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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Man and Machine, Together and on Display
Crossposted from Haaretz What a pleasure it is to enter a space that conveys relevance of language, even before delving into the details. As soon as you enter Tel Aviv’s Rawart Gallery it becomes clear that “Auto” is an excellent exhibition. There is something in the general look that just says “contemporary,” of the kind…
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Unladylike Brawl on Jerusalem Light Rail
Operation of the Jerusalem Light Rail has not gone smoothly since it finally got up and running late this summer. Earlier this month, some drivers held a strike, and others quit their jobs over pay issues. An elderly man was badly injured when struck by a train car. Windows have been broken by stones thrown…
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Books Songs of Hope and Failure
On Monday, Chris Moriarty wrote about why she wrote “The Inquisitor’s Apprentice.” Her blog posts are being featured this week 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: So the tents have come down at Zuccotti Park. Occupy…
The Latest
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Tony Kushner to Receive $100,000 Award
Playwright and screenwriter Tony Kushner has been awarded a $100,000 prize for “Creative Citizenship” by The Nation Institute and The Puffin Foundation. The honor, recognizing his socially conscious work, will be formally bestowed upon him at The Nation Institute’s Annual Gala on December 5 in New York. According to a press release, Kushner was chosen…
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Streisand To Sing for the IDF
Barbra Streisand is set to headline a star-studded gala for the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces in Los Angeles on December 8. Organizers of the fundraiser are considering this a coup, given that the singer rarely agrees to sing at such events and has yet to accept invitations to hold a concert in Israel….
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Big Clay Man, Writ Small
The story of the Golem has been told in literature, film and theater, including a puppet production created in 1997 by the Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre. Now that show is back as part of La Mama Experimental Theatre Club’s 50th anniversary season, featuring music by The Klezmatics trumpeter Frank London. Unusually for the company, the show…
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Tel Aviv Fashion Week: Gowns to Headdresses
While Americans were eating turkey and giving thanks last week, local designers in Israel were showing their collections for the for first official Tel Aviv Fashion Week in 30 years. Dressed in his signature suit and sunglasses, designer Roberto Cavalli kicked off the over-the-top festivities with an encore showing of his Milan Spring 2012 collection,…
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Anne Hathaway To Marry Jewish Boyfriend
Anne Hathaway isn’t too cool for shul, man. In fact, the actress has announced plans to marry longtime boyfriend Adam Shulman, a decision reported via a representative to People magazine. Hathaway’s engagement follows a three-year relationship with Shulman, an actor whose credits include a recurring role on “The West Wing.” A nice Jewish boy may…
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Tel Aviv Cinematheque Gets New Home
Crossposted from Haaretz The Tel Aviv Cinematheque has moved to new premises on Ha’arba’a Street, adjacent to its old home, after six years of construction. Although the official dedication of the site will take place in January, films are being screened, the library is operating and the staff is housed in their new offices. The…
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The Lions of Zion, Chapter 19
What would have happened had there been a Jewish team in the Major Leagues? In an original novel serialized on The Arty Semite, Ross Ufberg imagines the trials and triumphs of The Lions of Zion, an all-Jewish team competing in the National League in 1933. Read the first 18 chapters here. Can’t Do Nothing Halfway…
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Montserrat Figueras, Sephardic Music Pioneer
On November 23, the Catalan singer Montserrat Figueras died at her home in Bellaterra, near Barcelona, at the age of 69. Together with her husband, the legendary early bowed strings master Jordi Savall, Montserrat brought Sephardic music to the attention of a wide and appreciative audience of listeners, many of whom were unlikely to have…
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