Why Comedians Love Jewish Mothers & More with Comedian Judy Gold
For veteran stand-up comedian Judy Gold, turning overbearing Jewish mothers into a shtick is an act of love and reverence.
Codebreakers, Spies, and the Secret Struggle to Drive the Nazis from the Middle East with Journalists Gershom Gorenberg and Dan Raviv
In 1942 the Nazis came close to conquering the Middle East during World War II. Gershom Gorenberg , an award-winning journalist and author, spent years researching and piecing together the truth about Rommel’s army and just how close it was to Cairo and Tel Aviv. He will discuss his new book, War of Shadows: Codebreakers, Spies, and the Secret Struggle to Drive the Nazis from the Middle East, and share the journey that took him around the world to learn more about this fascinating story of espionage and intrigue. Gershom will be in conversation with former CBS News correspondent and Moment contributor Dan Raviv.
The Making of Midnight Cowboy with Journalist Glenn Frankel and Film Historian Rebecca Prime
In an era when a new wave of movies pushed the boundaries of mainstream filmmaking, Midnight Cowboy stands out as the riskiest, most unconventional, and most successful of them all. Glenn Frankel’s new book, Shooting Midnight Cowboy: Art, Sex, Loneliness, Liberation, and the Making of a Dark Classic, explores the making of the only X-rated film to win a Best Picture Oscar and offers a window onto the creative ferment and social unrest that gripped New York and America in the 1960s: the rise of gay liberation, the treatment of sexual themes in popular culture, and the role of Jewish artists such as director John Schlesinger and star Dustin Hoffman. Glenn, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, in conversation with film historian and scholar Rebecca Prime, managing editor of Film Quarterly.
The Rise of Antisemitism in France with French Journalist Marc Weitzmann and Robert Siegel
French journalist Marc Weitzmann, author of Hate: The Rising Tide of Anti-Semitism in France in conversation with Robert Siegel, Moment special literary contributor and former senior host of NPR’s All Things Considered, about the history and current state of anti-Semitism facing the Jews of France.
This program is hosted by Moment Magazine with the support of the Joyce and Irving Goldman Family Foundation.
A Tale of a Niggun by Elie Wiesel with Elisha Wiesel and Mark Podwal
After Elie Wiesel died, a little-known narrative poem that he wrote in the 1970s, A Tale of a Niggun, was rediscovered. Based on an actual event during the Holocaust, the poem was so moving that it was turned into a book. Join Elie’s son Elisha—who pays tribute to his father with the book’s introduction— and Elie’s dear friend—award-winning artist Mark Podwal—who illustrated the book, as they discuss how the poem was discovered, why it is so important and the power of wordless Jewish melodies. With Moment Editor-in-Chief Nadine Epstein, editor of Elie Wiesel: An Extraordinary Life.
Held in observance of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day.
A Jewish Vietnam Veteran Looks Back 50 years on the Moral Journey that Changed His Life
From 1968 to 1969, Moment Senior Editor George Johnson served as an Army intelligence advisor in the CIA’s Phoenix Program in South Vietnam. Based on his memoir When One’s Duty and the Right Thing are not the Same, Johnson discusses his assignment to this once-secret intelligence program and the Army’s program for “pacification” of Vietnamese villages. He also discusses how his reservations about the war caused him, upon return from Vietnam and to civilian life, to call for an accounting for the war and to re-orient his life toward Judaism and Jewish social action. This program is in honor of National Vietnam War Veterans Day.
Charoset From Around the World
There’s more to charoset than just apples, walnuts and sweet red wine. Chef Vered Guttman demonstrates how this symbolic Passover food is prepared around the world. She also makes homemade horseradish and other Passover specialties.
Adapting Jewish Literature: Yentl and A Tale of Love and Darkness with Fania Oz-Salzberger, Ruby Namdar and Rokhl Kafrissen
Fania Oz-Salzberger, Ruby Namdar and Rokhl Kafrissen join in conversation about what it means to adapt Jewish literature for the big screen.
While many Jewish filmmakers choose to write their own material and draft their own stories, others turn to interpretation. This program compares two films that share biographical features, Yentl and A Tale of Love and Darkness. Though released decades apart, both were directed by acclaimed actresses making their directorial debuts, Barbara Streisand and Natalie Portman respectively. These women notably adapted literary works written by men and their star power was critical to getting these films made.
Historian Fania Oz-Salzberger shares personal insights about her father, acclaimed Israeli writer Amos Oz, and his autobiographical novel A Tale of Love and Darkness and author and educator Ruby Namdar considers the film and the legacy of the memoir. Critic and playwright Rokhl Kafrissen explores Yentl, based on a play and short story by Isaac Bashevis Singer.
This program is a collaboration between Moment Magazine and REWIND: The Shenson Retrospective Film Series, a project of Stanford’s Taube Center for Jewish Studies. Both movies can be watched on Amazon Prime.
The Holocaust and Antisemitism in Latin America: A Conversation with Ilan Stavans and Andrés Spokoiny
Much attention is focused on anti-Semitism in Europe and the United States, but many Latin American countries also have a troubled history with their Jewish communities. Learn about the continent’s checkered past when it comes to the Holocaust and Nazis as well as recent manifestations of anti-Semitism with Mexican American writer and scholar Ilan Stavans, author of The Seventh Heaven: Travels Through Jewish Latin America and Andrés Spokoiny, president and CEO of the Jewish Funders Network, who grew up in Argentina.
This program is part of a Moment series on anti-Semitism supported by the Joyce and Irving Goldman Family Foundation.
The State of Democracy 2021: A Conversation with David Brooks and Robert Siegel
Now that we are almost halfway through the Biden Administration’s first 100 days, what is the current state of our democracy? Will Democrats and Republicans be able to put their differences aside and work together? What is the fallout from January 6th? Can Americans come back together again? New York Times columnist David Brooks is in conversation with Robert Siegel, Moment special literary contributor and former senior host of NPR’s All Things Considered. The State of Democracy is a Moment series hosted by Robert Siegel.
Hitler’s Tasters: Play Reading and Talkback with Michelle Kholos Brooks and Gavriel D. Rosenfeld
The cast, director, and playwright of Hitler’s Tasters share excerpts from their award-winning play, a dark comedy about a group of young women who have the opportunity to die for their country every day as Adolf Hitler’s food tasters. Playwright Michelle Kholos Brooks is also in conversation with Holocaust historian and author Gavriel D. Rosenfeld about the journey of Hitler’s Tasters, which is inspired by true events, as well the broader resonance of the play in our current culture. This program is part of the 2021 Moment Theater Festival.
Blood Libel: An Investigation Into The Origins of a Virulent and Enduring Antisemitic Conspiracy Theory with Historian E.M. Rose
Historian E.M. Rose discusses her award-winning book The Murder of William of Norwich: The Origins of the Blood Libel in Medieval Europe, a fascinating micro-history of a mysterious 12th century murder and the ensuing court case. Rose’s groundbreaking work provides clear answers as to why the blood libel emerged when it did and how it was able to gain such widespread acceptance, laying the foundations for enduring anti-Semitic myths that continue to the present.