This is the Forward’s coverage of Jewish culture where you’ll learn about the latest (and sometimes earliest) in Jewish art, music (including of course Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen), film, theater, books as well as the secret Jewish history of…
Culture
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On British TV, A Renaissance For Jewish Characters
For years, British television has been blighted by stock-in-trade Jewish stereotypes. Audiences have had to endure legions of Jewish mothers, Hasidim and Jews who sound like they got off the boat in 1910 whether they’re 10 or 110, and whether it’s 1910 or 2010! Part of the reason for this is that Jewish creatives have…
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All About Itzhak Perlman’s Musical Journey — And His Delightful 50-Year Marriage
(JTA) — Itzhak Perlman, arguably the most famous violinist in the world, has heard plenty of questions in his 50-year career. But when asked if his religious heritage has affected his playing, he sounds stumped. “I’m a violinist. I’m Jewish, so that makes me a Jewish musician,” he tells JTA on the phone recently from…
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A Family, Dispersed And Splintered By The Holocaust
MAYBE ESTHER: A FAMILY STORY By Katja Petrowskaja; translated from the German by Shelley Frisch Harper, 272 pages, $25.99 By Julia M. Klein More than seven decades after World War II and the Holocaust ruptured civilization, we’re still trying to make sense of the fallout. Intimate first-person accounts have ceded ground, in large part, to…
The Latest
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Art Jewish Rebels Once Dreamed Of Peace On Earth. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Despite its origins in the work of the Jewish Karl Marx, and its early Soviet Jewish advocates, communism never served the Jewish people particularly well. Less than two decades after the Russian Revolution, Josef Stalin’s Great Purge made a particular — if unofficial — target of Jews. One decade after the 1938 end of the…
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You Are Natalie Portman!
Classy, gifted, intelligent — is there anything you can’t do? People look up to you as a role model and you take that responsibility very seriously. Education is of prime importance to you, as is leading a full intellectual life. You are not the most outgoing person in a room and feel no need to…
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You’re Lena Dunham!
Talented and honest, you sometimes forget to look before you leap — or think before you speak. You are always, however, willing to admit when you’ve made a mistake. Your anxiety and neuroses can sometimes be crippling and managing it is a priority in your life. One thing that doesn’t scare you? Pushing the boundaries…
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You’re Zac Efron
You are very beautiful and like to use this to your advantage. Your fitness means a lot to you and maintaining it is essential. People underestimate your talent because of your outward appearance. Although you describe yourself as Jewish, religion is not a part of that identity. But you have a heart of gold and…
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You’re Mayim Bialik!
You are a fierce and outspoken feminist who is not afraid to be criticized for your views, many of which don’t line up with the status quo of modern feminism. You are one smart cookie who can do anything men can do better and while raising a flock of children. Family is just as, if…
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You’re Ben Platt!
You are a wunderkind in your field who attracts attention wherever you go. Known for humility and a tough work ethic, you have the tendency to be hard on yourself and give in to anxiety. But even more than your legendary talent, you are known by those who love you for your deep-running passions and…
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Why George Saunders Loves Isaac Babel And Nadezhda Mandelstam
George Saunders has been credited with helping reinvent American fiction: In 2017, Zadie Smith wrote that “Within the universe of American writing, there really is a continent called GeorgeSaunders-Land, where the people speak funny, and the social contract has either broken down or been bent out of all recognition.” Saunders has yet to be deemed…
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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…
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