Israeli Arts and Culture

table full of Mediterranean food
Film

Film Review: Breaking Bread

Wes Hopper
 January 25, 2022
It's rare to find a documentary set in the Middle East that isn't mired in politics and discord. Rarer still is one bathed in the kind of optimism and goodwill found in Beth Elise Hawk's new film, Breaking Bread. An inside look at a three-day food festival in Haifa, Israel, pairing Israeli and Muslim Arab chefs, Breaking Bread pursues peace through the power of creating top-notch cuisine.
Promotional poster for the Netflix show Shtisel
Arts and Culture

A Bittersweet Reunion with the Shtisel Family

Rabbi Sharon G. Forman
 April 13, 2021
Sometimes the acting ends in joy and other times the results are devastating. Ultimately, the writers and actors draw us into their stories so that we cannot deny that art can elicit understanding, peace, and even deep love.
Lynn Cohen with her face in her hands as Golda Meir in a scene from Steven Spielbergs 2005 film Munich
Israeli History

7 Movie Stars Who Have Played Israeli Prime Ministers

Gabe Friedman (JTA)
 April 12, 2021
Just a month after it was announced that the Israeli star Shira Haas would portray Meir in a TV series, The Hollywood Reporter revealed this week that Oscar winner Helen Mirren would portray Israel’s only female prime minister in an upcoming biopic.
Professional close up portrait of the author and his wife in the 1970s
Jewish Values

A Jerusalem Love Story

Aron Hirt-Manheimer
 February 9, 2021
It has been almost 50 years since I met my wife Judy in Jerusalem. She came into my life like the Sabbath queen about to enter the synagogue, with everyone rising and turning toward the door to welcome her in.