By Ariana Siegel
Moment’s 2010 Summer Entertainment Issue is now in mailboxes and on newsstands!
Here’s what you’ll be reading:
– The Baron Cohen clan, known chiefly for Sacha Baron-Cohen’s notorious Borat, Bruno, and Ali G characters, is in fact a treasure trove of talent. Attendees of the family’s annual Hannukah party include Eran Baron Cohen, a composer who wrote the score for Sasha’s movies, Ash Baron Cohen, whose Holywood films received critical acclaim, Simon Baron-Cohen, a professor of developmental psychopathology at Cambridge University, and others. Find out why Sacha’s great grandfather Chaim Baron added ‘Cohen’ to their name, and more.
– In other entertainment news, Moment discovers the Jewish influence in SNL’s jokes, sketches and actors. Much of the Jewish comedic style that appeared on SNL, with its Yiddish phrases and self-deprecating satire, developed in the Borscht Belt. Never heard of it? Read about this history of the word and its pivotal role in American Jewish life here.
PLUS:
– Ed Asner, who voiced the character Carl Fredricksen in the Oscar-winning Up, tells moment about a series of firsts: his first time on the bima, his first jobs as an actor, and (gasp!) his first pork tenderloin sandwich.
– Jazz legend Dave Brubeck reveals the surprising intersection between spirituality and jazz, as well as the Jewish roots of his music.
– This summer’s infamous Flotilla incident raised many questions about the relationship between Israel and an important ally, Turkey. To answer these questions, Moment interviewed Dr. Anat Lapidot-Firilla, academic director of the Mediterranean Unit at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, and Ilker Ayturk, an assistant professor of political science at Ankara’s Bilkent University.
– Erica Jong interviews author Gary Shteyngart, Wherever You Go reviewed by Ina Friedman, When Money Was in Fashion reviewed by Amy Stevens, Kings of the Jews reviewed by Robin Roger