Have you Jew-Googled Today?

Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Who’s Jewish? According to Google (and Gawker ) nearly everyone in Hollywood, from Meryl Streep to Morgan Freeman, and even Mel Gibson. Well, sort of.
A post late Tuesday on media news and gossip Web site Gawker revealed that the top search suggestions on Google for various celebrity names (when preceded by the word is) include the word Jewish. For example, if you type the words “Is David Beckham” into the search bar, a drop-down menu will appear with several options, the first of which is “Is David Beckham Jewish.”
It’s the top ranked search for Robin Williams, Sarah Jessica Parker, Daniel Radcliffe, Ben Affleck and Bill Gates.
And it’s not just celebs. Type in “Is Al Gore” and you will get suggestions including “an idiot, Jewish, a hypocrite.” (Yes, in that order!)
Go ahead. Try it with your favorite celebrities. Let us know what you find. (You know you want to.)
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.
