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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Governor of Hawaii Consults Rabbis on Civil Unions
“Why don’t you just talk to the rabbi?” Jewish Republican governor of Hawaii Linda Lingle seems to be heeding this advice — a favorite of my mother’s. A bill legalizing civil unions in Hawaii is on her desk, and her deadline for deciding whether to veto it is drawing near. According to an article by…
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Whatever Happened to Jack Hamesh?
A new literary mystery has emerged with the publication by Suhrkamp Verlag in Germany of 11 love letters, dated 1946-47, by Jack Hamesh, a young Viennese Jewish émigré, to the noted Austrian poet Ingeborg Bachmann, who was then 18. Hamesh, born c. 1920, had fled Vienna in 1938 on one of the Kindertransport to England,…
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Forward Takes Home 11 ‘Jewish Pulitzers’
The Forward took home a record 11 honors at the annual conference of the American Jewish Press Association, held this year in Scottsdale, Ariz. The Simon Rockower Awards for Excellence in Jewish Journalism, the Jewish media’s top honor, were presented June 16 at a banquet dinner, attended by writers, editors and publishers from dozens of…
The Latest
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‘Hipsters and Hassids’ Unite on Canvas
The hipster and Hasid communities go together like peanut butter and, well, gefilte fish. From the glaring cultural clashes, to the battle of the bicycles, the chosen people and their artsy, gaunt neighbors have not exactly achieved a harmonious blend over the years. But on May 27 on the Lower East Side, the two worlds…
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In America, Flavored Hummus Reigns Supreme
There is likely no food more iconic across the Middle East than the delicious and nutty chickpea, tahini, lemon and garlic puree that is authentic hummus. In Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon and most other countries in the region, it is a crucial part of social, as well as food, culture, with each country producing its…
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The Witty Inclemency of Clement Freud
When Sir Clement Freud died last spring in London, the U.K. media’s outpouring of affection surprised some readers. A grandson of Sigmund Freud who was no longer on speaking terms with his brother, the painter Lucian Freud, Sir Clement was a journalist, bon vivant, television personality, and onetime Member of Parliament, but none of his…
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New York Filmmaker Tries To Capture City’s Changing Accent
As a young girl, filmmaker Heather Quinlan ate her first knish during a visit with her father to the Staten Island Zoo — an Irish family eating a Jewish food in an Italian borough. At the time, she didn’t see the irony. But now, Quinlan, who hails from the Bronx, is making “If These Knishes…
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Candidate Talks Nazis with Reporter and Promptly Regrets It
It’s hard to have sympathy for a seasoned politician who says something obviously inappropriate to a reporter. Really hard. Particularly when he compares his opponent to Nazi Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels. Jerry Brown, the 72-year-old California State Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial candidate, was stopped while jogging several days ago by radio reporter Doug…
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Bloomsday Celebrations Worldwide
June 16th is Bloomsday, the day on which all the activities of Leopold Bloom, protagonist of James Joyce’s novel “Ulysses,” occur. Bloom, as Joyce fanatics will tell you, is the son of Rudolf Virág, a Hungarian Jew from Szombathely who changed his name to Rudolph Bloom upon immigrating to Ireland. Joyce based his portrait in…
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National Bible Museum to Open With 1000 Torahs
Steve Green, the president of crafts store chain Hobby Lobby, loves the Bible. How much? Somewhere in the realm of 30 million dollars. A devoted Pentecostal Christian, Green wants to use his family’s sizeable fortune to create a 300,000 square foot National Bible Museum that brings to life the history of his favorite book. Green’s…
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"The Hangover’s" Zach Galifianakis in "The Incredible Mr. Limpet"
A milquetoast man, Henry Limpet is transformed into an animated fish that helps the U.S. Navy fight German submarines during World War II. He also falls in love. We know, we know, it’s hard to imagine a sillier premise for a film. But in 1964, Don Knotts starred as the character in the film “The…
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Music Anyone who tells you that you shouldn’t meet your heroes never met Jill Sobule
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Culture As Mel Brooks turns 99, his wisdom matters more than ever
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