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Jacksonville Jewish News • May 2013
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COMMUNITY NEWS
Jewish American Heritage Month kicks off May 5 By Jewish Museum of Florida
The Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU, the only museum dedicated to the story of 250 years of Florida Jewish heritage, arts and culture, is proud to announce May is Jewish American Heritage Month, a national commemoration of the contributions that American Jews have made to the fabric of the nation’s history, culture and society. The 2013 observance will be held at the museum at 2 p.m. May 5. Jewish American Heritage Month was initiated by JMOFFIU and enacted by the 109th Congress. This year’s national theme focuses on American Jews in Entertainment. An enlightening presentation by Professor Stephen Whitfield of Brandeis University and Marcia Jo Zerivitz, founding executive director of the Jewish Museum of Florida, will explore how 2 percent of the population has had such a huge impact on the nation’s popular culture. Immigrant Jewish entrepreneurs and their sons, like Sam Goldwyn, Jack and Harry Warner, Louis B. Mayer, were integral to the creation of Hollywood. Jews were once the heads simultaneously of the three major American television networks: William
Paley at CBS, David Sarnoff at NBC and Leonard Goldenson at ABC. Jews have been writers, directors, producers, composers and performers, even clowns in the entertainment industry. “The arrival of over 2 million Jews from Eastern Europe a century ago coincided with the emergence of mass entertainment in the United States,” said Whitfield. “This was not entirely a coincidence, as the energies and dynamism of the newcomers and their children were unleashed in the popular arts because so few barriers to entry existed, and because a novel path of upward mobility became available. The result was a fresh way of forging the national identity and a vehicle for making a diverse society more unified.” Whitfield’s lecture will describe how this combination played itself out in the birth of the Hollywood studios and in the contribution of Jews to the treasury of American humor. Whitfield holds the Max Richter Chair in American Civilization at Brandeis University, where he has taught since 1972. A native of Houston who grew up in Jacksonville, he earned a B.A. from Tulane, a master’s degree from Yale and a doctorate in American
history from Brandeis. He has served as visiting professor of many prominent universities and is the author of eight books, including, most recently, In Search of American Jewish Culture, and
numerous scholarly articles. The free program is co-sponsored by the JMOF-FIU, Jewish Community Relations Council of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and Jewish Federation
of Broward County, Community Relations Committee. For more information on JAHM and the national 2013 observance, please visit www. jahm.us.
Wishing a Happy Shavuot to all of our friends in the Jewish community. We sincerely regret the inadvertent conflict with our annual Humanitarian awards Dinner.
“Mistakes are the growing pains of wisdom.” – WILLIam JOrDaN
Artist Series announces Broadway season By The Artist Series
Experience Broadway with the Artist Series’ 2013-2014 Five-Show Broadway in Jacksonville Season, which features the Jacksonville debuts of Flashdance - The Musical, Blue Man Group, War Horse, Memphis, and Million Dollar Quartet, plus the return engagement of our Season Special, Mamma Mia. Flashdance - The Musical will be held Dec. 10-15; Blue Man Group, Jan. 21-26, 2014; War Horse, Feb. 18-23, 2014; Memphis, March 18-23, 2014; Million Dollar Quartet, April 22-27, 2014; and Mamma Mia! Oct. 18-19, 2013. Season tickets to the Artist
Series’ 2013-2014 Five-Show Broadway in Jacksonville Season are on sale now with five-show package prices starting at $130. Season ticket prices vary depending on the show time, day of the week, and seating location. A renewal order form has been mailed to current Artist Series subscribers, allowing them to confirm or upgrade their seats. Current subscribers can renew by calling (904) 442-BWAY (2929) or 1-888-860-BWAY, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. New subscribers can order their season tickets by calling (904) 442-BWAY (2929) or 1-888-860-BWAY. The Artist Series’ website is www.artistseriesjax.org.
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monument company inc. - Since 1909 THE ONLY LOCAL FULL-SERVICE MONUMENT COMPANY MARBLE GRANITE BRONZE MONUMENTS MARKERS BENCHES PLAQUES SIGNS SPECIALISTS IN HEBREW And RUSSIAN LETTERS southernmonument@comcast.net 4500 N. Main Street, Jacksonville - (904) 356-4714 -
OneJax Institute • University of North Florida 1 UNF Drive • Building 53, Suite 2100 • Jacksonville FL 32224 904.620.1529 • fax 904.620.5604 • onejax@unf.edu • www.onejax.org