Articles written by Stephen Silver
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'Remembering Gene Wilder' documentary salutes a Jewish comedy legend
(JTA) — When Mel Brooks was filming “The Producers,” he recalled an executive approaching him and saying, “The curly-haired guy—he’s funny looking. Fire him.” Brooks said he would fire the actor, but never intended to actually do it. And when “The...
In new documentary 'God and Country,' Rob Reiner shines a light on Christian nationalism
(JTA) — Rob Reiner, best known for his acting role in the 1970s sitcom “All in the Family” and for directing a series of beloved comedies — including “This is Spinal Tap,” “The Princess Bride” and “When Harry Met Sally” — is getting serious in hi...
Jewish NFL player kicks game-winning field goal in his 'I Stand with Israel' cleats
(JTA) — A 3-0 score is extremely rare in the NFL. But when the Minnesota Vikings beat the Las Vegas Raiders Sunday night in the league’s lowest-scoring game since 2007, the moment held extra significance for the player who scored those three p...
The most Jewish moments from Barbra Streisand's memoir
(JTA) - Throughout Hollywood history, many stars of Jewish ancestry have soft-pedaled their heritage, changing their names or speaking rarely, if at all, about their Jewishness. No one can accuse...
What's Jewish about the jam band Phish? Many things, according to a new book.
(JTA) - Those who are Jewish or Phish fans - or both - have likely noticed at one point: Jews really seem to love Phish. There are many possible reasons for this, starting with the fact that the genre...
25 years ago, 'Saving Private Ryan' presented a rare portrait of a Jewish soldier in film
(JTA) - According to the Jewish Virtual Library, 550,000 Jews served in the United States armed forces during World War II. There were 38,338 Jewish casualties, while 26,000 Jewish soldiers "received...
Hulu's 'The Bear' brought up 'Jewish lightning': What does it mean, and is it antisemitic?
There are some light spoilers for “The Bear” in this article. (JTA) — “The Bear,” FX and Hulu’s drama series about the behind-the-scenes workings of a Chicago restaurant, has been one of TV’s most a...
'Spinning Gold' movie departs from Hollywood stereotypes about Jewish music producers
(JTA) - In the hit show "The Sopranos," veteran actor Jerry Adler plays mob-adjacent Jewish businessman Hesh Rabkin, who made a fortune in the music business decades earlier. In a first season...
Producer Julian Schlossberg writes memoir about working with Jewish stars over 6 decades
(JTA) — On a couple of occasions in Julian Schlossberg’s early life, he found himself in parts of the United States where some people he talked to had never met a Jewish person. The first was a sti...
30 years ago, Brendan Fraser and Matt Damon starred in 'School Ties' - one of Hollywood's few movies about antisemitism at school
(JTA) - After a long career pause brought on by an assault-induced depression and injuries, actor Brendan Fraser is back in headlines, earning early Oscar buzz for his performance in the upcoming...
To save Jews and keep the Nazis away, these doctors invented a fake infectious disease
(JTA) - How the subject of his new documentary, "Syndrome K," has largely escaped public attention is a mystery to filmmaker Stephen Edwards. "It's the greatest elevator pitch in Hollywood," he said....
'Jackass: Forever' star Rachel Wolfson on being the first Jew and woman on the stunt comedy team
(JTA) - Most film debuts don't include licking a taser while dressed as a mime, or having a scorpion crawl on one's face. But when it comes to the "Jackass" TV and movie franchise, that's par for the...
'Licorice Pizza' sees Jewish women as beautiful
(JTA) - This year, everyone seemed to have an opinion about how the entertainment industry views Jewish women. The comedian Sarah Silverman and others openly inveighed against what she deemed...
As Jon Stewart returns to TV, here's a look back at his most Jewish moments
(JTA) - After a hiatus of more than six years that followed his departure from "The Daily Show," Jon Stewart returned to regular series TV on Thursday night with "The Problem with Jon Stewart." Debuti...
Isaac Asimov's epic 'Foundation' series is now a TV show
(JTA) - This Friday, following a pandemic delay, Apple TV+ will debut "Foundation," the first-ever screen adaptation of Isaac Asimov's bestselling, award-winning science-fiction book series. First ann...
In 'Lansky,' Harvey Keitel puts the legendary gangster's Jewishness front and center
(JTA) - Perhaps no American Jewish actor has been so closely associated with crime films as Harvey Keitel. During a career now in its sixth decade, the 82-year-old Keitel has appeared in "Mean...
PBS postpones debut of 'Til Kingdom Come' documentary on evangelicals and Israel for 'editorial review'
(JTA) — PBS has decided to postpone airing the documentary “Til Kingdom Come,” which examines the close relationship between American evangelicals and Israel, in the light of accusations that the film misleadingly spliced together two separate parts...
'Donny's Bar Mitzvah' wants to be the raunchiest Jewish movie ever
(JTA) - There's never been a great, definitive American movie about a bar mitzvah. And after "Donny's Bar Mitzvah," a new movie that arrived this week on Amazon Prime and iTunes, there still hasn't...
Prince and the Jews: The late rock star's best Jewish friend tells all in new memoir
(JTA) - In the late 1960s, when Neal Karlen was not even 10 years old, he would spend time at the home of his grandparents, one of the few Jewish families that remained on the north side of...
Major League Baseball's official historian on Jews in baseball and making sense of the weirdest season of all time
(JTA) - From Hank Greenberg to Sandy Koufax to Alex Bregman, Jews and baseball go way back, to the 19th century. It's not just players and fans - the participation even extends to the role of...
ChaiFlicks, the 'Jewish Netflix,' is here
(JTA) - It was only a matter of time: A Jewish Netflix has arrived. That moniker is probably the best description of ChaiFlicks, a film and TV streaming platform focused on Jewish-themed movies that...
'Defiance' is the best heroic Jews vs. Nazis inspiration that Netflix has to offer
By Stephen Silver (JTA) — The mid-to-late aughts saw a run of films that featured Jewish characters, for lack of a better description, kicking ass. In 2005, there was Steven Spielberg’s “Munich,” about the Israeli government’s plot to get vengeance...
In Cuba, Jewish foods - from kosher meat to bagels with holes - are hard to come by
HAVANA (JTA) - The remaining Jewish community in Cuba has much to contend with - a lack of resources and rabbis, a population that's both aging and dwindling, and ongoing uncertainty about how much ai...
He met Bob Dylan at camp, they stayed friends for 50 years
(JTA)-Jewish summer camp is such a crucial part of the American Jewish experience that many Jewish adults, even in their older age, likely remember the names of many of the kids in their cabins from...
James Caan's latest character: A Jew who moves to Israel to become a pig farmer
(JTA)-"Raising pigs in Israel? Couldn't you play golf like everyone else?" That's a quote that doubles well as the concept behind the movie "Holy Lands," which stars Hollywood veteran James Caan as a...
