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| Today's newsletter is sponsored by Kripke Institute JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT. Give a tax-deductible donation Omicron variant brings uncertainty to synagogue events, the Jewish Confederate who fought for the South, Stephen Colbert creates Hanukkah movies, and Hasids who love Jet-Skis. OUR LEAD STORY Mel Brooks’ delivers 500 pages on his favorite subject – himself
Leave it to the inimitable Mel Brooks to write a memoir at 95. At least he didn’t wait till he was a 2,000-year-old man to give us “All About Me!: My Remarkable Life in Show Business,” out today. Our PJ Grisar read it cover to cover and found it somewhere between “worthwhile” and “indispensable,” depending on how much you love Brooks.
History of the world: Grisar especially appreciated the episodes from Brooks’ youth, when Melvin Kaminsky joked with friends for a laugh. He came up with his stage name when he was writing his mom’s original surname, “Brookman,” on a drum skin and ran out of room. He got his start in show business working as a tummler in the Borscht Belt, where he dressed like a suicidal businessman in an alpaca coat and, bearing suitcases full of rocks, plunged into the pool.
High anxiety: While in the Army, Brooks wrote a side-splitting account of seasickness and entertained the troops. The danger came later, when he embarked on a career in television and was nearly defenestrated by his tempestuous boss, Sid Caesar. Read the review >
ALSO FROM THE FORWARD How Judah Benjamin, a Jewish Confederate, came to embody contradictions: In 1852, Benjamin was elected to the U.S. Senate and became the first Jew to win such high office. He was even offered a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. Instead, he embraced slavery and became the Secretary of State of the Confederacy. “He was a gifted person attached to an evil cause,” says James Traub, the author of a new book about Benjamin. Read the story >
Anxiety over Omicron hangs over Jewish gatherings — but the Hanukkah parties go on: The newest variant of the coronavirus has already prompted some to rethink their plans for synagogue services, weddings and bar mitzvahs. “We’re worried,” said Rabbi Joseph Potasnik of the New York Board of Rabbis, suggesting that holding events outdoors remains the better option. “It is a time of concern.” Read the story >
But wait, there’s more... An antisemitic flyer blaming Jews for the coronavirus pandemic was disseminated throughout Beverly Hills this weekend. The propaganda appears to be the work of the Goyim Defense League. Scoop: As the Democratic Socialists of America move to expel U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman over his recent visit to Israel, our Jacob Kornbluh reports that a diverse group of Jewish leaders in his N.Y. district plans to send a letter today applauding him for making the trip, which they call “politically courageous.” A Charlottesville rabbi sees last week’s verdict as a “window of reprieve” as his town – and the country – continues to confront the role of antisemitism in white nationalist ideology.
A message from our sponsor: Kripke Institute Hanukkah Homecoming is Nov 28 - Dec 5 Join a worldwide "open house" of Jewish communities inviting you to celebrate Hanukkah onsite and online together during Hanukkah Homecoming, November 28 - December 5, 2021.
WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY 🎬 Stephen Colbert gave Jewish viewers of the “Late Show” a special gift Monday night: a bit about the glut of Christmas movies and the lack of Hanukkah films. “That is a shanda, everyone deserves holiday movies,” Colbert said before previewing the show’s satirical slate of Hanukkah movies. There was the James Bond-esque “Casino Dreidale,” “Eight Knights of Hanukkah” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Rabbi.” Can we get Macaulay Culkin to star in “Shalom Alone”? (JTA)
👸🏻 Despite a ban on international visitors due to the Omicron variant, Israel still plans to host the Miss Universe pageant on Dec. 12. “This is an event that will be broadcast in 174 countries, a very important event, an event that Eilat, too, is very much in need of,” said Yoel Razvozov, Israel’s tourism minister. Meanwhile, one of the contestants tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in Israel on Monday. (Reuters, Haaretz)
🍽 The University of Toronto student union reaffirmed its commitment to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement by calling for the campus to only source kosher food from providers that do not support Israel. School administrators said they are “deeply troubled” by the decision. (Algemeiner)
🎤 A plan to use a former Nazi site to temporarily house the Nuremberg opera has angered many historical societies – including one that offers tours of the grounds to educate the public about Nazi propaganda. The opera’s current home is undergoing renovations expected to last several years. (DW)
🇲🇾 The World Squash Federation canceled its men’s championship because the host country, Malaysia, refused to let in Israeli athletes. The event was scheduled to take place next week. (Jerusalem Post)
🦌 Why is there a reindeer with menorah antlers? Retailers want inclusive holiday merchandise, but have hit a few snags. “I’m convinced that whoever is in the design department at Bed Bath & Beyond has both never met a Jew and doesn’t like Google that much,” said one confused customer. (NYT)
They said it > “I’ve never met people who are more motivated to come out in groups and go Jet-Skiing than the Hasids. Sometimes I have to pull a yarmulke out of a Jet Ski propeller, but it’s no problem.” – Corey Orazem, an entrepreneur who is convincing Manhattan commuters to Jet-Ski to work. (New Yorker)
ON THE CALENDAR On this day in history: Mandy Patinkin, actor of stage and screen, was born on Nov. 30, 1952. He started his career on Broadway, where he won a Tony Award in 1980 for his role in “Evita.” He went on to star in films (“Yentl,” Princess Bride,”), TV series (“Chicago Hope,” “Homeland,”) and travel the country performing Yiddish songs in concert. In recent years, it’s his off-screen work that has drawn the most attention – helping refugees through the International Rescue Committee and campaigning for Democratic candidates. Want to get Mandy a birthday present? See if you can help him find a painting of his two sons that he lost at a frame shop 15 years ago.
Patinkin isn’t the only celeb born on this day. Jodi Rudoren – our editor-in-chief, fearless leader and my boss – is turning 51.
VIDEO OF THE DAY Adam Sandler’s Hanukkah song is iconic, but even classics need an update every once in a while. Enter Nissim Black and Kosha Dillz, two Jewish rappers who teamed up for a new rendition. While Sandler has done four versions of the tune, each featuring some new celebs, the remix by Black and Dillz boasts a very 2021 cameo by Gary Vaynerchuk, plugging his NFTs.
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