Category Archives: Tzivi's Columns

“Women took upon themselves the responsibility to care for others,” said Yehudit Shendar when she introduced Spots of Light: To be a Woman in the Holocaust, the new exhibit at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. “It was the … Continue reading →

Lookingglass Theatre Company on North Michigan Avenue closes its 2011 season with a Tony Award for Excellence in Regional Theater (presented in New York on June 12) and a lovely new premiere production called The Last Act of Lilka Kadison. … Continue reading →

During the final days of World War II, Psychology Professor David Boder of the Illinois Institute of Technology began petitioning the US State Department for permission to enter Displaced Persons camps to interview Jews about their Holocaust experiences. Boder finally … Continue reading →

On April 9, we lost Sidney Lumet, one of America’s best and most successful filmmakers. In the course of his long and brilliant career, Lumet made over 40 films, 14 of which were nominated for Academy Awards in multiple categories. … Continue reading →

At approximately 4:30pm on March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in lower Manhattan burst into flames. Of the 146 people who died that day, most were young Jewish women, recent immigrants to America. Both of the factory owners were … Continue reading →

The Chicago YIVO Society is hosting three local screenings of Monique Schwarz’s fascinating documentary Mamadrama this month. Screenings on Wednesday, March 23 (6:30 p.m. at Harold Washington Library Center in the Chicago Loop) and Thursday, March 24 (1 p.m. at … Continue reading →

You probably missed Carlos during its brief run at the Music Box Theatre last December, but this category-bender has since appeared on numerous “Ten Best” lists (including my own). Originally made for French television, Carlos was released in two forms: … Continue reading →

The 2011 awards season is heating up! Three actors playing Jewish characters have been nominated for Golden Globes: Jesse Eisenberg as “Mark Zuckerberg” in The Social Network (a loose adaptation of Ben Mezrich’s non-fiction best seller The Accidental Billionaires); Paul … Continue reading →

Fall festivals are over. Many special guests have come and gone. Now it’s time to replenish our shelves before the winter snows begin. Art Books At Navy Pier, I heard Christa C. Mayer Thurman of the Art Institute of Chicago … Continue reading →

The theme of this year’s Chicago Humanities Festival is “The Body,” and once again, high profile Jewish authors from around the world will be coming our way, but this year an unusually high number of local authors are also on … Continue reading →