The New York Jewish Week

12/16/2025

Jewish author, actor and playwright Alice Eve Cohen was a newly minted Princeton University graduate in 1977 when her mother very suddenly died.

“We were just beginning to become close … after having a very stormy relationship for a number of years,” Cohen said. “To lose her in that moment, where everything seemed possible for the first time, was a loss that took a very long time to recover from, and which is still a kind of foundational part of me. It fuels a lot of my writing.”

This loss is at the center of Cohen’s latest work, “Oklahoma Samovar,” which is having its world premiere at LaMama Experimental Theatre Club (66 East 4th St.) through Dec. 21.

Alice Eve Cohen's new play, “Oklahoma Samovar,” unpacks a Jewish family’s generations of secrets.

12/16/2025

The guest list at the New York Young Republican Club’s annual gala on Saturday included white nationalists, antisemitic conspiracy theorists and a Jewish City Councilwoman, who ultimately decided not to attend.

A Jewish Republican lawmaker turned down her invitation, despite being touted by the group as an "honored guest."

12/12/2025

It’s the winter holiday season and half-Jewish heartthrob Timothée Chalamet, following his 2024 portrayal of legendary folk musician Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown,” is once again playing a movie role based on a Jewish celebrity.

This time, Chalamet, who is named for his Jewish grandfather, is swapping a guitar for a ping pong paddle for his role in the buzzy “Marty Supreme,” which is out in theaters on Dec. 25. The Josh Safdie-directed film, nominated for three Golden Globes and likely to earn “Best Picture” and “Best Actor” Oscar noms, is loosely based on “The Money Player,” the autobiography of the eccentric, real-life Jewish table tennis champion Marty “The Needle” Reisman — so nicknamed for his tall, slim build and his “quick wit.”

The real-life "bad boy of ping pong" grew up Jewish on the Lower East Side.

12/11/2025

It’s official: Brad Lander is running for Congress — and he says he won’t be “doing AIPAC’s bidding” in representing his district if he’s elected.

The line from Lander’s campaign launch video was a dig at Rep. Dan Goldman, who has represented the 10th Congressional District since 2023, that underscores the degree to which Israel is likely to play a role in the battle for the seat.

The outgoing NYC Comptroller, who is Jewish, differentiated himself from Goldman saying he would not be "doing AIPAC's bidding" if elected.

12/09/2025

There are some people who only want the warm embrace of their loved ones for Hanukkah. As for the rest of us — well, thank goodness for Hanukkah presents!

Whether your family are one-and-done types of Hanukkah gift-givers or you’re the kind of mishpacha to give presents each and every night, we’ve rounded up a host of Hanukkah presents perfect for NYC lovers of all ages.

The Festival of Lights begins this year on the evening of Sunday, Dec. 14. If you’re looking for things to do in the city over the holiday, don’t miss our list of Hanukkah events. And if you’re looking for suggestions for very Jewish, very New York Hanukkah presents, keep scrolling. Chag sameach!

Everything we recommend is independently selected by the New York Jewish Week’s editors, unless otherwise noted. If you buy a product through our links, the New York Jewish Week may earn an affiliate commission, which goes to support our nonprofit media organization.

Click the link in our bio for more on each gift!

12/09/2025

Elliot Cosgrove called for a “new chapter of American Zionism” at the convention of the American Zionist Movement.

Elliot Cosgrove called for a "new chapter of American Zionism" at the convention of the American Zionist Movement.

12/06/2025

New York City Mayor Eric Adams threw down a gauntlet for his successor on Wednesday, issuing an executive order barring city officials from taking action against Israel or entities associated with it.

Now, if Zohran Mamdani wants to permit city officials to take such action — including boycotting Israel, a move Mamdani has long supported — he’ll have to either rescind the executive order or depart from a longstanding city tradition of issuing a blanket extension on executive orders during mayoral transitions.

Mamdani will have the power to lift the order when he takes office on Jan. 1.

12/05/2025

A new exhibit at the New York Historical, “The Recordings: Voices from the ‘Shoah’ Tapes,” features recordings made by and for filmmaker Claude Lanzmann in the 1970s as he prepared what would become his monumental 1985 documentary “Shoah.”

What was unusual then, and still startling now, was Lanzmann’s insistence on speaking not only with survivors but also perpetrators and collaborators.

“Together, the shows reflect the horrors of one homeland and the sanctuary of another,” said Louise Mirrer, the Manhattan museum’s president and CEO.

At New York Historical, rare, unheard recordings collected by Claude Lanzmann for his monumental film "Shoah" feature testimonies that still demand to be heard.

12/04/2025

A rally Thursday on Manhattan’s Upper East Side and new legislation aim to counter chants and threats at a recent protest outside Park East Synagogue.

12/04/2025

A New York City public school principal turned down a parent’s request to host a talk by Holocaust survivor Sami Steigmann, citing content in his presentation that related to “Israel and Palestine.”

In an email to the parent on Nov. 18, the principal of the Brooklyn middle school MS 447, Arin Rusch, said that she believed that hosting Steigman’s presentation was not “right” for the school, which is located near Park Slope and enrolls a diverse student population.

Sami Steigmann said he would have modified his presentation to avoid discussion of Israel and Zionism.