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
-
Get Your Kosher Cupcakes!
If you’re starting to dread that cupboard full of bland matzo and granular honey cake mix, rest assured that Crumbs Bake Shop, the seven-year-old cupcake boutique with a cult following, has you covered. In celebration of the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt, the chain is offering a Passover Collection, which includes four divinely themed flavors. There’s…
-
The Great Matzo Ball-Eating Contest
The question is not: How is this night is different from all other nights? Rather: How many matzo balls can you eat? Those who are in need of inspiration in this department may greatly benefit from watching Faye Lederman’s documentary “Hold the Soup,” which is now being featured at the Seattle’s Jewish Film Festival. As…
-
Rothko Red on Broadway
James Logan’s new play “Red” about abstract painter Mark Rothko, which has just opened on Broadway, begins with an unobstructed view of Alfred Molina’s back. Molina as Rothko, staring at his own painting, begins to pontificate — and this, in essence, is the central image of the play: a self-absorbed artist/genius who turns away from…
The Latest
-
Soulful Seder Soundtrack
Take a shmear of Diaspora Soul, a bisele Indie Rock, a brekl archive recording, a kapike of hazanut, a shtikl of gospel, a zemdl of hip hop and a couple of soul legends, mix together with the sort of free time that comes with no obvious means of support and you have the Idelsohn Society’s…
-
Heard Fresh: Innovative Jazz Pianist Fred Hersch
The Cincinnati-born Jewish jazz pianist Fred Hersch, who will be giving a much-anticipated solo concert on March 31 at New York’s Weill Recital Hall, has been scaling barriers for decades. One of the few openly gay musicians in the surprisingly closeted and macho world of jazz, Hersch has also been HIV-positive since 1986, conquering many…
-
Brightly Lit: Illuminated Traveling Texts
For centuries, the people of the book have also been a people perpetually on the move. Always, Jews took their books with them, writing and reading as they traveled. And, despite widespread assumptions about Judaism’s historically ambiguous relationship vis-à-vis painting and drawing, many of these books — manuscripts and printed works alike — were lavishly…
-
Books Sherman Alexie Beats Lorrie Moore
Last night Sherman Alexie beat Lorrie Moore and Barbara Kingsolver. And people applauded as he did so. A shonda? No, just the shortlist at the presentation of the PEN/Faulkner award for fiction on March 23. Alexie, the Native American writer, won for “War Dances.” Lorrie Moore lost for “A Gate at the Stairs” and Barbara…
-
Wino Loves Her ‘VaJew-Jew’
And under the category of Too Much Information, we have Amy Winehouse talking about her vagina, or as she calls it, her VaJew-Jew. The troubled singer was tapped to back a campaign launched by the alternative feminine hygiene product Mooncup, which is aiming to create a dialogue about women’s lady parts. Mooncup, an a reusable…
-
Food Programs Define Israeli Cuisine
If you think Israeli food comprises just hummus, falafel and shawarma you have a lot to learn (and taste). Modern Israeli cuisine is hip, fresh, local and heavily influenced by the loads of immigrants living there. For your convenience, we’ve found two food programs, both happening this week, sure to bring you and your taste…
-
Dan Senor: In or Out?
I’ve been finishing up work on a profile for this week’s paper on Dan Senor, who is reportedly getting ready to run for a U.S. Senate seat from New York. Multiple sources have been reporting that the former Bush administration appointee is set to throw his hat in the ring against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, the…
-
C-SPAN’s Middle East Treasure Trove
In recent days, I’ve spent way too much time geeking out on C-SPAN’s video library, which was recently put online in its entirety. The virtual library, home to 160,000 hours of video, is a treasure trove — not to mention a great procrastination vehicle — for political junkies of all stripes. And there’s plenty for…
Explore
Most Popular
- 1
News Exclusive: ADL chief compares student protesters to ISIS and al-Qaeda in address to Republican officials
- 2
News A Jewish farmer drove 600 miles to rescue a century-old synagogue. Now he’s building a new one in a cornfield.
- 3
Opinion Pete Hegseth is targeting a Jewish American hero — who’s next?
- 4
Opinion The two things I fear most after the horrifying attack on Jews in Boulder
In Case You Missed It
-
Culture That time Yiddishists met extraterrestrials a short while ago in a galaxy not far away
-
Opinion Were the attacks in Boulder and D.C. the product of ‘blood libel’? Not so fast
-
News Exclusive: ADL chief compares student protesters to ISIS and al-Qaeda in address to Republican officials
-
Culture In the Trump-Musk feud, both sides are united by antisemitism
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism
