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
-
Theater Jason Alexander lives out a lifelong dream, playing Tevye in ‘Fiddler on the Roof’
'I wanted to do a piece that is proudly Semitic' said the Tony winner and ‘Seinfeld' star
-
Film & TV The Secret Jewish History Of Al Pacino
Is Al Pacino one of the great Jewish actors of our time? Hear me out. While best known for portraying characters of Italian and Latino descent – think Michael Corleone of “The Godfather” films, Carlito Brigante of “Carlito’s Way,” and Tony Montana of “Scarface,” Pacino has an arm’s-length resumé of portraying Jews in film and…
-
If You Live In New York, Here’s The One Poem You Should Read Today
The weather in New York City is frightful! So far today it has windy-rained, rain-snowed, thunder-snowed, and just plain old snowed. It is dark and dreary and the floor of the subway cars is releasing a certain warm-wet scent, which is comforting in a disturbing kind of way. If you have spoken to another person…
The Latest
-
Art Remembering Keith Sachs, Who Gave Philadelphia A Very Memorable Gift
In 2013, Keith L. and Katherine Sachs scheduled an appointment with Timothy Rub. Rub, director and CEO of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, looked forward to seeing the museum trustee and his wife, but didn’t think much of it. “Out of the blue, the two of them came into my office, sat down, and said,…
-
Bernstein Book Award Finalists Include Masha Gessen, Joshua Green
The finalists for this year’s Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism, awarded annually by the New York Public Library, include Masha Gessen, Jessica Bruder and Joshua Green. The award, established in 1988, comes with a prize of $15,000. This year’s winner will be announced on May 21. Masha Gessen’s “The Future is History:…
-
Was Alan Gershwin Really George Gershwin’s Son?
Brooklyn-born Albert Schneider, who called himself Alan C. Gershwin, maintained the claim that he was an illegitimate son of the American Jewish songwriter George Gershwin (1898-1937) for decades until his death on February 27 at age 91. He never relented, despite the Gershwin family’s prompt denial of any such connection. Schneider/Gershwin, as he shall be…
-
Is Dave Zirin The Most Important Sportswriter In America?
One day last October, Gregg Popovich, the longtime coach of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs, made a phone call to Dave Zirin, sports editor of the magazine The Nation. President Trump — while embroiled in a mini-scandal about his delayed public response to the death of American troops during combat operations in the African country…
-
Olivier Award Nominees: ‘Hamilton’ Breaks Records, ‘Angels In America’ Makes Waves
The London production of “Hamilton” has earned 13 nominations for the Olivier Awards, the United Kingdom’s equivalent of the Tony Awards, setting a new record. The previous record number of nominations was shared by “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” (2017) and “Hairspray” (2008), each of which garnered 11 nominations. Close on the heels of…
-
Paula Vogel, Avram Finkelstein Finalists For Lambda Literary Awards
Finalists for the 2018 Lambda Literary Awards, announced today, include Paula Vogel, Annalee Newitz, Avram Finkelstein and Bill Goldstein. The Awards, which recognize achievement in LGBTQ literature, honor works published in the previous year in a variety of genres, from mystery novels to academic texts. This year’s Awards will be presented on June 4. Vogel…
-
Why Jellyfish Have Become Such A Sucky Problem For Israel
Securing Israel’s energy security is no easy feat. But engineers are now having to put up with a new threat to the nation’s power grid: the nomad jellyfish. The blue-tinted Rhopilema nomadica looks sort of like the lovechild of a mushroom and a very large plastic bag. The species made its first pilgrimage to the…
-
Russ Solomon, Founder Of Tower Records, Dies At 92
Russ Solomon, the founder of Tower Records, passed away on March 4 at the age of 92. As The Sacramento Bee reports, Solomon died in between glasses of whisky: While watching the Oscars, his son Michael Solomon told the Bee, Solomon asked his wife to replenish his glass. According to the Bee, she returned with…
-
Film & TV The Oscars Shaped My Feelings About Womanhood. Now What?
In 2016, my roommate and I became friends over movies: Trapped in our top-floor apartment by a weekend blizzard, we watched “The Princess Diaries” and “Cinderella,” two ambitious young women briefly surrendering to the fantasy of being princesses in a tower. The snow melted, and we went back to work, but the bond was sealed….
Most Popular
- 1
News Your complete guide to Trump’s Jewish advisers and pro-Israel cabinet
- 2
Fast Forward Trump AG nominee Matt Gaetz has left a trail of antisemitic comments
- 3
Opinion Trump’s first picks are die-hard Israel supporters, mocking the pro-Palestinian protest vote
- 4
Fast Forward Why neo-Nazis marched in Ohio this weekend, and almost every weekend in the US
In Case You Missed It
-
News Texas schools want to add Queen Esther to the curriculum. Why Jews (and many Christians) are opposed.
-
Opinion Congress is voting on a bill targeting pro-Palestinian groups. Israel’s example proves it’s a terrible idea
-
Fast Forward Progressive Jewish groups back Senate resolutions against arms sales to Israel
-
Fast Forward Sotheby’s to auction a Ten Commandments tablet with a disclaimer: Israel always wanted it to be put on public display
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism