Monday, October 2nd 2023   |

Arts and Culture

A Polish director with Jewish heritage made a movie about the migrant crisis. The government compared it to Nazi propaganda.

By ANDREW LAPIN

(JTA) — Poland’s justice minister is embroiled in a feud with one of the country’s best-known filmmakers after comparing her award-winning new movie about Europe’s migrant crisis to Nazi propaganda.

The director, Agnieszka Holland, is the daughter of a Catholic mother and Jewish father, both of whom were part of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. Her paternal grandparents died in the ghetto. 

Holland’s latest film, “The Green Border,”...

Andy Samberg plays a famous Jewish WWII photographer in upcoming biopic

By JACKIE HAJDENBERG 

(JTA) — A historic wartime photography partnership from the 1940s — often credited as the first to capture many of the horrors of the Holocaust — is getting the Hollywood treatment.

Kate Winslet stars in “Lee” as model-turned-wartime-photojournalist Lee Miller, who often worked alongside David E. Scherman, a Jewish photographer portrayed in the film by Jewish actor and comedian Andy Samberg. The film debuted at the Toronto...

‘Maus,’ Nazi parallels and a Shylock reference make appearances at Senate hearing on book bans

By ANDREW LAPIN

(JTA) – Nazi book burnings, antisemitic attacks on high school students and Shylock were all invoked during a Senate hearing on school book bans Tuesday morning. 

The hearing brought to Capitol Hill the debate over how much control parents should have over what kinds of books their children can access in their school and public libraries — and whether it constitutes a “ban” when a book is removed...

A Kanye West impersonator wore a ‘Jewish Lives Matter’ shirt at NY Fashion Week. Why?

By JULIA GERGELY

(New York Jewish Week) — The internet was flummoxed over the weekend when a photo made the rounds on social media appearing to show Kanye West walking a New York Fashion Week runway wearing a blue shirt reading “Jewish Lives Matter.” 

Could it be that the rapper and fashion designer, who goes by Ye and last fall launched a stream of antisemitic comments, was engaging in teshuvah...

Orthodox Union certifies Israeli brand of lab-grown meat as kosher — but not pareve

By JACKIE HAJDENBERG

(JTA) — The Orthodox Union has granted kosher certification to a type of lab-grown meat, a decision that could signal an expansion of the options available under Judaism’s intricate dietary laws.

The O.U., the most prominent kosher certifier in the United States, recognized poultry products from Israeli startup SuperMeat as kosher, the company announced Wednesday. The startup is part of a growing industry that aims to provide...

What’s Jewish about the jam band Phish? Many things, according to a new book.

By STEPHEN SILVER

(JTA) — Those who are Jewish, or Phish fans — or both — have likely noticed at one point: Jews really seem to love Phish.

There are many possible reasons for this, starting with the fact that the genre-bending jam band has many ardent fans of all stripes, having sold millions of albums and played to enormous festival crowds for decades. Two of the band members — bassist...

A Florida JCC canceled a slavery-focused talk with a Jewish author, citing ‘the current political climate’

By ANDREW LAPIN

(JTA) – A South Florida Jewish community center has landed in the middle of the state’s culture wars after canceling a talk by an author whose novel focuses on race in America.

The Mandel JCC in West Palm Beach had booked Jewish author Rachel Beanland to headline a $100-a-plate luncheon in January 2024. The plan was for Beanland to discuss her latest novel, “The House Is On...

Ireland’s first kosher restaurant in decades attracts local Jews and non-Jewish celebrities

By JACOB JUDAH

(JTA) — The first kosher delicatessen to open in Ireland in over half a century is proving a surprise hit among Dubliners since it opened its doors in March — and not only among Jews.  

Located in the southern part of the city, Deli 613 has been serving up a mix of local fare, such as salt beef sandwiches and chopped herring, alongside Israeli comfort food. And the...

Makeup artist apologizes over prosthetic nose worn by Bradley Cooper in ‘Maestro’ film

By GABE FRIEDMAN 

(JTA) — The makeup artist who styled Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein has apologized for creating the prosthetic nose that some say perpetuates stereotypes about Jews.

Kazu Hiro said at a Venice International Film Festival press conference on Saturday that he was not expecting the swift backlash to early images of Cooper in character that surfaced last year and intensified earlier this month when the trailer for...

‘Tatami,’ a film inspired by Iran’s Israeli athlete boycott, is making movie history

By JACOB GURVIS

(JTA) — A film being billed as the first co-production by Israeli and Iranian filmmakers debuted at the Venice International Film Festival after a secretive production process that included a trip to Israel by the Iranian co-director.

“Tatami,” which received a standing ovation Saturday at the prestigious film competition, tells the story of a female Iranian judoka champion who is ordered to fake an injury to avoid...