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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Trying To Find the Real Heinrich Himmler
A sense of irony is helpful, perhaps even necessary, to truly appreciate “The Decent One,” the new documentary about Heinrich Himmler. The paradox begins with the title character. He was the architect of the Final Solution, commander of the SS, and a man who in civilian clothes looked like a Jewish accountant. What Vanessa Lapa,…
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The Secret Jewish History of ‘Gilmore Girls’
A still from Gilmore Girls Today is a big day. Today is the day we reconnect with Lorelai and Rory. Today is the day Netflix starts streaming all seven seasons of Gilmore Girls. WE. JUST. CAN’T. EVEN. The Gilmores themselves aren’t Jewish — Richard and Emily would gasp at the thought — but the show did…
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Eric Schmidt and Shimon Peres Share ADL Honors
“Shimon Peres is still looking forward…never giving up on his dream that young Israelis and Palestinians will be able to overcome their differences and build a better world for both,” said Ron Prosor Israel’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations of Israel’s former PM and president and an honoree at the Anti-Defamation League gala dinner…
The Latest
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Why George Zimmerman ‘Identifies With’ Anne Frank
Getty Images Despite his somewhat misleading last name, George Zimmerman is not Jewish. But according to GQ’s newly-released profile of the Zimmerman family, the man who shot Trayvon Martin feels a strange connection to Anne Frank. Robert Zimmerman, George’s brother and the “Zimmerman in charge of rebranding” told the magazine that George, an aspiring painter,…
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Brothers in Minimalism Came Together at BAM
Photo: Alex Rivas/Twitter “Hiney ma tov u’ma-na’im shevet achim gam yachad.” “How good and how pleasant it is when brothers sit together.” That campfire classic came to mind as I sat in the Gilman Opera House at the Brooklyn Academy of Music earlier this month for the second of three concerts featuring Steve Reich and…
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Bibi Has the Veal — With Sheldon on the Side
Getty Images Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had lunch in a Midtown Manhattan restaurant hosted by casino mogul Sheldon Adelson following his address at the United Nations General Assembly. The lunch for five people required ever customer of the restaurant to enter through a metal detector, Page Six reported. Netanyahu arrived at the restaurant, Fresco…
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Volkswagen Taps Jewish Star Trek Stars
(JTA) — Last year Volkswagen donated more than a million dollars to an international youth center at Auschwitz. In 2011 it donated $1 million to the Anti-Defamation League. And in 2009 it was reported that the Beetle — that iconic VW creation — was actually designed by a Jew. But the German automaker — which,…
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Writing ‘The Americans’ and Remaking ‘Can-Can’
Photo: Joan Marcus Joel Fields had me at “Hello.” He began our phone conversation like this: “A quick hello and let me tell you I can’t believe I’m getting a chance to talk to someone at the Forward. It was such a big part of my childhood. My dad, who passed away in January, was…
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Beyonce Meets Bibi in J Street Campaign
Queen Bey, meet Bibi. A J Street campaign called “Put a Border on It” is applying Beyonce’s admittedly flawless rhetoric to the Israeli Palestinian conflict. The organization has been tweeting out a poster advertising their petition calling on Benjamin Netanyahu to halt settlement expansion in the West Bank. The slogan plays on the chorus from…
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Harvey Fierstein Serenades Angela Lansbury At Theater Gala
At the 2003 American Theatre Wing Gala then emcee Harvey Fierstein got a roaring reaction to his vow “I’d do anything for [then Wing’s chairman of the board] Isabelle Stevenson even wear men’s clothing.” At this year’s gala at the Plaza honoring Dame Angela Lansbury, he brought the house down with his rendition of “The…
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Saying Goodbye to Rabbi Krustofski on ‘The Simpsons’
You may have heard by now (and if not, SPOILER ALERT) that there was a tragic death on the last night’s premiere of “The Simpsons.” Rabbi Hyman Krustofski, on-and-off estranged father to Krusty the Clown, has left us for the magical shul in the sky known as “Jewish Heaven.” He was 74 years old. Voiced…
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In Case You Missed It
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Fast Forward Historic global LGBTQ advocacy group boycotts Israel and suspends Israeli affiliate
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Fast Forward Sally Rooney, Percival Everett among thousands of authors pledging to boycott all Israeli literary institutions
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Fast Forward US pushes back against Israeli laws curtailing main UN agency for the Palestinians
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Yiddish אַ מחיה, די אייראָפּעיִשע גאַסן־נעמען! I love European street names!
אין וואַרשע הייסן גאַסן נאָך חיות, מאַטעריאַלן, מלאָכות, אַפֿילו נאָכן וועטער.
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