Uncategorized
With greater representation, an on-stage ‘Transparent’ musical looks to transcend the Amazon show’s rocky ending
(JTA) — When the Amazon series “Transparent” premiered in 2014, America had never met a family like the Pfeffermans on TV.
The hit dramedy, following a Jewish family of three adult siblings whose parent comes out as a transgender woman in her 60s, was the first scripted series to center on a transitioning character. The show won eight Emmys out of 28 nominations, along with awards from GLAAD and the NAACP. It has been credited with paving a path for more leading trans characters in shows such as FX’s “Pose,” CW’s “Supergirl” and HBO’s “Euphoria.”
“Transparent” was also called by many “the most Jewish show on TV.” Its Jewish characters range from mostly secular Los Angelenos to a rabbi to Weimar-era German counterculture pioneers (seen in flashbacks). In the fourth season, the main characters visit Israel-Palestine, where they attempt to understand both their faith and the occupation.
But the show was criticized for casting straight cisgender actor Jeffrey Tambor as the transitioning matriarch Maura Pfefferman. And in 2017, after “Transparent” had been renewed for a fifth season, Tambor was accused of sexual harassment by two former on-set colleagues. He was fired, his starring character killed off in the finale. (Tambor has repeatedly denied the allegations against him.)
That finale took the form of a 100-minute musical film, which ended the series with a divisive show tune called “Joyocaust,” urging Jews to transform their DNA-rooted suffering into joy: “Take the concentration out of the camps, concentrating on some song and dance.”
Now the entire series is getting the musical treatment, arriving on a real stage in Los Angeles. “A Transparent Musical” — adapted by “Transparent” creator Joey Soloway with music and lyrics by Faith Soloway, who also wrote for the TV series — debuts on Tuesday and runs through June 25 at the Mark Taper Forum. One of the goals: to put the spotlight squarely on LGBTQ actors.
“It’s like 75% trans and nonbinary people on stage,” said Faith.
The siblings were originally inspired by their own family: Their parent, formerly known as Harry Soloway, came out as a woman, calling herself “Carrie,” at 75 years old. After they started making the show, Joey and Faith Soloway gradually also came out as trans. Joey changed their name from Jill. Both siblings use the pronouns “they/them.”
They saw the musical medium as a way to freshen up the TV show’s explorations of Jewish and queer history, and the ways in which they interact. Their production will include songs like “Jewish and Queer” — a jubilant “Jewish drinking song,” said Joey — along with defiant anthems like “Deviant,” which celebrates uniting against hatred.
Before they understood their interest in gender, the siblings always imagined making a musical together.
“At the ages of 5, 6, 7 years old, you can picture us sitting on the carpet in our living room in the early ‘70s, listening to the cast albums of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ and ‘Hair’ and ‘Fiddler on the Roof,’ dreaming that one day this was where we were going,” said Joey.
Joey said they did not realize that Tambor’s casting was “problematic” when the TV series debuted. They approached casting and hiring creatives for “A Transparent Musical” with a laser focus on representation, choosing trans actress Daya Curley for Maura’s role. They also centered the character of Davina — Maura’s trans friend, portrayed by Black actress and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” runner-up Peppermint — to intensify the musical’s focus on intersectionality.
Adina Verson, who identifies as nonbinary and featured in the show “Only Murders in the Building,” will play Ali Pfefferman, the family’s youngest sibling.
“I’ve never seen a show with so many trans actors,” said Verson. “It’s an incredible room full of unique, incredible performers who honestly haven’t often been given the stage that they deserve.”
As someone who is married to a man and has a child, Verson said they “never felt queer enough”; meanwhile, growing up as a Reform Jew, they “never quite felt Jewish enough.” (In the series, Ali is played by non-Jewish actress Gaby Hoffmann.)
“It was so exciting to be able to bring that questioning to Ali’s journey, and through Ali, I feel like I’ve really found my footing,” they said.
At the same time as trans representation in popular culture has grown since Amazon premiered “Transparent,” trans identities have come under a coordinated political attack. This year alone, 20 states have passed 71 bills restricting healthcare, public accommodations and school activities for trans people, according to the Trans Legislation Tracker.
Last week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a slate of bills targeting drag shows, restricting the discussion of “preferred pronouns” in schools and enforcing the use of specific bathrooms at public facilities — from schools to prisons — based on “biological sex.” The laws also banned minors from accessing transgender medical treatments, such as puberty blockers or hormone therapy, and placed new restrictions on adults seeking treatment.
Joey Soloway said they were “in mourning” and “paralysis” over the legislation. They see “A Transparent Musical” as a form of protest, conveying “the relationship between how Jews are othered and trans people are othered” with a power that feels different on a theater stage.
“We’re amping up our ammunition beyond a one-on-one TV experience that you watch alone in your room, streaming on your iPad,” said Joey. “This is something you experience collectively, that lands in the body and allows you to go out into the world singing and dancing.”
—
The post With greater representation, an on-stage ‘Transparent’ musical looks to transcend the Amazon show’s rocky ending appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Uncategorized
Danny Wolf will see you now
When the Brooklyn Nets drafted Danny Wolf this summer out of the University of Michigan, scouts said they were getting a versatile big man who could get buckets, create for his teammates and rebound.
But the last few days of NBA action have shown the Jewish seven-footer picking up a surprising new habit: putting his opponents on posters.
After scuffling through the first two months of the season with a bum ankle, Wolf announced his arrival Saturday with a thundering jam on the Milwaukee Bucks’ Kyle Kuzma, for two of the forward’s career-best 22 points.
He claimed his next victim, in a 10-point, 7-rebound outing two days later, driving from the top of the arc before leaping off his left foot and dropping the hammer on the Charlotte Hornets’ Miles Bridges:
“That may get two howls!” Nets play-by-play announcer Ryan Ruocco cried.
Early returns have been limited since the Brooklyn Nets grabbed Israeli point guard Ben Saraf and Wolf with the 26th and 27th picks this summer. The learning curve for young floor generals is notoriously steep, and Saraf — who wears the number 77 to represent the Hebrew word mazal, meaning good fortune — has struggled to stay in the playing rotation.
But Wolf, an American-Israeli who was bar mitzvahed in Israel, is finding his footing — at least when he’s not taking off for a dunk. He dropped in five high-arcing three pointers against the Bucks, eliciting excited howls from Nets color commentator Sarah Kustok; before the Charlotte game, he apparently told teammates he was going to posterize somebody.
“I was kinda saying that as a joke,” he said, “but looking at it as an opportunity, and just trying to attack the rim, I did it, with rewards.”
“He manifested it,” said teammate Nic Claxton.
Let’s enjoy one more picture of Claxton and Wolf:
And here’s a Danny Wolf meme for good measure, courtesy of the Nets social media.
The post Danny Wolf will see you now appeared first on The Forward.
Uncategorized
Turkey Pushes for Closer Ties With Iran Despite Mounting Sanctions as Both Countries Pursue Regional Ambitions
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, Oct. 30, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Umit Bektas
Despite the recent reimposition of UN sanctions on Iran, Turkey has called for closer diplomatic and trade relations with the Iranian regime, as both countries seek to bolster their influence in the Middle East while openly targeting Israel.
In a new interview with the semi-official Iranian news outlet ISNA, Turkey’s Ambassador to Iran, Hicabi Kırlangıç, said Ankara was working to expand bilateral cooperation with Tehran by leveraging existing capabilities to increase economic ties between the two countries.
“One of the obstacles to expanding trade relations between Iran and Turkey is the issue of sanctions. However, we should not cling to this excuse and refrain from trying to increase trade relations,” Kırlangıç said.
“The goal is to raise the level of trade relations to $30 billion, but we are still far from this figure,” he continued, emphasizing the vast potential for economic growth and the need for careful planning to achieve it.
The Turkish diplomat’s latest remarks followed Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s visit on Sunday to Tehran, where he also pushed for stronger bilateral cooperation between the two countries and denounced what he called “unfair sanctions” on Iran.
In a joint press conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Fidan reaffirmed Turkey’s support for Tehran while calling for the country’s nuclear program to be addressed through dialogue amid ongoing discussions to restart nuclear talks with the West.
After repeated unsuccessful negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, European countries launched the process to reinstate wide-ranging UN sanctions earlier this year under the so-called snapback mechanism, adding further pressure on Tehran, which was already facing mounting US sanctions.
Fidan called for the removal of these “unrighteous” sanctions, stressing that the Iranian regime must resolve outstanding issues “on the basis of international law.”
“Turkey has always stood with Iran and will continue to stand with Iran within the framework of international law,” the top Turkish diplomat said, adding that “these unfair sanctions should be lifted.”
During their high-level meeting in Tehran, officials from both countries vowed to significantly expand cooperation on trade, energy, border management, and regional security, noting that economic ties remain well below their potential.
As part of their announced initiatives, the two nations agreed to build a new joint rail line that will serve as a strategic trade corridor between Asia and Europe, with construction expected to take three to four years and cost roughly $1.6 billion.
Fidan also said both countries consider Israel “the biggest threat to stability in the Middle East,” pointing to the war in Gaza, tensions in Lebanon and Syria, and broader concerns over what he called “Israeli expansionist policies.”
“The international community must fulfill its responsibilities,” he said, calling for stronger global pressure on the Jewish state.
Amid international efforts to uphold the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and chart a path for post-war Gaza, Turkey — a longtime backer of Hamas — has been pushing to expand its role in Gaza’s reconstruction efforts, which experts have warned could potentially strengthen Hamas’s terrorist infrastructure.
Uncategorized
Israeli Real Estate Firm Denies Canceling New York Event Due to Anti-Zionist Group’s ‘Stolen Land’ Protest
Illustrative: Demonstrators attend an anti-Israel protest on the day of the two-year anniversary of the attack on Israel by Hamas, in New York City, US, Oct. 7, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
An Israeli real estate firm has denied canceling an event set to take place in New York City on Tuesday due to a planned demonstration organized by a notorious anti-Israel group, saying the cancellation was for unrelated reasons.
A spokesperson for CapitIL, which provides information about buying real estate in Israel, said the gathering was canceled so the firm could focus its resources on holding a larger event in the coming months, according to the Times of Israel.
The Israeli publication reported that CapitIL’s event for this week had already been canceled when the local chapter of the radical anti-Zionist activist organization Pal-Awda announced the protest on Friday.
“When we as a community challenge the zionists’ genocidal settler-colonial machine we can win! And we did! We forced the cancellation of zionist land thieving CapitIL Real Estate’s planned illegal land sale in Manhattan,” Pal-Awda posted on social media on Tuesday.
“All this shows the importance and strength of our community when we turn out to challenge these genociders,” the group continued. “Please continue to follow us as we will continue to expose and, with our community’s support, challenge the zionist entity’s long tentacles here in [New York and New Jersey].”
Pal-Awda celebrated the cancellation of the so-called “illegal” sale of “stolen land” in Israel.
“This series of cancellations speaks to the power of our mobilization: with every principled protest and disruption, we are making the theft of Palestinian land untenable in our neighborhoods,” the group wrote. “As our protests have grown in size, we have seen more and more agencies and organizations similarly cancel and delay events, fearing the consequences of accountability and community outcry.”
On Friday, Pal-Awda initially advertised the planned protest.
“A zionist real estate event attempting to sell land in occupied Palestine will be held in Manhattan,” it posted. “This event is part of the zionists’ ongoing effort to ethnically cleanse Palestine. Join as we confront the white supremacist, settler-colonial project!”
The group called for supporters to gather in force.
“As the United States continues to provide political cover & military support for the ongoing indiscriminate assaults on Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, & Yemen, zionist settlers are exploiting this moment to further their settler-colonial agenda,” it said. “This expansion is facilitated by zionists from all over the world, including most prominently in the US, through real estate events where Stolen Land is sold & discounted mortgages are provided by “isr@eli” banks backed by the zionist entity’s government.”
Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, called on New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who takes office next month, to take an aggressive stand against such protests and push for a ban of such demonstrations in front of houses of worship.
“In my conversation with Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani recently, I made it clear that the Jewish community will not stand idly by for such antisemitic and violent protests,” Schneier told The Algemeiner. “I hope that we will be able to work together to put my plan into action, creating a ban of protests on the property of any house of worship. This cannot be the new norm in New York City.”
Last month, Pal-Awda organized a gathering of demonstrators who called for violence against Jews outside a prominent synagogue.
The protesters were harassing those attending an event being held by Nefesh B’Nefesh, a Zionist organization that helps Jews immigrate to Israel, at Park East Synagogue in Manhattan.
“We don’t want no Zionists here!” the group of roughly 200 anti-Israel activists chanted in intervals while waving the Palestinian flag. “Resistance, you make us proud, take another settler out.”
One protester, addressing the crowd, reportedly proclaimed, “It is our duty to make them think twice before holding these events! We need to make them scared.”
Footage on social media also showed agitators chanting “death to the IDF,” referring to the Israel Defense Forces, as well as “globalize the intifada” and “intifada revolution.” Community figures described the scene as openly threatening and a stark escalation of anti-Jewish hostility in New York City.
Mamdani, a strident critic of Israel, drew immense backlash after releasing a statement which “discouraged” the language used by the protesters but also condemned the event for supposedly using “sacred spaces … to promote activities in violation of international law.”
Jewish leaders reacted with disappointment, arguing that Mamdani effectively provided political justification for a protest that targeted Jews for participating in a mainstream, fully legal pro-Israel program. Critics said the mayor-elect’s framing implied that the synagogue event, not the threatening chants outside, was the real problem, a position they described as deeply irresponsible amid rising antisemitism in the city.
Pal-Awda has vowed to hold demonstrations at “private homes, businesses, and houses of worship” if necessary “to stop the pipeline of settlement and zionist colonial expansion.”
In addition to the nixed CapitIL event, Pal-Awda also claimed on Tuesday that it caused Nefesh B’Nefesh to cancel a separate event planned for Thursday in Manhattan. The Algemeiner could not immediately confirm the veracity of that claim.
New York City has been ravaged by a surge in antisemitic incidents since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel. According to police data, Jews were targeted in the majority of hate crimes perpetrated in New York City last year. Meanwhile, pro-Hamas activists have held raucous — and sometimes violent — protests on the city’s college campuses, oftentimes causing Jewish students to fear for their safety.
Leaders of the Jewish community have raised alarm bells following the rapid political ascendance of Mamdani, a far-left democratic socialist and anti-Zionist. Mamdani is an avid supporter of boycotting all Israeli-tied entities who has been widely accused of promoting antisemitic rhetoric. He has repeatedly accused Israel of “apartheid” and “genocide;” refused to recognize the country’s right to exist as a Jewish state; and refused to explicitly condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which has been associated with calls for violence against Jews and Israelis worldwide.