by Debra | Sep 9, 2023 | Celebrity, Influencers, Israel, jewish news, Medical News
Kevin Bacon
By Debra Rich Gettleman
Dear reader,
I’m trying to reach Kevin Bacon. If any of you know anyone who knows anyone who knows him, would you be so kind as to forward this email to them.
That’s basically the premise of the whole 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon game. But you might not realize that this popular social experiment game was based on a 1967 Harvard University experiment by Professor Stanley Milgram. Milgram sent 300 identical letters across the US with instructions to pass the letter to someone within their social circle with the intent to eventually reach the intended recipient.
Amazingly, Milgram discovered that the social paths connecting people were typically six handshakes away. And this matters because it extends beyond sheer curiosity. These short pathways define our social network and explain our speedy ability to spread information, ideas, and even fads. This also applies to viruses (thank you Covid). It only takes 6 infection cycles for a pathogen to traverse the globe.
A recent paper published in Physical Review X by researchers from Israel, Spain, Italy, Russia, Slovenia, and Chile sheds light on the reasons for this phenomenon. You see, people seek prominence in social networks, so they go for connections that increase their social position. But networking takes energy and time, so folks have to consider the cost-benefit of breaking old ties and forming new ones. In truth, we’re all just trying to establish social equilibrium.
Israeli Professor Baruch Barzel
Israeli Professor Baruch Barzel, lead author of the study, and a professor at Bar-Ilan University, explains in a statement, “When we did the math, we discovered an amazing result: this process always ends with social paths centered around the number six. Each individual acts independently without knowing the network as a whole, yet this self-driven game shapes the structure of the entire network, leading to the small world phenomenon and the recurring pattern of six degrees,”
by Debra | Sep 7, 2023 | Arts, Celebrity, Creativity, film, Interviews, Media
by Debra Rich Gettleman
A standing ovation at the prestigious Venice International Film Festival, and the cat is out of the bag.
“Tatami,” is the story of female Iranian Judoka champion, Saeid Mollaei, who was ordered to throw a match at the World Judo Championships in 2019 to avoid facing Israeli Sagi Muki,
who ultimately won the tournament. Directly after the loss, Mollaei was secretly shuttled from Tokyo to Germany to protect her from the Iranian government who, not surprisingly, insisted that Mollaie’s claims were fabricated. The International Judo Federation banned Iran for all future competitions after investigating the claim. (The ban was later reduced to four years.)
The film, billed as a political sports thriller, is the first feature film to be co-directed by Israeli and Iranian directors. Both Guy Nattiv, Oscar winner and director of Golda, and Iranian Zar Amir Ebrahimi found their collaboration to be a perfect combination of authenticity and art. In a ScreenDaily interview, Nattiv shared, “Zar brought the Iranian authenticity. I don’t speak Farsi. She directed the actors in Farsi. She cast the movie as well. So, she brought a lot of layers. As a team, I was more in charge of the camera movements, and I directed her when she was acting and I was her eye. If she was in the scene, she came to the monitor to watch it with me. It was a beautiful process.”
Amir Ebrahimi, an award winning actress who also stars in the film, playing the Judoka’s terrified trainer, Maryam, told Reuters, “I knew there are many Iranians there, so we were trying to keep it calm and secret.” Nattiv concurred saying, “We knew it was a dangerous thing.”
“What I have learnt about the Iranian government,” insisted Ebrahimi, “Is that as long as you are afraid, they can arrest you, they can kill you, they can make trouble around you. But as long as you are not afraid … it is going to be fine.”
The film was shot in black and white, using a tight, 4:3 format, like for old television programs to illustrate the constraining limits placed upon Iranian women. “These women are living in a black and white world. There are no colours. The box is the claustrophobic world they live in. That is the one thing they want to break. They want their freedom,” Nattiv said.
The film seems destined for success as it addresses an incredibly relevant cultural divide between a free democracy, Israel, and a totalitarian Iranian regime. According to Variety, the film is “A potential breakout beyond the kinds of audiences who might ordinarily support a black-and-white, part-English, part-Farsi drama, “Tatami” could well engage beyond the usual arena for such films, and festival circuit glory seems assured.
by Debra | Sep 5, 2023 | Culture, jewish news, News, Sports
By Debra Rich Gettleman
It’s my least favorite time of year. I used to adore autumn. The cool crisp air, vibrant colored falling leaves, the anticipation of fall and winter holidays. But now it’s just the time of year when my husband abandons me. It’s NFL football season.
I don’t enjoy football, watching or playing it. My Saturday date nights disappear. When my kids are home, I’m practically invisible. There’s just nothing for me to get excited about.
Until now. Did you know there were Jewish NFL players? Now that’s interesting to me. And some of them are really good. We’ve got tight ends and running backs, offensive linemen and tackles, kickers, even a quarter back. In fact, Josh Rosen was considered a very promising QB a few years ago. Full disclosure, he’s had more interceptions than touchdowns in his 24 game NFL history. But we can still hope.
Sam Sloman
Anthony Firkser
Watch for these Bar Mitzvah boys when you’re chugging beer and enjoying those delicious doughy pretzel bites this season.
A.J. Dillon, Green Bay Packers running back
Greg Joseph, Minnesota Vikings kicker
Michael Dunn, Cleveland Browns offensive lineman
Jake Curhan, Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle
Wandering Jews (aka Free Agents):
Anthony Firkser (tight end)
Sam Sloman (kicker)
Josh Rosen (quarterback)
by Debra | Sep 3, 2023 | Antisemitism, Government, Israel, Sports
By Debra Rich Gettleman
Okay, we’ve all played team sports. We’ve all shaken hands after winning or losing a big game. We watch professional ball players congratulate winning teams with tears in their eyes. It’s called “sportsmanship.”
We even punish our kids when they tip over the Sorry board in a tantrum after a grueling family match. It’s just how it’s done.
Unless you’re the Iranian government.
This week, Iranian weightlifter Mostafa Rajaei was banned for the rest of his life from professional weightlifting by the regime in Tehran for shaking hands with an Israeli competitor at an event in Poland.
According to the Islamic Republic News Agency, Rajaei recently shook hands with Israeli weightlifter Maksim Svirsky as they stood at the medal podium at a World Masters championship in Wieliczka, in the Krakow metropolitan area.
Seriously? How petty can a country be? I mean, sure, Iran openly declares themselves the sworn enemy of the Jewish state. But what’s the big deal of a handshake after a Full Nelson, a Real Naked Choke, or a Figure-Four leglock?
And why is there no comment from the illustrious World Wrestling Entertainment or the National Wrestling Alliance? I haven’t heard a peep from ass whooping Stone Cold Steve Austin or Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
If we really want to see peace in the world, it has to start here. I suggest we put the entire Iranian nation in some sort of global penalty box until they’re ready to put on their big boy/girl pants and play nicely.
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