Life

The full story of George Michael and Wham!’s hidden Jewish identity

The author of a new biography of the late pop legend reveals how the singer’s heritage shaped his personality and career

8 min read

Careless obsession: Sathnam Sanghera and his new book

Greg Doran's 'Walking Shadow: Love, Loss and Shakespeare'. Bloomsbury.

Book review

Walking Shadow: Love, Loss and Shakespeare review: ‘On loving Shakespeare and hating cancer’

By David Herman

2 min read

Fi (left) and BJ Woodstein. (Photo: Lee Blanchflower)

Health

Time to end the gay IVF tax, say Jewish lesbian mums

By Gaby Koppel

5 min read

The patter of tiny paws: Minnie the miniscule maltipoo

Animals

The latest addition to our family? The grand-dog

2 min read

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Jewish Matchmaking

‘Play by my dating rules, and you will marry the love of your life’

5 min read

punk

Punk turns 50: The Jewish voices that helped shape the scene

Jenni Frazer speaks to a writer whose book tells the story of the man behind two of punk’s iconic shops

By Jenni Frazer

4 min read

Theatre

We Had a World review: Joshua Harmon’s mother and grandmother are at war in this gripping drama ★★★★

The Bad Jews writer is played Ryan Kopel in his most personal commission to date

By John Nathan

1 min read

We Had a World review: Joshua Harmon’s mother and grandmother are at war in this gripping drama ★★★★

Israeli chefs

‘It belongs to the Jewish nation’– says chef of first Michelin-starred kosher restaurant

Siam Goorwich speaks to chef Raz Shabtai and the team behind Mutra

By Siam Goorwich

4 min read

Chef Raz Shabtai in the kitchen at Mutra (Photo: N.A.Photography)

Books

What do the preoccupations of our novelists say about Anglo-Jewry and wider society?

What stories are the People of the Book writing and reading about themselves?

By Leon Craig

6 min read

Diversity: (left to right) Toby Lloyd, Howard Jacobson and Francesca Simon (Photos: Helen Giles,Suzie Howell)

Lifestyle

World Cup 2026

World Cup 2026: ‘Jewish roots’ of striker on heroic Cape Verde squad that held off Spain

Gilson Benchimol’s surname indicates heritage from the 19th century Jewish diaspora

By Ben Conway

1 min read

Gilson Benchimol Tavares celebrates scoring Cape Verde's third goal during a 3-0 friendly win over Serbia in Lisbon on May 31 (photo: Carlos Rodrigues / Getty Images)

breast cancer

Ping! Scan test results arrive in hours… if you’re in LA

After living in the UK, Karen Skinazi got used to anxiously awaiting scan results, sometimes for months. But in the US, a speedy turnaround on medical tests means no more sleepless nights

By Karen E H Skinazi

3 min read

Sciatica or sciatic nerve inflammation, lower back pain. Woman with sciatic nerve pain in her lower back.

World Cup 2026

Model and former IDF captain is the only Israeli WAG at the World Cup

Tel Aviv-born Mishel Gerzig is the wife of Belgium’s star goalie Thibaut Courtois

By Ben Conway

3 min read

Courtois and Gerzig (photo: Instagram @mishelgerzig)

Timothée Chalamet

Chalamet: Knicks claiming NBA title better than Oscar win

The New York team claimed their first championship in more than 50 years on Saturday

By Mark Wood

1 min read

Timothée Chalamet (CL) celebrates with Mikal Bridges (R) of the New York Knicks after the team's victory against the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals at the Frost Bank Center on June 13, 2026 (Getty Images)

Theatre

High Society review: Fizzing stage reboot starring Felicity Kendal ★★★★

The individual performances are all excellent in this iteration of Cole Porter masterpiece

By John Nathan

2 min read

High stakes: (left to right) James Hume, Felicity Kendal and Naomi Pacquette Photo: Pamela Raith

Theatre

Black Comedy review: Peter Shaffer’s big idea lacks the light to really shine★★★

Characters are plunged into the dark for most of this escalating slapstick show

By John Nathan

2 min read

Theatre

Equus review: Gripping revival of Shaffer’s foray into a troubled teenager’s mind ★★★★★

Noah Valentine should win awards for a performance of the stable boy who blinds the six horses he adores

By John Nathan

1 min read

Wild ride: Toby Stephens as Martin Dysart and (right) Noah Valentine as Alan Strang

Jewish theatre

NIUSIA review: ‘it increasingly feels as if we’re listening to the wrong story’ ★★★

Beth Paterson’s journey to her Jewishness is a worthy story, but her Holocaust survivor grandmother steals the show

By John Nathan

2 min read

Beth Paterson in her one-woman show, NIUSIA (Photo: Mayah Salter)

Film & TV

All TV

Steven Spielberg

ET never went home: Spielberg claims aliens ‘are here’ on Earth

By Jacob Jaffa

1 min read

Disclosure Day review: Emily Blunt is superb in Spielberg’s fun but derivative return to the alien thriller ★★★

The Jewish director’s follow-up to ‘Close Encounters’ is a classic Spielberg sci-fi, eminently watchable if not somewhat trope-y

By John Nathan

2 min read

Power Ballad review: ‘star-powered comedy’ ★★★★

Washed-up wedding singer and boyband star make sweet music

2 min read

Meet the director who made Dustin Hoffman an irresistible offer

Could young Canadian Daniel Roher tempt the 88-year-old legend into acting in his first feature film?

By James Mottram and Susan Hornik

6 min read

Travel

All Travel

Travel

A week of wellness in Santa Monica

By Zoe Strimpel

5 min read

Traversing the wonders of Austria’s Lake Wörthersee and the hunt for Jewish history

The turquoise water is made for wild bathing in the summer heat and makes an ideal setting for pondering the country’s troubled past

By Imogen Garfinkel

5 min read

World Cup goals

Jewish American sightseeing opportunities for this year’s World Cup

By Anthea Gerrie

6 min read

Searching for the last Jew of Kochi

Since his aunt died, Keith Hallegua has been the last Jew left of a once-thriving community in this region of India. But he still prays every week, hoping that tourists will join him at the historic synagogue

By Andy Mossack

5 min read

Books

All Books

(Left to right) Adam LeBor, Hilary Freeman, Max Olesker and Hadley Freeman, together with Steph Thwaites and Larry Finlay, co-chairs of the Jewish Publishing Circle

Books

JPC party gives ‘strength’ to Jewish publishers and authors facing racism post October 7

By Elisa Bray

2 min read

‘Judaism and heavy metal teach us how to live – and what it means to die well’

Lecturer Keith Kahn-Harris’s new book ‘The Beautiful Death of Ozzy Osbourne’ celebrates the life and death of the Prince of Darkness, whose music shares profound similarities with Judaism, he argues

By Daniel Ben-David

3 min read

Judy Blume’s story, told lovingly and in exhaustive detail – but without her input

This is a lovingly delivered portrait but it feels too often like a sanitised version of the writer’s life

By Jennifer Lipman

2 min read

‘I had a treasure in my hands’: Nikki Goldstein on the book she co-wrote with Bondi victim Rabbi Eli Schlanger

‘He prepared me to be his foot soldier,’ Goldstein said as Conversations with My Rabbi was published after the rabbi’s murder

By Jane Prinsley

4 min read

Music

All Music

Opera

Peter Grimes review: Glories of a post-Brexit ‘Britten’ frittered away in a poor revival ★★

By Stephen Pollard

1 min read

Siegfried review: Spellbinding Schager is the greatest Siegfried of our age ★★★★★

The opera’s flawless cast, set design and music are led by Andreas Shager, who delivers one of the finest theatrical performances London has seen in many years

By Stephen Pollard

2 min read

Haunting music of the exiled composers

On Sunday Wigmore Hall is featuring a day of music by composers forced to uproot and flee

By Mark Glanville

3 min read

2025 in review: Music

It’s been a difficult year for Jewish musicians and music fans alike, but Elisa Bray says virtuoso musicianship defiantly drowned out the hate

By Elisa Bray

4 min read

Sport

All Sport

Gianni Infantino speaks to the media during the Fifa World Cup 2026 Opening Press Conference at Mexico City Stadium on June 10, 2026 (Getty Images)

Israeli football

Fifa President Gianni Infantino proposes Israel v Palestine under-15s match in latest peace gambit

By Ben Conway

1 min read

Man v. Football: Meet the American footie-loving fresser who is part of ITV’s World Cup team

Host of popular TV show has swapped big plates of food for big football matches

By Ben Conway

2 min read

Palestinian FA chief denied entry to US for World Cup

The US State Department has not offered any explanation as to why Jibril Rajoub was not issued a visa to attend the tournament

By JC Reporter

1 min read

Ireland v Israel to take place at neutral venue and without fans over pro-Palestine protest fears

Ireland had been scheduled to host Israel in the Uefa Nations League in Dublin on October 4

By Ben Conway

2 min read

Let's Eat

All Food

Joshua Halmer has built a following on social media for his recipes – and strong opinions (Photo: Hannah Couzens)

Jewish food

‘Hey, it’s Falmer’: meet the social media chef serving up bold flavours and opinions

By Siam Goorwich

4 min read

Recipe

Dark chocolate and halva lava cake

A Middle Eastern twist on the classic French dessert

By Falmer

Cook time: 16 mins

Recipe

Bissli schnitzel with sweet potato mash

Give your schnitzel an Israeli twist by using Bissli crisps for the crumb

By Falmer

Cook time: 15 mins

Recipe

Sticky onion, blue cheese and bitter leaf salad with chipotle honey

A wonderful starter or decadent lunch

By Thomasina Miers

Cook time: 1hr, 20 mins

Life

The full story of George Michael and Wham!’s hidden Jewish identity

Walking Shadow: Love, Loss and Shakespeare review: ‘On loving Shakespeare and hating cancer’

Time to end the gay IVF tax, say Jewish lesbian mums

The latest addition to our family? The grand-dog

JC LifeDelivered Weekly

Unlock access to our community and get the latest news straight to your inbox!

Support the world’s oldest Jewish newspaper

‘Play by my dating rules, and you will marry the love of your life’

Punk turns 50: The Jewish voices that helped shape the scene

We Had a World review: Joshua Harmon’s mother and grandmother are at war in this gripping drama ★★★★

‘It belongs to the Jewish nation’– says chef of first Michelin-starred kosher restaurant

What do the preoccupations of our novelists say about Anglo-Jewry and wider society?

Lifestyle

World Cup 2026: ‘Jewish roots’ of striker on heroic Cape Verde squad that held off Spain

Ping! Scan test results arrive in hours… if you’re in LA

Model and former IDF captain is the only Israeli WAG at the World Cup

Chalamet: Knicks claiming NBA title better than Oscar win

Theatre

High Society review: Fizzing stage reboot starring Felicity Kendal ★★★★

Black Comedy review: Peter Shaffer’s big idea lacks the light to really shine★★★

Equus review: Gripping revival of Shaffer’s foray into a troubled teenager’s mind ★★★★★

NIUSIA review: ‘it increasingly feels as if we’re listening to the wrong story’ ★★★

Film & TV

ET never went home: Spielberg claims aliens ‘are here’ on Earth

Disclosure Day review: Emily Blunt is superb in Spielberg’s fun but derivative return to the alien thriller ★★★

Power Ballad review: ‘star-powered comedy’ ★★★★

Meet the director who made Dustin Hoffman an irresistible offer

Travel

A week of wellness in Santa Monica

Traversing the wonders of Austria’s Lake Wörthersee and the hunt for Jewish history

World Cup goals

Searching for the last Jew of Kochi

Books

JPC party gives ‘strength’ to Jewish publishers and authors facing racism post October 7

‘Judaism and heavy metal teach us how to live – and what it means to die well’

Judy Blume’s story, told lovingly and in exhaustive detail – but without her input

‘I had a treasure in my hands’: Nikki Goldstein on the book she co-wrote with Bondi victim Rabbi Eli Schlanger

Music

Peter Grimes review: Glories of a post-Brexit ‘Britten’ frittered away in a poor revival ★★

Siegfried review: Spellbinding Schager is the greatest Siegfried of our age ★★★★★

Haunting music of the exiled composers

2025 in review: Music

Sport

Fifa President Gianni Infantino proposes Israel v Palestine under-15s match in latest peace gambit

Man v. Football: Meet the American footie-loving fresser who is part of ITV’s World Cup team

Palestinian FA chief denied entry to US for World Cup

Ireland v Israel to take place at neutral venue and without fans over pro-Palestine protest fears

Let's Eat

‘Hey, it’s Falmer’: meet the social media chef serving up bold flavours and opinions

Dark chocolate and halva lava cake

Bissli schnitzel with sweet potato mash

Sticky onion, blue cheese and bitter leaf salad with chipotle honey