When Ronald Rosenblatt chants the haftarah for congregants at Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills, the 70-year-old West Los Angeles dentist feels a deep connection with his past.
Becky Wahlstrom isn\’t a Jew, but she plays one on TV. As Grace Polk on CBS\’s \”Joan of Arcadia,\” the blond Chicagoan looks refreshingly unlike your stereotypical Jewish character. Of course, Grace\’s character wasn\’t supposed to seem Jewish from the start. The contrary, politically outspoken, rebellious teenager in black has been packed with surprises since her character debuted in last year\’s first season. Recently, it came to light that her mother is an alcoholic. Toward the end of last year, it was revealed that her father was a rabbi and that, at age 16, she was finally giving in to his pleadings that she have a bat mitzvah. Tonight, then, is the big night. Grace will become a woman in the eyes of the Jewish community at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 26.
Mah Nishtanah Ha Lila HaZeh Mikol HaLeilot?
Why is this night different from all other nights?
On all other nights I\’m required to act like a 25-year-old adult, but on this first night — being the youngest person at my seder table — I get to be a kid.
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