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6 degrees (no Bacon): Jewish celebrity roundup

Cohen’s High Holidays snafu

NEW YORK (6NoBacon.com)—Surprised by the early arrival of the High Holidays this year? You’re in good company.

The iconic Jewish singer Leonard Cohen just rescheduled two dates on his United Kingdom tour after learning they fell out on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, BBC News reports.

Cohen, 78, is already publicly repenting. In a statement from his promoter, he apologized “deeply for the inconvenience” he has caused fans. 

FYI, for those who still haven’t checked your Jewish calendars, the New Year hits on Sept. 5 and 6, with Yom Kippur on Sept. 14. Oh, and with Chanukah falling on Nov. 28, Thanksgiving evening, we’ll be lighting the menorah over turkey this year. That’s no issue for Cohen—he’s Canadian.

Mother’s milk via Alicia 

It seems Mayim Bialik isn’t the only vegan Jewish actress-author in Hollywood speaking up for breastfeeding.

While Bialik has provided advice to fellow moms, Alicia Silverstone is now providing them with actual breast milk. According to Us Weekly, Silverstone, mom to Bear Blu, 2, and author of “The Kind Diet,” has just launched Kind Mama Milk Share, a service for vegan mothers unable to produce enough milk on their own.

In a recent blog post, Silverstone wrote of a woman in her community who had trouble nursing due to a breast-reduction surgery and didn’t feel comfortable accepting donor milk because “it was almost impossible to figure out what kind of lifestyle choices the donors had made.”

Using another’s breast milk—and insisting the person be a “clean eater”—might seem extreme, but Silverstone is no stranger to extreme baby-feeding methods. Last year she uploaded a video of herself practicing premastication—transferring chewed food from her mouth to Bear Blu’s.

“I can understand that [pre-chewing] would make some people feel uncomfortable possibly because it’s new to them,” Silverstone told ET. “But I do want to let you know that this has been going on for thousands of years. [It’s] still going on all over the place. And it’s natural.”

We’re just hoping there are no plans for a Kind Mama Prechewed Food Share on the horizon.

Stewart’s Skype visit

No matter how much “Daily Show” fans are enjoying Jon Oliver, it’s impossible not to miss the man he’s temporarily replacing: Everyone’s favorite Jewish fake news show host, Jon Stewart.

Two weeks ago we were treated to a virtual visit from Stewart, who was Skyped in from the Middle East. He’s there, Oliver explained, “searching for a treasure based on a map he found on the back of the Constitution.” Oh wait, that was a joke—he’s actually there directing his first film.

Stewart was just as funny as ever, although he did look a bit different thanks to his new beard. 

“I didn’t grow it,” he said. “When you get off the plane in the Middle East, they give it to you like the Hawaiians give you a lei.”

Madonna’s tony Tel Aviv digs

Is Madonna putting down roots in the Holy Land? According to Israel’s Channel 10, the answer is a resounding maybe.

While the Kabbalah devotee was not actually seen looking at properties, she was photographed holding a white folder. What, if anything, does that reveal, you might ask?

Users of a Facebook page for Israeli Madonna fans wondering the very same thing blew up the shot and discovered that it wasn’t just any white folder but a brochure for the Meier on Rothschild tower, a luxury housing development going up in Tel Aviv. Apartments in the 50-story building, designed by celebrity architect Richard Meier, have been selling for $1.4 to $47 million.

Madge last visited Israel in 2012, kicking off her MDNA tour at Ramat Gan Stadium. During the trip she visited the Western Wall tunnels in Jerusalem and holed up in her hotel with teachers from Tel Aviv’s Kabbalah Center. Looks like next time she might have more space for visitors—and since Meier on Rothschild has a pool, she won’t have to build a swimming spot for her kids. 

Food Network celeb judging kosher BBQ comp 

Kansas City’s kosher supervisor is going the celebrity route in a bid to fire up the attendance at its KC Kosher BBQ competition this year. Food Network regular Simon Majumdar will be on hand for the Aug. 18 faceoff of barbecue mavens in Overland Park, Kan.

The Indian-British foodie, who’s been seen on “The Best Thing I Ever Ate,” “Iron Chef” and “The Next Iron Chef,” will sample and rate the best kosher chicken, ribs and Kansas City-style (i.e., slow cooked and smoked) brisket around. 

The Vaad HaKashruth, the kosher supervising agency of the Greater Kansas City Jewish community and the event’s host, is hoping Majumdar drums up a bigger audience than last year—although at 3,000 it was a pretty decent turnout.

David Stern’s final draft boos 

Serving since 1984 as NBA commissioner, David Stern no doubt is used to the boos and curses he hears annually at the NBA Draft while announcing the first-round picks. 

Over the years, Stern’s strict policies, on and off the court, have afforded him the reputation of an almighty dictator among players, owners and fans.

Two weeks ago in his final draft—Stern is stepping down in February—the draftniks in Brooklyn again showered him with Bronx cheers. But this time, the erstwhile villain took it upon himself to acknowledge, and even enjoy, the “warm welcome” from the fans. He even teased them, in a very nebbishy way saying, “I can’t hear you.”

David, we’ll miss you, you evil yet adorable man.

For the latest Jewish celebrity news, visit JTA’s 6 Degrees (No Bacon) blog.

 

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