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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Montreal Museum Takes the Internet to the Streets
“I’m interested in pushing young people to get involved, to take ownership of history,” declared Zev Moses, founder and director of the Interactive Museum of Jewish Montreal. For Moses, this means getting people out into the original Jewish neighborhoods of Montreal for an “immersive experience” that combines computer technology with actual visits to historic sites….
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Books Why I Put a Map in ‘The Bronfman Haggadah’
Earlier this week, artist Jan Aronson wrote about how she became an illustrator and her illustrations for “The Bronfman Haggadah.” 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 people have asked why…
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Books Author Blog: The Best Place on Earth
Earlier this week, Nancy Richler discussed the perspective of her novel “The Imposter Bride” and why she decided to forgo research. 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: A few weeks ago…
The Latest
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James Franco Bombs in ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’
The reviews are in for “Oz the Great and Powerful,” the new Wizard of Oz movie by “Spider-Man” director Sam Raimi, and the verdict is not good. Unlike the original “Wizard of Oz,” this version focuses on the Wizard himself, and how he got to Oz. It’s got a glittering cast that includes Mila Kunis,…
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Slovak Shul To Become Art Gallery
The Jewish community of Zilina in Slovakia will rent out one of its former synagogues to artists who plan to turn it into a gallery. The community will charge the artists a “symbolic fee,” according to a report on Sveriges Radio, Sweden’s public radio broadcaster. The building, originally called the Neolog Synagogue, was designed in…
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Abba Kovner on Page and Stage
Michael Kovner’s first graphic novel, “Ezekiel’s World,” recently adapted for the stage by playwright Jenny Levison, peers into the uncomfortable world of things left unsaid between father, (Ezekiel) and son, (Amos); husband, (Amos) and wife, (Yvonne); and of history itself. An Israeli painter who studied in New York with artist Philip Guston in the 1970s,…
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First Picture of Woody Allen’s New Film Released
Does Woody Allen ever sleep? Sony Pictures just released a still from the filmmaker’s 46th feature film, to be released later this year. “Blue Jasmine” will star Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Louis C.K., Andrew Dice Clay, Bobby Cannavale, Sally Hawkins, Peter Sarsgaard and Michael Stuhlbarg, in a film about “the final stages of an acute…
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"Rhoda" Actress Puts On A Brave Face
Valerie Harper, known for her role as Rhoda Morgenstern on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” —remember those headscarves? — revealed yesterday that she had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. On January 15, her doctors told her that she had as little as three months left to live. In a tear-jerker interview with People Magazine,…
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The Legend of John Milius
John Milius is a Hollywood Legend. He’s the screenwriter responsible for “Dirty Harry,” “Apocalypse Now” and “Conan the Barbarian,” and has produced films by Robert Zemeckis, Paul Schrader and Steven Spielberg. He’s also a self-described “Zen anarchist” who claims to have been blacklisted for his right-wing politics. Most infamously, Milius is the real-life inspiration for…
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Amos Oz To Receive Doctorate in Lodz
The University of Lodz, Poland, will award Israeli writer Amos Oz with an honorary doctorate. The ceremony will be held on March 20 at the university. Oz will also give a lecture there that day. Oz is being honored not only for his works of literature, but also for his contributions to Jewish culture, according…
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Books How I Became an Illustrator
Earlier this week, artist Jan Aronson wrote about her illustrations for “The Bronfman Haggadah.” 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: When Edgar Bronfman asked me to illustrate the text of “The…
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