Fred's Favorites + ANNOUNCEMENT!
Some of my dad's favorite Jewish books, movies, and of course, actresses.
The Shabbat Drop talks Torah!
What if instead of just counting the days, we made each day count?
Exciting announcement: I’m running my first-ever text study through IYUN! During this three-part online series, we will explore ideas, texts, and wisdom from Jewish tradition about the Omer—that oft-overlooked period of spiritual self-reflection as we count 49 days between Passover and Shavuot—and how we count sacred time.
☕ Spend your Sunday mornings with us, take a breath, and do a little learning. Together, we’ll cover:
Session 1: The Omer: The Practice of Counting Days
Session 2: Discipline and Inspiration
Session 3: Shavuot: Broken Tablets
Also… did I mention the virtual Omer Circle is free?! Hope to see you there.
Now, I know it’s been a while since you’ve heard from my dad. For those who are new here, my 95-year-old dad chimes in once in a blue moon on various topics (see related posts below) and we’re certainly overdue for a Fred post!
A few weeks ago, I asked if he wanted to write a post for Women’s History Month, maybe write about his favorite Jewish women. I wasn’t sure if it would be a nice idea or a complete disaster, but once he got started, he expanded into other personal favorites which taught me a thing or two (like Elizabeth Taylor’s conversion to Judaism!). Plus, his answers weren’t as inappropriate as I thought they’d be!
So, here’s Fred latest Drop. Enjoy and Shabbat Shalom!
The following was written by Fred.
Years ago, I offered a free 12-week series on the Holocaust. Elie Wiesel, a guest speaker, asked me what had inspired me to put together this series, so early in Holocaust studies. I said I was not sure. Elie Wiesel said: "Because you are Jewish." That, I now realize, is tribalism and a good thing.
Favorites? Jewish actresses: Mila Kunis, Hedy Lamarr, and yes, convert Elizabeth Taylor. Rachel Weisz and of course, Natalie Portman.
Hedy Lamarr was not only a beauty but an inventor as well. She created the technology that would one day form the basis for the Wifi, GPS, and Bluetooth we use today. During WWII, she co-developed a system to prevent radio jamming by Axis powers.
Elizabeth Taylor converted after the death of her Jewish husband. She was a supporter of Israel, buying $100,000 in Israel Bonds after being denied entry to a film festival in Egypt. She even went so far as to offer herself as a hostage during the raid on Entebbe. She also insisted her funeral be held before Shabbat.
Writers? Philip Roth, Saul Bellow, Norman Mailer. Note though: Mailer is Jewish by birth but does not write about being Jewish, as do the other two writers. My favorite Jewish novel: Call It Sleep by Henry Roth. It’s about a young Jewish boy growing up in the immigrant tenements of New York City's Lower East Side in the early 20th century. It’s about childhood, fear, and what it means to belong. Today, it’s considered a classic.
Films? Crossing Delancey and A Walk on the Moon. In my old age, I am a sucker for rom coms. In Crossing Delancey, you have two young people with different ways of confronting life who meet and clearly connect, yet one is an orthodox believer and the other not so. The real question though is does she prefer full or half sour pickles?
Athletes: I confess I have never had an interest in sports but Moe Berg was a Jewish baseball player who played mostly for the Red Sox. He was also a spy for the U.S., and spied on the Nazis’ atomic bomb program. An interesting book about his life is The Catcher Was a Spy. Fascinating guy.
Favorite college for long history of anti-Zionism, anti-Semitism: Columbia. Years ago the distinguished writer and critic Lionel Trilling came up for tenure. One professor said, "I have three things against Trilling: He is a Marxist, a Freudian, and Jewish.” That university is the biggest real estate holder in NY! It has long housed an anti-Israel Middle East studies program. I am reminded that the peace-loving, distinguished Edward Said wanted not two states but one, assuming that the Arabs could win out finally by demographics: he was a peacemaker (!)
I am Jewish because my mother was Jewish. Thus, Jews are thought somehow, though erroneously, to have Jewishness through their blood. While ancestry tests can identify Ashkenazi Jewish DNA like mine (99.9%!), Jewish identity itself is not determined by blood, but by lineage, culture, and religious tradition.
I am, then, what is often described as a secular Jew (note my cardinal outfit), i.e., Jewish but has not given to the building fund in recent years.
Looking back over my many years I regret I have missed the chance to share my life with fellow Jews through membership and camaraderie in a shul (synagogue), though I did get to know Golda Meir’s sister at the Bridgeport, CT JCC back in the day. We worked in the library together! And I used to know my local deli man.
I am proud of my people and the immense contributions they have made to our history, our culture, and our well-being.
Want more Fred? My dad has a blog of his own called GoodShit, where he shares interesting links and articles. He’s been running it since 2001.
Drops by Fred
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To build on Fred's wonderful essay, I'd add Marilyn Monroe to the list of immensely talented and iconic Jewish actresses. On a personal note, it's never too late to join a shul or stop by for kiddush! Shabbat Shalom to the Lapides mishpocha.
Not a profound comment but I enjoy reading what you write and as important if not the same thing: how you think.