A Farewell to Wonders of America
Jenna Weissman Joselit looks back at 16 years of celebrating the wonders of Jewish America for the Forward.
Why a 90-Year-Old Jewish Prayer Still Seems Relevant Today
In 1927, Louis Ginzberg’s “Prayer for Our Country” held out hope that citizens of all races could “forge a common bond in true harmony.” Can we get an amen for that?
Why the Tallit Is Making a Comeback
When Donald Trump donned a Jewish prayer shawl in an African-American church, he caused a small ruckus. But our columnist explains that there’s more to the tallit than meets the eye.
Keeping Up With the Cohens
“The Keeper” at the New Museum highlights the obsessive nature of collectors. It reminds Jenna Weissman Joselit of the Cohen collection at the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia.
The Versailles of Asbury Park
For over 100 years, Palace Amusements of Asbury Park, New Jersey enabled the seaside destination to live up to its reputation as the “town without a frown.”
Could SymPop Be the Future of Jewish Artistic Collaboration?
What would happen if artists from different fields collaborated with each other to form communities? That was the premise of the 24-hour SymPop event. Jenna Weissman Joselit assesses her galvanizing event.
Lynne Avadenka’s Triumph of the Imagination
These days, museum exhibitions tend to place emphasis on size and bombast. Not so at the Yeshiva University Museum, where the exhibit “How a Poem Begins” is a study of artistry and restraint.
The Forgotten Gizmo That Brought Us Closer to the Holy Land
The 21st century is filled with technological marvels. But nearly a century ago, another magical gizmo was the flavor of the month. Jenna Weissman Joselit remembers the delights promised by the steropticon.
At the Jewish Museum’s Mizrahi Exhibit, a Missed Opportunity
“Isaac Mizrahi: An Unruly History” at the Jewish Museum is affable and awash in color. But when it comes to the subject of Jewishness, the exhibit is a study in missed opportunities.
How Golf Became a Tool of Assimilation
In the early 20th Century, America embraced golf, but country clubs didn’t necessarily embrace Jews. By the mid-1920’s, there were nearly 60 Jewish country clubs in this country.