Category: Culture

(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 […]

(New York Jewish Week) — It’s safe to assume that there were many, many Jews among the crowd at the Dead & Company’s New York City show on Wednesday evening, where thousands of fans gathered at Citi Field to hear their favorite Grateful Dead songs played live. Among them was Rabbi David Kalb of Riverdale, […]

A version of this article first appeared on Hey Alma. As a science fiction horror film, Alexis Jacknow’s movie “Clock” is relatively unremarkable. Its images aren’t unique, and its narrative comes across as self-important. All of its attempted metaphors are spelled out by the director, leaving the audience with nothing to do except nod silently […]

((JR)) — Viewers of the popular game show “Jeopardy!” got a glance of one of the United States’ most distinctive synagogue buildings on Tuesday, after a clue showcased Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, Michigan. The Conservative synagogue had leaked the fact that it would appear as a trivia item on “Jeopardy!” for days before the […]

((JR)) — More than 50 years after she became the first woman to be ordained by an American rabbinical seminary, Rabbi Sally Priesand has set another precedent: Beginning later this year, she will be the first woman rabbi to be featured at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. But Priesand will not be the gallery’s only […]

TEL AVIV ((JR)) — Israel’s Declaration of Independence has taken central stage this year in the country’s divided politics — sometimes literally, as when Israelis opposed to proposed changes to the judiciary carried a massive version in their protests. Now, the Declaration of Independence is also the subject of a new podcast from the producers of […]

((JR)) — England’s massive Glastonbury Festival will no longer show a documentary claiming that former British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was wrongfully accused of antisemitism, bowing to pressure from Jewish groups that labeled it a vessel for conspiracy theories. “Jeremy Corbyn’s diehard supporters are determined to peddle the false myth that the only reason he […]