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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Immigrant Drama, Redux
“Covers,” a new production by experimental theater troupe the Lost & Found Project for the Russian division of the National Yiddish Theater Folksbiene, attempts to breathe new life into two timeworn themes: young rebellious children and the clash of traditional values in the new world. Premiering May 22 to a packed (and largely Russian-speaking) audience,…
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Lea Michele is Writing a Book
Like her fake persona, Jewish singer/actress Lea Michele has attended many many auditions, and plans to share those experiences in a new book. The “Glee” star, best known as the character Rachel Berry, has just signed a book deal with Harmony Books, a Random House Inc. imprint, according to the New York Times. Harmony announced…
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Patti Kenner at Heritage Museum Wins Kudos
“Every day I thank my lucky stars that Patti Kenner is on our team and that the museum is an important part of her philanthropy,” David Marwell, director of the Museum of Jewish Heritage — A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, told the 300 guests at the museum’s 17th annual Heritage Dinner held at the…
The Latest
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Amanda Bynes Rejected from Private Jet
Things aren’t going too well for Amanda Bynes— the girl can’t even get herself on a plane. The former “All That” star was denied access to a private jet this past weekend for not having photo ID and trying to use Google to suffice, TMZ reports. Bynes was traveling from Jersey to LA over the…
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Zach Braff Gave Woody Allen a Lesson in Kickstarter
He might know everything about the movie industry after a half-century film career, but Woody Allen doesn’t know much about social media. Which is why he had to rely on his fellow Hollywood Jew, Zach Braff, to explain exactly how crowd-funding works. In an interview with Siruis XM radio yesterday, the “Scrubs” star revealed that…
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Books Edouard de Pomiane’s ‘Recollections and Recipes’
Last week, Rebecca Miller wrote about Gluckel of Hameln. She has been sharing texts that shed light on the history of Jewish life in France, the setting of her new novel, Jacob’s Folly. Her blog posts are featured on The Arty Semite courtesy of the Jewish Book Council and My Jewish Learning’s Author Blog Series….
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Amanda Bynes is at War With InTouch Magazine
This probably will not end well for both parties. Amanda Bynes is lashing out on Twitter in objection to the InTouch cover story about her “drug-fueled house party.” Bynes is angry and is threatening to sue. In the latest edition, released yesterday, the gossip journal alleges Bynes had an impromptu party in her New York…
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The Talmud of ‘Arrested Development’
Calling something “talmudic” is a bad habit among Jewish critics. It’s a way of saying that a work has complexity and Jewish relevance, but it’s not usually clear what resemblance, specifically, a given text has to the Talmud. “Arrested Development,” on the other hand — the cult sitcom that returns on Netflix May 26 after…
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Now You Can Learn Yiddish From a Robot
A version of this post appeared in Yiddish here. Translation by Ezra Glinter. “Good morning. My name is Nomy. I am a girl. Good morning, Moby! He is a robot.” So begins the first section of YiddishPOP, a new educational website featuring animated videos whose main character is a robot. It’s the result of a…
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Books An Insult and a Very Jewish Conversation
Earlier this week, Joanna Hershon wrote about a memorial service she attended for a friend’s father. Her new novel, “A Dual Inheritance,” was published earlier this month by Ballantine Books. 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…
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Seth Rogen Teaches Us How To Roll a Joint
People use Facebook for all sorts of social interactions— “Knocked Up” star Seth Rogen uses it to share his wisdom. The Jewish celeb joined Facebook earlier this week, and made a video tutorial on how to roll a joint for his social media debut. Taking to Twitter, Rogen tweeted to his followers, “I finally joined…
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