Gabe Friedman
By Gabe Friedman
-
Fast Forward Scarlett Johansson Cries Over Her Family’s Holocaust History On ‘Finding Your Roots’
(JTA) — Scarlett Johansson knew that her mother’s side of the family came from Jewish communities in Eastern Europe, but she didn’t know much else about her Jewish ancestors. But when the movie star appeared on the PBS show “Finding Your Roots” on Tuesday night, she learned some specifics about those branches of her family tree…
-
Fast Forward One Of The Strongest Jews In History Is Selling His Olympic Gold Medal
(JTA) — Weightlifter Isaac Berger is considered one of the best featherweights in American history. The New Yorker, whose father was a rabbi in Israel, was a two-time world champion and an eight-time national champion. He broke several world records in his weight class (maximum of about 132 pounds) and won a gold medal at…
-
Fast Forward Bernie Sanders Cries When He Learns About Relative Who Died Defying Nazis
(JTA) — In the upcoming season premiere of the PBS series “Finding Your Roots,” Bernie Sanders gets emotional when he discovers a relative died while standing up to the Nazis during World War II. In a clip released to JTA, the Jewish lawmaker is visibly moved as the show’s host, Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates,…
-
Fast Forward Kathie Lee Gifford Wrote A Book About Israel With A Messianic Rabbi
(JTA) — What does Kathie Lee Gifford do when she isn’t on air next to Hoda Kotb? Apparently, she visits Israel quite often. In fact, the “Today” co-host is publishing a book co-written with a messianic Jewish rabbi on her visits to the Holy Land. Gifford, who has said that she’d like to become a…
-
Culture Was Obama The ‘Most Jewish’ President Ever?
(JTA) — He was just 24, but speechwriter David Litt had already become President Obama’s go-to guy for anything considered “kishke-related.” In Litt’s parlance, that meant he wrote the president’s speeches that aimed to connect with Jewish Americans on a gut level — things like holiday and anniversary commemorations, but not, say, Israel or foreign…
-
The Schmooze Leonard Cohen, Carrie Fisher And 9 Other Inspiring Jews Who Died In 5777
(JTA) — It’s always difficult to whittle down the list of influential Jews who died in a given year, but this year the task seemed to be especially tough. The number of Jews who left historic marks on their fields — and, more broadly, on Jewish culture — was remarkable. As 5777 draws to a…
-
Fast Forward Is Tarik Cohen Of The Chicago Bears Jewish?
(JTA) — Jewish football fans may be looking for a new player to root for since Jewish star player Julian Edelman is out for the entire 2017-18 NFL season. On Sunday, during the league’s first full slate of games, a possible candidate emerged: Chicago Bears running back Tarik Cohen. Cohen, a rookie who was drafted…
-
Fast Forward Johnny Cash’s Family ‘Sickened’ By Neo-Nazi Fan In Charlottesville
(JTA) — Johnny Cash’s children took to social media to denounce a neo-Nazi who wore a T-shirt with the singer’s name on it during the Charlottesville far-right rally last weekend. In a Facebook post Wednesday, Rosanne, Kathy, Cindy, Tara and John Carter Cash pointed out that their late father had received humanitarian awards from, among…
Explore
Most Popular
- 1
Fast Forward Why neo-Nazis marched in Ohio this weekend, and almost every weekend in the US
- 2
Opinion The group behind Project 2025 has a plan to protect Jews. It will do the opposite.
- 3
Opinion Just about every interpretation of Trump’s narrow election victory is wrong
- 4
News Texas schools want to add Queen Esther to the curriculum. Here’s why Jews (and many Christians) are opposed.
In Case You Missed It
-
Fast Forward Justin Trudeau condemns antisemitism after Montreal pro-Palestinian protest where Netanyahu is burned in effigy
-
Culture There aren’t Jewish fighters in Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator II.’ But what about in ancient Rome?
-
Fast Forward Three arrested in murder of rabbi in United Arab Emirates; Israel denounces ‘despicable antisemitic act’
-
News Trump promised peace in the Middle East. Will his 2020 plan be the blueprint?
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism
