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Michelle Williams, who plays Steven Spielberg’s mother in ‘The Fabelmans,’ says she plans to raise her children Jewish
(JTA) — Michelle Williams is one of the only non-Jewish actors with a starring role in “The Fabelmans,” director Steven Spielberg’s autobiographical film based on his Jewish family.
But it turns out that Williams, who plays the Spielberg character’s mother, has a Jewish family of her own. She told the Wall Street Journal that she and her Jewish husband, director Thomas Kail, are raising their two young children with Judaism and that she is studying the religion herself.
“I can’t teach it to them unless I learn it first,” Williams, who was raised Christian, told the newspaper. She said she and Kail had picked out a synagogue for their family and also said that she had positive memories of Jewish traditions from her Jewish childhood friends.
“I adored being in their homes — a lot of it is those early memories of the discourse at the tables and the deep sense of belonging that tradition fosters,” Williams said. “It has always been something that I’ve gravitated towards, something that felt immediately exciting and deep and very different from the tinsel and cheer. I say this as somebody who also sings Christmas songs to my kid before he goes to bed. I love both.”
In raising their children with Judaism, Williams and Kail are falling into line with the majority of Jews in the United States, according to a large-scale study of American Jews released last year. Nearly three quarters of non-Orthodox Jews who have gotten married since 2010 have married someone non-Jewish, according to the survey. A majority of those families are raising their children Jewish, with another 12% raising their children partly Jewish, as it sounds like Williams and her husband are intending. All together, two-thirds of intermarried couples are raising their kids with some Jewish identity, a rate that seems to have risen over time.
Williams has won acclaim — along with two Golden Globes and an Emmy award — for her performances in indie drama movies and shows such as “Brokeback Mountain,” “Blue Valentine” and “Fosse/Verdon.” She is winning accolades now for her portrayal of a character loosely based on Spielberg’s mother, Leah Adler, a popular Los Angeles kosher restaurateur who died at 97 in 2017.
Kail is best known for directing Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit Broadway musical “Hamilton.” In 2020, he was tapped to direct a film remake of “Fiddler on the Roof” that is still in development.
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The post Michelle Williams, who plays Steven Spielberg’s mother in ‘The Fabelmans,’ says she plans to raise her children Jewish appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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FBI Investigating Minnesota Fraud Scheme, Director Says
FBI Director Kash Patel attends the signing of an executive order by US President Donald Trump on a deal that would divest TikTok’s US operations from ByteDance from its Chinese owner ByteDance, at the White House in Washington, DC, US, Sept. 25, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
FBI Director Kash Patel said on Sunday the agency had deployed personnel and investigative resources to Minnesota to “dismantle large-scale fraud schemes exploiting federal programs.”
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Netanyahu Departs for Florida to Meet with Trump at Mar-a-Lago
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime Minister’s office in Jerusalem, Aug. 10, 2025. Photo: ABIR SULTAN/Pool via REUTERS
i24 News – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took off Sunday morning at 7:30 AM IST on the “Wings of Zion” aircraft to Florida ahead of his meeting with President Donald Trump, set to take place at his private estate in Mar-a-Lago. In their meeting, the two are expected to discuss the transition to Phase B of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu is scheduled to land in Florida at 2:00 PM EST. His meeting with the US president is set to take place on Monday at 3:30 PM local time at Mar-a-Lago.
In addition to the Trump summit, Netanyahu is also expected to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as well as with members of the Jewish community in Miami and the Christian Evangelical community known for its support of Israel.
Netanyahu will attend a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio early Monday afternoon before meeting with Trump.
On Wednesday, the Israeli Prime Minister will meet with Evangelical leaders at 10:30 AM local time at his hotel and will then head to the Temple of Bal Harbour for an event with lawmakers, Jewish and community leaders, and local students.
He takes off for Israel on Thursday afternoon and is expected to land in Israel early Friday afternoon.
Netanyahu is expected to clarify Israel’s position to Trump, namely stating that the transition cannot take place before the completion of the first phase, which includes the return of the body of the last Israeli hostage, Ran Gvili.
Netanyahu will also raise the issue of the Iranian threat and the concern in Israel about the possibility of the ceasefire being exploited on the other fronts where Israel has been fighting in the past two years, including Syria and Lebanon.
i24NEWS’s Weekend Edition reported Saturday evening that the “Wings of Zion” plane will fly on a route that passes over Canada, despite the international arrest warrant against the Prime Minister.
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Iron Beam: IDF’s First Operational High-Power Laser Defense System
The “Or Eitan” system. Photo: Spokesperson and Public Relations Division of the Ministry of Defense
i24 News – Israel has achieved a major technological breakthrough in defense with the delivery of its first operational high-power laser system, “Or Eitan” (Iron Beam), to the IDF. The handover took place Sunday at Rafael’s facility, with Defense Minister Israel Katz and senior military and industry officials in attendance.
Developed over several years, “Iron Beam” is the first interception laser of its kind in the world to reach operational maturity.
During extensive testing, the system successfully intercepted rockets, mortar shells, and drones under conditions simulating real combat scenarios.
The laser will be integrated into Israel’s multi-layered air defense network, complementing the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow systems. Operated by the Israeli Air Force, it offers a significant economic advantage: its marginal cost per interception is nearly zero, a major shift in the cost equation for missile defense.
The project was led by the Ministry of Defense’s Directorate of Research and Development in close cooperation with Rafael, Elbit Systems, responsible for the laser source, and other Israeli defense companies. Combining an advanced laser source with a unique electro-optical sight, the system provides maximum accuracy and efficiency at extended ranges.
The system’s name, “Or Eitan,” (Iron Beam) honors Captain Eitan Oster, who fell in battle in southern Lebanon.
Minister Katz described the milestone as a “game changer” that sends a strong message to Israel’s adversaries, from Tehran to Sanaa and Beirut. Rafael hailed the delivery as the beginning of the defensive laser era, placing Israel at the forefront of interception technology worldwide and reinforcing its strategic technological edge for future security challenges.