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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The Secret Jewish History of Robbie Robertson and The Band
Of the many revealing moments in Robbie Robertson’s terrific new memoir, “Testimony” (Crown Archetype), one stands out for what it says about the legacy of the esteemed, influential rock group, the Band, for which Robertson served as chief songwriter and guitarist; what it says about Robertson’s relationship with his fellow Band-mate, Levon Helm, with whom…
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Remembering Sharon Jones With ‘8 Days (Of Hanukkah)’
Soul singer Sharon Jones, whose work with the band the Dap-Kings earned her a Grammy nomination in 2014, passed away on Friday. She had battled pancreatic cancer since 2013, a period chronicled by Barbara Kopple in the documentary “Miss Sharon Jones!” Jones was known for her extraordinary energy as a performer, a quality that proved…
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These Were Paul Newman’s 5 (or 6) Greatest Screen Performances
Revisiting many of Paul Newman’s films for a story about his first directorial effort, “On the Harmfulness of Tobacco,” one thematic constant stays so clear it’s as if he’d made them for the purpose of stressing it: The search for principles to steer by as a man making one’s way through the world. 1) The…
The Latest
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EXCLUSIVE: Paul Newman’s Lost Masterpiece — And How We Rediscovered It
Paul Newman directed a pioneering, independent film shot at a Yiddish theater on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, and you’ve probably never heard of it, much less had a chance to see it. It was never released beyond a short run, in 1962, for an Oscar nomination that it never got. Newman’s biographers apparently have never…
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What If Mike Pence Got Booed at ‘Fiddler on the Roof?’
Picture this: It’s a lovely evening at the Broadway Theater and “Fiddler on the Roof” is nearing its finale. Soon, the little village of Anatevka — beset by pogroms and the disruption of tradition — will be little more than a memory. Some will try to adhere to the old ways, others will try their…
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New York Times Publishes Most Hilarious Leonard Cohen Correction Ever
While we still mourn the recent death of Leonard Cohen, we can’t help but think that even Mr. Cohen himself would be amused by the correction the Times ran with its November 14 op-ed. We’ll just let this speak for itself: “An Op-Ed article on Monday about the death of Leonard Cohen rendered Mr. Cohen’s…
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Why Our Greatest Jewish Athlete Is a Wrestler Named Goldberg
Quick — who is the greatest Jewish athlete of the past 25 years? Stanley Cup winner and two-time NHL All-Star Mathieu Schneider, the all-time career points leader among Jewish hockey players? Or maybe current NHL mainstay Michael Cammalleri, whose 277 goals are the most by any Jewish player? They are both excellent athletes (and nice…
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2017 Whitney Biennial Will Include Leilah Weinraub, Jo Baer, And More
On Thursday, the Whitney Museum of American Arts announced the roster of artists to be included in its 2017 Biennial, which will open on March 17th. The Biennial will include Jewish artists like filmmaker and Hood By Air CEO Leilah Weinraub, Jordan Wolfson, whose art includes works in video, sculpture, performance, photography, and installation, painters…
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Books Novelist Etgar Keret Says He Doesn’t Publish in Hebrew Because Privacy
— The celebrated novelist Etgar Keret said he refrains from publishing some of his works in Hebrew to protect the privacy of his family, upon whom he bases some of his writing. Keret, who in 1996 received Israel’s Prime Minister Award for Literature, among other distinctions, revealed this during a talk last week before Russian…
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Remembering Ruth Gruber — Photographer, Journalist and Symbol of Courage
The American Jewish journalist and photographer Ruth Gruber, who died on Thursday, November 17 at age 105, had the knack of being at the right place at the right time to change history. As an eyewitness when the Exodus 1947 ship entered Haifa harbor after being attacked by England’s Royal Navy, Gruber followed the path…
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Sondheim’s New Musical Gains Director, Workshop
Earlier this month, the New York Post reported that Tony Award-winning director Joe Mantello will direct Stephen Sondheim’s new musical at the Public Theater. Don’t hold your breath — the musical is reportedly only half done — but with Mantello on board, and a miniature workshop reportedly occurring at the Public this week, the show,…
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In Case You Missed It
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Yiddish ווידעאָ: היסטאָריקערין וויווי לאַקס באַשרײַבט געשיכטע פֿון לאָנדאָנער ייִדישער פּרעסעVIDEO: Historian Vivi Laks tells history of the London Yiddish Press
שבֿע צוקער פֿירט דעם שמועס מיט וויווי לאַקס און ביידע לייענען פֿאָר עטלעכע פֿעליעטאָנען פֿון יענע צײַטן.
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Yiddish World Puppet Monty Pickle is guest on the Forward’s ‘Yiddish Word of the Day’
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Culture We tried to fix Hallmark’s Hanukkah problem. Here’s the movie we made instead
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Fast Forward Holocaust survivor event features a Rob Reiner video address — recorded just weeks before his death
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