Amos Oz and the centrality of Hebrew in Jewish life
For those who only know Israel as a field of political combat, Amos Oz was just a writer with a point of view about his country’s basic political and security dilemmas. Oz’s advocacy for...
Upcoming Yiddish theater, classes and events…
Me tor nisht farzindikn...
Greetings from ever-so-slightly-warmer-than-New-York Brazil, where I'm teaching Yiddish literature and performing Sholem Aleichem's monologues (in fact, I'll attach a flyer for the Sao Paulo date next Tuesday at the bottom of...
Israeli Andalusian orchestra performs second concert in secret in Morocco
An Israeli orchestra from Ashdod performed at a music festival in Morocco in early December, despite calls to cancel and threats to boycott the festival from local BDS activists who are opposed to normalized...
David G. Roskies, “Rabbis, Rebbes and Other Humanists: The Search for a Usable Past...
David G. Roskies, “Rabbis, Rebbes and Other Humanists: The Search for a Usable Past in Modern Yiddish Literature,” Studies in Contemporary Jewry 12 (1996): 55-77
These Zydki, wooden figurines of traditionaal Polish Jews, come in...
Book Panel: The Daring Life and Dangerous Times of Eve Adams
In New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty raises her torch welcoming immigrants to the “Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.” But there’s a catch. Straying too far from “American values”...
This July Fourth? It’s a freedom bonanza!
After a year-and-a-half of hunkering down, we are free at last—at least, for the most part. With the advent of vaccines, we welcome back hugs and backslapping, kids running amok with their grandparents, maybe...
A kiddush to die for (and the diet starts on June 31)
Imagine a spread of savory cholent, brisket, herring and whisky from more than 10 countries … not on a holiday or even Shabbat.
“Kiddushfest 2022: Worlds of Whisky, Brew and Que” will take place on...
Hebrew language, arts and culture take center stage in March throughout Diaspora
The Council for Hebrew Language and Culture in North America is launching a month-long festival as part of its mission to promote Hebrew as a common global Jewish language.
Called Hagigah Ivrit (“The Celebration of Hebrew”), it...
Felder’s ‘Before Fiddler’ Highlights Music of Sholem Aleichem Era
Hershey Felder continues to stream one-man shows from his current residence in Florence, Italy. Among his many portrayals of famous composers such as Beethoven, Chopin, Tchaikowsky and Debussy, he also featured three great Jewish...
‘Jewish Bestiary’ Unpacks the Actual and Mystical Roles Animals Play in Our Lives
Close contact between animals and humans, according to the Hebrew Bible, happened soon after creation: God brought them before Adam to assign permanent names, and later, Eve encountered and conversed with the infamous snake....