Talya Zax is the Forward’s opinion editor. Contact her at [email protected] or on Twitter, @TalyaZax.
Talya ZaxOpinion Editor
By Talya Zax
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Theater Are We Ready To Reckon With ‘The Merchant Of Venice’?
In May 1943, at Vienna’s Burg theater, the Nazi party staged its most famous production of Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice.” It starred Werner Krauss, a man so anti-Semitic that he is said to have asked Joseph Goebbels to make a public announcement clarifying that he was not Jewish, but rather habitually played Jewish caricatures…
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The Schmooze Celebrating Cynthia Ozick, ‘Kodachrome’ And More To Read, Watch And Do This Weekend
It’s Earth Day this weekend, and while it may not feel like springtime yet, do your best to get out and volunteer in your community. To reward yourself for your volunteering efforts, check out some of the weekend’s best culture to boot. 1) Read Cynthia Ozick, a grand dame of American letters, turned 90 this…
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Culture Swastika Gets You In Free To This German Theater For Hitler Play. Really?
Here’s a tip: If anyone currently in hot water with a minority group tells you the last thing they want to do is offend that group, they probably have not devoted much thought to what sorts of things that group might find offensive. In 2018 alone, a California Polytechnic State University fraternity released a statement,…
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Culture In Antony Sher-Led ‘King Lear,’ Humor Becomes An Instrument Of Tragedy
Shakespeare’s “King Lear” has been a different play every time I have read or seen it. It’s a parable about the inevitable abuse of power, a vivisection of the profoundly complex relationships between parents and children, a reflection on the seemingly pre-determined cycles of violence and decay that characterize political society. It is a moral…
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Culture Why Is A Company Run By A Jewish Philanthropist Destroying The Denver Post?
Do you know the story of how Jews came to be known as the People of the Book? After the destruction of the Second Temple, the Jewish people dispersed. Absent the temple that had united them in observance and study, each man was obligated to study Torah for himself. To do this, all men needed…
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The Schmooze An Anthology Of Refugee Writing, Evgeny Kissin And More To Read, Watch And Do This Weekend
Reader, I have almost no commentary to offer about this week. It has been long and strange. Kafka would approve. Pick up some work by the dour surrealist, if you wish; if said dour surrealism hits slightly too close to home, peruse our weekend culture recommendations for alternatives. 1) Read A few new must-reads have…
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The Schmooze ‘The Female Persuasion,’ ‘Paterno’ And More To Read, Watch And Do This Weekend
If you are like me, this week has left you extremely tired. Who is even in the government any more? Are Jews still allowed to date? Why is the Upper East Side suddenly the chosen home of white supremacists? Is it now truly out of fashion to advocate for women who get abortions to be…
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Culture Mocking Misogyny On Twitter Is Self-Defeating. Here’s Why.
One morning when I was 15 years old, a junior in high school, I decided to straighten my hair. This was a big deal; I was in a sweatshirt phase, having decided that the speediest way to deal with not having what I thought of as traditional good looks was to ignore my looks altogether….
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