Mar
08
2010
10

Oscars 2010: I Really Thought the Jews Would Do Better

Jew Controlled Media. Right.

Israeli filmAjami lost the Best Foreign Film Oscar to some Argentinian flick. That’s 3-years in a row that an Israeli film got nominated and lost. I don’t think the Coen brothers’ A Serious Man won anything and the Nazi in Inglorious Basterds won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. I think the Jews got stiffed. At least they threw us a bone during the introduction:

I mean, man, Ajami was awesome! It was flat out a great story and the fact that the cast was predominantly amateur made it that much more amazing. A Serious Man was simply brilliant in the way that it weaved the evolution of Jewish thought into a modern day story of Job. And yet? Bupkes! Now you know what to tell them next time they say we control the media.

inspired by a chat with Gad

Feb
15
2010
3

A Call to Slaughter the Jews

“I didn’t say ’slaughter the Jews,’ I just made reference to something that means ’slaughter the Jews.’” What?

Noor Rashid, when Israeli Deputy Foregin Minister Danny Ayalon spoke at Oxford last week, yelled “Khaybar ya Yahood.” According to an article in the Jerusalem Post, he was simply making mention of an historical event. What is this historical event you may ask? Good question; the Battle of Khaybar of 629 C.E. What happened in this battle? Mohammed and his followers slaughtered a tribe of Jews, which he had previously expelled from Medina. So, if Rashid is calling for another Khaybar, I fail to see in what ways he isn’t calling for a slaughter of the Jews.

This is yet another example of universities serving as the bastions for freedom, democracy, and intellectual thought… right?

Written by dahlia in: Jewlicious | Tags: , , ,
Feb
09
2010
29

Ambassador Oren vs. Hamas At UCI

Ambassador Oren heckled and disrupted by Hamas on Campus at UC Irvine. 12 arrested.

When will University President Michael Drake KICK THE MSU OFF CAMPUS? When will the University take responsibility for this?

We have heard Michael Drake for years DENY THAT THERE IS ANY SERIOUS PROBLEM. He said this publicly.

No problem, huh? The University has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on so-called bridge building which is for the most part totally ineffective. As long as the MSU is allowed on campus, as long as students are not held responsible for their actions, this kind of activity will continue.

Update: the police has released information about the protesters. It turns out that the president and vice president of the UCI MSU were among those who protested and were arrested.

Another video after the jump:

(more…)

Written by Rabbi Yonah in: Jewlicious | Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Feb
03
2010
0

Peres Speaks at the Herzliya Conference

Speaking, last night, at the Herzliya Conference, Israeli President Shimon Peres spoke about many different topics.

Speaking briefly of the Palestinians, Peres discussed the Palestinians’ state-building enterprises, and the efforts they are making to build a state and achieve peace. Peres emphasized that the enemy of the Palestinians is Hamas; not Israel.

Discussing the topic of globalization and technology, he said, “Globalization is not an ideology. Globalization is a new situation, almost without any borders, without any distance… [Today] the source of income is not land; it’s science. Science is not conquered by an army. Science is not being stopped in the customs.” Today’s leaders must focus on “innovations not accrued assets.”

Peres spoke about the morality of the Israeli Defense Force. “The IDF,” he said, “is an army of values.” Speaking of Israel’s recent rescue mission to Haiti, he said, “I believe that if there had been an earthquake in Mauritania, where there’s no TV, I’m sure that the IDF would have been there. It is our wish to serve life, serve the living.” He spoke of the military as a tzva ha’am, a military of the people. He described the IDF as a “wonderful school,” and stated his dream that every soldier should complete their army service with a B.A.

Peres spoke of the chutzpah of the Jews. The Jews are 0.2% of the world population, yet 52% of chess champions and 54% of Nobel Prize winners are Jewish. Jews are 2% of the U.S. population, yet 34% of large business owners are Jewish. Jews are never satisfied. Using events from the story of the Exodus from Egypt as an anecdote, Peres explained that it is this eternal “dis-satisfaction” that is the source of Jewish creativity.

In discussing the way Israel is viewed in the world, he joked that Israel, “is the most popular country in the world.” India likes Israel because they, too, suffer from terrorism. China admires Israel, not because of Moses, Abraham, or Marx, but because of Israel’s agricultural achievements and agricultural technology. 62% of the American population supports Israel. Much of Russia supports Israel, as well, after 1.2 million Russians emigrated to Israel, leaving family and friends in the “old country” with ties to Israel.

Peres, also, addressed Iran. Israel, he said, is not the biggest danger in the Middle East; Iran is. Iran, he explained, has two main problems. The first problem is that of the enriched uranium. The second, is the “oppressive regime.” Commenting on the two problems, he said, “I don’t know which one of the two is the most dangerous.” Ahmadinejad acts like a “king,” when in fact he is no more than a “dictator.” The regime, governed by a dictatorship, fires upon unarmed protesters, threatens Israel, denies the Holocaust, finances terrorism, and impoverishes its own country. The regime is “a climax of moral corruption.” Therefore, Peres exclaimed, the world should oppose Iran on moral grounds. Iran, he said is “the source of evil for the peace- and freedom-loving world.”

Peres ended his with a call for social justice and tikun olam.

Dec
24
2009
6

Don’t Forgive Carter

It was widely reported in the press, that Carter asked for forgiveness from the Jews, and I don’t forgive him. The former president, and master of distortions, wrote to JTA: “As I would have noted at Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but which is appropriate at any time of the year, I offer an Al Het for any words or deeds of mine that may have done so.”

In order to seek forgiveness, one has to acknowledge the mistakes that one made and resolve to repair the damage caused. If we Jews don’t forgive Carter, God certainly never will. As our tradition teaches — God will only forgive one who has made peace with those that they wronged. And Jimmy, you have a long, long way to go.

Carter’s admission that he has caused the Jewish community harm might work in confession, but doesn’t work with on Yom Kippur, and it doesn’t work with me.

Carter admitted no specific mistakes. He offered no way of repairing the damage caused by his irresponsible accusations.

I personally heard Carter tell an audience of 3k students at UC Irvine, to the applause of the administration and students, that the US Congress was “in the pocket” of the Jews.

How many other college student audiences around the country heard the same accusations? How many books did he publish accusing Israel of things that have no basis in fact? How many times has he appeared on TV demonizing Israel and backing Hamas?

In order for me to forgive Carter he has to admit to his distortions and lies and publicly renounce his books and speeches. Carter needs to return money to anti-Semitic Middle Eastern countries that back his center. He needs to replace Habitat for Humanity with Hadassah. He needs to go on Birthright Israel. He needs to listen to Matisyahu. He needs to watch G-d Cast, read The Forward, spend the winter in Miami. He needs to study Judaism with Rabbi Telushkin, and volunteer for Challah for Hunger. We need to see Jimmy Carter crusading against the humanitarian track record of Hizbollah, Hamas, and Fatah, and doing brunch at Jeff’s Gourmet Sausage on Pico. While he is on this apology tour, he needs to appear at every campus where he defamed Israel, and give speeches urging that Muslim extremist recruiting groups like the MSU and MSA be banned permanently. He needs to learn Hebrew, spend Shabbat at Beit Jewlicious, and sit at David Abitbol’s feet and learn about the expulsion of North African Jews, Sephardic Jewish culture, and eat chumous. And that is just for starters.

There is a perfect venue for this rapprochement to begin with the Jewish community; the perfect place for Carter to ask forgiveness, renounce his former ways, and promise to live a life free from anti-Semitism and criticism of Israel — Jewlicious Festival 6.0.

Friday Night at Jewlicious Jimmy, stand up in front of a hundreds of young Jews, ask forgiveness, break bread with us, and tell us how you will attempt to undo the vast damage you have wrought.

Written by Rabbi Yonah in: Isralicious, Jewlicious, Jewlicious Festival | Tags: , , , ,
Oct
08
2009
6

Rishon LeTziyon wishes you a Happy Sukkot!

Page_2

It really does (right-click to enlarge).

Written by vicki in: Jewlicious | Tags: , , , ,
Sep
24
2009
3

Hate Site of the Weak: Westboro Baptist Church

hate site banner

This sick video is up on YouTube, and maybe it should stay there so that people see how repulsive the Westboro Baptist Church really is.

Paul, Ringo and Yoko need to sue WBC for every dime they have, with some really smart Jewish lawyers.

Hat tip to y-love for pointing this out.

ed. note: If you’re in Park Slope, NY on Saturday Sept. 26th, please show your support to Congregation Beth Elohim which is scheduled to be picketed by the members of Westboro Baptist Church. Mazal Tov to little Natalie Chertoff who will be celebrating her bat mitzva that day.
–ck

Written by Rabbi Yonah in: Isralicious, Jewlicious | Tags: , , ,
Sep
23
2009
10

Where should Gaddafi pitch his tent?

gaddafi

He used to be such a hottie. Funny what time and 30+years of bitter, gutwrenching hostility can do to a man, habibi.

[Sidenote: for a COMPLETE list of Middle Eastern hottie/dead leaders, see this link.]

I am concerned. Muammar Gaddafi doesn’t have a place to sleep during his stay in the United States, having been denied by the Dirty Zionist town of Englewood, New Jersey,possibly denied by Jewish conspirator Donald Trump, and turned down at a number of major New York hotels.

To help him feel a little more at home in his Bedouin tent cum traveling Ringling Brothers Flying High Top as he continues to bring the Haterade on America (and Israel), I’ve graciously come up with a list of locations should feel free to use.  You can thank me later, Mo Mo.  Preferably by giving me my own AK-47.

1.  Newark, New Jersey-Its crime rate has plummeted to only 60% shootings every day!
2.  My home hood near Susquehannah Univesity, Pennsylvania, where there’s only a slight chance he’ll get cancer
3.  Clearfield, Pennsylvania, where he could possibly choke to death/die of cholesterol poisoning from a 5 lb burger
4. Some place in New York where there is a very small chance he could get run over by an epliplectic lorry driver (WTF is a lorry?)
5.  And the most obvious place?  An actual Bedouin Tent! Granted, it’s a restaurant and probably they could stick him near the sink or something, but still.  Duh, MoMo.  Think on your feet.  How did you ever stay in power so long.  You should just hire me to do all your major decisions for you.  First decision Ouiki would make? (yes, that’s right.  There’s no V in Arabic, so you have to substitute with a U.  No wonder Lybia never got anywhere.  How retarded is that? Oueri.)

Written by vicki in: Jewlicious | Tags: , , , , ,
Aug
25
2009
64

Date Profile: The American Self-Hating Jew

Oh Jdate – you’ve failed me in so many ways…

As you may know, I am often frustrated by stereotypes… but I can’t help but note that I’ve met my first stereotypical American Self-Hating Jew.  Often, the term Self-Hating Jew is used to describe someone who disagrees with Israel, or alternately, an anti-Semitic Jew. In this case, it describes someone who speaks of other Jews/Judaism in a negative way. In particular, a young American Jew who bought me a drink but refused the opportunity to travel to Israel on a birthright trip, who hates Jews who love Israel more than America, who is proud of his designer accessories but shames American Jews who “all dress the same”…and the list of transgressions continues… (Who talks about this stuff on a first date!?)

When talking about the date experience with family and friends, we decided that he has some deep-seeded issues with Israel & Judaism. The only “positive” things he said included: I love the high holidays, but people who talk about other people instead of praying piss me off (please note- he doesn’t attend services any other time of the year) and I refuse to buy a BMW or a Ford because of their connection to the Holocaust.

The rest of the time, he spent complaining sometimes about particular stereotypical behaviors of different groups of Jews, sometimes about anything at all. For example, all young Jewish women watch a lot of TV, including Grey’s Anatomy, or comparing a “Jewish” tattoo (ie a Hamsah or your Hebrew name…) to getting numbers tattooed on one’s arm, about how Dirty a specific group of Sephardic Jews are, or about his fear of getting blown up in Israel.  All the while, he seemed to feel safe in his confessions.  And all the while, I argued, defending Israel, defending the diversity of “Jewish Ethnicity”, defending the right to Jewish self-expression, and ultimately defending my Jewish pride and identity.

In Judaism we ask questions – it’s in our faith, in our nature. But he never stopped to ask questions or to learn. He took only the time to make snap judgments, to take things at someone else’s perception of face value and never to delve deeper into his fears about visiting Israel, or his hatred of Jews who love Israel; even his tendencies to pigeon-hole his own people as Dirty, Materialistic & Shallow. I can only hope that my reaction to his comments push him to take a serious look at himself. I know his words have driven me. And I’ll screen more carefully next time.

Written by arielle in: Jewlicious | Tags: , , , , ,
Jul
30
2009
27

Jews can’t marry in Israel

Maybe it’s just the fact that Tisha B’Av is winding down for me and I’m writing this in a spate of hunger/anger that rivals the Hulk’s.  But you know what I think is even more ridiculous than the fact that I’ve been craving Frappuccino/pizza/pretzels all day?  The fact that Jews can’t get married in Israel. Specifically, Russian Jews.  That made aliyah and served in the IDF and now can’t marry because the Rabbinate doesn’t recognize that they are Jewish.  And so they have to fly out of the country, and their huppah in Israel won’t count for anything.

Nico-and-Olga

The Orthodox rabbinate forbids a legal wedding to Olga and Nico. On Israel’s Valentine’s Day, Tu B’Av, August 4 at 7:00 PM Israel time, Nico Tarosyan will marry Olga Samosvatov. The festive public ceremony in Tel Aviv’s Dizengoff Square will promote awareness of the human cost of the Orthodox monopoly on Jewish marriage in Israel.

If you want to throw them some cash to get to Prague, where they will actually marry, or so Olga can  buy a hideous Israeli wedding dress that matches the completely hideous situation she had to go through just because she can’t get married legally in Israel,  donate some money to their flight to Prague. I, for one, am giving them $19.  Why $19?  $18 for chai. And $1 so I can pay to punch the people who make these decisions in the face.  Molodtsi, rebyata (kol hakavod) for furthering the cause.

Written by vicki in: Isralicious, Jewlicious | Tags: , , ,
Jul
30
2009
13

9 Av

Manuscript from 1515 that depicts Jews being burned at the stake in Lucerne, Switzerland. The Jews are clearly identified by their yellow badges.

Manuscript from 1515 that depicts Jews being burned at the stake in Lucerne, Switzerland. The Jews are clearly identified by their yellow badges.

Written by Rabbi Yonah in: Jewlicious | Tags: , , ,
Jul
13
2009
10

Russians cast monkeys as Jews in circus

It’s sad to be a Russian these days.  The economy is swirling away softly down the toilet, we were unable to invade Georgia successfully, and Verka Serduchka, the Russian version of Dana International, still lives among us.  The greatest misfortune Russia faces is that it has run out of Jews to oppress due to  immigration to Israel, Canada, and the Greater New York metropolitan area.

Russians are a hardy people, though.  We know how to deal with hardships and surpass them.   Thus, we are innovating by dressing up monkeys as Jews in the Nikulin Circus, the most prestigious circus in Russia.   And the monkeys had a WEDDING.  WITH A CHUPPAH.

Micky Saidov, an Israeli businessman living in Russia never would have imagined that a trip with his daughter to one of the most talked about circuses in Moscow would go from an entertaining experience to a full-blown anti-Semitic one.

During one of the Nikulin Circus skits, the performers simulated a “Jewish Wedding”, with the leading roles being filled by four monkeys, acting as the bride, groom and their parents.

monkeys

That present wagon looks like really nice Crate and Barrel silverware

These are some determined monkeys.   Heck, even I didn’t want to have a chuppah, citing homegirl Golda’s reluctance to be married under one.   Unfortunately, I was informed that seeing my parents’ only child being married partisan-style may result in a litany of medical conditions for my mom, including high fever, itchy eyes, sneezing, light heart murmurs, leprosy, and Unbearable Grief.  Which, I’m sure is the same thing Mama Meyerson told G.  Anyway, back to these monkeys.

Apparently, the trainers consulted with the Jewish cultural center before they put on this show:

The monkeys’ trainer Aziz Askarian said, “We consulted with representatives of the Jewish cultural center and they approved of everything. Moveover, they gave us advice on lighting that was imported from Israel.”

I was unsure of how to react to this situation, given that A) In the past there was no cultural center and the most Russians would have consulted before making fun of Jews is the poem, “There’s no water in your hall? Then the Yids have drank it all.”  and B) It seems the skit was done in a lighthearted way.  At most, there should be a warning that goes out to Israelis living in Russia: Please do not live here if you don’t understand that Russia has always had anti-Semitic overtones.  People, this is not Ramat Gan.

So I consulted with Mr. B, who is like a wise Latina, except that he is a Wise Russian Jew.

Mr. B: a lot of that depends on the context
Mr. B: I wouldn’t be pissed if this happened in a lot of other countries in the world
me: oh come on,  it’s anti-Semitic
me: at least they could have chosen giraffes. Jewraffes?
Mr. B: however considering how [when we lived in Russia] my mom was threatened by a drunk that wanted to carve a Star of David in her forehead and the cops said it was my mom’s fault, I tend to be more sensitive to these things
me: I tend to be more sensitive to Russians dressing up monkeys as Jews
Mr. B: would it be better if it was puppets?  it’s not like they dressed the monkeys to be money lenders
me: They could have. Maybe they just didn’t feel like making the costumes.
me: They got the peyot goin’ on
Mr. B: like the article said, they imitate many people including Russians, it’s not like this act is all the monkeys do
me: That’s true.
Mr. B: if we want to move passed being pogromed, humor needs to make a come back
Mr. B: I think it’s blown a bit out of proportion.  I wouldn’t get offended if it was the Druze or something
me: cause you’re not Druze
Mr. B: so they shouldn’t do any imitation acts?
me: They can. Just not people that they tend to have killed a lot of.  I wouldn’t mind it in America.  Cause America doesn’t quite have a history of pogromming it up.  It’s still a sore issue, and I don’t know that they approached it with the right amount of caution.

Mr. B has a valid point.  But I am still uneasy with monkeys as Jews.  Maybe giraffes for now.


Written by vicki in: Jewlicious | Tags: , , , ,
May
21
2009
11

Jewish guy loses Idol thing in major upset

This is based on news articles and I have not seen any of this show, I really can’t stand Idol.

As Danielle Berrin wrote this AM in the Jewish Journal:

here’s Lambert, 27, the avant-garde rocker from San Diego with clear-eyed ambition for Hollywood fame; and Allen, 23, an evangelical Christian from Arkansas who plays acoustic guitar and does missionary work….Lambert is the dark knight. Allen, by contrast, is clean-cut and pristine looking. He wears tshirts and jeans, sings sweetly and leads worship services at New Life Church back home.

In other words it was a real American rocker vs. a gay Jewish guy that loves musicals.

But CNN was stunned:

In a stunning upset, sweet-faced Kris Allen claimed victory over glam-rocker Adam Lambert in an “American Idol” showdown that received nearly 100 million votes from viewers.

Lambert, a 27-year-old former understudy in the touring production of “Wicked,” was heavily favored as the frontrunner throughout Season Eight.

Here is a little Lambert doing the Jewish thing. Both will have huge careers. Maybe Lambert will do Jewlicious Festival?

Written by Rabbi Yonah in: Jewlicious, Popalicious | Tags: , , , , ,
May
06
2009
27

Eat My Jew Shorts

Mohawk on Har Ha Bayit: This image has nothing to do with this post. Sue me.

Mohawk on Har Ha Bayit: This image has nothing to do with this post. Sue me.

You guys can’t handle long thoughtful posts apparently. So here’s a snapshot of interesting stories, though unlike twitter, I will not restrict myself to 140 characters!

1. Israel Foreign Ministry takes credit for foiling Ahmadinejad’s planned South American trip:

Thousands of Brazilians, Jews and non-Jews, demonstrated in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro on Sunday against Ahmadinejad’s planned visit. Scheduled for Wednesday, it would have been his first stop in South America… In Sao Paulo, some 1,000 people – including secular and Orthodox Jews, as well as evangelical Christians, homosexuals and Gypsies – gathered in a major square to protest… In Rio, another 1,000 demonstrators walked along Ipanema beach carrying signs and shouting messages against terrorism, homophobia and racism.

Good job! Maybe Avigdor Lieberman isn’t a total dope? Uh… nah. No need to exaggerate. In other news, Israeli President Shimon Peres compared Ahmadinejad to Hitler in a recent meeting with US President Barack Obama.

2. A National High School Mock Trial competition has led to a real trial when an Orthodox School, Massachusetts state champs, were prevented from competing because of the organizers’ refusal to reschedule the Sabbath portion of the competition:

The students, whose school had never won a state championship in any activity, were crestfallen when told of the national scheduling problem. But they were also excited about their new role… “The idea of a mock trial being in the middle of a real legal battle is pretty cool,” said Leah Sarna, 17… Her father, Jonathan D. Sarna, a well-known professor of Jewish history at Brandeis University, said the team was learning a legal lesson about “what it means to be a minority group.”

If the Brookline kids don’t win, they can always dull their bitter disappointment, Cinco De Mayo style, with Kosher Tequila!

3. Jewish men and boys are disengaging from Reform Judaism:

It is a real phenomenon, affecting our rabbis, cantors, and educators; our teenage males. and the adult men of our community. While there are several complicated causes, one that cannot be denied is the fact that the temple culture in many locations is increasingly seen by many men as out of balance. By that, I mean it favors the needs and interests of women to such an extent that it can be perceived as ignoring men’s spiritual needs and interests.

Shocker! I’m going to shut up now.

4. Christians drilling for oil in Israel? It’s a matter of faith I guess…

“As a Christian Zionist and New Covenant believer, I received the calling to render assistance to the Jewish people and the Nation of Israel and to aid them in the restoration of the land by providing the oil and gas necessary to maintain their political and economic independence,” Brown says.

Uhm. Thanks Christians, and good luck.

5. He’s from England. He’s an atheist. His Politics are Center Left. And he strongly supports Israel (!!). Why?

Despite the minus points however, Israel is in my view, a brave, vastly misunderstood and much hated (unwarranted) living and breathing embodiment of democracy and liberty fighting tyranny and religious despotism. It’s a nation that needs our support, our good will, our understanding and our help because if we refuse, we are in fact permitting large chunks of our own values and ideals of freedom be torn apart by Islamic absolutism. We in Europe, America and the rest of the democratic world are not idle spectators to this ‘regional’ confrontation between Israel and groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, as it so often might seem; we are on the very same front line! From the Philippines to southern Russia and from the Parisian suburbs to Sudan and Nigeria there lies the same inherent danger that is facing us all, that of Islamic terrorism.

Read this well written and reasoned essay. It encompasses a blueprint for rapprochement with an important element of Western society that has, almost against all reason and logic, unnecessarily distanced itself from Israel.

6. Al-Quaeda hip-hop jihad reality TV show from Somalia:

“Mortar by mortar, shell by shell, only going to stop when I send them to hell,” the unidentified voice raps on the video, which runs at least 18 minutes… The video also shows a man reported to be Abu Mansoor al-Amriki, dubbed “The American” by al Qaeda. He apparently is now in Somalia training and counseling Somalis from North America and Europe. He speaks in American English… “Away from your family, away from our friends, away from ice, candy bars, all those things is because we’re waiting to meet the enemy,” says the man believed to be al-Amriki.

Read the article and see the video on CNN.

7. Orthodox Jewish Community Struggles with Abuse Allegations:

The Brooklyn district attorney’s office, which last month announced a hotline for alleged Orthodox sex abuse victims, says it has 19 active cases of alleged sex abuse in the borough’s Orthodox Jewish community. And advocates say the problem extends beyond Brooklyn… “If you’re a pedophile, just go to one of the orthodox communities. You’re probably safest there,” said New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, himself an Orthodox Jew. “It’s sad for me to say that, but it’s true.”

I don’t know if “stuggle” is the right word. Seems there’s still a lot of denial and obfuscation. Seems to me that the powers that be in these communities need to understand that the truth will always come out and that it’s MUCH less of a Chillul Hashem to openly deal with allegations of sexual abuse then it is to hide them.

8. Artistic Genius and Self Destructive behavior – Understanding Amy Winehouse by considering Jean Rhys, author of Wide Sargasso Sea:

Amy Winehouse turns her black, bewildered eyes towards the cameras and we too are bewildered. Why does she seem to want to kill herself with drugs? Is the source of her pain the source of her genius? We seem to have been asking these questions for years, as she disintegrates yet further, live on Sky News… But a superb new book has just come out that provides clues. Lilian Pizzichini has written a portrait of Jean Rhys – the patron saint of alcoholic writers. Her life was an opera of violence and self-destruction. She was helpless; she wanted to destroy herself and she did, and between the blackouts and the chaos, the occasional novel leaked out.

Boy am I glad I’m not a Female genius consumed by self loathing with a substance abuse problem…

9. Sarah Silverman wins Webby Awards!

Sarah Silverman’s plug for “The Great Schlep” — the effort to get young Jews down to Florida so that they could convice their grandparents to vote for Barack Obama — won the Webby Award for best political video. Silverman also won the best actress award — for this not-for-the-children video about her fictitious affair with actor Matt Damon.

Eishet Chayil Mi Yimtsah? Is she still dating that dope Kimmel? Oy.

10. The Greatest Jewish Resurrection Since Jesus Christ? Winona Ryder set to make a big come back:

Dazzling, rebellious and iconoclastic, she was the elfin beauty in the 1980s bratpack before her conviction for shoplifting and spectacular fall from grace. Now the star of Heathers and The Age of Innocence is returning with a batch of summer movies…

Yes. She’s Jewish. I say “Yay!”

11. I sense the apocalypse approaching – The JTA releases its list of the 100 Most Influential Jewish Twitterers. Much controversy ensues – Google it if you care. Against all reason or logic, I was ranked number 2. Good lord. Geez you guys – my entire presence on twitter is an elaborate joke!

Written by ck in: Isralicious, Jewlicious, Popalicious | Tags: , , ,
Apr
25
2009
1

How Jews Eat

MyJewishLearning has released the second part of what looks like an ongoing video series. The last one was titled “How Jews Look.” This video explores a little known aspect of Judaism, food. Yes, apparently Jews like to eat and how and what they eat is reflective not just of their tastes but of their Judaism. Who knew! No but seriously, it’s a cute video. Watch it!


How Jews Eat from MyJewishLearning.com on Vimeo.

Gosh! I can’t wait till they produce “How Jews Fu…” oh never mind. I’ll just pull out the Ron Jeremy videos for that.

Written by ck in: Jewlicious | Tags: ,
Apr
19
2009
34

LA Times: Jewish Ashkenazi Genetic Mutations Created Super-Human Race of Rich Nerds

Super Jew Nerd Einstein used his defective genes to help the world.

Super Jew Nerd Einstein used his defective genes to help the world.

Jews have higher IQ’s because they were money lenders in Europe with big families, have defective genes that give them an unfair IQ advantage over their European counterparts, and have a propensity for nasty genetic diseases. Our genetic superiority makes us inferior. Yes!

In the article “Is Jewish Legacy Inscribed on Genes”, the author Karen Kaplan made little effort to deliver actual news. Rather, she let herself and the LA Times launch a mainstream, antisemitic canard that Jews’ intellectualism is racially and genetically based. In other words, we Jews can’t help being rich nerds. This so-called group evolutionary biology, loved, adored, and worshiped by the Anti-Semites, holds that Jews are racially different and capable of great evil because of their superior IQ’s over regular White Europeans. The subjects of this story are the latest pseudo-scientists that use their PhD’s in other fields to pursue this Jewish genetic racist theory. They are white, non-Jewish Christian men, with something akin to gene envy. Gregory Cochran, Jason Hardy, and Henry Harpending’s research paper Natural History of Ashkenazi Intelligence is porn for anti-Semites.

Jews first came to Europe in the 8th and 9th centuries, long before they were known for intellectual prowess, Cochran and Harpending say. They worked as traders before taking financial jobs made available by Christians who were forbidden by the Church from charging interest. By 1100, local registries listed most Ashkenazi Jews as lenders.

That set the stage for natural selection to do its work, Cochran and Harpending theorized. Jews didn’t intermarry, keeping their gene pool closed. They were subjected to periodic persecution, which kept the population from outgrowing its professional niche.

According to the theory, the smartest individuals made the most money, and the wealthiest families had the most surviving children. The genes of the most intelligent Jews spread most, slowly raising the average IQ of the entire group.

Over 40 generations — roughly 1,000 years — an increase of just 0.3 points per generation would have added up to a cumulative advantage of 12 points, Cochran and Harpending theorized. Some of their other models projected a benefit of 16 to 20 IQ points.

Certified, grade “A”, genuine Bull Sh*t. Oh sorry, that isn’t very eloquent.

Jews came to Europe almost one thousand years earlier. They were traders, artisans, and did all kinds of jobs. There were smart Jews, strong Jews, dumb Jews, persecuted Jews, converted Jews, hapless and lucky Jews. But you cannot build a unified theory of racism against Jews looking at the facts, so they make up facts, and history. The authors of the study already believed that Jews were racially inferior/superior. Then they built a theory with flimsy and non-existent evidence to back it up. They use some legitimate research to make themselves look good to the untrained eye.

You can read it here.

I looked over their bibliography and as I had suspected, they use Kevin McDonald, a disgraced, Anti-Semitic, Long Beach State professor, as a source. His book A People That Shall Dwell Alone is a antisemitic best-seller of sorts, that laid the groundwork for his racist ideology. The Department of Anthropology, at the University of Utah, where they are based, is the leading positive review of McDonald’s Book. McDonald asserts that a suite of traits that he attributes to Jews, including higher-than-average verbal intelligence and ethnocentricism, have eugenically evolved to enhance the ability of Jews to out-compete non-Jews for resources while undermining the power and self-confidence of the white majorities in Europe and America. Source.

Jews aren’t smarter or dumber. Our cultures value literacy, learning and intellectually curiosity. Sadly, the author, and the LA Times don’t.

Feel free to use your Jewish or Jew-friendly Genes to write a few love letters to the editors, publishers, the owners, and the University of Utah.

And now a word from our friend and teacher, Rav Shmuel – his video “Protocols” has been viewed over 100,000 times and counting:

Feb
18
2009
19

Perfidy By Pesach

I just flew from Tel Aviv to Los Angeles. I’m now in Long Beach trying to reign in this juggernaut called the Jewlicious Festival. Blogging is hard work man… so David Kelsey has offered up another one of his patented guest posts, sure to stimulate lots of conversations. Once again, the disclaimer is that while I may not necessarily agree with what he says, I support his right to say it and this is an issue that we may need to address and acknowledge. So, without further ado, take it away Duvidle:

The American economy continues to devolve, with massive unemployment and underemployment furiously ravaging the American working landscape. But while much of the rest of the U.S. is wondering how they will pay their bills, our far-Left co-religionists have decided that this is a perfect time to demand that the U.S. cease and desist raids on law-breaking employers and employees who seek to skirt the labor laws our ancestors fought so hard to enact. The name of this Jewish coalition demanding (essentially) amnesty for illegals, and for giving a free reign to employers to avoid pesky details such as security checks, minimum wage, and benefits of any sort, is named, “Progress By Pesach.”

Raids on illegal worker sites are targeted for “progress,” i.e., suspension. Raids are undesirable because they create “fear,” and are “aggressive.”

But what are the purposes of these raids, and what do they accomplish, if anything? Are they indeed “failing,” as Progress By Pesach asserts?

The purpose of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids is to improve,

immigration enforcement through … focused enforcement efforts that target the most dangerous illegal aliens, worksite enforcement initiatives that target employers who defy immigration law and reducing the pull of the “jobs magnet” that draws illegal workers across the border in search of employment.

(more…)

Written by ck in: Jewlicious | Tags: , ,
Feb
03
2009
6

Old Jews Telling Jokes

No. This is not a reference to Jewlicious writers above the age of 29 (ahem). OldJewsTellingJokes.com is the brainchild of one Sam Hoffman who got his father to gather twenty of his old Jewish friends who then related their favorite joke on camera. This undertaking is described as an homage to the Jewish art of storytelling:

Storytelling is a Jewish tradition. You’ve probably seen Fiddler on the Roof. Whenever they ask the Rabbi a question, he tugs thoughtfully on his beard and says “let me tell you a story.” Then they sing… Jokes are like stories, but shorter and funnier. Old jokes tend to have a stigma, but they only last if they’re good. Some of the best ones provide a window to the culture of a bygone era. They can reveal the concerns of a generation or even the generation before. Anxieties of coming to a new country, of prospering, of assimilating, of having families, of fearing and worrying about, well, everything. Humor was and is the ultimate anti-depressant.

So far the site has three jokes and the latest is my favorite – it’s about US Health Care, something that is already intrinsically ridiculous. Oh and it also involves oral sex. They have a new joke every Tuesday, so make sure to go back to OldJewsTellingJokes.com. Click for the video after the bump!

(more…)

Written by ck in: Jewlicious, Popalicious | Tags: , , ,
Nov
30
2008
20

Can I Mourn the Jews Now?

Usually, I read something interesting, I make a comment and cite a relevant paragraph with a link to the story. Now however, words fail me. I can go on and on about barbarity and inhumanity, but what the fuck… I have no words in response to this article about the particular torture that was reserved for Israelis and Jews by the Mumbai terrorists:

“Bombay has a long history of terror. I have seen bodies of riot victims, gang war and previous terror attacks like bomb blasts. But this was entirely different. It was shocking and disturbing,” a doctor said… The other doctor, who had also conducted the post-mortem of the victims, said: “Of all the bodies, the Israeli victims bore the maximum torture marks. It was clear that they were killed on the 26th itself. It was obvious that they were tied up and tortured before they were killed. It was so bad that I do not want to go over the details even in my head again,” he said… Corroborating the doctors’ claims about torture was the information that the Intelligence Bureau had about the terror plan. “During his interrogation, Ajmal Kamal said they were specifically asked to target the foreigners, especially the Israelis,” an IB source said… It is also said that the Israeli hostages were killed on the first day as keeping them hostage for too long would have focused too much international attention. “They also might have feared the chances of Israeli security agencies taking over the operations at the Nariman House,” he reasoned.

I feel sick to my stomach.

Written by ck in: Jewlicious | Tags: , , ,
Nov
18
2008
20

And you shall know us by the trail of our vinyl…

That was the Barry Sisters singing Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head. In Yiddish. I got this and other pop culture/Jew culture fusions from the blog for the new book “And You Shall Know Us By The Train of Our Vinyl” – put out by Josh Kunn and, yes, almost inevitably, Roger Bennet:

Eight years ago, Roger Bennett and Josh Kun began an important journey, scouring the world to collect thousands of vinyl LPs from attics, garage sales, and dusty archives. Together, once-loved and now long-forgotten audio gems tell a vibrant tale: the story of Jews in America.

The blog is a collection of information and multimedia that does just that. Some of the results are spectacular – Chubby Checker’s re-recording of the Twist to the tune of Hava Nagilah, Lena Horne singing in Yiddish, Perry Como’s rendition of Kol Nidre etc. – other manifestations of this phenomena are bizarre – ie Hedva and David, an otherwise forgetabble 70’s era Israeli singing duo and their Japanese monster hit Naomi. Talk about cross cultural pollination – Shonen Knife have nothing on these people.

Now I love what these folks do. Roger’s been behind such groundbreaking and innovative works like Bar Mitzvah Disco, Camp Camp, Stereophonic Records, Reboot, Guilt and Pleasure and on and on… these manifestations of Judaism are, well, kinda corny. And maybe that’s the story of American Jewry – as Jews became more and more integrated into American culture, pop culture manifestations of Judaism reflected the overall Jewish community who had for the most part discraded the, you know, substance of Judaism in favor of the shmaltz. Now that the chickens have come to roost and contemporary Jewish culture has inevitably become bland and uninteresting – see the Forward 50 which is, except for one exception, as bland and uninspiring a list of Jews as I have ever seen – I think I am contemplating the uhm… end of the Jews as a force to be reckoned with in the US.

We’re quickly running out of money, our leadership is out of ideas and the next generation of leaders don’t care for the most part. There is one good thing though. Perhaps with the election of Barack Obama thanks in part to the strong support offered by the Jewish community, Black/Jewish musical collaborations can begin anew.

So when is the Kanye West Hanukka album coming out?

Written by ck in: Popalicious | Tags: ,
Oct
24
2008
3

First Basket: Jews and Basketball

Sure the dude that invented basketball was Canadian, but there was a time when Jews dominated basketball the way they now dominate media and finance. And world governments. OK, I’m kidding about world Jew domination, but I’m not kidding about basketball. In fact, the first basket scored in the NBA was on November 1, 1946 by Ossie Schectman of the New York Knickerbockers against the Toronto Huskies. Schectman and his teammates Sonny Hertzberg, Stan Stutz, Hank Rosenstein, Ralph Kaplowitz, Jake Weber, and Leo “Ace” Gottlieb went on to win the opening game 68 – 66.

Now Jews traditionally have never been very athletic. But back in the early days of basketball, they verily dominated. Along with stickball, basketball was the game of choice for the little Jewish ragamuffins living in the tenements of the Lower East Side of New York and elsewhere in the US. The poor little yidden, first generation immigrant kids, freed from their shtetl yoke of religion, needed something to do with their spare time and for many, sports was their new religion.

New York Daily News sports editor Paul Gallico wrote in the mid 1930s that basketball “appeals to the Hebrew with his Oriental background [because] the game places a premium on an alert, scheming mind and flashy trickiness, artful dodging and general smartalecness.” We see how qualities such as cunning and wiliness were posited as the keys to Jewish basketball success and how these kinds of statements were indicative of early 20th century America.

So now comes this great new documentary called “The First Basket” which in discussing the origins of the game of basketball and the Jews in it, is in a sense, recreating the Jewish immigrant experience in America and is no less an exposé of modern Jewish identity than it is the story of some sweaty ball playing Jews.

You can read more about this documentary and watch some clips at their Web site www.thefirstbasket.com or you can watch the film at a theater near you. “The First Basket” will be playing at the following venues and times:

New York
Opens October 29, 2008 for 10 Days!

(Special Events will be announced over the next two weeks)
The Village East Cinema
181 -189 2nd Ave. New York, NY 10003
212-529-6799

Los Angeles
Opens November 14th!

Laemmle’s Music Hall in Beverly Hills
310-274-6869
Laemmle’s Town Center in Encino
818-981-9811 www.laemmle.com

Tuesday, November 11, 7:30 pm
The Skirball Cultural Center
Los Angeles, CA

Monday October 20th – 7:00pm
The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival and JCCSF
San Francisco, CA

Click here to see clips from the film and visit the Web site for updates and special events.

Written by ck in: Jewlicious | Tags: ,
Oct
06
2008
10

Obama goes viral for Jewish voters

Oct
04
2008
4

Yom Kippur Karma. Thou shalt not scalp?

Yom Kippur is just one of those holidays… I know the hard ass secularists amongst you will not fast or attend services but for the rest of the Jews, it’s like the one day of the year that they deign to set foot in a synagogue. Synagogues have operating expenses and mindful of the increased demand at this time of the year, they tend to sell tickets for services. Expensive, sometimes hard to get tickets. Some find this offensive, but someone’s gotta pay the rent, you know? Besides, with a little planning, there are plenty of synagogues that offer free or affordable services – you just have to plan ahead – call your local Federation or Chabad House, search the Web, check out New York Blueprint, whatever. It’s there if you want it. For the rest of you who haven’t planned in advance and want to attend services at specific high profile synagogues, there’s only one choice – scalpers. But scalping, well, let’s just say it’s bad karma as demonstrated by these two videos, the first created as part of the 2008 24 hour LA Film Race, and the second a snippet from the Larry David Show. Bad Jews – you’ve been warned…


Sep
08
2008
16

Tribe: The Film – Now on YouTube



Golly. And I already bought the film for $1.99 on iTunes. Now I can watch it on my laptop and on my iPod. Up less than a week, the movie, which we featured at the first Jewlicious Festival, has already garnered over 200,000 views and over 2,400 comments. What is it about these crafty Jews that inspires so much… talk? Check it out. Good job Tiffany and Ken!

Jul
30
2008
15

MTV CRIBS – Arab American Style!

This short film was created to promote the 1st Annual Arab-American Comedy Festival and has been re-released in order to promote the 2nd Annual Arab-American Comedy Festival which will be taking place at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center in Dearborn, Michigan on August 15th 2008. The film is 13 minutes long and you can get more info about the Festival at mizna.tv.

Why is this here? Well… it’s kind of funny – reminds me of my 1st generation immigrant family (we also had a living room no one was ever allowed to use), they use the same logo as Jewlicious and… it’s really so over the top! Look, we can all sit in a circle, sing Kumbaya and then I can tell you that this is really some sort of plea for better relations between our communities. Of course I’d like nothing more than for the Arabs and the Jews to live in peace and all that, but really? I put this up because it’s well shot, well acted, well scripted and? Totally retarded.

Written by ck in: Jewlicious | Tags: ,

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