Nicholas Bradley

'Tis the Season to Embrace Differences

The Christmas holiday season can be a challenging time for American Jews and yet according to Rabbi Joshua Eli Plaut, PhD, former rabbi of the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center, this has not always been the case.

 

 

 

If you’re looking for live music, you’ve come to the right Island. Martha’s Vineyard features a diverse selection of music venues, from dives to dancehalls and everything in between. If it’s local musicians you want to hear, check out some of the watering holes in Edgartown or Oak Bluffs. For big-name bands, visit Dreamland in Oak Bluffs or Flatbread at the Martha’s Vineyard Airport.

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In the winter of 1993, travel writer and essayist Edward Hoagland was travelling in Eastern Africa on assignment for Harper’s Magazine. He had visited the region twice before, in the years 1976 and 1977. This time, however, a civil war was raging in Sudan and a crippling famine gripped the region. Political, ethnic and religious conflict had created a web of alliances that divided the country, making travel outside the cities a dangerous and complicated ordeal. As he ventured into famine zones alongside NGO (non-governmental organizations) aid groups, Mr.
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As a black pickup truck rumbled away from the Depot Corner gas station in Edgartown with a pair of lawn mowers stowed in its bed, the screen at the pump displayed the hard truth: $191.64 for just over 41 gallons of regular gasoline. And this isn’t an exceptional case. Infamous in years past for its high prices, the Vineyard is a place where drivers should expect to see their wallets lightened by some of the nation’s most expensive gasoline this summer.

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Despite its small size, the Vineyard has long fed the creative spirits of numerous artists, from writers to painters and everything in between. For those Island artists of a more literary persuasion, Jan Pogue’s publishing house Vineyard Stories has for years helped make dreams a written reality. Dedicated to documenting the creative spark of Island authors, Ms. Pogue opens this summer season with four new books.

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Kevin Ryan, vice president of Island Theatre Workshop, had one more round of auditions to do. The principals had been cast, as had most of the other roles for ITW’s upcoming production of The Wizard of Oz. Just one group remained: the munchkins.

A group of five children varying in age from second to sixth grade gathered around an out-of-tune piano to rehearse the chorus from Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead. Learning to pronounce the right words and follow the melody is key for the part. Some bravely belted out the tune while others sang shyly looking at the floorboard.

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