Monica Lewinsky, whose blow-job launched a Republican intifada back when we didn’t know how good we had it with ol’ Bill (you know he would’ve been in New Orleans right after Katrina wading through the water passing out cookies and juice), is moving across the pond to study for her Master’s degree in Psychology at the London School of Economics. If she thinks the British are going to go easy on her, poor thing.

They may even be harsher than Jon Stewart, but it’d be tough. His reference last week:
“Hurricane Katrina is George Bush’s Monica Lewinsky. The only difference is that tens of thousands of people weren’t stranded in Monica Lewinsky’s vagina.”

Israel21c introduces you to the next Jewish supermodel, Havi Mond.

Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Marc Cohn was shot in the head during an attempted carjacking last week in Denver, CO. He was treated for a wound in his temple and released the next day.

“Frankly, I can’t tell you how he survived,” said police spokesperson Sonny Jackson.
Cohn, who is listed as a Jewish-American musician at Answers.com, is most famous for the early 90’s hit Walking In Memphis, which contains the baffling line Tell me are you a Christian child/And I said Ma’am I am tonight.
We’ve always really loved that song. Best wishes to him for a full and speedy recovery.

Photo c/o Buzzpics.com.

Stereotype-buster of the year: The new president of the National Rifle Association is a nice Jewish girl.

Sandra Froman, an attorney in Tucson, AZ who estimates that seven or eight of the NRA’s 76-member board are Jewish, believes in the right to keep her Colt .45 on her person and opposes limits on semi-automatic weapons. However, she agrees with gun-control advocates that firearm ownership should be restricted “among criminals and the mentally defective.”
She has focused on gun education so far in her reign, and advocated arming teachers to promote school safety while serving as the NRA’s vice president.
A graduate of both Stanford and Harvard Law, Froman is the second female NRA president and the first Jewish one in the organization’s 130 year history. She’s also reported to be a crack shot.
Her mother must be so proud.

Well, new to you, anyway. The 2000 year-old scraps of animal skin were found in a canyon near the Dead Sea, where Jewish revolutionaries hid out from the Romans in the second century (C.E.). They’re hand-printed in Hebrew with verses from the Book of Leviticus, sort of the “spiritual rulebook” of the Pentateuch. “Not very sexy” says blogger Ed Cook, but this adds to the likelyhood that the scroll isn’t a fake.
The fragments haven’t been completely authenticated yet, but those who like to get down and dirty with old stuff like the brainy dudes at Paleojudaica and Codex
have more in-depth repoorts.
Photo: AP.

Sexy accordion maven Annette Ezekiel of Golem gets a few quotes in this AP article about how the “new trend” of Jewish pop culture as evidenced by hasidic dub star Matisyahu and the proliferation of kitschy couture.
“Religion is not the most popular thing in youth culture these days,” says Sara Joki, 23, of Saratoga Springs. “But people like Matisyahu going on Jimmy Kimmel and singing about God, and seeing people go wild for it, it’s just amazing. It makes me proud of my generation.”
We’re all for Jew pride, but there’s something about wearing a t-shirt and listening to “Chop ‘Em Down” on the iPod that just says “poseur” if that person is out clubbing on Yom Kippur.
Says Jason Brzoska, director of learning communities and marketing for myjewishlearning.com: “I see the increase in Jewish pop culture, but I don’t know if it’s really bringing disillusioned, disengaged Jews together. The problem with pop culture is that it’s ephemeral.”
As Jews who saw nothing but blond feathered hair and little noses on TV growing up, we’re glad the young’uns can see their Judaism reflected in the mainstream. Perhaps this validation might actually bring some of the disillusioned and disengaged back to synagogue. In the meantime, wear those t-shirts ’til they fade.

The JPost reports on the triumphant return of the Maccabiah Games (aka the Jewish Olympics) where Jewish athletes from all over the Globe participate in this world-class competition. In this article they highlight the opening ceremony by offering these notable quotes:
“It’s overwhelming to be in a place where everyone is Jewish from every corner of the world,” he said, minutes before the American delegation marched into National Stadium in Ramat Gan. “It’s wonderful that we have Jews from other countries that you’ve heard of but were never able to place geographically.

“Watching [the Austrian delegation] come out was very emotional for me as a Jew. Knowing that the Austrian Jews are alive and free and competing with other Jews shows that Hitler didn’t win.”
Yes indeed, Hitler is rolling in his grave as we continue to span the Globe and celebrate our unity!