Hadas Ben Aroya, a young Israeli filmmaker, delves into the lives of Israel’s Generation Z in her unconventional, somewhat sexually explicit movie, All Eyes Off Me, which is now available on VOD and digital platforms. The Israelis in her film are secular, hedonistic and aficionados of bars and discos. They are the polar opposites of […]
It is an editorial partnership that has lasted for half a century, during which the inestimable editor Robert Gottlieb has edited the books written by the prize-winning historian Robert Caro. By any measure, they are stellar figures in their respective fields. Now 91, Gottlieb was the editor-in-chief of two major American publishing houses. During his storied […]
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is at it again in a feeble attempt to justify Russia’s unwarranted and unacceptable invasion of Ukraine. Several days ago, he compared Western support of Ukraine in its defensive war against Russia to Nazi Germany’s plan to exterminate Jews in Europe. Lavrov’s appalling comparison reminded observers of an outrageous remark […]
Since the collapse of communism in Poland more than three decades ago, Poles have been engaged in a passionate debate over what kind of a country it is and should be. Traditionalists believe that Polish identity is inextricably bound up with the Catholic Church and conservative values emphasizing Polish martyrdom. Liberals promote secularism, civic nationalism […]
At a moment when African Americans are enjoying the fruits of equality to a far greater degree than at any time in their often tragic history, a new survey commissioned by the Anti-Defamation League paradoxically shows that antisemitic stereotypes in the United States have reached their highest level in decades. The data is “stunning and […]
Eighty thousand Israelis braved cold winter rain on the night of January 14 to attend a rally in Tel Aviv’s Habima Square to vent their anger and outrage at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial proposal to radically overhaul the judicial and legal system. Still other Israelis staged smaller protests in Jerusalem and Haifa. Had I […]
Conspiracy theories have spanned the centuries, feeding human impulses like jealousy, anger, insecurity and fear and often causing needless death and destruction. This explosive topic is explored in “Conspiracy,” the first episode of Lewis Cohen’s Truth & Lies, a six-part television series on TVO and tvo.org that starts on January 17 at 9 p.m. and runs […]
Krzysztof Lang, the director of March 1968, dedicates his empathetic and powerful film to old Jewish school friends who were compelled to leave Poland after the Polish communist regime launched an anti-Zionist campaign reeking of antisemitism. At least 15,000 Poles of Jewish descent emigrated in 1967 and 1968, having been falsely tarred as rootless cosmopolitans […]
Ady Walter’s cinematic portrayal of a shtetl in Ukraine before the Nazis and their collaborators murdered its Jewish inhabitants is heartwarming and heartbreaking. Shttl, a mostly black-and-white movie written and directed by Walter, is due to be screened on January 16 and 17 in its North American premiere at the New York Jewish Film Festival. Haunting […]
Alain Sauma’s satirical short film, Blue Line, focuses on a flashpoint in the Middle East, Israel’s sometimes volatile border with Lebanon. Currently being presented online by the Toronto Jewish Film Foundation, this movie turns on a beefy Lebanese cow that strays into Israel, setting off a burst of excitement and anxiety on both sides of the […]