Jewish illusionist David Copperfield used sleight of hand to fool a band of muggers a couple of weeks ago: Even though he was carrying his passport, wallet and cellphone, he showed the thieves nothing but empty pockets.

“Call it reverse pickpocketing,” he said. Such a smart cookie, that David.

So there’s magic, then there’s meshuggah: That other handsome Hebrew magician named David — Blaine, that is — is suffering from severely swollen hands as result of his latest I’m-gonna-submerge-myself-in-water/ice/hot lava/ice cream-and-see-what-happens escapade. His Houdini-inspired (hey! Another hot magical Jew!) finale airs live tonight on ABC — if he doesn’t freakin’ die first.

Copperfield has much to teach young Blaine about self-preservation…

Here’s an interesting profile from the LA Times on the JuBus, those folks born Jewish who find comfort in the practice of Zen Buddhism.

I live in the land of the JuBus (for the next month, anyway) and have come to know this peculiar breed of Jews intimately. Even my Jungian Jewish therapist, with his admonitions that much of my mishegoss is self-created, used to be a Buddhist priest. I’m so used to hearing yiddishisms in yoga class that they don’t even sound out of place anymore (“Oy, it’s my turn to shlep all the meditation cushions to Spirit Rock tonight!”)

The popularity of JuBuism is evident in bestselling books like “The Jew In the Lotus” and David M. Bader’s“Zen Judaism” and “Haikus for Jews”, but even more so in the numbers: 30 percent of converts to Buddhists were raised Jewish.

The JuBus are purely an American — and dare I say Californian? — creation, and since so many Jews are raised in secular environments, I can see how the simplicity of Buddhism can be attractive. So many claim that they’re “peace with paradox” of being both, but is this really possible? (I ask this purely out of detached curiousity; I can barely get a handle on one set of beliefs, the last thing I need is another spiritual path. Even though I just love those maroon robes — so fancy!)

The article quotes the Dalai Lama: “If there is a problem and there is nothing you can do about it, there’s no use worrying. If there is something that can be done, there’s no use worrying. And with that understanding can come contentment, even joy.”

Funny, my Zen Jungian therapist with the very Jewish last name says the same thing.

Hand-wringing, insomniac Jewish mother koan: If there is no worrying, the mind will collapse.

Well, maybe just crumbling a little.

Don’t let it kill your tourist jones, though: Geologists from Israel and the U.S. are on it, bolting rocks together and field testing new rock monitoring systems.

If only someone would pay as much attention to remaking the movie “Masada,” that 1981 stinker starring Peter O’Toole and Peter Strauss. Screw “Gladiator” — this story is a true epic. The Yenta’s personal casting choices are intelligent woman’s Jewish pin-up man Liev Schrieber as zealot leader Elazar ben Yair and creepy Billy Zane as Roman governor Flavius Silva.

I often consult Chabad‘s various Web sites to fill in the giant chasms in my religious education, but who knew the Lubavitch wisdom extended to the many uses for aluminum foil?

This and more at the new Chabad Chayil, a lovely site created for “the undefinable Jewish woman.”