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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Nothing Says Passover Like a Modern 10 Plagues Manicure
Rabbi Yael Buechler Wondering how to address that whole Passover nail situation? Midrash Manicures has a new interpretation of the ten plagues that will make any fashionista happy — and spark meaningful Seder conversation. Rabbi Yael Buechler’s modern ten plagues include everything from Ebola to NFL scandals, to the war on women. And the parents among…
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Jewish Art Historian Takes the Reins at Met Museum
Photo by Don Pollard The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s new president is an MBA-toting medieval art historian who links his relentless curiosity and academic passions to his Jewish background. Dr. Daniel Weiss, who will replace Emily Rafferty in the top administrative job at one of the world’s leading — and largest — arts institutions, told…
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Joel Grey Goes ‘Cabaret’ at Eight Over Eighty Gala
As you left the March 11 “Eight Over Eighty “ Jewish Home LifeCare Gala you had a smile on your face and a spring in your walk and the word “aging” had a new resonance. Welcoming the 450 guests at the Mandarin Oriental, Audrey Weiner, president and CEO, Jewish Home Lifecare, said: “By celebrating octogenarians…
The Latest
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Hadash Mocks Bibi’s ‘Arab Vote’ Comment With Amazing Meme
Earlier today, Benjamin Netanyahu expressed “concern” over what impact the high turnout rates in Israel’s Arab communities could have on the election. So the Hadash party, one member of the Joint (Arab) List responded with an amazing “Game of Thrones” meme. (For those of you who haven’t gotten around to watching this gem of a…
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Ari Shavit’s ‘My Promised Land’ Will Be HBO Doc
Sharon Bareket “My Promised Land,” a best-selling book about Israel [by journalist Ari Shavit][1], is being made into a documentary for HBO. Shavit and HBO Chairman Richard Plepler announced the project on Monday at a conference in Jerusalem by the Israeli media company Keshet. The project does not yet have an air date. “The great…
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Buji Has a Serious ‘Pretty Woman’ Crush
Getty Images Isaac “Buji” Herzog could be Israel’s next prime minister. As such, he may have some very difficult decisions to weigh on in the near future. But when it come to the ideal woman, Buji doesn’t hesitate. He will happily profess his love for the one and only “Pretty Woman” — Julia Roberts. “‘Pretty…
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Mel Brooks Making London Debut
Getty Images Think Yiddish, dress British is getting a revamp: Mel Brooks is about to make his solo London debut. According to [the Telegraph]( (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/11445043/Mel-Brooks-first-ever-London-show-announced.html ‘the Telegraph’)), the 88-year-old will bring his particular brand of Jewish comedy to The Prince of Wales Theatre “for an evening of storytelling about his childhood memories and Hollywood anecdotes,…
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Bar Refaeli Wants To Judge You
In the wake of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress on March 3, which added to a growing rift in U.S.-Israel relations, the Israeli embassy in the United States has started a contest to reignite the next generation’s enthusiasm for Israel. The hook: it involves Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli. The contest is calling…
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Jon Voight: ‘President Obama Doesn’t Love Israel’
Jon Voight wants you to know that, unlike Barack Obama, he REALLY loves Israel. In a video released to the masses on Sunday night, the actor claims that the President is an enemy of the Jewish state (in a “friends of my enemies” kind of way), and that Benjamin Netanyahu’s opponents are pulling a Neville…
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Chuck Norris Endorses Bibi
(JTA) — Could Chuck Norris come to Benjamin Netanyahu’s rescue in tomorrow’s election? Probably not. But that didn’t stop the 75-year-old action hero-turned-Internet-meme icon from endorsing the Israeli prime minister on his official Facebook page. You can watch Norris’ video endorsement below: Norris shilling for Netanyahu is far from surprising. The actor has endorsed the…
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Did ‘The Jinx’ Just Convict Robert Durst?
(Reuters) — Among the many questions raised by the dramatic conclusion of “The Jinx,” HBO’s six-part docu-series on suspected killer Robert Durst, was the issue of when law enforcement officials were made aware of the damning materials gathered by filmmaker Andrew Jarecki. In Sunday’s finale episode, Durst appears to acknowledge his role in three murder…
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