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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Berlin’s Svetlana Kundish Wows at Yiddish Songfest
Vocal pyrotechnics by Berlin-based sexy vocalist Sveta Kundish thrilled the audience at the September 9 launch of the “Festival for Yiddish Song” at the Center for Jewish History. One can compare the evening to a musical response to the query posed by Samuel Kassow in his 2007 award-winning tome “Who Will Write Our History?’ New…
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Post-Split Michael Douglas Turns to George Soros
When your marriage hits splitsville, it’s perfectly understandable to need a friendly shoulder to cry on. For Michael Douglas, who recently announced his split with actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, that shoulder belongs to 83-year-old billionaire George Soros. Douglas and Zeta-Jones, together since 1999, announced in August that they were — to quote “Friends” — “on a…
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Scott Disick Shows Off His Expensive Toilet-Paper
Scott Disick became the most obnoxious person in the world this weekend when he instagrammed the wad of hundred dollar bills that he supposedly uses as toilet paper (or at least, wants us to think so). The caption reads: “I know yall didn’t think I would actually use toilet paper!” Whew! Thanks for clearing that…
The Latest
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The Yiddish Spirit of Samuel Beckett
On the 60th anniversary of “Waiting For Godot,” Samuel Beckett’s existential comic-tragedy will be staged in Yiddish for the first time. It’s an idea that is both obvious, and ground-breaking, casting a new light on the masterpiece. The play will run from September 20 to October 13 at the Castillo Theatre in Manhattan (543 W….
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Philip Levine Wins $100k Prize
Former United States poet laureate Philip Levine has been awarded the Academy of American Poets’ Wallace Stevens Award for lifetime achievement. The award, which comes with a $100,000 prize, is given annually for “outstanding and proven mastery of the art of poetry.” Levine was 83 when he was named poet laureate in 2011. Although he…
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Welcome To The Annual (Jewish) Hunger Games
Every Jew knows a thing or two about the annual Hunger Games. In ” Kvetching Fire”, a high holiday parody, Peeta Hummus and Katniss Everstein take on the ultimate challenge: the Yom Kippur fast. Good luck and “may the lox be ever in your flavor!”
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An Israeli Filmmaker’s Lebanon Dream
Casually clad in a black tee shirt and jeans over his stocky 59-year-old frame, Israeli filmmaker Eran Riklis radiates a warm friendliness. He responds to questions with rapid-fire musings that rise above the din of the lunchtime crowd at a popular Manhattan restaurant, in nearly unaccented American English. What brought him together with The Arty…
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The Jewtopia Trailer Is Here!
You’ve got to respect a movie that manages to insert nearly every stereotype about Jewish relationships into a two-minute trailer. In all seriousness though, with a cast like this one, Jewtopia may be a parody worth watching. Based on the off-broadway show of same name, Jewtopia’s ensemble includes Jon Lovitz, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Phil Rosenthal,…
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Amy Winehouse Statue Unveiling Postponed
Residents of Camden, in north London, eagerly awaiting to set eyes on a life-sized bronze statue of Amy Winehouse will just have to wait a little longer. The unveiling of the memorial to the late British soul singer has been postponed after her father, Mitch Winehouse, vetoed the final design by artist Scott Eaton, E!Online…
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Books Malamud’s ‘Refugee’ at 50
A version of this post originally appeared on Ron Hogan’s Beatrice blog. I owe my discovery of Bernard Malamud’s “The German Refugee” — published 50 years ago Saturday — to “The Best American Short Stories of the Century,” which joined my bookshelf shortly after its release. And although I don’t normally use the word “frisson”…
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Michael Kors, Rachel Zoe Rock Fashion Week
Designers from the celebrity world put modern touches to classics on the runways on Wednesday as New York Fashion Week was drawing to a close. Michael Kors brought the pin-up model look up to date with pleats and fur, while Hollywood stylist-turned-designer Rachel Zoe freshened up sheaths and tailored trousers with a safari inspiration. Zoe…
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