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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Joseph Gordon-Levitt vs. GQ
Yesterday Joseph Gordon-Levitt — the kid from “Third Rock from the Sun” who has matured into adult stardom with films like “Inception“and his own open source production company — wrote a rebuttal to a recent GQ profile of him. “I’m writing this because I have a problem with what their article says about my brother,”…
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Mila Kunis Dishes To James Franco
When Mila Kunis was 12, she auditioned for a part in a movie about a Russian Jew. She didn’t get the part because they didn’t think she looked Russian or Jewish enough. “Mind you, I am both Russian and Jewish,” Kunis points out to James Franco in a recent interview for Interview magazine. A chat…
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Books Hidden History of Middle Eastern Jews
Earlier this week Matti Friedman, a reporter in Jerusalem for The Times of Israel, and author of “The Aleppo Codex,” wrote about the codex vs. the Kindle. 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 series,…
The Latest
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Ralph Lauren Speaks on Olympic Controversy
How could all-American designer Ralph Lauren — the one practically synonymous with polo and preppy pool parties — be anything but a dyed-in-the-wool patriot? The iconic design house and its founder (born Ralph Lipschitz) had barely stitched up the blazer-and-slacks uniforms for the US Olympic team to wear to the games’ opening ceremonies before country-loving…
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Medieval Synagogues and the Green Line
Asya Geisberg, a painter and Jew from St. Petersburg, has lived in the U.S. since 1977. She opened her eponymous gallery in 2010, favoring exhibitions that encompass the crossing of cultures. This summer’s group show, “Centaurs & Satyrs,” on view until August 17, is dedicated to the notion of hybridity. Mythological creatures with magical powers,…
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Blonde British Pop Star’s Got (Jewish) Soul
When Prince William got married last year, the dependable yente mill immediately broke into action, trying to find out whether the woman under the altar was a member of the Tribe. Well, it turns out she isn’t (as confirmed by JeworNotJew.com), but the woman who sang at the wedding is. Ellie Goulding, British singer and…
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Hard Questions About the Holocaust
Those who forget the past may be doomed to repeat it, and Jews and others strive to ensure that the Shoah does not disappear down the collective memory hole. Remembrance is one thing, but Helene Cixous raises another perplexing point in her poignant, aptly named drama “Oy,” now being performed in Los Angeles by The…
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Israeli Lawmaker Destroys New Testament
He’s not exactly known for his sensitivity, but Israeli lawmaker Michael Ben-Ari has rarely made a statement that has the potential to offend quite so many people. Many lawmakers were peeved to receive a complimentary New Testament in their Knesset mailbox, courtesy of a Christian publisher. Anything perceived as missionary activity touches a very raw…
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Conflict Condoms Turn Up the Heat
Israel advocates don’t just want you to visit. They want you to come. Over the past decade, pro-Israel campaigns have internationally turned up the heat, by printing pro-Israel messages on widely distributed…condoms. The unambiguous mix of sex and sightseeing first began in 2003, at the behest of the University of California — San Diego’s Inside…
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Books Author Blog: Codex vs. Kindle
Matti Friedman is a reporter in Jerusalem for The Times of Israel, and author of “The Aleppo Codex.” 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 series, please visit: Although it fell, in retrospect, at the…
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Madonna Sued for Le Pen Swastika
Did Madonna “express herself” too much? The BBC reports that France’s right-wing National Front party is suing the superstar “after an image at the US singer’s Paris concert showed party leader Marine Le Pen with a swastika imposed on her face.” The image, in a video accompanying the song Nobody Knows Me, was followed by…
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