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The Schmooze Kim Jong-Un Officially Condemns James Franco and Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen and James Franco are wanted men. But this time, the pair aren’t on the run from scary-but-somewhat-lovable pot dealers a la “Pineapple Express.” Apparently, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has taken offense to the plot of the Jewish comedy duo’s new movie. Since “The Interview” basically sees Rogen and Franco as a television…
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Fast Forward Ukrainian Jewish Lawmaker Attacked on Streets of Kiev
A Ukrainian Jewish lawmaker said he was threatened in central Kiev by uniformed men who hurled anti-Semitic insults at him. Oleksandr Feldman, president of the Ukrainian Jewish Committee, told police last week that the unidentified men surrounded his car on June 17 near the Ukrainian parliament, Ukrainian Jewish Committee Director Eduard Dolinsky told JTA. “When…
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News Bingo! How Jewish Charities Are Gambling Away Our Future
Gamblers know that the house always wins — except, as some Jewish charities are learning the hard way, when it doesn’t. Federal tax law and state gaming regulations allow some charities to play pit boss, taking bets on games like bingo and poker to fill their charitable coffers. But thanks in part to the economic…
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Fast Forward Sephardic Man Tries To Fly to Spain’s Granada, Ends Up in Caribbean’s Grenada
A man who claims Spanish Jewish heritage is suing British Airways for flying him to Grenada in the Caribbean — when he was supposed to be flying to Granada in Spain. American dentist Edward Gamson and his partner spent $3,500 on first-class tickets to the Andalusian city celebrated for its historic Alhambra Palace. But instead…
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Fast Forward Jewish Camp Trend-Spotting: 10 Ways a Summer Ritual Is Changing
(JTA) — Nostalgia about summer traditions notwithstanding, Jewish camps have changed dramatically from a generation ago. Camp’s value for Jewish education and identity-building is now a major focus of communal attention. Major Jewish foundations, federations and organizations are investing heavily in the sector. Many camps have become more intentional about incorporating Jewish learning, Shabbat and Israel…
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Life When Fanny Brice Made the Follies
Forward Association Fanny Brice (born Fania Borach) of Forsyth Street, and later on, further uptown and even New Jersey, opened her career-making act as the Yiddish “Salome” with this line: “I’ve been a bad woman, but such good company, Nu?” Originally set up for her acclaimed Yiddish-accented comedy act by songwriter Irving Berlin, Brice caught…
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Fast Forward Lithuania Honors Rescuers of Jews
Lithuania’s Parliament passed an amendment recognizing Holocaust-era rescuers of Jews as freedom fighters. The amendment, which entitles the families of rescuers to special state pensions, passed Tuesday by a majority of 72 lawmakers present, the news site 15min.lt reported. The Jewish Community of Lithuania praised the vote. “Finally, the Lithuanian government has expressed its positive…
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Fast Forward Rick Jacobs Asks Presbyterians to Meet With Netanyahu on Divestment
The leader of the Reform movement asked his Presbyterian counterparts to join him in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make their case against Israeli practices in the West Bank. Rabbi Rick Jacobs, the president of the Union for Reform Judaism, spoke Thursday in Detroit at the biennial general assembly of the…
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Sports Forget being caught on camera at a Coldplay concert — I was caught on Shabbat at Yankee Stadium
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Fast Forward After Netanyahu and Cindy McCain meet, she calls out ‘desperation’ in Gaza, and he accuses her of ‘misrepresentation’
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Fast Forward Coldplay welcomed Israeli fans onstage ‘as equal humans.’ Why are some Jewish people mad?
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Film & TV ‘Caught Stealing’ gives us tough, Hasidic drug lords — is it good for the Jews?
In Case You Missed It
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Fast Forward New crop of High Holidays children’s books take place in Uganda, Hong Kong and a Sephardic home
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Opinion A billionaire Gen Z influencer is reinventing philanthropy — with this South African rabbi’s help
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Looking Forward What Black journalists covering Confederate monuments taught me about fighting antisemitism today
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Film & TV A dizzying Kafka biopic that isn’t really Kafkaesque
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