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
-
A Universe of Printers
Crossposted from Haaretz Sculptor Oz Malul has created a universe out of computer printers at the Center for Contemporary Art in Tel Aviv. Dismantled, defective or broken printers of various ages move in a kind of repetitive, mechanical dance, in time to the sounds they create. They are also attached to other objects or pieces…
-
When Valerie Jarrett Revealed Her Jewish Roots
The White House can add one more senior staffer to its list of advisers with Jewish roots, and it is an unlikely name. Valerie Jarrett, President Obama’s senior adviser and assistant for intergovernmental affairs and public engagement, disclosed her Jewish ancestry to a Jewish gathering on Monday. Speaking on behalf of the administration at the…
-
Monday Music: John Zorn Goes Beyond Collage With ‘Interzone’
In 2006, when the MacArthur Foundation bestowed its “Genius” award on John Zorn, the panel of judges only underscored what many fans already knew. Zorn’s extensive output as a composer of avant-garde music, a first-rate saxophone player, and a leader of a group of downtown New York musicians, has been vastly important and influential. His…
The Latest
-
The Happiest Man in America Is a Jew
Not only is being Jewish good for your health, it makes you happier, too. At the request of the New York Times, the Gallup research organization has put together a profile of “the happiest person in America,” a demographic composite based on surveys the company has conducted daily among 1,000 U.S. adults for the last…
-
The Long and Indie Road
Crossposted from Haaretz “Would you like to see what I have in my bag?” asks Noga Shalev at the start of our meeting in a bustling Tel Aviv bar before pulling a flute out and starting to play. Perhaps because of the noise, no one in the bar notices, but even if they did notice,…
-
Out and About: Saul Bellow’s Politics; iTalmud, Reviewed
Ruth R. Wisse reflects on decades of political disputes with Saul Bellow. James Levine will be leaving his post as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Rahm Emanuel talks to the Tribune about his plans for the arts in Chicago. Former Pink Floyd bassist and singer Roger Waters has decided to boycott Israel. DovBear…
-
This Week in Forward Arts and Culture
A.J. Goldmann talks to Israeli filmmaker Jonathan Sagall, about his new film “Lipstikka,” which recently premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival. Jan Ellen Spiegel looks at a new exhibit of Jewish-themed art by Norman Gorbaty, who is just being discovered at the age of 78. Benjamin Ivry revisits the legacy of hotel architect Morris…
-
Will Galliano Go To Jail?
John Galliano could be headed from the fashion house to the big house. French prosecutors have confirmed they’ll [press charges][1] against the disgraced designer, who was fired from Christian Dior this week after the release of a video that showed him launching an anti-Semitic tirade at a Paris cafe last fall. Galliano told shocked onlookers,…
-
Name of Sacha Baron Cohen’s Baby Revealed!
Actress Isla Fisher is taking this whole Judaism thing seriously. The “Wedding Crashers” star and her husband, “Borat” comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, have reportedly named their second child Elula, after the sixth month of the Hebrew calendar. The name is a female form of Elul, which usually falls in the late summer or early fall….
-
Friday Film: Bringing War Criminals to Justice in Sierra Leone
In 1991, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) began a bloody insurgency against the government of Sierra Leone. The resulting conflict lasted 11 years and caused more than a third of the population to flee; thousands more were killed by guerillas or had limbs forcefully amputated by machete. In the wake of the crisis, the U.N….
-
Books Reimagining the Talmud
Earlier this week, Aaron Roller, an editor of Mima’amakim, wrote about the Jewish Austin Powers and the Jewish poetry conspiracy. 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: I knew…
Explore
Most Popular
- 1
Film & TV The new ‘Superman’ is being called anti-Israel, but does that make it pro-Palestine?
- 2
Fast Forward Tucker Carlson calls for stripping citizenship from Americans who served in the Israeli army
- 3
Opinion This German word explains Trump’s authoritarian impulses — and Hitler’s rise to power
- 4
Music ‘No matter what, I will always be a Jew.’ Billy Joel opens up about his family’s Holocaust history
In Case You Missed It
-
Culture Rabbi, get your gun
-
Opinion How I got AI to create fake Nazi memos — and what that means for the future of antisemitism
-
Fast Forward How the Jewish commandment to ‘be fruitful and multiply’ could help a woman challenge Kentucky’s abortion ban in court
-
Yiddish ווידעאָ: יוטוב־פּערזענלעכקייט רעדט אויף ייִדיש וועגן אַ משפּחה־טראַגעדיעVIDEO: Youtube personality speaks in Yiddish about a tragedy in the family
מאַטי מענדלאָוויטשעס ברודער, וואָס האָט יאָרן לאַנג געליטן פֿון דעפּרעסיע, האָט הײַיאָר זיך גענומען דאָס לעבן. .
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism
