Page 26 - Jewish News_June-July-2021

26A June/July 2021 JEWISH INTEREST

Stars of David Interested in Your

By Nate Bloom, Contributing Columnist
Editor’s note: Persons in BOLD CAPS are deemed by Nate Bloom to be Jewish Family’s History?
for the purpose of the column. Persons identified as Jewish have at least one Jew-
ish parent and were not raised in a faith other than Judaism – and don’t identify
with a faith other than Judaism as an adult. Converts to Judaism, of course, are Nate Bloom (see column at left) has become a family history expert in 10
also identified as Jewish. years of doing his celebrity column, and he has expert friends who can help
when called on. Most family history experts charge $1,000 or more to do a
Thrillers, Comedies, Animated Fun, down (view it on YouTube). She has a full family-tree search. However, Bloom knows that most people want to start
Plays on Film unique, artsy stand-up style that is fun- with a limited search of one family line.
We are still in pandemic times and, ny, if not hilarious. In another YouTube
because of that, premiere dates are of- stand-up video, she referred to herself So here’s the deal:
ten announced quite close to the actual as Jewish in passing.
premiere date. That’s why many May Newman grew up in a secular Jew- Write Bloom at nteibloom@aol.com and enclose a phone number.
premieres are being reported in this ish household in Beverly Hills. She Nate will then contact you about starting a limited search. If that
column. You can easily catch up on told The Jewish Journal (2003) that goes well, additional and more extensive searches are possible.
streaming services. it wasn’t until she enrolled her oldest
Hacks is a 10-episode dramedy daughter in Temple Isaiah’s preschool The first search fee is no more than $100. No upfront cost. Also,
series that premiered on HBO on May (Los Angeles) that she joined a temple several of this newspaper’s readers have asked Bloom to locate
13 (two episodes on 13 followed by (Isaiah), learned Hebrew and brought friends and family members from their past, and that’s worked out
th
two episodes each Thursday for four ritual home.
weeks). Jean Smart (Designing Wom- Newman has two daughters. The great for them. So contact him about this as well.
en) plays Deborah Vance, a legendary older one she referred to is SPIKE
Las Vegas comedian whose career is NEWMAN, 30 (born Lena Einbinder). that co-star ALAN ARKIN, 87, didn’t drama in 2017. It depicts the backstory
tanking. Nobody is hiring her to do Spike, too, is an actress. Her current gig want to do a third season. In the ad- of the secret negotiations in Norway’s
stand-up comedy anymore. She’s re- is her best: she’s a regular cast member vance trailer, it is clear that Arkin’s capital which led to the Oslo Peace
duced to promotional appearances, like (named Water’s Shadow) in the come- character, Norman, a (Jewish) talent (1993) accords. The play, by J.T. Rog-
store openings. dy series Los Espookys on HBO. The agent, has died and his best friend, ers, was praised by Israelis and Pal-
Vance hires Ava, a 25-year-old first season streamed in 2019. It was re- (Jewish) acting coach Sandy Komin- estinians, alike, for depicting them in
struggling comedy writer to freshen up newed, but a second season hasn’t yet sky (MICHAEL DOUGLAS, 76), has realistic terms without taking sides.
her act. Vance has an imperious per- appeared. to find a way to function without his (Rogers is a self-described “WASP
sonality and a fierce tongue. So, Ava is Blackspace is an eight-episode, “wingman.” The trailer also reveals from California.”) The film has Israeli
in for “quite a ride.” made-in-Israel psychological-thriller. that Kathleen Turner, who plays San- actors playing Israelis, and Arab actors
Ava is played by newcomer It began streaming on Netflix on May dy’s ex-wife, returns to help with their playing Arabs. By the way, there actu-
HANNAH EINBINDER, 26. She has 27. It follows the police investigation daughter’s wedding to a much older ally is some humor in the script.
quite a backstory: her mother is orig- into a massacre of four students at an man (PAUL REISER, 65), and Sandy Lisey’s Story is an eight-episode
inal Saturday Night Live cast member Israeli high school carried out by anon- is offered a life-changing acting part Apple TV+ thriller series that is based
LARAINE NEWMAN, 69. Her fa- ymous, unicorn-masked figures. The by big-time director BARRY LEVIN- on a novel by Stephen King. Two years
ther is CHAD EINBINDER, 57, a lit- cast and filmmaker are all Israeli. A SON, 79 (playing himself). after the death of her husband, Lisey
tle-known actor. Hannah is a real-life second season has already been ordered. Housebroken is an animated series (Julianne Moore) is forced to face
stand-up comedian. In March 2020, The Kominsky Method, a hit Net- about a very varied group of neighbor- memories of her marriage that she had
she did a set on Stephen Colbert’s flix series, streamed its third and final hood pets who meet to discuss their blocked out. The main cast includes
show just before production was shut season on May 28. It was long known problems. LISA KUDROW, 57, voic- JENNIFER JASON LEIGH, 59.
es Honey, a star character. Honey is a (Begins Friday, June 4)
standard poodle who was forced into On Tuesday, June 15, HBO will
a “marriage,” by humans, to Chief, a begin streaming Revolution Rent. It’s
PRESENTED BY MARDEN PARU sloppy St. Bernard, voiced by NAT about the recent production, in Cuba,
Dean, Sarasota Liberal Yeshiva FAXON, 45. (His mother is Jewish.) of the mega-hit musical Rent. It has
Fun note: There’s an animal character been 25 years since Rent premiered on
named Tchotchke. (Began May 31 on Broadway (April 1996). Writer/com-
Fox; new episodes on Mondays at 9:00 poser JONATHAN LARSON, age
p.m.) 35, died suddenly on January 25, 1996.
The original HBO film Oslo pre-
How the
Ho w the miered on May 29. It’s based on the He posthumously won just about every
theater award, including the Pulitzer
won
Jews won play Oslo, which won the Tony for best Prize.
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