The Jewish-American comedian directed and acted in numerous films starring zany characters. A century after his birth, fans and scholars recall the performer whose manic energy, inventive filmmaking, and decades of philanthropy left an indelible mark on popular culture.
Natan Sharansky’s Meal of Gratitude: 40 Years of Freedom
Sharansky was freed from Soviet captivity in February of 1986. Jewish unity helped to bring about his release — and he says it remains key today. In this interview, Sharansky reflects on his own family’s practice of marking the occasion, which may hold a lesson for many of us.
Paul Newman’s Other Great Role
He was among the most respected American actors of the late 20th century. He understood drama. Hands-on charity, too. Newman used the lucky, cool hand he was dealt to improve kids’ lives — and did it with an absence of hubris.
“Literature is stronger than death”: How a Poem by Avrom Sutzkever Saved His Own Life
In 1943, while hiding from the Nazis in a Lithuanian forest, Sutzkever managed to smuggle a booklet containing his poem “Kol Nidre” to Moscow. The poem was so powerful it convinced the Soviet authorities to send a plane and execute a daring rescue mission that brought Sutzkever and his wife to safety. Today that booklet is preserved at the National Library of Israel.
“Legends of the Jews”: A Jewish Equivalent of the Brothers Grimm Stories
At the dawn of the 20th century, Louis Ginzberg demonstrated something fundamental about Jewish culture: above all else, it cherishes a good story.
Hauser’s List: The Man Who Saved Hundreds of Jewish Musicians from Europe
The story you are about to read has remained hidden for 85 years. It is a story of music, beauty, and compassion – through which hundreds of lives were saved from the clutches of the Nazis, right under the watchful eye of the British Mandate authorities. This is the story of Emil Hauser, a gifted musician and a national hero.
“I’m Famished”: The Excuse Maimonides Gave His Translator
From the moment he became chief physician at the royal court of Egypt, Maimonides found that he had almost no time left for anything else, not even to meet with the translator of his most famous work.
George Gershwin: A Jewish Voice in the American Soundscape
“I think that many of my themes are Jewish in feeling, although they are purely American in style,” Gershwin, one of the greatest composers in U.S. history, said. His wondrous music still defies categorization.
Jewish Girls Studying in Secret: The “Women’s Cheder” of Eastern Europe
In Europe in the early 20th century, when the new school year would come around, there was barely anywhere for women, especially Jewish women, to go and study. What happened when Eastern European authorities tried to prevent Jewish girls from receiving an education?
Michel Kichka Illustrates Our World
Great talent, optimism, sensitivity, compassion, and a deep love for this country, which he had longed to reach since childhood, all come together in Michel Kichka, making him one of Israel’s greatest graphic artists. We spoke with him about what led to the creation of his most personal graphic memoir, why he insists on keeping the family name “Kichka,” and what it was like working with Meir Shalev.
