Possibly one of the worst ideas for a Mother's Day card ever. We all know what happened to Bambi's mother, right? Isn't Mom the Bomb? 82 Ways to Tell Mom You Love Her. Don't forget about Mom! It's Mom's turn. Mother's Day offer! Make Mom feel special. Treat Mom to the dinner she deserves! What mom really wants. Ready to Party Like a Mother? Tell your mother you love her.... Continue reading

When I first found it, it was like a breeze of fresh air: the merest whisper of hipster energy, a wooden interior that evoked Brooklyn and San Francisco and Tel Aviv and all the coffeeshops I'd loved before, as venues for procuring caffeine as well as for the bustling creativity that seemed to live there. This was a place that made me want to dissolve the ties I had to... Continue reading

(Esther's note: This piece is a 2013 version of "Dating the Seder Way," which appeared in the NY Jewish Week, April 22, 2005. Wishing us all a happy and liberated Passover, and that we continue to make strides toward personal and relationship redemption.) Dating the Seder Way by Esther D. Kustanowitz Amy and Sheldon on a date (via http://www.openthefridge.net/blog/2012/10/1/big-bang-theory-recap-the-date-night-variable.html) Why is this date different from all other dates? On a... Continue reading

Via FanPop I used to be very serious about my Oscar parties - inviting the right friends, having some lovely snacks and perhaps even dressing up a bit in mimicry of the red carpet madness. But then I found that people were betting on the results, being loud and talking over the presenters, and generally not letting me hear or experience the moments that would be water-cooler dissected at work... Continue reading

If you're an adult (and I don't mean behaving like an adult all the time, I mean, that you have passed a certain number of years on this planet), you probably remember this scene from "When Harry Met Sally": HARRY: I mean, "should auld acquaintance be forgot" - does that mean we should forget old acquaintances, or does it mean if we do happen to forget them, we should remember... Continue reading

I've been to five LimmudLA conferences, and have twice been granted access to the Mothership - the original UK Limmud. At all of them, I've experienced new approaches to familiar texts, fresh opinions on Jewish engagement, and reinvigorated connections to culture and tradition. This weekend is my first time to the NY version of the conference, and I'm ("only") doing three sessions, so I'm super-excited to participate lots. It's sold... Continue reading

There is so much to be sad about in thinking of a world without "30 Rock." No more blergs. No more "nerds!" No more theres that you want to go to. No more Frank hats. No more flashbacks to Liz and Jenna's improv days. No more virtuoso performances by Alec Baldwin as he roleplays Tracy's parents in therapy or delivers the most amazing eulogy ever uttered. Sad stuff. But since... Continue reading

It's Josh Malina's birthday today, and as you know from the previous post, the West Wing and Scandal star decided to ask his fans and followers to celebrate with him by giving a donation to MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger. If you missed the post, go back and read it now. I'll wait. (Good job.) Since that post, two things have happened that I think are noteworthy. Firstly, whereas... Continue reading

Anyone who's following Josh Malina on Facebook or @joshmalina on Twitter knows that the actor - an alum of various Acts of Sorkinalia (A Few Good Men, Sports Night, The American President,The West Wing) and other memorable roles (Psych, Big Bang Theory) and currently featuring as the resident "white hat" district attorney on Shonda Rimes' Scandal - is achingly funny. With the literal "to wit," here's his comment from a... Continue reading

For the first half of the Golden Globes I was multitasking and didn't pay any attention to Tweeting. And then Ah-nuld and Sly showed up, and it was on. Here are some of my Tweets from the Golden Globes. As you can see, I spent the night wishing for more of the co-hosts, the worship-worthy Tina Fey and Amy Poehler (at left in a FoxNews photo). All Tweets were tagged... Continue reading

Dear Esther/Friend/Supporter, Got a minute? Shalom, I just wanted to reach out to you to ask if you are a potential supporter. It's not too late. Make a gift. 4 days left before year's end! There's still time to support Jewish education in 2012! A year end gift for you. Last chance. Last chance to make a difference this year. A gentle nudge. After Monday will be too late! The... Continue reading

To mark the first anniversary (yahrzeit) of my mother’s passing, and the conclusion of the Jewish-tradition-mandated year of mourning, my friend Becca gave me a small piece of jewelry – it was a blue hamsa, an open and outstretched hand common in middle eastern cultures, and it seemed to sparkle, even though it contained no gems. As time passed, I wore the hamsa more and more, and without fail, every... Continue reading

"He's a bad mother...sheket b'vakashah..." - The Hebrew Hammer theme song Several years ago I was at a Jewish arts and culture conference in NYC, and happened to meet writer Jon Kesselman. After a few minutes of conversation, wherein I expressed some delight for his 2003 film, The Hebrew Hammer, and its script, which was jampacked with absurdist Jewish references, he made the pitch. "Glad you liked it. Got $2... Continue reading

On December 2nd, 2012, sixteen Muslim and Jewish organizations across Los Angeles joined to create "Home: True Stories of L.A.'s Muslims and Jews" - a unique cultural event centered around the theme of "home" with music, stories and interactive art installations. The evening was co-hosted by New Ground Executive Director Sarah Bassin, and Edina Lekovic, Director of Policy and Programming, Muslim Public Affairs Council in L.A. Inspired by the wildly... Continue reading

From cocktails to cupcakes, from bling to blintzes, from guilt to gefilte fish, from bags to boys, and from retail therapy to actual therapy, Lisa Alcalay Klug's newest book, "Hot Mamalah," celebrates the kitsch and the kitchen, the likes, loves and passions of Jewish women. Written in Lisa's distinctive blend of pop savvyness and intensive knowledge of Jewish tradition, the voice of this book is similar to the "pop culture... Continue reading

If you happen to be in the queue for a store to open at midnight tonight so that you can partake in Black Friday specials, or if you're asleep right now because you're getting up at 4am to make sure you're up and at the mall by 5, don't look for me. I won't be there. But perhaps I could inspire you to think differently about consumption this holiday. The... Continue reading

While perusing some comedy clips on the internet, I came across the first clip below - it was labeled "SNL - Phobia Party," but clearly was not from Saturday Night Live, as it starred various folks who were never on SNL but who are recognizable from other places (Mary Lynn Rajskub, Kaitlin Olson, others). A little research reveals it was the short-lived Kelsey Grammer Sketch Show, which was only around... Continue reading

Screenshots from PocketTorah, a mobile Torah app Those of us who follow traditional Jewish liturgy may be familiar with the term “hadesh yameinu k’kedem” – "renew our days as they were before." This phrase pops up in various places, but most notably to synagogue-goers, at the end of the Etz Hayyim (Tree of Life) prayer as the Torah is placed back in the Ark, and on Tish’ah B’av, a fast... Continue reading

A rumination on "innovation," and how to handle the term's overuse, particularly in the so-called "Jewish innovation sector." Continue reading

Each year, IKAR asks its members to reflect on the year gone by, and submit personal stories on a particular theme - these essays and paragraphs are then published in a book that's distributed at IKAR during the High Holidays. The texts in this booklet provide an additional layer for those who are meditating on renewal, repentance and change and who may not always feel connected to the traditional liturgy... Continue reading

In which Our Heroine gets fed up with the volume of impersonal Rosh Hashanah emails from organizations and offers unsolicited advice about how to build relationships in the new year. Continue reading

Courtesy of IKAR, a progressive egalitarian spiritual community in Los Angeles come the stirring sounds of a man, his shofar, and his red hoodie. Who is this elusive shofar-blowing man? What is he doing in the streets of L.A.? IKAR explains: [T]he upcoming High Holy Days are nothing short of a call to transform our lives, our city and our world. So we sent our Sexy Shofar Man to hit... Continue reading

When "Covert Affairs" went to "Jerusalem" to try to catch a spy, what the show's audience caught was some decent Israeli cultural education. Continue reading