The Schmooze lies at the intersection of high and low culture. Here, the latest developments and trends in Jewish art, books, dance, film, music, media, television and theater are all assimilated into one handy pop culture blog.
The Schmooze
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Happy National ‘Read A Book Day’! Here Is Our List Of The Top 10 New Jewish Classics
Your bookshelves are crammed with dogeared copies of “The Chosen,” and “The Exodus.” A paperback “Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret” sits beneath a stack of Phillip Roth novels, the very sight of which makes you sexually queasy. James Mischener’s “The Source,” spine un-cracked, serves as a bookend for Jennifer Weiner paperbacks. Today, September…
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Diego Schwartzman’s Magical U.S. Open Run Comes To An End
Diego Schwartzman — no, that’s not just some 13 year-old Jewish kid’s adopted name for his 8th grade Spanish class. It’s the name of the greatest Jewish tennis player in the world right now. Though carrying a reputation as a clay court specialist, Argentinian tennis player Diego Schwartzman made his deepest run yet in a…
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A Jewish Couple Served Their Wedding Meal To Harvey Victims
Like raaaaaaain on your wedding day, postponing the happiest day of your life to make other people happy is a little bit ironic. But it didn’t feel that way to Dayna Skolkin and Josh Tillis, a Jewish couple who chose to serve the food from their rained-out Houston wedding to people who were affected by…
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It’s Been 10 Years And We’re Still Asking: Why Were There No Jews On ‘Gossip Girl’?
In “Gossip Girl,” The CW’s teen drama that aired 10 years ago this fall, Josh Schwartz created a circus of material excess with no parallel on television. Based on the series of novels of the same name by Cecily von Ziegesar, “Gossip Girl” chronicled lives of wealth and beauty, with a healthy dose of youth…
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Leonard Bernstein’s Centenary, A Rare Modigliani Exhibit, And More September Can’t-Miss Events
September, for many of us, will be focused on the High Holidays. Still, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur needn’t take up all of your time. Spend what’s left on some of the month’s most exciting cultural events – and, of course, eating plenty of apples and honey. 1) See the United States debut of a…
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Are People Shocked By Amy Schumer’s Big Tips Because She’s Jewish?
Amy Schumer has a thing for tipping really well. And the media has a thing for expressing astonishment about it: Seriously. It seems like every time Amy Schumer leaves a whopping tip for some hard-working college student, the media goes crazy. Most recently, Schumer gave a $500 tip for an $80 tab in Boston. According…
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The Secret Jewish History Of Scrabble
How many Jews finish Shabbat dinner and retire to the living room for an intellectual showdown in the form of a rousing Scrabble tournament? There’s a long history of Jews playing Scrabble, and the relationship between the two, like any relationship, has had its share of ups and downs. It was the early ’90s when…
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‘Hollywood Is Racist’: Marvel Star Defends Changing Her Name From Wang To Bennet
The world is round. Gravity is real. Hollywood is racist. These are all indisputable facts and Chinese-American Marvel star, Chloe Bennet, is using the last one to defend her decision to change her last name from Wang to Bennet. Her need to defend a decision that, quite frankly, is nobody’s business, came after she posted…
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Jewish Stars Are Split On The Topic Of Melania Trump’s Footwear
Should the First Lady Of The United States wear stiletto heels on the way to visit the site of a fatal natural disaster? Is it inappropriate to criticize fashion footwear when lives and life-changing policies are on the line? Is it really moral or just to have a government position that demands 24/7 work, necessitates…
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‘Great British Bake Off’ Features Rare Jewish Contestant
If you’ve never seen the “Great British Bake Off,” imagine this: it is the visual equivalent of biting into an extra light, crisp, lemon flavored tart. It is the British alternative to the adrenaline (and often testosterone) fueled cooking shows of America, like “Chopped” and “Top Chef.” Unfortunately, according to a 2011 census, there are…
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Gwyneth Paltrow Implies Allegations Against GOOP Are An Attack On Women’s Rights
As a feminist, it pains me to criticize hard-working, ambitious female entrepreneurs. As a pop-culture journalist with a passion for drama, it brings me great delight. Sophia Amoruso, former CEO of the now bankrupt clothing company Nasty Gal and inspiration for the failed Netflix series “Girlboss,” and Gwyneth Paltrow, Oscar winner turned vaginal steaming specialist,…
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Fast Forward Why the Antisemitism Awareness Act now has a religious liberty clause to protect ‘Jews killed Jesus’ statements
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Culture Trump wants to honor Hannah Arendt in a ‘Garden of American Heroes.’ Is this a joke?
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Fast Forward The invitation said, ‘No Jews.’ The response from campus officials, at least, was real.
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Opinion A Holocaust perpetrator was just celebrated on US soil. I think I know why no one objected.
In Case You Missed It
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Opinion The secret cost of Israel’s wars ravaged my family. It’s only getting worse
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Yiddish מחשבֿות פֿון אַן אַהיים־געקומענעם (אַ מלחמה־טאָגגבוך)Reflections of a soldier after returning home (a wartime diary)
דער מחבר איז אַ סטודענט אינעם ירושלימער העברעיִשן אוניווערסיטעט, אינעם צווייטן יאָר ייִדיש־לימוד
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Fast Forward Why the Antisemitism Awareness Act now has a religious liberty clause to protect ‘Jews killed Jesus’ statements
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News At Harvard, reports on antisemitism and anti-Palestinian bias reflect campus conflict over Israel
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