Action star
Chuck Norris
has experienced a bit of a revival in recent years, due to the "Chuck
Norris Facts" internet meme. In honor of the rumor that Walker, Texas
Ranger himself may be coming to Jerusalem next week to join US
conservative pundit
Glenn Beck's
"Restoring Courage" event, the
Schmooze has some facts
about Chuck Norris and Israel: Norris's seminal film
The Delta Force (fine, "seminal" may be an exaggeration) was directed by Israeli
Menachem Golan and filmed entirely in Israel. In 1994's
Hellbound,
Norris played a detective sent to Israel to investigate a rabbi's
murder. Both films, along with many other Chuck Norris action flicks,
were backed by Israeli production company
Globus-Golan. And for some of the more fun facts - one follower of the Schmooze on Twitter
said: "Chuck Norris doesn't come to Israel. He moves Mexico temporarily, and puts Israel there."
And while we’re on the topic of icons and Israel, this
John Lennon clip is worth listening to.
Tablet Magazine dug up a YouTube video of the Beatle giving an interview to Israel Radio during his 1969 "bed-in," and singing "Hava Nagila."
"Hava Nagila" seems to be all the rage these days, with Jewish-American elite gymnast
Alexandra Raisman doing a floor exercise to the hassidic tune. JTA has an interesting analysis of
why "Hava Nagila" is a great song for gymnastics, and you can see Raisman's routine here:
From gymnastics to dancing –
Dirty Dancing,
that is. The classic 80s love story is, of course, about Baby, a JAP in
a Jewish bungalow colony, who falls for Johnny, a member of the staff,
and learns how to dance. Now t
hat a
Dirty Dancing reboot is the works, the question must be asked – will the new version be Jewish? If rumored contender
Lea Michele plays Baby, originally portrayed by
Jennifer Grey, it may work. But
reports also say that teen stars
Selena Gomez and
Miley Cyrus and vying for the role – and they're both 100% shiksa.
Another clearly-Jewish Hollywood creation has hit televisions across America:
Russian Dolls.
The reality-TV show, meant to be a Russian version of the
Italian-dominated Jersey Shore, portrays families in Brighton Beach,
Brooklyn. While the show never overtly mentions Judaism, Star of David
necklaces can be seen nestled in the reality stars' pushed-up cleavage.
Diana Kosov, who breaks up with her Hispanic boyfriend in the first episode,
said in an interview "I'm looking for a Russian Jewish guy," and other Russian Dolls,
Michael and Marina Levitis send their children to yeshiva day school and have a mezuza on their front door.
The
Weekly Schmooze collects the hottest Jewish culture news from around
the world. Ranging from celebrities to philanthropy to quirky
communities, we're here to schmooze about Jews. If you have any news to
share with The Weekly Schmooze, write to:weeklyschmooze@gmail.com