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Disraeli: The curious case of England’s Jewish prime minister


‘Defiance’ celebrates Jews’ daring acts of WW II resistance

"Every day of freedom is like an act of faith," says Tuvia Bielski, one of three brothers who led a partisan group battling Nazi troops in the forests of Belarus.

Disraeli: The curious case of England’s Jewish prime minister

Benjamin Disraeli was born Jewish, baptized as a boy but (mostly) considered himself to be Jewish. He famously proclaimed to Queen Victoria -- who began by hating him and ended adoring him -- that he was the "blank page" separating the Old and New Testaments.

Jewish troops in Iraq can practice their faith, thanks to Navy rabbi

A short distance from the area where many historians believe the Talmud was written, Rabbi Jon Cutler leads one of the only functioning synagogues left in Iraq.

Jamie Sneider’s ‘Jewish Woman’ ain’t your bubbe’s 2009 calendar [VIDEO]

Racy, tongue-in-cheek calendars are also an inspiration for Jamie Sneider, whose photos appear on every page of the "Jamie Sneider: Year of the Jewish Woman" calendar for 2009

Jewish Money

If you scroll through the list of Madoff's philanthropic victims, you'll find plenty of evidence that even Jews who have shed every vestige of their ancient practice short of circumcision still resonate to the prophetic call to heal the wider world.

The Four Big Madoff Questions:
Who's to blame, how much is lost, where's the money, will it occur again?

Why is this fraud different from all other frauds?

Years from now, lawyers, journalists and historians are likely to still be debating the causes and consequences of Madoff's massive deception. Untangling the mess will not only be crucial in the bid to provide restitution to some victims, it will also become a case study of how not to repeat the same mistakes.

Spielberg's Wunderkinder Foundation joins list of Madoff victims; Full text of statements from Federation and Jewish Community Foundation

Steven Spielberg suffered some losses in the Bernard Madoff fraud scandal, though apparently nowhere near a rumored $300 million. However, the famed filmmaker's private Wunderkinder Foundation had some investments with Madoff, though Spielberg spokesman Marvin Levy said he was unable to detail the assets or losses of the foundation.

Top ten lists: Time, Barnes & Noble and Amazon


My big fat Dominican Orthodox Jewish wedding

I wanted to elope. He didn't. Actually, toward the end of our wedding planning, he did -- but his family, which is much larger than mine, was expecting a big fat Orthodox Jewish wedding. What they weren't expecting was a big fat Dominican Orthodox Jewish wedding.

UCLA chancellor Gene Block tackles economy, civic responsibility

Block is known to his colleagues as a workaholic and multitasker but also wins praise for his patience and optimism. He displayed his patience and humor during an hour-long interview at his UCLA office and needs all his optimism to tackle the problems at hand.

Briefs: Jews, Muslims join to combat Islamophobia and anti-Semitism; Elie Wiesel's 'Night' now in Farsi

On Nov. 17, some 20 devout Muslims from the King Fahad Mosque bowed and prostrated themselves as they recited the Isha, or night prayer, at Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills, with about 80 Jews watching the unfamiliar ritual. At the same time, in another room of the Reform temple, Jewish congregants participated in the Ma'ariv evening prayer, watched respectfully by a group of Muslims.

Henry Waxman: In his own words

" . . . What drew me to politics was the esteem I had always felt for public service and the commitment of our religious values to justice, human and civil rights, peace and the importance of helping all people be able to realize their full potential. And, of course, the essential task for our nation to be engaged in the world as a force for good . . . "

It’s time for words to lead the peace process

Let us be frank: The current stalemate is ideological, not physical, and it hangs on two major contentions: "historical right" and "justice," which must be wrestled with in words before we can expect any substantive movement on the ground.

VIDEO: Jamie Sneider is a nice half-nekkid Jewish girl with a 32 D bra size—not to worry


Rahm Emanuel is a fighting policy wonk with a Jewish soul [VIDEO]

One thing Rahm Emanuel is not, all agree, is the president-elect's conciliatory signal to the Jewish community after a campaign fraught with worries that Obama would tip toward even-handedness in dealing with the Middle East

Chasidic beatboxing keeps Matisyahu moving


VIDEO:  Obama roasts Emanuel, says he’s the ‘Angel of Death’ for GOP


Rahm Emanuel’s brother, Ari Emanuel, is a Hollywood superagent

" . . . In a business deal, he's going to try to kill for you, and its just going to be about putting as much money in your pocket as he can, until you tell him that there's something else that's important to you . . . " -- Aaron Sorkin

Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s pick for Chief of Staff, is tough, direct and wedded to his Jewish roots

President-elect Barack Obama’s pick of Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) will put a tough, proven political operator at the center of a new Administration. It also raises the profile of a Chicago Jewish family firmly rooted in the worlds of Hollywood, medicine, politics . . . and Judaism.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Studs Terkel dead at 96

" . . . My mother came from Bialystock, near the Russo-Polish border, a very cosmopolitan town decimated by the Nazis. My father came from a suburb [and was] a tailor. Chicago is the biggest Polish population of any city outside of Warsaw . . . "

Touro College offers West Coast alternative

" . . . I chose Touro College over other secular colleges in Los Angeles, because I wanted to stay in a Jewish environment and be able to receive my degree from a respectable accredited university . . . "

‘Nick and Norah’ star Kat Dennings is infinitely Jewish, in her own way

After an article about her appeared in Vanity Fair, she blogged, "push Aunt Nancy aside and throw open the screen door, because 'Hollywood's Next Wave' just got a lot Jewisher."

‘The First Basket’ depicts journey from Ellis Island to shooting hoops

Some still affectionately refer to the game that they and top coaches such as Red Sarachek and Red Auerbach developed -- emphasizing teamwork, crisp passing and defense -- as "Jew ball."

VIDEO: Islam TV—‘Faith Off’ for laughs


VideoGuide to L.A. - Volume 4 - The Hollywood Dream


VideoGuide to L.A. - Volume 3 - Jewish L.A.


Reporter’s Notebook: A Christian makes teshuvah

When I looked around I saw a packed, spiritually moved house of Jews, many who looked a lot like me: Chuck Taylor sneakers, thick plastic glasses, the curly hair that always has reminded me of my family's story.

Hollywood’s top 12 Jewish hotties?


Congregations help the homeless into homes—one family at a time

Imagine LA coordinators work with facility case managers and faith partners to determine the family's needs and set up a plan for independent living.

Are these the top Jewish athletes of all time?


‘Accidental Mexican’  Ilan Stavans probes cultural identity in first play

As an "accidental Mexican" born to an Eastern European family, author and essayist Ilan Stavans has hurdled critics to become one of the nation's foremost commentators on Latino culture. As a Mexican American, he has written widely on immigration, the clash and fusion of languages and the quest for acceptance.

With the Republican base on the ropes, all eyes are on Florida —again


With the Republican base on the ropes, all eyes are on Florida —again

It is already ugly out on the campaign trail, and reporters in the field are feeling the heat of the rising anger of a Republican base on the ropes.

Shalom, I’m Sarah Palin and I’m here to do God’s Will


Republican David Zucker makes stand with ‘American Carol’


VideoGuide to L.A. - Volume 1 - looking the part


Czech Republic surprises with Jewish treasures

Birthplace of Theodore Herzl, Franz Kafka and Sigmund Freud, this increasingly progressive country is trying to shed the specter of the Nazi and Soviet occupations and embrace its Jewish past and present to bolster tourism, an important part of its national economy.

VIDEO: The Daily Show—Jewish voters in Florida assess debate

Comedy (?) from The Daily Show. Post-debate analysis reveals John McCain is going to die soon, and Michelle Obama has a big butt. Are these Florida swing voters hilariously out of touch, or simply telling it like it is?

VIDEO: Jewish Americans for Obama

Jewish friends, colleagues and supporters from Chicago say Barack Obama's Yiddishe neshumah -- Jewish soul -- makes him the right candidate. Official campaign video.

Iraqi First Lady at Museum of Tolerance: I remember the Jews of Kurdistan

The wife of Iraqi president Jalal Talabani paid a visit to the Simon Wiesenthal Center on Friday, toured its Museum of Tolerance, and recalled her friendship with the Jews of her Kurdish hometown

Paul Newman—Hollywood’s most famous half-Jew—dies at 83 [VIDEO]


My VideoGuide to Los Angeles


Ed Guthman leaves legacy of fighting injustice

When Ed Guthman died Aug. 30 at the age of 89, the Los Angeles Jewish community lost one of its most distinguished members

Faith ‘n’ begorra, Irish film fest has a Jewish accent

Not to worry, though, there is, as always, a Jewish angle. In this case, it's two films, "Shalom Ireland" and "Grandpa . . . Speak Russian to Me," set for Saturday evening, Oct. 4.

Mr. Warmth wins an Emmy—did a rabbi give him his start?


Talk like a pirate—talk like a Jew?


The dream of a beautiful bat mitzvah—but whose dream would it fulfill?

When I look at my daughters, I see their faces as both azoy shayne and uruwashii, "so beautiful" in Yiddish and in Japanese.

Reading about Queen Esther helped guide Palin

I've known Sarah Palin since her election as governor in 2006. I am confident she will be a great friend of the Jewish community and Israel, as well as a terrific leader and great vice president

‘A Secret’ lets French director explore his Jewish past

More than 60 years have passed, yet French filmmakers are still wrestling with their country's less than heroic role under Nazi occupation during World War II.

Documentary goes behind the music video with Chutzpah

"My big idea for the CD was, 'Let's give this to our families for Chanukah,'" Hyams said. "I never thought we'd get a record deal, because I figured 'This is stupid and Jewish and no one cares except us.'"

MUSIC VIDEO: Amonai Shamati—Moroccan High Holy Day Piyyut

Beautiful, pleading Sephardic High Holy Day piyyut recited on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur before Amidah. Tradtional Moroccan melody sung by Eyal Bitton.


VIDEO: The Tribe (The Barbie Doll and the History of the Jewish People)

What can the most successful doll on the planet show us about being Jewish today? Narrated by Peter Coyote, the film mixes old school narration with a new school visual style. The Tribe weaves together archival footage, graphics, animation, Barbie dioramas, and slam poetry to take audiences on an electric ride through the complex history of both the Barbie doll and the Jewish people- from Biblical times to present day. By tracing Barbie's history, the film sheds light on the questions: What does it mean to be an American Jew today? What does it mean to be a member of any tribe in the 21st Century? Finally available fee online.

Escape, exile, rebirth: Iranian Jewish diaspora alive and well in Los Angeles

Thirty years have passed since the massive and violent demonstrations against the Shah of Iran that began in September 1978, and for many, the start of that country's bloody revolution might seem a faded memory. Yet I have carried those shattering events with me all of my life: I was born on in Tehran on Sept. 11, 1978, as chaos unfolded on the streets outside

Younger Persians seeking greater role in community

Over the past decades, nearly two dozen local Iranian Jewish groups have been involved with political awareness efforts, but no group until now has seriously pursued or organized communitywide political and civic activism.

Hide ‘n’ seek no child’s game in fleeing Iran

His friends devised a plan. Two of them would wait outside the terminal in a car with the engine running, in case Melamed had to make a quick getaway. Two other friends and a Revolutionary Guard who had been bribed would wait inside the terminal to help the businessman escape if something went wrong.

Terrifying journey marks escape of widow and children

"It was one of the longest nights in my life.They kept telling me to go to sleep, but I just could not, because I had young girls with me. Then one of the smugglers came into the room and fell asleep at the entrance."

Going home again is truly a family affair for filmmaker Azazel Jacobs

"I remember at an early age being told in school that Jews were a minority in the world," filmmaker Azazel Jacobs mused. "And I remember just not believing that because I lived in New York City and thinking they must have things wrong because I was surrounded by so many Jews. That was the whole world to me."

Allies and foes scrape through Palin bio for Jewish material

Palin is likeable enough that she got props from Ethan Berkowitz, the Jewish former minority leader in the Alaska House of Representatives who appears poised to become the first Democrat to represent Alaska in the U.S. House of Representatives since Nick Begich disappeared in a snowstorm in 1972.

Natalie Portman honored at Venice Film Festival for humanitarian work