World News
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Why we’ll fight Israel’s new extremist political agenda with the determination of the Maccabees
(JTA) — The Book of Exodus tells us that the penultimate plague inflicted on Egypt, the plague of darkness, was one of the worst. The 16th-century Italian commentator Sforno, who lived in the aftermath of the Inquisition in Spain, wrote that the darkness went beyond the mere absence of light: It was a tangible darkness, a…
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No longer a ‘Real Housewife,’ Orthodox influencer Lizzy Savetsky turns to fighting antisemitism
(New York Jewish Week) — Lizzy Savetsky’s life has been turned upside down and inside out over the past eight months. The 37-year-old social media influencer, who identifies as “a proud Orthodox Jewish woman,” became practically a household name this summer when she was announced as a cast member for the 14th season of “The…
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‘Mercenaries for Jesus’: Christmas is a busy time for Jews who sing in churches
(New York Jewish Week) — “Jesus is a paycheck,” said Rob Orbach, one of the many classically trained Jewish vocalists who perform Christian sacred songs in churches across New York City. “There’s a lot of money to be made in churches, especially in New York,” Orbach, 30, who lives in West Harlem, told the New…
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Lauren Boebert zings Marjorie Taylor Greene over ‘Jewish space lasers’
(JTA) – Rep. Lauren Boebert is aligned with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on many issues. Both are right-wing Republican members of Congress who fervently embrace conspiracy theories and joined together in heckling President Biden during his State of the Union address. But when Boebert wanted to distance herself from Greene over their endorsements for the…
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Jewish billionaire Mat Ishbia buys Phoenix NBA, WNBA teams from disgraced Jewish owner
(JTA) — Mat Ishbia, a billionaire mortgage lender who in high school was named Jewish athlete of the year by his hometown Jewish newspaper, has reportedly reached a $4 billion agreement to purchase the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury. Ishbia is buying the teams from Robert Sarver, who cited his Jewish identity when…
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Trevor Noah has hosted his last ‘Daily Show.’ Al Franken, Sarah Silverman and Chelsea Handler will soon sit in the chair.
(JTA) – As “The Daily Show” looks ahead to a future without host Trevor Noah, at least three Jewish comedians are waiting to take his place — at least temporarily. Al Franken, Sarah Silverman and Chelsea Handler are among the extensive list of guest hosts Comedy Central has lined up to hold down the fort…
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The White House celebrates Hanukkah in the shadow of rising antisemitism
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Two mezuzahs at the vice president’s residence. A custom-built menorah for the White House. A Biden grandson in Hanukkah pajamas. The Biden administration’s celebration of Hanukkah this year was suffused with grief over reports of burgeoning antisemitism but leavened with words, rites and symbols meant to assure American Jews that this was…
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2022 was a big year for Jews in the arts. Here’s what happened on screen and stage.
(JTA) – Once more for the record, Dave Chappelle: Jews don’t actually run Hollywood. But anyone paying attention to pop culture in 2022 saw a lot of Jewish creativity. This year saw several big, distinctly Jewish releases across multiple media, ranging from acclaimed movies to popular TV shows to theater, books and viral TikToks. And…
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Some thoughts on the passing of Jim Carr
By BERNIE BELLAN I first met Jim Carr when I decided to take an evening course Jim was teaching about politics at the University of Winnipeg in the 1970s. He was already well known to many Winnipeggers from his occasional appearances on the local CBC news program “24 Hours,” where, although still only in his…
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The Detroit Pistons have a message for Kyrie Irving after his antisemitism scandal: ‘Happy Hanukkah’
(JTA) — The Detroit Pistons wished Brooklyn Nets star guard Kyrie Irving a happy Hanukkah Sunday night, the first night of the holiday. The Pistons appeared to be trolling Irving, who recently shared an antisemitic film on Twitter and initially refused to apologize. The scoreboard displayed both a spinning globe and a Hanukkah graphic with…
