“Blacklisted: An American Story,” a new exhibit at New York Historical, explores a dark chapter of the 1940s and ’50s, when fears of communism led to government investigations of Hollywood and industry-imposed blacklists that silenced many entertainment professionals. Using a rich display of artifacts —such as telegrams, costumes, movie posters and archival video — the […]
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LENOX, Massachusetts — The new Chabad of the Berkshires here is just down the road from Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and just off the main street (called “Main Street”) where Ethan Frome, the title character in Edith Wharton’s 1911 novella, took an ill-fated sled ride with his wife’s cousin. “We’re […]
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It’s possible that you’ve never heard of theater producer Jeffrey Seller. But even someone with a passing knowledge of Broadway musicals will likely know the award-winning shows that he’s produced, including “Rent,” “Hamilton” and “Avenue Q.” Over his 40-year career, Seller, 60, who was raised in a Reform Jewish family in suburban Detroit, has earned […]
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Jon Stewart hosted writer Peter Beinart on “The Daily Show” Monday night, for a conversation in which the two Jewish liberals agreed that the war in Gaza was “horrific” and that Israel bore near exclusive blame for the suffering endured by Palestinians in the 22 months since the Oct. 7 attacks. While the two discussed […]
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Yiddish is the language of the Jews of Eastern Europe and all the places to which they spread. It is the language of socialists and capitalists, the Partisans who fought the Nazis and most of the millions who were killed in the Holocaust. It is the everyday tongue of tens of thousands of haredi Orthodox […]
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On this day in 1849, Jewish writer and activist Emma Lazarus was born in New York City. Lazarus is, of course, most famous for “The New Colossus,” the sonnet with the famous lines “Give me your tired, your poor/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” that’s practically synonymous with the Statue of Liberty. The poem […]
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The Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, Radio City Music Hall. One thing these iconic New York buildings all have in common: They’re all built in the art deco style, which is characterized by geometric forms, bold colors and lavish ornamentation. These famous buildings may be timeless, but as it happens, the art deco movement […]
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Walter Zev Feldman, 76, is an authority on Ottoman Turkish music, Yiddish dance and klezmer music. An accomplished musician and a respected academic who has taught at elite universities, Feldman was a key player in the 1970s klezmer revival — and, in fact, it was Feldman who popularized the term “klezmer” to describe the traditional instrumental […]
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What do yoga, pasta-making and Shabbat dinner have in common? Admittedly not much — aside from the fact that they have all been centerpiece activities for events organized by Bianca Kisin, creator and founder of Nice Jewish Girls, a New York City-based social group for Jewish women in their 20s and 30s. Kisin, 23, is […]
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An amateur film critic named Evan gave the new “Superman” movie five out of five stars. Writing on the Letterboxd platform, they praised the film’s “unique visual identity” and called director and screenwriter James Gunn “the best comic director.” And they added, “Very anti Israel which is awesome to see from a major studio blockbuster.” […]
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