Jay Firestone
‘Mazel Tov’: Lifecycles of the rich and famous
In Jill Rappaport\’s book, \”Mazel Tov: Celebrities\’ Bar and Bat Mitzvah Memories\” she interviews 21 celebrities as they describe how the b\’nai mitzvah experience brought them to where they are today. With the photographic help of her sister, Linda Solomon, Rappaport provides a joyfully contrasting image of the celebrities and their familiar adolescent counterparts.
Subway takes a ride through kashrut
The West Coast\’s first kosher Subway — truly the best thing to happen to this religion since payos — recently opened on Pico Boulevard, right in the heart of \”the hood.\” And with a fleishig (meat) menu, halacha has never tasted so good.
Get the best baruch for your buck when you hire a tutor
One way to ensure your soon-to-be bar or bat mitzvah is on track and ready for the big day is to hire a tutor.
Get ready to bug out
With few exceptions, I sincerely hate bugs … a lot. I hate the way they look. I can\’t stand it when they bite. And most of all, I feel violated each time I catch one crawling up my leg. Yeeech!
Do-it-yourself High Holy Days sermon
You think you have it bad? What about your rabbi, who has to work weeks — no, months — to prepare a High Holy Days Sermon. You think it\’s easy writing a speech that people will remember for the rest of the year? Well, then, why don\’t you and a friend write your very own with our MadLibs [R] version. First ask your partner to supply the missing words. Then read the completed sermon aloud … and enjoy.
7-step set training for spiritual fitness
So you\’ve trained all summer in order to show off that tight body at the beach. Well, as the High Holy Days roll around, impressing the opposite sex seems less and less important. Now it\’s time to show off your Judaism at shul so you can impress your rabbi. And if your rabbi is a member of the opposite sex, you can\’t lose.
Films: Garlin hopes audience will be pleased with ‘Cheese’
Jeff Garlin loves being Jewish. He\’s a borscht-eating, challah-noshing, temple-going, \”big bowl of Jewish,\” as he so proudly describes himself. A proud Jew at home, Garlin also plays one on television.
Conning a con man
Rich Siegel\’s day typically consisted of waking up, going to work, coming home and checking his e-mail. This routine probably would have continued had Siegel not become a bit curious about an e-mail he received from a Nigerian businessman offering him 25 percent of $45.5 million in exchange for his bank account information.
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