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 Anti-Puppet Master
Crossposted from Haaretz “I have a small obsession: to get dancers to take their bodies and brains farther,” says choreographer Jacopo Godani. “An animal-like, emotional and physical approach to dancing is very important, but if the brain does not control the body, the body has a tendency to repeat its movements. Unfortunately, most dancers are…
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Out and About: The New York Times Goes to KlezKamp; New Hanukkah Song From Matisyahu
Casting has begun for an Israeli version of Sex and the City. The latest issue of Jewish Quarterly features articles on Charlie Chaplin, Bob Dylan, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, and Prostitution in Yiddish Song. At ZEEK, Louis Greenspan re-discovers Jewish philosopher Salomon Maimon. The New York Times discovers KlezKamp. Ingrid Pitt, a British horror movie…
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This Week in Forward Arts and Culture
Stephen Hazan Arnoff reviews two new books on Bob Dylan. Joshua Furst goes to see the current revival of Tony Kushner’s “Angels in America.” Philologos tries out Cockney rhyming slang. Benjamin Ivry watches the films of documentarian and social critic Frederick Wiseman. Gerald Sorin examines a collection of new American Jewish fiction. Devra Ferst looks…
The Latest
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Books 30 Days, 30 Texts: ‘Nine Talmudic Readings’
In celebration of Jewish Book Month, The Arty Semite is partnering with the Jewish Education Service of North America (JESNA) and the Jewish Book Council to present “30 Days, 30 Texts,” a series of reflections by community leaders on the books that influenced their Jewish journeys. Today, Ari Weiss writes about “Nine Talmudic Readings” by…
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A Jewish WAC Writes Home, Exuberantly
It may seem odd to describe a collection of letters home from war-torn Europe as cheerfully high-spirited, but Mollie Weinstein Schaffer, born in Detroit in 1916, belongs to a zesty, can-do generation. Enlisting in the Women’s Army Corps (WACs), Schaffer faithfully wrote home to her family from 1943 through 1945, in letters now edited by…
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Books Not a Historical Record
Earlier this week, Ruth Franklin wrote about sharing a stage with Yann Martel and discussed whether anything new can be said about the Holocaust. She is the author of “A Thousand Darknesses: Lies and Truth in Holocaust Fiction.” Her blog posts are being featured this week on The Arty Semite courtesy of the Jewish Book…
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Books 30 Days, 30 Texts: ‘I and Thou’
In celebration of Jewish Book Month, The Arty Semite is partnering with the Jewish Education Service of North America (JESNA) and the Jewish Book Council to present “30 Days, 30 Texts,” a series of reflections by community leaders on the books that influenced their Jewish journeys. Today, Jonathan Woocher writes about “I and Thou” by…
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Israeli Documentary Shortlisted for Oscar
Crossposted from Haaretz Israeli documentary “Precious Life” was shortlisted for the Best Documentary Film category in the 83rd Academy Awards, alongside 15 feature documentaries. Director Shlomi Eldar’s moving film documents a saga involving a breathtaking race to save the life of a desperately ill Palestinian baby. The baby’s militant mother, an Israeli doctor and Eldar,…
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Why Is Jewish ‘X-Factor’ Contestant So Unpopular?
Kate Middleton, fiancée of Prince William, is old news. The British public is fixated on another celebrity Kate — a 24-year-old Jewish woman named Katie Waissel. Rarely in the history of television talent shows has so much attention been focused on a single contestant. Waissel is a singer on the television show “ X-Factor,” the…
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Wishing You an Automated Hanukkah
The Robotics Laboratory at Ben Gurion University of the Negev has dreamed up eight Hanukkah robots. They include the Lat-K, which harnesses solar energy to cook latkes; Menoroctopod, an eight-armed robot, and Mecha-B which defends the People of Israel. See all eight robots in this fun video.
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Bernard Zakheim’s Murals for Justice
Was Bernard Zakheim the Jewish Diego Rivera? A new exhibit, “Zakheim: The Art of Prophetic Justice,” at San Francisco’s Jazz Heritage Center and the adjacent Lush Life Gallery until December 30, celebrates the life and painting of Bernard Zakheim (1896-1985). Through panels that recount the artist’s achievements and a display of his paintings, the San…
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