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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Berlin Displays ‘Degenerate’ Art Banned By Nazis
Crossposted from Haaretz Eleven sculptures classified as “degenerate art” by Hitler’s Nazis more than 70 years ago went on display at Berlin’s New Museum yesterday after being unearthed at a building site in the city center. Among the surprise finds, which date from the early 20th century, are bronzes by Otto Baum, Marg Moll, Edwin…
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Henry Ford and the Coin of the Realm
Crossposted From Under the Fig Tree Right on the heels of last week’s post about the relationship of Jews and capitalism comes this cold dose of historical reality: Henry Ford’s claim that the Jews controlled the Federal Reserve Board. I had known, of course, that the automobile tycoon was no friend of the Jews, but…
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Making Home Movies in Interwar Poland
When the anti-immigration laws of the early 1920s effectively sealed the gates of the United States to would-be immigrants, the Jews of Eastern Europe who had arrived en masse between 1880 and 1920 could no longer hope to see their loved ones join them in America. Instead, those who could afford to traveled abroad, visiting…
The Latest
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Books 30 Days, 30 Texts: ‘The White Boy Shuffle’
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, Aaron Bisman writes about “The White Boy Shuffle”…
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E-mail Etiquette: Forget Signing Off With Sincerely, Instead Try "Stay Jewish"
Looking to subtly promote Judaism and set yourself apart from the crowd? David Hirshley, executive vice president at HarperCollins, sets a fine example. The VP often sights his e-mails with the mantra, “Stay Jewish.” But Hirshley admits to the New York Times that he prefers to use the line with “friends who are Gentiles” and…
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Sculptures Deemed ‘Degenerate’ By Nazis To Go on Display in Berlin
Underground art is getting new exposure in Berlin. A trove of sculptures labeled as “degenerate” by the Nazis — and buried after the Reich confiscated the offending work from galleries — will go on display this week after an excavation turned them up near Berlin’s city hall, the UK Guardian reports. The collection of 10…
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Sarah Silverman Sets a Low Bar for her Upcoming Nude Scene
Two weeks ago New York Magazine was hobnobbing with Los Angeles’ finest at the launch of Rainn Wilson’s (of “The Office” fame) spiritual new book, “Soul Pancake.” Among those who came out to support Wilson’s literary endeavors, including jugglers, musicians, and famous faces from “The Office,” was actress and comedian Sarah Silverman. New York Magazine…
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Chilean Miners Headed to Israel for Christmas
When the Chilean miners surfaced, Israel’s tourism minister, Stas Misezhnikov, invited them on an all-expenses-paid trip to Israel over Christmas. “Your bravery and strength of spirit, your great faith that helped you survive so long in the bowels of the earth, was an inspiration to us all,” he wrote, before inviting them to the “Land…
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Inmates Rights Violated When Given Vegan Instead of Kosher Meals
Instead of whipping up a kosher meal, you serve your observant guests a vegan dish. Is that a crime? It is according to federal Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson, at least if your “guests” are there involuntarily. The Indiana jurist ruled this week that her state’s Department of Corrections violated federal law when it substituted vegan meals…
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George Soros Bets Big on Female Condoms
Jewish billionaire and philanthropist George Soros tends to cast his lot with controversial political causes, like the ongoing AIPAC-JStreet battle royale or, more recently, California’s unsuccessful Proposition 19. But the Hungarian-born hedge-fund manager is still a businessman. Soros Fund Management revealed some new investments last week, including a rather curious 5.1 percent — 1.3 million…
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A Hotel for Orthodox Jews Opens in Brooklyn
With new properties from giants Marriott and Starwood competing with indies like Smith Street’s NU and and Park Slope’s Le Bleu, Brooklyn’s hotel market is sizzling. So how can an upstart hotel compete? For the spanking-new Condor hotel in Williamsburg, according to real-estate site Curbed.com, the edge comes from amenities like wig stands and a…
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Opinion The righteous rabbis protesting those immigration raids in Los Angeles
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Fast Forward Israel recovers remains of Thai farmworker abducted on Oct. 7 from Gaza
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Yiddish World How my grandparents met: a Yiddish-American romance
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Yiddish אַ טור פֿון דער אויסשטעלונג „מגילת־אסתּר אין דער רעמבראַנדט־תּקופֿה“ — אויף ייִדיש!A tour of “The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt” exhibit — in Yiddish!
אין דער אויסשטעלונג געפֿינען זיך 120 מאָלערײַען פֿון דער פּורים־העלדין, געמאָלט פֿון די האָלענדישע קונסטמײַסטערס.
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