Category: Culture

LOS ANGELES — While the L.A. wildfires were still smoldering in January, I sat down to write a personal reflection on what Judaica means to the heart of Jewish homes like the ones that had been consumed in the inferno. Before I had written the last sentence, I knew I wanted to try to help […]

One of the first executive orders that President Trump signed after his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, was titled Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship. The order accused the previous administration of having “trampled free speech rights by censoring Americans’ speech on online platforms.” What Trump was referring to as censorship was the government’s […]

Ten years ago I wrote an article about how America’s Judaica manufacturers now largely operate out of China. The items that aren’t made there are usually created in Israel. Only a few items, like customized skullcaps, are still manufactured in America. In the past decade, my interest in the subject has shifted from journalistic to […]

When the Academy Museum in Los Angeles was accused of antisemitism over its exhibit on Hollywood’s Jewish founders, one Jewish film historian and author in Los Angeles looked to respond using a different medium: the written word. Sam Wasson, best known for bestselling books on film history and figures such as Francis Ford Coppolla, is […]

A show by a Jewish playwright interrogating the antisemitism of acclaimed children’s book author Roald Dahl took home three prizes at the Olivier Awards on Sunday. At the prestigious London theater awards ceremony on Saturday, “Giant” earned the prize for best new play, and its star John Lithgow won the award for best actor. Lithgow’s […]

When the world got news of Val Kilmer’s passing on Tuesday, many Jews surely thought of the movie star’s iconic turn providing the voices for God and Moses in the 1998 animated feature “The Prince of Egypt,” a perennial Passover favorite. But the late actor had a lesser-known Jewish movie moment, centered on another holiday, […]

A host of new documentaries are showcasing a wide array of experiences stemming from Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and its aftermath, particularly in the United States. Three of the movies — including one in wide release — interview Jewish Americans about their experience with antisemitism on campus and beyond. Another documentary takes […]

Jewish fans of HBO’s “The Pitt” heard a familiar verse in the hit medical drama’s latest episode when the show’s main character, Dr. Michael Robinavitch, consoled himself by reciting the Shema. A scene at the beginning of the 14th episode featured the character, known as “Dr. Robby,” clutching his Star of David necklace and shakily […]