The creative duo of Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster have given North America and most of the world the greatest superhero the comic book industry and the pop culture world have come to know – yes, I’m talking about Superman.

But arguably, for Britain and certainly for the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), that honour goes to “The Doctor” of Doctor Who.

Eleven actors have portrayed this quirky member of the superior race known as the Time Lords over 33 seasons and 796 episodes. Doctor Who is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running science fiction TV show of all time, as well as the most successful, based on ratings.

Now some people are suggesting that the time-travelling do-gooder, known for solving mysteries and righting wrongs, is also the most compelling Jewish character in the history of television.

Doctor Who was created by Canadian Sydney Newman, who was born in Toronto to poor Russian Jewish immigrants. He dropped out of school in his formative teenage years and enrolled in a technical academy. He eventually became a director and producer, and in 1963, a few months after landing a job with the BBC, he came up with the idea for the show.

Among the reasons this cultural icon is being re-evaluated in a Jewish light is that he’s wildly intelligent and has a thirst for knowledge. He’s also constantly helping those in need and is committed to tikkun olam – repairing the world – while surrounded by a host of warlike races.

Jews, especially our youth, struggle with the question of identity. How closely do I observe the tenets of my religion? Do I outwardly express my beliefs? Do I call myself a Jew in public?

A great revelation is coming this Saturday (May 18) as Steven Moffat, Doctor Who’s present show runner and executive producer, resolves two of the greatest mysteries that “Whovians” (Doctor Who followers) have been wrestling with since the conclusion of the current seventh series’ first half and the finale of the sixth: Who is Clara Oswin Oswald, the Doctor’s most recent travelling companion? And, in what could rock the show to its core, we may just find out the answer to the question that must never be asked, the one hidden in plain sight... who is Doctor Who?

 
Angelina Jolie did something remarkably brave: opting for a double mastectomy to ward off possible cancer. Then, she did something many would consider even braver: she went public with the news.

As this JTA story reports, Jolie, decided to rid herself of any possibility of developing cancer through what's being called the "Jewish cancer gene." Read more below.

Dead at the age of 56 after years of fighting breast cancer, Angelina Jolie’s mother never had the chance to meet five of Jolie’s six children. In an attempt to avoid a similar fate, in February the Oscar-winning actress underwent a preventive double mastectomy.

“I have always told [my children] not to worry, but the truth is I carry a ‘faulty’ gene, BRCA1, which sharply increases my risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer,” the actress, 37, wrote in Tuesday’s New York Times.

The BRCA1 mutation, especially common in Jewish women, puts Jolie at an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer.

As Jolie points out, Breast cancer kills 458,000 people each year, according to the World Health Organization. It is estimated that one in 300 to one in 500 women carry a BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 gene mutation,

In the piece she describes the surgery, emphasizing her relatively quick recovery. She also gives a shout out to partner and fiance Brad Pitt, who was loving and supportive throughout her three months of treatment.

Kudos to the typically private Jolie, who writes that she has chosen to share her story in order to help other women.

“There are many women who do not know that they might be living under the shadown of cancer. It is my hope that they, too, will be able to get gene tested.”

What happens when young Spock trash talks old Spock?

Watch as Leonard Nimoy schools Zachary Quinto in the way of the Vulcan in this great new Audi ad.



Live long and prosper... punk.

The House in Toronto was the scene for a lively talk on Yom Yerushalayim by Rabbi Ken Spiro, senior lecturer and researcher for Aish HaTorah’s Discovery Seminar and the Jerusalem Online University, on why Israel is relentlessly picked on and is “a nation that dwells alone”.

The talk was co-sponsored by The House, a mid-town venue for young Jews in their 20s and 30s, along with with JUMP (Jewish Urban Meeting Place) and UJA Federation of Greater Toronto’s Community Connect.

We can't go into as much detail as Rabbi Spiro did, but we can summarize his eight main points for you below:

1. The national identity of the Jewish people is the only one in the world to be labelled as racist and discriminatory.
2. Our very existence as a people is constantly threatened.
3. Israel's actual capital is not recognized by any other country, as consulates are present in Jerusalem but no embassies.
4. The Jewish people and the state of Israel are constantly criticized and condemned, more than any other nation.
5. Israel is expected to send aid to its enemies during a time of war.
6. Israel is expected to evict it's own people from conflict regions and destroy communities it has built.
7. The destruction of Israel and its people is the only common cause that unites its enemies and their respective ideologies which often oppose each other.
8. The Jewish people as a whole are the only held responsible for what their co-religionists do.

Rabbi Spiro said the Jewish People have had one lasting mission: to be a light unto the nations, but antisemitism works against that mission.

Referencing Natan Sharansky’s “three Ds” – the demonization, delegitimization and double standards applied to Israel – Rabbi Spiro argued that without a country of our own to protect the Jewish people, we would be an incredibly easy target for increased hatred, persecution and, some might say, complete extermination.

In the end, the old saying about Jewish holidays still holds true: they tried to destroy us, we survived, let’s eat.

Israeli-born American actress Odeya Rush may just be on the receiving end of a best supporting actress honour at the Young Artist Awards this Sunday in Los Angeles.

Odeya, which means “Thank G-d” in Hebrew, earned a nomination for her role as Joni Jerome in the Disney film The Odd Life of Timothy Green, co-starring Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo.

After moving to the United States at age nine, Rush began her acting career just three short years later, securing numerous commercials and short films. In 2010, she landed her first major guest spot on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and soon after followed that with a role on Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Rush, now 15, has two major films in pre-production and will soon find herself in the company of Hollywood veterans Shirley MacLaine, Alan Arkin, John Turturro, Ben Kingsley and Peter O’Toole.

Music promoters and cultural organizations bring numerous Israeli acts to Canada each year to showcase their talent. Hadag Nahash, the popular Israeli rock band Mashina and Israel’s new “it girl,” Canadian Yael Deckelbaum, recently played the Sound Academy in downtown Toronto to a diverse audience of both young and old.

 Toward the end of April, Size Doesn’t Matter hosted Ester Rada, an artist versed in Ethio-jazz, funk, soul and R & B styles mixed with Afro-groove undertones.

Soulbounce.com, a website that looks out for fresh tracks and urban up-and-comers, cite Nina Simone , Jill Scott and Erykah Badu as Rada’s main influences. The audience could not help but move to her beat at the performance during Canadian Music Week.


 Like Deckelbaum, Rada could very well be one to watch.

"Do not go gentle into that good night."

OK, so I'm gonna get self-serving here for a mo'.

Our flagship, The CJN, The freakin' CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS, that venerable outlet, is slated for closure on June 21.

A certain Monty Python parrot sketch comes to mind, wherein I will substitute the word "parrot" with "The CJN":

"'E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This CJN is no more! It has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed 'im to the newsstand 'e'd be pushing up the daisies! 'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's off the twig! 'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible!! THIS IS AN EX-CJN!!"

But perhaps it doesn't have to be.

www.savethecjn.com 
In the wake of the news that the paper will cease operations in less than two month's time, the Canadian Jewish community - and beyond - has raised a massive outcry to try and save The CJN.



If you care about saving Canada's only real, independent communal paper; if you care that a common forum or "town square" exists to connect the disparate Jewish communities across this great nation, if you want journalism instead of a house organ giving you the news about the community's various facets, accomplishments and foibles, then please sign the petition and write to the paper at info@thecjn.ca with your comments and opinions.

Now, any angel investors out there who want to save an essential service to the Canadian Jewish community, please step up now. Non-Jews welcome to invest. Sir Richard Branson, you reading this?



Do not go gentle into that good night,

First there was Bar Rafaeli making waves in Sports Illustrated’s coveted swimsuit edition and could be seen hanging on the arm of Leonardo DiCaprio, and then Gal Gadot appeared in two treatments of The Fast and The Furious franchise alongside Paul Walker and Vin Diesel.

Now Russian–Israeli supermodel turned actress Bar Paly is taking Hollywood by storm. Having moved to Israel when she was seven and having grown up in Tel Aviv, she found her calling 10 years later when she began her modelling career.

Since 2003, Paly has appeared on television in How I Met Your Mother, as well as in The Starter Wife. This Friday, she becomes a Michael Bay girl, following in the footsteps of Megan Fox and Rosie Huntington Whitely, in his latest big-screen release, Pain and Gain.

Having moved to Israel when she was seven and raised in Tel Aviv, she found her calling 10 years later as her modeling career began. Since 2003 Paly has appeared on television in

Co–starring with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Mark Wahlberg, Paly plays Sonia, an exotic dancer who comes to America dreaming of fame. Instead, she finds herself stuck between a couple of bodybuilders wrapped up in a kidnapping plot that goes just a tad sideways.

Is Paly the one to watch? You be the judge, and let us know after you’ve made your way to the theatre. 

Seventy five years ago to the day, the world was introduced to the first, and arguably the greatest, superhero of the 20th century.

Superman debuted in Action Comics No. 1, published April 18 1938.

The landed immigrant, from his home planet of Krypton, crashed down in a Kansas cornfield near the fictional town of Smallville. Three quarters of a century later, the last son of the doomed planet is still fighting for truth and justice, and against the many evils we still find in the world today.

Commercially, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s creation has established himself as a reliable moneymaking entity for Hollywood and has secured his place as an American icon.

The Man of Steel will be further celebrated with the upcoming release on July 14 of his sixth motion picture, showcasing the famed character looking out for those in need.

While it will feature a different take on Superman’s origin story, the film is being touted as a sure bet to garner a new generation of fans.
Inspiring us to rise up and be better than we are, in light of recent events in Boston, Texas and in America’s capital, this great role model’s return to centre stage comes at a fitting time.

What follows is a passionate rebuttal of anti-Zionist thought at a debate in England earlier this year.

This just crossed my desk thanks to a colleague; and even though the events took place in January, it's a good example of how twisted the anti-Israel movement has become among the so-called intelligentsia in Britain.

For those of you who don't know, Caroline Glick, the woman you're about to watch and hear, is senior contributing editor of The Jerusalem Post and an outspoken defender of Israel's right to build settlements on the West Bank as well as its Jewish statehood.

Watch as she attacks arguments made against Israel's legal rights to exist as a Jewish state. And after you watch, read how she feels about the reception she received in London while speaking at the event. Then, mourn the loss of intelligent debate about Israel.

Here's the text of the motion that was debated:

"Israel is destroying itself with its settlement policy: If settlement expansion continues Israel will have no future" which took place at the Royal Geographical Society Jan. 15, 2013.



And here's an excerpt from Glick's blog, which doesn't paint a rosy picture about prospects for Jews in England.

"The public atmosphere in England regarding Israel is ugly and violent. 


The resolution we debated read: 'Israel is destroying itself with its settlement policy. If settlement expansion continues Israel will have no future.'
My debating partner was Danny Dayan, the outgoing head of the Yesha Council. 
We debated Daniel Levy, one of the founders of J-Street and the drafter of the Geneva Initiative, and the son of Lord Michael Levy, one of Tony Blair's biggest fundraisers; and William Sieghart, a British philanthropist who runs a non-profit that among other things, champions Hamas. Levy has publicly stated that Israel's creation was immoral. And Sieghart has a past record of saying that Israel's delegitimization would be a salutary process and calling for a complete cultural boycott of Israel while lauding Hamas. 
We lost overwhelmingly. I think the final vote tally was something like 500 for the resolution and 100 against it.
A couple of impressions I took away from the experience: First, I can say without hesitation that I hope never to return to Britain. I actually don't see any point. Jews are targeted by massive anti-Semitism of both the social and physical varieties. Why would anyone Jewish want to live there?
As to visiting as an Israeli, again, I just don't see the point. The discourse is owned by anti-Israel voices. They don't make arguments to spur thought, but to end it, by appealing to people's passions. 
For instance, in one particularly ugly segment, Levy made the scurrilous accusation that Israel systematically steals land from the Palestinians. Both Dayan and I demanded that he provide just one example of his charge. And the audience raged against us for our temerity at insisting that he provide substantiation for his baseless allegation. In the event, he failed to substantiate his allegation.     At another point, I was asked how I defend the Nazi state of Israel. When I responded by among other things giving the Nazi pedigree of the Palestinian nationalist movement founded by Nazi agent Haj Amin el Husseini and currently led by Holocaust denier Mahmoud Abbas, the crowd angrily shouted me down. 
I want to note that the audience was made up of upper crust, wealthy British people, not unwashed rabble rousers. And yet they behaved in many respects like a mob when presented with pro-Israel positions."

It's almost Yom Ha'atzmaut, baby!

On Tuesday April 16, Israel turns 65. And it ain't planning on retiring any time soon.

Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs distributed the following video celebrating the Jewish state's upcoming birthday. Pass it around. Hum along. Celebrate. Enjoy.



Yom huledet samayach.

Famed theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking is scheduled to make his first visit to Israel since 2006, when he was invited by the British Embassy to tour and meet local scientists.

The head of Cambridge University’s practical mathematics and physics department will take part in Facing Tomorrow, the fifth Israeli presidential conference, June 18 to 20 in Jerusalem.

Hawking who has persevered through his struggle with ALS, also referred to as Lou Gherig’s disease, is best known for penning the book A Brief History of Time, which talks about life since the Bing Bang. Hawking’s works have most recently been referred to, and the pillar of the scientific community himself has guest starred, on the popular CBS comedy hit The Big Bang Theory.

The Facing Tomorrow conference will again bring together some of the foremost minds of our time to focus on topical issues concerning the future of the State of Israel and the world's economy, society and environment, as well as the influence of new media on world culture, education and the news.

Many other outspoken and notable celebrities are scheduled to appear and participate in the auspicious event.

On U.S. and Canadian soil, most people know not to take much of what late night talk show hosts and satirists say without a grain of salt, and they realize that their skits and social commentary are scripted for laughs.

But Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi is not among those chuckling at the stylings of Jon Stewart, nor those of Egypt’s own Bassem Youssef.
Stewart, the host of The Daily Show, and Youssef, who headlines a similar program in his country, have come under fire for mocking and insulting Morsi’s management of Egypt’s problems and undermining his standing.

Bassem was recently arrested and interrogated by Egyptian authorities and had Stewart come to his defence. Stewart himself garnered the attention of U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for admirably attempting to defend the democratic right of free speech.

How much further this will go remains to be seen, but eyes of many on high are watching.

Passover has come and gone. Up next: Yom Hashoah, the day of rememberance for the six million Jews who perished during the Holocaust which will be marked with various events and ceremonies.


In Toronto on Tuesday April 9, young professional organizations will join together to host Felix Opatowski who will share his survivor's story with those in attendance at JUMP (Jewish Urban Meeting Place) about what life was like for him before, during and after that horrific period in history.

Opatowski was only 15 when he took on the perilous job of smuggling goods out of the Lodz ghetto in exchange for food for his starving family. It is a skill that served him well as he struggled to stay alive in Nazi-occupied Poland. With dogged determination, Felix endured months of harrowing conditions in the ghetto and slave labour camps until he was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp in the spring of 1943.

Felix grew up in desperate conditions, putting himself at risk to help others, forming bonds of friendship and holding onto hope for the future.

Presented by JUMP, The Azrieli Foundation, iVolunteer, The Yellow Rose Project, The House, Hillel of Greater Toronto, and UJA's Community Connect. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. 1992 Yonge St.

For more details click here.

When Passover is all said and done and you take stock of what food items you have left around the house, have you ever found that you have too much leftover matzah and don’t know what to do with it?

We happened upon this blog post at buzzfeedfood.com and got inspired by some of the great ideas contributor Rachel Sanders suggests to turn that egg, yolk-free, gluten-free or regular leftover matzah into a culinary delight.

From strawberry-rhubarb compote with matzah streusel and matzah chocolate-mint ice cream cake to the more commonly seen matzah pizza and matzah-crusted chicken cutlets, there are indeed options for all tastes.

Take a look, and download a recipe.

Members of the crew filming The Amazing Spider-Man sequel in the South Williamsburg neighbourhood of New York’s borough of Brooklyn and the area’s Orthodox community leaders are grateful and content this Pesach after a local Jewish politician helped make peace between them.

Columbia Pictures, the studio behind the film, had sought to close streets and take over needed parking spaces in a key communal area over Passover’s holiest of days.

Brooklyn Councilman Stephen Levin helped broker the compromise with Columbia. Along with the Mayor’s Office and community leaders, he said in a statement, “We expressed the importance for Spider-Man to ‘pass-over’ filming during Passover, and they have answered our call.”

They added: “Thank you for letting my people park.”

With the respectful action taken by the studio, the web slinger remains the city and every borough’s favourite wall-crawling hero.

No need to dream – the Maccabeats are back again with a brand new video telling the story of Passover "Les Mis" style. Check it out below!

Less than six months after releasing her debut EP album Life Happens, Ester Rada is on a North American tour that brings her to Toronto for two shows on March 21. 
The 28-year-old Israeli is known in her country for her acting roles in theatre and on TV, but she says singing has always been her dream.

“For me, it was natural because I've always loved music,” she says of her switch from acting to singing. “It was like something I had to do.”
She bridges her Ethiopian-Israeli background with her love of American musicians (she sings primarily in English), her religious upbringing, and her experi-ence as an actor. The latter is especially useful for her live performances, helping her channel real emotions into her songs.
Her Ethiopian heritage comes through in some of the melodies and rhythms, as well as through performing some songs in Amharic, a language of Ethiopia.
Most musicians start small, building their audience with each concert, but not Rada. Her first show brought her in front of thousands of people as part of the InDnegev Festival, performing a concert that had critics raving.
“It was the best experience I’ve had,” Rada said. But that doesn’t mean she wasn’t nervous. She worried whether people would enjoy the music, and whether she could call the gig a success. “But I went to the stage, and all the fears went away and it was great.”
She said it’s exciting to finally share her music, which she has been writing since she got a guitar at 15. “It's kind of frightening to open up to the world, but then I thought about if I don’t do it now, I won’t do it at all,” she said.
Speaking to the The CJN a day before playing the popular South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Tx.  Rada said she could hardly believe she’d be playing such a prestigious festival. 
“I still don't believe it. I'm living my dreams right now,” she said, adding that she won’t truly believe it until she gets onto the stage.
She hopes people who listen to her music will feel peace and love, and will be inspired to be the best person possible.
This part of her tour also takes her to Hamilton, Guelph and Waterloo.
For concert dates and tickets, visit sizedoesntmatter.com/ester. Listen to Ester Rada's debut album below.
Life Happens - Ep by Ester Rada

The Israeli Consulate in Toronto and UJA Federation of Greater Toronto are asking members of the community to help commemorate Israel's 65th anniversary with a contest for filmmakers of all ages.

Create an original 65-second video on the theme of “What Does Your Israel Look Like?” and you'll have the chance to win a grand prize of two tickets on El Al to Israel, or other prizes such as high-end digital cameras and Cineplex movie packs.

For more information on how to enter, click here for The CJN's full story.

In case you missed it on Tuesday, Stephen Colbert welcomed Israel's ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, to the Colbert Report to discuss U.S. President Barack Obama’s upcoming visit to Israel.

They discussed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s all-but-overt support of Mitt Romney’s Republican presidential campaign, the possibility of a nuclear strike against Iran, and whether the Israeli presidential medal of distinction that Obama will receive during his trip is made of chocolate.

Watch the full clip here.