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70 years ago, this Jewish choreographer predicted our epidemic of loneliness and isolation

JL;DR SUMMARY Anna Sokolow's 1955 dance piece "Rooms" continues to resonate deeply in today's world marked by isolation and digital disconnection. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish HeritageCovid 19IsolationModernismLonelinessImmigrantsDanceChoreographyAnna SokolowRooms

Places mentioned

New York City, New York, United States
"Anna Sokolow, seen here in Kaddish, was the daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants who arrived in the U.S. at the turn of the 20th century."
Iran
"...the day after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran..."
Ohio, United States
"Hannah Kosstrin, a dance historian at Ohio State University and director of its Melton Center for Jewish Studies, told me over Zoom."
Israel
"...the day after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran..."
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
"But the ensemble has just confirmed it will perform the piece again at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival in September."
Wisconsin, United States
"They later partnered with Madison-based Kanopy Dance to livestream a joint production from Wisconsin and New York..."

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Retrieved 2026-04-05 05:30:55 UTC
Curated 2026-04-05 08:30:23 UTC