Gabe Friedman
By Gabe Friedman
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The Schmooze The Force is Strong With This ‘Star Wars’ Hanukkah Gift Guide
(JTA) — In the nearly 40 years since the breakout success of the first “Star Wars” film, the franchise has raked in $37 billion, mostly from branded toys and other merchandise. (In the words of Mel Brooks: “Merchandising! Merchandising!”) Ahead of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” — the latest reboot of the films, by director…
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The Schmooze A Brief History of How Roger Waters Made ‘The Wall’ Anti-Israel
(JTA) — Former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters is said to have written “The Wall” in 1979 as a metaphor for his internal isolation. But in recent years, he has increasingly politicized the seminal album, particularly to criticize Israel’s polices toward the Palestinians. In an interview with Rolling Stone on Monday, Waters said the message…
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The Schmooze Beastie Boys Musical to Open in London
(JTA) — A musical play based on the lives and careers of the influential hip-hop group The Beastie Boys is to open in London. “Licensed to Ill,” named after the group’s first album, is scheduled to run from Nov. 23 to Dec. 12 at the Camden People’s Theater. The three core members of The Beastie…
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Fast Forward Who Are ‘Lifelong Zionists’ Who Now Back BDS?
(JTA) — An Op-Ed co-written last Friday by two American Jewish professors has stirred Internet controversy, with the focus largely on their use of four words: “We are lifelong Zionists.” Professors Steven Levitsky and Glen Weyl began their Washington Post Op-Ed with those words before launching into a nuanced call for an economic boycott of…
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The Schmooze Andy Kaufman Lives! (Through His Hologram)
(JTA) — A cult of hardcore fans believes that Jewish comedian Andy Kaufman is still alive. The eccentric prankster died of lung cancer in 1984 at the age of 35. But some say he faked his death as a practical joke and is hiding out, waiting for the perfect moment to jump back into the…
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The Schmooze Is God a Chicago Cubs Fan?
Is God a Chicago Cubs fan? For long-suffering mortal supporters of the Chicago franchise, which has not won a World Series since 1908 (and has not even played in one since 1945), the answer may appear to be no. But Chabad Rabbi David Kotlarsky has faith. He’s been wrapping Cubs fans in tefillin in a…
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The Schmooze Orthodox Hungarian Boy Steals Show on Oprah Winfrey’s ‘Belief’
(JTA) — Orthodox Jewish boys from Hungary are not typically a hot topic on Twitter. But after the Sunday night premiere of Oprah Winfrey’s “Belief,” a seven-part documentary series exploring various faiths around the world, the Internet is enamored with Mendel Hurwitz, one of the show’s first subjects. Hurwitz, now 15, hails from Budapest, where…
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Opinion Watch This Arab-Israeli News Anchor Slam Palestinian Leaders
JTA — Arab-Israeli news anchor Lucy Aharish isn’t afraid to take on both sides of her fraught identity. She has spoken out against the racism that Palestinians face in Israeli society as well as against Palestinian violence. Aharish, 34, was interviewed on Tuesday on Israel’s Channel 2 about the wave of Palestinian terrorism that has Israel…
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Fast Forward Why the Antisemitism Awareness Act now has a religious liberty clause to protect ‘Jews killed Jesus’ statements
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Culture Cardinals are Catholic, not Jewish — so why do they all wear yarmulkes?
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Music After decades of waiting, we’re finally getting a Bob Dylan-Barbra Streisand duet
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Fast Forward A Jewish nonprofit may have accidentally caused Michigan to drop charges against pro-Palestinian activists
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Culture For Christian nationalists, Trump’s pope picture isn’t a joke
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Opinion Is Israel really going to reoccupy Gaza? Ask Trump
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Yiddish World A photo of my bubbe when Jewish stores still had Yiddish signs
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