Andrew Lewis Conn’s second work of fiction, O, Africa!, follows Jewish twins Izzy and Micah Grand, two upcoming filmmakers in 1920s New York. Amidst the chaotic blend of silent films, race relations and sexual exploits, the brothers are forced to take a trip to Africa to...
Among the trendy ingredients today’s chefs are adding to their repertoires, paprika is the latest darling. Cooks either sprinkle the bright red spice—made of dried and ground red chili peppers—on top of their creations or swirl it with oil to add a crimson hue. ...
A heartfelt letter sent to a newspaper editor a century ago has long stayed with me. I happened upon it decades after it was written. With his soul in torment, a New York factory owner had turned to the editor for advice. He was not...
Every strand of Judaism has its misfits: A collection of individuals who imagine themselves within a particular Jewish community while expressing themselves outside of its rules. Even amongst the insular, strictly structured Orthodox communities there are the hidden black sheep who get swallowed by louder...
SORRENTO, ITALY--A new production at the Theater Amsterdam reimagines the world famous story of Anne Frank and her diary. Entitled simply “Anne,” it is a contemporary, multimedia theatrical production brought to life by internationally renowned Dutch Jewish husband and wife writing partners Leon de Winter...
In July 1937 Germany’s National Socialist Party opened an exhibition in Munich it termed “Entartete Kunst,” or “Degenerate Art.” Intentionally housed in cramped, poorly lit conditions and awkwardly hung, the works on view were accompanied by inflammatory, denigrating labels. The exhibition was an open declaration...
The great Jewish historian Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi, who died in 2009, famously declared that history was “the faith of fallen Jews.” Yerushalmi had trained under the preeminent 20th-century Jewish historian Salo Baron, whose epic (and unfinished) 18-volume A Social and Religious History of the Jews...
While cheesecake has long been popular among Jews with a sweet tooth, the creamy, rich indulgence is now as American as apple pie, a symbol of how thoroughly Jews have integrated into American life. As cookbook author Joan Nathan says, “Jews like cheesecake because they...
Defying stereotypes, early Jewish pioneers in Arizona were not just storeowners and bankers, but cowboys, lawmen, ranchers and entertainers. The first known Jewish settler was the German-born Nathan Benjamin Appel, who headed west in 1856 from New York to St. Louis, then followed the Santa...
Germany's multicultural capital is becoming a center for Jewish life and culture. With thousands of young Israelis choosing to settle in Berlin, Jewish culture is once again flourishing in the city’s majestic synagogues and vibrant community gatherings, enriching its art scene and turning it into...