arts&life

celebrity jews

her parents embarked upon what would
become successful careers.
By now, everyone knows that the
Pittsburgh synagogue shooter said he
SCHWIMMER IS INNOCENT AND MORE
was enraged by the role of the Hebrew
Recently, the Blackpool, England, police
Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) in helping
posted a video of a suspect wanted for
refugees. On Oct. 28, Golodryga told her
stealing a wallet and cell phone from a
CBS colleagues how HIAS helped her
restaurant. Tips flowed in, many identify-
family. HIAS,
ing the subject as
she said, bought
“Ross Geller,” the
her family’s
character David
airline tickets
Schwimmer, 51,
to America and,
played on Friends.
therefore, “[The
On Oct. 24,
shooting] hits
Schwimmer tweet-
close to home.”
ed to the police:
She added, “I
“Officers, I swear
remember my
it wasn’t me. I was
David Schimmer (right) and his double
parents every
in New York. To the hard-
month, as much
working Blackpool Police,
money as they could, maybe
good luck with the investiga-
$20 a month, they would
tion. #itwasntme.”
write checks to pay HIAS
Matthew Broderick, 57,
back for bringing us here.”
joined the cast of the ABC
Like many others, I was
show The Connors on Oct. 30
struck by the vibrant nature
as a guest star. He’ll appear
of Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill
in an arc of episodes as the
Jewish community. So I
boyfriend of Jackie (Laura
wasn’t surprised when a
Metcalf).
quick search revealed that
A few weeks ago, MSNBC Matthew Broderick
a number of famous Jews
host Ari Melber, 38, had as
were born and/or raised
his guest David Corn, 59,
in Pittsburgh. But here’s
the chief Washington corre-
my “quick list”: Actor Jeff
spondent for Mother Jones
Goldblum, 66; high-tech and
magazine, and they had a
sports businessman Marc
rare primetime “Jew Bro”
Cuban, 60; Lorin Maazel
exchange. Corn, knowing that
(1930-2014), violinist, com-
Melber is a big rap music
poser and conductor of many
fan, said: “Come up with a
top orchestras, including the
rap lyric word for collusion.”
Pittsburgh Symphony; report-
Melber replied: “First of all,
er Howard Fineman, 69;
Ari Melber
David, the D.J. doesn’t take
and New York Times editor
requests here. [Pause] I’m
Bari Weiss, 34.
just kidding, I’m dying to be
Both Fineman and Weiss
a bar mitzvah D.J. and if I do,
grew up in Squirrel Hill and
I’ll take requests. It’s what a
noted in recent TV news
good D.J. does.” Corn replied:
appearances that they
“I can only regret that you
attended the neighborhood’s
were not there for my bar
Tree of Life synagogue and
mitzvah.”
were confirmed there. Weiss
wrote (Oct. 27) a moving
PITTSBURGH NOTES
op-ed piece for the Times
In the Oct. 25 issue of the
Bianna Golodryga and her about the shooting — “A
JN, I reported that CBS News mom, c. 1978
Massacre in the Heart of
added Bianna Golodryga as
Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood:
a fourth anchor to its morning
Squirrel Hill will continue to live by the
show. Golodryga, 40, was born in the
values that Jews have sustained for more
former Soviet republic of Moldova. She
than 2,000 years. They can never be
was 18 months old when she and her
gunned down.” (Her title references that
family came to the States as political ref-
Fred Rogers lived in Squirrel Hill). ■
ugees with $75. After settling in Houston,

NATE BLOOM
COLUMNIST

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November 8 • 2018

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