So why write about Barbra Streisand? When I was approached to write a volume in a series of book-length biographical essays on Jewish lives, being published by Yale University Press, I was given the liberty to choose whomever I wanted. I took that responsibility seriously. Going in, frankly, I wasn’t a huge fan of Streisand’s…
On a scale of 1-10, how set is the Jewish holiday calendar? We’re asking because we’d like to propose a new chag. April 24 is Barbra Streisand’s 74th birthday and in honor of the original Queen B’s special day, we made a list of what it is, exactly, that makes our Babs so special. 1)…
Remember when Adrian Brody laid a big smooch on Halle Berry after winning best actor for “The Pianist”? Or Barbra Streisand, clad in a black see-through number, looked lovingly down at her Oscar and said, “Hello gorgeous”? Well, we certainly do. We culled through many, many YouTube clips to track down the five most memorable…
If you haven’t heard of Lorraine Schwartz, you must not be keeping up with the Kardashians. Or Beyonce, or Barbra Streisand, or Angelina Jolie: just some of the celebrities Schwartz considers her closest friends and clients. Every awards season, fashion houses clamor to dress each starlet, from Hollywood royalty to the next “It” girl. But…
Barack Obama got his Yiddish on during a Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony for Barbra Streisand. Honoring the iconic singer/actress, Obama noted her “chutzpah” as a young Jewish-American Broadway star and for selling more albums in the United States than any other woman. “I’m getting all verklempt just thinking about it,” the president said, using…
Did you cry during “Love Story”? Sing along to “Funny Girl”? Swoon over “The Way We Were”? For that, and a lot more, you can thank Sue Mengers. Before this badass lady came along, talent agents were basically baby-sitters to the stars: you tried to keep them in line, and if that failed, you prayed…
Halfway through my visit to the Jewish Museum, someone thought to turn down the Barbra Streisand. Or maybe I just got used to it. Either way, it was a blessing. For, the sound of Babs belting out the Peter Matz tune “Gotta Move,” from her 1966 CBS TV special, “Color Me Barbra,” threatened to drown…
From those working behind the scenes in recording studios to stars performing on international stages in the spotlight, The Chosen People helped make 2014 a great year for music. Jewish composers, producers, and performers—current and classic—are all nominated for the most prestigious award in music, so here are 11 Jewish things to look out for…
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