Tag: culture

It is, perhaps, no great surprise that the son of a talented cantor would grow up chanting prayers during Shabbat and holiday services. Or that Yair Keydar, 11, might perform Hebrew and Yiddish songs during concerts at various Jewish venues. What could not have been anticipated, however, is that Keydar — known for his stirring […]

The Jewish people have long taken pride in their moniker, People of the Book. But Jews are also people who dance — and not just at weddings and bar or bat mitzvahs, or on holidays like Simchat Torah. Like many other communities, Jews dance to foster and build community, and to come together for spiritual, […]

In 1971, legendary British actress Judi Dench played Portia in a production of Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice.” In her book about the playwright published this spring, Dench is candid and straight to the point about the play, which centers on a Jewish moneylender: “I think it’s a horrible play.”  Dench, who would usually joyfully […]

In 1971, legendary British actress Judi Dench played Portia in a production of Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice.” In her book about the playwright published this spring, Dench is candid and straight to the point about the play, which centers on a Jewish moneylender: “I think it’s a horrible play.”  Dench, who would usually joyfully […]

For Brooklyn-based Jewish musician Rafael Cohen, life has been a series of journeys: across continents, across musical genres and across the spiritual divide. The 48-year-old was born and raised in Mexico City before moving to Washington, D.C. with his parents at age 10. There, he played in a series of local punk bands before moving […]

When Zack Weiner ran for New York City Council in 2021, he was a 26-year-old Jewish actor and screenwriter with no political experience, hardly any funding and, crucially, a complete lack of publicity.  That was until a few days before the Democratic primary, when a video leaked showing Weiner, mostly nude, being whipped, clamped and […]

October is well underway, which means that it’s nearly time for Open House New York Weekend, a yearly event that gives New Yorkers access to hundreds of notable, little-known or usually inaccessible locations throughout the five boroughs. This year, during the 22nd annual Open House New York Weekend, more than 270 spots across the city […]

Park Avenue Synagogue introduced a new practice during Rosh Hashanah to mark the end of a Jewish year that included the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7 and the war and turmoil that has followed: A cohort of Broadway performers sang “Seasons of Love” from the popular rock musical “Rent” on the bimah. The performance took […]

Author, publisher and “bookfluencer” Zibby Owens didn’t set out to be a public face of the fight against antisemitism. But like just about everything else, that all changed following Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7. “Before October 7, I hadn’t experienced much antisemitism. Just a sprinkle of sea salt on a big buffet,” Owens […]

As the one-year anniversary of Oct. 7 approaches, the themes of coping with trauma and loss explored in the play “The Goldberg-Variations” are just as relevant now as they were when the play debuted in Vienna more than three decades ago. Written by renowned Hungarian Jewish playwright George Tabori, the backstage comedy set in Jerusalem […]