Mark D. Zimmerman

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

By Mark D. Zimmerman Singer ‍Tony ‍Bennett ‍passed ‍away ‍just ‍two ‍weeks ‍shy ‍of ‍his ‍97th ‍birthday. ‍In ‍2014, ‍Bennett ‍performed ‍in ‍Tel ‍Aviv’s ‍Mann ‍Auditorium, ‍one ‍night ‍after ‍a ‍surprise ‍guest ‍appearance ‍at ‍a ‍Lady ‍Gaga ‍performance ‍in ‍Hayarkon ‍Park. ‍As ‍a ‍United ‍States ‍soldier ‍in ‍World ‍War ‍II, ‍Bennett ‍was ‍among ‍the ‍troops

By Mark D. Zimmerman The ‍biographical ‍film ‍‍Oppenheimer ‍opens ‍this ‍week, ‍telling ‍the ‍story ‍of ‍J. ‍Robert ‍Oppenheimer, ‍son ‍of ‍a ‍Prussian-Jewish ‍immigrant, ‍who ‍became ‍a ‍theoretical ‍physicist ‍and ‍director ‍of ‍the ‍Los ‍Alamos ‍Laboratory ‍during ‍World ‍War ‍II. ‍Oppenheimer ‍is ‍credited ‍as ‍the ‍“father ‍of ‍the ‍atomic ‍bomb” ‍for ‍his ‍role ‍in ‍the ‍Manhattan

By Mark D. Zimmerman Florida ‍Governor ‍Ron ‍DeSantis, ‍Republican ‍candidate ‍for ‍president, ‍traveled ‍to ‍Israel ‍this ‍past ‍April, ‍having ‍previously ‍visited ‍the ‍country ‍four ‍other ‍times. ‍He ‍is ‍a ‍strong ‍supporter ‍of ‍Israel, ‍and ‍in ‍2019 ‍he ‍tweeted ‍that ‍he ‍“promised ‍to ‍be ‍the ‍most ‍pro-Israel ‍Governor ‍in ‍America.” ‍He ‍refers ‍to ‍the ‍West ‍Bank

By Mark D. Zimmerman Kosherpalooza, ‍a ‍food ‍festival ‍featuring ‍kosher ‍dairy ‍and ‍meat ‍items, ‍cooking ‍demonstrations, ‍wine ‍tastings ‍and ‍more, ‍was ‍recently ‍held ‍for ‍the ‍first ‍time ‍at ‍the ‍Meadowlands ‍Expo ‍Center ‍in ‍New ‍Jersey. ‍Thousands ‍of ‍attendees ‍sampled ‍dried ‍pink ‍pineapple, ‍miniature ‍steak ‍tartares ‍served ‍in ‍crispy ‍tapioca ‍shells, ‍CBD ‍peanut ‍butter ‍cups, ‍and

By Mark D. Zimmerman Sheldon ‍Harnick, ‍lyricist ‍of ‍‍Fiddler ‍on ‍the ‍Roof, ‍‍Fiorello!, ‍and ‍other ‍Broadway ‍shows, ‍died ‍last ‍week ‍at ‍the ‍age ‍of ‍99. ‍Harnick ‍and ‍composer ‍Jerry ‍Bock ‍wrote ‍many ‍songs ‍for ‍‍Fiddler ‍on ‍the ‍Roof ‍which ‍did ‍not ‍end ‍up ‍in ‍the ‍final ‍version ‍of ‍the ‍show, ‍including ‍‍We’ve ‍Never ‍Missed ‍a

By Mark D. Zimmerman Daniel Ellsberg, the military analyst who leaked the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times in 1971, died last week at the age of 92. Ellsberg’s parents were of Russian Jewish descent, but they had embraced Christian Science and raised him in that tradition. However, he noted that “My parents always

By Mark D. Zimmerman Pat ‍Robertson, ‍the ‍controversial ‍Baptist ‍minister ‍who ‍preached ‍a ‍conservative ‍brand ‍of ‍political ‍Christianity, ‍died ‍last ‍week ‍at ‍the ‍age ‍of ‍93. ‍Robertson ‍was ‍the ‍founder ‍of ‍the ‍Christian ‍Coalition ‍and ‍he ‍helmed ‍‍The ‍700 ‍Club ‍television ‍broadcast, ‍promoting ‍his ‍vision ‍of ‍America ‍as ‍a ‍Christian ‍nation. ‍Robertson ‍was ‍a ‍strong

She ‍has ‍written ‍many ‍food-related ‍books, ‍including ‍‍The ‍Encyclopedia ‍of ‍Spices ‍and ‍Herbs: ‍An ‍Essential ‍Guide ‍to ‍the ‍Flavors ‍of ‍the ‍World ‍and ‍‍Love, ‍Loss, ‍and ‍What ‍We ‍Ate: ‍A ‍Memoir. ‍What ‍is ‍a ‍Jewish ‍connection ‍in ‍Padma ‍Lakshmi’s ‍life? [Mark D. Zimmerman]

By Mark D. Zimmerman President ‍Recep ‍Tayyip ‍Erdogan ‍of ‍Turkey ‍won ‍reelection ‍yesterday ‍against ‍opposition ‍candidate ‍Kemal ‍Kilicdaroglu. ‍Erdogan ‍has ‍served ‍as ‍prime ‍minister, ‍and ‍then ‍president ‍of ‍Turkey ‍for ‍two ‍decades. ‍He ‍had ‍been ‍seen ‍as ‍a ‍moderate ‍ruler ‍who ‍promoted ‍religious ‍freedoms. ‍But ‍in ‍recent ‍years ‍he ‍has ‍moved ‍to ‍the ‍right, ‍including

By Mark D. Zimmerman Lag B’Omer was celebrated earlier this month in Jewish communities around the world. Many synagogues hosted picnics and bonfires to mark the joyous holiday that falls on the 33rd day of the otherwise mournful 49-day Omer period between Passover and Shavuot. What took place at the Lag B’Omer celebration at Beis

By Mark D. Zimmerman The ‍Florida ‍Department ‍of ‍Education ‍announced ‍that ‍they ‍had ‍rejected ‍more ‍than ‍30 ‍social ‍studies ‍textbooks ‍and ‍worked ‍with ‍publishers ‍to ‍make ‍changes ‍to ‍more ‍than ‍45 ‍other ‍textbooks. ‍The ‍announcement ‍is ‍in ‍line ‍with ‍efforts ‍by ‍Governor ‍Ron ‍DeSantis ‍and ‍the ‍Florida ‍legislature ‍and ‍Department ‍of ‍Education ‍to ‍ensure ‍that

By Mark D. Zimmerman The ‍Texas ‍Senate ‍recently ‍passed ‍a ‍bill ‍along ‍party ‍lines ‍with ‍the ‍17 ‍Republicans ‍voting ‍in ‍favor ‍and ‍the ‍12 ‍Democrats ‍opposed, ‍which ‍will ‍require ‍public ‍schools ‍to ‍allow ‍students ‍and ‍employees ‍time ‍every ‍day ‍to ‍pray ‍and ‍to ‍read ‍the ‍Bible. ‍The ‍Senate ‍also ‍passed ‍a ‍bill ‍along ‍party ‍lines