First, a very interesting post about actress Mayim Bialik’s decision to work on yom tov during Sukkot. I really like Rafi’s analysis of the situation: Nisuch HaMayim – Mayim Bialik Speaks About Working on Sukkos Yom Tov.
One cannot look at an isolated incident and judge the person based on that alone – in which direction is the person moving? Is she moving towards more observance, getting better along the way…?
I thought we finally got rid of Oprah, but now she’s coming right into the orthodox community! She visited a couple of chassidic families to learn more about chassidism. (Or orthodoxy? They’ll probably equate the two.) Oprah Winfrey Visits N.Y. Chasidic Families in New Series. No lie, this I will probably actually watch, all distrust of Oprah’s cult-like qualities aside.
NBC is going to try to remake a British movie called The Infidel as an American TV show. Before we even get to the content, that’s just plain lazy. Nothing new under the sun, as we said so recently. In the movie, a Muslim man discovers that he was adopted and that his parents are Jewish. Hilarity ensures, I’m sure. NBC Will Try to Bridge the Differences Between Muslims and Jews via Comedy. If anyone can reconcile Jews and Muslims, I’m sure it’ll be NBC.
Commentary Magazine (and several other people) wrote about some of the anti-Semitic crazies that were inevitably going to come to the Occupy Wall Street shenanigans: Occupy Wall Street Has an Anti-Semitism Problem. As I suggested, I think that was inevitable, but very fringe. There are also some rebuttal articles that say that screaming antisemitism is a way to divert attention from what’s actually going on at the OWS protests. I can’t locate the original article I saw, but this one is similar: The Hollow Campaign to Label Occupy Wall Street as Anti-Semitic.
Now that you’re depressed, let’s make you happy again!
And while not really pop culture, this article in the New York Times is guaranteed to make you cry: Notes from a Dragon Mom. It’s a very personal and moving piece written by the mother of a baby with Tay-Sachs disease. But I think every parent or potential parent should read it as a perspective check. Remember what’s really important in life!
Happy Thursday!
Anonymous says
The Curmudgeonly Israeli Giyoret says:
Reducing Jewish genetic disease is another side-benefit of converts. Hybrid vigor!