Page 20 - Jewish News_December 2021

20A December 2021 FEDERATION NEWS

Stars of David

By Nate Bloom, Contributing Columnist
Editor’s note: Persons in BOLD CAPS are deemed by Nate Bloom to be Jewish would preside over a bar mitzvah if the PARKER, 55, who plays star charac-
for the purpose of the column. Persons identified as Jewish have at least one Jew- boy’s mother wasn’t Jewish. ter Carrie, is in the reboot, as is EVAN
ish parent and were not raised in a faith other than Judaism – and don’t identify Other New Flicks HANDLER, 60, who plays Harry, the
with a faith other than Judaism as an adult. Converts to Judaism, of course, are Licorice Pizza (opened November Jewish husband of star character Char-
also identified as Jewish. 26) is a coming-of-age film directed lotte (who converted to Judaism before
West Side Story make Juliet (Maria), Puerto Rican, and and written by the quirky Paul Thom- marrying Harry). Sad to note: WIL-
The biggest movie to open in Decem- Romeo (Tony), a native-born white as Anderson. Anderson is a big fan of LIE GARSON, who played Stanford,
ber is a remake of “West Side Story” guy. the popular band Haim (three real-life Carrie’s gay friend, was reported to be
(opens Friday, December 10). This The Broadway creative team was Jewish sisters) and he cast ALANA in the reboot earlier this year. But it’s
new version of the great musical was all Jewish: Robbins directed and cho- HAIM, 29, in her first acting role. She unclear if Garson filmed any episodes
directed by STEVEN SPIELBERG, reographed; ARTHUR LAURENTS co-stars as a teen involved in a high- before he died (September 17) of pan-
74, and the screenplay was written penned the book (story, dialogue); school romance. The cast includes creatic cancer.
by TONY KUSHNER, 65. They first LEONARD BERNSTEIN wrote the SEAN PENN, 61, SKYLER GISON- Recommendations
worked together on Spielberg’s ac- music; and STEPHEN SONDHEIM, DO, 25, BENNY SAFDIE, 37, MAYA Finally, here are two little-known flicks
claimed film Lincoln (2012). Kushner now 91, penned the lyrics. The Broad- RUDOLPH, 49, and DESTRY AL- I recently discovered that can counter
was Oscar-nominated for his Lincoln way musical (1957) was a smash hit, LYN SPIELBERG, 24 (Steven’s the deluge of Christmas films. They
screenplay, and Spielberg earned a best as was the 1961 film. The new film is daughter). are now streaming on Tubi, a free
director nomination. They also teamed also set in the mid-1950s. It retains the Opening in theaters on Friday, app (with ads) now easily available
up for The Fabelmans, a semi-auto- original score and closely follows Lau- December 17 is Nightmare Alley, a re- on Roku, Amazon Fire, online, etc.
biographical film about Spielberg’s rents’ book. make of a harrowing 1947 film about Arranged is a really charming and in-
coming-of-age years that will open As for Jews in the cast? Well, the rise and gruesome fall of a con man. sightful 2007 film about a young Or-
in 2022. Spielberg directed and co- COREY STOLL, 45, has a supporting Bradley Cooper stars as the con man. thodox New York City public school
wrote the original screenplay with role as Lieutenant Schrank. And then The supporting cast includes RON teacher (ZOE LISTER-JONES) who
Kushner. there’s Ansel Elgort, 27, who co-stars PERLMAN, 71, and TIM BLAKE accepts that her marriage will be ar-
Here’s West Side Story’s very Jew- as Tony. You decide whether you view NELSON, 57. ranged, but won’t settle for just any-
ish origin story. Around 1955, choreog- him as Jewish. My sense is that’s he’s Sex and the City Reboot body. The other is The Yankles, a 2015
rapher JEROME ROBBINS pitched secular. Ansel’s mother is of non-Jew- As I write this, I know the premiere comedy/drama about an Orthodox rab-
the idea of a modernized musical ver- ish background. His mother’s mother month (December) of the HBO Max binical seminary that decides to have
sion of Romeo & Juliet. Romeo would was sent to a Nazi concentration camp series And Just Like That (a reboot of its own baseball team. Not great, but
be a young Irish Catholic guy, and Ju- for saving Jewish children. Ansel’s Sex and the City), but no start date has not bad at all, and wow, truly unique.
liet would be a Jewish teenage Holo- father, ARTHUR ELGORT, 81, is a been announced. SARAH JESSICA
caust survivor. Everybody eventually well-known fashion photographer. Ar-
agreed that this update didn’t work. It thur’s father was Jewish and his mother
was too much like Abie’s Irish Rose, wasn’t born Jewish. But I was recently
Join Us
a schmaltzy hit play about a Catholic/ referred to a 1982 interview in which IN PERSON
Jewish couple. Not long after, news Arthur referenced his bar mitzvah, so, or
stories appeared about gang fights be- clearly, he was raised Jewish. Also, I VIDEO ON
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Rican immigrants. They decided to verted to Judaism. In 1953, few rabbis Our 2022 Season!

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