Casino: Meet Ace Rothstein & Other Hollywood Jewish Mobsters

If you've never seen Marin Scorsese' epic “Casino” movie starring none other than Robert De Niro playing a now iconic Jewish mobster, here is a more in-depth analysis of this character, along with some insightful ideas on some additional Jewish mobsters who are part of the same Hollywood masterpiece. What's Judaism's Official Take On Gambling? Before getting into the story of Casino's main protagonist who also happens to be Jewish, we thought it might be of interest to first discuss the official stance that Judaism has adopted in relation to gambling? According to the Talmud, rabbis should normally take a rather obscure view regarding various acts related to gambling. Other than being considered an activity that triggers many financial risks and, sometimes, addiction, some rabbis will oftentimes label the winner of a casino game of poker played online in...

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Are Non-Jewish Actors Playing Jews In Movies A Good Idea?

If we were to ask Sarah Silverman, she would call it straight up cringey and embarrassing. The actress-comedian who considers herself to be “culturally Jewish”, but does not follow the Judaic law, recently used her podcast to discuss a topic that it's not your regular cup of tea: “Jewface”. The term refers to the portrayal of a Jewish character by an actor who does not have a Jewish background or heritage. Silverman herself is known for constantly revolving around loads of controversial topics for her sketches, including the Jewish theme which she has mined quite a bit over the years. This is, again, in spite of her non-religious affiliation and secular views and lifestyle. Hence, it is easy to understand why she felt compelled to touch such a sensitive topic while addressing her discontent in regards...

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Who are you Sheldon Adelson?

  Who are you Sheldon Adelson? Sheldon Adelson, a worldwide gambling tycoon, the political mentor of Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the man that invested millions of dollars in Israel and the USA to support the conservative causes, passed away this past January. He had spent the past few years fighting Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Today dear readers, let's look at some of the most critical points in Sheldon's life. Humble Beginnings Sheldon Gary Adelson was born on August 4th 1933 in the Jewish ghetto of Dorchester in Boston. He was the son of an Askenazi Jewish taxi driver from Lithuania and seamstress. His early life was lived in a single room in the house shared with his whole family. His first steps in business were taken at the age of 12, borrowing money from his uncle to buy a newsstand....

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7 Film Genres Popular in the Middle East

  After the recent shutdowns all over the globe, the film industry is slowly getting back. Arab movies are getting in popularity among customers and many of them have already been shortlisted for prestigious festival awards. Today you can find many releases featuring different thematic and allowing people to enjoy incredible stories.   Film Industry Vs Livestream Websites   Many people would say that the film industry is not in trend anymore. While you can still find many movies in local cinemas, Livestream websites such as Netflix, Mubi, and Amazon are getting more attention from film enthusiasts. With the possibility to watch top movies from your home, there is no reason to travel to the cinema for some entertainment.  At the same time, the film industry is facing restrictions on the available budget. Now you can see more and more reductions...

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Start-up aims to boost financial inclusion across Arab world

According to a recent study by the World Bank, Arabic nations have experienced a surge in adults who are accessing banking services. The World Bank goes on to indicate that a total of 69% in the adult sector have an official bank account with a registered bank or mobile money access on a global platform. The report further delves deep into Middle East statistics. Of the total population in North America and the Arab world, 20% of them do send or receive money, though they do not have official accounts. This specific stat comes as a relief and progress considering that many people had no official accounts previously. It's simply visible from the word go that countries producing a humongous gross domestic product (GDP) per single capita have cumulative yet significant numbers of low efficient banking sectors....

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Dietary Restrictions Bring Jewish and Muslim Students Together

by Andrew Michaels For students with religious dietary obligations, be they kosher, halal, or religious vegetarians, going to college can be difficult. Most schools require students to purchase a meal plan (though some allow for students to opt out for religious reasons), and plans often either have inadequate options for religious restrictions or lack options entirely. But many students have found unity in these restrictions, and some Jewish students feel their dietary restrictions have not only unified their school’s Jewish communities, but also lead to inter-religious dialogue. Hart Levine is the founder and director of The Heart 2 Heart Project, an organization that works with the Orthodox Union to bring together Jews on college campuses through, among other things, regular Shabbat dinners. The project displays a map on its website, which can be used to look up...

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A Granddaughter’s Shocking Discovery

by Emily Shwake Rita Gabis comes from two identities: Eastern European Jews and Lithuanian Catholics. For much of Gabis’s life, these two families stayed separate. It wasn’t until after her maternal grandfather died that she learned what part of his past created that barrier. In A Guest at the Shooters’ Banquet: My Grandfather’s SS Past, My Jewish Family, A Search for the Truth, Gabis tells of her pursuit of the truth of how her Lithuanian grandfather participated in the destruction of the people of her Jewish grandmother. “I have had these dreams since childhood that—in one dream I was hunted down and in another dream, I was a murderer,” Gabis says in an interview with Moment. For years, the dreams haunted Gabis—not because of their terrifying content, but because of their persistence and their mystery. She knew...

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