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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Introducing the ‘Christooza’ — Yes, It’s a Cross Mezuzah.
Apparently, Christians have mezuzah-envy. Or so it would seem to one Henry Zabarsky, inventor of the “Christooza.” If you couldn’t guess from the name, it’s a portmanteau of Christian and Mezuzah, or Christooza. “I was visiting a client in Rockaway,” Zabarsky, a Jewish financial advisor from Queens, told the New York Post. “She’s very religious…
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‘Nathan For You’ Is the Most Uncomfortable Show on Television
“Nathan For You” is built on an undercurrent of mundane desperation: most of us will go along with anything if it means 10 minutes of face-time on TV. We’ll serve (artificial!) poo flavored yogurt at our FroYo shop; court lawsuits for the publicity; deceive the public with bogus animal videos; and camp with unknown men…
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Bar Refaeli Tweets Condolences to Family of Murdered Teens
Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli tweeted out her condolences to the families of the three Israeli teenagers, found dead yesterday. 3 good souls. murdered brutally by Hammas. #stopterror May they r.i.p http://t.co/Db6yN4ivO1 — Bar Refaeli (@BarRefaeli) July 1, 2014 Refaeli also posted a picture of three memorial candles to her Instagram feed with the same caption….
The Latest
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Why Jon Favreau’s ‘Chef’ Is Evil
Summer is the cruelest cultural season. With that in mind, ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) is a new occasional series highlighting movies, TV shows, books, comics and everything else we might have missed in the past few months that we can catch up on in the next few. Jon Favreau’s “Chef” is diverting —…
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Eric Clapton Headlines Auschwitz Music Festival
Eric Clapton headlined the fifth annual Life Festival in Oswiecim, Poland late this month. Yes, you read that right. Eric Clapton just played Auschwitz. Well, kind of. The Oswiecim Life Festival started in 2010, and was created by Darek Maciborek, a radio DJ, who wanted to change the negative associations brought up by his hometown….
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What’s Kyle Beckerman Hiding in His Hair?
Yes, we know Kyle Beckerman has embraced Rastafarianism and yes he married the non-Jewish (and, by all accounts, beautiful, lovely and smart) Kate Pappas at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Salt Lake City, Utah, but we know that those dreadlocks are just extreme peyes honoring Leviticus 19:27 where the Torah says, “You shall…
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(Jewish) Girl Meets World
The long awaited “Boy Meets World” spinoff, “Girl Meets World,” premiered last Friday on Disney Channel to 5.2 million viewers. The new show brings back Jewish stars Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel as fan-favorites Cory and Topanga, this time as parents to 12-year-old Riley, played by Rowan Blanchard. Accompanied by her best friend, Maya, Riley…
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Soroka — A Preemie Oasis in the Negev
“It took a famous baby to die pre-term — Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, son of John and Jacqueline Kennedy — to make the call to the world that babies matter,” said Dr. Agneta Golan, Director of Soroka Medical Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to the guests at the American Friend of Soroka Medical Center Gala Benefit…
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Joe Berlinger On ‘Whitey’ Bulger and the FBI
“Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger” is a revelatory documentary by Academy Award-nominated and seven-time Emmy Award-nominated filmmaker Joe Berlinger. With unprecedented access, Berlinger shot his documentary from the beginning of “Whitey” Bulger’s 2013 trial and uncovers disturbing questions about the extent of FBI and Boston Police Department corruption. Berlinger’s film premiered…
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The Israeli Woman Behind the Google Doodle
Liat Ben Rafael relaxes at Google’s Silicon Valley headquarters/Haaretz Every day, hundreds of millions of people are exposed to the artistic preferences of a young Israeli woman who curates one of the most popular exhibitions on earth. Liat Ben Rafael, 28, is one of the three managers of the Google Doodle team, which is responsible…
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Shia LaBeouf Gets Kicked Out of ‘Cabaret’ Performance
Actor Shia LaBeouf, who starred in the “Transformer” movies and with Harrison Ford in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” did not enter a plea on Friday after being charged with disorderly conduct and harassment. LaBeouf, 28, was arraigned on five charges in the tiny, packed courtroom at Manhattan’s Midtown Community Court…
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Opinion Trump’s NYC rally was a morally disgusting glimpse of the MAGA future
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Opinion I’m a U.S. Navy veteran. Here’s why I’m protesting Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally
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Film & TV He directed a film about the 1939 fascist MSG rally — here’s what he saw at Donald Trump’s
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FIRST PERSON As a rabbi, he helped others mourn. So why wouldn’t his daughter say kaddish for him?
In Case You Missed It
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Sports The Jewish Sport Report: After a thrilling World Series, a historic Jewish MLB offseason is on-deck
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Fast Forward Argentina’s Javier Milei selects Jewish ambassador to replace foreign minister he fired
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Culture ‘A Real Pain’ is Jesse Eisenberg’s love letter to Poland, the country his family left under duress
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News When colleges shut down their ‘Gaza solidarity sukkahs,’ they prompted debates over anti-Zionist Jewish observance
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