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Sundown: Sometimes English Just Ain’t Enough

Yinglish, anti-Israel Zionism, and a badge of dishonor

by
Hadara Graubart
August 03, 2009
Anthony Weiner at a Congressional committee meeting last week.(Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Anthony Weiner at a Congressional committee meeting last week.(Alex Wong/Getty Images)

• Congressman Anthony Weiner was jokingly chastised for using the Yiddish word “bupkis” in a committee meeting; a commenter on Orthodox site Vos Iz Neias thinks Weiner’s “trying to prove he’s Jewish,” and has a suggestion: “How about marrying a Jewish woman? Then you won’t have to bore Congress with Yiddish words.” [VIN]
• Matisyahu released an exclusive track to Entertainment Weekly. [EW]
• Beliefnet columnist Brad Hirschfeld takes what is essentially a joke—that the violent rioting by ultra-Orthodox groups against secular policies in Israel is “actually quite Zionist”—a bit too far: “I can not help but wonder if it isn’t also a positive sign, however slow and manifestly ugly, of the increasing integration of the Haredi community into the fabric of Israeli society.” [Beliefnet]
• Imprisoned pop music puppet-master Lou Pearlman was once honored as a “20th Century Republican Leader” by party leaders including the also at least somewhat disgraced Trent Lott; Nathan Rabin has the certificate to prove it. [AV Club]
• The NYPD has arrested a 30-year-old Bronx woman in last week’s murder of 90-year-old Holocaust survivor. [NYPost]

Hadara Graubart was formerly a writer and editor for Tablet Magazine.