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Sundown: Madonna, a Rabbi, and Jesus Walk into a Tomb

Exodus to cable, kosher ovens, and a bar becomes a mitzvah

by
Hadara Graubart
September 04, 2009

• To cap off her visit to Israel, Madonna visited the tomb of revered kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luria, which was worthwhile if only for this sentence: “Madonna was accompanied in her visit by Rabbi Michael Berg, her own rabbi’s brother, as well as her partner Jesus.” (Also, check out these lively comments.) [Haaretz]
• GE has added a new feature to some of its ovens, sure to please the halachically-inclined: “Sabbath mode” allows the observant to have hot food on their day of rest without turning anything on or off. [Oregonian]
• In an article filled with the type of shticky humor that once characterized Jewish TV, the Baltimore Jewish Times investigates the fact that “today’s Jewish characters have fled from the networks and found a homeland on cable.” [BJT]
• Plans have been approved to transform a London pub into an ultra-Orthodox synagogue; supporters say the change will promote “safety and well-being,” while detractors submit that the 250-year-old bar was hardly “a backstreet boozer.” [Jewish Chronicle]
• A fascinating tale of a woman whose mother was Jewish, father was a Nazi, and baby carriage was a gift from Hitler’s mistress Eva Braun. [BBC]

Hadara Graubart was formerly a writer and editor for Tablet Magazine.