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
-
A Spice Box Fit for a Pope
Courtesy Minneapolis Institute of Arts Part of the Havdalah ritual, which bids adieu to the departing Sabbath, recognizes the divine separator between sacred and profane, light and darkness, Israel and the nations, and the seventh day and weekdays. The second to last distinction is deemphasized in a unique Jewish circa-1800 spice box currently on view…
-
For ‘Aya,’ From Israel to the Oscars
Image courtesy Cassis Films (JTA) — The idea for “Aya” began with a daydream: What if you were waiting for someone at the airport and instead you picked up a total stranger? What then? That wisp of a fantasy, dreamed up by Mihal Brezis many years ago while waiting with a friend at Tel Aviv’s…
-
Would You Let Your Jewish Grandpa on Tinder?
You’ve heard about Jewish moms hijacking their kids’ JDate accounts — but what about grandfathers taking one for the team on Tinder? Jewish Youtuber Ethan Cole wasn’t having much luck with the ladies. So he asked his 89-year-old zayde, Joe, for help. The plan? The pair would create a Tinder profile using a somewhat outdated…
The Latest
-
Andi Dorfman Calls ‘Bachelorette’ Breakup ‘Biggest Failure’
Getty Images Last month, we found out that our favorite (and only!) Jewish Bachelorette, Andi Dorfman had broken off her 8-month-long engagement with Josh Murray. Hearts were broken and our faith in true love was shattered. Andi, it seems, was just as crushed as we were. In an interview for ‘Chris Tells All Bachelor Special’…
-
Behind Scenes at Fashion Week With Yigal Azrouël
Fashion Week is a hurricane that sweeps through the industry. The biggest shows happen twice annually, during the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter collections. Designers spend months creating their visions for the upcoming seasons, and in a single day, in mere hours, it’s all over: the beautifying, the catwalking, the flash of cameras and the crowds. Until…
-
Lesley Gore’s Defiant Jewish Voice Stilled
Lesley Gore, the singer best known for ‘It’s My Party,’ has died after a battle with lung cancer. Benjamin Ivry took a look back in 2010 at her very Jewish career. From her earliest hits, like 1964’s defiant “You Don’t Own Me,” Gore was at once independent, self-assured, and linguistically gifted, as evidenced by her…
-
Emile Hirsch Checks Into Alcohol Rehab
(Reuters) — Actor Emile Hirsch, star of the film “Into the Wild,” was being treated at an alcohol rehabilitation facility after he allegedly assaulted a film executive at the Sundance Film Festival last month in Utah, his lawyer said. The actor had been drinking heavily that night and had no memory of the Jan. 25 incident,…
-
Was Ruth Bader Ginsburg Tipsy for State of Union?
Getty Images If you were watching the State of the Union this year — or following on Twitter — you may have noticed Ruth Bader Ginsberg taking a little snooze during the presidential address. During a talk at The George Washington University this week, the Supreme Court Justice explained why dozed off — and no,…
-
6 Valentine’s Day Tips From Dr. Ruth
Getty Images Saturday is Valentine’s Day. For couples, this means chocolates, birds chirping “La Vie en Rose” and an explosion of heart-shaped confetti. If you’re single, it means burrowing under your covers with Netflix and a bottle of wine, waiting for February 15 to roll around. Whatever category you fall under, our favorite octogenarian sex…
-
POEM: ‘Cusp’
On the cusp of the new morning, it’s still dark as a cat’s heart.
-
A Chat With the Writers/Directors of ‘Gett’
I don’t recall ever feeling as angry as I was after seeing “The Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem,” the blistering gut-wrenching must-see film by writer/directors Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz. Warmly ensconced at The Regency Hotel during one of New York’s recent snow-ins, the Elkabetz siblings alternated in answering my questions about the film’s heroine…
Explore
Most Popular
- 1
Fast Forward Unarmed man who tackled Bondi Beach Hanukkah attacker identified as Ahmed al-Ahmed
- 2
Opinion I grew up believing Australia was the best place to be Jewish. This Hanukkah shooting forces a reckoning I do not want.
- 3
Fast Forward Hanukkah shooting leaves at least 15 dead at Australia’s most popular beach
- 4
Fast Forward Father and son suspects in Bondi Beach Hanukkah attack identified as Sajid and Naveed Akram by law enforcement
In Case You Missed It
-
Opinion Black Jews seek renewed solidarity to fight hate after Bondi Beach
-
Opinion What can really be done to prevent antisemitic attacks like Bondi Beach?
-
Fast Forward Norman Podhoretz, Commentary editor and archetypal Jewish neoconservative, dies at 95
-
Opinion I’m a neuroscientist. Here’s why Ahmed al Ahmed’s bravery at Bondi Beach strains our narratives.
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism
