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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Get Your Obamulkes and yarMITTkahs for Passover
For the sake of unity and sanity, many families ban talk of contemporary domestic politics from the Seder table. But diehard political supporters of presidential candidates have a way of getting their positions across without saying a single word. As Matthew Walters tell us, you can wear your politics on your sleeve — or your…
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Books Moshe Kasher, a ‘Prodigy of Misconduct’
On the day of Moshe Kasher’s bris, his grandfather held him in his hands and declared, “This boy will be a great rabbi, I can see into his soul.” The old man’s prophesy almost came true. One of his grandsons did grow up to become a rabbi: Moshe’s brother, David. Moshe, meanwhile, grew into a…
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Hitler Appears in Shampoo Ad for ‘Real Men’
After refusing to yank an ad in which Adolf Hitler extols a shampoo brand’s masculine virtues, Istanbul-based advertising agency MARKA confirmed today that the commercial for Biomen “would not be aired again and had also been removed from the company‘s web site,” according to EuropeOnline. In the commercial, which had aired on Turkish television, der…
The Latest
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Eliezer Melamed Criticizes Netanyahu’s ‘Inflated Ego’
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is accustomed to mockery from the left for his conviction that Israel is on the brink of grave danger from Iran. But now he faces harsh words from one of the far right’s most renowned ideologues. Eliezer Melamed, the very same rabbi who caused furor and state sanctions against his…
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Alicia Silverstone Spits Up Food for Baby
Now broadcasting exclusively online: Alicia Silverstone in the straight-to-video epic “bear eating my mouth.” It’s not a horror movie — at least not in the conventional sense. The “Clueless” star and vegan-cookbook author uploaded footage of her daily feeding routine for 11-month-old son Bear Blu, passing him chewed-up food directly from her mouth. It’s in…
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Israeli ‘Idol’ Goes on the Road
Crossposted from Haaretz The new season of “A Star is Born” (“Kochav Nolad”) will have fewer eliminations and less audience involvement, and the quartet of judges will play a more significant role, the show’s producer said on Monday. Tamira Yardeni, the owner of Teddy Productions, which produces “Kochav Nolad,” the Israeli version of “American Idol,”…
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Yiddish Theater on PBS
It is no small feat to recreate the world and emotions of a bygone era. But in his astonishing show celebrating his grandparents, Boris and Bessie Thomashefsky, who were superstars of the Yiddish theater, conductor Michael Tilson Thomas has done it. And it is a joy. PBS’s “Great Performances” is broadcasting “The Thomashefskys: Music and…
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Hebrew School Booby Dream Video
If young Alexander Portnoy had had YouTube, he surely would have avoided much anguish. I think the jury is out as to whether he’d have gone a lot further into left field or whether he’d just realize the futility of his desires and chillax in front of the The last video I posted, The Groggers’…
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Monday Music: ‘Jewish Voices’ in Prayer
Nina Beilina, a violinist and professor at Mannes College The New School for Music, describes herself as a traditional, if not a religious Jew. It was when she was branded a “Yid” on the streets of Russia that she first felt really Jewish. “I was brought up by my parents to be cosmopolitan, international; then…
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The Most Prolific Hebrew Translator
Crossposted from Haaretz When language is not an obstacle, the world looks smaller — that’s how it is when you have perfect command of over 10 languages, in addition to being able “only” to speak several others and some knowledge of yet other languages. Today Rami Saari is working on his fluency in three more…
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Orthodox Top Model Now an IDF Tank Instructor
The Shmooze hasn’t heard much about Esther Petrack since she was eliminated from “America’s Next Top Model” 18 months ago. Before then, she sent a flutter of excitement through American Jewry at the prospect of having a Jewish — and Orthodox noch — winner of the show. Now, Israel’s Channel 2 has reported, she is…
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Most Popular
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Film & TV The new ‘Superman’ is being called anti-Israel, but does that make it pro-Palestine?
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Music ‘No matter what, I will always be a Jew.’ Billy Joel opens up about his family’s Holocaust history
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Culture She was my Hebrew school bully — and I finally learned what happened to her
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Opinion American Jews were played — now what?
In Case You Missed It
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Books In a time of xenophobia, displacement and distraction, we need Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ more than ever
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Fast Forward Judge in Trump-Harvard case questions tie between antisemitism allegations and federal funding cuts
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Fast Forward 25 countries call for ‘immediate’ end to Gaza war, citing mounting death toll at aid distribution sites
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Culture Why a Gaza doctor’s striking video about starving babies has gone viral
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