PJ Grisar is a Forward culture reporter. He can be reached at [email protected] and @pjgrisar on Twitter.
PJ Grisar
By PJ Grisar
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Music How a search for Jewish inclusion helped create ‘Puppy for Hanukkah’
By now we all know Daveed Diggs’ “Puppy for Hanukkah” is a certified bop. But it was also meant to be something more than just a fun ode to the Festival of Lights. If you wade your way through the effusive social media comments — and some parents playfully cursing the Walt Disney Company for…
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Culture How ‘Big Mouth’ became bigger than me
When we last left our heroes, a sinkhole had swallowed much of the state of Florida. They escaped unscathed, parting a tidal wave with the help of a Menopause Banshee voiced by Carol Kane. Of course it was “Big Mouth” — and a Passover episode. The animated series, which debuted its fourth season on Netflix…
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Culture Israel’s former space security chief says there’s a ‘Galactic Federation.’ We have some questions.
Groucho Marx, and later Alvy Singer, once quipped “I don’t want to belong to any club that would have someone like me for a member.” But what if that club includes aliens? The question came to us Dec. 7, after the Jerusalem Post reported that former Israeli space security chief Haim Eshed dished about the…
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Culture Howard Stern disses President Trump, signs up for 5 more years of Sirius
Howard Stern’s not going anywhere. After months of keeping listeners in suspense, the self-coronated King of All Media has announced that he will remain with SiriusXM for an additional five years. In explaining his loyalty to satellite, he dissed his ex of 15 years: terrestrial radio. “I had been in a toxic relationship with terrestrial…
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Culture The 8 least essential Hanukkah gifts
Hanukkah will begin on sundown Dec. 10, and even mid-pandemic, many will light the lights, fry the oil, dabble in some low-stakes gambling and, yes, give gifts. Gift guides are always tricky. They ultimately come down to the tastes of the writer, not the gift buyer or receiver. And while there are a number of…
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Music In latest 2020 surprise, Bob Dylan sells his catalog to Universal
Bob Dylan has been full of surprises during this unprecedented year. Coming off his witching hour single drops that culminated in a celebrated album of new material, the 79-year-old songwriter has just agreed to sell his entire catalogue of over 600 songs. On Monday, Universal Music Publishing Group announced that it would purchase all of…
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Culture Daveed Diggs gifts us a fresh Hanukkah song — and a puppy
Look, the Hanukkah song book has a lot of vacancies when compared to its seasonal neighbor. “Sevivon Sov Sov Sov,” kinda slaps, but we could always use an updated anthem. Enter “Hamilton” star Daveed Diggs with a new tune that fully captures the thrills — and many disappointments — of the Festival of Lights. The…
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Culture In an English sea town, a 91-year-old synagogue needs saving
Read this article in Yiddish Francesca Ter-Berg has lived in the coastal English town of Margate for a year and a half. It took her over a year to find the local shul. It was hidden on a backstreet and had been shuttered for years. Soon after discovering it, she learned it was set to…
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