Mark D. Zimmerman

By Mark D. Zimmerman Rudy ‍Giuliani ‍was ‍recently ‍found ‍liable ‍for ‍defamation ‍after ‍making ‍false ‍claims ‍against ‍two ‍Georgia ‍election ‍workers, ‍following ‍the ‍defeat ‍of ‍Donald ‍Trump ‍in ‍the ‍last ‍presidential ‍election. ‍Last ‍week ‍Giuliani ‍was ‍ordered ‍to ‍pay ‍retribution ‍of ‍$148 ‍million ‍to ‍the ‍victims, ‍which ‍led ‍him ‍to ‍declare ‍bankruptcy. ‍Meanwhile, ‍Giuliani ‍continues […]

By Mark D. Zimmerman Norman ‍Lear ‍died ‍last ‍week ‍at ‍the ‍age ‍of ‍101. ‍Lear ‍was ‍a ‍writer ‍and ‍producer ‍who ‍created ‍dozens ‍of ‍television ‍sitcoms, ‍including ‍‍All ‍in ‍the ‍Family, ‍‍Sanford ‍and ‍Son, ‍‍Maude, ‍‍The ‍Jeffersons, ‍and ‍‍One ‍Day ‍at ‍a ‍Time, ‍among ‍others. ‍He ‍received ‍numerous ‍awards ‍for ‍his ‍work, ‍including ‍6 ‍Emmys,

By Mark D. Zimmerman Henry ‍Kissinger ‍died ‍last ‍week ‍at ‍the ‍age ‍of ‍100. ‍Born ‍in ‍1923 ‍in ‍Germany, ‍Kissinger ‍and ‍his ‍family ‍fled ‍the ‍country ‍in ‍1938 ‍to ‍escape ‍increasing ‍antisemitism, ‍including ‍beatings ‍he ‍suffered ‍by ‍Hitler ‍Youth ‍gang ‍members. ‍He ‍went ‍to ‍college ‍in ‍New ‍York, ‍studying ‍accounting, ‍until ‍he ‍was ‍drafted ‍into

By Mark D. Zimmerman Javier ‍Milei ‍was ‍just ‍elected ‍president ‍of ‍Argentina. ‍Milei, ‍an ‍economist, ‍author, ‍politician, ‍former ‍tantric ‍sex ‍coach, ‍and ‍self-described ‍“anarcho-capitalist,” ‍is ‍a ‍right-wing ‍libertarian ‍and ‍populist ‍who ‍supports ‍freedom ‍of ‍choice ‍on ‍issues ‍such ‍as ‍drugs, ‍guns, ‍prostitution, ‍and ‍LGBTQ ‍issues, ‍while ‍opposing ‍abortion. ‍He ‍believes ‍that ‍global ‍warming ‍is ‍a

By Mark D. Zimmerman President ‍John ‍F. ‍Kennedy ‍was ‍assassinated ‍60 ‍years ‍ago ‍this ‍week ‍in ‍Dallas, ‍Texas. ‍Kennedy ‍was ‍the ‍son ‍of ‍Joseph ‍Kennedy, ‍Sr., ‍a ‍wealthy ‍businessman ‍and ‍philanthropist. ‍Joseph ‍Kennedy ‍was ‍a ‍known ‍antisemite ‍who, ‍while ‍he ‍was ‍serving ‍as ‍the ‍United ‍States ‍ambassador ‍to ‍the ‍United ‍Kingdom ‍in ‍1938, ‍told ‍the

By Mark D. Zimmerman Dr. ‍Ruth ‍was ‍just ‍named ‍New ‍York ‍State’s ‍Ambassador ‍to ‍Loneliness, ‍with ‍a ‍charge ‍to ‍help ‍New ‍Yorkers ‍cope ‍with ‍the ‍loneliness ‍epidemic. ‍Dr. ‍Ruth, ‍the ‍Holocaust ‍survivor ‍who ‍gained ‍fame ‍as ‍a ‍sex ‍therapist, ‍says ‍that ‍she ‍began ‍focusing ‍on ‍this ‍issue ‍when ‍she ‍was ‍isolated ‍during ‍the ‍COVID ‍lockdown,

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