Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg bats for the Detroit Tigers in 1935. (TSN Archives/Getty Images)
WHIPPANY, N.J. (New Jersey Jewish News via JTA) — With a lifetime of loving and writing about sports, Ron Kaplan has many topics he can sink his teeth into. Add to that passion his time working for the American Jewish Congress and then for nearly a decade for… Read more »
Kirk and Anne Douglas at their 60th wedding anniversary in 2014. (Christopher Briscoe)
LOS ANGELES (JTA) — When movie star Kirk Douglas married Anne Buydens in Las Vegas, the justice of the peace asked Anne to raise her hand and repeat after him, “I take thee, Kirk, for my lawful husband.” Anne, who had recently arrived in the United States from Europe,… Read more »
Liron Lavi Turkenich compares produce in a video for her Aravit writing system. (Screenshot from YouTube)
TEL AVIV (JTA) — Middle East peace may remain out of reach, but at least the Hebrew and Arabic languages have found a compromise. Israeli typography designer Liron Lavi Turkenich has created a stylized writing system that merges the two ancient alphabets, allowing Hebrew and Arabic speakers to… Read more »
BizTank, a haredi Orthodox version of "Shark Tank," brings together a panel of mostly Orthodox Jewish investors to hear pitches from entrepreneurs. (Ben Sales)
NEW YORK (JTA) — At the opening of the most recent season finale of “Shark Tank,” the ABC reality show about startup entrepreneurs, a male model stripped and posed in front of a group of investors, showcasing a business that combines drinking wine and painting pictures. At the beginning… Read more »
From left to right: Orna Banai, Yafit Asulin, Evelin Hagoel, Sharona Elimelech and Einat Sarouf in "The Women's Balcony." (Courtesy of Menemsha Films)
(JTA) — It’s safe to call the Israeli film “The Women’s Balcony” the opposite of a Hollywood blockbuster. The movie, directed by Emil Ben-Shimon, is a sensitive, slice-of-life story that focuses on the rift caused in a modern Orthodox community in Jerusalem when a Hasidic rabbi offers to fill… Read more »
Mel Brooks, left, and Norman Lear, center, with Carl Reiner in “If You’re Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast.” (Courtesy of HBO)
(JTA) — The first thing Carl Reiner does every morning is pick up the paper and read the obituary section to check if he’s named there. “If I’m not, I’ll have my breakfast”— or so he says in the charming and appropriately titled HBO documentary “If You’re Not… Read more »
A simulation of cars using Autotalks' vehicle-to-vehicle communication system. (Screenshot from YouTube)
TEL AVIV (JTA) – Israeli startups are revving their engines ahead of the country’s largest-ever “smart transportation” event. Over 200 local companies working in transportation technology will be at the EcoMotion Conference on Thursday at the Peres Center for Peace in Jaffa. The plan is to give auto industry… Read more »
Israeli couscous mac and cheese (Shannon Sarna)
(The Nosher via JTA) — Mac and cheese is one of those comfort food dishes that is sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face. So when my co-workers suggested I try a mac and cheese made with Israeli couscous instead of traditionally larger pasta like elbows or shells… Read more »
Liev Schreiber as Chuck Wepner in the film "Chuck" (Sarah Shatz/Courtesy of IFC Films)
(JTA) — Liev Schreiber has trained as a boxer on and off for 18 years. He’s a fan of the sweet science and has played numerous tough guys on the screen — notably the prizefighter Mischa in the concentration camp movie “Jakob the Liar” and, of course, as Ray… Read more »
Thom Yorke of Radiohead performs at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., April 21, 2017. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella)
(JTA) — It may be the 20th anniversary of Radiohead’s seminal album “OK Computer,” but for some Jewish fans of the band, like me, all is not OK. You might even say I’m feeling “Let Down.” Here’s why: In February, the British band announced that it was playing Tel… Read more »
Unicorn challah (Shannon Sarna)
(The Nosher via JTA) — I don’t know when the craze over “unicorn foods” became the trend, but it’s hard to scroll through Facebook or visit a Starbucks without seeing an explosion of pastel colors and sweet flavors. My colleague Rachel Edelman created some eye-catching unicorn hamantaschen for Purim… Read more »
NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 09: Cartoonist Bob Mankoff attends New York screening for NEW YORKER PRESENTS at Crosby Hotel on February 9, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Amazon Studios)
(JTA) — Bob Mankoff has been the cartoon editor at The New Yorker for 20 years. But he’s been a Jew for 72. The celebrated cartoonist, who is stepping down from his prestigious perch in May, has therefore had a long time to formulate his thoughts on Judaism and Jewish… Read more »
The “Cruz de los Sepharditos de Nuestra Tierra Sagrada” by artist Carlie Sánchez illustrates the confluence of cultures. (Courtesy Jewish History Museum) “Fluid Identities: New Mexican Crypto Jews in the Late 20th Century” is currently on display at Tucson’s Jewish History Museum. On loan from the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe, “Fluid Identities” is part of a larger exhibition entitled “Fractured Faiths.” The Tucson exhibit offers an opportunity to… Read more »
Geoffrey Rush as Albert Einstein with Emily Watson as his wife Elsa in National Geographic’s show "Genius." (National Geographic/Dusan Martincek)
NEW YORK (JTA) — Think “Albert Einstein,” and certain images or phrases likely come to mind: “genius,” “kooky,” “wild hair,” “theory of relativity,” “E = mc2” — maybe even “Zionist.” Sex and violence? Not so much. Then there’s “Genius,” a TV series premiering on Tuesday — National Geographic channel’s first scripted… Read more »
Jennifer Stempel's recipe was inspired by the similarities between a knish — pictured here from New York's Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery — and an empanada. (Eric Hunt/Wikimedia Commons)
(The Nosher via JTA) — When I think of knishes, like most people, I think of New York Jewish deli-style discs of creamy potato or savory meat enveloped by a flaky crust. Potato knishes are my favorite because they act as a vehicle for as much good, grainy mustard… Read more »
Jews dig a trench in which they were later buried after being shot in Ponary, Poland. (Courtesy of Yad Vashem)
LOS ANGELES (JTA) – A one-hour TV program airing tonight on PBS links an incredible Holocaust escape story to advanced scientific techniques. “Holocaust Escape Tunnel,” a “Nova” production to be shown April 19, sheds new light on the attempt by 80 imprisoned men and women — mostly Lithuanian Jews… Read more »
Hank Azaria plays a baseball announcer in the IFC series "Brockmire." (Erica Doss/IFC)
(JTA) — Actor Hank Azaria is known for his portrayal of an array of characters — most notably voicing Moe, Chief Wiggum and Apu on “The Simpsons.” While he may be best known for his work on the long-running animated classic, Azaria, of course, has had a successful… Read more »
1913 Ford Model T Roadster (Courtesy Wayne's Toys)
Congregation Or Chadash will hold a fundraiser, “Revvin’ It Up,” an evening at Wayne’s Toys — Tucson’s Auto Museum on Saturday, April 29 at 6 p.m. Set amid the classic cars, the evening will feature a DJ playing car tunes and music for dancing, a beer tasting and hosted… Read more »
(L-R) Mike Finkelstein, Ken Barratt and Joey Lessa (Courtesy Mike Finkelstein)
Beth Shalom Temple Center will hold a musical open house for current and prospective members, “A Concert of Famous Jewish Songwriters & Composers,” on Sunday, April 30 at 2 p.m. BSTC is located at 1751 N. Rio Mayo in Green Valley. Along with their music, the concert will feature… Read more »
‘Mimbres Totem,’ stoneware clay by Julie Szerina Stein (Courtesy Julie Szerina Stein)
Artists from the Many Hands Courtyard and the Tucson Artist Cooperative are joining for a show, “Groovin’ Together,” at the Tucson Jewish Community Center Fine Arts Gallery from April 21-May 30, with a reception on April 23 from 3-5 p.m. Two local Jewish artists are among the 10 women… Read more »
