The secret Jewish history of ‘Lord of the Rings’
J.R.R. Tolkien said he didn't intend to make his dwarves Jewish, but evidence suggests otherwise
Lord of the Rings
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Culture How Jews helped inspire J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit’
The Catholic author took inspiration from his own World War II-era friendship with the Jewish historian Cecil Roth
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The Schmooze San Francisco’s Salesforce Tower Turned Into The Eye of Sauron On Halloween
The quirkiest reason to say “Thanks, Jews!” this week: the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco treated “Lord of the Rings” fans to a fiery surprise on Halloween. Salesforce, the hulking brainchild of Jewish entrepreneur Marc Benioff, initially didn’t see eye-to-eye (if you will) with a petition crafted by diehard fans requesting that the skyscraper turn…
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The Schmooze Happy Hobbit Day, the Jewish Way
Every year, a great day dawns on Middle Earth. I’m speaking of course, of September 22 — Hobbit Day, for those who didn’t grow up on a steady diet of tales of rings, angry wizards, and small creatures with big feet. According to “The Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings,” both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins are…
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Culture Of Hobbits and The Golem
Sometimes, a bearded, money-grubbing dwarf is just a bearded, money-grubbing dwarf and not an evil, anti-Semitic stand-in for Jews. Undoubtedly some will view “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” — the first in a trilogy of films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s book “The Hobbit,” directed by Peter Jackson — and find in Tolkien’s mythical creatures not-so-subtly…
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Opinion Shock and Irony: Poll Shows GOP Leading Dems for Weiner’s Seat
Shock now, irony later: The latest Siena poll shows Republican businessman Robert Turner leading Democratic state assemblyman David Weprin in the race to succeed Anthony Weiner in New York’s 9th Congressional District by a healthy 50%-44% margin. The poll’s religious breakdown shows the Republican winning on the strength of a hefty Catholic showing, despite Jewish…
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