Los Angeles is by nature the most celebrity conscious city on the planet. Houses of worship are, of course, supposed to be above such matters. Still, the unvarnished truth is that, as chronicled by historian Neal Gabler and others, Los Angeles's Jewish houses of worship and the entertainment business have grown up together. Famous, rich and powerful people want to pray, too. Below are a few of the places where they do just that. Temple Israel of Hollywood: This deceptively modest looking synagogue, located …More

No Stevie Wonder? No problem. The Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) Western Region Gala went off without a hitch Thursday night, despite last week’s very public and controversial cancellation by scheduled performer Stevie Wonder. “Seinfeld” star Jason Alexander (more on his really good week in a moment) MC’d the evening, which reportedly raised $11.5 million for Israeli soldier needs. Wonder issued only a vague statement to explain the pullout, saying “I am and have always …More

“Seinfeld” retired back in 1998 and now yada yada yada, it’s the funniest sitcom in the history of American television. At least that’s what a new poll released this week by “60 Minutes” and “Vanity Fair” says. “Seinfeld,” the brainchild of Jewish comic savants Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, finished with 22 percent of respondents’ votes landing it ahead of “The Honeymooners” by a couple of percentage points. The only current show on …More

Israel’s state archivist keeps Vienna’s Jewish archives in Israel despite Austria’s Jewish community bringing legal action to get them back. [JPost] Women arrested at Western Wall for wearing traditional talitot. [Jewish Week] Ehud Halevy, who was beaten by cops on Ocober 8, will fight charges of felony assault of a police officer. [NY Daily News] This is why Israel is such a large point of contention in US politics and the Presidential election. [Washington Post] Thoufeek Zakriya, an Indian …More

Usually, NBC sitcom stars make their music video cameos for a very specific reason. And maybe, one day, we’ll understand Jason Alexander’s reason for his latest little side gig. The man who famously gave us George Costanza, arguably the greatest maladroit, neurotic, stocky, slow-witted, bald man ever to grace American TV, is going the way of Matt LeBlanc and Courtney Cox. Alexander, you see, is the star of a new Nickelback music video for the song “Trying Not To Love You.” That puts …More

Electronic music superstar Deadmau5 isn’t shy at all when it comes to sharing his thoughts on Twitter. So it was no surprise when he lashed out against Playboy model Trisha Evans after she made a not-so funny “Batman” joke on the social media site. The Playboy pinup tried to add humor to the tragic shooting in Aurora just hours after it happened, saying: But Deadmau5 wasn’t having any of it. He tweeted back at her, “Good to know. @HollywoodTricia i seriously had no idea how big …More

British actor David Birrell is suing theater bosses at London’s Donmar Warehouse after he was accidentally shot in the face during a West End production of Stephen Sondheim’s play “Passion” in 2010. Birell was engaged in a scene where his character duels another, using guns. The prop gun was supposed to draw blanks, but unfortunately did not. He left the stage in such a professional manner that the audience didn’t realize what had just happened. The actor was admitted to the …More

By now, we’ve heard all about Jason Alexander’s Twitter rant on gun laws in America, following last week’s horrific shooting in Colorado. If you’re just catching up, the former “Seinfeld” star took to social media yesterday to opine on the need to curb semi-automatic rifles, the right to bear arms as laid out in the Constitution, and the absolutist morality of certain segments of America’s population.

 “My passion comes from my deepest sympathy and shared …More

“Batman” fans nationwide were excited to finally see “The Dark Knight Rises” at midnight this morning, but fans in Aurora, Colorado had no idea what was coming their way. In the worst mass shooting in Colorado since the Columbine High School tragedy in 1999, 71 were shot and 10 killed inside an Aurora movie theater. Two more victims died at area hospitals. Defense officials told NBC News that two US Air Force reservists and one Navy service member were injured in the shooting. Also in …More

Seventeen years after George Costanza was shunned by the notorious Soup Nazi, Jason Alexander has made peace with the man who inspired the iconic character. The actor is teaming up with Al Yeganeh, whose real life persona was the impetus for the beloved “Seinfeld” episode, in an ad campaign for the commercial release of Yagenah’s soups. Yeganeh runs Soup Kitchen International, a popular Manhattan eatery that was exposed on the national stage after a number of “Seinfeld” cast and …More

Jason Alexander may have worked his way into America’s hearts playing lovable gruff George Costanza, but that’s only one credit on the actor’s prestigious resume. The “Seinfeld” star has been singing and dancing on stage for decades, in a career that’s earning him a Lifetime Achievement Award. The Julie Harris Award for Lifetime Achievement will be presented to Jason on June 10 by the Actor’s Fund during the 16th annual Tony Awards Party. The event will be followed by a …More

Jason Alexander has reached out to former “Seinfeld” costar Daniel Von Bargen after he attempted suicide by shooting himself in the head. The 61-year-old diabetic actor, who played Mr. Kruger on the sitcom, attempted suicide Monday so that he wouldn’t have to go through with a surgery to amputate his toes. After surviving the gunshot, Von Bargen decided against ending his life. In a post on his Twitter page, Alexander voiced support of Von Bargen. Not the most personal way to reach out to an …More