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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How Oliver Sacks Died Craving Gefilte Fish
(JTA) — On August 30, at age 82, noted neurologist and author Dr. Oliver Sacks died after succumbing to a cancer that first plagued him nearly a decade ago, paused, and recently reappeared. One of his last essays, published posthumously, appears in the September 14 issue of The New Yorker and is, surprisingly, an ode…
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Israeli Athletes Pose in Birthday Suits
Delila Hatuel is an Olympic foil fencer. (JTA)- Since 2009, ESPN The Magazine has released an annual issue that features photos of renowned athletes posing nude. The Body Issue has become a fixture of popular sports culture that celebrates the immaculate bodies that top athletes can achieve. Now, Israel’s popular Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper has given…
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For Rosh Hashanah, Remembering Two (Jewish) Decades of Hillary Clinton
As the Jewish New Year approaches, this seemed an apt moment to revisit a few of the many Jewish events that presidential wannabe Hillary Clinton has graced over the past two decades. Among my earliest chats with Hillary Clinton was at president Bill Clinton’s 50th birthday celebration in 1996 — a three-part one-day marathon led…
The Latest
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Brooklyn Bowling Alley to Host Rosh Hashanah Service
(JTA) — Peter Shapiro — the owner of Brooklyn Bowl, a mid-sized music venue in Williamsburg that boasts a bowling alley and a Blue Ribbon restaurant — has referred to himself as the “rabbi” of his unique venue. But, come Monday, an actual rabbi will be taking over the joint. The event, appropriately titled will be…
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Instagram’s Most Popular Jewish Designers and Models
Insta, Insta on my phone, who’s the most popular of them all? Designers and models in the fashion world know that selling your clothes is one thing, but selling a lifestyle is a whole other ballgame. Having a strong social media game plan to appeal to the average shopper is key and no platform is…
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Were the Nazis High on Meth?
Before Walter White, there was Adolf Hitler. A new book by German writer Norman Ohler describes the Third Reich’s fascination with a drug called Pervitin — described in as “essentially a pill form of crytal meth” — used to fuel Hitler’s armies during Blitzkriegs. “Der Total Rausch” (The Total Rush) expands on a 2005 article in Der…
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Victoria Hanna’s New Video Will Make You Fall In Love With Hebrew
Israeli musician Victoria Hanna has a new music video, and it’s just as magical as her previous one. I mean, first of all, it’s Kabbalistic rap, so you know it’s awesome and original. But beyond that that, it’s based on Sefer Yetzira (The Book of Formation/Creation), which is attributed to the patriarch Abraham. In “22…
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A First Look at Robert DeNiro as Bernie Madoff in HBO Movie
HBO has released the first promotional still for its upcoming “Wizard of Lies,” which chronicles the rise and epic fall of Ponzi-schemer Bernie Madoff. Robert De Niro plays an elegantly slipper-clad Bernard (notice the ankle-monitor), while Michelle Pfeiffer rocks the sweater-set look as his wife, Ruth. The film is currently in production. What do you…
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Frum Girl’s Guide to High Holidays Services
EDITOR’S NOTE: We recently stumbled on the Tumblr and spent too many work hours since clicking through GIFs on kapparot. We asked her to create a survival guide for the High Holidays so you can enjoy her wise words as much as we do. Ahhh, September. It’s that time of year again. No, I’m not…
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Debra Reiss, Heir to British Jewish Fashion Brand, Dies at 34
Debra Reiss, heir to the eponymous British fashion brand, has died after reportedly suffering from a long-term illness. She was pregnant with her second child, according to The 34-year-old worked in her family’s clothing company, Reiss, as brand director in Los Angeles. She is survived by her partner, Zane Williams, and their first daughter, Scarlett,…
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Meet Laura Wasser, Divorce Attorney to the Stars
Every time a marriage ends, a divorce attorney gets its wings. Laura Wasser, divorce attorney to the stars has had a busy summer. While you and I were hitting the beach and enjoying our barbecues, Wasser was and proceedings for ex-lovebirds Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick, and Gwen Stefani and…
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