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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Comcast To Debut Holocaust Film Series
Comcast, which bills itself as “one of the world’s leading media, entertainment and communications companies,” is about to launch an on-demand series of films connected to Steven Spielberg. But don’t expect “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Instead, as The New York Times reports today, Philadelphia-based Comcast “is distributing 10 films about the Holocaust in a…
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National Poetry Month: Hebrew, Arabic, and Dead Poets
Among the most original contemporary Israeli poets is Almog Behar, a Jerusalemite in his early 30s. His story “Ana Min Al-Yahoud” (“I am one of the Jews”), which won the Haaretz Short Story competition in 2005, in many ways defined his artistic and poetic practice: incorporating the Arabic heritage of his ancestors (who made their…
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Monday Music: Pilgrimage to Timbuktu
In geographic space the farthest city from New York is Perth, Australia, but in mental space the farthest is certainly Timbuktu. The Malian city sits on the southern border of the Sahara Desert and is so distant that schoolchildren name it as an impossible place. Dictionaries define it as “the most distant place imaginable” or…
The Latest
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Books As Jewish as a Hillel Sandwich
Austin Ratner‘s first book, “The Jump Artist,” is the winner of the 2011 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature. 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: When I learned…
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Out and About: Eichmann, 50 Years Later; Israel on the (Art) World Stage
Israeli authors such as David Grossman and Amos Oz are protesting their government’s decision to deport Palestinian bookstore owner Munther Fahmi. A 2,000-year-old synagogue in the Libyan town of Yefren is said to have been destroyed by government forces. On the 50th anniversary of the Eichmann Trial, Deborah E. Lipstadt looks at six of the…
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This Week in Forward Arts and Culture
Philologos decides it’s time for a snack. Philip Lutz listens in on “If a White Horse From Jerusalem” by jazz composer Bret Zvacek, featuring saxophonist and Miles Davis collaborator David Liebman. Mladen Petrov peruses the work of third generation Polish Holocaust writers. Jay Michaelson surveys this year’s new crop of Haggadot. Jillian Steinhauer investigates Dalvador…
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Prolific Director Sidney Lumet Dead at 86
Sidney Lumet, the acclaimed director more than 50 films, died April 9 in Manhattan at the age of 86. Best known for taut psychodramas such as “Serpico” (1973), “Dog Day Afternoon” (1975), “Network” (1976) and “The Verdict” (1982), Lumet’s work demonstrated an enduring interest in social realism and the difficulty of obtaining justice, a concern…
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Julian Assange: New Revelations Will Rock Israel
After keeping a relatively low profile in recent months, Julian Assange has re-emerged with a lengthy interview in this weekend’s edition of Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot. Speaking from the English estate where he’s under house arrest, the Wikileaks founder denied recent accusations of anti-Semitism, and promised more embarrassing revelations on his controversial Web site —…
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Generations of Tradition, and Rare Books
An exhibition of rare Jewish books, now on display at the Jewish Religious Center at Williams College, Massachusetts, marks the center’s 20th anniversary. Alumnus and Jewish art collector Sigmund R. Balka loaned the books — part of his own personal Judaica collection — to the center as a means of honoring its contribution to his…
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Friday Film: ‘Mary Lou’ Is More Than the Israeli ‘Glee’
“Courage is sometimes no more than an outburst of great despair.” Early on, when our hero and narrator delivers the above line, one begins to suspect that “Mary Lou,” the infectious, surprisingly rich new musical drama from Israeli director Eytan Fox, has more to offer than sugary pop escapism, though it is generous on that…
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National Poetry Month: ‘The Grave of Craving’
It’s tempting to read nearly anything by Joy (previously Jay) Ladin against the backdrop of her decision some five years ago to become a woman. That is certainly the case with “The Grave of Craving,” featured today on The Arty Semite as part of our poem-a-day series in honor of National Poetry Month. Taking its…
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