Profile: Hannibal

http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=1339

The Oedpial thing is not true... Promise!

Yet another excellent suggestion by Joe from Scranton.

Profile: Rumpelstiltskin

http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=1338

This profile led be to dig up the story to read to the three-year-old. As far as Grimm Brothers go, it's actually not that bad. Except the last sentence, when Rumpelstiltskin tears himself in half. Sorry for the spoiler.

Thanks to Tamy from Argentina for the terrific suggestion!

Jews in the News: NY Times asks, JONJ?

In a recent article, the NY Times asked the question whether Willy Loman, the titular character in Arthur Miller's "Death of the Salesman", was Jewish.

These are the sort of questions that defy provable answers. Miller himself changed his view of Willy over the decades, evolving from a fierce defense of his indeterminate identity to a perception of him as an untethered Jew. Literary critics, especially Jewish ones, have long argued the point among themselves. Leslie Fiedler dismissed Willy as the “crypto-Jewish” product of Miller’s “pseudo-universalizing,” while Julius Novick maintained that the Loman family’s “separation from the roots ... is what makes them so vulnerable to the false values that undo them.”

Profile: Eddy Hamel

http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=1337

For more about Hamel, read this. It's... beyond sad.

Profile: Charles Laufer

http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=1336

Charles Laufer was suggested by... absolutely no one. I guess our readers don't read Tiger Beat magazine?

Profile: Max Brooks

http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=1335

We already discussed Max's Jewishness in his mother's profile.

Profile: Ally Sheedy

http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=1334

Sheedy was suggested by Stacie from Corona, CA, who writes "I am a fan of the Brat Pack movies of the 80's (I am dating myself)". Dating yourself with 80s movies??? Sigh...

Profile: Alfred Eisenstaedt

http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=1333

The identity of the couple in the photo is shrouded in mystery, but the woman is most likely Edith Shain... Jew.

Profile: Sabbatai Zevi

http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=1332

Beware of false prophets...

Suggestion by Mark from the state of Washington.

Profile: L. L. Zamenhof

http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=1331

Esperanto. Good idea... in theory.

Zamenhof was suggested by Matt from Boston and Tony from London.

Profile: Emil Bessels

http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=1330

So yes, we now have one Jewish arctic explorer. To go with two Jewish Eskimos, of course.

Profile: Samuel Cohen

http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=1329

More here... Quite fascinating. And nutty.

Thanks to David from Highland Park, IL for the suggestion.

Profile: Jennifer Grey

http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=1328

Nobody puts Baby in a corner?

Suggestions by Paula from Texas, Eli from Israel, Jaclyn from Toronto, Steven from Beverly Hills, Gary from Washington, and David from Chicago.

Profile: Ingrid Bergman

http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=1327

Yes, it took me 30+ years to see "Casablanca"...

Suggestions by Pablo from Venezuela, Michael from Maryland, Glenn from Queens, and Rebecca from Oregon.

Profile: Semion Mogilevich

http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=1326

We neglected to mention that Mogilevich made a lot of money in the Soviet 80s while running... public toilets.

Another great suggestion by Slava from Baltimore.

JONJ on Cracked.com

Cracked.com, one of the Interweb's premier comedy sites (and a daily read for me) links to JONJ in today's article, The 5 Types of Jewish Characters in Sci-Fi Movies. Among the 5 are Watto and the Ferengi.

Profile: Paul Reiser

http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=1325

Frankly, I'm not sure if Reiser's character on My Two Days was Jewish, but come on... it's Paul Reiser! He had to be.

Suggested by David from Chicago and Elizabeth from Riverside, CA.

Profile: William Levy

http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=1324

Suggestions by Philip from San Diego, Sue from New York, Stephi from Annapolis, Steve from Florida, Cez from Gainesville, Doris from Miami Beach, Bruce from Cambridge, IL, Ruth from Israel, Juliet from Temecula, CA, Don from LA, Pablo from London, and Pedro from Argentina. I don't think any of them were suggesting the politician or artist...

Profile: Dmitry Mendeleev

http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=1323

While we're at it: Gregor Mendel, also Not a Jew.

Suggestions by Mila from Alexnadria, Eli from Israel, and Malcolm from Belgium.

Update: RIP Adam Yauch and Maurice Sendak

Adam Yauch, MCA of The Beastie Boys, passed away last Friday from cancer. He was 47. Writer Maurice Sendak, creator of "Where the Wild Things Are", died today. He was 83.

Profile: Lesley Gore

http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=1322

No relation to Al Gore. Duh.

Suggestions by Pablo from Venezuela and Arthur from New York.

Profile: Michel de Montaigne

http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=1321

Gotta love those collars...

Suggestions from Pierre from Paris and Jost from Switzerland.

Profile: Joan and Jackie Collins

http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=1320

We make fun of today's TV a lot, and sure, it's mostly terrible, but 80s nighttime soaps? Not exactly a winner there... Scary hair, too.

Suggestions from Pavel from Pennsylvania, Buzz from Boston, Brian from San Jose, CA, Eddie from the Netherlands, and Steve from Hollywood, FL.

Profile: Heinrich Hertz

http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=1319

For those REALLY curious about units named after scientists, here's the full list.

Suggestions by Mila from Alexandria, Mike from Mexico City, and Gideon from Toronto.

Profile: Enrique Garcia

http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=1318

Other such unfortunately named people include Kike Elomaa, a Finish bodybuilder/pop singer/politician. Some combo!

Profile: Leiber and Stoller

http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=1317

Stoller, Elvis, Leiber.

Suggestions by Don from California and Bob from Fairfield, IA.