Short Stories Archives - Page 4 of 6

March 22, 2015December 10, 2020

Judaica Research and Education Center in St. Petersburg, Russia

I recently attended an Educators meeting at the Jewish Federation building in Beachwood. The meeting centered on a fascinating exhibit of old photographs from shtetls or Jewish Villages before World War I. Titled “The Way We Looked,” the Beachwood exhibit marks the first time these photographs have been shown in North America. The collection was loaned to Cleveland by the Center for Judaica Studies from St. Petersburg, Russia. The co-curators of this exhibit, two scholars from the Center, Drs. Alexander Ivanov and Valery Dymshitz, presented an exciting lecture/slide show based on their in-depth research.

February 22, 2015December 10, 2020

Denmark revisited: Hatred and violence in the Righteous among the Nations

Boat and Building in Nyhavn Copenhagen Denmark

Irene Shaland’s latest article “Denmark revisited: Hatred and violence in the ‘Righteous among the Nations” was published in Los Angeles Jewish Journal on February 18. Please follow the link to read it: http://bit.ly/17fPUTp

Read Irene’s Jewish stories from Europe, Asia, and Africa.

February 11, 2015September 1, 2021

Villa Romana Sicily – Must See for Italy History Buffs

Villa Romana del Casale located in Piazza Armerina in the Sicilian heartland is a not-to-be missed site for all history and art enthusiasts. Covered by layers of mud for 700 years, rediscovered in 1950, and reopened in 2003 after over forty years of reconstruction, the Villa is a treasure trove of the best Roman mosaics in existence today.

February 1, 2015December 10, 2020

African Safari Tips: The Importance of Good Company

Text and photos by Alex Shaland

Going on an African safari by yourself or in a small group is not advisable. Suppose, you are standing in front of a lion or a rhinoceros and trying to calculate your chances of getting out of this situation in one piece and hopefully not perforated in too many places. You are staring at the whatever it is that is going to do a very bad thing to you and all that is going through your mind is “o sh….t”. But look at the situation from the lion’s point of view. It has to charge you, yes you. Who else is there to eat? You are the protein!

January 3, 2015December 11, 2020

Siracusa is a Top Destination in Sicily

Siracusa is truly a summation of Sicilian splendor, and if there is one city in Sicily that personifies this magnificent island it is Siracusa. The city is 3,000 years in the making and combines Greek and Roman civilizations with ancient Jewish culture and baroque masterpieces. Great history of Western civilization: Founded in 734 BC by Greeks from Corinth, Siracusa grew to become a city larger than Corinth and Athens, turning into a capital of Magna Crecia. It became an intellectual magnet that attracted the best brain power of the ancient world: from Aeschylus and Pindar of theater and poetry to Archimedes in mathematics and physics.

November 9, 2014December 11, 2020

Overlooked by visitors, Catania is a masterpiece of Sicilian Baroque

The third largest city of Sicily, a UNESCO-listed Catania lies in close proximity to the majestic mountain Etna. The city was always subject to the brooding moods of that volcano. In the late 1600s, Mt. Etna struck twice: first drowning Catania and over 12,000 of its inhabitants in boiling lava, and then, in less than 25 years, leveling the city again by a murderous earthquake. Only 2,000 people survived. However, like phoenix out of ashes, Catania, rebuilt by architects from Rome, was reborn as one of the greatest baroque cities of the Mediterranean.

October 28, 2014January 5, 2021

Following the Steps of Tennessee Williams in Sicily: Taormina’s Casa Cuseni

I came across the name “Casa Cuseni” when I was reading about Tennessee Williams and his beloved partner, painter/poet Henry Faulkner, spending many happy months in Taormina while staying in Casa Cuseni. I knew then, without a doubt, that when we are in Sicily, we will follow the steps of Tennessee! We and our four friends arrived at Casa Cuseni on a beautiful late September afternoon. We were met by the B&B’s smiling owner, an MD and art lover, Francesco Spadaro, and we followed him up the stairs through a terraced garden.

Continue reading “Following the Steps of Tennessee Williams in Sicily: Taormina’s Casa Cuseni”

October 14, 2014December 11, 2020

Sicily: Glorious Sicilian Food! And The Best Place in Palermo to Discover It

Sicily is not Italy, even though the island has been administratively part of that country since the 1860s. Likewise, Sicilian food is not Italian, though of course it has been influenced by the mainland cuisine. Only in Sicily, a paradise for art lovers and foodies alike, one can see and experience a successful harmonization of so many different influences. And I do not mean only mosaics and architecture. Their food is a true masterpiece on its own. Sicilians never rejected the past but with love and care combined all the trends brought by many invaders over the last three thousand years.

October 9, 2014December 11, 2020

Discovering Palermo and Sicily with Bianca Del Bello

Bianca and a group of tourists in Palermo

I met Bianca Del Bello by pure chance when searching for experts in Palermo Jewish history. After a few email exchanges, I knew that I met not only a superbly knowledgeable historian but also a friend with a big heart. Bianca and I designed a Palermo Immersion Experience for our small group: my husband and I, and our four friends.

October 5, 2014December 21, 2020

Palermo Italy

Piazza San Domenico in Palermo, Sicily, Italy

Our exploration of Sicily began in Palermo, the main city of the island. Irene’s heroic efforts to prepare me for the trip paid off: I read Lonely Planet’s Sicily cover to cover, but Palermo came to life only when our friend and guide Bianca Del Bello took our small group on a walking tour of Palermo.