34 | JULY 2 • 2020 

Arts&Life

celebrity jews

HAMILTON AND MORE
The film version of Hamilton, 
the mega-hit Broadway musical 
about Alexander Hamilton, begins 
streaming on the Disney Plus 
channel on July 3. The film was 
supposed to open in theaters, but 
COVID-19 intervened. A Disney 
Plus subscription costs $7 a month, 
so Hamilton would be a bargain if 
you just subscribe for one month. 
Disney is hoping you’
ll watch 
Hamilton and like the whole channel 
and stay a subscriber.
Three stage productions of 
Hamilton were filmed and the “best 
parts” were combined to make 
the film. The original Broadway 
cast re-created their roles. 
Daveed Diggs, 38, reprises the 
Hamilton roles that won him a best 
supporting actor Tony (the Marquis 
de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson). 
Thomas Kail, 42, who directed the 
stage version, also directed the film.

Of course, Lin-Manuel Miranda 
stars in the title role and he wrote 
the musical. Many articles have 
noted that Miranda, a native New 
Yorker of Puerto Rican descent, 
really loves everything Jewish 
(Fun fact: His father was a political 
adviser to NYC Mayor Ed Koch). 
Check out, or re-visit, the “Lin 
Miranda wedding video” on 
YouTube. Called the best wedding 
video ever, it features an amazing 
(spoiler!) version of “To Life” from 
Fiddler on the Roof. I am enraptured 
and just plain happy every time I 
see it. 
The 10-episode first season 
of The Babysitters Club begins 

streaming on Netflix on July 3. It 
is a reboot of a 1990 HBO series 
of the same name. Both are based 
on a best-selling children’
s novel 
series of the same name about the 
members of a club composed of 
young teen girls who all babysit. 
Kristy Thomas (Sophie Grace) 
is the lead babysitter character in 
this series. Her parents, Elizabeth 
Thomas Brewer and Watson Brewer, 
are the only adults to be leading 
characters. They are played by, 
respectively, Alicia Silverstone, 43, 
and Marc Feuerstein, 49.
Silverstone is still most famous 
for the teen comedy Clueless (1995) 
and Feuerstein’
s most successful TV 

series was the comedy Royal Pains, 
which ran on the USA channel from 
2009 to 2016. The new Babysitter
series was co-created by Rachel 
Shukert, 40, and she wrote three of 
the episodes. She frequently writes 
on Jewish topics, and she’
s the only 
Jewish author I know of who was 
born and raised in Omaha. 
The original Amazon film 7500
began streaming June 18. It stars 
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 39, as the 
American co-pilot of a plane staffed 
by an international crew. Shortly 
after take-off, Muslim terrorists 
attempt to storm the cockpit and 
hijack the plane. I won’
t disclose the 
rest of the story, except to say that 
the tension is at a fever pitch for the 
remainder of the film. 
 This film has received mostly 
good reviews. This is Gordon-
Levitt’
s first film role release in 
four years. He’
s explained that he 
was busy with the birth of his two 
children. 

NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST

DISNEY MEDIA RELATIONS

STAYING CONNECTED
At this time of social distanc-
ing, the Jewish News will try 
to bring awareness to events/
learning situations offered 
online by synagogues, temples 
and community organizations. 

TOUR ISRAEL
NOON-1 PM, JULY 7
Temple Shir Shalom is offering a 
live, virtual Tel Aviv Graffiti Tour 
with Rabbi Daniel Schwartz and 
Israeli tour guide Beni Levin. 
Learn about current events in 
Israel through a tour of Tel Aviv 
graffiti on this one-hour guided 
tour on Zoom. To learn more or 
register, call 248-737-8700 or 
email audrey@shirshalom.org.

RENAGADE RABBIS
7:30-8:30 PM. JULY 7, 14, 21, 28
Cohn-Haddow Center Director 

Professor Howard Lupovitch will 
be teaching a lecture series in 
July titled “Renegade Rabbis.” 
He will “examine four rabbis who 
were condemned as renegades 
but whose ideas reshaped what 
it means to be Jewish in the 21st 
century.” The lectures will take 
place via Zoom. 7:30- 8:30 pm. 
To register: cbahm.org/event/
renegaderabbis.

MY ISRAEL: WHY ISRAEL?
NOON, JULY 8
Federations’
 Women’
s 
Philanthropy and Israel and 
Overseas Departments present 
this virtual event. Nina Yahalomi 
Klevitsky, Detroit’
s resident Jewish 
Agency for Israel shlicha, hosts a 
thought-provoking and interactive 
conversation about American 
Jewry’
s relationship with Israel. 
Info: Marianne Bloomberg, 248-
642-4611 or Bloomberg@jfmd.
org.

SUMMERTIME SUPER FOODS
3 PM, JULY 8
Federation’
s We Need to Talk 
presents this virtual event. Plant-
based chef Stacy Bishop will 
show how to whip up some frozen 
treats to keep cool and healthy 
this summer, such as banana 
“nice” cream and watermelon 
slushees. For info as to supplies 
needed: Amy Wayne, 248-203-
1483, awayne@jfmd.org.

JOB WEBINAR
3-4 PM, JULY 9
JVS will present “Resume 
Righting” Strategies with Summer 
Tahaney, workshop facilitator at 
Detroit at Work. Learn how to 
write a resume that will match 
your skills to the position you 
are applying for. No registra-
tion is necessary. Webinars 
will be streamed on the JVS 
Human Services Facebook page, 
facebook.com/jvshumanser-
vices. Info: EmploymentHelp@

JVSHumanServices.org, 
248-233-4245.

FOR OPERA LOVERS 
ONGOING
While social distancing keeps us 
at home, turn to MOT at Home for 
online performances, discussions 
and activities. MOT at Home uses 
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter 
to deliver new content every day, 
including opera and dance fixes, 
blogs, recordings, fun facts, etc., 
about opera and dance.

Compiled by Sy Manello/Editorial 
Assistant. Send items at least 14 
days in advance to calendar@

thejewishnews.com. 

On The Go

virtual events | learnings

MOT

