(JTA) — It’s well known that the celebrated filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen come from a Jewish family in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. They’ve included Jewish characters in their films throughout their long career, from the titular one in “Barton Fink” to the bookie Bernie Bernbaum in “Miller’s …
Much has changed in the 18 years since singer-songwriter Dan Bern, who is Jewish, released his first album with his backing band, the International Jewish Banking Conspiracy.
I love some of the titles of art exhibitions. A few years ago, I saw a unique one entitled, “Recline/Design: Art and the Aesthetics of Repose” at the Palm Springs Art Museum’s location in Palm Desert, Calif.
A Rosh Hashanah apple cake bake-off fit for reality television and another installment in the Scarlet and Sam series from the award-winning author Eric A. Kimmel are among the highlights in the crop of new High Holiday books for children.
Hana S. Sharif has launched her first season as artistic director of the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis with a breathtaking production of Tony Kushner’s magnum opus, “Angels in America.” That the 25-year-old play still resonates today is a credit not only to Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony…
(JTA) — For “Borat,” his 2006 film, Sacha Baron Cohen went undercover as a made-up Kazakh journalist who travels America and gets unwitting targets to share his boorish and sometimes bigoted opinions. In “Who Is America,” the Jewish actor creates a variety of characters who manage to get pro…
I was once again thrilled by an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Titled “Jewelry: The Body Transformed,” the exhibit is described in the museum’s brochure — “What is jewelry? Why do we wear it? What meaning does it carry?
(JTA) — Scarlett Johansson threw her support behind Woody Allen, who has been accused of sexual abuse.“I love Woody,” the Jewish actress told the Hollywood Reporter in an article published Wednesday. “I believe him, and I would work with him anytime.”In 1992, Allen’s daughter Dylan Farrow ac…
(JTA) — Theater folk in England are debating a recent revival of the musical “Falsettos,” asking whether non-Jews should be playing its Jewish characters. In an open letter, critics of the religion-blind casting complain that non-Jewish actors can at best portray only a “secondary understand…
Labor Day weekend may signal the official end of summer — though not necessarily the end of hot weather — but it also signals the start of the 2019 Fall Arts Season, with enough performances, concerts and art openings to heat up the landscape. But hey, don’t sweat it — we’ve got you covered …
At the movies and more
Kolot, an inclusive, multi-generational Jewish women’s choir, will hold its first rehearsal of 2019-2020 season from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3, in the May Chapel of Congregation Temple Israel, #1 Rabbi Alvan D. Rubin Drive. Anyone interested in joining the choir is encouraged to attend.
Woodstock: 50th anniversary
Among the nations of the world, the State of Israel, which turned 71 on May 14 (the fifth of Iyar), is both a relative newcomer and the successor to Jewish self-rule that goes back over 4,000 years. In 1948, when David Ben-Gurion was serving as the first prime minister of the Jewish State, t…
Sam Deutsch, Congregation B’nai Amoona
People enjoy celebrating their birthdays with parties, but not everyone gets that luxury. Joey, son of Lisa and Larry Carson of Chesterfield, realized this and wanted to make a change. He wanted more kids to have great birthday parties like he had enjoyed.
Sasha Albright | Congregation Shaare Emeth
Katherine M. Howe and Zackary J. Maier have announced their engagement.
Stephanie Melissa Weiss, daughter of Diane and Brent Weiss of Highland Park, Ill. and Michael Lawrence Zorensky, son of Karen and Mark Zorensky of St. Louis, have announced their engagement.
Lauren Class Schneider, daughter of Charlotte and the late Irvin Schneider of St. Louis, and Lawrence J. Moss, son of the late Henry and Barbara Moss of Chicago, have announced their engagement.
Abigail Blatt, daughter of Sarajane (Shane) and the late Hanoch Blatt of Creve Coeur, and Eric Yoffee, son of Carol Beth and Michael Yoffee of Squirrel Hill, Pa., have announced their engagement.
Lily Brafman and Andrew Sher were married June 16, 2019 in a beautiful setting at the Valley Regency in Clifton, N.J., where cousin Rabbi Saul Grife officiated.
Rebecca Altman, daughter of Jody and Craig Altman of St. Louis, and Alex Yoffie, son of Barry and Leslie Yoffie of St. Louis, have announced their engagement.
