Book Review | Making Room for Ghosts
Sutzkever’s “essential prose,” which could also be called “prose poetry” or “brief narratives,” has slipped by, little noticed. Until now.
Visual Moment | A Biblical Family Torn Asunder
Some works of art are perfect receptacles for the stresses and troubles of their times while they are graced with a wisdom that is fundamental and ongoing, making them perpetually relevant.
Art Moments
With so many museums and galleries closed or open only for reduced hours this winter, here are a few opportunities to experience art.
Yiddish Storytelling for a New Generation
Yiddish has a rich legacy of storytelling for children, including both global classics and works that originated in the mother tongue of Ashkenazi Jewry. Join Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone translator Arun Viswanath and Miriam Udel, editor and translator of Honey on the Page: A Treasury of Yiddish Children’s Literature for a wide-ranging conversation with Moment Deputy Editor Sarah Breger about how they are helping to bring the legacy of Yiddish into the twentieth century, their work in relation to broad developments in Jewish history and how it intersects with their own family narratives.
Wonder Woman 1984: Who Is the True Villain?
Warning: The following contains spoilers for Wonder Woman 1984, now playing in theaters and streaming on HBO Max.
They say a hero is only as good...
The Books That Got Away
When you become a book review editor, the first thing you notice is how many books get published every year, every month, every week. This...
Israel’s 2021 Oscar Submission: Asia
Israeli director Ruthy Pribar describes her newly released debut feature film Asia as “not easy to watch,” but she hopes it conveys the message that “even when in the darkest part of your life, you can see beauty.”
Book Review | The Failure of Impartiality
Barack Obama’s transformation from youthful and eloquent U.S. Senate candidate to prime-time sensation and putative presidential timber came at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
What’s So Funny About Jewish Humor with William Novak
Jewish jokes are a precious commodity and a special part of our heritage. Some of the best ones are worth looking at as succinct and entertaining expressions of our values. William Novak, co-editor of The Big Book of Jewish Humor, in print since 1981, explores some of the values behind the jokes and how they can be treated as secular Jewish texts. From well-known classics to relatively obscure examples, there is some history, commentary and plenty of laughs.
Mank: A Heroic Tragedy With No Tragic Hero
No one enjoys looking in the mirror more than Hollywood, and no one does it better—as vastly entertaining show-biz movies like Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s All About Eve, Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard and Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood can all attest. Now comes Mank, David Fincher’s loving and atmospheric re-creation of 1930s Hollywood.
When Children Rescue Children
It’s a rare treat to discover a film that appeals across the generations, but The Crossing is a perfect example. This movie is true family-friendly storytelling. Set in 1942 Norway, during the third year of the German occupation, this is a particularly poignant and uplifting tale of ordinary youngsters rising to the challenge of rescuing Jewish children during a brutal period of history.
A Soundtrack of the Jewish People
Moment spoke with a diverse array of musicians, scholars and music lovers to gather together music with Jewish significance. The result is a rich tapestry of genres evoking the breadth of Jewish spirituality, culture, and history.