Jewschool's Best of 2005
After consulting with our various judges (including Sarah Lefton, Ben Baruch, Ezra HaLevi, and a handful of others) here are Jewschool’s picks for The Best of 2005.
- Movie: Ushpizin. Runner-up: The Aristocrats.
- TV Show: The Daily Show. Runner-up: Curb Your Enthusiasm.
- Book: Schlepping Through the Alps by Sam Apple. Runner-up: Bar Mitzvah Disco by Roger Bennet, Jules Shell & Nick Kroll.
- Album: Matisyahu Live At Stubbs — Not because it’s his best material to date, but because of the impact he’s made in the last year. Runner-up: Lewis Black Luther Burbank Performing Arts Center Blues — It ain’t music, but damnit it’s entertaining.
- Magazine: Atlanta Jewish Life — Quite possibly the best Jewish magazine in print. Runner-up: Guilt & Pleasure — A suprisingly good late entry.
- Website: Nextbook.org — Always provoking, always engaging. Runner-up: 50Shekel.com — A non-stop treasure trove of hillarity.
- Blog: Jewschool — Who’d have guessed?! Runner-up: Jewlicious — Our more religious, nerdy, ardently Zionistic younger brother.
- News Story: Surfing Settlers Threaten Suicide by Sea. Runner-up: The AIPAC Spy Scandal.
- Person: Arik Sharon — For having the balls to disengage. Runner-up: Bonnie Schwartz — A long-time Jewschool reader and the first ever Jewish woman to swim the English Channel, and with a busted rotater cuff at that!
What are your Best of 2005?
Music Software: Ableton Live 5
Book: The Art of Amazement (Jewish meditation stuff)
Website: Jewschool (yeah it pisses me off sometimes, but they keep me reading)
Transportation: Biking
Nastiest Blog Scrap: Jewschool vs. Jewlicious
Challah in Vancouver: Garden City
Kosher Bagels in Vancouver: Mount Royal
Shameless plug:
Documentary: Le Mechant Trip/Exiles in Lotusland (not only because it took home the highest award at the Whistler film festival…because I composed the music for it punk!)
Ah, the famous double feature of Ushpizin and the Aristocrats…I’d love to see what kind of audience that attracts…
I’ve been giving my fave 2005 cultural moments some thought and hopefully will give them some blogtime before the end of the year…
If we’re giving away 2005 awards, I’m a big fan of my post Hamas and Sperm.
Our picks include:
best film: Walk on Water, Everything Is Illuminated
best music; David Lazzar (Heavy rock), White Shabbos (country rock),
theatre: Jewtopia
TV: Curb Your Enthusiasm, South Park, Extras
Food: Osem instant mash
Best web site: Apart from my own, Shabot6000.com
“More religious”?!
David Lazar!!!! Bwahahah…I’ve jammed with that guy. We’re talking, before the tzizit and chabad outlook. The covers we did:
Pink Floyd’s – Dirty Woman
U2’s – Sunday Bloody Sunday
ACDC’s – Back in Black
And a Cult song.
Yes, David Lazzar is one of those well kept secrets who needs to break out into the mainstream.
Which Cult song did you guys perform?
Person: Arik Sharon — For having the balls to disengage.
Think we can get someone to make a trophy shaped like a Qassam rocket?
mobius for best son
familiar was the spam block more like familyier
Savyon Leibrecht’s new collection of short stories
and Actus Tragicus’ graphic novel based on an Etgar Keret’s short story.
Jewlia Eisenberg’s newest record as well.
B*e*s*T of 05
Music: Mtisyhu is the big thing, Hasidic Regge dad Mazal tov Tali.
TV moment: Perry Farrell sings Aveenu Malkinu
Movie: Inspired, its audience specific to Boro Park and Monsey.
Entertainers: Berel and Crazy Yosef.
Minyin: North 5th and Bedford
Blog: jew-school myspace twiches
Best Infomercial host convincing you to give money to some vague organization with Israel in the title; Yecheil Eckstein
Best reason to be Lesbian:neohasid.org
Best reason to be Straight: Upper West Side