Hoen Building funding, Tony Awardwinners and more
Hoen Buildingreceives $1 million in federal funding
The nearly $30 million conversion of East Baltimore’s abandoned A. Hoen & Co. Lithograph building is getting some federal support, with a $1.6 million grant announced June 10 to help outfit the historic former printing plant with infrastructure needed for its rebirth, according to Baltimore Fishbowl. The money, awarded by the U.S. Department of Commerce, will help the developers build out stormwater management, sewer and auxiliary infrastructure, according to an announcement by the agency. The project is receiving the funding due to its location within a federally designated Opportunity Zone, one of 42 in Baltimore. “This project is a win-win – not only will it revitalize a historic Baltimore landmark, but the end product will create jobs and provide valuable services to our community,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen in a statement. Van Hollen, fellow U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, Rep. Elijah Cummings, Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young and Gov. Larry Hogan were among the officials who attended an announcement at the Biddle Street building. The federal grant will be matched with $1.1 million in local funds, according to a press release. Collaborating with the nonprofit Strong City Baltimore, developers Cross Street Partners and City Life Historic Properties have been renovating the Hoen building since breaking ground in April of 2018. They plan to build it into a mixed-use facility for nonprofits, social enterprises and researchers, with an adult literacy center and a workforce incubator offering construction job training, collectively called the Center for Neighborhood Innovation.
Read more: Feds give $1.6 million for Hoen Lithograph building renovation
Also see: Michael Cross-Barnet of Strong City Baltimore on Weekend Agenda on Facebook Live:
Update June 12, 2019: The screening mentioned below has been canceled for the time being.
Takoma Park to screen anti-Israel film
A Maryland suburb of Washington D.C. is screening ananti-Israel film narrated by Roger Waters as part of a free documentaryseries. “Occupation of the American Mind” is being shown by the municipality ofTakoma Park on June 13 as part of the town’s “We Are Takoma” free culturalevent series, taking place in its community center. “’Occupation of theAmerican Mind is a captivating documentary that reveals how the Israeligovernment, U.S. government, and pro-Israel lobbying groups have engaged in adecades-long propaganda campaign to shape American media coverage of Israel andits occupation of Palestinian lands,” says a blurb on Culture SpotMD, a culturewebsite paid for in large part by Montgomery County, where Takoma Park is situated.Waters, the Pink Floyd member, has become a leading advocate of boycottingIsrael. The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington asked themunicipality, a famously liberal enclave that includes a thriving Jewishcommunity, to reconsider showing the film.
Read more: Maryland suburb of DC to screen anti-Israel film
DC Dyke March getssmall number of protesters
A handful ofprotesters demonstrated at the DC Dyke March over a ban on the Jewish Prideflag, a rainbow striped flag with a white Star of David in the middle. The flaglooks too much like the flag of Israel, organizers had said before the march,which banned the flags of countries with “specific oppressive tendencies.” Theflags of Israel and the United States were the only two mentioned specificallyin the ban. There was no such ban on Palestinian flags. Some would-be marcherscarrying the Jewish Pride flag wereturned away by marshals at an entrance point to the march. Amarshal said they could enter if they removed the Star of David from the flag.Jewish stars reportedly were welcome in any other context. Despite what the AFPnews agency called a “handful of protesters,” the D.C. Dyke March was“otherwise calm.”
Read more: Small number of protesters demonstrate at DC Dyke March over ban on Jewish Pride flag
British-based online store offering products with ‘Zyklon B’ logo
ABritish-based online purveyor of customized products is in trouble again, thistime for selling items with the word “Zyklon B” printed on them. On sale viaRedbubble, which has an office in downtown Berlin, are cups, T-shirts, cellphone cases and postcards bearing the brand name of Zyklon B, one of thechemicals – crystalline hydrogen cyanide – that Nazis used to murder millionsin its death camp gas chambers. Redbubble currently has 70,000 different T-shirts forsale, making it difficult to easily locate the offensive ones. But the BerlinerZeitung newspaper, which broke the story, published a photo of the Zykon B wares and said thelogo resembles that of a popular mouthwash. Last month, Redbubble, which sellstens of thousands of items bearing slogans of all kinds, was pressured toremove mini-skirts printed with the Arabic word for God – “Allah” – following aTwitter storm of criticism. Also removed recently – after a Twitter complaintfrom staff at the Auschwitz concentration camp memorial in Poland – wereminiskirts and handbags printed with images of the death camp. Redbubble’swebsite said it offers “awesome products designed by independent artists” andencourages artists to display and sell their wares, with the disclaimer: “Youmust ensure, and you bear the related responsibility, that your art and itspublication on Redbubble do not violate applicable law.”—JTA
Jewish vegan centeropens in London
The center for Jewish Vegetarian Society in England recently transformed into an all-vegan facility after completing a successful crowdfunding campaign to improve its kitchen, meeting rooms and garden, according to the VegNews. The grand opening event featured cooking workshops, gardening and a discussion about food ethics in relation to the Jewish faith led by rabbis Jonathan Wittenberg and Debbie Young-Somers. “We are delighted to open the doors to the world’s first Jewish vegan centre at just the right time, when community centres are in short supply, and when the production of animal products is crueler than ever,” JVS Director Lara Balsam said. “We hope to inspire the creation of many more such hubs around the world, servicing the ever-increasing demand for and interest in Jewish veganism.”
Jewishdirectors dominate at Tony Awards
“Hadestown,” a musical about the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice and the underworld, won best new musical at the Tony Awards, and a coveted prize for its Jewish director. Rachel Chavkin won the Tony Award for best director of a musical for “Hadestown,” the 10th woman ever to win best director for a Broadway play or musical, during the award ceremony on June 9. Sam Mendes, the Jewish director of the “The Ferryman,” also won for best director of a play. “The Ferryman” also earned a Tony for Best Play. Mendes is known for his work on the James Bond films “Skyfall” and “Spectre,” and won an Academy Award for directing “American Beauty.” Actress and comedy legend Elaine May received her first Tony award — for best leading actress in a play. She stars in Jewish playwright Kenneth Lonergan’s “The Waverly Gallery,” his semi-autobiographical play about a family dealing with the declining health of its matriarch. Actor Bryan Cranston, whose father is of Austrian Jewish descent, won the Tony Award for best leading man in a play for his performance as newscaster Howard Beale in “Network.” Sound designer Nevin Steinberg, was awarded with Jessica Paz for their sound design of “Hadestown.” James Corden hosted the awards ceremony.–JTA
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