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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8 Videos for 8 Crazy Nights
Plain old Hanukkah has been somewhat overshadowed this year by the monster that is Thanksgivukkah — for those of you living under a rock, Thanksgiving and the first day of Hannukah fall on the same day. But amid the tsunami of cranberry-infused sufganiyot and Manischewitz-brined turkey recipes, the hybrid holiday has inspired some pretty great…
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Nigella Lawson’s Coke Problem
Two kitchen assistants who used to work for British Jewish celebrity chef Nigella Lawson have alleged that she was a regular user of cocaine and other drugs, according to reports of a court hearing published by several national British media on Tuesday. The two women are being prosecuted for fraud and the allegation against Lawson…
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Sigmund Rolat Receives Jan Karski Award
Recipient of the Jan Karski Award at the November 18 David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies 10th Anniversary Dinner was survivor, philanthropist, Sigmund Rolat. In his acceptance speech Rolat — who unveiled a monument dedicated to Czestochowa’s 40,000 Jewish citizens who perished in Treblinka, restored the city’s philharmonic–naming it after Bronislaw Huberman (founder of…
The Latest
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Israel, and the World, Pays Tribute to Arik Einstein
News of iconic Israeli singer-songwriter Arik Einstein’s sudden death November 26 at age 74 spread quickly throughout Israel and around the globe. Israelis and Jews the world over, including political leaders and famous artists, poured out their shock and grief, many saying that the iconic entertainer’s passing signaled the end of an era. While he…
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A Junk Man’s Ambition
“Lies My Father Told Me” is one of the most ambitious productions in the 99-year history of the National Yiddish Theatre-Folksbiene. The musical has a large and extremely talented cast of 17. It features an innovative, Broadway-caliber set (by John C. Dining). And it has a long and storied history, both as an award-winning film…
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Israeli Singer Arik Einstein Dies at 74
Legendary Israeli singer Arik Einstein died at age 74 after being admitted to Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv Tuesday evening. He was reported to have suffered an aortic aneurism. According to Ynet, Einstein was rushed to the hospital and was sedated and intubated before he was taken in for surgery. Einstein, a Tel Aviv…
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Beastie Boys Not Amused by ‘Girls’ Parody
It seems that parody will get you nowhere with the Beastie Boys. The hip-hop group is not amused by the use of its song “Girls” in a viral advertising video by GoldieBlox, a San Francisco-area start-up that designs toys encouraging girls to explore science and engineering. (You’ve probably seen the video — it’s the one…
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Jewish Teenager Who Covered Katy Perry’s ‘Roar’ Dies of Brain Cancer
(JTA) Olivia Wise, the Jewish teenager from Toronto whose cover of Katy Perry’s “Roar” became a viral hit, died of brain cancer on Monday, CNN reports. She was 16. Wise made the moving recording in September after learning her condition was untreatable. She was wheelchair-bound, unable to stand or walk, but her spirit was evident…
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Why ‘Funny Girl’ Is as Important as ‘Fiddler’
The publication of Alisa Solomon’s “Wonder of Wonders: A Cultural History of Fiddler on the Roof” has seemed to reassert the prominence of “Fiddler” as the Jewish musical to end all Jewish musicals. “Fiddler,” Eileen Reynolds wrote in her review of Solomon’s book, “has achieved something like folklore status in the American imagination, and grapples,…
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Jewish vs. Goyish — Holiday Edition
Some jokes just never get old. Take the famous routine by the Jewish comedian Lenny Bruce (1925 – 1966), for example, in which he explains the differences between Jewish and Goyish: “Eddie Cantor is Goyish… Ray Charles is very Jewish… The Army is Goyish, the Navy is Goyish, the Marine corps is Goyish. The Air…
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Watch Seth Rogen Play a Shirtless Kim Kardashian
So, if you’re not already aware, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West released a music video last week for the rapper’s song, “Bound 2,” which showed them engaging in some steamy business on a motorcycle. It looked like this: Well, if your immediate reaction to that was “I sure wish two Jewish boys would recreate the…
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