I first discovered "Saturday Night Live" the way a lot of kids did—through an older, slightly cooler classmate. It must have been in 1978 or 1979. Richard Shaw was the biggest kid at Spoede School -- not just in height but in presence. Every Monday...

Vanessa Hidary isn’t your typical Jewish storyteller. The self-proclaimed “Hebrew Mamita” has turned her multicultural experiences into a long and, dare I say, provocative career as a spoken word artist, poet and cultural commentator. Who is Vanessa? According...

Jewish humor isn’t just about getting a laugh—it’s an essential part of Jewish identity. According to a 2020 Pew Research Center survey, 34% of American Jews say having a sense of humor is a crucial aspect of their Jewish identity. That’s more...

The holiday season is about to kick into high gear.  This year we’ve got Hanukkah and Christmas on the same day, followed a week later by New Year’s Eve.  That’s a lot of celebrating, eating and drinking interspersed with gift giving, gift receiving...

As regular readers know, I am a sucker for entirely predictable made-for-TV holiday movies. Little does it matter to me that five minutes into the plot, it’s clear who’s going to wind up with whom two hours later. My expectations for anything meaningful,...

This week, comedian and Jewish mom Iliza Shlesinger had actress Mayim Bialik on the first YouTube episode of her podcast, “Ask Iliza Anything,” and rightfully introduced her as everyone’s “favorite Jewish person” to share a hot take in a segment...

Jewish a cappella sensation Six13, known for their creative and entertaining Hanukkah parodies, has once again brightened the Festival of Lights. This year, their newest video channels the magic of the Broadway and big screen hit "Wicked," bringing a...

This story was originally published in the Forward. Click here to get the Forward's free email newsletters delivered to your inbox. The news that the Manhattan townhouse occupied by the Friars Club was auctioned on Dec. 10 at a foreclosure sale raises...

This story was originally published in the Forward. Click here to get the Forward's free email newsletters delivered to your inbox. In college, I participated in an unforgettably tedious Birthright Israel trip. The students on my trip were bored by history,...

Mahjong, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Most recently, I felt cooler than cool when I found out movie star Julia Roberts’ favorite hobby is playing mahj!  Several of you have sent me a 2018 video clip that’s resurfacing of the Oscar-winning...

The New Jewish Theatre will close out its 2024 season with “First Date,” a romantic musical comedy that hopes to take audiences on a rollercoaster of laughter, heart and unexpected surprises. Before heading to the Wool...

Mel Brooks, who mocked Adolf Hitler in his 1967 black comedy “The Producers,” has always made the case for satire as a weapon against tyranny. “You have to bring him down with ridicule,” he told “60 Minutes” in 2001. “It’s been one...