Get the shot, celebs say

Celebs posting their “vaxxies,” or post-vaccine selfies, is a thing. Gloria Steinem, Jeff Goldblum, Mandy Patinkin and English actor Stephen Fry (who got it at Westminster Abbey, which has been opened as a vaccination site) have all posted their experiences to social media. Carole King sang a song to celebrate, while Billy Crystal and Bette Midler gave interviews. True to form, Midler, 75, when asked what she’d do now that she was vaccinated, replied that she’d be having “tons of anonymous sex.”

Netta has the X factor

In 2018, Israeli Netta Barzilai won the Eurovision song contest with the song “Toy.” Now Barzilai is not a contestant but a judge — she’s joining Simon Cowell on Israel’s own version of the talent competition show “The X Factor.” Cowell has a pretty strong connection to Israel and Judaism, although he doesn’t call himself Jewish. His father, a music executive, was Jewish, as is his partner, Lauren Silverman. Cowell has visited Israel and even donated money to Friends of the Israel Defense Forces.

Edelman asks Leonard over for Shabbat

NFL star Julian Edelman of the New England Patriots is inviting the NBA’s Meyers Leonard over for Shabbat. Leonard, who plays for the Miami Heat, was recently called out for using an anti-Jewish slur while playing an online video game, but Edelman said he thought the problem was ignorance more than hate. “Let’s do a Shabbat dinner with some friends, I’ll show you a fun time,” he wrote on social media, addressing Leonard.

An open letter to @MeyersLeonard pic.twitter.com/bJcoupfbur

— Julian Edelman (@Edelman11) March 10, 2021

Directing your own biopic

Steven Spielberg has a new topic — himself. He’s planning to direct a movie based on his own childhood growing up in a Jewish family in Arizona. He’s cowriting it with noted playwright Tony Kushner, but it’s yet to be cast. First, Spielberg has to see through the release of his latest movie, a version of “West Side Story” due out on Dec. 9.

Sisters light up the stage, but no win

At the Grammys on March 14 there were some stellar performances from Jewish musicians, including by the rock band Haim, three sisters (Este, Danielle and Alana Haim) from Los Angeles. They were hoping to make history as the first all-female rock band nominated for the Grammys’ top prize, album of the year, but didn’t win in that category, nor for best rock performance, their second nomination.

Doja Cat also hit the stage for a live version of her hit “Say So,” while producer and multiple Grammy winner Jack Antonoff joined Taylor Swift on stage for her performance. He also came to the stage when Swift’s “Folklore,” which he produced, won album of the year. Tiffany Haddish and Taika Waititi also picked up statues.  Haddish won for best comedy album for her Netflix special “Black Mitzvah,” released in December 2019, while Waititi picked up the statue for best soundtrack compilation for his film “Jojo Rabbit.” “I guess they’re just giving Grammys to anyone now! I’ll take it, thank you,” he said.

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