D’oh, It’s a Golem
It is well established that “The Simpsons,” America’s longest-running sitcom, has deep Jewish roots. Many of the show’s writers are Jewish, as is its producer, Mike Reiss. The voices of Apu, Professor Frink and Moe are provided by Hank Azaria, a Sephardic Jew, and the story of Krusty the Clown’s estrangement from his Hasidic father was the subject of an entire episode.
A new entry in the show’s Jewish log book will come later this year, when a third of the program’s traditional Halloween trilogy will incorporate the golem story — with the inimitable Fran Drescher providing the voice of the ghoulish monster of Yiddish lore.
The episode, which will be the show’s 17th so-called “Treehouse of Horror,” is scheduled to air November 5. It will also feature TV psychologist Dr. Phil and comedian Richard Lewis.
Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
