal stage April 30-May 3, and MCT will announce the 2020-21 season lineup on opening night. The theater companys next Penguin Project production will be The Wizard of Oz, Jr. The Penguin Project connects children with special needs with opportunities to participate in the performing arts.

While there is no capital campaign in the works, MCT always encourages and seeks out community support for its operations, Bertoia said. Each year, auditorium and rehearsal space rentals continue to increase, as does licensing, royalties, and production costs.

This makes the need to have underwriters, corporate sponsors, and individual contributors all the more important and where Muskegon Civic Theatre needs our communitys help, he said.

Ticket sales, though seeing a huge increase lately, arent enough to support the excellent productions that Muskegon has come accustomed to, Bertoia continued.

The Frauenthal Center

Another downtown anchor, the Frauenthal Centerwhich turns 90 years old this yearcontinues to book unique concerts, shows, expos and other events. The Frauenthal serves as the performance venue for Muskegon Civic Theatre, the West Michigan Symphony, and Muskegon Community Colleges music ensembles and choir groups, including Music Spectacular on Feb. 23 as part of its Downtown Live Concert Series.

The Alley Door Clubs 15th season also warms up winter with live music from popular local bands. The series offers concerts every second and fourth Friday from January to April in the ballroom on the third floor of the Hilt Building. The schedule includes: Root Doctor on Jan. 24; Westside Soul Surfers on Feb. 14; That Beatles Thing on Feb. 28; Brena on March 13; Steeple Hill Band, onMarch 27; Yard Sale Underwear on April 10; and Big Daddy Fox & Friends on April 25.

We hope to soon make a public announcement about a new monthly family-friendly entertainment series in the Frauenthal Theater, Frauenthal Executive Director Eric Messing said. Also, this year we will be celebrating our 90th anniversary, again, with details to come.

The Muskegon Area Arts & Culture Coalition

As part of the recently-launched Muskegon Area Arts & Cultural Coalition, arts leaders regularly gather to share ideas and brainstorm ways to promote the sector. West Michigan Symphony was a founding member of the coalition, which wants to collaborate on building a more vibrant, connected arts and cultural sector with joint marketing, resource sharing, and creative placemaking, Buelow said.

Formed last year, the coalition advocates for everything from newly-painted public murals to long-standing museumsits first project included a video celebrating celebrating our areas creative landscape. Coalition members include The Playhouse at White Lake, Muskegon Civic Theatre, West Michigan Symphony, Muskegon Museum of Art, the Frauenthal Center, the James Jackson Museum of African American History, the Lakeshore Museum Center, and Hackley Public Library.

Another aspect of the symphonys strategic plan involves stepping up as a force for leadership, collaboration, and community growth, Buelow said. A direct outreach project involves putting permanent, weather-impervious outdoor music instruments in Muskegon area parks by this summer.

A task force that includes leadership from Muskegon Rotary and WMS has been working on this for over a year, and weve raised most of the money already, he said. Obviously, its not directly tied to filling seats at the Frauenthal, but projects like this, that bring music-making within the reach of everyone in the community, are central to our mission.

The MAACCs overarching goal is to promote awareness of the contributions arts and culture make, not only to quality of life, but education, health, and economic development, Hallman added. The cultural institutions have a combined $15 million impact on the community, offer unique outreach and school programs, and draw tourists and employees to the region.

Were just trying to get everyone in town to realize, at a high level, how important we are to the vitality and economic development of the community, Hallman said. We really are interwoven into the well-being of the community.

Story by Marla R. Miller. Marla is a journalist and content marketing writer who lives in Norton Shores. Please visit marlarmiller.com or connect with her on Facebook or Twitter.

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