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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Plays That Test the Limits of Jewish Experience
David Winitsky, artistic director of the Jewish Plays Project (JPP), wants to clarify something: “This is not ‘Old Jews Telling Jokes,’” he said. “Don’t get me wrong. I love that kind of comedy and Jewish humor runs through the festival’s plays. But we’re not looking for the next Neil Simon. We’re looking for the next…
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Talking About Book Dedications
David Samuel Levinson’s stories have appeared in Prairie Schooner, West Branch, and the Brooklyn Review, among others. He lives in New York City. “Antonia Lively Breaks the Silence” is his first novel. His blog posts are featured on The Arty Semite courtesy of the Jewish Book Council and My Jewish Learning’s Author Blog Series. For…
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John Galliano Spills to Vanity Fair
Guess what? John Galliano feels bad. In an exclusive interview with Vanity Fair, Galliano publicly apologized for the anti-Semitic remarks that got him fired from Dior in 2011. “It’s the worst thing I have said in my life, but I didn’t mean it …” the disgraced fashion designer told contributing editor Ingrid Sischy. ” I…
The Latest
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Michael Douglas Backtracks On Oral Sex Statement
Michael Douglas dropped a major bombshell on Monday when he told the Guardian newspaper that his throat cancer was caused by oral sex. When asked about his cancer, Douglas said, “without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV (human papillomavirus), which actually comes from cunnilingus.” Well, the actor must be…
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Fashion Jews: Stars at the CFDA Awards
The stars were out in full glamazon attire last night for the 2013 CFDA Awards. Hosted by Bravo’s Andy Cohen, the annual to-do celebrates the most promising new kids on the block while paying tribute to the big names of fashion. And talk about big names: fashion icon Oscar de la Renta received the Founders…
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Can Despotism Be Good for Art?
In 1991,Yevgeny Arye, a prominent Moscow stage director as well as a member of the Russian Academy, decided to emigrate to Israel. When they heard his plans, about a dozen of his Jewish students decided to accompany him. They called themselves “Gesher” — Hebrew for “bridge” — and arrived in the midst of the Gulf…
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Remembering Frank Lautenberg
Whenever I think of Senator Frank Lautenberg — who died on June 2 of viral pneumonia — the most indelible memory that surfaces is the August 18, 1996, National Democratic Party fund-raising trifecta for then president Bill Clinton’s 50th birthday. Imagine: First a $1,500 a head ticket to a Sheraton Hotel reception at with a…
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The Bildungsroman and the Jewish Woman
Janice Weizman was born in Toronto, and moved to Israel at the age of nineteen. She is a graduate of the Creative Writing program at Bar-Ilan University, where she initiated and serves as managing editor of The Ilanot Review, an online literary journal. Janice’s fiction has appeared in various literary journals including Lilith, Jewish Fiction,…
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Israeli Composer Appointed Cleveland Music Director
Israeli-born composer Avner Dorman has been appointed Music Director of CityMusic Cleveland Chamber Orchestra, which is set to celebrate its 10th anniversary season. CityMusic Cleveland is a professional chamber orchestra that seeks to develop audiences by presenting free concerts in neighborhood venues. It presents four or five concerts per year and devotes most of its…
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Bob Dylan To Receive France’s Legion d’Honneur
PARIS – American singer Bob Dylan may soon be awarded France’s highest distinction, the Legion d’Honneur, after his nomination was reportedly first tossed out over his marijuana use and opposition to the Vietnam War. The green light given by the Legion d’Honneur’s council means France’s minister of culture may soon decorate Dylan — a symbol…
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How Michael Douglas Really Got Cancer
Michael Douglas has revealed that it wasn’t smoking or drinking that caused his stage four throat cancer — it was oral sex. In a straightforward interview with the UK’s The Guardian, Douglas, 68, said that his cancer was related to the human papillomavirus (HPV). Asked whether or not he regretted his years of boozing and…
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