Today’s Jewish Birthday

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Ruth Bader Ginsburg

President Bill Clinton nominated Ginsburg to the Supreme Court in 1993, and the Senate confirmed her on a 96-3 vote, thereby filling the seat that had been vacated upon the retirement of Byron White. She was the first Jewish female justice of the Supreme Court, and eventually became the longest-serving Jewish justice.  When Sandra Day O’Connor retired in 2006, Ginsburg temporarily became the only woman on the nine-member court. [SDJW staff]

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Today’s Jewish Birthday: Neil Sedaka

More Sedaka hits followed in the 1960s, among them “Stairway to Heaven,” “Calendar Girl,” “Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen,” “Breaking Up is Hard to Do,” and “Next Door to an Angel.” In addition to his own songs, Sedaka and Greenfield wrote songs for other performers including Connie Francis, and Jimmy Clanton. Sedaka’s piano work is heard in Bobby Darin’s “Dream Lover.” [SDJW staff]

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Today’s Jewish Birthday: Jake Tapper

In 2015, his show was named State of the Union with Jake Tapper, where he gained a reputation for asking tough questions to such national politicians as Bernie Sanders, Jeb Bush, Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump. In 2015, he was selected to moderate two Republican presidential primary debates at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. In 2018, his first novel, The Hellfire Club, was published. [SDJW staff]

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Today’s Jewish Birthday: Shemp Howard

When Curly was felled by a stroke in 1946, Moe and Larry asked Shemp to fill in temporarily. But Curly’s health did not improve and in 1948 Shemp agreed to remain as the third Stooge permanently. His high pitched “bee-bee-bee-bee-bee-bee’ sound, produced by inhaling, became his trademark, emitted when scared, sleeping, overtly happy, or dazed. [SDJW staff]

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Today’s Jewish Birthday: Jonathan Sacks

From Sept 1991 through September 2013, he served as Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. In 1995, he won the Jerusalem Prize for his contribution to diaspora Jewish life. In 2005 he was dubbed a Knight Bachelor for his work in interfaith relations. In 2009, the House of Lords announced that Sacks was recommended for life peerage with a seat in the House of Lords. He took the title of Baron Sacks. He was also the recipient of an honorary doctorate of divinity conferred by the Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, to mark his first ten years as Chief Rabbi. [SDJW staff]

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Today’s Jewish Birthday: Michael Eisner

When he was passed over to succeed Diller at Paramount, he moved over to Walt Disney Studios, where he served as chairman and CEO.  Under his watch, Disney released such films as Who Framed Roger Rabbit and The Little Mermaid and acquired Miramax Films, ABC, most of ESPN, Fox Family, and The Muppets. [SDJW staff]

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Today’s Jewish Birthday: Rob Reiner

In 1970, he hit the big time in All in the Family, Norman Lear’s situation comedy, in which his father-in-law Archie Bunker, played by Carroll O’Connor, was contemptuous of his liberal views and called Reiner’s character “Meathead.” That name stuck with Reiner beyond the series. “I could win the Nobel Prize and they’d write ‘Meathead wins the Nobel Prize,'” he complained.  He did win two Emmy Awards for the role. [SDJW staff]

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Today’s Jewish Birthday: Louis Kahn

From 1958 through 1965, he collaborated with biologist Jonas Salk on what some have described as his defining work, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla. The architecture, sometimes described as brutalism, emphasized the cement and wood materials used in its construction. The laboratory cluster, consisting of two parallel blocks, frame a long view of the Pacific Ocean, accentuated by a thin linear fountain that seems to reach for the horizon. [SDJW staff]

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Today’s Jewish Birthday: John Garfield

Following the war, Garfield starred with Lana Turner in The Postman Always Rings Twice; and with Joan Crawford in Humoresque.  He took a supporting role in Gentlemen’s Agreement because he wanted to participate in that film’s exposé of antisemitism.  He was nominated for an Academy Award in 1947 for his leading role in Body and Soul. [SDJW staff]

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Today’s Jewish Birthday: Yitzhak Rabin

In 1992, Rabin unseated Peres as the Labor party leader, leading to his second term as prime minister. In 1993, Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman Yasser Arafat exchanged letters of recognition, with Arafat renouncing violence. Encouraged by President Bill Clinton, Rabin had a historic handshake with Arafat at the White House in 1993. The following year, Rabin signed a peace treaty with Jordan. Along with Arafat and Peres, Rabin was awarded the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize. [SDJW staff]

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Today’s Jewish Birthday: Dinah Shore

In 1951, she debuted The Dinah Shore Show on NBC television, and in 1956 The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, a variety show that continued through 1961.  She sang with Ella Fitzgerald, Mahalia Jackson, Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, and Pearl Bailey. When Tennessee Ernie Ford appeared on the show, she kiddingly introduced him as Tennessee Ernie Chevrolet. [SDJW staff]

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Today’s Jewish Birthday: Bugsy Siegel

After Siegel relocated to Los Angeles, he subordinated crime boss Jack Dragna and recruited Mickey Cohen as his chief lieutenant in a numbers racket and the creation of a drug trade route from Mexico. Siegel also controlled bookmaking, offshore casinos, and a major prostitution ring. His free-spending ways and high profile led to friendships with some of Hollywood’s best-known stars … [SDJW staff]

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Today’s Jewish Birthday: Elizabeth Taylor

Taylor said neither Todd nor Fisher were the reason for her conversion, that she had wanted to become Jewish “for a long time” and that there was “comfort and dignity and hope for me in this ancient religion that [has] survived for four thousand years … I feel as if I have been a Jew all my life.”[SDJW staff]

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