Andy Samberg's Semitic Appeal

by Amanda Walgrove Andy Samberg is one of three geeky brains behind the comedy troupe, The Lonely Island, whose sophomore album, Turtleneck and Chain, was released last month. Along with Akiva Shaffer and Jorma Taccone, the trio is responsible for the hilarious Digital Shorts that interrupt the live performances of SNL. Some have even argued that the videos are the only remaining aspect of the thirty-six year old sketch comedy show still worthy of watching. Since Samberg emerged on the scene in 2005, his curly hair and prominent nose have made him a Semitic sex symbol for tweens, twentysomethings, and possibly Cougars (Cameron Diaz's SNL skit said it, not me.) Born David Andrew Samberg, the 32-year-old grew up in a Jewish household and his maternal grandfather, Alfred J. Marrow, served as the executive chair of the American Jewish...

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Andy Samberg’s Semitic Appeal

by Amanda Walgrove Andy Samberg is one of three geeky brains behind the comedy troupe, The Lonely Island, whose sophomore album, Turtleneck and Chain, was released last month. Along with Akiva Shaffer and Jorma Taccone, the trio is responsible for the hilarious Digital Shorts that interrupt the live performances of SNL. Some have even argued that the videos are the only remaining aspect of the thirty-six year old sketch comedy show still worthy of watching. Since Samberg emerged on the scene in 2005, his curly hair and prominent nose have made him a Semitic sex symbol for tweens, twentysomethings, and possibly Cougars (Cameron Diaz's SNL skit said it, not me.) Born David Andrew Samberg, the 32-year-old grew up in a Jewish household and his maternal grandfather, Alfred J. Marrow, served as the executive chair of the American Jewish...

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The Jewish Side of "The Book of Mormon."

by Amanda Walgrove Joseph Smith first published The Book of Mormon in March 1830. About 180 years later, The Book of Mormon made its Broadway debut at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. Tag-lined as "God's Favorite Musical," the hysterical satire is unsurprisingly offensive and appalling, but wrapped around a heartfelt and sympathetic tale. Written by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with Robert Lopez of the Tony award-winning and equally groundbreaking Avenue Q, this original musical tells the story of two young men sent to Africa on their Mormon mission. Thrown into a God-loathing culture plagued by AIDS, murder and maggots, Elder Price and Elder Cunningham easily demand sympathy as they naively travel through their own religiously fueled bildungsroman. Lopez, who studied religion at Yale with Harold Bloom, said that he quickly developed an interest...

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The Jewish Side of “The Book of Mormon.”

by Amanda Walgrove Joseph Smith first published The Book of Mormon in March 1830. About 180 years later, The Book of Mormon made its Broadway debut at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. Tag-lined as "God's Favorite Musical," the hysterical satire is unsurprisingly offensive and appalling, but wrapped around a heartfelt and sympathetic tale. Written by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with Robert Lopez of the Tony award-winning and equally groundbreaking Avenue Q, this original musical tells the story of two young men sent to Africa on their Mormon mission. Thrown into a God-loathing culture plagued by AIDS, murder and maggots, Elder Price and Elder Cunningham easily demand sympathy as they naively travel through their own religiously fueled bildungsroman. Lopez, who studied religion at Yale with Harold Bloom, said that he quickly developed an interest...

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Now THAT'S Offensive! Politically Incorrect Suggestions for Religious Blogs

Religion isn’t hip.  It’s not cool, it’s not fun, it’s not trendy.  That, at least, was the opinion of one intern at the Moment office.  An editor replied that there were no exciting outlets for religious discussion.  So, as they are wont to do, members of the Moment office started brainstorming ideas on what the edgiest title for an engaging bible blog would be, pushing the limits of good taste in the process.  Would you read a blog with one of these names?  Or protest it?  Share your thoughts! Sh*t my Torah Says (aka Drek My Torah Says) The Torah Sutra: 1,000 Different Parsha Positions Stuff Torah People Like F*ck Yeah Torah Portion! Bible Goggles Torah Unplugged This Is Your Brain on Torah More Torah, Less Filling! My Super Sweet Parsha Torah-licious The Politically Incorrect Torah Torah the Explor-ah Torah-Vision 3-D! En-Torah-ge Mystery Science Torah 5771 Peyos Fetish No Shirt, No Sandals,...

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Israel Mulls Settler Freeze

By Doni Kandel With Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu scrambling to gain approval for a three month construction freeze on settlements, Americans, Palestinians and Israelis have formulated an alternative plan. It is now believed that the Knesset is considering freezing settlers in lieu of freezing settlements as a unilateral symbol of good faith. Both the American and Israeli governments have expressed hope that freezing of those dwelling beyond the green line will be a concession far too impressive for the Palestinians to ignore. Naturally, the controversial proposal has proven to be far more complicated than first thought.  A debate has broken out among the concerned parties over the details of the actual freezing. The Israelis, ahead of the technology curve as always, have suggested cryogenics as the preferred method. The Palestinians have planted their flag in the...

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