Mark D. Zimmerman

By Mark D. Zimmerman Actor ‍Matthew ‍Perry ‍died ‍tragically ‍at ‍the ‍age ‍of ‍54. ‍Perry ‍was ‍best ‍known ‍for ‍playing ‍Chandler ‍Bing ‍on ‍the ‍sitcom ‍‍Friends. ‍Bing ‍was ‍not ‍one ‍of ‍the ‍Jewish ‍characters ‍on ‍the ‍show–among ‍the ‍six ‍friends, ‍Ross, ‍Monica ‍and ‍Rachel ‍were ‍Jewish. ‍Which ‍‍Friends ‍episode ‍featured ‍Chandler ‍Bing ‍with ‍a ‍Jewish […]

By Mark D. Zimmerman Actor Richard Roundtree died last week at the age of 81. He was best known for his portrayal of detective John Shaft in the movie Shaft as well as two sequels, Shaft’s Big Score! and Shaft in Africa, after which he played the same character in seven made-for-TV movies. The Shaft

By Mark D. Zimmerman During ‍Jerry ‍Seinfeld’s ‍recent ‍stand-up ‍performance ‍in ‍Boston, ‍he ‍answered ‍an ‍audience ‍member’s ‍question ‍about ‍the ‍final ‍episode ‍of ‍the ‍‍Seinfeld ‍television ‍show ‍by ‍saying ‍“Something ‍is ‍going ‍to ‍happen ‍that ‍has ‍to ‍do ‍with ‍that ‍ending. ‍It ‍hasn’t ‍happened ‍yet,” ‍implying ‍that ‍he ‍and ‍co-creator ‍Larry ‍David ‍are ‍working ‍on

By Mark D. Zimmerman In ‍many ‍Orthodox ‍communities, ‍the ‍intermediary ‍days ‍of ‍Sukkot ‍(chol ‍hamoed) ‍are ‍occasions ‍for ‍family ‍activities, ‍community-wide ‍trips, ‍outdoor ‍events, ‍and ‍more, ‍as ‍schools ‍are ‍closed. ‍Synagogue ‍trips ‍to ‍amusement ‍parks ‍and ‍other ‍family ‍activity ‍sites ‍are ‍common. ‍For ‍example, ‍Six ‍Flags ‍Great ‍Adventure ‍in ‍New ‍Jersey, ‍Hersheypark ‍in ‍Pennsylvania, ‍and

By Mark D. Zimmerman Since ‍2019, ‍Tel ‍Aviv’s ‍Dizengoff ‍Square ‍has ‍been ‍the ‍location ‍of ‍public ‍Kol ‍Nidre ‍and ‍Yom ‍Kippur ‍services, ‍sponsored ‍by ‍Rosh ‍Yehudi, ‍a ‍non ‍profit ‍organization. ‍The ‍services ‍have ‍attracted ‍upwards ‍of ‍2000 ‍attendees, ‍from ‍Haredi ‍Jews ‍wearing ‍kippot ‍and ‍tallitot, ‍to ‍secular ‍Israelis ‍in ‍shorts ‍and ‍with ‍bared ‍heads, ‍to

By Mark D. Zimmerman As ‍part ‍of ‍the ‍Rosh ‍Hashanah ‍observance, ‍many ‍Jews ‍participate ‍in ‍the ‍tashlich ‍ceremony, ‍usually ‍held ‍on ‍the ‍first ‍day ‍of ‍Rosh ‍Hashanah, ‍though ‍some ‍celebrated ‍tashlich ‍this ‍year ‍on ‍the ‍second ‍day ‍of ‍Rosh ‍Hashanah ‍because ‍the ‍first ‍day ‍fell ‍on ‍the ‍Sabbath. ‍Others ‍will ‍celebrate ‍tashlich ‍any ‍time ‍through

By Mark D. Zimmerman Singer-songwriter ‍Jimmy ‍Buffett ‍died ‍a ‍couple ‍of ‍weeks ‍ago ‍at ‍the ‍age ‍of ‍76. ‍Buffett’s ‍music ‍reflected ‍what ‍became ‍known ‍as ‍“island ‍escapism,” ‍most ‍famously ‍as ‍depicted ‍in ‍his ‍hit ‍song ‍‍Margaritaville. ‍In ‍1997 ‍Buffett ‍teamed ‍up ‍with ‍Jewish ‍novelist ‍Herman ‍Wouk ‍to ‍write ‍a ‍musical ‍version ‍of ‍Wouk’s ‍novel ‍‍Don’t

By Mark D. Zimmerman Bagels ‍are ‍one ‍of ‍the ‍quintessential ‍Jewish ‍foods. ‍There ‍are ‍references ‍to ‍bagels ‍in ‍Kraków, ‍Poland ‍in ‍the ‍early ‍1600’s, ‍though ‍they ‍may ‍have ‍first ‍appeared ‍in ‍Germany ‍prior ‍to ‍that. ‍Polish ‍immigrants ‍brought ‍bagels ‍to ‍the ‍United ‍States ‍around ‍the ‍turn ‍of ‍the ‍20th ‍century. ‍The ‍bagel ‍became ‍so ‍popular

By Mark D. Zimmerman Multi-millionaire ‍biotech ‍engineer ‍and ‍asset ‍manager ‍Vivek ‍Ramaswamy ‍is ‍running ‍for ‍the ‍Republican ‍nomination ‍for ‍President. ‍He ‍is ‍running ‍as ‍an ‍“anti-woke” ‍and ‍anti-abortion ‍candidate ‍who ‍intends ‍to ‍rule ‍by ‍executive ‍fiat, ‍with ‍plans ‍to ‍abolish ‍the ‍Education ‍Department ‍and ‍the ‍FBI, ‍eradicate ‍teachers ‍unions, ‍and ‍launch ‍military ‍action ‍across ‍the

By Mark D. Zimmerman The ‍trailer ‍was ‍released ‍for ‍the ‍upcoming ‍biopic ‍‍Maestro ‍about ‍composer ‍and ‍conductor ‍Leonard ‍Bernstein. ‍Controversy ‍has ‍arisen ‍as ‍a ‍result ‍of ‍the ‍choice ‍of ‍the ‍non-Jewish ‍actor ‍Bradley ‍Cooper ‍to ‍play ‍the ‍part ‍of ‍Bernstein, ‍as ‍well ‍as ‍his ‍use ‍of ‍a ‍prosthetic ‍nose, ‍which ‍according ‍to ‍some ‍critics ‍injects

By Mark D. Zimmerman The ‍50th ‍anniversary ‍of ‍hip-hop ‍is ‍being ‍celebrated, ‍commemorating ‍a ‍party ‍hosted ‍by ‍DJ ‍Kool ‍Herc ‍in ‍an ‍apartment ‍building ‍in ‍the ‍Bronx ‍on ‍August ‍11, ‍1973 ‍which ‍is ‍recognized ‍as ‍the ‍first ‍hip-hop ‍event. ‍The ‍music ‍and ‍culture ‍of ‍hip-hop ‍comprises ‍four ‍main ‍elements: ‍DJing/turntablism, ‍MCing/rapping, ‍B-boying/breaking, ‍and ‍visual/graffiti ‍art.

By Mark D. Zimmerman Paul ‍Reubens, ‍better ‍known ‍as ‍Pee-wee ‍Herman, ‍died ‍last ‍week ‍at ‍the ‍age ‍of ‍70. ‍Reubens’s ‍career ‍began ‍in ‍improv ‍as ‍a ‍member ‍of ‍the ‍Groundlings. ‍In ‍1981 ‍he ‍created ‍the ‍character ‍of ‍Pee-wee ‍Herman, ‍a ‍“man-boy” ‍who ‍starred ‍in ‍movies, ‍tv ‍shows, ‍Broadway ‍theater, ‍and ‍late ‍night ‍television. ‍His ‍children’s

By Mark D. Zimmerman ‍ Sinéad ‍O’Connor ‍died ‍last ‍week ‍at ‍the ‍age ‍of ‍56. ‍She ‍was ‍a ‍highly ‍successful ‍performer, ‍as ‍well ‍as ‍an ‍activist ‍in ‍support ‍of ‍women’s ‍rights ‍and ‍opposed ‍to ‍racism ‍and ‍child ‍abuse. ‍During ‍a ‍1992 ‍appearance ‍on ‍‍Saturday ‍Night ‍Live ‍she ‍performed ‍a ‍moving ‍version ‍of ‍Bob ‍Marley’s ‍song