Born in New York, Harvey Kurtzman was a prominent American cartoonist. With the creation of his original Mad comic book in 1959, Kurtzman became an enduring icon of American culture and humor. Mad’s parody of popular culture and entertainment positioned Kurtzman as a critical figure in American postwar satire. After Kurtzman was replaced as editor of Mad, he went on to become the editor of Help!, another satirical magazine that became a forum for several major talents, including activist and cultural critic Gloria Steinem, filmmaker Woody Allen, and comedians John Cleese and Terry Gilliam of the cult comedy series Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Kurtzman’s projects had a provocative edge and revolutionary spirit that fed the countercultural moment of the 1960s and greatly influenced humor in American culture.
Nathan of Gaza (also known as Nathan Benjamin ben Elisha Ḥayim ha-Levi Ashkenazi) was born in Jerusalem and moved to Gaza in around 1663. The son of a respected religious scholar, he became a scholar…
Nahum Luboschez may have left the United States for Europe to escape the law, because of his ties to the anarchist movement. He spent time in Russia, documenting political demonstrations, poverty, and…
Struck taught at the Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts, where Yemenite Jews were popular subjects. Many new Jewish arrivals in Palestine, interested in creating a Jewish cultural revival, viewed…