tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61706792012-01-23T10:48:41.296-05:00Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16833721482939258767noreply@blogger.comBlogger3441100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-13333898929711629572012-01-23T10:44:00.001-05:002012-01-23T10:48:41.307-05:00

At the end of Bill T. Jones' new piece "Story/Time" he tells a story about the Jazz artists Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach. The two were working on a song by Thelonius Monk, rehearsing it so that Monk could drop by later and listen to their interpretation. They play the song for Monk and he listens intently. They look towards him for his reaction and he says: "Next time make a mistake."

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-35870871920531497282012-01-12T13:18:00.002-05:002012-01-12T13:22:41.126-05:00

O.K. - this is not really about Tim Tebow. But the conversation about Tebow, and his near miraculous play, and his prayer pose, and all that, got me to look at an essay I wrote about ten years ago. I post it below for all folks who mix prayer and sports to enjoy. If God Ain’t A Tarheel Fan, Then Why Is The Sky in Carolina Blue?By Rabbi Daniel S. BrennerNothing drives me more crazy than when I

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-24051204373958897022012-01-05T11:06:00.003-05:002012-01-05T11:07:22.822-05:00

8:10 AM, Arch Street, Center City Philadelphia. Clicked it while stopped at a red light.

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-16843917926039020892011-12-06T20:53:00.008-05:002011-12-06T21:05:24.287-05:00

I am a fan of Rabbi Boteach’s books and essays and seeing that he had a piece up on the Algemeiner website on one of my favorite topics (the Yakov and Esav story) I stopped to read. But when I got to this line of Boteach, I nearly fell out of my chair. He writes: “Had the leaders of the Allies taken the advice of Einstein or Gandhi, the Nazis would have taken over the entire world, and the

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-51998093998284384132011-12-06T14:29:00.001-05:002011-12-06T14:34:32.752-05:00

With a warm December day (thanks global scorching!) I suggested to the familia that we take the dog for a walk to a new park. Having exhausted most of the wooded areas nearby, I consulted Reb Google and then rallied the troops into the car to a destination in Paterson, NJ -- a spot a mere 17 minutes from Montclair. After driving through an old factory district (with a beautiful brick something or

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16833721482939258767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-10717588370162799342011-11-17T21:03:00.002-05:002011-11-17T21:07:29.065-05:00

My latest rant on football culture and parshat toldot is now running on the front page of New Jersey Jewish News (thanks again Andrew!) I reflect on the atrocities that occurred in connection to the Penn State football program and the wider culture that values loyalty and competition above all.

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-10870426252860157952011-09-20T09:54:00.002-04:002011-09-20T09:54:13.899-04:00

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16833721482939258767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-33897078693022589682011-09-06T10:25:00.001-04:002011-09-06T10:42:01.091-04:00

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16833721482939258767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-50707055495766465232011-09-06T09:45:00.000-04:002011-09-06T09:45:07.319-04:00

I wrote this piece a week after 9/11. Hard to believe that we are approaching the tenth anniversary. But it has, indeed, been a decade -- My daughter, born in January of 2001, is now a fifth grader. The day still haunts me, this city, and beyond. My heart is with all the families who are headed to memorials this week.  Even in Tragedy, A Little HumorBy Rabbi Daniel S. BrennerOn the Thursday

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16833721482939258767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-38938508967407519692011-09-01T20:40:00.003-04:002011-09-01T21:31:10.228-04:00

The Telegraphic Agency just published my latest piece about my work. Click here to find out more :)

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-62089677218059939682011-08-03T10:11:00.005-04:002011-08-03T10:23:18.324-04:00

"Today's rising Reconstructionist leaders, little concerned with Kaplan's ideas, seem driven instead by nebulous notions of personal fulfillment combined, however improbably, with "progressive" political activism."I was reading the JTA today and ran across a link to Jewish Ideas Daily with an article about one of my favorite topics, Mordecai Kaplan. I've never met Joseph Siev so I really can't

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-29894984213112637172011-07-21T15:15:00.003-04:002011-07-21T15:40:03.810-04:00

In ye olden times, one rifled through a dusty cardboard box, pulled out beige folders, and basked in the wonderment of a page of long lost prose. I jammed an old USB memory stick into my laptop today to find a text I had translated seven years ago and stumbled across this piece, a truly ridiculous story I once used to explain the origins of Reconstructionism to a group of second graders. After

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-60288741541657684702011-07-19T20:25:00.003-04:002011-07-19T20:34:19.193-04:00

Now that I've raised my first two children to young adulthood (and I think our third one is already more mature than I am) I am herby qualified to comment on the wonderful world of parenting. The good folks at the URJ, Union of Reform Judaism, asked me and my colleague Deborah Meyer to say a few words about teen boys and what is going on with them in a podcast. Here it is. Wendy Grinberg has

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-71246199424056851812011-07-14T13:10:00.002-04:002011-07-14T13:13:22.974-04:00

Here's a photo of my sweetheart's book - just published. We went to New Orleans together after the storm, a trip that led to a play and then this collection of plays.

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-8339523277667855462011-07-01T09:44:00.003-04:002011-07-01T09:49:28.337-04:00

Check this out -- an essay I penned some nine years ago is, thanks to the inactivists in San Fran, number one on the list of Most Viewed at NYU's Berman Jewish Policy Archive. Here's the post..The Week's Most Viewed PublicationsPosted At : May 16, 2011 2:25 PM | Posted By : Tara BognarRelated Categories: bjpaA bit of an international/historical angle this last week, along with some bonus

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-72350883895367548412011-06-07T15:25:00.005-04:002011-06-07T15:54:06.709-04:00

In what has to be an all-time low for Jewish list making, Lea Michele, the Glee star, has now been dubbed one of the ten most important people under 32 working in the "Jewish sphere." The Post expects these ten to rise to "powerful positions." Michele, who in the photo in this post is obviously practicing her full prostration for Aleinu on Yom Kippur, is on a list with some very impressive

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16833721482939258767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-68893065820731306672011-05-31T09:41:00.002-04:002011-05-31T09:41:54.120-04:00

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16833721482939258767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-23278022828371196962011-05-27T17:49:00.006-04:002011-05-27T18:10:33.447-04:00

Taking a break from the hectic pre-bar mitzvah planning checklist for my sons I checked in on my JTA feed and found the following story making today's news: NEW YORK (JTA) -- The Anti-Defamation League slammed retired football player and former NBC broadcaster Tiki Barber for jokingly comparing himself to Anne Frank.In a recent Sports Illustrated profile, the former New York Giants’ running back

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-45008785613242347452011-05-16T18:23:00.001-04:002011-05-16T18:24:28.126-04:00

I remember hearing, in seventh grade, that there was going to be music television. I was so excited to see it because for some strange reason I thought that the music would be visualized -- it would come to life through color and shape and we would all enjoy it all the more. It turned out to be lots of folks with long hair in tight pants. But now, thanks to the interwebs, we are coming close to

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16833721482939258767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-17939624995720909782011-04-28T11:00:00.004-04:002011-04-28T11:15:47.254-04:00

...in the Jewish Week. Graphic novels etc. in this new piece in The Jewish Week But as Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, nears this year, observers are debating the uses of irreverence to memorialize the event, especially when it comes to passing the lessons of the Shoah on to a younger, Facebook generation. After years of Holocaust farces like Mel Brooks’ hit Broadway play “The

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-26645594434705677622011-04-17T16:05:00.001-04:002011-04-17T16:06:49.449-04:00

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-68611562902917603502011-04-14T13:59:00.002-04:002011-04-14T14:00:24.533-04:00

Seder for Sderot by Justin BieberIt’s a Zenga Zenga Pesach by Muhamar Qadaffi Four More Cups by SnookiSearch for the Afikomen- Hawaiian Edition by Donald TrumpThe Prison Tweet Haggadah by Lindsay LohanThe Moosemeat Seder by Sarah PalinTen New Plagues by British PetroleumThe Big Book of Jewish Conspiracies Seder by Julianne AssangeRock Star Seder From Mars by Charlie Sheen

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-35966451068781367462011-03-22T12:01:00.002-04:002011-03-22T12:03:48.928-04:00

Hot off the press! Check this out -- a great article in the Philadelphia Inquirer about the program for teen boys that I am working on.

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-50561746055058325362011-03-20T17:42:00.000-04:002011-03-20T17:42:59.352-04:00

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16833721482939258767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-19300741226363792072011-03-07T17:46:00.001-05:002011-03-07T19:26:48.815-05:00

PANDER WITH DIGNITY IN A KARZAI TALLIS!Forgive my cultural insensitivities here, but as I was daydreaming the other day in synagogue I started to look at the many colorful tallisim around the room and I had the thought that Hamid Karzai could walk into this place and not a single person would look twice at his shawl. In fact, the only thing that people would say would be "nice tallis." I google

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16833721482939258767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-487647985611712912011-02-10T17:28:00.008-05:002011-02-10T21:27:55.790-05:00

And now, a moment of zen.... "Devise a solution to Jerusalem that will bring lasting peace and does not slice the city in half as if it werea pizza" - Jennifer Laszlo Mirachi  writing in an op-ed on the JTA.  http://www.jta.org/trackback/2742935

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16833721482939258767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-49961631761578082392011-02-07T10:34:00.006-05:002011-02-08T18:41:21.448-05:00

Jew-fro? Yes. Jew? Not-so-much. Last night I thought that I would have a much needed break from the Jewish world that occupies my thoughts on a daily basis. No Jewish football players on either team, I thought. No Jewish coaches or prominent owners. The game is in Dallas. How Jewish could it be? But the gods of televised sports had other ideas. First up, Glee starlet Lea Michele sings America

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16833721482939258767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-81892469559809324892011-01-18T19:28:00.005-05:002011-01-18T19:44:54.210-05:00

Reading an elevator TV news blurb -- that's how I learned that one of the greatest photographers of the twentieth century had passed. I was somewhat shocked that the Jewish press seems to have missed the death of one of America's most innovative and socially conscious artists -- Milton Rogovin. An optometrist, he developed a photo bug in the 1950s and began to document the social conditions of

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-7419673981139412042011-01-16T12:47:00.006-05:002011-01-25T15:50:24.002-05:00

Chinese Moms, Jewish Dads? The post-dinner- now-the- kids- are- in- the- other- room -and -the –adults- have- two –bottles- of- wine -to -finish-off talk at our Shabbos table this week was, as I imagine it was for many thousands of other parental types, Chinese moms. We had all read the Wall Street Journal article by Yale Law professor Amy Chua (or heard her interviewed on NPR) and her razor

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-79547063140906458072011-01-12T11:21:00.001-05:002011-01-12T11:21:48.899-05:00

Despite a half foot of snow falling on Gotham, Schmooze is on. I'm heading into join a fine team of folks speaking about "Next Generation" things in the marketing seminar.

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-54612414735850901552011-01-02T18:33:00.002-05:002011-01-02T18:36:31.562-05:00

For those interested in the next generation of young Jews, here's a great Jewish Week piece on the subject titled "Generation F" .....fluidity.

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-35305097692146699422010-12-22T12:12:00.000-05:002010-12-22T12:12:39.901-05:00

  Newspaper clippings...delightfully old school. My favorite newspaper, the New Jersey Jewish News ran an article this week about my new position at Moving Traditions. (Thank you Andrew and Johanna -- for this and for all your local coverage!) 

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16833721482939258767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-52506723611775793262010-12-09T13:46:00.003-05:002010-12-09T13:55:17.245-05:00

Philadelphia's Jewish newspaper has a short piece on my big news. The Exponent was stellar when it came to covering the work of Birthright Israel NEXT in Philly, including doing a great piece on the Shore House.

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-34580645824255672952010-11-30T16:20:00.004-05:002010-11-30T16:32:22.644-05:00

For Immediate Distribution Contact: Deborah Meyer Executive Director, Moving Traditions RABBI DANIEL BRENNER TO LEAD MOVING TRADITIONS’ INITIATIVE FOR BOYS AND MEN As organization nears 10,000 Jewish girls in Rosh Hodesh: It’s A Girls Thing! leader is appointed to champion new educational approach for teenage boys Jenkintown, PA—Monday, November 29, 2010—Moving Traditions, the

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-75896962476328086022010-11-16T22:30:00.003-05:002010-11-16T22:37:11.231-05:00

While in a meeting on a much more serious proposal to the Jewish New Media Fund, I had a vision.

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16833721482939258767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-85946880609928305942010-10-18T15:33:00.002-04:002010-10-18T15:36:51.918-04:00

You know that other kind of poetry, right? The non-provocative kind....well, this ain't that. This is pro-vocative. Positively inclined to vocate at any given moment. OK, OK, enough riffing on the title, I get it.  I am honored to be reading this coming Friday night at B'nai Keshet in Montclair NJ with some serious poets: Jessica de Koninck ‘s collection, Repairs, is published by Finishing

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16833721482939258767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-12107292976690019262010-10-06T12:31:00.007-04:002010-11-25T08:19:55.152-05:00

Growing up in North Carolina, basketball was a huge part of my childhood. I played driveway ball everyday after school with my neighbors and played for the Temple Israel team in the Church League. During the 70s and 80s, before we had pro teams in Charlotte, ACC college basketball players were our heroes. We went crazy in '83 when NC State won the NCAA and Jimmy V raced around the court in

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-73649036786001689152010-09-28T12:04:00.002-04:002010-09-28T13:38:42.941-04:00

Occasionally the internet gods bless me with a 'stumble upon' --- a moment when I come across an article or video that I never intended to find. The video link below is one such wacky gift -- with music composed by a German by the name of Daniel Brenner. And it is perfect timing -- Coming as it does right before we Jewish folk roll the entire Torah and start again, with the beginning. Here is a

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16833721482939258767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-77343048005421699302010-09-20T13:42:00.004-04:002010-09-20T14:36:02.526-04:00

Moments of brilliance in the creative arts are rare in the Jewish world. (although last week's Galeet Dardashti performance at Le Poisson Rouge was quite amazing)so praise is due to the men (and the organization - Reboot) behind Union Square Park's latest display, Sukkah City. Foer, Cove, and Bennett have concocted this brief explosion of Jewish arts - spun out by artists Jewish and not who

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-27991097922120960282010-09-16T12:52:00.000-04:002010-09-16T12:53:17.391-04:00

Kol NidreiMen in white space suits sucking asbestos out of the basementAll the vowsAll the promisesAll the words that passed across my lipsLet them be as if they never wereEvery speck of it suctioned into the long curling accordion tube and out into the hazard container on the back of the truckAll the vowsAll the promisesAll the words that passed across my lipsLet them be as if they never wereThe

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-57582654287944901482010-09-08T10:10:00.001-04:002010-09-08T10:13:27.152-04:00

Please note that all of these predictions are within a margin of errorof +/- 2 percent. Enjoy! DanielROSH HASHANNAH PREDICTIONS 577178% of people will pay more attention to the stickers that say“This prayer book donated in memory of” than the actual prayers.34% of American three-year-olds will make mildly annoying shofarnoises on the car ride home.67% of rabbis will say with great sincerity the

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-40261059838758663922010-08-31T17:21:00.002-04:002010-08-31T17:24:34.465-04:00

Food pantries run low over the summer months and the collective contributions of those of us who are marking the High Holidays can make a big difference. Here's a little video that is part of an effort I am working on to feed those who are in need this season.

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-2859323882475125062010-06-29T21:28:00.003-04:002010-06-29T21:35:33.426-04:00

My all-time favorite street musician from Madison, Wisconsin, the artistic genius Art Paul Schlosser, just appeared on America's Got Talent in the Chicago auditions and was given three rather large red Xs. This is a low point for American television. Schlosser, who did not reveal his real name on the show but went by the moniker of Buddy Holly Cheesehead did wear a large foam block of swiss

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-63435277435969066362010-06-01T23:34:00.002-04:002010-06-01T23:36:07.355-04:00

Photo: One of the favorite albums of Eugenia Lee Hancock Z'LI just heard the news that a mentor, Rev Dr. E. Lee Hancock, passed on to the next worldI was lucky to have worked with Lee in 2004 and 2005 when she was Dean at the Auburn Theological Seminary. The first thing I think about when I think of Lee is that Lee was cool. She had great taste in music – she introduced me to IZ – the Hawaiian

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-10408609531487935162010-05-23T20:34:00.005-04:002010-05-23T20:57:23.768-04:00

Forgive the blurry picture, but this is one of my sons (on the left) meeting Yotam Silberstein this past Saturday night after his gig at the Baird in South Orange NJ. Who is Yotam Silberstein? I didn't know either, but after hearing him I wanted to make sure that my son had a picture with him so that one day he could look back on the night he heard a rising star in the jazz world. You can check

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-40485618714327846902010-05-12T17:45:00.005-04:002010-05-13T09:33:27.273-04:00

Steve Nash has always been one of my favorite NBA stars. His brilliant passing, his hustle, his ability to slash through defenders, draw a triple-team and dish back for a teammate to score are all commendable. And I once read in the New York Times Sunday Mag that he has a rug made of used shoelaces. As his Phoenix Suns have recently taken a stand against the Arizona Immigration law, I was looking

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-80489551933095018702010-05-09T11:52:00.003-04:002010-05-09T12:04:55.346-04:00

Lebanon regains hummus title from IsraelMay 9, 2010JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Lebanon for the second time in a year has wrested from Israel the title of making the largest plate of hummus.More than 300 Lebanese chefs on Sunday created a more than 23,000-pound plate of hummus, in the presence of a Guinness World Records representative, more than doubling the Israeli record set in January.The chefs

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-16257810189693759412010-05-05T07:42:00.002-04:002010-05-05T07:49:43.105-04:00

Very few conferences in Atlantic City spill out onto the Boardwalk....but an 80 degree May day with a nice wind...you can't go wrong. My inclination, of course, was to skip the meeting and simply get the "$1 Reading" Fortune in the store behind us. But then I saw the sign that says $5. Oh well...I guess I'll have to wait for the future to find out what happens.

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-49287323793991198422010-04-04T08:27:00.003-04:002010-04-04T08:34:41.713-04:00

Every once in a while while checking Google News one stumbles upon some wack-ness with Jewish content. Case in point is this from recording artist/performance artist Erykah Badu. What is with this cheeky Bet? A reference to a B-side? A reference to Bereshit? A reference to the mystical teaching "do not look at what is behind, above, or below, but only what is ahead"? A play on "Badu"? Do we have

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-26093452307836425542010-03-25T16:00:00.003-04:002010-03-25T16:04:24.993-04:00

How to Search for Chometz the foamy spray of oven cleanersnap of rubber glovessqueak of Brillo pad against caked on shmutz creak of refrigerator wheels on their once a year trek wish-washy of the mop splish-splashy of scalding watervrum-vrumy of the vacuum smack – the carpet runner that leads from the front door to the back hall is taken outside and whipped like a Hebrew slave This is how you

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-28885419534243075352010-03-05T02:28:00.003-05:002010-03-05T02:35:19.323-05:00

Bizarro day. First, I'm in the airport in Newark at the gate getting ready to board the plane to New Orleans and Kareem Abdul Jabar walks up behind me, slips into the elite access lane and then ducks his head under the door and heads to the plane, bent over. Then I'm at Bon Temps Roule seeing the always amazing Soul Rebels and Mos Def walks beside me, gently pushing my friend out of the way to

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-91941379899139058002010-03-03T19:29:00.003-05:002010-03-03T20:22:47.633-05:00

Below is an audio only version of the talk I gave in Charlotte:Going Retro?The Next Generation's Search for Jewish Authenticity

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-65767299474290465432010-03-01T22:10:00.001-05:002010-03-01T22:11:27.989-05:00

This event has been rescheduled for tomorrow night -- Tuesday, March 2nd - come on down! Rabbi Brenner to speak at Jewish Federation eventCampaign kickoff is Feb. 21One of the nation's most influential rabbis will speak at the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte’s 2010 campaign kickoff event at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21 at Temple Israel.Rabbi Daniel Brenner, executive director of BirthrighBy Joe

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-62078305571475423362010-02-22T16:29:00.003-05:002010-02-22T16:32:52.129-05:00

My father-in-law, Dr. Mel Silberman was one of the most amazing men I have ever met. He passed away this past Shabbat, after a thirteen year battle with cancer. We have posted eulogies and other memories at Remembering Mel

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-9608231807402232552010-01-15T15:47:00.004-05:002010-01-15T15:52:50.367-05:00

Sorry folks, this header has nothing to do with the late 70s Gay club scene. Machismo, though, is a great topic. I just crafted a piece for the New Jersey Jewish News. "Professor Daniel Boyarin’s 1997 work Unheroic Conduct: the Rise of Heterosexuality and the Invention of the Jewish Man was the counter-text to the Zionist typology of the new Jewish man as farm laborer and warrior. Boyarin sparked

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-14975007708031701132010-01-05T20:52:00.004-05:002010-01-05T20:57:54.683-05:00

thanks to the fine archivists over at NYU, someday a researcher might stumble upon some of my scribbles. They have 23 of my essays up on this page. And a ton of searchable other stuff. Wow. Go BJPA!

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-60877444844016067952010-01-03T20:50:00.003-05:002010-01-03T20:58:54.939-05:00

A Jewish Star: Nissen Brenenson from COLlive.com on Vimeo.This right here folks is my cousin Nissen Brenenson singing his heart out. Nissen is a Chabad rabbi and is the educational director of the Jewish Childrens' Museum. I've seen him rock out at a Karaoke bar in the basement of a Days Inn. This is a bit more polished and sans boa.

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-9803208392726070052009-12-23T09:09:00.004-05:002009-12-23T09:13:32.217-05:00

Grenade-throwing days are recalled in this sweet write-up. :)THE MAIN EVENT OF THE 2010 ANNUAL CAMPAIGNFeaturing Rabbi Daniel Brenner The Jewish Federation’s 2010 Annual Campaign will officially kick-off on Sunday, February 21, 2010 during The Main Event featuring special guest speaker Rabbi Daniel Brenner, Executive Director of Birthright Israel Next, who was recently named by Newsweek Magazine

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-62958561122411493822009-12-15T16:55:00.002-05:002009-12-15T16:59:23.971-05:00

Since it has now been a whopping thirteen years since I lived in Israel, I'm starting to forget words...but now, thanks to some of my fine co-workers I am learning anew. If you Text the word HEBREW to 41411 you get a free Hebrew word (and translation of that word) in your box each day (or you can control the frequency if you want to learn quickly.) It is a nice way to keep the language in the

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-30782363696367052322009-11-29T12:29:00.005-05:002009-12-21T08:38:38.393-05:00

Great piece in the Jewish Week about the Berman Archive...and it has a nice little comment on one of my contributions.....The Jewish policy archive is “a treasure trove at your fingertips,” says Ann Berman, who is on the board of BJPA. “It might take you longer to find these articles if you searched for them on Google. And even then, you might not even be able to access it.”In placing historical

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-65444084937019984762009-10-28T14:18:00.007-04:002009-10-28T14:33:45.431-04:00

The old Reese's peanut butter cup jingle is the perfect description for the Bill T. Jones - Fela extravaganza on Broadway: "Two great tastes that taste great together" FELA! is absolutely delicious -- amazing choreography by Jones combined with spectacular direction overall. And Antibalas honors Fela's music with their own deep grooving sounds -- electrifying. Both the actors playing Fela and his

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-81208256312774783302009-10-27T09:40:00.008-04:002009-10-27T11:18:54.095-04:00

Khazaria Flashback That morningWe first woke up as Jews.Drank Turkish coffee.Started complaining.The King, Jewish?This will not turn out well.Like schoolchildren they spoke to us.Fringes.Little boxes.the joy of learning a new languagea room in the brain we didn’t know was there.fires engulfed our old gods.sacrificial flames for the big new one.but we winked across the aislebackup plan under the

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-27173355618406182182009-09-27T16:07:00.003-04:002009-09-27T16:13:37.265-04:00

Home? Hone?I recently read the headline on Debka... Al Qaeda homes in on Germany as its next European targetI scratched my head. Home in? Isn't it "hone in" ? Time for some sleuthing...and ...it turns out that there is a fascinating little history of the term.

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-47593292849033760502009-09-20T22:58:00.002-04:002009-09-20T23:20:47.242-04:00

I was asked by the good folks in Charlotte, North Carolina's Chavurat Tikvah to share a few words on the Rosh Hashannah Day 1 Haftarah. While I didn't have time to write out a drash, I did put some thoughts together and had a half way decent insight on the topic. So here's how I started -- Chana's prayer is a beautiful counter-culture moment in the RH liturgy. Here we are with all this gratitude

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-10545985293826662642009-09-15T15:53:00.002-04:002009-09-15T15:57:26.552-04:00

Cash for ClunkersA Poem for Rosh Hashannah Hitch your rusty old heart to the tow truck (We’ve got an old 8 track of Yossele Rosenblatt Sings Holiday Favorites up in the cab.) Chains of prayer pulling you alongthe glass walled showroom by the old highway eternal light a red neon “open” Plastic banner whipping in the windTrade-ins WelcomeGates of repentance marked by an “ENTER” arrow, slightly

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-62897387274136957392009-09-04T16:51:00.002-04:002009-12-23T09:17:37.951-05:00

SEPTEMBER 4, 2009, 3:57 PM09/09/09: An Auspicious Start to School?By JENNIFER 8. LEESept. 9, 2009 — or 09/09/09 — will be a significant day for baby boomers (the digitally remastered Beatles collection is being released) and for gadgetphiles (Apple may introduce new products).But it will also be significant for New York City children. It is the first day of school.Given the diversity of cultures

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-17507112365223832332009-09-02T21:56:00.006-04:002009-09-02T22:29:33.978-04:00

(PHOTO: Birthright Israel NEXT alumni from Brooklyn dance at the National Yiddish Book Center) Way back in 1997 I was a Steinhardt Fellow at CLAL – the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership. Fresh out of rabbinical school, I was thrown into a rowdy crew of Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative rabbis – all of whom were dedicated to finding some way that we could transcend those very

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-70275123540339432722009-08-20T23:24:00.003-04:002009-08-20T23:34:47.267-04:00

Well the good people over at Amazon.com have a list of the best 100 world music albums of all time and I spot three Jewy ones in the bunch. The kicker: none of them break into the top fifty!Ofra Haza comes in at 61 Idan Raichel at 75 and Andy Statman at 93 (how is he world music btw? World Music being defined here as non-Western) Where is Habreira Hatvit???? Shlomo Bar was world music before

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-60393780468031603722009-08-04T14:57:00.001-04:002009-08-04T15:03:23.547-04:00

Believer, Beware got this wonderful write up in Huffington Post while I was off in Israel drinking Yotvata's delicious chocolate milk."I hate anthologies -- all that stopping and starting, just as you get into a writer. I loved this one though because it reflects the theme of my own disjointed weird life. I grew up as a missionary kid, pastor's sidekick, God merchant, Religious Right leader, you

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-90197513005363238062009-07-30T12:58:00.006-04:002009-07-30T13:12:36.681-04:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));try {var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-10014334-1");pageTracker._trackPageview();} catch(err) {}Slouching towards Bushwick, posed a few questions to me. It's been a while since

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-61935493567707739852009-06-22T17:55:00.001-04:002009-06-22T18:06:18.683-04:00

Leaving for Tel Aviv this week...with a stop-over in Paris. Looking forward to speaking English in a French accent the entire time...a la inspector cluseau..Here's two quick movie reviewsAway We Go:Loved Maya Rudolph.Took me a while to get into it, but once I did, fantastic.stroller scene is a gem.Up!What is it with Pixar and "cute" fat people?

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-73811845203431836792009-06-11T11:02:00.003-04:002009-06-11T11:05:09.291-04:00

We need Grandpa Boris' wisdom now more than ever. WWGBD? Noone ever comments on this blog, but maybe a few brave souls will play screenwiter for the next zinger from Boris' chapped lips.....

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-38426044333338981632009-06-10T10:39:00.005-04:002009-06-10T10:45:57.580-04:00

The good people over at Nextbook have launched an online magazine of sorts with the chisl-icious title "Tablet" -- check it out. The style is clean -- more texty than photo-heavy and relaxing on the eyes. But if you stare at it too long it becomes white fire on black fire.

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-85406968378323627992009-05-17T09:56:00.002-04:002009-05-17T09:58:46.282-04:00

The New York paper The Jewish Week is running a piece I penned about the last two years of my professional life. (has it been that long?) Here goes: Reaching Birthright Alums: The Follow-Up Dietby Rabbi Daniel BrennerSpecial To The Jewish WeekShimshon Shoshani, the man tapped by Prime Minister Netanyahu to steer Israel’s educational system back on track, is about as direct and honest a critic as

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-70656719952733977792009-05-15T11:44:00.001-04:002009-05-15T11:46:43.385-04:00

“Shocking, exhilarating, and never dull…. Highly recommended.” — Library Journal, starred review.“Smart, candid, and insightful… The voices are refreshingly honest.” — Publishers WeeklyRead more of what they have to say at our special feature:Praised Behttp://killingthebuddha.com/mag/dogma/believer-beware/Believer, Beware lands on July 1, but no need to wait. Pre-order now at Amazon.com.http://

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-16192981362155727922009-05-12T14:33:00.003-04:002009-05-12T14:41:03.615-04:00

Newark Mayor Corey Booker wished Judith Jamison a Happy Birthday at NJPAC this past Sunday and the crowd sang a round of the traditional birth anniversary tune. The company opened with a Sweet Honey in the Rock piece that lacked coherence, but followed with a fantastic piece set to Otis Redding's music and parts of Revelations, which is now almost 50 years old, but is as strong a piece as I've

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-71874825227797042982009-05-07T11:46:00.001-04:002009-05-07T11:48:13.045-04:00

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-22930468379232932652009-05-07T09:51:00.002-04:002009-05-07T09:54:50.091-04:00

I ran into two of the Dardashti sisters last Shabbat and when Galeet told me about her latest project I checked out her website. Dardashti's music has tremendous depth -- intense, haunting stuff. She also manages to reclaim Middle Eastern Jewish musical traditions and rework them without sounding contemporary or world music-y.

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-80436648869788929472009-04-23T11:22:00.000-04:002009-04-23T11:23:38.397-04:00

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-59795664478490485602009-04-22T21:03:00.002-04:002009-04-22T21:09:16.513-04:00

Check out this SWEEEEEEEEET article on Noam and Jonah in the New Jersey Jewish News (kudos Johanna and Andy - love it)

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-62542461482423643352009-04-22T20:58:00.002-04:002009-04-22T21:03:05.406-04:00

Check out Noam and Jonah's album in progress "Holidays with the Jews Twins" on their Myspace page:www.myspace.com/noamandjonahbrenner

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-7816939286838777732009-04-21T11:26:00.003-04:002009-04-21T11:28:37.903-04:00

If you are on Facebook, you can check out the recently posted grainy B& W video (hat tip to Charles Schletzbaum) of Rob Spears and I recieving the State Championship trophy for Varsity Debate in 1986. http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=98418417328&comments=I am acting all cool, like it didn't mean much. But it was HUGE!!!!!!

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-87347206006829312452009-04-20T21:11:00.003-04:002009-04-20T21:15:43.206-04:00

I know that most of the people on the planet could care less, but I am thrilled that Killing the Buddha now has a Rabbi Daniel Brenner page! Yes, all three of my warped pieces can now be located on one easy webframe! Allelujah!p.s. that photo is circa 1994...folksinger days...back when the only chords I knew were Am and G....

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-53043994692279488952009-04-12T09:01:00.002-04:002009-04-12T09:05:05.703-04:00

Nice little write up in the hyper-local online 'zine Baristanet. But noone can beat the kudos for the clerk at the wine shop in West Orange who sings mah nishtana.

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-69939437364650538082009-04-08T13:01:00.004-04:002009-04-08T13:05:34.252-04:00

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-10821786436928305452009-04-05T12:29:00.004-04:002009-04-12T09:20:00.453-04:00

I just heard that I'm one of the 50 Infuential Rabbis named by Newsweek Magazine. Although I can think of many more influential rabbis who should be on this list, it is great for Birthright Israel NEXT to get this kind of exposure. And I am happy to be standing next to Rabbi Art Green, #27. Fourteen years ago, he blessed me and my beloved under the chupah - so it is fitting that we are joined at

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-85564590139673725112009-03-10T20:55:00.002-04:002009-03-10T20:57:14.694-04:00

The journalist Luke Ford shot me a few questions. Though he got my name wrong (classic journalist move, no?) he asked some fine questions. Anyways...here's the piece: Here’s my first post about Rabbi David Brenner. His response.I then reached out to Rabbi Brenner via Facebook. Tonight I sent him these questions and he promptly emailed back his response.LF: How should Kellogs have reacted when

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-75915890879709122752009-03-10T17:22:00.004-04:002009-03-10T20:51:45.681-04:00

Check out JDUB: http://blog.jdubrecords.org/2009/03/10/best-submission-ever/ In the Video below you can hear the full track!

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-82591725180789498312009-03-09T08:09:00.005-04:002009-03-09T08:21:02.627-04:00

This past week was one of those 'only in brooklyn' types. Thursday night i got to see Batsheva Dance Company's MAX at BAM - a magnificent display of athletic dance which was enhanced by factory sound effects and some proto-Romance language voiceovers. Then Sat night we went to St. Anne's Warehouse in DUMBO to check out Mabou Mines Dollhouse (which cast dwarves for all the male parts) it was '

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-16109506992557771432009-02-23T23:52:00.001-05:002009-02-23T23:52:28.198-05:00

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-39687867298647008342009-02-23T20:59:00.002-05:002009-02-23T21:06:18.479-05:00

Nothing better than watching a journalist pull a quote out of context. My latest blog on Phelps (which was published in Beliefnet and then got the headline 'cereal killer' in the New Jersey Jewish News (excellent stroke Andy) was extracted to make "Idiot Rabbi of the Day" on Luke Ford. Read my piece and then see his truncation. He basically cuts me off during the prologue.Please, Mr. Ford, run my

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-11824860271779061622009-02-11T16:43:00.002-05:002009-02-11T16:43:42.189-05:00

Birthright’s 11th Day There have been 1,500 NEXT Shabbats, sponsored by Birthright, to help Birthright alumni celebrate Shabbat, often for the first time in their lives. by Carolyn SlutskyStaff WriterNot a week has gone by since she went on Birthright Israel last March that Jillian Tengood hasn’t poured through her online photos, e-mailed and chatted through Facebook with the American and Israeli

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-323221590053077302009-02-10T22:13:00.002-05:002009-02-10T22:15:44.702-05:00

Just saw this, the cover of the book I have a little piece in. Here is the blurb from Beacon Press: Believer, Beware: First-Person Dispatches from the Margins of Faith (July 2009)Jeff Sharlet, Peter Manseu, and the editors of Killing the BuddhaAn engaging collection of ambivalent confessions, skeptical testimonies, and personal revelations of religion lost and found and lost again. This new

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-55625935366061214072009-02-06T14:08:00.003-05:002009-02-06T16:54:41.903-05:00

Why I am Boycotting Kellogg’s By Rabbi Daniel S. Brenner I love Special K cereal – it was my mom’s preferred brand when I was growing up (dad likes Shredded Wheat) and I continue to eat it and buy it for my kids. Two of them love it. But daddy isn’t buying it anymore.When I heard this morning that Kellogg’s was pulling their endorsement relationship with swimmer Michael Phelps because of a

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-34225576220890292782009-02-01T14:58:00.001-05:002009-02-01T14:59:49.229-05:00

Birthright Exec Seeks to Tap Into 'Energy'January 29, 2009 - Michelle Mostovy-Eisenberg, Staff WriterEach year for the past 10 years, thousands of young people in their late teens and early 20s have participated in one of Birthright Israel's free, 10-day educational trips to the Jewish state. The hope has always been that, by the end of the journey, these Diaspora visitors will develop strong

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-85159521694845616962009-01-28T21:33:00.003-05:002009-01-28T21:43:16.172-05:00

this was truly one of the most beautifully crafted and stirring and heartwrenching films I've ever seen. Waltz With Bashir is on the level of artistic and narrative brilliance of Speigelman's Maus - it takes a genre that you think that you are familiar with and it takes it to the places of tension, paradox, hurt, attachment, and tragedy of the human spirit. It is about memory and about

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-4708095938876832652008-12-29T14:47:00.002-05:002008-12-29T14:48:28.385-05:00

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-73318754414236715482008-11-27T09:21:00.002-05:002008-11-27T09:30:27.828-05:00

many things to be thankful for, especially seeing Al Green live at the Wellmont Theater in Montclair, NJ. Not since James Brown have I seen such an electrifying performer. Green is a master - of- ceremonies/preacher/soul singer/dancer/conductor -- you have to love a guy who passes out red roses to the fans in between songs. The Wellmont is beautifully restored, and the sound is good if you sit

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-14453614892385439612008-11-15T22:34:00.004-05:002008-11-15T22:45:06.543-05:00

This genius has youtubed his record player. he plays old 45s.i was searching for an old Howlin' Wolf tune and came across this treasure trove. enjoyOne beauty: Shufflin Shoeshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_JT56Z3nfk

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170679.post-10054874806797890992008-10-06T21:36:00.003-04:002008-10-06T21:56:03.494-04:00

Yesterday I had the fortunate opportunity to speak with Professor Elie Weisel. He was invited by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach to speak at Michael Steinhardt's home and beforehand I sat next to Professor Weisel in the living room. Needless to say, I was very uncomfortable. Most people were coming up to him and telling them how much they enjoyed Night and he would just smile and say thank you. So I

Daniel Brennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13401207311850959177noreply@blogger.com0