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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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Most Popular
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Holy Ground A Jewish farmer broke ground on a synagogue in an Illinois cornfield. His neighbors showed up to help.
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Opinion I discovered anti-Zionism at the University of Michigan. I’m glad it lives on there
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Opinion An alarming new battleground in campus fights over Israel
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News Middlebury College Hillel votes to rebrand, distancing from parent group on Israel
In Case You Missed It
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Opinion I run The Jewish Theological Seminary. Here’s the real story about President Isaac Herzog speaking at our commencement
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Opinion Outrage over Nicholas Kristof’s op-ed on sexual assault of Palestinians is missing the point
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News Why do some people think Mike Lawler is Jewish?
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Art At the Venice Biennale, protests, self-mutilation and rage against Israel and Russia. Is anyone left to talk about the art?