0:04
We’re Obsessed With Jewish Baby Names. Here’s Why.
These days most kids in a class have a one‑of‑a‑kind name, a shift from the more common choices of the ’90s. Parents are hunting for distinct names, and social‑media influencers have turned that into a niche industry—curating lists, charging for consultations, and turning name‑picking into content.
For Jewish families, the existing pool of biblical and cultural names offers a ready‑made source of uniqueness, so the trend feels especially appealing. Kveller has been feeding that interest for years, and they’ve just launched a daily “Jewish Baby Name of the Day” email that mixes classic, modern Israeli, and “Jew‑ish” picks.
The newsletter aims to give parents a curated, heritage‑rich alternative to algorithm‑driven name lists, while also keeping the community engaged and supportive.
If you’re curious about names—whether you’re planning a baby or just love the cultural side—sign‑up and you’ll get a fresh suggestion each day.
0:31
Jewish Actress Louise Lasser Was, According to Lena Dunham, ‘The Prototype’
For many women my age (read: roughly Zillennial), Jewish actress Louise Lasser is best known for her brief but notable stint on “Girls.”
Playing Beadie, an ailing photographer who hires Jessa (Jemima Kirke) to be her assistant, Lasser put on a masterclass in acting. Beadie is funny, pathetic and all together emotionally compelling as she asks Jessa to help her die by suicide, only to change her mind after she has taken the pills. Season three of Lena Dunham‘s magnum opus ends with Jessa hurriedly calling paramedics to come pump Beadie’s stomach as the artist cries out, “I don’t want to die! Oh, God!” (Spoiler alert: Beadie lives.)
On July 6, 2026, Lasser passed away of natural causes. She was 87 years old. But, as Lena Dunham took to Instagram to remind us, Louise Lasser’s career is more than just her three-episode arc on “Girls.”
“When we were making ‘Girls,’ we got a chance to work with so many legends. But Louise Lasser was always canon, the prototype,” Dunham recounted. She also shared that she wrote the role of Beadie with Lasser in mind, but had trouble locating her. Only after posting on Twitter for leads was Dunham connected with Lasser, who agreed to play Beadie. Dunham went on to say the days working with Lasser were “some of the most dynamic, delightful, and appropriately challenging of my career.”
“I will remember her, lit as she requested and rewriting all her lines, as one of the best to ever do it,” Dunham concluded. “Rest in power dear Louise, and thank you for all you gave us, on our set and over your whole career.”
Born on April 11, 1939 to Paula (Eisenreich) Lasser and Sol Jay Lasser, an accountant and author of the “Everyone’s Income Tax Guide” series, Louise Lasser was master of deadpan comedy and a versatile performer. She got her start in performance at Brandeis University, studying political science but performing in shows on the side. Ultimately, she would drop out in her senior year to move back to New York, study with legendary actor Sanford Meisner and perform in revues in downtown bars and cafes.
It was a move that proved successful. In 1962, Lasser understudied Barbra Streisand in Broadway’s “I Can Get It For You Wholesale,” a musical set in the distinctly Jewish locale of the 1930s in New York’s Garment District. When Streisand left the production, Lasser briefly replaced her in the role of Miss Marmelstein.
Her next big thing would come in the form of her romantic and professional relationship with controversial Jewish comedian and filmmaker Woody Allen. The pair first collaborated together on an unaired pilot Allen wrote called “Laughmakers,” in which Alan Alda and Lasser starred as improv comics. Allen and Lasser would eventually get married in 1966, and Lasser would have roles in Allen’s early projects “What’s Up, Tiger Lily?,” “Take the Money and Run,” “Bananas” and “Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex* (But Were Afraid To Ask).” Though they divorced in 1970, Allen and Lasser kept in touch. He once said that Lasser was, “charming, smart as a whip, quick, very funny and witty.”
Working with Allen helped Lasser develop as an actress and comedian, and ultimately her breakthrough would come playing the titular character in the satirical soap opera “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.” Playing am American housewife dealing with the burgeoning hyper-consumerism of American culture in the 1970s, as well as other social issues of the day, Lasser quickly became a household name.
New York Times critic John J. O’Connor wrote at the time that Lasser had “an uncanny ability to touch as well as tickle.” Meanwhile, Chris Koseluk wrote for The Hollywood Reporter recently,“Lasser instilled the character with a noble dignity and a quiet sense of desperation that slowly continued to build during the series’ 325 episodes, highlighted by Mary’s meltdown at the end of season one on ‘The David Susskind Show.'” She was nominated for an Emmy in 1976 in the category of “Special Classification of Outstanding Program and Individual Achievement.”
Though “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” was cancelled in 1977, and Lasser dealt with a period of public scrutiny for drug use and public mental health struggles (coming to a head when she hosted a final episode of the first season of SNL), Lasser’s career was still fruitful. She had recurring roles in “Taxi,” “It’s a Living” and “St. Elsewhere.” She worked with Woody Allen again in the movie “Stardust Memories” and appeared in films like “Happiness,” “Requiem For a Dream,” “National Lampoon’s Gold Diggers” and “Funny Pages.”
It was also in her later life that she connected with her Jewish heritage. Lasser once said there was “not a Jewish thing” in her house growing up. As Lasser explained in a 2013 interview, “I was one of those Jews who sort of denied her heritage because I didn’t look it, no one thought I was Jewish, and only really recently in the last year or so have I found myself incorporating, feeling lucky I had that background.
2:41
35 Back-To-School Sports Gear Essentials Every Young Athlete Needs
Back-to-school season does not just mean notebooks, lunch boxes, and the shoes your kid insists everyone else already has. If your kid plays sports, it also means damp socks wedged into the back seat, a gym bag that smells like evidence, water bottles with no lids, and a towel that is wet, rank, and somehow still in use.
Most young athletes need the same basic stuff, no matter what they play: a sturdy water bottle, sweat-ready clothes, socks that do not quit, sunscreen, towels, deodorant, recovery gear, and something to contain the mess. Nothing here is precious.
2:59
10 Times Ted Lasso Totally Nailed This Whole Parenting Thing
Way back in 2020, when I heard that Apple TV was releasing a Ted Lasso show based on the NBC Sports English Premier League promo campaign of the same name, I dismissed the concept out of hand. Sure, I loved the cheeky ads where an American football coach goes to England to manage a football club.
3:09
Coach Mando's Advice For Dads Coaching Youth Sports
When you watch the hit Star Wars TV show The Mandalorian — or the new film The Mandalorian and Grogu — and you start to wonder if there’s something about being a bounty hunter with a heart of gold that can help you with youth sports, you’re not nuts. It’s possible that just through osmosis, thanks to the motions of Mando himself, you’re getting some good sense of how to be a better sports parent. Here’s why: The actor who has played the body of The Mandalorian since 2019, Brendan Wayne, has been coaching soccer for 23 years.
3:25
The Awkward Truth About Gym Class
Pretend you’re a tree. This was my earliest memory of physical education: our teacher, a tall and thin woman whose broad nimbus of dark hair was edged with gray, asking us to make-believe. By, as I understood it, not moving. In gym class. I was in second grade, and I was already confused. Somewhere here in my elementary school’s wood-floored gymnasium, I knew, there were ropes to climb, mats to tumble on, balls to kick and throw and dodge.
3:38
10 Great Sports Docs & True-Life Stories To Stream With Your Kids Right Now
Finding movies and TV that please everyone can be tough. But if you’ve got a sporty kid, screen time is a great opportunity. Sure, there’s old-school sports movie like The Sandlot or A League of Their Own — complete with inspirational messages and strong moral codes. But why go for fictional sports stories when you can get the real thing?
Sports docuseries, or true-to-life dramatized sports stories, are great to watch with young athletes. They tell inspirational tales and maybe even give them a real-life role model in the meantime.
3:55
Before Dinner Window Sibling Squabbles
Authoritative parenting isn’t a new fad; it’s the style that consistently shows up in the strongest research—multiple meta‑analyses and long‑term cohort studies link it to better short‑term coping and healthier development over years. The evidence is solid, not a single anecdote.
In practice, it means staying warm and connected while also setting clear limits. Think of it as the “both‑sides” approach: you listen, you empathize, and you still tell your child what’s expected, even when it feels uncomfortable.
By contrast, authoritarian parenting leans on loud commands and guilt to avoid the awkward moment when a child resists, while permissive parenting leans on affection but shies away from setting boundaries. Both tend to dodge the discomfort that comes with guiding behavior.
The dad’s comment after the lesson captures this: he’s seen how the “before‑dinner window” can turn into a squabble if the family isn’t using that balanced, authoritative style. The takeaway? A little extra warmth paired with firm expectations can smooth those everyday moments and keep the relationship strong.
4:25
Egg Freezing, IVF, and What Every Woman Should Know About Her Fertility with Dr. Hillary Pearson
I've been reading about egg freezing and IVF, and I wanted to give you the lowdown. Dr. Hillary Pearson, a fertility specialist at Spring Fertility, says it's never too soon to see a fertility specialist. She breaks down the differences between egg freezing, IUI, and IVF - egg freezing is like putting your eggs in a freezer, IUI is a more straightforward process where sperm is inserted directly into the uterus, and IVF involves fertilizing the eggs in a lab.
When it comes to egg freezing, there's no ideal age, but it's generally recommended to freeze eggs before 35. Dr. Pearson also talks about secondary infertility, which is when a woman can't get pregnant again after having a child. She says this is more common than people think, and it's often due to changes in the body after pregnancy.
One of the most interesting points Dr. Pearson makes is about coping with pregnancy fear after loss. She says it's normal to feel anxious about getting pregnant again, and it's not just about the physical process - it's also emotional. She recommends taking time to process your feelings and waiting until you feel ready to try again.
Dr. Pearson also emphasizes the importance of mental health during fertility treatment. She says your relationship with your doctor is crucial, and you should feel comfortable talking about your feelings and concerns. And if you have a friend going through infertility, she suggests being a supportive listener and avoiding clichés like "just relax."
