Happy Fourth of July Everyone!
America is celebrating its 236th birthday and we decided to show some of our favorite Jewish celebrities celebrating America the way it should be celebrated – by doing American things and wearing outrageously patriotic red, white and blue gear!
So how are the Jewish celebrities celebrating the 4th?
1. Natalie Portman is drinking a beer More ▸
The NBA Draft was Thursday, and unfortunately this year’s list of prospects did not include any outstanding Jewish players.
Since the Beren Academy kids aren’t old enough yet, and the only player close to Jewish is projected number-one pick Anthony Davis, who’s unibrow reminds me of a few Israeli men I know, we decided to remember the days when Jews had a much bigger presence on the court (not off it like today).
Some Jews have even been drafted pretty high.
Here are our Jewish top 10 picks:
10. Omri Casspi (23rd Pick)
Drafted: 2009, 1st round – 23rd pick
Team: Sacramento Kings
College: N/A, Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
Position: Small Forward
NBA Career: 2009-present – 8.7 Points per game, 4.2 Rebounds per game, 1.1 Assists per game
Did you know: Omri is the first (and only) Israeli player in the NBA. More ▸
Those anti-Semites, they would do anything to spread their Jew-hating agenda.
And we should be afraid, because their latest (and in my opinion, most efficient) tool is delivering their propaganda while in a giant, innocent-looking animal costume. The beloved Elmo of “Sesame Street” wasn’t the first one to do it. Before Elmo, between the years 2007-2010, several television characters taught children how cute and cuddly the world will be without the Jews.
Spread it fast, before Cookie Monster gets infected (God help us all).
1. Farfour the Mouse
Name: Farfour the Mouse
Show: “Tomorrow’s Pioneers,” a children’s television program of Hamas’ Al-Aqsa TV
Kinda looks like: Mickey Mouse with the mumps
Catchphrase: ”You and I are laying the foundation for a world led by Islamists”
Characteristics: Extremely high-pitched voice and impressive grenade-throwing abilities.
Fate: Killed by an Israeli interrogator in episode 105 (watch the dramatic death scene) More ▸
Three years ago today the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, passed away.
Jackson’s connection to the Jewish community and Israel was strong but also controversial at times. Here are some facts you may not have known about MJ, the Jews and Israel.
1. Jackson was good friends with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach
The outspoken New Jersey rabbi (and congressman wannabe) met Michael Jackson in 1999 with the help of Jackson’s friend, Israeli illusionist Uri Geller, and the two became buddies. Jackson even came over to Boteach’s house for Shabbat dinners. The rabbi has publicly stood by Jackson — defending him against allegations of being a Nazi sympathizer or continuing to work with him on children’s issues despite the accusations of sex abuser. And then there was the post-death book of interviews. More ▸
Israel Lacrosse Facebook
(Other than the most obvious one, that Israel actually has a Lacrosse team, thanks Issac!)
This weekend, Israel’s national lacrosse team will debut its official international play at the 2012 European Lacrosse Championships in Amsterdam. For those of you who just found out that Israel has a Lacrosse team, here are a few fun facts:
1. Scott Neiss, founder of Israel Lacrosse, came up with the idea during his Birthright trip in 2010
(Israel Lacrosse)
Neiss visited Israel in 2010 and found out that Lacrosse hadn’t made it over to the Holy Land yet. Thanks to a few contacts at the Federation of International Lacrosse, he was able to establish the team. Neiss, an Oceanside, N.Y. native, made aliyah in 2012. He is currently the executive director of Israel Lacrosse. In the past, he was the chief executive of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) and North American Lacrosse League (NALL). More ▸
Mazel Tov! After an 18-months pregnancy, Tanda, a 20-year-old white rhino gave birth Terkel, a rare white rhino calf, at the Ramat Gan Safari near Tel Aviv.
Terkel was born on June 15, which is a reason to celebrate since white rhinos are considered rare and difficult to breed in captivity, and are constantly trying to keep out of the endangered list. 300 white rhinos are killed every year by poachers who hunt them for their horns. White rhinos are not really white, it is a mistranslation from the Dutch ”wijd,” which means “wide” in English.
Terkel is named after zoologist Dr. Amelia Terkel, who is retiring after 30 years at the Ramat Gan Safari. His mother Tanda, who was born in South Africa, gave birth to his older brother Tibor, four and a half years ago.
Shortly after being born, Terkel tried to get on his feet, and was able to do so with the help of Tanda.
Enjoy the photos of Terkel’s first day!
1. Terkel Trying to stand up for the first time
(Photo by Tibor Jager/Ramat Gan Safari) More ▸
The ultimate music wars of the 2010s has finally arrived!
The two main contenders are Drake, the Jewish-Canadian recently-re-bar-mitzvah’d rapper, and Chris Brown, America’s bad boy.
Last week, the two got into a pretty nasty brawl at a New York nightclub, and although the story is far from over, we decided to explain all that has allegedly happened so far using owls.
(We understand that some of the allegations should not be joked about, but this fight is so ridiculous it deserves an appropriate treatment.)
It’s gonna be a hoot.
In 2008, Chris Brown and Rihanna began dating
Rihanna, a singer from Barbados made famous for her hit songs “SOS,” “Umbrella,” “Don’t Stop The Music” and “Only Girl (In The World)“. Chris Brown is known for hit songs like “Kiss Kiss” and “Look at me now.” The two met at Rihanna’s 20th party in 2008 (Brown was not even 19!) and hit it off. More ▸
This week we salute you, the Jewish father.
Why? Well first of all, because this Sunday is Father’s Day, and secondly because we usually pay more attention to Jewish moms, that we often forget how great Jewish dads are.
They are so great, that unlike most Jewish mothers who are very similar in their television portrayal, the TV Jewish fathers are so different from one another, so we decided to name nine of our favorite types of Jewish dads on TV.
1. The Workaholic Dad – Ari Gold (“Entourage”)
He’s married to his work and the actors he represents are his actual children. We know it, Ari Gold knows it and his family knows it. The world’s most notorious movie agent (Jeremy Piven) has the ability to make television explode from over-bleeping. Ari is a devoted Jew… when it doesn’t conflict with his work (he escaped Yom Kippur services to try and seal Vincent a lead role in the movie “Medellin”) and is also an over-protective father. In fact, he is so over-protective that when his daughter Sarah begins to like child actor Max Ballard, Ari sends him to Kazakhstan to shoot a new movie to keep him away from his daughter. More ▸
Yesterday we posted the video of Edan Pinchot, the adorable “Jewish Justin Bieber,” who warmed our hearts with his awesome rendition of One Republic’s “Good Life” at the Austin auditions of “America’s Got Talent.”
Young Pinchot is just one of many Jews who took reality TV by storm, here are the eight reality TV Jews we remember the most for good or bad:
1. Ethan Zohn (“Survivor”)
Zohn is the winner of Survivor’s third season (“Survivor: Africa”) from Lexington, Massachusetts. He was diagnosed with cancer twice and as of late last year is still battling it. Zohn also participated in “Survivor: All-Stars” and in addition joined his girlfriend Jenna Morasca at the 19th season of “The Amazing Race” (they came in 10th).
(Ethan wins “Survivor:Africa”) More ▸
Were you upset by the letter “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane sent to Emmy voters, calling them “bloated, overprivileged Brentwood Jews” and urging them to consider nominating his show for the Outstanding Comedy Series category?
Then you probably don’t watch that much “Family Guy,” because jokes on the expense of the chosen people happen there all the time. The Jews shouldn’t feel targeted though, “Family Guy” doesn’t discriminate and laughs at people of all nationalities, races, colors and genders. It’s one of those things that an animated show can do without getting too much heat.
So to put things in perspective, we chose 13 of our favorite “Family Guy” jokes on Jews. If you find them offensive, we sure hope you’re not an Emmy voter.
1. Jewish Eye Surgery More ▸
