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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Books
Q&A: Oliver Stone on Israel, Palestine and Newt Gingrich
Filmmaker Oliver Stone has been keeping busy. In research for his forthcoming Showtime documentary series, “The Untold History of the United States,” which re-examines crucial events in American history, Stone conducted a seven hour interview with Tariq Ali, the Pakistani-born activist and intellectual who inspired the Rolling Stones song “Street Fighting Man.” That dialog formed…
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Thesis to Conclusion in 23 Years
In 1989, a densely written, 600-page doctoral dissertation landed, unbidden, on the desk of Peter Dimock, who at that time was an editor specializing in intellectual projects at Vintage Books, a division of Random House. In Dimock’s appraisal, the work, by a newly minted clinical psychologist named John Kerr, was not ready to be a…
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Books Destination Bat Mitzvahs
Earlier this week, Shulamit Reinharz and Barbara Vinick wrote about the history of the bat mizvah and Barbara Vinick shared her own story. Today, Shulamit Reinharz writes about meaningful celebrations away from home. Their blog posts are being featured this week on The Arty Semite courtesy of the Jewish Book Council and My Jewish Learning’s…
The Latest
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Last Song of Hitler’s Favorite Crooner
Right up until his death, on December 24 at age 108, Dutch-born singer and actor Johannes Heesters was still performing the songs that had made him famous and, in some circles, infamous. Beloved and much honored in Germany and Austria for a steady stream of stage, screen and television roles and recordings, Heesters owed his…
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Books What’s Up With Waterstone’s?
Jews in the U.K. have been wondering what’s up with Waterstone’s, the country’s largest bookstore chain. While some of the company’s actions have aroused suspicions of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism, other Jewish customers are simply questioning Waterstone’s business sense. In May 2011, Russian billionaire Alexander Mamut acquired Waterstone’s from HMV for £53 million. Last month, the…
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Two Israelis’ Identity Struggles
The word “Israel” has been interpreted to mean “a struggle with God,” but 60 years of Israel as a Jewish nation has shown a country in perpetual struggle. As well as wars with its neighbors, Israel has grappled with its history and identity, and the implications of each for the other. Though not explicitly addressed,…
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North American Jewish Film Festivals
New York Jewish Film Festival January 11 – January 26 Tucson International Film Festival January 12 – January 22 Baton Rouge Jewish Film Festival January 21 – January 24 San Luis Obispo CA 2nd Annual Jewish Film Festival January 21 – January 22 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival February 8 – February 29 San Diego Jewish…
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Looking Back: January 20, 2012
100 Years Ago in the Forward New York City seltzer factory worker Philip Cohen, 23, heard that his boss, Morris Rubin, was anti-union and rumored to have poisoned the horses of some union delivery men. When Cohen was on his way home from work, he happened to see Rubin on East Broadway. Curious as to…
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Books The Sisterhood of Bat Mitzvah
On Monday, Shulamit Reinharz and Barbara Vinick wrote about the history of the bat mitzvah. Today, Barbara Vinick writes about her own experiences. Their blog posts are being featured this week on The Arty Semite courtesy of the Jewish Book Council and My Jewish Learning’s Author Blog Series. For more information on the series, please…
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Live From The Catskills
The film “Welcome to Kutsher’s: The Last Catskills Resort,” which will have its world premiere as the closing event of the New York Jewish Film Festival, lovingly lays out the history of the Borscht Belt vacation with a grand smorgasbord of history, photos and film footage, and an appropriate dollop of nostalgic schmaltz. The Borscht…
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Books 2011 Jewish Book Award Winners Announced
The Jewish Book Council announced today the recipients of the 2011 National Jewish Book Awards, which will be distributed March 14 at the Center for Jewish History in New York. The entire list is pretty lengthy, but here are some of the highlights: “Jerusalem: The Biography,” by Simon Sebag Montefiore, picked up the top prize…
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