

Advertisement
"Litigation is one of the sincerest forms of flattery," said David Segal, co-founder of Jewsrock.org. Shortly before the Web site -- which originally used the phrase, the Jewish rock and roll hall of fame -- was to go online earlier this year, Segal and partner Jeffrey Goldberg were slapped with a trademark infringement suit, by that other Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame, the one in Cleveland.
A careful look at the new season reveals that of more than 50 shows in the networks' fall lineups, only a handful of characters are openly and identifiably Jewish. Coming on the heels of several years of increased visibility -- think "Seinfeld," "Friends," Charlotte's conversion on "Sex and the City," Dr. Joel Fleischman of "Northern Exposure" -- the dearth of Jewish protagonists is peculiar.
What does it mean to be your brother's keeper? Lessons from the Cleveland kidnappings