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Brian Stelter reports — CNN’s Anthony Bourdain dead at 61: “Anthony Bourdain, the chef and gifted storyteller who took TV viewers around the world to explore culture, cuisine and the human condition for nearly two decades, has died. He was 61. CNN confirmed Bourdain’s death on Friday and said the cause of death was suicide.”

Flashback to 2013 — Bourdain reveals Jewish heritage during show in Israel: “Focusing on what he called “the most contentious piece of real estate in the world,” Bourdain used the episode to reveal his own Jewish heritage: “I’ve never been in a synagogue. I don’t believe in a higher power,” he told viewers. “But that doesn’t make me any less Jewish, I don’t think.” During the show, Bourdain puts on tefillin by the Western Wall, takes a walking tour of the Old City with famed international chef Yotam Ottolenghi, eats a meal with an American-born settler, chats with members of the first all-Palestinian race car team in Ramallah, and eats fire-roasted watermelon and other Palestinian foods in Gaza.” [ToI]

RUDY ON THE ROAD — Palestinian Authority is a “renegade group; terrorists and thieves.” — Rudy Giuliani referring to the Palestinian Authority’s success in pushing the Argentinian national team to cancel friendly match in Jerusalem during in an interview with The Jerusalem Post. “You don’t let terrorism frighten you into not doing what you already agreed to do.”

Moving the embassy to Jerusalem was important “for the same reason it would have been important for Argentina to go through with this game. There was only one reason not to move the embassy: fear. America, the greatest military power on earth, should not be affected by fear.” [JPost]

CAVEAT — Pompeo: Giuliani doesn’t speak for administration — by Kevin Liptak and Sophie Tatum: “I know Rudy. Rudy doesn’t speak for the administration when it comes to this [North Korea] negotiation and this set of issues,” Pompeo said Thursday when asked about Giuliani’s comments [in Israel]… “I took him as being in a small room and not being serious about the comments,” Pompeo said during a briefing at the White House. “I think it was a bit in jest. We are focused on the important things.”[CNN]

Giuliani Speaks for Trump. Except When He Doesn’t — by Peter Baker and Maggie Haberman: “Mr. Giuliani also ventured into Middle East peace as Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, has developed a plan to resolve the decades-old dispute between the Israelis and Palestinians… The former mayor told Israeli reporters that he had seen Mr. Kushner’s secret peace plan and that it made “all the sense in the world.” But Mr. Giuliani called The Wall Street Journal afterward to say he only knew what had been in news reports. “I have not seen any secret plan or been told about one,” he said. “I based my comments on the publicly available discussion of the plan.” [NYTimes]

Giuliani discussed Bibi’s cigars at an event hosted by the OneFamily Foundation: “Cowards can’t protect people. So Donald Trump seeks his guidance from the soul of America. And I think your prime minister (Benjamin Netanyahu) does because he’s really — he may not like it when I say it, he’s really an American. He loves America, he knows American politics, as well I bet as I do. And my goodness they’re now torturing him because he loves cigars. I love cigars and I’ve had more than one with him and… so did Winston Churchill, by the way.” [Video]

BUZZ ON BALFOUR — The Odd Instruction Given to the Crew on Netanyahu’s El Al Flight — by Yossi Verter: “In the past two years, since the eruption of criminal investigations against him, [Netanyahu] seems to have become a more frequent flyer than ever. His wife, Sara, always goes with him… On Monday, the couple left for Germany, France and England… The flight attendants were given a page of guidelines about how to comport themselves vis-a-vis the prime minister and his wife… Among the don’ts, one instruction stood out: Under no circumstances are you to address the prime minister directly. Every approach to him is to be made solely through his wife.”

“This anecdote will strike a chord with people knowledgeable about the history of the relations between Bibi and Sara. The two first met in the 1990s on an El Al flight. He was deputy foreign minister in the government of Yitzhak Shamir; she, a stewardess, “blonde with a bob haircut and shy eyes. The two exchanged a few words, no more,” as journalist Ben Caspit writes in his recently published biography of Netanyahu. “During a stopover at Schiphol Airport in Holland, the flight attendant left him a note with her name and phone number.” [Haaretz]

TRUMP DIPLOMACY — Donald Trump is undermining the rules-based international order: “The split with the Europeans makes co-ordinating pressure on Iran harder and creates a “major disconnect between the objective and the means,” says Martin Indyk… “For all those who say there’s no chance this can work, there’s a part of me that says: well, I wonder,” says Dennis Ross of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. A new alignment of interests between Israel, Saudi Arabia and other Arab states helps. “If it’s properly handled there is a way to push back against the Iranians in the region,” says Mr Indyk.” [Economist]

Trump Says Abandoning Iran Deal Has Already Curbed Tehran’s Bad Behavior — by Mark Landler: “Iran is not the same country that it was a few months ago,” Mr. Trump said at a news conference… “They’re a much, much different group of leaders,” he concluded… Some experts, in trying to interpret Mr. Trump’s comments, pointed to Israel’s recent military strike on Iranian forces in Syria, the pullout of foreign companies from Iran, and the deepening woes of the Iranian economy as signs of how Iran’s position has weakened in the past few weeks. “Before we pulled out of the Iran deal, Iran’s leadership was arrogant and on the march,” said Mark Dubowitz… “What I think he means is that he’s cut them down to size.” [NYTimes]

UK now ‘far more likely’ to back Israel and Trump on Iran nuclear deal — by Lee Harpin: “The British government is now “far more likely” to side with Israel and President Trump against Iran following the meeting this week between Prime Minister Theresa May and Benjamin Netanyahu… Sources on Wednesday evening said Mr Netanyahu was left with “hope and belief” that the best chance of real success in breaking continued support for the Iranian deal was with Britain… One Israeli diplomat insisted: “There’s certainly a feeling that Britain is currently the weakest link in the European resistance to Trump’s policy.” [TheJC]

TALK OF THE REGION — Deal With Turkey Threatens Trump’s Iran Strategy — by Eli Lake: “On June 4, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, appeared to reach an understanding that U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters and political leaders would pull out of the [Syrian town of Manbij]… A deal between the U.S. and Turkey on Manbij is important because the Turks had threatened to attack the city if Kurdish militias didn’t leave. At the same time, the deal could undermine the Trump administration’s goal of working with allies to roll back Iran’s presence in the Middle East… The threat from Turkey could force the Kurds who fought against the Islamic State to seek their own peace with the Assad regime, jeopardizing Trump’s Iran strategy.” [BloombergView]

Can Voters Bring Down Turkey’s Erdogan? — by Borzou Daragahi: “Muharrem Ince… is the main opposition candidate running against Turkey’s longtime leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan for president of Turkey… In contrast to his usual energetic, combative image, the 64-year-old Erdogan appears tired and easily flustered on the campaign trail… In Ince, the president has met a worthy opponent, a streetfighter who’s 10 years younger and has roots in the same rough Black Sea town of Rize that Erdogan’s family comes from.” [DailyBeast]

Key figures in Gulf crisis sever ties with Qatar — by Ben Schreckinger: “Joey Allaham, a Syrian-born restaurateur and entrepreneur who had been helping Qatar make politically useful investments and curry favor with the American Jewish community, told POLITICO that he has recently cut ties with the country… His defection comes at the same time that another top Qatari agent, Nick Muzin, a former adviser to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), is also stopping work for the wealthy monarchy.”

“Efforts by Allaham, who is Jewish, included outreach to prominent American advocates of Israel, including Alan Dershowitz, an informal Trump adviser, and Mort Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America… Dershowitz and Klein both traveled to Qatar in January to discuss improved relationships with the Jewish community, a move that stoked controversy in Israel and among American Zionists… In a further blow to Qatar’s diplomatic efforts, Klein on Wednesday backed away from any rapprochement, reiterating his condemnation of the country. “I’ve lost confidence that they’re at all serious about changing,” he told POLITICO… Allaham told POLITICO that he would register with the Justice Department as a foreign agent for the work he performed for Qatar.” [Politico]

A DAY EARLIER… Elliott Broidy to Get Information in Case Against Qatar — by Bob Van Voris and Caleb Melby: “A federal judge in New York ruled Wednesday that Joey Allaham… must turn over any records showing ties to the government of Qatar. Broidy claims Allaham worked as an unregistered agent for the Middle Eastern nation and has ties to one if its lobbyists, Nicholas Muzin… U.S. District Judge Katherine Forrest in Manhattan gave Allaham 72 hours to comply.” [Bloomberg; WSJ]

DRIVING THE DAY — Israel and Hamas Take Steps to Avoid War After Violent Cycle — by Felicia Schwartz and Abu Bakr Bashir: “The demonstrations are set for the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan… Still, appeals to protest by Gaza’s rulers, the militant and political group Hamas, are more subdued. The loudspeaker announcements and posters imploring Gazans to gather at the border fence… have largely been absent this time. For their part, Israeli officials said the military would bring more nonlethal equipment to confront any violent protesters. Israel’s military also said it also dropped leaflets in the Gaza Strip warning residents not to approach the border’s security fence.” [WSJ]

— “Some of the Palestinians protesting as part of the “March of Return” will display Holocaust-themed clothes, including a striped uniform representing the garb Jews were forced to wear in Nazi camps. The protest’s organizers say that the theme is intended to send a message that the Palestinians are not responsible for the Holocaust, yet they pay the price for it.” [Haaretz]

Israeli Video Portrays Medic Killed in Gaza as Tool of Hamas — by Herbert Buchsbaum: “The tightly edited video shows a woman identified as the medic, Rouzan al-Najjar, throwing what appears to be a tear-gas canister… In a second scene, according to the video, Ms. Najjar tells an interviewer, “I am here on the front line and I act as a human shield.” … The video… did not try to make the case that Ms. Najjar’s actions provided a justification for her shooting. Rather the clip… appeared to be part of the battle over her story’s narrative and an effort to chip away at Ms. Najjar’s image of fresh-faced innocence.” [NYTimes]

STARTING SUNDAY IN JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Reuven Rivlin, Columbian President Juan Manuel Santos, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, foreign diplomats, and Knesset Members are expected to address the American Jewish Committee (AJC) Global Forum kicking off on Sunday through Tuesday in Jerusalem.

ON THE HILL — Kenneth Marcus, who founded the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, was approved by the Senate as the next Assistant U.S. Secretary of Education for Civil Rights along party lines (50-46).

2018 WATCH — The Most Powerful Conservative Couple You’ve Never Heard Of — by Stephanie Saul and Danny Hakim: “Few political donors are as influential, yet little known, as Liz and Dick Uihlein. The Midwestern couple has joined the upper pantheon of Republican donors alongside names like Koch, Mercer and Adelson. They have spent roughly $26 million on the current election cycle, supporting more than 60 congressional candidates, working outside the party establishment to advance a combative, hard-right conservatism, from Washington to the smallest town.” [NYTimes] 

Sheldon Adelson: the casino mogul driving Trump’s Middle East policy — by Chris McGreal: “Adelson’s influence has never been greater. The imprint of the 84-year-old’s political passions is seen in an array of Donald Trump’s more controversial decisions… Daniel Levy, a former member of Israeli negotiating teams with the Palestinians and policy adviser to the then Israeli prime minister, Ehud Barak, said that Adelson’s money had helped resurface neoconservative policies which had been discredited after the US invasion of Iraq.” [TheGuardian] 

Senator Bernie Sanders hasn’t endorsed his son in N.H. Congress run — by James Pindell: “Sanders has refrained from endorsing Levi Sanders in his only son’s campaign for the Democratic nomination for a New Hampshire congressional seat… Levi Sanders seemed to take his father’s firm stand on the sidelines with good humor when contacted by the Globe… “You know I’m not Bernie’s son. I’m the son of Larry David’s fourth cousin,” he quipped in a brief conversation, referring to the distant blood tie between the comedian and the senator.”

“Bernie Sanders provided a statement to the Globe… “Levi has spent his life in service to low income and working families, and I am very proud of all that he has done,” he said. “In our family, however, we do not believe in dynastic politics. Levi is running his own campaign in his own way.”” [BostonGlobe]

Virginia US Senate candidate previously paid anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim figure for fundraising list” by Andrew Kaczynski: “During his failed primary bid for Virginia governor in 2017, Republican Corey Stewart paid far-right commentator Paul Nehlen $759 dollars as a “fundraising commission,” in May… Video surfaced earlier this week of Stewart praising Nehlen in January 2017… The Washington Post reported earlier Thursdaythat Stewart said he no longer considers Nehlen a hero. “That was before he went nuts and started spewing a bunch of stupid stuff,” Stewart told the Post.” [CNN]

“As Keith Ellison Leaves Congress, One Likely Replacement Faces Criticism for Anti-Israel Views” by Armin Rosen: “One potential candidate who may replace Ellison is Minnesota state Sen. Ilhan Omar, the nation’s first Somali-American lawmaker and a declared candidate for the August 14th vote… If elected, Omar appears likely to continue Ellison’s approach to Israel, if not intensify it… In late 2012… Omar… tweeted, “Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.” … Omar spoke forcefully against Minnesota’s anti-BDS law on the floor of the state Senate and once suggested that the University of Minnesota should divest from State of Israel bonds.” [Tablet]

IN THE SPOTLIGHT… “Stormy Daniels’ ex-attorney rips former client and her new lawyer in countersuit that includes Cohen” by MJ Lee and Scott Glover: “Keith Davidson, the lawyer who formerly represented adult film star Stormy Daniels, filed a defamation claim Thursday against Daniels and her current lawyer, Michael Avenatti, as well as a separate claim against Michael Cohen… for allegedly illegally recording phone calls with Davidson.” [CNN]

“With Keith Davidson Talking to the Feds, Michael Cohen Faces Growing Pressure” by Emily Jane Fox: “There is a sense among Cohen’s inner circle that he is exasperated and without allies in Washington, despite what some read as the hidden message in Trump’s recent pardons… Cohen did not see the presidential pardons and commutations Trump issued last week as a signal that Cohen would get his own pardon, or that he should stay strong and not agree to cooperate with investigators. “Those people he pardoned had been convicted and already served time,” one of these people said. “That’s not at all the same thing.” … Cohen, who once vowed he would “take a bullet” for Trump, declined to comment. His e-mail signature no longer identifies him as the personal attorney for the president.” [VanityFair]

** Good Friday Morning! Enjoying the Daily Kickoff? Please share us with your friends & tell them to sign up at [JI]. Have a tip, scoop, or op-ed? We’d love to hear from you. Anything from hard news and punditry to the lighter stuff, including event coverage, job transitions, or even special birthdays, is much appreciated. Email [email protected] **

BUSINESS BRIEFS: Glencore Faces New Legal Challenge Against Congo Cobalt Mine [Bloomberg] • Carl Icahn Squeezes a Better Deal From AmTrust [Barrons] • Activist investors back plan for companies to limit quarterly guidance [NYPost] • Warren Buffett tells Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon: “I’m a big believer in the Israeli economy.” [Pic]

SPOTLIGHT — One NYC Developer, Two Projects and $3.4 Billion of New Condos — by Oshrat Carmiel: “New York developer Ziel Feldman is unleashing about $3.4 billion worth of new condos onto the Manhattan market, at prices that guarantee him an exclusive buyer pool — and lots of competition. He’s listing 95 units at the Belnord, a century-old Upper West Side building getting an overhaul by architect Robert A.M. Stern, where the cheapest three-bedroom apartment will cost $5 million. He’ll also start sales for the 236 condos at the Eleventh, rising near the High Line park in Chelsea with a futuristic design by Bjarke Ingels. Two penthouses there are tagged at $70 million apiece, a purchase price that would set a downtown record.” [Bloomberg]

Real estate tycoons, musicians mingle at Domino Park preview — by Ian Mohr: “Real estate moguls and rockers alike mixed at the preview of Two Trees Management’s Domino Park on the Williamsburg waterfront Wednesday night… At the event were developer of the park, Jed Walentas and his father, Two Trees founder David Walentas, Eliot Spitzer and Larry Silverstein. Also spotted were Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner… and NPR host Ira Glass.” [PageSix]

TALK OF THE VALLEY — How to talk about God in Silicon Valley — by Oliver Staley: “There’s a strong current of belief in Silicon Valley, but it’s not in organized religion. The San Francisco Bay Area is among the least religious regions of the US, according to the Pew Research Center, with only 42% of adults saying they believe in God with absolute certainty (compare that to 71% in Atlanta). Traditional religion in the Bay Area is being replaced with another sort of faith, a belief in the power of technology and science to save humanity. It’s a creed that says poverty and disease are simply programming challenges yet to be solved, bad code to be debugged.There’s a reason technologists use words like “evangelist” and “mission” to talk about themselves and their work.” [Quartz] 

SPORTS BLINK — A Secretive Owner of Triple-Crown Contender Justify: George Soros — by Melissa Hoppert and Matthew Goldstein: “If the strapping chestnut colt Justify wins the Belmont Stakes on Saturday to become just the 13th horse in history to claim horse racing’s Triple Crown, two of the three groups that have an ownership stake in the horse’s breeding rights will be front and center during the celebration… A third group, a secretive entity that holds the remaining 15 percent, will remain out of the spotlight because it vigorously avoids any public attention. It is a company controlled by top employees of the billionaire investor George Soros. Mr. Soros’s connection to Justify, which was not previously reported, has garnered little notice in the sport despite the horse’s rousing success in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes because his group tries to operate almost invisibly.” [NYTimes]

— Last Year: “After attending race growing up, Baltimore-raised owner Seth Klarman soaking in Preakness victory” [BaltimoreSun]

TRANSITION — Lahav Harkov, the Jerusalem Post Knesset reporter and one-time Kafe Knesset contributor, has been moved to the position of News Editor of the Jerusalem Post and Managing Editor of the online site.

DESSERT — There’s A Kosher Cheese Pop-Up In SoHo Now — by Shira Feder: “If you’re a food adventurer, tantalized by the notion of chasing cheese to the far ends of the SoHo area… put on your detective trench-coat and track The Cheese Guy down to his small, temporary SoHo popup at449 Broadway near Grand Street, inside Broadway Market Co. No official end date is in sight for this pop-up. The cheeses are all certified OU or OK.” [Forward]

WINE OF THE WEEK — Bat Shlomo 2014 Chardonnay — by Yitz Applbaum: Over the years I have found, somewhat counter-intuitively, that drinking Chardonnay in cool weather helps to bring out the floral nature of the grape. However, to enjoy a Chardonnay on a minus-five-degree day while in Saint Petersburg, Russia during Passover, requires a really bold, thick-skinned, hearty Chardonnay. The Bat Shlomo 2014 Chardonnay is just what the doctor ordered.

This Chardonnay is quite meaty. It starts out with a zesty punch which will make you pucker. By the time this wine gets to your mid-palate, you are tasting green apples which practically ripen on your tongue. The finish coats your whole mouth with creamy butter, all without the traditionally Californian vanilla or oak. This wine makes for a very memorable experience. The wine is aged in new French oak for 10 months. This wine goes brilliantly with stinky blue cheese, or, if you are in a brave mood, spicy aged salami (although obviously either one, not both). [BatShlomo]

WEEKEND BIRTHDAYS — FRIDAY: Comedian and actor, Jerry Stillerturns 91… Hebrew University mathematics professor and Nobel Prize laureate in Economics, Robert Aumann turns 88… Partner in the Cincinnati-based law firm of Aronoff, Rosen & Hunt, he was a member of the Ohio State Senate (1967-1996), Stanley J. Aronoff turns 86… Founder of the Family Dollar Stores chain of discount stores in 1959, he remained chairman and CEO until 2003, Leon Levine turns 81… Guru of alternative, holistic and integrative medicine, Dr. Andrew Weil turns 76… South African businessman and philanthropist, formerly the Chairman of De Beers, Nicky Oppenheimerturns 73… Hedge fund founder and manager, Selwyn Donald Sussmanturns 72… Detective novelist Sara Paretsky turns 71… The Juilliard School’s classical pianist, teacher and performer, Emanuel Ax turns 69… Community affairs coordinator at UCLA’s Leve Center for Jewish Studies, Mary Enid Pinkerson turns 67… Member of Knesset since 2015 from the Zionist Union party, professor at Ben-Gurion University, Yosef “Yossi” Yona turns 65… Principal at Bloomfield Hills, Michigan-based O2 Investment Partners, Robert Harris (Rob) Orley turns 63… Journalist, stand-up comedian, author, cartoonist, blogger and occasional commentator on NPR’s “All Things Considered,” Aaron Freeman turns 62… Assistant Vice President for Campaign at the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, Patti Frazinturns 57… Lead director of UK-based L1 Energy, co-founder and CEO of the Genesis Prize Foundation, Stan Polovets turns 55… Winner of many Emmy and SAG awards, star of the long-running TV series “The Good Wife,” Julianna Margulies turns 52… Actor and screenwriter, he is married to the sister of baseball executive Theo Epstein, Daniel Paul “Dan” Futtermanturns 51… Former Congresswoman, survivor of an assassination attempt near Tucson in 2011, Gabrielle Giffords turns 48… Actor who starred in USA Network’s “Royal Pains,” Mark Feuerstein turns 47… Deputy Chief of Staff for Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, Michael Emanuel Vallarelli turns 39… Rabbinic fellow in the inaugural cohort of the Jewish Emergent Network at DC’s historic Sixth & I Synagogue, Suzy Stone turns 38… Businesswoman, art collector Dasha Zhukova turns 37… Denver-based chief marketing officer at Layer3 TV, Eric J. Kuhn turns 31… Offensive tackle for the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, his Hebrew name is “Mendel,” Mitchell Schwartz turns 29… Michael Fishberg…

SATURDAY: Standup comedian Jackie Mason turns 90… Journalist for 30 years at CBS, Marvin Kalb turns 88… Retired Israeli diplomat who served as ambassador to Italy and France and World Chairman of Keren Hayesod – United Israel Appeal, Aviezer “Avi” Pazner turns 81… Author, journalist, lecturer and social activist, founding editor of Ms. Magazine, mother of identical twin daughters, Robin Pogrebin and Abigail Pogrebin, Letty Cottin Pogrebin turns 79… British businessman, co-founder with his brother Maurice of advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, Charles Saatchi turns 75… Diplomat, Pentagon official, political writer, policy analyst, Shakespeare historian, Kenneth Adelman turns 72… Founder and chairman of Commonwealth Financial Network (a broker/dealer network) and chairman of Southworth Development (golf and leisure business), Joseph Deitch turns 68… Professional mediator, previously a syndicated advice columnist in many Jewish newspapers (1995-2006), Wendy J. Belzberg… Formerly Israel’s military attaché in DC (2005-09) who went on to become the IDF’s Chief of General Staff, Benjamin “Benny” Gantz turns 59… Producer, playwright and screenwriter, Aaron Benjamin Sorkin turns 57… Founder and CEO of Delve LLC, an opposition research firm for political campaigns, Jeff Berkowitz turns 39… Jerusalem-born actress, producer and director, Natalie Portman turns 37… Online producer, writer and director, who together with his brother Benny, are best known for their React video series which has over five billion views on YouTube, Rafi Fine turns 35… Principal at DC-based Precision Strategies, Jeffrey Francis (Jeff) Solnet turns 26… Serial entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Team Brotherly Love and The Fine Companies, Daniel Fine turns 25… Deputy press secretary for VPOTUS Joe Biden during most of his second term (2014-2017), Stephen Spector… Craig Appelbaum…

SUNDAY: Author of award-winning books about her experiences before, during and after the Holocaust, Aranka Davidowitz Siegal turns 88… Emmy Award-winning TV journalist who has worked for CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN and PBS, he is the author of 13 books, Jeff Greenfield turns 75… Strategic communications director at the Generation to Generation program powered by Encore[dot]org, Stefanie “Stef” Weiss turns 60… Former Attorney General and then Governor of New York, Eliot Spitzer turns 59… President of Skokie-based Pharmore Drugs, Avi H. Goldfeder turns 59… Film, television and stage actress, singer and author, Gina Gershon turns 56… Melbourne native, now Associate Vice President of strategic partnerships at the Birthright Israel Foundation and director of community education at NYC’s Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, Rabbi Daniel Kraus turns 37… Executive director of NYC-based Encounter Programs, Yona Shem-Tov… Editor-in-Chief of The Algemeiner newspaper, Dovid Efune… Cathy Miller…