Matisyahu Takes it All Off
If Bob Marley cut off his dreads, would he still be Bob Marley? The Jewish world is contemplating a similar question after news broke this weekthat Chasidic reggae singer Matisyahu had shaved his beard. “No more Chassidic reggae superstar,” the singer wrote on his blog. “All you get is me.” Matisyahu’s signature Chasidic appearance has been central to his persona since bursting on the scene in 2004. The new look, he says, is part of his continuing religious “evolution.” [[READMORE]]
Steven I. Weiss is Making Headlines
The past few weeks have helped put The Jewish Channel, a paid on-demand channel offered by many cable providers, on the map. That’s because Steven I. Weiss, the station’s director of original programming and new media and anchor of its weekly video news cast, has generated national attention with two major scoops. First came TJC’s report on the controversial ad campaign aimed at getting Israeli expats to return to Israel. Then, in an exclusive interview, Republican front-runner Newt Gingrich shared his view that the Palestinians are an “invented” people, sparking an uproar and drawing criticism from other GOP candidates. As for TJC, the channel was only invented five years ago — but that’s not stopping Weiss from making news.
Goldie Hawn Gets the Part
First, in “Private Benjamin,” Goldie Hawnshowed us how a Jewish American Princess could learn to tough it out and seize control of her own life. She did it again in the “First Wives Club,” this time providing a self-empowerment model for jilted wives in their 40s. Now comes word that she’s about to make it a hat trick: Hawn is reportedly set to star in HBO’s “Viagra Diaries” — the new show from “Sex and the City” creator Darren Star about a 65-year-old woman figuring things out after her husband bails, leaving her single for the first time in more than three decades.
Rick Jacobs Takes Charge
As Rabbi Rick Jacobs takes the helm of America’s largest Jewish religious denomination at the biennial conference of the Union for Reform Judaism, which runs through Sunday in the Washington area, he faces a host of challenges. Synagogues are struggling, young Jews are disaffected and there is growing concern that American Jewish support for Israel is eroding. Jacobs may not have all the answers, but at the very least he’s among an impressive crowd at the Reform confab, including President Obama, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak.
Jared Kleinstein Spreads Tebow Love
When he was a kid, Jared Kleinstein, a 24-year-old Denver native, dreamed of being a Bronco. While that never happened, he has come closer than most Jewish boys by creating Tebowing.com, the website that collects pictures of people emulating Tim Tebow’s prayer stance all around the world. On Monday, the Global Language Monitor deemed “Tebowing” an official English word.
OY, A POSSIBLE RETRACTION: Milwaukee Brewers slugger Ryan Braunis the only person to make The Friday Five twice. And now he is also the only Friday Fiver to be accused of testing positive for performance-enhacing drugs. Braun says it’s "B.S.," and his camp insists there are extenuating circumstances that will clear up the situation. We can only hope.
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