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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LeBron James Shoots Hoops at JCC
LeBron James does not — we repeat, does not — think Jews “suck” at basketball. The Shmooze can report this happy piece of news after the NBA star’s latest difficult episode in Cleveland, where his jersey was burned last year following his highly publicized defection from the local Cavaliers to the Miami Heat. An Akron…
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Books The Inefficiency of Writing
Karol Nielsen’s memoir “Black Elephants” has just been released. Her 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: The facts of my story were always clear but the meaning eluded me for…
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Out and About
The British Mandate-era bar Casino de Paris has reopened in Jerusalem. Take a look at one of the most Jewish Bob Dylan photos ever. “The Jazz Singer” returns to New York City. Egypt cancelled new age 11/11/11 celebrations at the Pyramids out of fear that the Jews might return to claim them. The Jewish Theatre…
The Latest
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Friday Film: Eichmann’s Improbable Executioner
After seeing the documentary film “The Hangman,” screening November 15 at the U.K. Jewish Film Festival, it is hard not to think of Shalom Nagar as the Forrest Gump of Israel. Like the character played by Tom Hanks, Nagar improbably finds himself in the midst of historical events and meeting famous (infamous, really) people. And…
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In Song: Vayera
Each week The Arty Semite connects the Torah reading — however tenuously — to a classic work of rock ‘n’ roll. In this week’s parsha, Vayera, three angels appear to Abraham and inform him that at 100 years old he will father a son. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are turned into rubble because…
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When Albert Einstein Met Rabindranath Tagore
Albert Einstein and Rabindranath Tagore at Einstein’s Berlin home, 1926. Courtesy of the Leo Baeck Institute. One was a Bengali polymath and Nobel laureate with white flowing beard and piercing eyes. The other was the world famous scientist, with frizzy hair and unkempt appearance. When Rabindranath Tagore and Albert Einstein met in New York, it…
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Student Sues UC Davis Over Jewish Fraternity Hazing
A former University of California at Davis student has filed a lawsuit against the university. His claims include negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and creating a hostile educational environment — all stemming from the university’s refusal to address his complaints about hazing at a Jewish fraternity on campus. According to the court papers filed…
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Biden To Speak at Detroit Yeshiva Fundraiser
Don’t look for Vice President Joe Biden in Washington on Sunday. He’ll be in Detroit, possibly adding to his long and memorable list of gaffes as he speaks at the annual fundraising dinner for an area Orthodox day school. Biden will also be stumping for Debbie Stabenow, the Democratic junior senator from Michigan, while in…
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Books The Jewish Message
Earlier this week, Tom Fields-Meyer wrote about reading and thinking about books and took a look at autism and God. His 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: Not long…
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Coaches at Penn State Filmed By Documentarian
Dee Mosbacher, a San Francisco psychiatrist and Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker, has inherited her family’s gift for prescience. Her paternal grandparents, Gertrude (née Schwartz) and Emil Mosbacher, of German Jewish stock, had the foresight to divest their ample stock holdings before the 1929 Wall Street Crash, reaping financial rewards instead from Texas oil investments. This week,…
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Concerns Over Waning Interest in Rabin Death Anniversary
Wednesday marked the 16th anniversary of Yitzhak Rabin’s death, according to the Hebrew calendar, and people in Israel have been mourning the former prime minister all week. But, as we reported last year, interest in the anniversary is waning, raising concerns among some that the warning against political incitement that is implicit in the story…
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Most Popular
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News That whites-only, no Jews allowed Arkansas community is legal, says state’s attorney general. How?
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Opinion Is starvation in Gaza really Israel’s fault? The facts are clear
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Film & TV How Jon Stewart evolved on Israel — at least on ‘The Daily Show’
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Opinion I have the answer to Jon Stewart’s toughest question about Israel
In Case You Missed It
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Antisemitism Decoded How Trump is banning DEI at universities — except for Jews
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Fast Forward Trump fired a commissioner over bad jobs numbers. Nixon targeted a ‘Jewish cabal’ at the same agency
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Looking Forward That time my violin teacher tried to convert me to Christianity
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Fast Forward UK’s largest Jewish group calls Israeli aid to Gaza ‘long overdue,’ months after disciplining members for criticizing Israel
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