Paintings from Archie Rand’s series “The 613.” (Courtesy) Culture These are the 30 pieces of contemporary Jewish culture that bring us joy Facebook Twitter Email SMS WhatsApp Share By J. Staff | August 2, 2024 Sign up for Weekday J and get the latest on what's happening in the Jewish Bay Area. The months since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel have taken an emotional toll on so many of us in the Bay Area Jewish community. Art can be a powerful balm, so J. asked several esteemed local artists and tastemakers: “What piece of Jewish culture from the last quarter-century — movie, TV show, book, album, etc. — brings you joy, and why?” Here are their choices, plus a few from J. staff members. To our surprise, several people chose works of art that aren’t exactly uplifting, such as movies about the Holocaust and a TV series about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As one respondent pointed out, you can’t spell “joy” without “oy.” And that’s one of the major takeaways from this project: For many of us, joy is a complicated feeling — one that is often accompanied, and perhaps even heightened, by sorrow. What piece of Jewish culture from the last 25 years brings you joy? Email us at [email protected] and we may publish your response. 🎬 “A Serious Man,” directed by Joel and Ethan Coen 2009 Available on Hulu and Max The film from the past 25 years that brought me quite a bit of joy was “A Serious Man” by Joel and Ethan Coen. In my humble opinion, this black comedy may be the Coen brothers’ greatest film to date. Fred Melamed’s performance as Sy Ableman is a pure gem. — Jay Rosenblatt, director of, most recently, the Oscar-nominated short documentary “How Do You Measure A Year?” 🎨 “The 613” by Archie Rand 2015 Available from Amazon “The 613” — Archie Rand’s series of paintings, one for each commandment in the Torah — shows a striving to understand Jewish identity through the text that holds us together. I think that’s rad. — Sophia Zohar, aka Maimonides Nutz, visual artist and social media personality 🎤 “Dump YOD: Krutoy Edition” by Your Old Droog 2020 Available on Spotify Your Old Droog (Instagram @yourolddroog) Since 2014, Your Old Droog has been building a case for himself as the best rapper alive. Dude is a wordsmith’s wordsmith, one of the best pure writers and wittiest dudes ever to pick up a mic. I keep his whole discography in heavy rotation. — Adam Mansbach, author of, most recently, “The Golem of Brooklyn” 🎬 “Israelism,” directed by Erin Axelman and Sam Eilertsen 2023 Available on Prime Video “Israelism,” a film about the journey of two young Jewish Americans to a deeper understanding of the history and current situation in Israel/Palestine, is moving and inspiring. It is exactly the kind of work Jews should be watching, reading and listening to, now and always. — Ayelet Waldman, author of, most recently, “A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life” 📖 “Curriculum Vitae” by Yoel Hoffmann 2009 Available from Afikomen Judaica I was introduced to Yoel Hoffmann’s autobiography “Curriculum Vitae” by my friend Rachel Liel, on one of my first visits to Jerusalem. In May of 2012, I bought copies in both Hebrew and English (translated by Peter Cole). Rachel’s shidduch was on the nose; the rapport was immediate. Taking the Hebrew version down from the shelf, I see that, many years ago, I made an effort to do my own translation. — Anne Germanacos, poet and owner of The Firehouse art space in San Francisco 📺 “The Eric Andre Show” 2016-present Available on Hulu Comedian Eric Andre’s gonzo talk/prank show has made me laugh harder than anything since Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Da Ali G Show,” to which it owes a debt. Each episode begins with Andre destroying his gaudy talk show set in a fit of blind rage. His mission is clear: to deconstruct the late-night talk show and, perhaps, television itself. In remote segments filmed on the streets of New York, he dons ridiculous costumes and pranks unsuspecting bystanders. A bundle of manic energy with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, Andre incorporates his Blackness and Jewishness into the show in interesting ways. At the start of one Season 6 episode, he blows the shofar and a crew of bearded Jews materializes and joins him in demolishing the set. This has to be the absolute weirdest show on TV. I love it so much. — Andrew Esensten, J. culture editor 🎤 “Sarajevo Blues” by Charming Hostess 2004 Available on Spotify Jewlia Eisenberg (Courtesy) Our beloved Jewlia Eisenberg z”l — a self-described “nerdy-sexy-Commie-girlie” — was the epitome of joyousness and musical brilliance. At the release party for “Sarajevo Blues” at Berkeley’s Starry Plough in 2004, she wore black, her gorgeous bosom bursting from her dress. I love listening to this album at full volume on my car stereo while crossing the Bay Bridge late at night as the fog rolls in. — Deborah Kaufman, director of, most recently, “Town Destroyer,” with Alan Snitow and founder of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival 📖 “The Spice Companion: A Guide To the World of Spice” by Lior Lev Sercarz 2016 Available from Amazon This wonderful compendium of over a hundred herbs and spices is a window into history and culture, an invitation to try to understand the world and its people through the smells of their plantations, souks and home kitchens, and to feel hope that such a goal might be possible. Opening it to any two-page spread — cardamom, fenugreek, dried lime — reminds me that there is just so much left to cook and eat and learn. In the darkest times, this book has empowered me to coat my heretofore unremarkable brisket in star anise and floral pink peppercorns bruised with coarse salt, and to perfume my home with the exuberant scent of cumin seeds frying in hot oil. Sometimes, to feel joy, you must taste it. — Marcella White Campbell, writer and cultural educator 🩰 “Expression of Identity” by Shale Wagman 2018 One of the most powerful solo dance works that I witnessed virtually was one performed and choreographed by Shale Wagman — currently a first soloist with Bayerisches Staatsballett (Bavarian State Ballet) — at the Prix de Lausanne competition in 2018. Wagman’s work, entitled “Expression of Identity,” honors the bravery of his family during the Holocaust and pays tribute to the 6 million victims. Choreographed and performed six years ago, it promotes love among all people while reinforcing the solemn duty to never forget. — Alyssa Mitchel, dancer and choreographer of, most recently, “Regard” 🎬 “Between the Temples,” directed by Nathan Silver 2024 Coming to theaters Aug. 23 We just screened this film at the 44th San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, and it was such a gem! The film stars Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane as a cantor and his adult bat mitzvah student, who happens to also be his childhood music teacher. The film is beat-by-beat hilarious, and I really connected with Kane’s character as someone from an interfaith family who is serious about exploring her Judaism, though not always taken seriously by those around her, Jewish or not. It is surprising at every turn and models beautifully that there are as many ways to be Jewish as there are ways to love. — Rebecca Pierce, filmmaker and marketing and communications manager at the Jewish Film Institute 🎤 “The Aleph-Bet Song (Hosha’ana)” by Victoria Hanna 2017 Available on Spotify Victoria’s work is deeply interesting to me, as it engages its audiences at multiple levels. First, the unique vocal theory she developed around (and from within) the Hebrew alphabet. Second, a kind of primal musicianship that communicates beyond borders. And third, the fact that her work addresses a variety of intellectual pursuits revolving around the concept of a “living text,” from Abulafia’s Kabbalah to Surrealism. — Francesco Spagnolo, curator at the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life 📖 “I Was Better Last Night: A Memoir” by Harvey Fierstein 2022 Available from Afikomen Judaica Harvey Fierstein (Knopf) I recently purchased the audiobook of Harvey Fierstein’s autobiography, “I Was Better Last Night: A Memoir,” for a long drive to L.A. I was smiling, laughing and even crying tears of joy all the way down the 5 freeway and never wanted the book to end. With his gravel-throated witty repartee, Harvey recounts his early years growing up in Brooklyn, his apprenticeship at La Mama theater, playing Edna Turnblad in the musical “Hairspray,” Tevye in a Broadway revival of “Fiddler on the Roof,” and of course how he came to write his seminal autobiographical “Torch Song Trilogy,” a play I saw when I was a teenager and which made a huge impression. — Bruce Bierman, playwright, dancer and co-artistic director of Yiddish Theatre Ensemble 🎭 “The Opera,” from “Jackie Mason: A Night at the Opera” 2002 Available on Spotify (full comedy special available on YouTube) As a lover of comedy, I find myself coming back to Jackie Mason’s comedy routines when I need a good laugh. His authenticity, ability to laugh at himself, and engagement with a crowd are truly iconic. — Tova Ricardo, poet and social media content creator 🎤 “Oseh Shalom” by Elana Jagoda 2010 Available on Spotify I’ll go with the Bay Area’s own Elana Jagoda and her musical rendition of Oseh Shalom — affectionately known as “May the One.” I primarily know it in the context of Camp Tawonga, where its popularity and contagious hand motions have brought thousands of young people, from toddlers to teens, out of their shells and into the limelight to sing and dance unabashedly in front of their peers in a plea for universal peace. I’ve also been to enough Jewish music conferences to know that this phenomenon is happening all over the U.S. and probably even a few other countries, too. — Isaac Zones, musician and songleader 📖 “The Book Thief” by Marcus Zusak 2007 Available from Afikomen Judaica Being the child of Holocaust survivors, I have read almost every book about the era that came out. A few years ago, I decided I had probably read enough, and having been raised with the knowledge of what humans can do to each other, started being more picky. About 15 years ago I read “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak. I was so moved, I wanted to use a quote from the book on the back cover of one of our recordings, so I wrote to him and he generously gave us permission. — Cookie Segelstein, musician and member of Veretski Pass 🎤 “Modeh Ani” by Omer Adam 2015 Available on Spotify I play “Modeh Ani” every morning when I wake up. It’s a beautiful song, and it just brings me so much joy and inspiration. It reminds me of the goodness around us and how much we have to be grateful for. — Rabbi Shoshana Nambi, author of children’s book “The Very Best Sukkah: A Story from Uganda” 📺 “Better Things” 2016-2022 Available on Hulu The Jewish moms of television and film have long made me laugh, but were often nothing more than a simple punch line. In Pamela Adlon’s “Better Things,” we have the Jewish mom as a fully fleshed-out, wise, baffled, adoring, selfless, irritated, sacred and profane human being. Her Jewishness comes through in the regular finger-spitting to ward off the evil eye (ptui ptui ptui), the authentic warmth, and a tolerance for conflict for the sake of connection and emotional clarity. Last but not least, the show features a mix of utter sincerity and an absurdist sense of humor. The ability to hold both of these states at once is the trait I most cherish in the Jewish moms I know and love. — Elissa Strauss, author of “When You Care: The Unexpected Magic of Caring for Others” and artistic director of LABA Bay 🎬 “Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World,” directed by Albert Brooks 2005 Available on Prime Video While hilariously wearing his Jewishness out front for the world to see, Albert Brooks shamelessly showcases his flaws, underscoring the imperfect realities of the human condition. Brooks makes me feel seen — that it’s OK that I’m weird, that my voice is unique, that I’m flawed. During this time, when so many voices have echoed such vile hatred for who is wrong over who is right, maybe we need Brooks’ help to see that we’re all far from perfect, and to find the comedy in life. — Joshua Silverstein, actor, beatboxer and co-director of Cazadero Performing Arts Family Camp 🎨 “The Illustrated Pirkei Avot: A Graphic Novel of Jewish Ethics” by Jessica Tamar Deutsch 2017 Available from Afikomen Judaica “The Illustrated Pirkei Avot” is an exuberant work of illustrated midrash. It contains the full text of Pirkei Avot, the brief tractate of Talmud I sometimes call “The Book of Pithy Sayings.” The rabbis of the Talmud can seem like a faceless litany of Rabbi So-and-Sos — but in this book, they are drawn as distinctive, adorable, almost kawaii figures, each one overflowing with wholesome wisdom. Read it, study it, pore over the fluid illustrations — and discover even the most familiar passages of Pirkei Avot anew. — David A.M. Wilensky, J. director of news product 📺 “Fauda” 2015-present Available on Netflix I enjoyed the Israeli TV series “Fauda” for its exploration of the interpersonal relationships of Israelis and Palestinians. I appreciated the insights that the series offered into the complexity of the connection between families during conflicts, which is often underrepresented in film and TV, or when attempted by American filmmakers, lapses into maudlin portrayals of the tried and true (sassy teens, drug addiction, marital affairs, divorce, job loss, etc). Although seen from an obvious Israeli perspective, there are moments of compassion for both sides. It brought me joy, Jewish joy, the kind that includes sadness. — Joshua Horowitz, musician and member of Veretski Pass 🎤 “Breathing In” by Melita 2023 Available on Spotify Music has always been a huge part of my life, so when I started my own family I knew I wanted to share that with my daughter. My husband and I play Berkeley-based Melita Silberstein’s music for our 2-year-old, Lila, every day because Melita has such a special way of infusing her songs with mysticism and Jewish values. One of our favorites is “Breathing In,” which is our “calm down song” that we play when Lila is having a hard time with big emotions (as toddlers do). When we listen we can’t help but feel good vibes and whatever was bothering us before is replaced with humming, singing and joy! – Lea Loeb, J. engagement reporter 🎬 “God on Trial,” directed by Andy De Emmony 2008 Available on Apple TV and Tubi (Apple TV) This is an unbelievably poignant movie in which Jewish prisoners at Auschwitz put God on trial for not upholding God’s promises to keep the Jewish people safe. I’m an adult convert to Judaism, and my religious culture growing up was one of not questioning God — ever. OK, maybe Moses can question God that one time, but the rest of us, no. So to see that culturally we feel that God is actually so close, and fallible, or potentially not 100% good — to entertain that idea at all — was so healing for me. And this movie really nails that idea. God is real and God is wrong. — Jenni Asher, violinist and cantorial soloist 📖 “The World to Come” by Dara Horn 2006 Available from Afikomen Judaica This book is steeped in Jewish themes and midrash and art history. But at its core it is a story of a family. I reread this book after my baby was born this past fall — literally read it while he slept on my chest — and cried as Horn retells the midrash of the angel Lailah. What if the world to come was the world we all came from? — Meg Adler, illustrator and poet 🎤 “Happy Song” by Anat Cohen Tentet 2017 Available on Spotify The music of Anat Cohen, the Israeli-American clarinetist and bandleader, brings me joy while I’m working in my studio. She and her bandmates seamlessly combine elements of jazz, klezmer, Brazilian, African and other musical genres, expressing a continuum of emotional states in a way that touches me deeply. In addition to her album “Happy Song,” I listen to “Quartetinho,” “Alegria da Casa” and “Triple Helix” on repeat. I never get tired of them, and they always lift my spirits. — Lisa Kokin, textile artist whose “Red Line” is in the California Jewish Open exhibit currently on view at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco 📖 “The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness: A True Story” by Joel ben Izzy 2005 Available from Afikomen Judaica I met Berkeley-based storyteller Joel ben Izzy 20 years ago when I was writing an article about his bestselling book, “The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness.” This memoir, suffused with inspiring tales from around the world, recounts ben Izzy’s struggle to regain his voice — literally and figuratively — after an operation to remove a cancerous lump in his neck. While it might be less exuberant than the giddy Chelm-inspired and vaudeville-adjacent stories he is most famous for in the Jewish world (no family trip is complete without hearing one of his audiobooks), “The Beggar King” teaches us that joy can be found not just in the long grass of summertime, but in the harder terrain of winter. Joy as resilience; joy as community; joy as story. This is a kingdom I can get behind. — Dan Schifrin, essayist, playwright and founder of StoryForward 🎤 “New Masada Quartet” by John Zorn 2021 Available on Spotify I find joy and hope in John Zorn’s Tzadik label and his projects like “Masada.” Zorn assembles glorious combinations of musicians to create music that vibrates between the ancient and the avant-garde, all in service of a re-imagined Jewish sound. Projects like this also support emerging Jewish musicians. — Gravity Goldberg, director of public programs and visitor experience at the Contemporary Jewish Museum 🎬 “Who Will Write Our History,” directed by Roberta Grossman 2018 Available on Prime Video A work of Jewish culture graven in my memory is the 2018 film “Who Will Write Our History” by Roberta Grossman. The semi-documentary account of Polish Jews who, finding themselves imprisoned in the Warsaw ghetto, set out to preserve the truth of their experience, moved me like no other film about the Holocaust (and I’ve seen many). The point it made about the non-negotiable importance of truth, and the willingness of these doomed people to suffer and die for it, was absolutely riveting. I see this guardianship of the truth as being a core Jewish value, one with which the Jewish people must identify. I saw the film at the S.F. Jewish Film Festival, with some non-Jewish friends, and wept inconsolably for a long time in the theater. I watched it again online, alone, and it had the same effect. I don’t mind crying for great art. — Laura Paull, visual artist and writer 🎤 “The Narrow and the Expanse” by Deborah Sacks Mintz with the Hadar Ensemble 2020 Available on Spotify Hadar’s Rising Song Institute has been a renewable source of joy, spiritual expression and connection for us. The institute’s musicians generate new sounds for Jewish liturgy and release new Jewish music through its Rising Song Records label. They also produce theme-specific playlists for the weekly Torah portion and for Jewish holidays and seasons that are regularly the shopping soundtrack at Afikomen Judaica & Bookshop in Berkeley. — Chaim and Nell Mahgel-Friedman, co-owners of Afikomen Judaica 📖 “The Jewish Century” by Yuri Slezkine 2019 Available from Afikomen Judaica My choice for not-exactly-joy would be “The Jewish Century” by Yuri Slezkine, a professor of Russian history at UC Berkeley, who creates a series of metaphorical grappling hooks with Jewish (but not just Jewish) history that I can’t get out of my head: Jews as “Mercurians,” diasporic people who move and are not attached to land — eternally resented by the “Apollonians,” whose identity is irrevocably connected to The Land. I find the metaphors useful in many situations, although I wouldn’t want to reduce the complexity of Slezkine’s thinking and story to such simple binaries — much as I don’t think it works to reduce Israeli or American reality to slogans about settler colonialism. However, when the long-term Mercurian diaspora suddenly does acquire land, one must ask whether they become like the Apollonian peasants carrying out pogroms. — Alan Snitow, director of, most recently, “Town Destroyer,” with Deborah Kaufman 📺 “Srugim” 2008-2012 Available on Prime Video I was obsessed with “Srugim,” which was basically an Israeli version of “Friends.” It followed five women and men — all Orthodox thirtysomethings in Jerusalem who were still looking for love, or at least the right match. It was so much fun to cheer, jeer and shout out the obvious advice they so desperately needed to follow. That reminds me: I need to watch it again. — Natalie Weinstein, J. senior editor J. Staff Also On J. Culture What piece of Jewish art brings you joy? J. readers chime in Film Around the world with the Carmel Jewish Film Festival Culture Film, tv & radio Film, tv and radio Subscribe to our Newsletter I would like to receive the following newsletters: Weekday J From Our Sponsors (helps fund our journalism) Your Sunday J Holiday Bytes