There is a new twist to the contentious question of who is really a Jew. John C. Haedrich, who claims that his DNA proves his Ashkenazi descent, is challenging the State of Israel to recognize his Jewishness under the Law of Return.
Conservative Jewish radio host Dennis Prager is expanding his audience-into the bleeding heart of the liberal media he so eschews.
Eytan Schwartz is the ambassador to Israel. He\’s not the real ambassador, of course, not this 31-year-old whose spiky black hair nestles hip aviator sunglasses, and whose purple oxford is untucked over trendy deep blue jeans with snaps and pockets in all the right places.
For generations, Barbie\’s hourglass \”perfect\” figure has confounded experts in anatomy, while giving girls a role model of debatable merit.
Now there\’s a doll whose appearance is more modest, who looks like kids and whose values are distinctly Jewish.
Created by Aliza Stein of Teaneck, N.J., Gali Girls wear clothes that are not made to accentuate their bodies. Accessories include a matching Magen David bracelet for the owner and the doll, a Hebrew and English birth certificate and a separate wooden Shabbat kit that can be painted.
Gali Girls are designed to encourage girls to bring positive Jewish values, such as kindness, respect, and charity, into their doll play, Stein said.
Is the celebrity-studded Kabbalah Centre bringing the benefits of age-old Jewish mysticism and learning to the masses, or is it a multimillion-dollar family enterprise scamming the gullible?\n\nThat basic question, raised with growing frequency and ever-larger headlines in recent years, was given a surprisingly well-balanced national airing last week on the ABC-TV newsmagazine, \”20/20.\”
The Broadway blockbuster by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, which tells the story of what happened in Oz before Dorothy dropped in, has been selling out in ticket presales on its national tour. So you might have better luck finding a pair of ruby slippers than a seat at the Pantages, where it flies in from now through July 31, starring Stephanie J. Block, Kendra Kassebaum and Carol Kane.
But this tale, with its Grammy Award-winning music, based on the book by Gregory Maguire, isn\’t your grandmother\’s \”Wizard of Oz.\” (Judy Garland never used words like \”swankified\” or \”disgusticified.\”) This show is all about Elphaba (a.k.a. the Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda (a.k.a. the Good Witch of the North) — who used to be best friends.
But who was really \”wicked\” and who was really \”good?\”
What do you do when you lose someone? Someone you really hated?
El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills has once again given Los Angeles something to kvell about. The school claimed top honors at this year\’s national Academic Decathlon, the annual contest of intellectual prowess.
Three of the nine team members generated special pride for the Jewish community: Lindsey Cohen and Linsday Gibbs are both affiliated with Shomrei Torah, while Kevin Rosenberg attends Temple Aliyah.
\”I got enormous support from my parents, from my temple [Shomrei Torah] and from my friends,\” Gibbs said. \”After we won state, the rabbi sent me a letter and the cantor called me…. They didn\’t know what I got on each test or how I did medal-wise, and yet, they were all so supportive and welcoming and congratulatory when I got back.\”
In what is likely the ultimate \”Cold Case File,\” a researcher in Haifa may have figured out the cause of Jesus\’ death.
Professor Benjamin Brenner, a Technion Medical School and Rambam Medical Center hematology expert, said the problem was not blood loss, but a blood clot that likely traveled to Jesus\’ lungs.
Is Shavuot becoming hip? The holiday, which begins June 12, may be one of Judaism\’s three major festivals, but it had never caught on in America like its more popular cousins, Passover and Sukkot.
The tradition of tikkun l\’eil Shavuot, the all-night study session that marks the commemoration of God\’s giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai, is celebrated by most Orthodox Jews and many Conservative congregations. But for many unaffiliated and non-Orthodox Jews, the holiday has gone fairly unnoticed.
Until recently.
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