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Collage of the Gilded Age

Where are the Jews? A Look into "The Gilded Age "

Frieda Belasco

The Gilded Age portrays a more diverse cast of characters than many other all-white historical shows, however the question remains: where are the Jews? 

Topics: Television
Collage of Golems

Finding Meaning for a Golem in Unlikely Places

Sydney Burgess

The one thing all traditional golem depictions have in common is their sanctity. However, this most important facet has practically disappeared from the media.  

Collage of "The Believer"

Wrestling with God and Neo-Nazis

Ava Cohen

What’s frightening about 2001 film, "The Believer,"  is that struggling with the idea of God as all-powerful is far from a unique experience.

Collage of "The Baby-Sitters Club"

Netflix's "The Baby-Sitters Club" Brings Humanity to Girlhood

Lily Katz

What can tweens turn to in order to feel heard, understood, and empowered?  I believe the answer lies in the first season of Netflix’s adaptation of "The Baby-Sitters Club."

Topics: Television, Feminism
Collage of the "Barbie" Movie

Feminism, Sexism, and the "Barbie" Movie

Roz Larsen

Barbie's core message that women can transcend their “assigned” roles and defy societal double standards may not have landed with everyone.

Topics: Film, Feminism
Collage of Gretchen Wieners from "Mean Girls"

Gretchen Wieners Complicates "Good" Jewish Representation

Lucy Targum

Gretchen's Judaism is surface level at best, and yet, I can’t help but relate to her.

Topics: Film
Collage of a Barbie Doll

The Real-World Impacts of Barbie Dolls

Elah Tuchshnieder

Despite her being a doll, I believed Barbie was the beauty standard. That all changed when I saw the Barbie movie this summer.

Collage of a Gravestone

Finding Humanity in the Zombies of "The Last of Us"

Talia Waxman

Sometimes in the show, humanity emerges from these dysfunctional, robotically behaved individuals, leaving viewers with hope for us all. 

Collage of Chelsea Handler and torn pink paper

Chelsea Handler: Modeling Activism in Comedy

Shiraz Rothschild

I admire Handler’s ability to talk about aspects of her identity that many shy away from. As a Jewish comedian that is a critical part of the rule book: lean into discomfort.

Topics: Comedy
Collage of pro-choice poster on green background

Diana Mara Henry's Photography and Progressive Activism

Sasha Kranson-Forrest

Through the pictures I took of the protest, I used photography as a way to exhibit women’s rights issues, just like Diana Mara Henry and many other activists did.

Collage of "Identical Twins" and clip art of a camera on black and white patterned background

Diane Arbus and Art as a Means of Processing, Coping, and Acting

Julia Brode Kroopkin

Arbus’s career sets a beautiful example of how to create space for purely expressive art. Art as a means of activism and coping is nothing new—yet it often feels inaccessible. I'm inspired by the risk she took to step away from commercial work.

Collage of Rachel Sassoon Beer on pale pink background

A Catalyst for Change: The Power of Written Language and the Media

Frieda Belasco

Rachel Sassoon Beer is an exceptional example of the value of activism through media. We can take inspiration from her bravery to defy social norms.

Image of Eva smiling and wearing gold necklaces with flowers in background

My Golden Sanctuary

Eva Stern

I’ve realized that, in my life, my jewelry, my gold, has been a source of strength and sanctuary that allows me to connect with my family, culture, and self.

Maestro Film Still

Beyond "Maestro's" Prosthetics and Into Bernstein's World

Sarah Jae Leiber

Bradley Cooper’s Maestro nose, in context, reads less to me like internalized antisemitism and more like Cooper’s deep, spiritual obsession with getting it right.

Topics: Film, Music
Collage of gold chain with "F" pendant surrounded by gold stars on blue background

My "F" Necklace: From Generation to Generation

Frieda Belasco

I often overlook how lucky I am that this necklace was passed down to me. My great-aunt gave it to me when I was born. Now I feel connected to my great-grandmother, despite having never met her.  

Image of girls playing soccer over collage of a green field and torn paper

Athletic Like a Jew

Jessica Primus

Being surrounded by Jewish women molded me into a little girl who knew that Judaism was a strength. 

Topics: Athletes
Installation of crocheted white bra and underwear with a prayer book, on a dark background

7 Questions For Artist Gavi Weitzman

Sarah Biskowitz

JWA talks to Gavi Weitzman, a multimedia artist based in Philadelphia whose work explores Judaism, the body, and identity.

Blue record player on black background with white Jewish stars

My Search for Meaningful Mainstream Jewish Music

Sonia Freedman

While I can bop to a prayer in the right setting, my playlists have a dismal lack of casual English music that reflects my Judaism. 

Film Poster of two teenage girls with faces close together

Q & A with Sarah Meital Benjamin about Her New Film, 'Arava'

Jen Richler

JWA chats with Sarah Meital Benjamin about her new short film Arava, which tells the story of two teenage best friends traveling through small-town Israel in search of redemption.

Topics: Film, Israel
Collage of kippah and other clothing on patterned green background

The Gendered Dimensions of Choosing to Wear a Kippah

Miriam Stodolsky

For some reason, wearing kippot gave me that same itchy, wrong feeling I had experienced from feminine clothing in elementary school or masculine clothing in middle school

Woman wearing Victorian costume

7 Questions For Vi

D. B. Ashkenazi

JWA talks to Vi, historical costume designer and YouTube creator.

Avatar the Last Airbender logo over purple background with Jewish stars

The Surprising Jewishness of Avatar the Last Airbender

Sam Mezrich

ATLA's Air Nomads are based on Tibetan Buddhism, according to the show’s creators. Yet I also feel that there are also a lot of similarities between the Air Nomads and the Jewish people.

 

Topics: Television, Children
Collage of Jewish queer movie characters on pink background of movie tickets

The Future of Jewish Queer Cinema

Judy Ruden

Like all kinds of media that seek to portray underrepresented perspectives, there is good representation and bad representation.

Topics: Film, LGBTQIA Rights
Borscht Belt Historical Marker - placard with info about Monticello

Bringing the Borscht Belt Back to Life

Jen Richler

JWA talks to Marisa Scheinfeld, founder and director of the Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project. 

Israeli singer Noa Kireal against sparkly blue background

Empowerment at Eurovision

Maya Viswanathan

No matter how silly the school tests and projects that stress me out are, listening to music that tells me that I have “all the power of a unicorn” makes me feel empowered.

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