j. column: ska and torah study for j. the jewish news weekly

After a fall from grace as queen bee, I found solace in Torah and ska
Sometimes I think that an amalgamation of ska music and Judaism saved my life. Not to be overly dramatic. But looking back at the events surrounding and leading up to my bat mitzvah, now 15 years later, I can’t help but point to those two parts of my life as rescuing me from junior high hell [...]

michael showalter for j. the jewish news weekly

Michael Showalter is the kind of guy you know all about — or you’ve never heard of him.

The Jewish actor-writer-comedian has written and starred in a slew of sleeper cult hits since the 1990s: the MTV sketch comedy show “The State,” the 2001 parody film “Wet Hot American Summer” and the Comedy Central series “Stella” and “Michael and Michael Have Issues,” to name a few [...]

peter himmelman for j. the jewish news weekly

Jewish Americana: L.A. musician will hum a folksy new tune in S.F.
Peter Himmelman recorded his last record on a dare he made with himself: to make an album in two weeks. The result is true-blue roots Americana: "The Mystery and the Hum" [...]