Stephen Silver, Author at JMORE

Ben Stiller and Edward Norton in "Keeping the Faith"

A Bromance Beyond Belief? Ben Stiller (left) and Edward Norton starred as rabbi and priest in the 2000 rom-com "Keeping the Faith." (Getty Images, via JTA)

Arts & Life

Looking Back on ‘Keeping the Faith,’ 20 Years Later

May 4, 2020May 3, 2020 Stephen Silver

Rabbis and priests look back on Edward Norton’s “Keeping the Faith,” two decades after the romantic comedy hit the big screen.

Barry Sonnenfeld worked as a cinematographer for multiple Coen brothers films before becoming a blockbuster director. (Sasha Erwitt, via JTA)

Filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld Writes Decidedly Jewy Memoir

March 17, 2020March 15, 2020 Stephen Silver

Barry Sonnenfeld’s new memoir recounts many of the Jewish moments and relationships he’s been a part of during his decades in the movie industry.

The Hotel Raquel in Havana is one of the few places on the island where visitors can find traditional Jewish foods. Its restaurant is called Jardin del Eden, or Garden of Eden. (Stephen Silver)

Arts & Life Food & Drink International

In Cuba, Jewish Foods are Hard to Come by

March 11, 2020February 28, 2020 Stephen Silver

For the remaining Jewish community in Cuba, traditional Jewish foods — from kosher meat to bagels with holes — are hard to find.

Bob Dylan (left) was the best man at the wedding of his lifelong friend, Louie Kemp. (Courtesy of Louis Kemp)

Arts & Life Books The Arts

Bob Dylan’s Pal Louie Kemp Writes Memoir about the Iconic Singer-Songwriter

September 10, 2019September 10, 2019 Stephen Silver

Louie Kemp first met Robert Zimmerman, aka Bob Dylan, at a Jewish summer camp in Wisconsin.

In “Holy Lands,” James Caan plays a secular American Jew who moves to Israel to escape the drama of his family — and to raise pigs. (Cinedigm)

Arts & Life

James Caan’s Latest Character: A Jew Who Moves to Israel to Become a Pig Farmer

June 26, 2019June 25, 2019 Stephen Silver

Caan’s most famous screen role may have been that of the Italian-American Sonny Corleone in “The Godfather,” but he’s a certified member of the tribe.

“Veep” showrunner David Mandel says the Sherman Tanz character, above, was created with Sheldon Adelson in mind. (Colleen Hayes/HBO)

Arts & Life

Is the ‘Veep’ Character Sherman Tanz an Anti-Semitic Caricature?

March 29, 2019March 29, 2019 Stephen Silver

Does Jewish private prison magnate Sherman Tanz cross the comedic line into anti-Semitism?

Ilana Glazer, left, and Abbi Jacobson at Comedy Central’s “Broad City” season 5 premiere party in New York, Jan. 22, 2019. (Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Comedy Central)

Arts & Life

As ‘Broad City’ Bids Farewell, is an Era of Peak Jewish TV Ending?

March 26, 2019March 26, 2019 Stephen Silver

A big part of the “Broad City” women’s identities was their Jewishness — something they continually mined for exceptional comedy.

Jeff Tweedy has opened up about his Jewish conversion while promoting his memoir and his first solo album. (Whitten Sabbatini)

Arts & Life

Jeff Tweedy on His Jewish Conversion, the Next Wilco Album and Why He Loves his Synagogue

February 15, 2019 Stephen Silver

“Sammy, our younger son, was struggling quite a bit with the [bar mitzvah] process, and kind of begging to not to be forced to go to Hebrew school,” Jeff Tweedy told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Billy Crystal as a rabbi in “Untogether.” (Freestyle Digital Media)

Arts & Life

Billy Crystal Plays a Rabbi for the 1st Time in This Indie Drama

February 7, 2019 Stephen Silver

Billy Crystal at first passed on the part, but a rewrite ultimately got him on board, and Emma Forrest said she got valuable input from him, which “really enriched the script and the film.”

A Wawa Shabbawa program features a traditional Hebrew blessing and a traditional Philadelphia snack. (Stephen Silver)

Community Religion

Welcome to Wawa — and Shabbat Shalom!

January 24, 2019 Stephen Silver

The next Wawa Shabbawa is scheduled to take place Feb. 1 at the Wawa location in Washington’s Georgetown neighborhood.

Dave Franco at the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Jan. 21, 2018. Franco plays a Jewish landlord in “If Beale Street Could Talk.” (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Arts & Life

Powerful Moment in ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ Features Yarmulke-Clad Dave Franco

December 11, 2018December 12, 2018 Stephen Silver

One of the film’s most powerful — and most talked about — scenes begins with a close-up of the back of the head of a yarmulke-wearing man as he walks up the stairs of a Manhattan apartment.

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