Category Archives: de rebus familiaribus

La Jolla won’t annoy ya. A week in So Cal to relax and recharge.

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Does anyone remember Mel Tormé’s 1957 masterpiece operetta “California Suite”?

One of the early songs in the cycle is “La Jolla” and it begins with the line, La Jolla won’t annoy ya.

I feel so lucky to have grown up here. It was different when I was a kid: a sleepy beach town with lots of mom-and-pop storefronts and homey restaurants and dive bars. Today, downtown looks a lot like main street America (Starbucks, GAP, Victoria’s Secret etc.).

But the nature here is unbeatable: some of the best beaches and views in the state. And the food is great, too, with wonderfully fresh seafood and some of my favorite Mexican.

My adolescence was focused on getting away from this place to forge my own path. I wanted to live in LA and NYC and Europe and I did all those things. I’m glad I did.

Today, it’s wonderful to come back and share my La Jolla with Tracie and the girls. We have our family and so many great friends here and even the girls have made California friends.

On Wednesday, Tracie and I were in LA where I led a sold-out wine dinner at Rossoblu, one of my old haunts where I helped launched the wine program. We had a blast and it was great to see so many colleagues and old friends. We even got a little alone time in because the girls did an overnight at friends’ in La Jolla. We spent yesterday touring the city and eating fantastic Thai food.

Man, 57 isn’t so bad, after all.

Next week, I’ll get back to sharing my tales from the road in Italy. But not before I eat a yellow fin and a carne asada burrito. One more swim in the Pacific will do this soul some good.

Thanks for being here. Enjoy the rest of the summer and see you soon!

How the name of my blog, Do Bianchi, came to me one night long ago in a Venetian tavern.

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Thanks to everyone who sent notes of solidarity after last Friday’s post. I felt it was important to share those experiences and I hope more people will stand up and speak out when they hear talk like that. We owe it to the generations that come after us.

Many, many moons ago… The second year I spent at the University of Padua, I supported myself by teaching English and playing music.

One of my standing gigs was a monthly 3-set date at a little restaurant and bar in Venice. It was on the Campo Santa Margherita to be exact: the Isola Misteriosa, the Mysterious Island, a venue and a host of classic Venetian characters now long lost to memory.

More than three decades have passed since I would lug my jumbo guitar from the Santa Lucia station to the campo. We often shared the bill with members of the then mega popular Venetian dialect reggae group Pitura Freska (no shit). Their breakout record was released that same year, 1990 (I was in Veneto for the academic year of 89-90).

In later years, I would make the trek to Venice from wherever I was living in Italy to meet with my mentor, Professor Vittore Branca, one of the great philologists of the 20th century and the world’s foremost expert on Boccaccio at the time.

In my final years working on my doctoral thesis, a weekly trip to the Marciana library, an archive founded by Francis Petrarch and later frequented by humanist Pietro Bembo — both subjects of my dissertation.

In a small reading room just off of St. Mark’s square, incunabula — early printed books — editions of Petrarch’s song book, edited by Bembo, awaited me.

Year’s later, when I was working in commercial publishing in NYC, I needed a pseudonym for one of my columns.

I thereby became “Do Bianchi,” pen name for “Edoardo ‘Do’ Bianchi.” A moniker that evokes a saying you hear often in the city on the lagoon: give me do bianchi please! Two glasses of white wine (do bianchi in Venetian dialect, due bianchi in Italian).

That’s how my blog got its name and that’s me and Tracie enjoying do bianchi in Venice earlier this month!

Anti-Semitism in Europe. Thoughts on recent experiences in the wine trade and beyond.

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Above: a synagogue in Venice where the first Jewish ghetto was created. The word ghetto comes from Venetian dialect. Image via Wikipedia.

I’ve been on the fence over whether or not I should share these experiences here. But an article in the Times yesterday, “French Election Becomes ‘Nightmare’ for Nation’s Jews,” made me feel compelled to relate some unsettling encounters with people in the wine trade. The story is centered around a violent anti-Semitic attack on a 12-year-old girl. Our oldest daughter is 12.

I’ve encountered a lot of anti-Semitism in the wine trade over my decades-long career.

A Dutch importer’s abrasive comments, left unanswered because I didn’t want to jeopardize a friend’s business relationship.

The uncle of a client who indulged in worn stereotypes, again unrequited because I feared losing the client. In wine circles, I’ve heard the expression, ebreo del cazzo (f*&%ing Jew), more than once and more than once directed at me.

But generally, I’ve always felt safe in Italy. Thanks to the Italians’ often intellectual curiosity about and reverence for Jews (a trope that stretches back to Dante and Boccaccio), I’ve even felt more welcomed in Italy than I did in certain circles here at home.

This year, everything is different.

At Vinitaly in April, a now ex-friend — not a good friend but someone with whom I used to trade messages on social media — told me that the reason Biden is supporting Netanyahu’s war because he needs the backing of “Jewish bankers.”

“I’m a Jew,” I told him directly. “Please do not make anti-Semitic comments — ever.”

I walked away. Needless to say, we won’t be trading messages on Instagram anymore.

But it was on this last trip that an anti-Semitic episode left me reeling and wanting to strike back.

After a large trade tasting I attended, when beer and smoke were being shared in camaraderie, a passing comment about Jews inspired a young wine professional to declare: “If I ever encounter a Jew in this town, I’m going to kill him. I’m going to kill him! I’ll kill him!” he insisted.

Again, as in many instances, I felt obliged to remain silent to protect my friends’ professional relationships. My instinct was to fight back — with words not fists. But I was quiet.

I’m not going to be quiet anymore — ever again, regardless of the professional consequences.

I hope you’ll join me in speaking out.

Thanks for being here and thanks for your solidarity.

Happy Juneteenth! Browse the Portal to Texas History to see how the holiday has been celebrated over generations in Texas.

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Happy Juneteenth, everyone!

The main street of Houston’s historic Third Ward is known today as Emancipation Avenue. The name is inspired by the Emancipation Proclamation. But it is also owed to the fact that some of the earliest organized celebrations of Juneteenth were held in the Third Ward’s Emancipation Park, a public space created there by local business leaders in the late 19th century. It was intended to give residents a place to honor the date and occasion.

Extreme weather will be keeping most Houston residents indoors today. But our family will be celebrating the national holiday today by reading about its origins and how it was celebrated over the years since its inception.

Juneteenth became a national holiday in 2021 after members of congress from Houston lobbied for its recognition.

This morning, as we browsed the Portal to Texas History, we came across a number of TV news reporting on local gatherings, including one from Fort Worth dated 1989 (we noticed that the balloons in the video read “1987”; it’s possible that the archive date is incorrect). Use the link below to view.

KXAS-TV (Television station : Fort Worth, Tex.). [News Clip: Juneteenth], video, June 19, 1989, 5:00 p.m.; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc903774/m1/?q=juneteenth: accessed June 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.

Until recently, most Americans had no idea that such a celebration was regularly observed by communities across our nation.

Our family was thrilled when President Biden made it a national holiday (we are fortunate enough to live in the city represented in congress by the two congresspeople who proposed the legislation, including our district’s congressperson at the time).

Happy Juneteenth! Check out the Portal to Texas History here. And just enter the search term “Juneteenth.” I bet you’ll enjoy discovering how the holiday was celebrated in the state long before it became a national holiday.

Happy anniversary Tracie! I love you!

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It still seems like it were just yesterday that we were emailing — you in Austin, me in Southern California — sharing our lives, interests, goals, and dreams with each other.

But 16 years have passed since our e-mance evolved into a relationship, a marriage, and a family.

Today, we have been married for 14 years.

I’ll never forget how during the ceremony, your father, who married us, said the blessing over the wine (an element of my heritage that he graciously incorporated into the service).

“Because,” he told our guests, “when Tracie and Jeremy get together, you know there’s going to be a wine tasting!”

Ever since January 31, 2010, not a day has gone by that I don’t remember how you have given me the greatest and richest years of my life.

I love you. Happy anniversary!

Fast forward to a time, a couple years from now
And then rewind to find the reason
In the where and what and how
The woman brought the very best out of you
When she said I do

Celebrate MLK Day: join Tracie and our family at the historic MLK March in Orange, Texas, and then stand up to white supremacy at our protest of the Neo-Confederate monument there.

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Happy MLK Day, everyone! Our protest will take place as planned, 2-4 p.m. at the site. The organizers of the march have also confirmed that the events are happening as planned. See you later today! Updated Monday, January 15, 8:40 a.m.

Please join Tracie and our family on MLK Day, January 15, as we take part in historic MLK Day March in Orange, Texas, where Tracie grew up and her family still lives.

The march will be followed by speeches by local leaders.

The march starts at 10 a.m. at Salem UMC Church. Click here for details.

And then, when all is said and done, Tracie and I will head over to the Neo-Confederate memorial (unveiled in 2017) on MLK Dr. at Interstate 10 for our protest of the site.

We will be there from 2-4 p.m. We will have waters and plenty of signs. Click here for location.

(The memorial was built by the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the current-day Ku Klux Klan, and has been opposed by the local government and local pastors; the city of Orange has done everything in its power to stymie the Neo-Confederates but the monument stands on private land; for seven years now Tracie and I have been raising money to post an MLK billboard that looks out over the monument on MLK Day; read about our campaign to repurpose the site, now in its seventh year, here.)

Feel free to reach out to me if you have questions: jparzen@gmail.com, 917-405-3426.

Happy MLK Day! We hope to see you on Monday but wherever you are, please take time out to remember, celebrate, and share Dr. King’s teachings and legacy.

Thank you to everyone who donated to our MLK campaign: there is now an MLK billboard looking down over the Neo-Confederate monument in Orange, Texas.

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Tracie and I share our heartfelt thanks with everyone who contributed to our GoFundMe campaign to raise an MLK billboard over the Neo-Confederate memorial in Orange, Texas, where Tracie grew up and her family still lives.

We’ve worked with the billboard company for many years now and they were extra cool this time around: they put the billboard up a week or so ago and it will remain in place until March 5. We paid for eight weeks but they ended up giving us nearly 11 weeks, which is awesome.

It will be in place on MLK Day, Monday, January 15, and it will remain there throughout Black History Month (February).

In 2013 the Sons of Confederate Veterans began fund raising to build a Greek atrium and a series of flag poles to display Confederate battle flags (warning: link contains graphic material).

In 2017, the group — the contemporary incarnation of the Ku Klux Klan — completed construction and began displaying the flags. Despite Herculean efforts by the City of Orange to block them, nothing could be done because the monument stands on private land.

It’s located on MLK Dr., a major thoroughfare where thousands of cars pass every day to get to work, school, and church. The city passed a law limiting the height of new flagpoles in the city. But it can still be seen from Interstate 10.

As we do every year, Tracie and I will be organizing a protest of the site on MLK Day. Please stay tuned for details and please join us if you can.

Our goal is to repurpose the site so that it reflects the community (which is half Black) and community values. We recognize the Quixotic nature of our objective. But sometimes the battles you know you are going to lose are the ones that you need to fight.

It’s a cold stretch of road out there. But today it’s a little bit warmer.

Thanks to everyone who contributed. Please join us on MLK Day as we celebrate the legacy of Dr. King.

Read more about our efforts on our blog RepurposeMemorial.com.

Parzen family Christmas letter 2023. Merry Christmas!

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Please consider giving to our yearly GoFundMe campaign to raise an MLK billboard over the Neo-Confederate memorial in Orange, Texas in time for MLK Day (January 15) and Black History Month (February). If you can’t donate, please share. Thank you for your support and solidarity! Click here to donate.

As 2023 comes to an end, Tracie, the girls, and I have so much to be thankful for.

Georgia, who turned 12 this month, is in her first year in middle school, a legacy music magnet program where she plays violin. Over the summer, she auditioned and was placed in the top performing orchestra. She is also taking private lessons and loves her teacher.

Lila Jane, who turned 10 in July, not only plays cello in the performing orchestra at her elementary school, also a legacy magnet. But she plays with a small chamber group of select cello players as well. We are so sad that it’s her last year at our beloved elementary school. But it’s been thrilling to see/follow all of her end-of-the-year concerts.

Both girls are studying Italian at home (!!!) and getting straight A’s at school and you can only imagine how proud we are of them. Our home and lives are filled with music and it’s a dream come true for both Tracie and me.

Tracie’s 2023 as a realtor has been challenging. But she’s still loving her new career. It’s been a tough year but she’s still bringing home the bacon, which is awesome.

My work has really come together again. I spent most of October and November on the road, which wasn’t easy. But I got to see some truly interesting places and interact with some really cool wine pros.

We spent our summer vacation in Orange Beach, Alabama (above). And not long after we headed to La Jolla for my mom’s 90th. She asked me to organize a wine tasting for her friends and we all had a blast.

We feel so blessed for each other, for our community, and we pray for peace and for our country.

Merry Christmas! May G-d bless us all.

A prayer for peace in the Middle East.

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Like households of American Jews across our country, we have been glued to our television over the weekend as we watched the new, horrific war between Hamas and Israel unfold.

Our girls, ages 10 and 11, are too young to understand the historical events that led the world to this moment. But they know that they are connected to Israel through their father’s family. They know that we have deep ties to this — what must seem to them — mythical land so far, far away.

“Thousands of Americans have loved ones in Israel. I’m one of them.” That was the title of Jennifer Rubin’s opinion piece for the Washington Post this morning.

For so many families in the U.S., there is a cousin on a kibbutz, a retired uncle in a coastal community, a child at university, friends from Hebrew school days who work in the tech sector…

May G-d bless them and keep them safe. May G-d protect all human life there and everywhere. And may we all say a prayer for peace for all — all — our sisters and brothers in the Middle East and beyond.

Shanah tovah! Happy new year! This year we celebrate grandma’s 90th birthday. A blessing.

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Please consider giving to Unicef relief efforts in Libya. Click here for more ways to give.

Shanah tovah, everyone! Happy new year!

May your new year be filled with light, joy, and good health!

Every year for the holiday, we eat apples and honey to remember life’s sweetness.

This year we have something special to celebrate: grandma (my mother Judy) is turning 90 next week. We’ll be flying out to San Diego to spend the weekend with her. And she’s asked me to organize a wine tasting for her and her friends. We’re all looking forward to it.

Georgia (above, left), age 11 going on 12, started middle school at the end of last month. She’s enjoying playing violin in the orchestra and her creative writing elective.

Lila Jane (right), just turned 10 and starting 5th grade, is now a “big kid” at her elementary school. She’s one of the top cello players in her class and says she wants to be a music teacher.

Poo, poo, poo… we have a lot to be thankful for. Too many blessings to count.

Every year before the High Holidays, I turn to the excellent writers at Chabad.org for inspiration for the year ahead.

Here’s the passage that I can’t stop thinking about:

Our Sages tell us that when we emulate G‑d to provide new life to others with generosity and love, this paves the way for the awesome gift of Rosh Hashanah, the gift of new life, that G‑d lovingly grants every one of us.

Happy new year.