Welcome to the Forward’s coverage of Jewish culture. Here, you’ll learn about the latest (and sometimes earliest) in Jewish art, music, film, theater, books as well as the secret Jewish history of everything and everyone from The Rolling Stones to…
Culture
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That time Yiddishists met extraterrestrials a short while ago in a galaxy not far away
It was a normal summer internship at the Yiddish Book Center ... until the Jedi invaded our turf
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How the pandemic freed me from the neurosis-inducing rules of Passover
For my doctoral dissertation, I wrote on a much-misunderstood 18th century heretic named Jacob Frank. Yet I hadn’t really considered the relevance of Frank’s antinomianism – the belief that transgressing the law is a religious or ethical duty – to my own life. Until this year. Though Frank is often associated with transgressive sexuality and…
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In Taipei, an artist prepares for a Seder with his own Haggadah
Leon Fenster’s community is hosting what may be one of the largest legal Pesach Seders of 2021 — they’ll be using his Haggadah. The 34-year-old artist will lead the ceremony for a crowd of around 200 people in Taipei, Taiwan, where he has remained through most of the pandemic. It is a city in a…
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For Barney Zumoff, a giant and a mentsch
Barnett Zumoff, who died at age 94 on Mar. 21, was one of the rare people who inspire awe by the sheer range of skills at which they operate at a high level. A noted clinical and research physician with many significant publications, Zumoff achieved the rank of Brigadier General in the U.S. Air Force…
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On William Shatner’s 90th birthday, a reminder of when he could laugh at himself
William Shatner AKA Captain Kirk Turns 90
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How macaroons became a must for Passover — even if no one likes them
I grew up with no macaroons. My mother was raised on almond macaroons that her grandmother made, but the experience was hard to replicate by the time I came around. “Every time I saw an almond macaroon, I bought it, but in bakeries you mostly only see coconut,” she told me. “It’s a travesty.” This…
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Blu-Ray set of restored Yiddish classics comes alive with excellent commentary
Read this article in Yiddish There is an expression in Yiddish—di kale iz tsu sheyn—the bride is too beautiful. Basically, the problem is—it’s too good. This is exactly my problem with a new Blu-ray disk set “The Jewish Soul: Ten Classics of Yiddish Cinema,” issued by Kino Lorber. It took me a while to start…
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Sweatpants, sneakers, and lots of coffee: How the Jewish world is working from home
When schoolchildren of the future learn about the chaos and despair of the coronavirus pandemic, I hope they also learn that we explored Mars from our kitchen tables. As NASA’s Perseverance rover began its search for life on Mars, scientist Sanjeev Gupta made another kind of history by sharing pictures of himself controlling the rover…
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WATCH NOW September 2: The Borscht Belt and the rise of American Jewish comedy
Watch the recording of this event here. Join us as we look into the rich history of the Borscht Belt and the rise of Jewish comedy in the mid-20th century, including the legacy of the late comedian, Jackie Mason. Forverts editor Rukhl Schaechter will moderate a conversation with Phil Brown, President of the Catskills Institute…
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‘Slow, small, imperfect’ — round two of pandemic Passover comes with its own perks and challenges
This time last year, I penned the Forward’s inaugural guide to virtual seders. But the one I organized for my own family in 2020 was a hot mess. Muting was a Herculean feat that few could accomplish. Audio feedback dogged ancient blessings. There was an ill-fated experiment in communal singing. By the time we finished…
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Was the Last Supper a ‘Seder?’ And 3 other vital Passover questions, asked and answered.
When we ask at our Seders why this night is different from all other nights, there are the stock responses and the ones we take for granted. We receive explainers on slouching, unleavened bread and why we dip our herbs. We don’t get into what Jesus’ Passover plans were in Jerusalem. In our Haggadot, we…
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After vandalism, ‘Soup Nazi Kitchen’ in Washington paints over provocative sign
For one, brief, bizarre moment a Soup Nazi restaurant was coming to Everett, Washington. Redditters were quick to note the storefront of “The Soup Nazi Kitchen” in the downtown area, advertised with a sexualized female Nazi mascot in SS-like uniform — not the mustachioed visage of the Soup Nazi of “Seinfeld” fame or his real…
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