Esther Kustanowitz
By Esther Kustanowitz
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News In Los Angeles, a theatre spotlight shines on next-gen Iranian-American voices
When she was growing up in Woodland Hills in Los Angeles’s suburban San Fernando Valley, Ora Yashar felt very American. But at home, her parents were preoccupied with their native Iran. “I always heard stories,” Yashar told the Forward. “My parents were always talking about life before the Revolution. They always talk about Iran.” The…
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News LA entrepreneurs create “wedding registry” for LA hospitals in need
The calls from the frontlines were disturbing. Emily Kane Miller, CEO of Ethos Giving had heard from her medical professional sister-in-law that supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) were running low in her hospital. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Faraut, CEO of LA LOOP, had heard the same from a doctor in her family. Seeing the need for…
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The Schmooze The ‘Italian’ hand gesture’s also Israeli — plus, more Jewish emojis, please?
The Unicode Consortium, also known as “the emoji people,” released its list of 65 new icons on Thursday, thrilling at least two groups with their inclusion of what they’re calling the “Italian hand gesture” of pinched fingers and a raised hand. Of course, Italians love it — they use it to signal disagreement. But a…
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Film & TV Penka Kouneva Wants to Blast Hollywood’s Celluloid Ceiling
Courtesy Penka Kouneva // From left to right, Jeremy Borum, Penka Kouneva and Nathan Furst working on the Dreamworks feature “Need for Speed” At six, Penka Kouneva was playing piano in her hometown of Sofia, Bulgaria. At 12, she was composing music for children’s theater. At 17, a song of hers won a Japanese competition…
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