Hazel Homer-Wambeam, the first Jewish Miss Wyoming, stands on stage wearing a pink gown and a crown a top her blonde curly hair. Her hand is over her mouth and she is holding a bouquet of roses.

First Jewish Miss Wyoming Heading to National Stage

Hazel Homer-Wambeam hails from a small but mighty Jewish community in Laramie, Wyoming. With only 1,150 Jews in the whole Cowboy State and no synagogue in sight, the Jews of Laramie gather in a local Masonic Temple for services, meet for potluck dinners and join in dance and song. Homer-Wambeam took her deep-rooted love for dancing and singing from Laramie to the talent portion of the Miss Wyoming competition where, in June, she was named the first Jewish crown holder. In December, Homer-Wambeam will head to the national competition to vie to be only the second Jewish Miss America in the program’s history. The first was Bess Myerson, who competed as Miss New York during World War II in 1945.  “I can imagine that Myerson brought on a lot of hope for people, and sadly in the...

Continue reading

Ye sings into a microphone. Blue light is shining on him and he is wearing a watch and a sweatshirt

What You Need to Know About Kanye West’s Recent Comments About Jewish People

This article has been updated to reflect ongoing developments.  Ye, formerly Kanye West, has placed himself amid yet another cycle of conspiracy theories — this time against Jewish people.  This month, Ye—a well-known rapper, business owner, and cultural icon— made several antisemitic comments in television clips and on social media regarding Jewish “control” of media and finance. The comments have caused backlash from celebrities and Twitter users, both Jewish and not. A pioneer of “introspective, melodic rap music,” according to Complex, a pop culture media outlet, Ye, who is also an artist, entrepreneur and ex of Kim Kardashian, has a large and loyal following and a net worth of approximately $1.8 billion.  Ye’s platform is large. He has 18.2 million followers on Instagram and 31.5 million on Twitter. In 2015, he topped TIME Magazine’s List of 100 Most Influential...

Continue reading