SCHOOL BELLS RING, ARE YOU LISTENING?

While during the isolating months of the pandemic, I did not literally sit in a classroom, I did have a wonderful array of learning opportunities to open my mind. Thanks to a plethora of Zoom experiences, I have learned about a multitude of people and places, back in history and currently influential. In the world of art, I have followed the tortuous life of Vincent Van Gogh, walking through his sunflowers and irises as he traveled from Holland to France to pursue his dreams. He only sold one painting, of a doctor, in his lifetime. What might he think of the millions being bid at the world’s leading auction houses today? Pablo Picasso is the next artist on my study list, who became an international icon, traveling from his native Spain to Paris. Starting at the age of 7 or 8, he worked until his death at 92. This lively, colorful painter created Cubism as he used dancers, circus performers, still life and café patrons to illustrate his art. Along the way, I’ve learned how to make crispy rice, challah and cookies like hamantaschen. The new book “The Jew-ish Encyclopedia” was unveiled as well as how the actor Steven Skybell as Tevye became the Yiddish Texan. I’ve heard talks by actresses Natalie Portman and Mayim Bialik and political figures like Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Memorials and tributes to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg were on my agenda as well as lectures on the Holocaust, anti-Semitism and Black Lives Matter. Area theaters have been streaming new plays and revivals in workshops like Playhouse on Park’s “School Girls” and “Becoming Dr. Ruth” at Music Theatre of CT, in addition to talks on the movies of James Bond at the Mark Twain House and the Irish Repertory Theatre’s “Love, Noel” in praise of Noel Coward. The comic genius of Mike Nichols was lauded as well as the Jewish art creations of Jeanette Kuvin Oren. In addition, I’ve taken a tour of Israel and a marvelous tour of Italy with host Alex Polizzi, returned to Anne Frank’s Amsterdam attic hideaway and walked through the White House thanks to Jackie Kennedy. Our country’s first and second First Ladies, Martha Washington and Abigail Adams, shared their insights guiding their husbands in our new country while the American Liver Foundation celebrated its 45th anniversary of its good works and liver research in Connecticut. Author James Patterson previewed his latest book about today’s military in true stories of courage while the ancient story of the Jewish holiday of Purim was reenacted by a bank of masked singers led by Tovah Feldshuh as narrator. In this trying time where compassion, kindness and empathy are so important, I listened to the words of Brandon Farbstein who abandoned his 3'9'' body to become Ten Feet Tall, Pamela Rae Schuller who uses her Tourette’s Syndrome to create humor and Judy Heumann who has made her disability from polio a platform to change minds and make new laws. All in all, I feel like I am a college student earning my master’s degree once again, only this time with my designated homework assignments no longer due on deadline.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

Fifty years ago, Helen Reddy created an anthem for women that still empowers and inspires, especially as we celebrate March 8th as International Women’s Day. “I am woman, hear me roar…I am strong, I am invincible, I can do anything” are fighting words that encourage women to stand up for their rights. Begun in 1911, with two gatherings of over a million people, this movement honors the vibrancy of females, socially, culturally, economically and politically and is a call to action to end injustice and inequality. This year’s motivation is to “choose to challenge,” to call out racism and sexism, to scream instead of whisper, to be stronger, greater and kinder, to choose to create history and write a new page. In the words of Anisa Nandaula, one of the movement’s social commentators, “gender is a pre-written book” and we need to write our own chapter and work for positive change. The glass ceiling is not showing enough cracks, with only 7.4% or 37 Chief Executive Officers of the Fortune 500 corporations as women. Violence against women translates to 137 women being killed by a family member or intimate partner every DAY. COVID-19 threatens to eliminate any advances that have been made. 200 million females, child and adult, across Africa and the Middle East are exposed to violence on a daily basis. Unbelievably 33,000 girls are forced to become child brides every DAY around the world, 132 million girls are denied an education and migrant and refugee women are singled out for mistreatment. As women, we need to paint our own picture and write our own narrative, all the while creating a platform for positive change. Women wear many hats and work to juggle a Superwoman existence. Women are mothers, sisters, daughters, wives, grandmothers, aunts, friends, mentors, teachers, volunteers and advocates, as well as teachers, attorneys, doctors, executives, and especially vice-president. This past year 2020 has shown us how resilient and courageous, innovative and creative, supportive and forgiving, we need to be to not only survive, but thrive. The world has called upon women to stand up and take charge in the home, the classroom, the hospital, in the community, to protect our family and our friends, by whatever means necessary and possible. We have been tested and we have proven our strength. Hopefully 2021 will signal an even higher level of accomplishment from which to grow and soar. Every day, not just March 8th, women need to unite, to stand tall and roar!

IT’S MUSIC TO MY EARS

Shakespeare once stated “If music be the food of love, play on.” But our love affair with music dates far beyond the Bard. Every society, past and present, has embraced music as a cultural constant, even back to isolated tribal groups and their primitive instruments. In 2008, a five-holed bone flute was discovered in a cave in Germany thought to be 35,000 years old. Think how colorless and silent our world would be without magical musical sounds. Whether you sing along, play a musical instrument, dance to the rhythms, compose like a Gershwin or Sondheim, perform like Madonna or Mandy Patinkin or simply listen, music is a wonderful way to relax and enjoy your time. Maybe you turn on the radio in your car. Personly I can’t drive without my favorite radio station to listen to, STAR 99.9, while many tune in to Sirius radio with its 325 channels. New Haven and surrounding areas lay claim to the likes of a Michael Bolton, the Five Satins and the Carpenters. Many of us can still remember American Band Stand, Elvis and the Beatles and the newest iterations like American Idol and the Masked Singer, not to mention the Grammys and American Music Awards. Many couples have a favorite song and I can remember “Always” as the tune that was played at our wedding. A good friend, Fran Apfel, sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” when my mom died at 93 as we use music to mark the most significant memories of our lives. While decades ago we listened to and danced to groups like the Platters, the Drifters and the Temptations, today we are almost afraid to hear the newest headliners: Smashing Pumpkins, Puddle of Mudd, The Just Plain Ridiculous, Limp Bizkit, Def Leppard, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Grateful Dead, Enuff Z’nuff, the Goo Goo Dolls, Porno for Pyros and Thirty Odd Foot of Grunts, I kid you not. Imagine a world without “Les Miz,” “Annie,” “The Sound of Music,” “Gypsy," “Into the Woods,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Hello, Dolly!” Unimaginable! Soon we will gather at the gazebo for outdoor concerts and cheer on Fourth of July parades. I solemnly promise not to take up the accordion again. I abandoned that part of my life in sixth grade. I will, however, despite the wishes of my children, promise to sing along, loudly and proudly, to our Star Spangled Banner when ball games are open to the public again and appreciate how fortunate we are that music never went away (even when Buddy Holly died), doesn’t require a mask and six feet of social distancing is no problem at all. Music, you are truly and forever the food of love. Play on! IT’S MUSIC TO MY EARS Shakespeare once stated “If music be the food of love, play on.” But our love affair with music dates far beyond the Bard. Every society, past and present, has embraced music as a cultural constant, even back to isolated tribal groups and their primitive instruments. In 2008, a five-holed bone flute was discovered in a cave in Germany thought to be 35,000 years old. Think how colorless and silent our world would be without magical musical sounds. Whether you sing along, play a musical instrument, dance to the rhythms, compose like a Gershwin or Sondheim, perform like Madonna or Mandy Patinkin or simply listen, music is a wonderful way to relax and enjoy your time. Maybe you turn on the radio in your car. Personly I can’t drive without my favorite radio station to listen to, STAR 99.9, while many tune in to Sirius radio with its 325 channels. New Haven and surrounding areas lay claim to the likes of a Michael Bolton, the Five Satins and the Carpenters. Many of us can still remember American Band Stand, Elvis and the Beatles and the newest iterations like American Idol and the Masked Singer, not to mention the Grammys and American Music Awards. Many couples have a favorite song and I can remember “Always” as the tune that was played at our wedding. A good friend, Fran Apfel, sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” when my mom died at 93 as we use music to mark the most significant memories of our lives. While decades ago we listened to and danced to groups like the Platters, the Drifters and the Temptations, today we are almost afraid to hear the newest headliners: Smashing Pumpkins, Puddle of Mudd, The Just Plain Ridiculous, Limp Bizkit, Def Leppard, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Grateful Dead, Enuff Z’nuff, the Goo Goo Dolls, Porno for Pyros and Thirty Odd Foot of Grunts, I kid you not. Imagine a world without “Les Miz,” “Annie,” “The Sound of Music,” “Gypsy," “Into the Woods,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Hello, Dolly!” Unimaginable! Soon we will gather at the gazebo for outdoor concerts and cheer on Fourth of July parades. I solemnly promise not to take up the accordion again. I abandoned that part of my life in sixth grade. I will, however, despite the wishes of my children, promise to sing along, loudly and proudly, to our Star Spangled Banner when ball games are open to the public again and appreciate how fortunate we are that music never went away (even when Buddy Holly died), doesn’t require a mask and six feet of social distancing is no problem at all. Music, you are truly and forever the food of love. Play on!

FOR AN EPIC ADVENTURE, COME MEET “PERICLES, PRINCE OF TYRE” AT UCONN

For a unique theatrical experience, one that combines adventure with an epic graphic novel, look no further than the University of Connecticut’s current offering through the Connecticut Repertory Theatre of “Pericles, Prince of Tyre” until Sunday, March 7 at 2 pm. Using a colorful palette of water color sets, shadow puppets, glorious costuming and live action, this little known tragedy by William Shakespeare and possibly others provides a rousing saga of near death experiences. Damian Jermaine Thompson stars as the Prince who flees one dangerous situation only to land in another even more terrifying. His adventures begin when he is confronted with a riddle. If he answers it correctly, he will win the hand of a beautiful princess. But if his answer to the riddle is wrong, he will pay with his life. The clever prince solves the conundrum, but realizes it will cost him his life either way. Fleeing the land, he sails to a new country and saves that kingdom by providing grain to end a famine. After a storm, he is saved by fishermen, wins the hand of another princess and again takes to the sea. There tragedy seeks him out and his new bride dies in childbirth after giving him a daughter Marina. Pericles, an honorable man, is beset by difficulties as he journeys on. Eventually he is rewarded for his good deeds by being restored to all he had lost. Raphael Massie directs that fine dramatic piece that is stuffed with excitement, like a giant comic book come to life. To stream this production, go online to crt.uconn.edu or call 860-486-2113. Tickets are $10 for students, $14 for seniors and UCONN faculty and staff and $16 for the general public. Evening performances are at 7:30 pm and afternoons at 2 pm. There are many characters and situations so a brief review of the plot may prove helpful, especially if the viewing will be a family affair. Now is the time to plan a family fantasy adventure with adventures galore.

A TIME FOR ALL SEASONS

With assurances from the master medical expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, I am happy to report that Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy have all been vaccinated against the COVID virus, so children can be comforted. Would that there would be additional confirmations for schools getting back to regular sessions rather than virtual, theater openings, movie screenings, restaurants indoor numbers, hospitals without COVID wards, not to mention hugs, and family and friend get togethers as well as celebrations for birthdays, baby births, bar mitzvahs, baptisms, weddings, graduations and the inevitable funerals. We have come a long way, baby, and the end of the tunnel is around the next bend. We need to be patient and keep washing our hands and our masks. Netflix will continue to be our best friend as we binge watch “Bridgerton”, “Private Practice” and “The Queen's Gambit.” Pairing the TV shows with ice cream or wine is still highly recommended. Have you learned to play the guitar or tap dance or do water color painting? Have no fear, there is still time to master these arts or learn to can your own tomato sauce or start writing a blog. After all, we have been gifted with time galore. Don’t waste yours. Read the comedies of Shakespeare, not the tragedies as they may strike too close to home. And you’re already washing your hands like Lady Macbeth any way. Now is the time for all good women and men to be passionate about a cause, cherish our freedoms and glory in the gratitude of just being alive. Hallelujah!

"BECOMING DR. RUTH” A FASCINATING JOURNEY

At the height of four foot, seven inches, Dr. Ruth Westheimer is a petite powerhouse of energy and enthusiasm. She is forthright and honest, especially if you have a question of a sexual nature. Her fascinating life adventure began when her parents and grandmother put her on the train, the Kindertransport, at the age of ten from her home in Germany and sent her to Switzerland to save her from the Nazis. She never saw her family again. Now at the age of ninety-two, her story is being told at Music Theatre of Connecticut in Norwalk and you are invited to this intimate one woman show until February 21, either in person or by streaming. Dr. Ruth Westheimer has packed a lot of living in her more than nine decades on earth. At the orphanage in Switzerland, Ruth helped with the younger children, protecting them and calming them. Through the many dark years that followed, she held on to her grandmother's philosophy: "Always be happy and cheerful. You are loved." Mark St. Germain has penned a delightful and intense look into the life of this astonishing woman. She is brought to vibrant and enchanting life in the hands of actress Amy Griffin. She embodies Dr Ruth in dedication, body and spirit, with actions and voice, as she relates her intriguing tale with anecdotes, photos and mementos. After residing for thirty-six years in the same New York City apartment, with views of the Hudson River and the George Washington Bridge, she is moving. Her third husband Fred has died and she knows change is good. As she packs her books, pictures and collections of dollhouses and turtles, she reminisces about her past, from losing her family, settling in France, Palestine and later in America. Can you imagine this diminutive lady as a sniper in the Haganah? Her size was actually a bonus in this spy work as a scout. You will learn that this woman who worked diligently to earn her doctorate, loved Shirley Temple, encouraged Governor Bill Clinton to run for the presidency and would have been happy to be a kindergarten teacher. Kevin Connors directs this rare portrait of a remarkable journey as Karola Ruth Siegel at the helm steering her way to her destiny as Dr. Ruth, on a homey set designed by Lindsay Fuori. For tickets ($39-70), call Music Theatre of CT at 203-454-3883 or online at www.musictheatreofct.com. Performances are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Pod discounts are available for 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10 ticket purchases. Live stream the play, 90 minutes in length without an intermission for $28. Two lessons that Dr. Ruth learned through the collections she has saved over the years: her dollhouses are safe havens for her dolls because she didn't have any control over her life growing up and her turtles that are symbolic that it has to take a risk and stick its neck out if its wants to move forward. She feels she has an obligation to live long and large and to make the world a better place. That she certainly does.

Tragedy to Resilience

If tragedy truly defines us, then the year 2020 is a whole Noah Webster dictionary. We have been tested, quarantined, socially distanced and masked. We have been challenged to change our attitudes, perspectives and every day activities. How easy it would be to get discouraged and anxious and even depressed. How much better it would be to change our focus and concentrate on the things that have improved our outlook. How grateful we should be for the thousands of health care professionals who have so courageously stood tall at the front lines. It’s also time to salute the teachers and parents who now find themselves with the awesome task of creatively assuming new roles with math equations and writing memoirs. Truck drivers are now keeping our economy flowing by delivering packages and presents while mail people bring letters to our doors. Grubhub leaves pizza and pasta on our porches while businesses are adjusting their hours to leave us equipped with the necessities. Zoom meetings are now a virtual fixture in our lives, and Netflix and television are now streaming movies and lectures and novel entertainment galore. You can tour Van Gogh’s museum, take a trip to Israel or Italy, take a train ride anywhere in the world , all while seated safely on your sofa. And if you were smart enough to invest in the stock of Quilted Northern, Angel Soft and Charmin’, you wiped up your finances quite well. Factories also changed their facilities to produce masks and ventilators to aid the cause, and donated food to feed the hungry, while many people concentrated on kindnesses to family, friends and neighbors like picking up groceries for seniors or sharing pots of chicken noodle soup. As we speak, lines are forming to get the COVID vaccine and protect our world. Thanks to a new concerned and involved administration. Together we have weathered the medical storm and found the spirit of reliance and resilience that will see us through today’s tunnel to a brighter tomorrow and a return to normalcy. Amen.