This week, we examined the parallels between Tom Cruise and Tomás de Torquemada, met the only rapping Jewish faith healer in the Presidential race, looked into the toll of war in Gaza, found out what God has to do with Presidential politics, and searched for subtext in the late films of Woody Allen.

In Culture, we revisited the 'Eat Pray Love' backlash (which the Revealer noticed last week) and read a lot of magazines to determine whether or not circumcision makes men wimpy.  In Sex, we worried about whether celebrating Valentine's day makes you a bad Jew (obvs no) and whether JDate is bad for women (maybe, but probably not).

In Politics, we took a hard look back at the time when Bill Clinton pardoned some Puerto Rican terrorists and read some very bad op-eds.  In Religion, we learned how to plan a Shabbat dinner.  And in Lifestyle, we noticed that Israeli restaurant workers are striking and protesting an impending ban on foreign chefs and wondered whether Naked Chef Jamie Oliver's upcoming expose of kosher slaughter was really going to as "anti-Semitic" as critics had feared. 

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Emily Gould: Ok, I'm caught up now — have you seen the episode where he goes to see his own therapist yet?

Elisa Albert: Amazing. Yes. And truly it was the reason for continuing to watch. Loved especially how Paul challenges and tests her in much the same way as he is continually challenged/tested by his own patients. Was such a primal scene. And Diane Wiest i've adored since "Parenthood". Anyone? But since then, nothing. I can't watch. Not, like, emotionally-can't. Literally: can't. My frickin' cable is malfunctioning and the benevolent support team at TimeWarner has offered me a fourteen-hour window sometime next month when they may or may not come and possibly fix it. (And what, pray tell, am I supposed to do to occupy myself during said fourteen-hour window if my cable isn't working?)

What's sadder: that my cable has been out for two days or that I'm sad that my cable has been out for two days? I'm having some feelings about my feelings. Help. In the absence of anything else to talk about, I will therefore resort to base gossip: Britney's therapist? The one who got her committed? As identified in all the rags as one Dr. Deborah Nadel of Santa Monica? Only slightly off point, but guess what? Totally my high school shrink. Which explains. So. Much.

Emily: Ha! Have you ever had the conversation with any of your shrinks about what it would take to get committed? I never had until recently. I had been hedgy about spitting something out (uh, uncharacteristic, n'duh), and she was like "why did you hesitate?" and I was like, "I was thinking that would be the one thing I could say that would make you be ethically obligated to call the men in the white coats to cart me away." She laughed — I mean, she didn't GUFFAW, but she definitely CHUCKLED — and was like "that will never happen." I have to admit, I was sort of disappointed. Anyway, I have only seen one episode of 'In Treatment' post- Paul's visit to Diane Wiest, who is aging really well. I found that it was harder to take him seriously now that we know all his fallibilities. Not to ruin it for you, but his next visit with Laura, his responsible-adult-in-charge facade kinda cracks. Anyway, I'm sorry about your cable! I didn't have cable — or TV for that matter — for four months recently and it was sort of cleansing. Towards the end, though, I stopped having anything to talk to anyone about. Don't let that happen to you.

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We also wondered why all the Hollywood tough guys are played by either Aussies or Jews these days.

We endorsed Obama, in our special way.

Also this week: our own Izzy Grinspan spoke on a panel about whether the Internet was good for the Jews. Jewlicious reports that "one of the nice people attending the event asked me what the difference was between the Web and a Blog," and The Kvetcher complained that "except perhaps for Izzy, [the panelists] didn’t seem to know (or admit they care) about any of the specifics." Other than that, everyone had a good time.

We also celebrated Valentine's Day early, wondered whether critics liked "Orthodox Stance"because it was good, or just Jewish, and found out the secret behind the composition of 'Rehab.'

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This week, we paid a visit to the 92nd Street Y, where Shmuely Boteach and Christopher Hitchens got to the bottom of the whole 'is there a God' thing. People discussed our take on the Huffington Post, as well as here and here.

Two weeks into writing our JDater Of The Week column, Izzy had an ethical crisis and vowed to be nicer. Boinkology noticed.

Our comic artist Eli Valley took on Antisemitism in British textbooks; the Kvetcher wasn't crazy about it.

We watched the new HBO series 'In Treatment' and talked about our troubled childhoods. We thought about what Barack Obama's potential presidency means for Jews.

And we got drunk at a Brooklyn Yeshiva turned bar named Deity.

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Elisa Albert: "Dude, one of the things I've been, ah, addressing in therapy is my tendency to open right up and overshare immediately, without demanding my trust be earned, etc. so that i not infrequently wind up having my emotional ass handed to me by pretty much whoever. So screw that, I'm not sharing deep/dark secrets. (Maybe tomorrow.) Emily's right about the in-love-with-shrink cliche, but it's such a rich cliche, as cliches go. I don't think it's necessarily even a carnal love thing; the prospect of another human being who is de facto always on your side, who validates your feelings and does not judge, and with whom you are free to be absolutely honest = LOVE. Especially in contrast to the difficulties of a two-sided relationship in which one must compromise, take responsibility, and maintain a sometimes-uncomfy level of vulnerability. You know how some Christians describe Christ's love? Perfect, whole, accepting, forgiving. The closest thing I can imagine is my favorite shrink (I've had a few over the years, as geographical-shifts necessitate). And let's not forget: you only see this person once a week. The less you see someone, the easier they are to love. (Who's fucked up now, hombres?) Anyway, I've heard the kashrut for such things is that the therapy relationship stops, two years must pass, then the therapist/patient can run off together and live happily ever after. Until each begins therapy with someone new…"

Emily Gould: "I agree with Elisa, Tahl: expecting us to air our dirty laundry just because we're watching a show about therapy? Come on. (Maybe I'll show you one dirty sock, but I'm not about to spill my guts. They're not nearly as interesting as Blair Underwood's character's guts! He killed some children!) Anyway, maybe I'm immune to the charms Laura's shrink-love storyline cause I've never felt that way about a therapist. Even though mine validates my feelings etc, I've never thought of her as nonjudgmental. I worry a lot about her approval, actually! And the approval of … pretty much everyone else, including anonymous strangers! Actually, that's one of the things we talk about. Hmm. What did you think of last night's episode? I guess we're meant to be anticipating the moment when the fighter pilot character's bluster breaks down and he shows a human sliver of guilt for what he's done. Last night, though, seemed to just be about laying the groundwork for this moment, and I have to admit, it didn't hold my interest. I did enjoy the moment towards the end when he flat-out asked his therapist for advice and was frustrated when he was denied. Doesn't he understand that therapy is all about getting the input you need to figure out what you need to be doing on your own? Or was the therapist ethically remiss — should he have given him the potentially life-saving input he needed? Of course, the stakes weren't really that high for the audience. After all, we know he won't fly back to the scene of his crime and be harmed — after all, he has to show up for next week's session."

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This week, we met two liberal intellectuals — hipsters, even– who believe in God, and we asked them why. We talked to Found magazine editor Davy Rothbart about life on tour, his new movie, and whether or not he has groupies (answer: kinda!). And Tahl Raz mused about how the world's yawning at Harvey Weinstein and Georgina Chapman's nuptials means that "our generation of Jewish women find power … far less problematic than their predecessors." Or maybe we're just numb.

Ben Shapiro discussed his new book on presidential image-making, and Tamar Fox dipped a toe in the controversy around a Yeshiva that won't allow gay alums' partners at their reunion. We got to the bottom of the whole blood libel thing. And a guy actually volunteered to be featured as our JDater of the Week! His turnons include "NPR," "The Eagles," and "seeking to understand my God."

Last week was so Jewcy we're still hearing about it. Jon Kesselman's Jewy take on Tom Cruise's Scientology indoctrination video was chosen by Radar as one of the 8 best on YouTube! Yess! It was also picked up by Slate. And the story of the smear campagin against Barack Obama — those emails calling him a "covert Muslim" and a "jew hating bigot" that we noticed circulating — found its way to Andrew Sullivan, the Jewish Week, and the paper of record.

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• Tom Cruise's Scientology indoctrination video was revealed.
• 'Hebrew Hammer' director Jon Kesselman's eerily Tom Cruiselike Judaism indoctrination video was revealed.
• David Smydra wondered why the mainstream media can't seem to figure out how to cover religion. Tahl Raz offered a personal take.
• Comedian Michael Showalter talked about finding God in a blue J. Crew sweater.
• Helen Jupiter busted the myth that Judaism is more race than religion — though some commenters begged to differ.
• We looked into those weird "Jew-hating" Obama smear campaign emails.
• Michael Weiss liveblogged the Democratic debate in Nevada.
• We Google Earthed some Biblical scenes.
• We found our first JDater of the week! He thinks he's a little bit like George Costanza.
• This is the recipe to cook when you're taking Tu B'Shevat off from work.
• We found some good evidence that God might not exist.

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