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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Author Blog: Transmission of Memory
Yehuda Kurtzer is the author of “Shuva: The Future of the Jewish Past.” 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: When my son Noah was about 3 or 4, he came home…
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Fallout From Madonna’s Swastika Stunt
At Madonna’s Tel Aviv concert on May 31, the pop queen went one provocative image too far. According to the Telegraph, a photomontage displayed behind the singer as she performed “Nobody Knows Me” showed a photo of France’s National Front leader Marine Le Pen with a swastika etched on her forehead, dissolving into a portrait…
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For Yo-Yo Ma, Glick Was Worth Hearing
On June 7, Toronto’s Beth Tikvah Synagogue will host a special concert to honor the tenth Yahrzeit of Canadian composer Srul Irving Glick. Toronto’s Holy Blossom Temple already did the same on April 22, five days after his actual passing a decade ago. Son of a cantor, Glick (1934-2002) grew up to be a composer…
The Latest
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Seth Meyers Wears Dress, Makes Galliano Joke
SNL’s Seth Meyers knows fashionable people take risks, so that’s just what he did as host of the Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards on Monday evening. The funny man’s risk taking fell into two categories — comedy and clothes modeling — and surprisingly, he did better in the latter. A dig he made…
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Yiddish Montreal History Wins Book Award
A crowd will gather in downtown Toronto on June 7 for the 2012 Helen and Stan Vine Canadian Jewish Book Awards. One of the winners will be Rebecca Margolis, an associate professor in the Vered Jewish Canadian Studies Program at the University of Ottawa, who will be honored for “Jewish Roots, Canadian Soil” (McGill-Queen’s University…
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‘Jewish Johnny Carson’ Disses Nicki Minaj
Hot 97 DJ Peter Rosenberg — or “the Jewish Johnny Carson” as he calls himself on his morning show — instantly became one of the biggest names in the hip-hop community on June 3 when his comments caused Nicki Minaj to cancel her set at the Hot 97 Summer Jam. Rosenberg, son of former Israel…
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Matisyahu Ditches the Yarmulke
First it was the beard, now it’s the yarmulke. Matisyahu is currently walking around clean-shaven and with an uncovered head, and this is causing a lot of pain for observant Jewish fans who are lamenting what appears to be the once-Hasidic singer’s rapid slide in to secularism. In case you missed it, the reggae performer…
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Jason Alexander Apologizes for Gay Joke
Jason Alexander joins the list of celebrities who have publicly insulted gay people. On June 3, the former Seinfeld co-star tweeted an extended message of apology for calling cricket “a gay sport” while shmoozing with host Craig Ferguson on the Late Late Show last week. Alexander wrote that when Ferguson mentioned cricket, he was glad…
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Bar’s Birthday Bikini; Lohan as Liz
A couple of fabulous photos making the rounds on gossip sites caught the Shmooze’s eye this morning. The first is a birthday gift — from Bar Refaeli to the world. On June 4, her 27th birthday, the model and No. 1 “Maxim” hottie tweeted a playful picture of herself on the beach. In a bikini….
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Q&A: Julian Voloj on Photographing New York
Only in New York would the German-born son of Colombian immigrants land a career retrospective of Jewish-themed photos at his homeland’s consulate. Appropriately, “Only In New York” is the title of Julian Voloj’s new exhibit opening June 6 at the German Consulate in Manhattan. The show is touted as “an intimate portrait of a variety…
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Bibi On Rye?
What’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doing in a trailer for Adam Sandler’s new movie? And what is he doing in between some slices of rye bread? These are the lingering questions one has after watching a Funny of Die advertising spot cut by Andy Samberg, who also stars in “That’s My Boy.” The film is…
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In Case You Missed It
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Culture Cardinals are Catholic not Jewish — so why do they all wear yarmulkes?
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Fast Forward Halal restaurant opening in Congress is like ‘Muslim conquest of Jerusalem,’ says GOP congressman
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Fast Forward Germany formally classifies far-right AfD party as extremist, in blow to Nazi-linked populist movement
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Fast Forward Trump taps shock jock Sid Rosenberg and a Haredi newspaper publisher for Holocaust Memorial Council
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