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
-
Clinton Wedding: It’s More Jewish Than You Think
As Jews across America wait with bated breath to find out whether Chelsea will join the tribe (next question: Bar Mitzvahs for the children?) and the interfaith pair prepares for their world-famous nuptials rumored to be in Rhinebeck, NY let’s take a moment to remember: Now is not the first time Jewish eyes have zeroed…
-
Painting Stolen by Nazis Goes On View
After 10 years of a nomadic existence through state and federal courts, Egon Schiele’s “Portrait of Wally” can finally rest in peace. As determined by a July 20 court settlement, the painting, which was stolen from the estate of Jewish art dealer Lea Bondi Jaray by a Nazi agent in the 1930s, was purchased for…
-
Leader of Egyptian Jewish Community Goes MIA
Roman Polanski, step aside: If we believe the Egyptian press, there’s another elderly Jew on the lam – only this time, no minors and no sexual misconduct are involved. Just a whole lot of cash. Over the weekend, JTA reported that Carmen Weinstein, the leader of Egypt’s dwindling Jewish community, was MIA and had allegedly…
The Latest
-
Religious Conflict in the Bedroom at the Midtown Theatre Festival
Summer means many things to the New York theater community: epically long lines at the Delecorte for whatever Shakespeare in the Park production has the biggest names; the closing of many sleepy last-season hits; and of course the plethora of festivals packing Off-Off Broadway houses citywide. Like its downtown counterpart, the Fringe Festival, the Midtown…
-
Michael Jackson’s Affinity for Nazis and Judy Garland
There was probably just one screening room in 1990s America — and maybe on the planet — where a triple feature might have included a Judy Garland flick, a movie about troubled adolescent boys and a Nazi documentary like “Hitler’s Children”. Its unlikely location, according to a report in the New York Post, was the…
-
The Canadian Führer
While the notorious British anti-Semites Oswald Mosley and Henry Hamilton Beamish have been discussed and analyzed thoroughly, Canada’s leading Fascist, Adrien Arcand, has not. Strongly influenced by Mosley and Beamish’s activities in England (Mosley founded the British Union of Fascists while Beamish served as the vice president of the Imperial Fascist League), Arcand spewed out…
-
Clinton Wedding: So, Who’s the Guy?
If you’ve been reading all of the Chelsea Clinton-Marc Mezvinsky wedding news and wondering, “Chelsea who?”, then happy fifth birthday. But for everyone else, the big question is: Who is this Marc fellow, and how did he win the heart of America’s least drunk first daughter? 1) Marc is the Jewish half of this interfaith…
-
A Tale of Two Prisoners
The historian Jean-Noël Jeanneney is mostly known as the author of “Google and the Myth of Universal Knowledge: A View from Europe” (University of Chicago Press), a 2006 attack on the search giant’s book digitization project. But Jeanneney, who is the former president of France’s notoriously user-unfriendly Bibliothèque nationale, is also the author of many…
-
Torah Animals Fill a Brooklyn Museum
Noah built an ark. Rabbi Shaul Shimon Deutsch built a Borough Park taxidermy museum in a brownstone and filled it, he claims, with every animal mentioned in the Torah — 350 specimens in all. An article in The Brooklyn Ink details Torah Animal World, which will be complete once Deutsch puts the finishing touches on…
-
NBA Star Heads to Israel
While Jewish New York Knicks fans may wonder if signing NBA superstar Amare Stoudemire was worth the $100 million price tag, as well as the loss of all-star center and all-around mentsch David Lee, they can at least take comfort in the fact that the 6-foot-10-inch power forward has taken an interest in Judaism. Stoudemire,…
-
Solomon’s Temple To Be Rebuilt… in Sao Paulo
Three times each day, strictly observant Jews pray for the rebuilding of the Temple. Their prayers have been answered. King Solomon’s Temple, which was destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BCE, is finally going to be rebuilt — in Sao Paulo. The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, a Brazilian Pentecostal church that claims…
Explore
Most Popular
- 1
Fast Forward Rep. Max Miller says driver called him a ‘dirty Jew’ and threatened to kill his family. A local doctor turned himself in.
- 2
News An Alabama millionaire offered Jews $50,000 to move to his town. 16 years later, what’s left?
- 3
Culture Why is Israel’s attack on Iran called ‘Rising Lion’ — and what does the Bible have to do with it?
- 4
News As Israel attacks, what is life like for Jews in Iran?
In Case You Missed It
-
Culture How a Jewish reporter like me got addicted to Christian media
-
Opinion Israeli leaders are using Holocaust comparisons to justify attacks on Iran. Is that kosher?
-
Fast Forward Over half of Jewish students at Columbia experienced discrimination and exclusion after Oct. 7, survey shows
-
Fast Forward Journalist board of Shtetl, news site covering haredi Orthodoxy, resigns after founder renounces mission
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism
