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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Meet the Bagel of Your Dreams — on Tinder
In today’s dating climate, sometimes you just want to give up and have a bagel. Bagels are always there for you and they make you feel good, so you can imagine that if you came across one on Tinder you’d automatically swipe right. Vice reported that a 25-year-old man, going by the name EverythingBagel on…
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Who Said it — Bernie Sanders or Some Rando Jewish Sage?
Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders usually keeps his Jewish identity on the down-low. He sometimes describes his parents as Polish, not Jewish, immigrants. His campaign won’t confirm his stint on a kibbutz in the 1960s. At most, he’ll allow that he expresses his Jewishness by finding common cause with the oppressed. Well played, Bernie. Indeed, Jews…
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5 Most Memorable Jewish Moments at the Oscars — Ever!
Remember when Adrian Brody laid a big smooch on Halle Berry after winning best actor for “The Pianist”? Or Barbra Streisand, clad in a black see-through number, looked lovingly down at her Oscar and said, “Hello gorgeous”? Well, we certainly do. We culled through many, many YouTube clips to track down the five most memorable…
The Latest
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Meet Lorraine Schwartz, the Jewish Queen of Oscars Bling
If you haven’t heard of Lorraine Schwartz, you must not be keeping up with the Kardashians. Or Beyonce, or Barbra Streisand, or Angelina Jolie: just some of the celebrities Schwartz considers her closest friends and clients. Every awards season, fashion houses clamor to dress each starlet, from Hollywood royalty to the next “It” girl. But…
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Before Ali G and Borat, Sacha Baron Cohen Played a Sweaty Hasidic Jew
British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen revealed that before he became famous for Ali G, he performed a sweaty Hasidic character at Jewish retirement homes. In an unusually candid Jewish-themed interview on Monday’s nearly two-hour “WTF with Marc Maron” podcast, Baron Cohen, 45, said he and his older brother as teenagers did a routine that he…
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Our Jewish Answer to Facebook’s New Icons
For years, me and my fellow kvetchers have been asking Facebook for that dislike button, you know, to respond to our borderline anti-Semitic highschool classmates or to those xenophobic pro-Trump videos. Now, Facebook has answered our prayers. Well. Sort of. This Wednesday, Facebook unveiled 6 new reaction buttons to accompany their iconic thumbs-up like. And…
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Kanye West Aims Twitter Rant at Jewish Producer
Kanye has officially out-Kanyed himself. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that have gotten progressively unhinged. Over the last month, the rapper has asked Mark Zuckerberg for a billion dollar bailout, attacked former frenemy Taylor Swift and engaged in much criticized slut-shaming of his ex-girlfriend. His latest victim is Canadian Jewish producer…
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Spike Lee Endorses ‘Brother’ Bernie Sanders
Film director Spike Lee has officially endorsed fellow Brooklyn native Bernie Sanders for President. In a radio ad riffing off his cult movie “Do The Right Thing,” Lee calls for South Carolinians to wake up and back Sanders for president, because “When Bernie is in the White House, he will do the right thing.” In…
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Idan Raichel’s Ninth Album is His Most Personal Yet
Israeli pianist, producer, and peacemaker Idan Raichel gets personal on his new record. Musically, Raichel is most recognized for blending classical and jazz piano influences with gypsy music, Western pop and traditional Latin dance. Previously, through the “Idan Raichel Project,” he’s facilitated multi-cultural exchanges with nearly 100 musicians including Americans like India.Arie and Alicia Keys,…
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Variety Kills Ad Denouncing Israel Trip in Oscars Swag Bag
Jewish Voice for Peace is denouncing Variety magazine for rejecting its ad urging Oscars nominees to shun a free trip to Israel that was included in a $55,000 “swag bag” of goodies. According to JVP, Variety initially accepted payment for the #SkiptheTrip ad, but later informed the organization that they could not publish it unless…
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FreeKesha Firestorm Erupts After Lawsuit Against Jewish Producer Dismissed
A lawsuit filed by Kesha against music producer Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald was dismissed by a judge in New York Supreme Court last week, sparking a firestorm on social media. In the suit, pop singer Kesha alleged that Gottwald, who is Jewish, sexually and verbally assaulted her and intentionally inflicted emotional distress from when she…
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Yiddish ווי פּאָעטן האָבן רעאַגירט אויף דער טרײַענגל שערטווייסט־פֿאַבריק־שׁריפֿה אין 1911How Yiddish poets reacted to the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire
לייענט וואָס דער פּאָעט מאָריס ראָזענפֿעלד האָט געשריבן גלײַך נאָך דער שריפֿה, וואָס האָט אומגעבראַכט 146 מיידלעך.
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Culture I had a shot and rock ‘n’ roll fame — I chose a lifetime of Shabbat instead
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