Hockey Hebrews

The National Hockey League season has begun in earnest and so it’s time to clue you in on the Jewish players. Mathieu Schneider, 34, is the highest-paid Jewish hockey player of all-time — earning $3.75 million this season. The veteran defenseman had an outstanding season last year. Last March, he was traded to Detroit from L.A. in a bid to help the Red Wings’ chances in the Stanley Cup. A source close to Schneider told our friends at the newsletter Jewish Sports Review about another Jewish player on the L.A. Kings — Michael Cammalleri, who joined the Kings last season.

Cammalleri, 23, had an outstanding career at the University of Michigan and did so well in the hockey minor leagues that he was brought up to the Kings with less than half a season in the minors. (Mike’s mother is Jewish. His father is not.) Also playing center is Jeff Halpern of the Washington Capitols. Halpern had a good, if not great season last year.

Veteran center Steve Dubinsky, 33, played last year with the NHL St. Louis Blues and with the Worcester IceCats of the American Hockey League (highest minor league). He is unsigned as of now. There are about six other Jewish players in the AHL.

As a side note, this item was prepared with the help of Jewish Sports Review (www.jewishsports

review.com), a terrific nonprofit newsletter that covers Jews from high school to the pros. If you are aware of a Jewish athlete the editors may not know of — including outstanding college/high school players — contact them.

Uncle Ralph

If actress Elizabeth Berkley’s mother is like most Jewish mothers, she must be kvelling big time these days.

Berkley (“Saved by the Bell” and “Showgirls”) married Greg Lauren, 33, the nephew of designer Ralph Lauren in a Nov. 7 ceremony at a luxurious Mexican seaside resort. Berkley, 31, who is very pretty, wore a stunning silk sheath with pearled spaghetti straps. This was reportedly the first bridal dress designed by Ralph Lauren, although he may soon be moving into bridal wear.

Greg, who is absurdly handsome, is a painter and actor. His paintings, including some of Berkley, have been featured in profiles in several major magazines, including People and Metropolitan Home. A number of Hollywood celebs have reportedly bought them. He has also acted in a few movies.

No, not many painters get a two-page spread in People. But not many painters look like Greek gods. Add in a beautiful wife and a famous uncle who whips up a dress for your bride — and you cannot keep the feature writers away. His work — and his images — are at greglauren.com.

The Strokes

Speaking of fashion—no rock group in recent memory has been taken up by fashionistas more than the New York City-based band The Strokes.

This band’s 2001 monster debut album got them heralded by some critics as the “future of rock” and “alt rock at its best.” The just-released 2003 CD, “Room on Fire,” has sold very well and the band appeared in San Francisco last month.

The Guardian and Rolling Stone recently ran a profile by a writer who spent a week with the band. Keyboardist Albert Hammond Jr. “informally converted” to Judaism

a little over a year ago, the profile says, so that guitarist Nick Valensi would not be the only Jew in the band. (Hammond may be part Jewish by birth — our sources are working on it.)

Well, this is the first time I heard the phrase “informal conversion,” but The Strokes are fashion leaders, so expect it to catch on.

Nate Bloom is the Oakland-based editor of www.Jewhoo.com.