• Awesome things about Drew Barrymore converting: Adam Sandler’s involvement; the prospect of the scion of America’s great WASP acting family becoming a Jew; it makes E.T. that much more Jewish. [NY Daily News]
• Gal Beckerman catches the Times continuing to serve as a daily magazine of Jewish life and culture. [Forward]
• Eric Alterman sets the current debate over what is proper discourse about Israel in its historical context. Conclusion: The right has always tried to police what the left can say (though he is against “Israel-firster”). [The Nation]
• Jennifer Rubin has a smart post on Prime Minister Netanyahu’s successful playing of Israeli politics and President Obama’s unsuccessful attempt to derail Bibi’s plans. [WP Right Turn]
• Rep. Barney Frank, Democrat of Massachusetts, will be made an honest man of by his longtime partner. [JTA]
• Robert Hegyes, who played Juan Epstein on Welcome Back Kotter, died at 60. [Newark Star-Ledger]
• Senior editor Matthew Fishbane discusses his article on the imperiled Jews of Venezuela.
Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.