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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Texas Lawmaker: ‘Don’t Try To Jew Them Down’
Rep. Larry Taylor, who is running for the Texas Senate in 2012, used a Jewish slur as he spoke in a Texas state legislative committee hearing on Thursday, and then issued an apology. Having realized that telling Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, “Don’t nitpick, don’t try to Jew them down,” was not appropriate, he quickly said,…
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Report: Smugglers Stealing Migrants’ Organs
Egyptian Bedouin smugglers are reportedly killing African migrants who are attempting to infiltrate into Israel for their organs. More precisely, the Bedouins are drugging migrants who cannot pay their high smuggling fees, opening them up, harvesting their organs, and then leaving them to die in the Sinai. According to The Jerusalem Post, the Al-Arish-based New…
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Architecture Museum to Open in Haifa
Crossposted from Haaretz Director Amos Gitai, one of the best-known figures in the Israeli cinema, is establishing Israel’s first museum of architecture. Slated to open in March of next year in Haifa, in cooperation with the local municipality, it will be housed in the studio where Gitai’s father, Munio Gitai Weinraub, used to work. Gitai…
The Latest
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Heirs Seek Return of Stolen Modigliani Painting
The Helly Nahmad Gallery in New York is not saying whether it is in possession of a famous and highly valuable 1918 painting by Amedeo Modigliani. Heirs to the original owner of the artwork, which was stolen and auctioned off by the Nazis in 1944, are suing Nahmad for its return or its “fair market…
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Poems of a Decaying Shul
“In the ruin, history has physically merged into the setting. And in this guise history does not assume the form of the process of an eternal life so much as that of irresistible decay.” So in “Allegory and Trauerspiel” Walter Benjamin explained the complex, romantic appeal ruins hold for us. New York poet Pinny Bulman,…
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Q&A: Brett Ratner on Yeshiva and ‘Tower Heist’
Brett Ratner not only provides material for a good story, he even writes the headlines. “Your headline should be: ‘Yeshiva Prepared Ratner To Be Director,’” he said during a phone interview with The Arty Semite. Happily, yeshiva did a good job. Ratner is most famous for the “Rush Hour” trilogy of films. His latest comedy…
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Clerics’ Sermons Spread Messages of… Safe Driving
It’s one of the most politically charged subjects in Israel and the West Bank: what imams choose to preach about. The Israeli authorities have long been concerned about what they call “incitement” in sermons. But it seems that some imams aren’t only steering clear of radical politics, but are actually taking a path that rabbis…
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Jerusalem’s Top Johns: Which Toilets Make Cut?
Call it Porcelain Tourism. Online news service Israel21c has released its pick of Jerusalem’s best public toilets. Israel21c culled its list of recommended WCs from a Hebrew-only list of 40 public restrooms on the city of Jerusalem’s municipal website. “The Old City alone has 13 public johns spread across the Jewish and Muslim quarters,” Israel21C…
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Canada Hockey Night Comes to Israel
Toronto native Danny Spodek grew up with “hockey night” in Canada. Now, thanks to his efforts, there is such a thing as hockey night in Israel, too. That night is on Thursday, when Israeli immigrants from North America meet on the ice rink at Canada Centre in Metula — way up at the northern tip…
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It’s Too Early To Criticize Gilad Shalit
That didn’t take long. Gilad Shalit is now fair game for criticism, so it seems. Shas Minister Meshulam Nahari publicly condemned Shalit for going to the beach on his first Sabbath out of captivity, instead of going to synagogue. So reports Ynet. Well I don’t know about you, but I’d say it’s fair that after…
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Ending the Lack of Occupation in Jerusalem
Crossposted from Haaretz Uri Even-Haim has a thing for abandoned homes. Each week, the fifth-year architecture student at the Bezalel Academy sets off around the capital’s downtown in search of forgotten buildings whose owners have disappeared. “Usually, they are old Jerusalem homes, beautiful buildings with stone arches or unique features,” he said. “Sometimes they hide…
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