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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The World Agrees: Mila Kunis Is Hot
The jury is in, the people have spoken, and once again, Mila Kunis has come out on top. After stealing top spot as FHM’s “Sexiest Woman in the World”, Esquire’s “Sexiest Woman Alive” and Details’ “Most F*ckable Celebrity,” Kunis now ranks #1 on Reddit’s list of “100 Sexiest Women Alive.” One Reddit user decided to…
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Felix Komarov Lauded At UJA Russian Ball
“I worked hard to bring Russian Jews to Brighton Beach,” said Senator Charles Schumer at the UJA-Federation of New York’s Russian Division 2013 Charity Ball at the Harmonie Club on June 2 — right off Fifth Avenue — at which philanthropist and art patron Felix Komarov was honored with its Global Leadership Award. “Why Brighton…
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‘Kinky Boots’ Wins Six Tonys
“Kinky Boots” won six Tony awards on Sunday including the top award of best musical and a prize for its composer, pop queen Cyndi Lauper, as Broadway presented its top honors. Lauper won best score for her first Broadway musical, “Kinky Boots,” an adaptation of a British film about a struggling shoe factory reinventing itself…
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The Sculptures of Sorel Etrog
Sorel Etrog’s sculptures adorn Toronto street corners. He designed the Genie, Canada’s equivalent of an Academy Award. He collaborated with giants of 20th-century culture, from Samuel Beckett to Eugene Ionesco to Marshall McLuhan. Still, the 79-year-old artist has never won the attention or acclaim of his contemporaries. But a beautifully presented, carefully curated survey at…
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Jonah Hill Is No Fun
After a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nod for his role in “Moneyball” in 2012, and a cameo in Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained,” Jonah Hill has decided that he is above having fun. No, the 29-year-old is now a “serious actor.” In an interview with Rolling Stone called “The Doobie Brothers: Lighting Up With The Stars…
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Books Thinking in Aramaic, Writing in English
Earlier this week, Janice Weizman wrote about writing historical fiction and the bildungsroman and the Jewish woman. Her blog posts are featured on The Arty Semite courtesy of the Jewish Book Council and My Jewish Learning’s Author Blog Series. For more information on the series, please visit: “Many artists are ‘underground’,” a writing instructor of…
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Shumlin Says Yes to Weed
Potheads of Vermont, rejoice! Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin signed a bill on Thursday that will decriminalize marijuana, the New York Daily News reported. Possession of less than an ounce of pot is now punishable by a small fine, rather than an arrest and jail time. Vermont is now the 17th state in the country to…
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Jon Stewart Peaces Out
School’s out for Jon Stewart’s summer. The Daily show host is off until Labor Day to work on his movie, “Rosewater.” He said farewell Thursday night and handed over the desk to Daily Show correspondent John Oliver, who will be filling in. Watch Stewart’s “heartfelt goodbye” below: <
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Forverts Columnist Tsirl Steingart Dies at 97
A version of this post appeared in Yiddish here. Translated by Ezra Glinter. On May 18 writer, activist and longtime Forverts columnist Tsirl Steingart died in a car accident in Palm Beach, Florida. She was 97 years old. Steingart was born March 11, 1916 in Bialystok, where she was an active participant in the Bundist…
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Books Writing a Novel About Writing a Novel
Earlier this week, David Samuel Levinson wrote about the beautiful catastrophe that is New York City and dedicating his first novel, “Antonia Lively Breaks the Silence” (Algonquin Books). His blog posts are featured on The Arty Semite courtesy of the Jewish Book Council and My Jewish Learning’s Author Blog Series. For more information on the…
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Joan Rivers’ 80th Birthday Bash Postponed
Happy birthday to Joan Rivers, who turns 80 today (but shhh — a lady never tells)! Unfortunately, the party that was meant to mark Rivers’ eight decades in this world was cancelled due to the sad passing of her sister, lawyer Barbara Waxler, the New York Post reported. 300 people were to attend the fete…
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