Saul Austerlitz
By Saul Austerlitz
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Culture A View From the Stands
Judaism’s Encounter With American Sports Jeffrey S. Gurock Indiana University Press, 248 pages, $29.95. * * *| Many a sports-obsessed Jewish kid will remember a Saturday buried somewhere deep in the past spent flipping through a dusty volume of “Great Jews in Sports” or one of its equivalents, whistling every few pages and exclaiming, “Wow!…
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News The Joys of Fashion
Carrie Rosten is a big believer in fate, and in letting the chips fall where they may. A woman who has worn many hats in the course of her career, she has done everything from designing her own line of clothing to providing the wardrobe styling for everyone from supermodels to rock bands to Paris…
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Israel News Conspirators Convene
Orthodox Jews hobnobbing with members of the Nation of Islam? Palestinian activists breaking bread with Israelis? Could these be images straight out of Eden? Far from it. The scene instead was a wine-and-cheese reception held last week at HBO’s New York headquarters in connection the upcoming documentary “Protocols of Zion.” The cheese went over well,…
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Culture Illuminating the Big Screen
Okay, class, here’s a question: You’re watching a movie that stars Elijah Wood, and one of the characters in the film says to him, “The ring is not here because of us. We are here because of the ring.” What movie is it? If you answered “The Lord of the Rings,” two demerits; turns out…
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Culture The Wacky Heart of Eastern Europe
Mention Jonathan Safran Foer’s debut novel, “Everything Is Illuminated,” to readers, and the first character that springs to mind (likely with a smile) is Alex, the heavily accented master of the malapropism who serves as the protagonist’s guide through the wilds of Ukraine. Alex personifies the wacky heart and soul of the new Eastern Europe,…
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Culture Windy City Offers a Window Into the Heart of America
The Washington Story By Adam Langer Riverhead Books, 416 pages, $24.95. * * *| Once may have been an honest mistake, but twice, it must be a trend. Adam Langer’s second novel is titled “The Washington Story,” though it has little to do with our nation’s capital — just as his debut, “Crossing California,” took…
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News Marking Time: Recounting the Omer
Since the Passover Seder is a time for questions, it should come as little surprise that some would be raised by an easily missed moment tucked into the Haggada’s back half. During the recitation of the Hallel prayer that marks the second Seder’s ritual conclusion, we make a blessing and declare, “Tonight is the first…
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Culture A Neighborhood in Flux, Again
It’s the summer of 1988, and a series of bubbles are about to burst. Michael Dukakis, riding high off a triumphant Democratic convention, holds a sizable lead over Vice President George Bush in the polls. The New York Mets, carried by twin superstars Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden, are dominating the National League East, and…
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