World ROUNDUP Roundup from page 29 At The Oscars 6635 ORCHARD LAKE ROAD - WEST BLOOMFIELD - 248.855.0300 WINE/CIGAR BAR • MON-WED I 0 AM - I 2Aht THURS-SAT I OAM - I :30AM SUN I 2P1K - I2AM 142 SOUTH OLD WOODWARD AVENUE - BIRMINGHAM - 248.647.4555 2 4545 WEST I2 MILE ROAD - SOUTHFIELD - 248.948.9100 WWW.CHURCHILLSLTD.COM Turn your old GOLD into CASH! 32940 Middlebelt Rd. (At 14 Mile Rd. in the Broadway Plaza) We will buy ALL of your precious metals, diamonds & watches. (248) 855-1730 Come see us Today. Farmington Hills. Michigan NVWW.greis.com VISII US OhiLiNE at JNt2t,com 30 March 11 • 2010 Los Angeles/JTA — Israel's half-century jinx at the Oscars continued and three Jewish-themed films were passed over, but The Jew Hunter took home an award. The Israeli entry Ajami, a gritty film about the Jewish-Arab tensions in the mixed quarter of Jaffa, lost out Sunday for best foreign language film at the Academy Awards to Argentina's entry, The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos), directed by Juan Jose Campanell. Three Jewish-themed films vying for the best picture nod —Inglourious Basterds, A Serious Man and An Education — also missed out. And Quentin Tarantino lost in the direct- ing category, despite high praise for Inglourious Basterds, a brutal coun- terfactual fantasy in which a band of Jewish GIs scalps German soldiers and assassinate Nazi leaders. Inglourious Basterds did win the first award of the night, with Christoph Waltz taking the Oscar for best supporting actor for his portrayal of Hans Landa, aka "The Jew Hunter," the terrifyingly and hilari- ously meticulous German colonel charged with capturing the Jewish soldiers. It was the third consecutive Oscars in which an Israeli film nominated for best foreign language film left empty-handed — the Lebanon war-themed films Beaufort and Waltz with Bashir were con- sidered leading contenders before being passed over in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Ajami was a joint production of two young Israeli filmmakers, Scandar Copti, a Christian Arab, and Yaron Shani, a Jew. It was Israel's top drawer at the box office in the past year. Just hours before the Oscars ceremony, Copti said he was not representing Israel. "It is an extremely technical thing; that's how it works in the Oscars," Copti said in an interview on Israel's Channel 2."It says 'Israel' because the funding comes from Israel. There's a Palestinian director, an Israeli director, Palestinian actors and Israeli actors. The film techni- cally represents Israel, but I don't repre- sent Israel!' Support Chilean Relief The Jewish Federations of North America is partnering with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) to provide aid and relief to victims of the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Chile on Feb. 27. Federations are urged to direct donors to the JDC mailbox http://lyris. ujcfedweb.org/t/5174306/28498653/24 092/0/ or to open their own mailboxes and relay aid to JDC. By opening their own mailboxes, Federations can further engage potential donors. The earthquake struck about 200 miles south of Santiago, killing at least 700 people and displacing or injuring some two million others. Chile is home to a vibrant and active Jewish community of 16,000; 90 percent are concentrated in Santiago. The Masorti synagogue in Concepcion was destroyed in the earthquake that rocked Chile, the Masorti Olami said. Tribe Descended From Jews Zimbabwe/JTA — DNA tests on the Lemba tribe of central Zimbabwe and northern South Africa show that they are of Jewish or Semitic origin, the BBC reported. The tribe's customs are similar to Jewish ones, including male circumci- sion, ritual animal slaughter, abstaining from eating pork and wearing skull caps. Their oral tradition claims they are descended from seven male Jews who left Israel 2,500 years ago and mar- ried African women. Their prized religious artifact is a replica of the biblical Ark of the Covenant known as the ngoma lungun- du, meaning the drum that thunders, the BBC reported. Their sacred prayer language is a mixture of Hebrew and Arabic. The Lemba also have 12 tribes, including a priestly clan that has a genetic element found in Jewish priests or Cohanim, according to the report. Many of the Lemba in Zimbabwe are Christians, while some are Muslims. Answering Israel's Critics The Charge Dr. Bandar Muhammad Al Aiban, Saudi Arabia's Human Rights Commission chairman, last week criticized Israel's "annexation" of [religious] sanctuaries in Hebron. The Answer There is no Israeli annexation of anything in Hebron, just a continued sharing of the Cave of Machpela. And is it hypocritical for Saudis — who persecute religious minorities, women and gays — to comment on Israel's actions? — Allan Gale, Jewish Community Relations Council of Metropolitan Detroit ED Jewish Renaissance Media, March 11, 2010