See the helicopter, hovering low above a grassy field ringed with children jonesing for a sugar rush. Watch pounds and pounds of gelt — chocolate coins in metallic foil — dumped out of said helicopter. Observe the children descend on the fallen gelt like Israelites on manna from heaven. If you happen to be in…
Bringing Joyful, Kvetchy New York Jewishness To Television In 2018, TV offers a plethora of wonders: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss’s frighteningly durable “Game of Thrones,” Maggie Gyllenhaal’s bold performance on “The Deuce,” Pete Davidson’s regrettable foot-in-mouthism on “SNL.” But the age of peak TV may have met the age of peak Jewish fantasy in…
Giving A Jewish Response To #MeToo “There needs to be a Jewish response to the #MeToo movement.” That was the clarion call from Jewish Studies professor Keren McGinity detailing some of the harassment she had personally suffered in the Jewish institutional world. A gender historian who specializes in the changing meanings and experiences of Jewish…
The ‘Genius’ Who Gets Legal Help To Refugees As climate change and political brinksmanship increase the numbers of immigrants and refugees, our treatment of them will shape how history views us. If history treats us kindly at all it will be due, in part, to Rebecca “Becca” Heller. When Heller, 36, won the 2015 Charles…
A New Voice Within The Orthodox Clergy Growing up, Rabbanit Hadas “Dasi” Fruchter often said she wanted to marry a rabbi. Her dream was to become a Jewish leader and make a home like that of her parents, or Abraham and Sarah — “open on all four sides,” deeply caring and rooted in tradition. In…
She Ready! It’s Tiffany Haddish’s world, and we’re just living in it, lucky to laugh along. While the 38-year-old comedian has been ready for years — popping up in guest appearances on comedy shows like “That’s So Raven,” “New Girl” and “Chelsea Lately” — it’s only this year that her fame has caught up with…
Coming Forward Is No Joke It takes a lot of courage to be a performer and comedian. Illustrator and storyteller Abby Schachner may have more than most. In November 2017, Schachner was one of five women to speak to The New York Times about Louis CK’s inappropriate sexual behavior. The choice to come forward about…
Next Stop Starring With His Hero, WTF?! Marc Maron, 55, didn’t start out as leading man material. Since 2009 his celebrated podcast “WTF with Marc Maron,” has famously hosted Oscar-winning actors, iconic musicians and even a sitting president — all from the clutter of his garage. But in the past two years Maron has gained…
Creating A Community Hub In The Face Of Tragedy The heart of the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Squirrel Hill is its Jewish Community Center, and so it was no surprise that shortly after the massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue four blocks away, the JCC became the hub of community activities. The Center, led by…
From Shul President To Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen has climbed the leadership ladder quickly. In 2016 she was her Las Vegas-area synagogue’s president, then in 2017 she was elected to Congress, before winning an even bigger national office — being elected senator for Nevada in 2018. She’s the first freshman congresswoman to ever win a…
Defender Of Trustworthy News Craig Newmark assured reporters that he did not make a donation to the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism out of guilt. Newmark, founder of Craigslist — the online service which has claimed a major part of the billion-dollar classified ad business from newspapers — gave the school $20 million in June…
