Even after 22 years, the Lipinksy Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival has surprises in store for this year’s performances, from new venues in North County (including Oceanside) to an extended run of a true and astounding tale. Presented by the San Diego Repertory Theatre, the festival, which you can catch now through July 26, is described as, “a celebration of the artistic expressions of Jewish history, traditions and ideas,” and is credited with numerous world premieres from artists who hail from 13 different countries.
The Lipinsky Arts Festival is curated, organized and directed by Todd Salovey, the associate artistic director for the San Diego REP.
“I am really excited that we will more than TRIPLE our Festival attendance this year,” Salovey says via email. “All together, I think this is our strongest and most exciting line-up yet.”
He’s also pleased to announce additional world premieres including a first for the festival: a family performance thanks to a partnership with Tarbuton and San Diego Soille Hebrew Day.
Local favorite Zeji Ozeri is leading musical activities for children this year, Salovey writes.
“We are doing our first family performance, a concert at Encinitas Library at 2 p.m. on June 21 starring Zeji Ozeri … we really look forward to having a special activity that families can enjoy. It’s free of charge.”
Ozeri is one of San Diego’s most important and well-loved Jewish educators, has more than 20 years of experience teaching music and sharing his knowledge about Jewish tradition with children and young adults of the Jewish community in California, Mexico and Israel. He has produced two CDs of Jewish songs and continues to perform in concerts throughout Southern California.
“The Festival’s many world premiers have often gone on to be performed in other venues after the Festival,” Salovey continues. “We have a brand new piece ‘Gridlock’ by the beloved Jewish theatre group from the Ken Community, Teatro Punto y Coma. We have selections of another world premiere that I am writing, ‘A Wandering Feast,’ about Yale Strom’s journey behind the Iron Curtain in the 1980s collecting forgotten klezmer gems.”
This year’s festival also enjoys an extended schedule, capping off with a three-week production of Mona Golabek in “The Pianist of Willesden Lane”. Set in Vienna in 1938 and in London during the Blitzkrieg, it tells the true story of a young Jewish musician, Lisa Jura, whose dreams are interrupted by the Nazi takeover of her homeland. Golabek returns to the Lyceum Stage to perform beautiful piano music as she shares her mother’s story of survival. Golabek was the recipient of the 2015 Outstanding Solo Performance award from The San Diego Theatre Critics Circle for her performance of the play earlier this year.
“We love bringing the community together with art that makes you feel great about being part of the Jewish community,” Salovey says.
Sponsors for the Festival include the Lipinksy family and the Leichtag Foundation. As the namesake of the festival, Sheila and Jeff Lipinsky shared their thoughts: “We are excited that the … festival has expanded into other communities in the San Diego area,” writes Sheila Lipinksy. “We are also richly rewarded to see the diversification of programming being presented. Our thanks to Todd Salovey who never stops amazing us with his creative talents and strong commitment to San Diego and the Jewish community. We are grateful to the Leichtag Foundation for their ongoing support and are excited to see additional sponsors and supporters joining the Festival this year.”
Jeff Lipinksy adds that he feels strongly about bringing the attention of the community at large to the contributions of Jewish artistry. It’s essential that we keep “building a better understanding of Jewish culture,” he says.
Festival performances will be staged at various venues throughout San Diego County including San Diego REPertory Theatre, the historic Balboa Theatre, Encinitas Library and the AVO Playhouse.
North County Highlights
The North County events feature five different performances as well as three free-of-charge events. First up, Adam del Monte, a virtuoso guitarist whose “work finds the Sephardic soul of flamenco music,” is performing Wednesday, June 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the Oceanside Museum of Art. Tickets are $18 and include beer and wine tasting which begins at 6:30 p.m.
The 5th Annual Klezmer Summit North County takes the stage on Sunday, June 7 at 2 p.m. at the AVO Playhouse. This collaboration of the Divas of Klezmer, Kathy Robbins, Deborah Davis and others, including special guests Rachel Barton Pine and Yale Strom, celebrates the music of yesteryear.
“We are always stretching the boundaries of klezmer with a lot surprise and enjoyment,” Salovey says. “At the Avo Theatre, we’re pairing klezmer and jazz with Steve Torok and the MiraCosta Jazz Collective playing klezmer pieces also by Yale Strom. They are a great pairing with the three wonderful Divas of Klezmer.”
A new version of the Festival’s yearly “Women of Valor” commemoration celebrates the lives and good works for six of San Diego’s Jewish women.
“This year they are Helene Bortz, Pam Ferris, Helene Schlafman, Fern Siegel, Gussie Zaks, and San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman,” Salovey says.
Directed by Todd Salovey, it shows twice: Thursday, June 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Lyceum Space at San Diego REP and Sunday, June 14 at 2 p.m. at the Encinitas Library.
For a complete listing of performances, including dates and times, visit the San Diego Reperatory Theatre website at sdrep.org and follow the link to The 22nd Annual Lipinksy Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival.
