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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The Cool Vehemence of Daniel Emilfork
Even in France, where screen performers like Fernandel and Michel Simon exulted in their ugliness, the Jewish actor Daniel Emilfork (born Daniel Emilfork Berenstein in Chile; 1924-2006) remains unique. Emilfork’s startlingly bizarre appearance is best known to American film-goers from 1995’s “The City of Lost Children.” In that dystopian fantasy film, Emilfork gave an uncharacteristically…
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Books Fuggin’ Addendum: More Kupferberg
Tuli Kupferberg — 86 year old beat poet, musician and activist, and famed leader of the avant-folk band The Fugs — has been on the news lately. An article on him appeared in the New York Times in late January , another piece was published here, in the Forward just last week, and Tablet carried…
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Smoked Salmon No Longer Kosher
It’s Karp vs. Salmon in the strange story of the Israeli rabbi who declared salmon non-kosher. If you thought Rabbinic ruling which pronounced New York water treyf was not odd enough, in recent weeks Rabbi Moshe Karp of Modi’in Illit (Israel) damned salmon, halibut and flounder as no longer kosher due to Anisakis, a tiny…
The Latest
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Eat Kike’s Treyf (pron. "Keekay")
There’s something about street food and the word “kike.” On November 19, 2009 I blogged about San Francisco’s “Kike on a Bike” and now, not to be outdone, Los Angeles has offered us “Kike’s Tacos.” Though often an antisemitic slur KUOR assures us that, in this case, Kike is pronounced “Keekay” and is a regular…
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From YouTube to Broadway
Singer-songwriter Michelle Citrin, perhaps best known for her YouTube hits “Rosh Hashanah Girl” and “20 Things to Do with Matzah,” has the Internet to thank for her latest gig: composer and lyricist for the Broadway-bound “Sleepless in Seattle: The Musical,” set to debut February 2011. The show’s producer, David Shor, saw her YouTube postings and…
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‘Ajami’ Co-Director Says He Does Not Represent Israel
Since everything in Israel ultimately boils down to politics, it was only a matter of time before “Ajami,” the Israeli movie nominated for an Oscar, would be thrust into the fray. And what a better time to do so than hours before the film’s creators walk down the red carpet, waiting for the envelope to…
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For the Unlikely Stars of ‘Ajami,’ Hollywood Is a Balancing Act
The actors of the Oscar-nominated Israeli film, “Ajami” are trying to soak up as much glamour as they can in America’s movie capital. It’s not only their first time in Hollywood; it’s their first time in America. “Ajami” cast members are not professional actors. Most are Arab residents of Ajami — a violence-stricken neighborhood of…
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More Jewish Conspiracies? Avent and Microsoft
We’re convinced that all these Jewish conspiracy theories originate with an in joke. For instance, anyone with a young child, sleep deprivation and a history of working in the Jewish media would see how infant-product company Avent is a secret Jewish cabal. And furthermore, a few weeks ago, Darren Garnick spotted the uncanny resemblance of…
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Secretary Clinton Urged To Press Israel To Remove Israel’s New Barrier — Against Foreign Gefilte Fish
As if Secretary of State Hillary Clinton doesn’t already have enough trouble with Israel, now this: Clinton is now expected to put some pressure on the Israelis once again, this time not because of the settlements, but because of gefilte fish. Turns out that Israel has imposed a 120% import duty on processed gefilte fish…
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Books A Gangster Grows in Brooklyn
Somehow I missed this when it appeared in November, but Purim seems as good a time as any to catch up on a book whose title character (sort of) is named “Shushan Cats.” “The Iron Will of Shoeshine Cats” is a novel by Hesh Kestin (previously the European bureau chief for Forbes), which takes place…
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Israelis Drink More Alcohol, Eat More American Food
We may be in the midst of an economic crisis, but it seems there’s at least one good business to be in. Food imports to Israel are growing out of proportion to the overall growth of the Israeli food market. The Israeli food market grew by 2.3% in 2008, to $14.4 billion. But food imports…
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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?