Getting a free trip to Israel is pretty amazing. Getting sponsored Friday Night Shabbat Dinners when you get back? That is very cool.

Birthright Israel NEXT is sponsoring Shabbat Dinner, and you get to choose the guests, the food, and the location.

Do you love to entertain? Always wanted to host a Shabbat meal with a creative Jewish flair but never got around to it? Now’s your chance because YOUR NEXT SHABBAT MEAL IS ON US!

Gather your friends and have a Shabbat meal in your apartment, in the park, by a lake or Havdallah on the beach. Birthright Israel NEXT will compensate you to the tune of $25/person, up to 16 people (including the host).

Not only past participants, but past groups leaders can sign-up to host a dinner. You control the food, the guests, the flowers.

One of the coolest features is that you can search for a Shabbat Dinner by Zip Code, and up pop all these Shabbat Dinners. I mean, that is just very cool.

Studs Terkel

[Image source]

Pulitzer-Prize winning MOT Studs Terkel passed away at age 96.

Read up more on him here and listen to him here.

Not sure how many of yall are hip to Blanket Statmentstein (Back From The UK with Swedish Design), but they are a motley group of O’s and XO’s (which means Orthodox and Ex Orthodox Jews). They play 90’s style rock mixed with electronic and hipster parody. Lastnight they played two parties that were filled with like minded souls and hipsters. What went down was all in a nights work and something more common in say Mike Places off Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem and not so much in Greenpoint, Brooklyn’s Polish neighborhood.

Click video titles below to view them on youtube.

1. Breslov Nachman Disco Dancing
2. Blanket Statementstein SILENCE/EXPLOSION
3. MC Sage freestyles over Rappers Delight from Mike of BSS
4. Breslov Nachman Disco Dancing pt. 2

or go directly to youtube.com/shemspeed
Photos on Flickr.com/shemspeed

The BBC reports that theCatholic Church is planning on subjecting their priests to sex drive tests. In light of a slew of pedophelia related scandals, the Church will be testing priests for, amongst other things, “deep-seated homosexual tendencies [and] uncertain sexual identity.”

Apparently the Church thinks that all pedophiles are homosexuals and by rooting out the homosexuals in their midst, they will prevent future pedophile priest scandals that have tarnished the image of the Church and cost it hundreds of millions of dollars in law suits. The fact that this is complete crap and flies in the face of innumerable studies seems to be lost on the Church as it embarks on this ridiculous and useless witch hunt.

Why is this on Jewlicious? Because our community has also been rocked by similar, albeit not as extensive, scandals and only a factual understanding of the underlying problem will allow us to deal with it properly. Let’s not make the same mistakes that the Catholic Church has.

Join the Tachlis 2 Point Oh! and Jewlicious as we follow the results of the US Presidential Elections at the offices of Presentense at 64 Emek Refaim Street in Jerusalem. This will be a great Networking opportunity and we will be using a full suite of Web 2.0 tools as we broadcast the impressions of assembled Jerusalemites. Also on tap will be a fine selection of drinks and food, featuring Arack and Borekas from Machane Yehudah. Mabe I’ll even prepare some techina and pitas.

The event will take place on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 10:30pm and will go until… well, till no one’s left I suppose. Feel free to RSVP via our facebook event page. The event is free although given how scary this election is likely to be, you are strongly encouraged to bring more booze. Here’s a Google map of where it’ll take place and if you have any questions or if you’re a blogger who wants to participate, feel free to contact me. I can be reached at 054 673 5873 or from the US at 917 338 7570.

For the record, the only reason I used “Barack” in the title is because it rhymes with “Arack.” As a Canadian/Israeli, I don’t particularly endorse either candidate. Also you can read about this and other election related events happening in Israel in Haaretz!

You should see how conflicted Arab Americans are!

A cursory reading of Kabobfest, the Arab American “cool” group blog, shows that Arab Americans, while overwhelmingly supportive of Barack Obama as a community, are conflicted about their decision. Both communities are concerned about Obama’s policies regarding Israel. From different perspectives of course. And then you have poor Ralph Nader – always being told not to run lest he mess it up for someone. Anyhow, here’s an awesome clip that will give you all some insight into both the Nader campaign and the dynamics of this whacky election:

Even older texts have been found! Well, one older text and it’s around 3000 years old. It is yet to be fully deciphered and Muffti sure hopes it mentions him!

from CNN

An Israeli archaeologist has discovered what he says is the earliest-known Hebrew text, found on a shard of pottery that dates to the time of King David from the Old Testament, about 3,000 years ago.

Professor Yosef Garfinkel of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem says the inscribed pottery shard — known as an ostracon — was found during excavations of a fortress from the 10th century BC.

Carbon dating of the ostracon, along with pottery analysis, dates the inscription to time of King David, about a millennium earlier than the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, the university said.

The shard contains five lines of text divided by black lines and measures 15 by 15 centimeters, or about 6 inches square.

Archaeologists have yet to decipher the text, but initial interpretation indicates it formed part of a letter and contains the roots of the words “judge,” “slave,” and “king,” according to the university. That may indicate it was a legal text, which archaeologists say would provide insights into Hebrew law, society, and beliefs.

The researchers say the text was clearly written by a trained scribe.

The shard was discovered at the Elah Fortress in Khirbet Qeiyafa, about 20 miles southwest of Jerusalem. The fortress, measuring 2.3 hectares (about 5.7 acres), is the earliest-known fortified city of the biblical period in Israel.

Excavations began there in June. So far, just four percent of the site has been excavated, the university said.

Because the ostracon is similar to that found in other Israelite settlements, and because no pig bones were found at the site, archaeologists say the site was likely part of the Kingdom of Judea. Jewish dietary laws forbid the eating of pork.

Among the artifacts found at the site are more than 100 jar handles bearing distinct impressions which may indicate a link to royal vessels, the university said. Such a large quantity found in such a small area is “unprecedented,” the university said.

The site of Khirbet Qeiyafa is located near the place where the Bible describes the battle between David and Goliath — the Elah Valley, which shares its name with the fortress.

Garfinkel said it is the only site in Israel in which to investigate King David.

“The chronology and geography of Khirbet Qeiyafa create a unique meeting point between the mythology, history, historiography and archaeology of King David,” he said.

The Dead Sea Scrolls are the earliest-known copies of the Bible, some dating back about 2,000 years.

It is widely believed that the first set of Dead Sea Scrolls was discovered in 1947 by a Bedouin shepherd who ventured into a cave in the Judean Desert in search of a lost sheep or goat.

The texts, written on crumbling parchment and papyrus, were found wrapped in linen inside earthenware jars.

At this point, all the relevant issues ought to have been sufficiently discussed that y’all ought to have an idea of who you think is going to win the upcoming US Presidential election. So rather than rehash the already well articulated arguments, we want to survey everyone and simply ask who you think is going to win the election on November 4th. Surveys have already shown very strong support for Obama amongst Jews – the latest Gallup poll shows Jewish support of Obama at a current high of 74% while McCain is down to an all time low of 22%. Yet amongst Americans as a whole some still see this election as toss up – maybe it’s the Bradley Effect, or maybe fallout from last minute attacks against Obama – ie Obama’s attendance at a going-away party for former PLO spokesman Rashid Khalidi and things he may have said there or The Obama’s association with former terrorist fundraiser Hatem El-Hady. This is all conjecture of course and as we know, in US elections anything can happen.

So how do you think it’s going to go?

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The spectacle of Gay Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza fleeing to Israel in the face of intolerance, torture and death threats at home is now a well established fact. Most recently, a gay Palestinian from the northern West Bank village of Tamon, fearing for his life if he was deported back, petitioned the Israel High Court of Justice to allow him to stay in Israel with his Israeli boyfriend. He was granted a residency permit because the Court determined that his fears of being harmed were well founded.

But clearly that’s not the case! This was demonstrated by the Gay flag hoisted proudly on the yacht carrying 27 international activists that sailed into the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. The Yacht, chartered by the Free Gaza movement, was carrying supplies (and stuff) to the beleaguered Palestinians, in defiance of Israel’s embargo. Obviously homosexuals are very welcome in Gaza despite the fact that it is controlled by Islamic fundamentalist Hamas.

Can’t wait till the next Gaza pride parade! I’ll sell a ton of rainbow “Palestine is for Lovers” t-shirts for sure!

OK but seriously now folks… how can anyone gay support a regime that systematically victimizes homosexuals? Is there anything more innately ludicrous than the spectacle of a “liberation boat,” prominently bearing a symbol of Gay Pride, undoubtedly manned by one or a number of gay activists, steaming (so to speak) into the port of Gaza City? Well, probably the notion that conditions in Gaza are a “humanitarian crisis on the scale of Darfur.” But other than that, pretty ridiculous right?

A slightly new direction for EV, as his latest doodles report on the rally against the guy who leads Iran whose name Muffti can’t spell so he won’t even try. Check it out here.

On the other hand, you can read some more drivel from Rabbit Boteach at Jpost. Here’s a particularly nice snap shot of the wisdom:

AMERICAN VORACIOUSNESS is what caused the economic collapse. We have gone from being citizens to “consumers,” as if our very raison d’être is to devour. We and our children are becoming larger and more obese. Even when we eat, we rarely feel full. Three meals a day and we’re still hungry. We are now governed by the reptilian brain where size alone governs our tastes. Bigger TV’s, bigger portions at restaurants, bigger people. Supersize me!

It was over-eating that did it? It wasn’t banks reselling mortgages, adjustable mortgages being given to people who wanted houses but really couldn’t afford them…

Clearly Daniel and Paul didn’t have a columnist they felt they could write to about their ethical quandaries. Fortunately for the Jewish world—I say the Jewish world rather than just “Jewish foodies” because to me, it is quite apparent that “our tradition call[s] upon us to be more involved in our eating” (as Rabbi Shalom Kantor says)—The Jew & The Carrot blog presents “The Shmethicist.”

The Shmethicist is a cross between Dear Abby and The New York Times’ Ethicist column – except it’s all about food, and delivered with a hint of “Jewish grandma” shtick. As in: “Look at you! You’re wasting away you’re so thin! Why don’t you come eat more of my chicken soup, and I’ll tell you what you should do with your life.”

Do you have a burning ethical food question – like, “Should I buy fair trade or locally-grown?”, “Can I withhold sugar cereals from my kids, while harboring a secret candy bar stash? or “What should I make for dinner?” Send your questions to The Shmethicist at shmethicist@jcarrot.org.

America breathed a collective sigh of relief on news that two white supremacist skinheads were arrested in Tennessee over plans to go on a killing spree that would culminate in the assassination of Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama. Daniel Cowart and Paul Schlesselman met on the Internet about a month ago and had planned to decapitate 14 African Americans and otherwise kill another 88. The letter H is the eighth letter in the alphabet and “88″ is a greeting amongst racist Nazis that represents “Heil Hitler.” The 14 beheadings are a reference to the 14-word slogan: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children” coined by David Lane, founding member of The Order who died in jail recently while serving a 190 year sentence his involvement in the death of radio talk show host Alan Berg.

What’s really interesting in all of this, and so far, only reported by Reuters is that:

The men planned to wear white tuxedos and top hats during the assassination attempt, which would have involved driving as fast as they could toward Obama and shooting him from the windows of the car.

Huh?? OK so what do we have here. Two hot young guys from rural Tennessee, who met on the Internet and who planned on being killed together in a blaze of glory, while wearing white tuxedos and top hats. White tuxedos and top hats are usually worn at uh… weddings. That’s right. Daniel Cowart and Paul Schlesselman were queer for each other. When you talk about a love that dare not speaketh it’s name – that goes double if you live in a rural part of a redneck state and all your friends are bad ass racists.

Surely pundits will posit the blame for this on societal racism, but clearly there’s another form of intolerance at play here. Had Daniel Cowart and Paul Schlesselman been simply allowed to consummate their obvious love, had Tennessee been a tolerant state that allowed Gay Marriage, none of this would likely have happened. Instead, the nation is shocked and two young lovers will be separated by prison for years to come. See how intolerance breeds intolerance?

And the only retouching I did of Daniel Cowart’s MySpace pic above was to add the white top hat. And the flag. So? Gaydar going “ping! ping!” – am I right? Gay as the grass is green right? Not that there’s anything wrong with that…

honest blog! ok, maybe not Jewlicious, but an album this Jewlicious blogger has been working…and possibly the best Jewish hip hp album ever made. (not a hard contest to win…but still, it’s a damn good album.) Yezzir, … SPIN Magazine and if you can’t read that it says, “The unlikely combo of African American Indie Vet and Israeli American Newbie results in a hilarious kosher wig flip of Biz Markie’s just a friend. Challah!” -SPIN”
grab the “Freestyle Vs. Written” album now from iTunes (here) or off the Modular site (here). Or you could get 1990’s on it and leave your computer to pick it up in stores!

myspace.com/freestylevswritten

Well, at Jewlicious Festivals, there is a guy who goes by the name of Happy Fun Joel.

He, however, is not the Happy Joel who is the subject of an article in the NY Times today.

That would be this Happy Joel:

And this one:

And, of course, this one:

I won’t play Christmas Kicks Hanukah’s Ass! because it just makes me sad and laugh out loud.

Joel has earned the equivalent of $200,000 in contests with these video entries and others.

We live in strange times.

Late Sunday, Iran admitted to arming Middle East “liberation armies.” This is despite the fact that Iran has traditionally maintained that while it supported some “liberation organizations” morally, politically, and at times financially, it did not provide them with arms. However, Hossein Hamedani, appointed by Ayatolla Khameini as commander of the volunteer Basij militia, was quoted as saying, “Not only our armed forces are self sufficient but the freedom armies of the region get part of their weaponry from us.” This statement is in addition to a recent press release by the Iranian officials stating that they now possess a functional and tested “solid fuel motor for the medium-range Shahab-3 ballistic missile.”

So what does this mean? Let us break it down into a couple of more basic units, shall we? First, who are these “Middle East Liberation Armies” which are being armed? We can reasonably conclude that Iran is probably arming those same groups which it has been so kind as to support morally, politically, financially, et al. These groups include Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Mahdi Army. Islamic Jihad may, also, be a recipient of such arms, but it would appear that the connection is a bit tenuous. Second, where are these “Freedom Armies” located? Well, Hezbollah has its stronghold in the South of Lebanon. However, as it has now become an official political party, it has, also, reinforced its support base in Beirut, converting it into a secondary headquarters, of sorts. Hamas has its stronghold in Gaza. However, it is struggling to take over the West Bank (a.k.a. Judea and Sumaria). In addition, Hamas has some of its operational headquarters, such as its P.R. department, based in Damascus. The Mahdi Army, for something a little different, is based in the Shiite stronghold of Iraq, led by the Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Third, what does this mean for us? A key to war fighting is having superior technology. Now, while this is not always the most important thing, after all, many wars have been fought and won by a side with far weaker technology, it helps if, all other things being equal, such as public support, determination to win, well thought-out strategies, etc., your side has a supreme technological advantage against your enemy. With Iran arming terrorist organizations and militia groups, you can be sure that those fighting those terrorists will have a harder time and see higher casualty rates. This means that Hezbollah and Hamas will have better war-faring capabilities and be able to hurt Israel more on the battlefield (though, one should hope that the Israeli military will attempt to develop techniques and battle plans which take into account such information), as well as on its homefront, such as by firing “new and improved” rockets into Israeli civillian locations (i.e. kibbutzim, cities, etc.) Moreover, the Mahdi Army will probably be able to wreak even greater havoc in Iraq, causing even more friction between the already precarious ties of the Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds, in addition to causing more damage to American/Iraqi state building attempts and killing/wounding more American and Iraqi soldiers.

Now here’s the kicker: nations arm other states all the time. This is part of statehood, treaties, alliances, and other such nation-related things. What do you do, however, to prevent a State from arming a non-State. You can sanction a state (which, depending upon your school of thought may or may not be completely and utterly useless), but how do you sanction a non-State? Do you deny it recognition? Well, you’ve already done that; that’s why it is not a state. Do you sanction it? Well, what are you going to sanction? And when your sanction doesn’t work, as it undoubtedly will not, given that as a non-state, it doesn’t exactly have typical state functions of land borders, intensive trade structures, and such. Do you deny humanitarian aid to its members? You can’t do that as it would be inhumane. Do you conduct a military campaign against it? Well, that was what you were trying to avoid in the first place. Or do you placate it, play a game of detente, appeasement, and simply hope that the nice paper you signed with it really will prevent it from attacking you (which will probably work about as well as the paper to which i am referencing).

This week’s Parsha is Noah, which was my Bar Mitzvah Parsha. The inimitable Matthue Roth, ROI120 alum, author, musician and G-DCast Educational Director is the voice behind this week’s G-DCast. Matthue notes that Noah was “Righteous in his generation” – the only person so cited by the Torah. Some people say that the fact that everyone else on earth was a douche makes Noah’s righteousness that much more awesome because he didn’t have the support and company of other righteous individuals. Others however say that he was righteous in comparison to all the other assholes around him, meaning, not soooo so righteous. Matthue adopts the latter position because Noah didn’t plead with God to save the people (like Abraham did re. the people of Sodom and Gomorrah) nor did he expressly warn them about the impending flood.

To this he juxtaposes the story of the raven and the dove. After the flood, Noah released the raven to see if there was dry land anywhere. The raven I guess saw some trees and never came back. Noah then released the dove which came back bearing an olive branch to let everyone on the Ark know that the flood waters had receded. Thus we see the true nature of righteousness – it isn’t enough to do exactly what God commands and nothing more. In order to be truly righteous, one must also act with care, consideration and compassion towards others, even if they are total douchebags.

Thanks G-DCast. Thanks a lot. Now I have to be nice to douchebags.

A pretty, young woman is asleep as suddenly her bedroom window opens. In flies a vampire. The young woman wakes up; terrified, she grabs the crucifix from her bedside table and holds it out against the vampire. Says the vampire, “Lady, es vert dir nisht helfen.”

[Image source]

Or what else could prompt someone to compare the criticism of high-profile bankers to Weimar Republic and Third Reich anti-Semitism?

Hans-Werner Sinn, head of the Munich-based ifo-Institute for economic research claimed just that, namely that during any crisis people looked for scapegoats and just as people had used Jews as scapegoats during the economic crisis of the late 1920s and 1930s, people now pointed their fingers at bankers.

That analogy stinks, and I think it doesn’t actually require any explanation why it does. And it is a great embarrassment that a supposedly highly educated person and one of Europe’s most influential economic researchers does not seem to see the difference between racist prejudices towards a religious minority and substantial criticism of people that indeed messed up big time, wasting other people’s money while still granting themselves generous boni.

Pecunia non olet. Impudentia olet.

Well, apropos the high holidays and the recently celebrated Simchat Torah when we begin the annual cycle of weekly readings of the Torah again, I thought it would be appropriate to show a little something from 2000 years ago that was discovered just a couple of weeks ago: an amazing find that reads “Ben HaCohen HaGadol” in Hebrew. That is, “Son of the High Priest.”

Did I say amazing?

Here is Arutz Sheva’s publication of the Israel Antiquities Authority’s press release on this find (their archaeologists came up with it, apparently).

Archaeologists excavating north of Jerusalem have found a piece of a sarcofagus – a stone coffin – belonging to a son of a High Priest. The visible inscription reads, “the son of the High Priest” – but the words before it are broken off. It thus cannot be ascertained which High Priest is referred to, nor the name or age of the deceased.

Many other findings in the excavation are from the late Second Temple period, and archaeologists assume that the High Priest in question lived between 30 and 70 C.E.

Yoli Shwartz, Spokesperson for the Israel Antiquities Authority, notes that the release of the find so close to Yom Kippur, which occurs this Thursday, is notable: Yom Kippur was the only day of the year when the High Priest was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies in the Temple.

The precise location of the find is not being released, for security reasons.

The sarcophagus cover fragment – 60 centimeters (2 feet) long by 48 centimeters (19 inches) wide – is made of hard limestone, is meticulously fashioned, and bears a carved inscription in Hebrew letters that are both similar to today’s script and typical of the Second Temple period.

A number of High Priests served in the Temple in its final decades – it was destroyed in 70 C.E. – and there is no way of knowing which one is noted in the fragment. Among the known High Priests of the end of the Second Temple period were Caiaphas, Theophilus (Yedidiya) ben Chanan, Shimon ben Baitus, Chanan ben Chanan and others.

The excavations were conducted by the Archaeological Staff Officer of the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria, under the direction of Naftali Aizik and Benyamin Har-Even. Underwritten by the Ministry of Defense, the work is being carried out in the framework of the salvage excavations – mandated by law before construction in Israel – along the route of the counter-terrorism fence.

Other discoveries at the site include public and residential buildings, agricultural installations, pools and cisterns.

The area north of Jerusalem, known today and in Biblical times as Binyamin (Benjamin) because it was apportioned to that Tribe, is known as the place where the priests resided during the Second Temple period. The excavated site was an estate of one of the High Priests, though the sarcophagus fragment was not discovered in the estate itself, but was rather recovered from the debris of later remains. It appears that the fragment was plundered from its original location approximately 1,000 years ago and was used in the construction of a later Moslem building erected atop the ruins of the Second Temple period houses

Tell me that doesn’t warm the cockles of your heart!

SHABBAT SHALOM!

So Hit A Jew!

Spirit week in a Missouri school went from the nice (hug a friend day) to the more esoteric (hit a tall person day) to the anti-semetic (hit a jew day). 10/35 of the Jewish students were hit, ranging from taps on the back or shoulders to one case of face slap. Participants may face suspension and possibly ‘counseling’. Good to hear. Nothing gets us over our wimpy image quite like forcing authorities to send even our lamest aggressors to talk things out in counseling.

Haaretz reports:

At least four students from a suburban St. Louis middle school face punishment for allegedly hitting Jewish classmates during what they called Hit a Jew Day.

The incident happened last week at Parkway West Middle School in Chesterfield.

District spokesman Paul Tandy says some of the school’s approximately three dozen Jewish students were hit on the shoulders or backs. But in one case, a student allegedly was slapped in the face.

It began with an unofficial Spirit Week among sixth-graders that started harmlessly enough with a Hug a Friend Day. Then there was High Five Day.

Soon, though, the days moved from friendly to silly. Next there was Hit a Tall Person Day and, finally, Hit a Jew Day.

District officials believe a handful of children were directly involved. Those who actually struck classmates could face suspension and required counseling, Tandy said. Others who weren’t directly involved but taunted Jewish students or egged on classmates could face lesser penalties.

There is a mix of sadness and outrage, Tandy said. The concern is a lot of kids knew about it and they didn’t take action or say anything.

Karen Aroesty, St. Louis regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, said this was more than a case of bullying. Officials from the group plan to discuss the matter with school leaders

This week’s Parsha is Noach and It seems like we’re experiencing a veritable flood (get it, get it?) of hip, Jewish themed, bible related videos these days. Nextbook just posted their third in the God & Co. series. This episode has Aaron MCing a celebrity roast honoring his brother Moses. It’s very well done and features some top NY comedians doing the relevant voices. You also don’t want to miss Episode 1: Bound For Glory featuring the (almost) sacrifice of Isaac by his father Abraham and Episode 2: Let My People Grow where the Jews break up with the Egyptians. Don’t forget to check out G-dcast as well where rumor has it that writer Matthue Roth will discuss Parshat Noach and the flood (though we will post it whenever it goes live).

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.

Check out G-dcast to find out.

Sarah Lefton, Jewlicious Festival presenter in 2005, creator of Jewish Fashion Conspiracy, and all-around Jewish doer in the Bay Area, has launched her latest project, G-dcast.

G-dcast is a place to watch cartoons based on the story Jews are reading in the Torah each week with a different narrator. At four minutes a week, it has a low commitment threshold. New episodes drop Mondays.

G-dcast is an ambitious project. Each week includes a 2-3 page resource guide for teachers, with episode synopsis, Torah portion highlights, insights and questions. This week’s portion is Bereshit.

… Jewish Hipster kids will be forced to wear the horrific “Diesel” inspired design below!

I’m serious. We can’t allow such a thing to befall the fine, fine folks at JDub Records. So please, send in your submissions. Not creative? Get one of your creative friends to help. JDub is throwing in $100 in cold hard cash as well as “worldwide recognition as the contest winner, a JDub swag package, and a shirt with your design on it! 2 runners up will get a JDub tshirt of their choice and a $25 JDub webstore gift certificate. Spread the word!!!” Contest details can be found in our previous post on the contest where you will also find links to a vectorized JDub logo. If you don’t care about the money, at least think of the hipsters. Won’t someone please think of the hipsters?? Deadline for submissions is Nov. 1st so get cracking.

And yes. I made that horrible design above. Don’t toy with me or I will unleash more!

Madonna aka Kabbalah Esther is in the process of getting divorced from her husband, director Guy Ritchie. Madonna has been linked to New York Yankees star Alex “A-Rod” Rodriguez whose wife Cynthia filed for divorce in July this year, citing Madonna as one of his many infidelities. All the publicity must have gotten to Ritchie who lashed out against his soon to be ex-Wife. Madonna has a strict exercise regime that sees her working out 4 hours a day. That and their busy schedules meant that the couple would go up to 18 months without having sex. The London Daily Mail reported that:

When they did find time to make love, it was like ‘cuddling up to a piece of gristle’, Ritchie is said to have told friends… ‘All the soft feminine tones have been replaced by the build of an athlete.’

The Kabbalah Center Rabbis didn’t help things much either. Ritchie reportedly walked out of a marriage counseling meeting with rabbis after they suggested he should always be subordinate to his wife’s wishes. Apparently the Kabbalah Center has introduced some new innovations to Judaism that I’ve never heard about before. For instance the Kabbalah Center rabbis have given their seal of approval to Madonna’s special “friendship” with A-Rod once it was apparent that he was willing to fully embrace their brand of Kabbalah worship.

Uh… wtf? This has nothing to do with Judaism, which is the point of this post I guess. Maybe next time Ritchie should try his luck with a Christian Nympho instead of a faux Kabbalah fish.