San Quentin's Jewish Chaplain Celebrates Last Hanukkah Behind Bars
For the last decade, Carole Hyman has been the only woman at an annual Hanukkah celebration. That's because she's the Jewish chaplain at San Quentin Prison. In a spare room with beige cinder block walls, well-worn linoleum floors and harsh fluorescent lights she ministers to inmates, most who are serving life sentences for first or second-degree murder.
Converts to Judaism Struggle to Give Up the Christmas Tree
Relationships are all about compromise, right? So what do interfaith couples do during the holidays? Jews light Hanukkah candles and Christians put up Christmas trees. But when couples each want to celebrate their own faith's traditions, it can get a little complicated. KCRW's Avishay Artsy knows that first-hand.
Posada Christmas Pilgrimage Reunites Family, Friends at U.S.-Mexico Border
There's a Mexican Christmas tradition called a Posada that usually involves a festive street procession re-enacting Mary and Joseph's search for shelter. But the celebration takes on a different form at the southern tip of San Diego County along the U.S.-Mexico border. Under the watchful of eye of the U.S. Border Patrol, people on both sides of the reinforced security fence meet to sing carols, share news and hold tearful reunions.
Landmark Church in San Jose to Rebuild After Devastating Fire
At a time of year when many churches host special events celebrating Christmas, we visit one church grateful to be hosting any services at all. Last month, a fire destroyed the sanctuary of Holy Cross, a landmark Roman Catholic church that's served working class immigrants in San Jose for four generations.
Cuban Ballet Dancer Remembers Her First 'Nutcracker' in the U.S.
Cuba was in the news this week as President Obama announced he was restoring diplomatic relations after more than 50 years of a lingering Cold War policy. That could be on the mind of a leading ballerina as she performs in the holiday classic "The Nutcracker" ballet this weekend. For the last 15 years, principal dancer Lorena Feijoo has had starring roles as the snow queen and sugar plum fairy. Feijoo grew up dancing with the National Ballet of Cuba. We caught up with her as she rehearsed with Ballet Master Christopher Stowell at the San Francisco Ballet studios.