Category: Culture

((JR)) — Alan Arkin knew he was going to be an actor from the age of five. “Every film I saw, every play, every piece of music fed an unquenchable need to turn myself into something other than what I was,” he wrote in his 2011 memoir, “An Improvised Life.” What he was was the […]

A version of this story originally appeared on Kveller. Last year, Alexa Swinton brought us arguably one of the most high profile TV b’nai mitzvah ceremonies of all time — or rather, the “they mitzvah” that wasn’t. Swinton, who plays Rock Goldenblatt in “And Just Like That…”, gave viewers a relatable portrayal of a teen struggling with their […]

(New York Jewish Week) — Israeli pop star and Eurovision winner Netta Barzilai, who goes by the stage name Netta, premiered a catchy new song on Wednesday. Its accompanying music video was filmed exclusively on the streets of New York City. In the video for “Everything,” directed by Katie Paul, a dancer known for her dynamic […]

There are so many elements to unpack in the extraordinary Israeli drama “The Lesson” — which is based on a true story and won the best series award at the Cannes International Series Festival last year — that it’s hard to know where to begin. The starting point of this gripping six-part miniseries, which premiered […]

Editor’s note: This article is the first in a new series, Sign Post, which explores street signs and other locations around the city that are named in honor of Jewish New Yorkers. (New York Jewish Week) — Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer — whose marriage wasn’t recognized by the federal government, sparking a 2013 lawsuit […]

((JR)) — Israeli actress Gal Gadot, best known for her role as Wonder Woman in the eponymous 2017 film and franchise, will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next year, joining the more than 2,700 members of the entertainment industry who have been immortalized with a Hollywood star. Gadot will be the […]

(New York Jewish Week) — When people think of Girl Scouts, they tend to think of green uniforms, groups of girls working toward merit badges and, of course, tempting Girl Scout cookies with names like Samoas and Do-si-dos. But Manhattan’s Girl Scout Troop 3131 does things a bit differently. Yes, its members wear uniforms, and […]

((JR)) — On July 14th, viewers who have waited a year for the second season of Netflix’s “The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem” will finally get to see what comes next for the Ermoza family. The historical drama focuses on three generations of the Sephardic Ladino-speaking family and their travails as they contend with violence and […]

((JR)) — The NBA’s Jewish roster added a new star on Thursday night, as Amari Bailey, a guard from the University of California Los Angeles, was drafted 41st overall by the Charlotte Hornets. Bailey, 19, a former five-star recruit who played at the prestigious prep school Sierra Canyon High School, personally identifies as Jewish, his agent […]

((JR)) — Mark Schiff has been opening for Jerry Seinfeld on tour for 25 years, and along the way, he has brought his tefillin. Schiff said he tries to stay as observant as he can on the road, participating in Shabbat services either at a nearby synagogue or in his hotel room. But he’s modest […]