The Rogovoy Report 2.19.24

From around the corner to around the globe...

Feb 19, 2024

Why the Most Educated People in America Fall for Anti-Semitic Lies

(The Atlantic) by Dara Horn - The through line of anti-Semitism for thousands of years has been the denial of truth and the promotion of lies. These lies range in scope from conspiracy theories to Holocaust denial to the blood libel to the currently popular claims that Zionism is racism, that Jews are settler colonialists, and that Jewish civilization isn’t indigenous to the land of Israel. These lies are all part of the foundational big lie: that anti-Semitism itself is a righteous act of resistance against evil, because Jews are collectively evil and have no right to exist. Today, the big lie is winning. Read also, Nevada Senate candidate Jim Marchant repeatedly invoked antisemitic tropes in public statements (JI)

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The death of Alexey Navalny, Putin’s most formidable opponent, by Masha Gessen (New Yorker)

Nearly 15% of Americans don’t believe climate change is real (The Guardian)

Can America survive Trump-induced chaos? by Malcolm Nance (Special Intelligence)

The former Rouge soon to reopen as Acqua al 2 Italian restaurant

Italian Restaurant Set for Former Rouge Restaurant Site

(Berkshire Edge) WEST STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. - For those residents who relish food from the Bel Paese, or “beautiful country,” no air travel will be needed once Acqua al 2 opens in the space formerly occupied by Rouge restaurant later this year. The new eatery is the creation of Elizabeth “Liza” Stace Pagliari and husband Valentino Pagliari, with the latter a partner in the Florence, Italy, Acqua al 2 restaurant that will serve as the flagship for the local franchise to be managed by Stace Pagliari. Stace Pagliari said the menu for the West Stockbridge franchise will be similar to the Florence restaurant that features a variety of focaccia and salads as well as a grilled vegetable plate along with main dishes including sirloin steak with green peppers and brandy; long fusilli with a ragu sauce; curry chicken breast with apple; and a number of beef tartare dishes.

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Dottie’s Coffee Lounge in Pittsfield expands into Mission (iBerkshires)

Sazi Foods poised to be a leader in hemp-based foods (B Edge)

Dining at the Elm in Great Barrington: An exceptional experience, in more ways than one (RI)

North Adams Mexican eatery Casita opens with expanded menu and hours (B Eagle)

You can now order a Jenny Gersten off the menu at Pappa Charlie's (B Eagle)

New food co-op and reopened King Kone revitalizing Pittsfield’s Fenn Street (B Eagle)

Adams’s Rainbow Shack is for sale (B Eagle)

Fresh pasta business Via Ravioli coming soon to Coxsackie, N.Y. (WAMC)

Hudson’s Verdigris Tea & Chocolate reopened by original management (GoR)

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Gary Lucas, an internationally renowned guitarist, is coming to the Spencertown Academy on Feb. 24 for a showcase of both electric and acoustic play. (photo Paolo Soriani)

Guitarist Gary Lucas Brings Eclectic Musical Menu to Spencertown

(Berkshire Eagle) SPENCERTOWN, N.Y. - When Gary Lucas picks up a guitar, there's no telling what sound you'll hear next. Lucas, a virtuosic guitar player perhaps more aptly described as a magician, has been finding new ways to elicit the evocative from the six-string for over four decades. His discography has spawned covers of Chinese pop standards, motion picture scores and soaring soundscapes that captivate in both electric and acoustic style. He makes up his set lists as he goes along, gauging the audience he’s playing for in the moment. A concertgoer might hear one of his soft-spoken collaborations with Jeff Buckley, followed immediately by an original, transcendental blues opus, then capped by an Antonín Dvorák arrangement. He makes sure to leave plenty of room for improvisation.

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Joan Baez to attend Triplex screening of Joan Baez doc (Lakeville Journal)

Seventh annual W.E.B. Legacy Festival in Great Barrington starts today (B Edge)

WAM Theatre’s new artistic director announces 15th season (B Edge)

Longtime Berkshire Eagle music critic looks back on Seiji Ozawa (B Eagle)

A state-of-the-art screening room for Saugerties (Mid Hudson News)

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NEWS FROM THE BERKSHIRES

Creating a Rustic Berkshires Dream Home

(Boston Globe) - Never having built a home before, Aimee and Andy Bevacqua, who had recently retired to the Berkshires, were not quite sure how to best describe the style they were going for. “We said, ‘Rustic, but not Yellowstone rustic,’” Andy says with a laugh, referencing the neo-Western television series the pair had been watching at the time. Carly Shafiroff, founder of Carly Jane Design, guided them through a discovery process to fine-tune their direction. “We learned that they liked rustic elements with clean lines and pops of color, which made for a fun twist,” she says. The concept melds the landscape and lifestyle of the Berkshires: fresh and modern but also relaxed, with soft, cozy touches.

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Great Barrington Selectboard Vice Chair Leigh Davis announces candidacy for State Rep. Pignatelli’s seat (Berkshire Edge)

Stockbridge Select Board member Patrick White discusses candidacy for Massachusetts House (WAMC)

Berkshire East Mountain Resort is a family-run gem in Charlemont (B Globe)

Crane Stationery future uncertain with reports of layoffs (iBerkshires)

Night janitor behind 'Gender Queer' school book kerfuffle (B Edge)

YMCA quits problem-plagued North Adams building (B Eagle)

NEWS FROM THE HUDSON VALLEY

Self-portrait by Hudson artist Phillip Schwartz

How a Jewish Artist’s Show Fell Apart Over ‘Censorship’

(ATU) HUDSON, N.Y. - Leadership at Hudson Hall admitted to causing “pain and injury” and extended “deep apologies” after an exhibition dealing with genocide, persecution and trauma was canceled in December under circumstances that led one of the exhibiting artists, Phillip Schwartz, to accuse the art space of “antisemitism and censorship.” Hudson Hall’s mea culpa comes after conflicting narratives around the cancellation played out in public and private in recent weeks, culminating in a Jan. 30 article published in the Forward, an independent Jewish publication, with the headline, “Why a Jewish artist thinks his exhibit’s cancellation is evidence of censorship and antisemitism.”

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Hudson city council may oppose county use of downtown complex (HV360)

Didi Barrett and Claire Cousin face off in State Assembly candidates debate (HV360)

Gillibrand urges EPA to continue PCB cleanup in the Hudson River (WAMC)

Albany International Airport announces new service to Raleigh (WAMC)

Paula Forman joins board at Olana (Berkshire Edge)

Small farms decline in New York, especially dairy (ATU)

Lawmakers criticize proposed congressional map (Daily Freeman)

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