Mila Kunis. Interview champion.
OK, this vid has already gone pretty viral. But in case you haven't seen it, watch whip-smart Jewish uber-starlet Mila Kunis be interviewed – or is she the interviewer? - by starstruck British journo Chris Stark of BBC Radio 1 while on a press junket promoting her new movie, "Oz The Great and Powerful."

I don't think we've ever seen an actor so composed, poised and truly enjoying themselves in the moment on one of these endless interview caravans that can make even the most experienced actor visibly annoyed and curt.

Kunis acquits herself so well (and really, so does Stark, if only for his "aw gosh, shucks" honesty) it's no wonder she's one of the most in-demand artists out there. Credit to her folks for teaching her some nice Jewish girl manners, patience and how to laugh at what life throws at you.

Daniel Baum, a recent graduate of the Anne and Max Tanenbaum Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto, is currently in Israel completing an independent year abroad. With Israeli Apartheid Week coming to a close, Baum offers up lessons learned through the eyes of the innocent and his perspective on how to combat prejudice and reach for true peace among nations.

Here is an excerpt from his blog A Jewish kid from Kiryat Shmona, a Muslim kid from Rajar, and a Christian kid from Nazareth are all playing hockey together. Words like respect, unity, peace, and acceptance spring to mind when we think about this situation. These kids, however, are thinking of different words: teammates, winning, fun. These kids do not see playing together as a political act. These kids do not discriminate and demand segregated teams. These kids do not utter racial slurs. Language is not a barrier to teamwork. Religion is not a barrier to teamwork. Customs are not a barrier to teamwork. These kids just want to play hockey. These kids are not opponents because some are Jewish and some are Arab; they are opponents because some are wearing blue, and some are wearing red. To these kids, everyone is just another kid. Just another potential friend. Just a human being.

 Click here for Baum's full perspective piece.

Having made aliyah with her family at the age of 12, Yityish Aynaw never quite figured that after completing her army service, her fatigues would be replaced by a ball gown and crown.

Named Miss Israel 2013, Yityish, which means “a look to the future” in her native language of Amharic, is the first Ethiopian-born Israeli ever to win the competition, which was held this year in Haifa.

“My aliyah was pretty tough,” the 21-year-old Netanya resident said. “A new language, a modern society. I’m lucky to have had a friend, Noa, who befriended me from the start and helped me out. I didn't study in an ulpan. I was thrown into the deep water and learned the best that way.”

The judges were reportedly won over by her answer to their question about which historical character influenced her most: Marin Luther King Jr.

“He fought for justice and equality, and that’s one of the reasons I’m here – to show there are also good things in my community which are not presented in the media… There are not enough dark-skinned models in Israel. I hope to become a successful model thanks to the contest and create a change in the perception of dark-skinned models. I would be happy to be the first Ethiopian television host, an Israeli Tyra Banks.”

Heebonics looks forward to further reporting on the undoubtedly positive impact that Aynaw will have on Israeli society, and that of the Diaspora as well.

First there were the drum beats of the world-renowned Blue Man Group, and since 2009, The Voca People have been hot on their heels. This weekend the eight-person Israeli vocal troupe will bring their unique show to Markham, Ont.

Dressed in white from head to toe (though always sporting red lips), not unlike the Blue Man Group’s signature all-blue style, the Voca are able to replicate the music of a full orchestra, a talent that sets them apart. The tracks and compositions of popular and classical artists are featured in a capella harmonies and beat box versions. Sample their stylings here:


Their popularity – stemming from YouTube videos that collectively have garnered more than 40 million hits – has propelled their show to more than 20 countries, as well as a one-year run off-Broadway in New York City, where they won a 2012 Lortel award for “outstanding alternative theatrical experience.” The award was first won by the Blue Man Group in 1992.

Get your tickets to The Voca People’s show this Saturday at the Flato Markham Theatre at markhamtheatre.ca

Mila Kunis, the actress known for her roles in TV’s Family Guy, That 70’s Show,as well as films such as Black Swan and Ted, says she’s incredibly proud to have been named the global ambassador for London-based Gemfields gemstones.

Specializing in Zambian emeralds – Gemfields produces some 20 per cent of the world’s emerald supply – while also producing Zambian amethysts and rubies from Mozambique, the company prides itself on hunting, mining and promoting the stones in an environmentally and ethically responsible manner.

Kunis has adopted these principles as the face of the U.K. brand and will be featured in ads carried by several major publications. "While in Africa, I learned that the entire journey that each Gemfields stone takes is carefully considered, and that the environment and the local communities where its mines are located are held in the highest regard" Kunis said in a statement.
Kunis went on to say, "I truly believe in Gemfields' mission of ethical mining, and I absolutely have fallen in love with the rarity, beauty, and history of emeralds."

The appointment comes as the marketing machine gets into full swing for the March 8 release of Sam Raimi’s Oz the Great and Powerful. In the prequel to the 1939 classic starring Judy Garland, Kunis plays Theodora, a witch in the mystical Land of Oz who will ultimately become the Wicked Witch of the West. Ironically, that means her on-screen complexion may have the emerald-coloured glow of the very gemstone she has come to love. 

It's a brilliant trailer, and you can see it right here.

Jewish Canadian artists are nicely represented on the 2013 Juno Awards nomination list.

Geddy Lee of Rush The awards ceremony takes place on April 21st on CTV.

Jaffa Road (Aviva Chernick, centre)
No less than six Canadian Jews are up for the coveted award.

Leonard Cohen
They are: World Music group Jaffa Road led by singer Aviva Chernick; Rap and Hip-hop artist Drake; iconic poet and singer Leonard Cohen; video producer and director Sean Wainsteim; prog-rog stalwarts Rush (hey, they count as "Jewish" because Geddy Lee's awesomeness dictates it so.)

Sean Wainsteim For a list of which category each nominee is listed under, visit the JUNOs website here.

Drake (aka Aubrey Graham Drake)
Oh, OK. Since you practically BEGGED me... here's a video of RUSH doing their thing live in 2011. What? Doesn't EVERYONE love RUSH? Watch. Love. PROG LIVES!

Water is among the many natural resources that the State of Israel depends on. It’s used to keep its vegetation lush, its local food products available in plentiful supply and its people well nourished, but the ready availability of renewable sources of water can at times be a problem.

Local innovation over the years has created technological means to conserve water in many ways, but now a key part of the job has been contracted out to Quebec City-based EnGlobe, a worldwide leader in environmental services. With its expertise in managing organic waste and decontaminating soil, EnGlobe will turn its talents to rehabilitating the Kishon River.

The Kishon River – a 70-km stream that flows through the Jezreel Valley to Haifa Bay and on to the Mediterranean Sea – is considered by many to be the most polluted river in the entire state. Its been contaminated over 40 years with mercury as well as other heavy metals and organic chemicals, and EnGlobe will work to decontaminate more than half a million cubic metres of sediment.

The contract with the Canadian company is valued at $40 million, and the job is expected to last 36 months.

Sticking with the Bill Shatner theme, it seems old Captain Kirk has a beef with the director of the young, alternate universe Captain Kirk.

In the video below courtesy of uber-cool-nerdist website GeekTyrant, Shats calls out director, and fellow Jew, J.J. Abrams for being "a pig" about hogging the Earth's two major SciFi franchises: Star Trek and Star Wars. (In case you've been pinned under the wreckage of a failed shuttlecraft mission, Abrams was recently awarded directorial duty on the much-anticipated Star Wars VII film.)



Is this a case of Shatner airing sour grapes over not getting any part to play in Abrams' Star Trek reboots? Perhaps he's hoping to play Jedi Master "Obi Gon Keerq" in the next Star Wars installment?

Or maybe he's really a Sith lord, trying to destroy any chance at peace between Hollywood Jewish actors and directors?

You decide.

Captain Kirk called up to space today to ask astronaut Chris Hadfield about his experience and fears as he spends five months living in the International Space Station.

“I’m in a position to say the risks are infinitely worthwhile,” Hadfield said to actor William Shatner, whom he credited for inspiring his dream of becoming an astronaut.

Hadfield went on that everybody takes risks, including Shatner, who quipped that the worst-case scenario for him doing live shows is a flushed face and a flop of sweat. “You burn up – it's a little different,” he said.

The conversation, which was streamed from the International Space Station, was broadcast live online to more than 1,000 people watching at any given point during the call.

It all began around a month ago with a couple of tweets.

“Are you tweeting from space?” Shatner asked Hadfield, who responded, “Yes, Standard Orbit, Captain. And we’re detecting signs of life on the surface.”

Hadfield, who was the first Canadian to do a space-walk, was rocketed into space on Dec. 21, and in March, he will become the first Canadian to command the International Space Station.

The conversation ended with Hadfield’s invitation to Shatner for another chat, but this time in private at his Ontario cottage over whisky and cigars, referencing Shatner’s scenes from Boston Legal.

Watch the full 13-minute interview, plus a Q&A with an audience at the Canadian Space Agency’s headquarters in Saint-Hubert, Que.

The time has rolled around again for what many consider to be the biggest night in music.

Airing this Sunday, Feb. 10, on CBS, it's the 55th annual Grammy Awards. While I'm not up on his every track, nor do I know his lyrics inside and out, in the categories he tends to be nominated for, I do root for the former-Degrassi-actor-turned-rap-superstar Drake.

He's up for three possible Grammy's – best rap song for The Motto, best rap performance for HYFR and best rap album for Take Care – but predictions are that the trophies are still just out of reach.

Too often, the Toronto native finds himself up against the present-day kings Jay-Z and Kanye West, while in the best rap song category, he also must fair better than a collaboration by Snoop Dogg and the genre's sensation, Wiz Khalifa.

Music analysts see Watch the Throne coming out on top, as it's just been a stellar year for the team-up of Jay-Z and Kanye.

Just being in the room with the industry's greats, as Drake has often said, is honour enough. There's nothing better though than seeing homegrown (and Jewish) talent walk off with a coveted award.

Businesses in almost every industry continuously evaluate their ability to stay “relevant” to consumers, advertisers and entire communities, both online and off.

One company that does this well and has been a key part of Canada’s identity and economy for 40 years is the iconic brand Roots.

The apparel and accessories company was established in 1973 by Michael Budman and Don Green, who are both originally from Detroit. Having attended Canada’s Camp Tamakwa – Budman starting in 1956 and Green in 1964 – they both fell in love with Algonquin Park, located north of Toronto, for its wilderness and sport.

After their camp years, Budman moved to Toronto in 1969. Green followed in 1972, and they launched Roots the next year.

The story was told by Robert Sarner, the company’s director of communication and public affairs, at Jewish Employment Toronto’s (JET) kickoff discussion/Q&A, a program held recently at JUMP (Jewish Urban Meeting Place).







The night’s discussion topic revolved around how the young professionals in attendance could incorporate Roots’ relevancy strategy into our own personal and professional lives.

Once we had defined what the word “relevant” meant to us, Sarner then gave his own take on how he has come to understand it.

He said that in his nine years with the company, Budman and Green have conducted themselves and the business according to the following 15 guidelines, resulting in a prosperous and enduring brand:

1. Have a sense of place and be proud of it (a purpose for being in the industry sector you or your product is in).   
2. Keep tradition to a degree (do not be rigid – constantly evolve, while carrying over best practices).
3. Stand for something more than your product (give back to the community and the individuals you serve).  
4. Nurture an aspirational product (how it is perceived, the way it is marketed).  
5. Treat your customer equally and with high regard. 
6. Don’t embrace technological innovation and trends blindly; be sure you use it correctly or not at all. 
7. Communicate or suffocate (be seen and heard doing it) 
8. Have standards.  
9. Be real.  
10. Stay true to quality and integrity.
11. Demonstrate that your word is a promise. 
12. Nurture talent positively.
13. Be accountable.  
14. Attract celebrity awareness in what you do.
15. Listen, be plugged in, invite dialogue. 

So, ummm, when high school students in Canada and the U.S. sign up for extracurricular activities, they usually go out for basketball/football/soccer/etc tryouts, cheerleading squads, glee club, and the like.

And even if they're not doing anything "constructive" with their time, they're likely just goofing around at the mall or skipping class to go somewhere or do something they find more interesting.

(Not that we here at Heebonics advocate skipping class. At all. DON'T DO THAT. Really. None of us ever did. Much.)

But what are high schoolers in Gaza encouraged to do with their spare time? Learn chess, perhaps? Wrong. Develop skills in the fine art of sculpture or painting? Nope. Wanna guess? Well, I'll tell you:

THEY STUDY HOW TO CONDUCT AGGRESSIVE MILITARY JIHAD AGAINST ISRAEL. 

Graduates of Gaza's military training Futuwwa, or “Youth” program, display their peace-making prowess in a recent ceremony. The elective program is offered in all of Gaza's high schools. Isn't that nice?  
A Jan. 24 report in The Washington Post reaffirms what many Israeli diplomats, citizens and embattled peaceniks have come to realize after many years of frustrating peace efforts with the Palestinians of Hamas-ruled Gaza: There won't be peace. At least, not while Gazan children are being encouraged to incorporate hate and the destruction of Jews into their lifestyles and moral fibre.

"More than 3,000 Palestinian teenagers on Thursday graduated from the ruling Hamas militant group’s first high school military training program in the Gaza Strip, displaying mock weapons, crawling commando-style on the ground and taking up fighting positions for thousands of cheering supporters.

Hamas officials said the Futuwwa, or “Youth,” program is aimed at fostering a new generation of leaders in the struggle against Israel.

“We teach the youth to honor the national flag and anthem, to strengthen their affinity with the homeland and Jerusalem, the spirit of resistance and the principles of steadfastness,” said Abu Hozifa, a 29-year-old national security officer who teaches in the program. “We also prepare them in terms of faith and physical fitness to serve as resistance fighters if they want to be in the future.”
The program is a weekly elective that is offered in all Gaza high schools. Officials said 3,600 participated in the first session, which began in September."

There's more, and you can read it at the Washington Post here. 

Frankly, it's sickening. But the Western media largely ignores these ominous signs (not you though, good ol' Washington Post) and/or minimizes what it means to any peace process. And what it means is, no peace. Because how can Israelis and Palestinians talk peace, when all Hamas's efforts are on holy war?

Sad.

John Galliano is slowly making his way back into the fashion world.

In March 2011, a video on the Internet went viral after the American designer was caught on camera making antisemitic slurs to patrons in a café in Paris. Other comments soon surfaced in which he stated his love for Hitler on three different occasions, and he was subsequently fired as creative director of the Christian Dior fashion house.
He was also charged with making antisemitic remarks and sentenced to pay the equivalent of $8,400 in fines after a French court found him guilty of uttering public racial insults. (After World War II, France passed laws against hate speech.)

Galliano’s comeback, after reportedly being in an Arizona rehab centre for alcoholism and a Valium addiction, comes courtesy of his close friend, fashion legend Oscar de la Renta, who has Galliano working in his New York studio in the runup to New York Fashion Week.

“He has worked long and hard on his recovery,” De la Renta said, “and I’m happy to give him the opportunity to re-immerse himself in the world of fashion and re-acclimate in an environment where he has been so creative.”

Abraham Foxman, director of the Anti-defamation League said of Galliano: “We believe that individuals can change their hearts and minds as long as they demonstrate true contrition. Mr. Galliano has worked arduously in changing his worldview and dedicated a significant amount of time to researching, reading, and learning about the evils of antisemitism and bigotry. Along his journey to recovery he met with us on numerous occasions. He has accepted full responsibility for his previous remarks and understands that hurtful comments have no place in our society.

“Everyone in life deserves a second chance, especially someone as talented as John,” de la Renta told Women's Wear Daily.