September/October 2017
Profile Simon Schama Steals the Show The effusive British historian and master storyteller returns for part two of the history
Profile Simon Schama Steals the Show The effusive British historian and master storyteller returns for part two of the history
An especially insightful prayer is Hayom Harat Olam, said after the shofar is blown at the Rosh Hashanah Musaf (afternoon) service: “Today the world is conceived.” It’s a liturgical call to stay open to the pregnant possibilities in this world.
The wedding scene in Fiddler on the Roof is one of my favorite Jewish moments on film. The scene is drenched in family, nostalgia and an aching foreknowledge of the Holocaust.
Moment at the Movies Great Jewish Films There are almost as many definitions as there are film watchers. Some
Although such comparisons remain rare, for Jews and non-Jews the golem serves as a concept uniquely suited to expressing the fears and insecurities of the modern era. As Isaac Bashevis Singer wrote in 1984, “The golem story appears less obsolete today than it seemed one hundred years ago. After all, what are the computers and robots of our times if not golems?”
Israeli novelist Dorit Rabinyan was enjoying a peaceful afternoon at home on December 30, 2015, when a phone call from an old friend, Haaretz journalist Or Kashti, changed her life. “I have something to tell you,” he said. “It may be the biggest story I will ever break.” “Good for you!” replied Rabinyan. “No,” said Kashti quietly, “it is very good for you.”
Spotlight: United Kingdom. Temperature: 80 degrees and climbing.
Culture Who’s Afraid of Dorit Rabinyan? The Israeli author became a literary superstar when Israel’s Education Minister called her novel
Sheldon Adelson’s newspaper, Israel Hayom, changed the course of Israeli politics and moved the country further right.
Will the hard-charging casino magnate have the same luck in Las Vegas?
Israel’s jazz scene has been around since British mandate times, but really came into its own in the 90s. Thanks to trailblazers like Avishai Cohen, Omer Avital, and Avi Lebovich, Israel’s jazz music is now celebrated internationally for its quality as well as its diversity – Israeli jazz is nearly as big a jumble of cultures as Israel itself. “It’s very ‘exotic’ to the American or European ear,” says Barak Weiss, “but it’s still accessible because it’s based on American music.”
May/June 2017 Table of Contents FEATURES Interview Yuval Harari: of Cyborgs and
Alan Alda loves to dig to the root of things. He has no patience for jargon, for flimsy logic, for impenetrable lectures. He wants to know: What is time? How do clocks work? What are the processes that govern the universe?