July 2, 2010

Chelsea Clinton, daughter of Bill and Hillary, plans to wed her nice Jewish banker in upstate New York, according to a Rhinebeck resident who leaked the news to the Associated Press.

Clinton announced her engagement to Marc Mezvinsky last November without word on whether she would convert. Despite having been raised a Methodist, she was spotted attending Yom Kippur services with Mezvinsky at the Jewish Theological Seminary last year.

The couple met in Washington in 1993 and both attended Stanford University.

They plan to marry July 31, according to the AP, at a private mansion two hours north of New York City.

We also know a local (kosher?) caterer has been hired. We’ll keep you posted on all the Jewish details…

Welcome to Science Schmooze, JewishJournal.com’s blog featuring science news that interests Jews (or at least those of us who blog here).

Jews account for about a quarter of all Nobel Prize winners in science categories. Mention names like Einstein, Salk, Feynman and Sagan and how can we not beam with pride?

In his 1902 Zionist novel, “Old New Land,” Theodor Herzl envisioned a new Jewish society that would use science and technology to develop Israel. Today, sci/tech is one of the most developed sectors in Israel, a country with seven research universities that’s ranked fourth in the world in scientific activity.

Jews in the United States, Israel and around the world are behind advances in agriculture, medicine, computer science, nanotechnology and solar energy, to name just a few fields we hope to cover.

Temecula Wine Tour – Sunday, August 1st

You’re invited on our bus trip to the Temecula wine country. We’re visiting three vineyards in idyllic Temecula, southeast of Los Angeles.

Your $25 ticket includes transportation, three tastings, and lunch. This event always sells out fast, so “>Cafe Ivrit will take place on July 6th, July 21st, August 3rd, and August 17th.

Call for Recipes!
On August 4th, we’re hosting a cooking class at Sur La Table, and the whole menu will be comprised of YOUR recipes.

Want yours featured? Submit up to three of your favorite recipes with a short blurb about why you like them and how it relates to your Jewish identity, experiences or family story to losangeles@birthrightisrael.com.

Israeli Dancing, Wednesday, July 7th, West LA
Tired of doing the same old Hora? Come learn modern Israeli dance moves from David Dassa, known for teaching some of the best high-energy sessions outside of Israel. >> “>LEARN MORE

Havdalah Yoga, Saturday, July 17th, Santa Monica
Reflect and relax with an hour and a half of challenging yoga as the sun sets over the ocean, bidding farewell to another rejuvenating Shabbat. Only $5 to join us. >> “>BUY TICKETS

Couples Cooking Class, Monday, July 26th, Santa Monica
Celebrate Tu B’Av (Israeli Valentine’s Day) with your significant other at a hands-on cooking class. You’ll learn the secret of romance through delicious food at Sur La Table. >> “>BUY TICKETS

There’s even more coming up in August!

* Cooking class on Wednesday, August 4th
* Backgammon Tournament on Thursday, August 5th
* Stump the Rabbi with Rabbi Sharon Brous on Tuesday, August 10th.

Like us on July Newsletter: Temecula Wine Tour, Israeli Dancing, Yoga Havadalah and More! Read More »

Marvel Studios and Columbia/Sony announced that British Jewish actor Andrew Garfield, 26, has been cast as the new lead in the “Spider-Man”  reboot, which is expected to feature a younger Peter Parker.

Marc Webb (“(500) Days of Summer”) is directing the 3D film, slated for a 2012 release. The reboot emerged from the ashes of “Spider-Man 4,” and comes only five years after the release of the dreadful “Spider-Man 3,” which featured an embarrassingly emo Toby Maguire.

On selecting Garfield, Webb said, “Though his name may be new to many, those who know this young actor’s work understand his extraordinary talents. He has a rare combination of intelligence, wit, and humanity. Mark my words, you will love Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker.”

Born in Los Angeles, Garfield moved to England with his British mother and American father when he was 3. In an interview with indieLONDON, he says he grew up in a middle-class Jewish home and attended private school.

A stage actor by training, Garfield has a short but impressive film and television resume, including a striking performance as the youthful sleight-of-hand expert Anton in Terry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” (Heath Ledger’s last film) and starring opposite Robert Redford, Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep in his first big-screen film, “Lions for Lambs.”

The fannish crowd might recognize Garfield as Frank, the young Hooverville resident in the series three “Doctor Who” episodes “Daleks in Manhattan” and “Evolution of the Daleks.” Later this year you’ll see him in David Fincher’s Facebook film “Social Network.”

Garfield beat out other stars like Anton Yelchin (“Terminator Salvation,” “Star Trek”), Aaron Johnson (“Kick-Ass”) and Logan Lerman (“Percy Jackson”) for the “Spider-Man” role.

It has been argued before that the concept of the undead is decidedly un-Jewish, but when it comes to “The Twilight Saga” we disagree. Here are the top ten reasons why we think “Eclipse” is the most Jewish movie since “Exodus.” 

1. Vampires practice their own version of “tzniut”- those ancient Jewish modesty laws governing dress. You won’t catch Edward Cullen sunbathing at the beach—his sparkly vampire skin would be a dead giveaway.

2. Nikki Reed, the blonde bombshell that plays Rosalie is a member of the tribe; her father is a Jewish set designer and her mother a Cherokee-Italian.

3. Check out Rob Pattinson’s sexy sideburns – they’re practically payot.

4. While Edward is not quite “shomer negiah” (the law forbidding touch) he refuses his beloved Bella’s lustful advances and insists she marry him first.

5. The Cullens adhere to the Jewish concept of “Kedoshim Tihiyu,” literally, “You should be separate”—have you seen the way they sit at lunch?

6. The Cullen family patriarch Carlisle is a doctor

7. “Twilight Saga” screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg is a Jew

8. Twilight’s vamps are ‘kosher’: they refuse human blood in favor of a “vegetarian” diet…of animals. Their kashrut is almost as sensible as the ban on shellfish.

9. Eclipse has already grossed $92.7 million in ticket sales—a pre-weekend record—and Jews like a big box office.

10. Let’s face it: “Eclipse” is about a territorial dispute between two ancient tribes with claims to the same land. Sound familiar?

Poor Mel, the actor just can’t get his lines right.

Yesterday it was reported that he barked some pretty nasty things to Oksana Grigorieva, the mother of his child, that I won’t attempt to reproduce here. But suffice it to say, in one daring display, he managed to egregiously offend women, African Americans and decent people everywhere. He also wasn’t kind to pigs.

Gibson even managed to use both the N-word and the C-word in the crowning performance of his career, which critics are calling sexist, racist and misogynistic. Does his improvisation know no bounds?

You’d think the man would have learned to shutter his mouth after the 2006 DUI arrest/anti-Semitic tirade heard-round-the-world that effectively wrecked his career. But once again, Mel Gibson’s inner-monologue has become his outer-monologue, and once again, the Vatican II-rejecting Catholic has destroyed any hope for personal absolution. Or redemption. Or whatever it is you need when you actually manage to insult pork.

And just in case anyone was upset that Gibson got his anti-Semitism expunged from his police record, rest assured, baby mama Grigorieva caught the latest soliloquy on tape.

I think his punishment should be having to sit in a room with Jane Elliott.