Renee Ghert-Zand
By Renee Ghert-Zand
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The Schmooze Arab Writer Joins Haredi Family Drama
Israel’s most famous contemporary Muslim Arab literary figure is set to join the production team of “Shtisel,” Israeli television’s hit drama series about a Haredi family in Jerusalem. It has been announced that Sayed Kashua, a journalist, author and screenwriter, will edit the second season of the show that chronicles the everyday trials and tribulations…
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Life Getting Women to Mikveh, Snow or No
Jerusalem residents were told to stay off the streets during the recent, highly unusual, heavy snowstorm. Only plows and emergency vehicles were allowed to get through. And only in Jerusalem would a “Purity Mobile” count as an emergency vehicle. Ynet reported that Taharat Habayit (purity of the home), a Haredi organization, sent a 4×4 jeep-like…
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The Schmooze Art School Stole His Virginity
Unlike most people, London art student Clayton Pettet knows the exact date he will lose his virginity. That’s because he’s planning on losing it in a live performance of homosexual sex on January 25, 2014. Pettet, who is Jewish and told The Daily Beast about his bar mitzvah and Israeli relatives, has managed to generated…
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Life Gay Surrogacy Gets a Boost in Israel
Back in 2011, I wrote about a ruling by Israel’s High Court of Justice that allowed couples that already had several children to apply to have an additional child by surrogacy. Until the ruling, preference had always been given to childless couples by Israel’s surrogacy approval committee overseeing applications and protocols. I wondered whether this…
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The Schmooze Gary Shteyngart’s Star-Studded New Book Trailer
The nebbishy Russian-Jewish character author Gary Shteyngart has cultivated both in his books and in his public persona is back yet again in the humorous book trailer for his upcoming memoir, “Little Failure.” A bunch of Shteyngart’s friends, including James Franco, Rashida Jones and Sloane Crosley, play along with him in the video. The premise…
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The Schmooze Jewish Writers Sign Anti-Surveillance Petition
A number of leading Jewish and Israeli authors have signed on to an appeal in defence of civil liberties against surveillance by governments and corporations. The petition by Writers Against Mass Surveillance was made public on December 10 and came a day after the world’s largest tech companies, including Apple, Yahoo, Google and Microsoft, put…
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Opinion Mr. Obama, Your Selfie Sent All the Wrong Messages
Getty Images Thank you, Mr. President. You’ve just made it harder for me and every other parent and educator to convince young people that taking selfies at memorials and on solemn occasions is not okay. Just what were you thinking when you leaned in close to Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and British Prime Minister…
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Opinion Words Are Battleground in Holy Land
I recently interviewed Yehudah Glick for the Forward. He’s, an Israeli Jewish activist who went on a hunger strike after being banned from the Temple Mount. While writing the introduction for the Q&A, I tried to dot all my i’s and cross my t’s, making sure to mention that the Haram al-Sharif (as the Temple…
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