In an interview with Yedioth Ahronoth, Bar Refaeli bemoaned that she’s alone and she doesn’t know why. Well, it’s probably because she’s super busy, or because men are too intimidated by her, or because that guy is just too into himself – at least those are the excuses our friends feed us when we complain about loneliness. The New York Daily News reports:

“I’m okay,” the 28-year-old former flame of Leonardo DiCaprio continued. “I look great. I’m cool. I like going out. I like being at home, I like movies, I like eating. So what’s wrong with me? Why am I alone?”

She likes everything! She’ll find someone—we aren’t worried. But Refaeli was worried about the Daily News’ interpretation of her interview when they wrote that the supermodel was looking for a famous man to marry.

Her turn-ons include self-confidence, physical fitness and generosity: “I’m very interested in going out with someone who is big and strong and famous.”

Our Bar would never say that—and she made that clear on Twitter today.

Just woke up to DailyNews saying I'm looking for a strong FAMOUS guy- what?!?! Where did u get that?? Completely false.

— Bar Refaeli (@BarRefaeli) October 18, 2013

You tell ‘em, sister. Big and strong and famous is overrated. Small and thin and uncool is where it’s at. And don’t worry, Refaeli, they’re everywhere.

Supermodel Bar Refaeli laments her single status [NY Daily News]

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When Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters boycotted the State of Israel, he should’ve known he’d be boycotting its greatest assets, too. Like supermodel Bar Refaeli, who told Waters off in a tweet:

“Roger Waters, you should remove my picture from the video art at your concerts. If you’re boycotting – then go all the way”

Waters—who recently called on his fellow musicians not to perform in Israel until it “complies with universal principles of human rights”—used a photograph of Refaeli during one of his concerts.

רוג'ר ווטרס, כדאי שתוריד את התצלום שלי מהוידאו ארט בהופעות שלך. אם כבר חרם- אז עד הסוף.

— Bar Refaeli (@BarRefaeli) August 21, 2013

Sorry, Waters. Refaeli’s got Israel’s back.

(Photo by NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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All hail Jesse Heiman. The Jewish actor plays nerdy computer guy Walter and makes out with Jewcy mascot Bar Refaeli, loudly and sloppily, in the new GoDaddy Super Bowl ad.

This isn’t Refaeli’s first foray into acting—she plays a Mossad agent in the upcoming film Kidon, and showed off her sense of humor (among other things) in the sex tape kickstarter campaign she filmed for Funny or Die. Refaeli doesn’t have any lines in the new ad, but she definitely gets her point across.

She even posted a picture of the moment before her epic smooch on Instagram—though we’re not sure during which of the 45 (45!) takes it was snapped.

What do you think of the commercial? Funny or tasteless?

Previously: Bar Refaeli Wants To Have Sex With You On Camera

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Two weeks ago, somewhere in our nation’s capital, seven young Jewish men and seven young Jewish women got together for a Shabbat dinner. But it wasn’t just any dinner—it was the now infamous Craigslist Shabbat dinner, organized by seven very confident young Jews who took to the ultimate online personals section to find their besherts. We spoke with Elissa*, one of the seven lucky “chosen” female attendees, about her experience.

So, you’re a chosen ‘chosen one’—mazel tov. How did you find the Craigslist ad? And why did you decide to apply?

I honestly thought the entire thing was a joke. I’m fairly incompetent using the Internet (I just found out that there were articles written about this before it happened), and when my former college roommate posted this on my Facebook wall, I thought, ‘How ridiculous.’ He (ah, liberal arts education) and I decided to apply purely out of curiosity and because we thought it would be hilarious. Never did I ever think this would actually take place, that I would be invited to join, or that I would go. I’ve never met anybody on the Internet (I meet enough creeps in real life), I’ve never been on a blind date, and I’ve never dated an American Jew. So this was way out of my comfort zone.

How long did you spend on your application? Did you take it seriously or just fire something off?

It probably took me longer to read the posting than to write a response. My ‘application’ began with “Dear circumcised gentlemen” and ended with “Pick me and make my bubbe kvell.” I used Maimonides and Zach Braff in the same sentence and told them they better not be schmucks. They asked for a picture so I sent one of me at a prayerbook vending machine in Jerusalem. 

How did you find out you were selected?

A few days later, I got the ‘acceptance’ email:

Following strip bingo night with the local Hadassah chapter, we carefully reviewed your application, engaged in Talmudic discussion over the merits of your presence at our Shabbat dinner table, and Googled the hell out of you.

On behalf of Seven White Single Jewish Males, I’d like to stomp on a glass and wish you a Mazel Tov! You are officially one of the seven chosen people.

The challah is practically in the oven, the gefilte fish are swimming about, the Manischewitz is on ice, and you’ll want to give up your birthright for this lentil soup. We just need to know by noon tomorrow, how much herring to cover in wine sauce.

Also, if you have any food allergies or dietary restrictions, please let us know too. For the sake of inclusion, all food will be kosher.

We also trust that you will use your discretion, and keep this in the family (of 14).

This invitation is non-transferrable, unless you are transferring it to Bar Refaeli or Elena Kagan.

David Ben Gurion

Clearly, I’m not keeping this in ‘the family’ (that’s how Jewish genetic diseases started, after all), but this whole experience was too absurd not to share.

So how did the actual event go down?

I love a good story and routinely get myself into strange predicaments, but I truly didn’t know how to handle this and was debating whether or not I should go. It started to get even more surreal as the plans were being made. The guys were extremely vague and secretive in their communication with us. They continued using the alias David Ben Gurion and waited until the last minute to provide us with an address (they were contacted by several media sources and were understandably worried about guests showing up to the dinner unwelcome), and I started to get freaked out.
 
I demanded that they meet me in a public place first (it turned out that I was the only one with this requirement), and established a “safe word” with a friend who, if I called or texted, would either come to my rescue or notify the authorities. Not to be outdone, the father of one of the chosen Jewesses even hired a bodyguard to be on call a few blocks from our location. I was still extremely anxious (it’s part of my heritage, okay?), although the guys did their best to quell my fears before the event. Their mothers clearly raised them right.
 
The dinner took place at a very nice apartment, and at first we just sat around having drinks and discussing the absurdity of the situation. Our hosts admitted they sifted through hundreds of responses to the ad—one enthusiastic woman offered to fly in from the Midwest and a group of “Protestant Princesses” even reached out to them. It was kind of a hilarious ego boost, except that I learned just how much they gleaned from a simple Google search of my name. Excuse me while I reconsider my relationship with the Internet.

According to the ad, the group of male hosts included five good-looking guys and two ugly guys. Was that true?

Well, disappointingly, there were only five guys there—two of them ended up not being able to make it—and six of us Jewesses (one bailed at the last minute). We joked that it was the ugly guys who had dropped out. One particular guy and I had our differences: he made a joke early on about it being good that we had all met on “Craigslist and not Schindler’s list,” to which I responded, “Too soon.” From that moment on, he seemed to openly dislike me. Oh well.
 
The quality of the company overall ended up being quite enjoyable, though, and I think that’s what counts the most. No one was remarkably schlubby or nebbishy, though the fresh babka was the biggest turn-on for me. Yum.
 
Tell us a little about the dinner. How was the food? How were the other chosen ladies?
 
The dinner itself was surprisingly comfortable. The guys cooked and served a delightful multi-course meal, the wine was flowing, and the people were funny and interesting. I was honestly shocked. I don’t have many Jewish friends and am not yet part of a Jewish community here in D.C., so it was refreshing to be around people with shared backgrounds and experiences.
 
And the other girls were lovely. We all engaged each other and it never felt like one of those catty reality shows where the women are competing for the men or vice-versa. Having gone into this half-expecting to be murdered by a serial killer (and yet I went, sigh) or be so bored that I’d try to gouge my eyeballs out with a Shabbat candle, I was pleasantly surprised. It’s not often that a bunch of guys cook, clean, and entertain a group of ladies completely of their own accord. Note to gentlemen everywhere: this should be done more often.
 
The evening was so “normal” in fact, that during dessert we joked that we needed to do something to spice it up, like perform an impromptu brit milah at the dinner table.

So, did you hit it off with any of the guys? Was your beshert at the dinner?

The dinner ended up lasting more than five hours, at which point us Jewesses all left together (we’re all still in touch and actually got another dinner party invitation—so, to be continued!). Interestingly, no phone numbers were exchanged across the genders at the actual event, though three of the girls were later contacted by three guys and are seeing each other again. Yentl the matchmaker would be so proud!
 
Personally, I did not find my beshert that night (and later met up with a French goy I’ve been casually dating…oops. My mother would be so disappointed). While I met some great people, my first foray into Jewish dating didn’t end up successful in the traditional sense. I guess it’s back to the land of the uncircumcised for me for now. Oy.
 
That weekend (after Shabbos ended, of course), I sent the guys an email thanking them for not being serial killers and for hosting a lovely evening, and they sent the chosen few a “shaynem dank” email:

Thank you for indulging our Shabbat fantasies. It was the ultimate double mitzvah. We had a great time hosting you, and may these experiences be fruitful and multiply. Never forget.

*Last name omitted so her mother never finds out.

(image via Shutterstock)

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• Meet Israel’s first female pimp, currently serving a 30-month prison sentence. [Tablet]

• Gawker is here to help you figure out which New York Times Hanukkah story your mom will send you this year. [Gawker]

• Bar Refaeli posted a picture of herself in a Santa suit, and people got pretty pissed. [Jerusalem Post]

• An eerily in-depth look at Judd Apatow’s entire life. [BroBible]

• Just so we’re clear, Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen do not make out in their new movie, The Guilt Trip. [NYT]

• Meanwhile, Time columnist Joel Stein tried to recreate the movie’s plot by driving Babs from her home in Malibu to Beverly Hills. [Time]

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This summer, Hulu began streaming Hatufim (Prisoners of War), the Israeli show Homeland is based on. And while I’m always excited for new devotees of Israeli television, I noticed a strange phenomenon: people commenting on the relative unattractiveness of the Israeli actors in comparison to their Homeland counterparts. In fact, a similar thing happened when I was writing weekly recaps about the Israeli TV show Srugim—there were a few commenters who repeatedly popped up to air their opinion on the female characters lack of hotness.

Look, people are the worst. But they may sort of have a point. It is true that American TV stars, with their airbrushed perfect skin and glossy hair, are better kempt and more conventionally attractive than their Israeli counterparts. That’s partly due to the much lower production budget for Israeli TV, and partly because Israeli media lacks an US Weekly-style obsessive cataloging of every actresses’ baby weight or latest wrinkle.

And while some might prefer everyone onscreen to look like Bar Refaeli, there’s something comforting and refreshing about the every-guy quality of Israeli TV actors, who really look like people you might see on the streets of Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. I mean, would you really trust a CIA operative as attractive as Claire Danes? I have never seen anyone with such shiny hair in Foggy Bottom.

Danes’ character has no exact analogue on Hatufim, but as I pointed out a few weeks ago, the great Israeli Hollywood takeover has lots of Israeli and American actors playing the same characters. Cultural differences aside, some actors manage to bring more believability to their roles than others. To see how the Americans stack up against the originals, here’s a side-by-side comparison.

Show: In Treatment/B’Tipul
Character: Psychologist

Israeli version: One of Israeli’s most iconic actors, Assi Dayan—son of famed eye patch-wearing foreign minister Moshe Dayan!—plays Dr. Reuven Dagan. The therapist’s office may be a bit run down and his clothes slightly rumpled, but even while his inner life is in turmoil he still conveys his commitment to his patients.

American Version: Gabriel Byrne plays Dr. Paul Weston, with an Irish brogue that lends gravitas to everything he says. His long silences and distant looks instill confidence—as do his well-tailored suits.

Most Realistic: Byrne. He’s easy to imagine as one of those annoying therapists on the Upper East Side who doesn’t take insurance and makes you pay upfront.

Show: Traffic Light/Ramzor
Character: Type A Wife

Israel: Yael Sharoni—who also starred in Srugim, my favorite show about the love lives of Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem—plays Lilach Itzkovich-Yafa, the overly opinionated wife of the henpecked Itzko. Her verbal (and implied physical) abuse is a running joke throughout.

America: Liza Lapira plays Lisa Reilly. Lapira is a talented actress, but because the showrunners don’t think America can handle an unlikeable woman, the character is watered down to a bland nothing.

Most Realistic: Sharoni. She was born to play a Grade-A bitch. Plus, Srugim!

Show: Homeland/Hatufim
Character: Returning POWs

Israel: Yoram Toledano and Ishai Golan play Nimrod Klein and Uri Zach, two Israeli soldiers returning home after being held in captivity in Lebanon for 17 years.

America: Damian Lewis is Nicholas Brody, an American soldier who has been held by Al-Qaida since 2003.

Most Realistic: Yoram and Uri. The two must have lost a significant amount of weight to look as emaciated as they do and they never lose their haunted look throughout the season. While I adore Damian Lewis, the man doesn’t even have bags under his eyes.

Show: In Treatment/B’Tipul
Character: A patient going to therapy with his wife to decide whether or not to have an abortion.

Israel: I don’t remember much about Rami Heuberger’s performance as Michael. Just that the character was all kinds of awful.

America: Dan Rydell Will Gardner Josh Charles plays Jake, with a penchant for denim and an unfortunate mustache and goatee.

Most realistic: Josh Charles because he is the king of office Passover seders and all things Baltimore.

Show: Homeland/Hatufim
Character: The older, wiser intelligence officer.

Israel: Gal Zaid is Haim Cohen, who is convinced the two returning abductees have a secret they aren’t sharing.

America: Mandy Patinkin steals the show as Saul Berenson‬‬, Carrie’s mentor and erstwhile defender. ‬‬

Most Realistic: Mandy Patinkin, holla

Previously: Is That a Falafel in My Situation Comedy?

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• Avital Chizhik, who wrote in Tablet about the politics of tights for Orthodox girls, shares a moving cross-cultural experience in the New York Times.

• Josh Radnor, front row at Fashion Week. What would Ted do?

• Is this the definitive list of the 25 best Seinfeld episodes?

• Diane von Furstenberg told the Fashion’s Night Out crowd at her store she hoped they were all Democrats.

• Adam Pally, aka Max on Happy Endings, wrote a movie that Will Ferrell is producing.

• It was bound to happen, right? Kanye raps about Israel—and Bar Refaeli four minutes into his new song, Clique:

The post Daily Jewce: Kanye West Raps About Israel, DVF Gets Political appeared first on Jewcy.

Another one- for a special friend instagr.am/p/NwAEGjMUZx/

— Bar Refaeli (@BarRefaeli) July 31, 2012

Israeli supermodel and Twitter enthusiast posted a picture of herself modeling a lace bodysuit, with the cryptic—and somewhat counter-intuitive—message, “for a special friend.” In the image, our girl Bar is standing on a grass tennis court, possibly a reference to the London Olympic Games, which she attended with snowboarder Shaun White.

Just who is this special friend? And why does Bar think she needs to tweet sexy photos to get someone’s attention? And couldn’t she just have sent a text? Jewcy’s Bar Refaeli Investigative Squad (BRIS) is on the case.

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• The Times reveals New York City’s best bialys, pastrami, and rye.

• In what sounds like a worse version of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher are vacationing in Bali.

• The Big Bang Theory’s Mayim Bialik discusses walking the red carpet on Tisha B’Av.

• Spotted: Bar Refaeli and Shaun White in the stands watching swimmer Michael Phelps compete.

• According to Fran Lebowitz, “a toll-taker has a more exciting life than a pornographer.”

• While on Andy Cohen’s late-night Bravo talk show, Joan Rivers says “even as a Jew” she wouldn’t wear Princess Diana’s wedding ring:

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• Getting pooped on by a bird at the Western Wall becomes a catalyst for introspection for one Birthright-goer.

• Bar Refaeli gets sushi in Tel Aviv.

• Do Jews live longer than other people? Jewcy contributor Sala Levin debunks that and other myths.

• Leon Black is the mystery buyer who dropped almost $120 million for Edvard Munch’s iconic painting, “The Scream.”

• Girls’ Alex Karpovsky stars in this short film, based on an upcoming book by Joshua Cohen.

The post Daily Jewce: Israel’s Social Justice Activist, Bar Refaeli in Tel Aviv, and more appeared first on Jewcy.