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...

For most of Jewish culinary history, anyone seeking to make matzah balls faced one major choice: sinkers or floaters? In the 20th century, with the advent of home-cooking conveniences, another decision joined the one about density: from scratch or...

Last week I visited my older son, Davis, at college. We had lunch, went shopping and enjoyed four glorious hours of mom and son time. He brought along one of his new buddies for lunch, the adorable and sweet Tommy.  During their bro talk I heard a word...

The St. Louis International Film Festival will host the premiere of “Before You,” a short film capturing the experience of abortion, a deeply personal yet increasingly politicized topic. The screening will take place on Nov. 16, at 6:30 p.m., at the...

Always a show filled with emotion, the Musial Awards will bring plenty of laughs this year, thanks to a special appearance by Billy Crystal. The iconic Jewish comedian, actor and filmmaker—famous for his roles in “When Harry Met Sally” and “City...

The same day Jewish filmmaker Jesse Eisenberg spoke with me via Zoom, he appeared on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” where his rapid-fire delivery and neurotic jumpiness were on full display. The guy looked like a walking panic attack even though he was...

Fall colors are finally here and so is the 33rd annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF), presented by Cinema St. Louis, which runs from Thursday, Nov. 7, through Nov. 17.  “Our theme this year [is] ‘The Great Escape,’ ”...

Did you know the best Jewish TV show you’ve never heard of came out in 2019? I knew it, but for some reason, writing about Amazon’s “Undone,” the animated TV show from Jewish “Bojack Horseman” creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg and “Bojack”...

On New Year’s eve of 2018, Erin Foster, the creator of “Nobody Wants This,” the show in which Adam Brody plays a hot rabbi who falls in love with a non-Jewish woman, Joanne, played by Kristin Bell, got married under a big floral chuppah. “The...

This story was originally published in the Forward. Click here to get the Forward's free email newsletters delivered to your inbox. Jason Alexander showed up to a Zoom call with a full beard. Was it for a role? “If it’s not, I don’t know what...

This story was originally published in the Forward. Click here to get the Forward's free email newsletters delivered to your inbox. Late Night with Seth Meyers could have been called Late Night with Seth Trakianski. Meyers’ great-grandfather was...