Hollywood Stories by Lana Melman
on CELEBRATING OUR JEWISHNESS, “We’re not going to hide anymore.”
In this moment from my interview with actress Emmanuelle Chriqui, we talk about the powerful shift happening in Jewish identity since October 7—how so many are reclaiming their space with pride, not fear.
A silver lining in turbulent times.
READ the interview of Emmanuelle in my “Hollywood Stories” column which was published in The Jerusalem Post Magazine on 4/15/2025.
Emmanuelle Chriqui
developed his own “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy around his sexual orientation. He calls it a “code of conduct.”
Entertainment and business powerhouse, Barry Diller’s recently published autobiography, “Who Knew” is a chronology of his accomplishments and a tell-all of the Hollywood personalities he met along the way.
He writes of loyalty and friendship as well as treachery and deceit. While he names names, he also bares his soul.
READ my REVIEW of Who New in The Jerusalem Post Magazine published August 2, 2025.
Barry Diller
“When you look into my background, beyond my grandparents, all you find are peasants and serfs. It’s Fiddler on the Roof.” - Dr. Drew Pinsky (aka Dr. Drew).
Most people probably don’t know that Dr. Drew’s father was Jewish. Or that his family fled persecution and hunger in Ukraine only to struggle in the Great Depression once they got to America.
His grandfather opened a grocery store to make ends meet. "I remember a photo of him sitting in his grocery store with a long white apron, looking like a butcher, surrounded by food."
READ the full Hollywood Stories interview at The Jerusalem Post Magazine, originally published on x/xx/xx.
