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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Censorship at The Jewish Museum?
As someone who has spent a lifetime working in museums, I’ve long been sensitive to the decisions made in the process of selecting or omitting works for display. According to a recent article on Tablet Magazine, and another in The New York Times, The Jewish Museum in New York made the decision to remove “Stelen…
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Woody Allen on Rome and Movie Making
Woody Allen’s new movie “To Rome With Love” is a montage of stories on the titillating streets of the eternal city. Allen (who hadn’t appeared in any of his films since 2006) plays Jerry, a restless, retired opera director whose world collides with Giancarlo, played to hilarity by Italy’s renowned tenor Fabio Armiliato. Roberto Benigni…
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Canadian McDonald’s Founder Honored
The Dalai Lama. Nelson Mandela. Celine Dion. George Cohon? He may not have their starpower, but the Jewish founder of McDonald’s Canada now shares an honorary key to the city of Toronto with a lengthy list of luminaries. At a City Hall ceremony yesterday, a beaming Mayor Rob Ford presented the 75-year-old Cohon — “a…
The Latest
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Books Author Blog: Sleeping on Felix Frankfurter’s Couch
Earlier this week, Joshua Henkin talked about how he came to write his latest novel, his father and grandfather, and explored the question: “Are you a Jewish writer?” 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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Does ‘Bunheads’ Have a Diversity Problem, Too?
With “Girls” creator Lena Dunham the center of a critical controversy about a perceived lack of diversity on television, Amy Sherman-Palladino has been fielding similar accusations about her new show, “Bunheads.” Shonda Rhimes, the head writer and executive producer of “Greys Anatomy” and “Private Practice,” expressed her disappointment in the new ABC Family show by…
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Female IDF Soldiers Face Training Cuts
Israel’s newest lawmaker has come up with his maiden idea to improve Israel: give women a knock back. Akram Hasoon was sworn in last month after veteran politician Gideon Ezra died. He represents Kadima, as did Ezra, a party that was until recently led by a keen advocate of progress for women, Tzipi Livni. But…
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He Was Blind, But Now Can See
The tracks on Max Layton’s new album, “2 The Max,” are more stories than songs. Influenced by two of Canada’s greatest poets, his father Irving Layton and his close family friend Leonard Cohen, as well as his own interesting 66 years of existence, the singer-songwriter shares some hard-earned lessons on life and love set to…
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Books Author Blog: How Did I End Up Doing This?
Earlier this week, Joshua Henkin talked about his father and grandfather and explored the question: “Are you a Jewish writer?” 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: For a long time I…
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Oracle CEO Buys Hawaiian Island
Oracle CEO Larry Ellison has never been one to shy away from making big purchases. He already owns several opulent homes, a super-size yacht, a tennis tournament, and a fighter jet. He also bankrolls an America’s Cup-winning sailing team. But an island in Hawaii? That kind of seems like a major purchase even for a…
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My Lipa Schmeltzer Problem, and Ours
When Lipa Schmeltzer’s new music video, “Hang Up the Phone,” hit the Internet last week, I didn’t know what to think. What on God’s green earth was this? The video is a study in contradictions. So much so that, as Josh Nathan-Kazis observes, it enters into the Uncanny Valley between Hasidic and mainstream culture. With…
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Snooki Confuses ‘Kosher’ With ‘Organic’
Someone needs to give Snooki (aka Nicole Polizzi) a short lesson on the difference between kosher and organic food. The diminutive reality television star’s culinary confusion came to light in a clip from her new “Jersey Shore” spin-off “Snooki & JWoww,” in which she stars with her BFF Jenni “JWoww” Farley. We see Snooki wake…
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