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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The Rosh-Hashanah Beauty Regimen
It sounded a bit like a HEEB parody: SpaMitzvah, a body-care company “Where Gorgeously Yiddish Beauty Reigns Supreme!”, issued a press release this week about a High Holidays-themed body-care line. The “homage to Rosh Hashanah,” with apples-and-honey-inspired body and bath products, “commemorate[s] the sweet treats that are enjoyed at the Jewish New Year,” the press…
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More Accusations From Sara Netanyahu’s Former Employee
Another day, another round of embarrassment for the Netanyahu family. Tara Mela, the Nepalese household worker injured during an argument with Sara Netanyahu, gave a press conference yesterday, in which she alleged further mistreatment by Israel’s first family. A caretaker for Sara Netanyahu’s 96-year-old father, Mela claimed she was fired last night and had not…
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Australian Man Suspected of Grisly Murder in Tel Aviv
Husband-wife trips don’t always work out well, but this one turned out far, far worse than the usual bad vacation. Israeli police were summoned to a hotel room on the 15th floor of Tel Aviv’s Dan Panorama hotel earlier this week to find Australian tourist John Paul Sebastian with the body of his 54-year-old wife,…
The Latest
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Brave New World of Settler Poetry
Crossposted from Haaretz When Elhanan Nir’s first book of poetry was published, he showed it to his father. His father, learned in the Holy Scriptures, examined the book and asked, “Yes, but how do you know all this? On what are you relying? What are your sources?” “The heart,” Nir answered. “My source is the…
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Friday Film: Eichmann in Argentina
Can a murderer be someone with no literal blood on his hands? Someone who never gave a direct order to kill? In the case of Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi leader who organized the transport of millions of Jews to death camps during the Holocaust, the answer was a resounding, unanimous “yes.” After years in hiding,…
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Books Q&A: Vanessa Hidary on Jon Stewart, Dating, and Being the Hebrew Mamita
Those who appreciate Vanessa Hidary’s unique, fierce voice in her solo performances as the Hebrew Mamita can now enjoy her words in print, as well. “The Last Kaiser Roll in the Bodega,” Hidary’s first book, is a compelling compilation that paints a word picture of a bold Jewish woman ahead of her time. It is…
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Books Are E-Books Kosher?
Earlier this week, Wayne Hoffman wrote about a funny thing, the meaning behind the names of a few of his characters, and a gay Jewish reading list. His 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…
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Inside Job Fills the Void on Israel’s Local Punk Scene
Crossposed from Haaretz The Israeli punk scene had some nice successes abroad this summer. Almost every band with a year of experience, some self-confidence and an album in the works went on an overseas tour, which included performances at several big festivals and in many small clubs, in Europe or the United States. But with…
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Out and About: Too Much of Alfred Kazin; Eli Valley Draws His Mom
Oy! Chicago gets fed up with the Millionaire Matchmaker. Mel Brooks talks to Newsweek/The Daily Beast about Jewish humour and the “cloak of gentile correctness.” Jeffrey Shandler writes for Zeek about utopia, nostalgia, and photographer Albert J. Winn’s pictures of abandoned summer camps. In Commentary, Joseph Epstein argues that the publication of Alfred Kazin’s journals…
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Worker Broke Her Own Finger, Netanyahus Say
Israel’s first lady was afraid of her Nepalese employee. That’s the updated version of events from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a day after his publicity team acknowledged that a domestic worker dislocated her finger during an argument with the prime minister’s scandal-prone wife. The still-unnamed worker “responded with an uncontrollable burst…
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Q&A: Director John Madden on Adapting Israeli Thriller ‘The Debt’
John Madden is a British director best known for “Shakespeare in Love,” which won the 1998 Academy Award for Best Picture. His latest film is “The Debt,” opening in theaters today. The film is a remake of the 2007 Israeli movie “Ha-Hov,” about the Mossad hunt for Nazi doctor Dieter Vogel, aka, the “Surgeon of…
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