This year may go down in history as the one where the world imploded so you can’t blame us for searching for mindless joy in showbiz gossip, glitz and glamour.
While we worried about Brexit and antisemitism, we remained united on two things, our love for Meghan Markle and Love Island.
No really. Scrolling through “Jewish Twitter” during the months of June and July when the reality series graced our screens every evening you found even the most serious of communal figures tweeting jovially about Eyal Booker the Jewish contestant trying to find a love that was deep and meaningful.
The JC ran a column entitled Eye on Eyal, which kept our readers (OK, Booker’s grandma) up to date with his escapades.
Sadly, his quest to find someone that understood his spirituality was unsuccessful and we said goodbye to the former JFS student in week four.
When we weren’t watching reality TV we were getting excited over the simcha of the year and how Jewish the royal wedding was going to be.
Harry had found the closest thing to a Jewish Princess that he could, without her being actually Jewish.
Meghan, who had already had a Jewish wedding when she wed film producer Trevor Engelson, made her second wedding even more Jewish than the first, despite the unalterable fact that it took place in a church. The hats were huge, the cute little boys who held the veil were Jewish — well, their mum (Meghan’s bestie, Jessica Mulroney) is. And allegedly, it was all thanks to Meghan’s other Jewish bestie, Misha Nonoo, introducing the couple in 2016.
Eugenie — in her copycat, catch-up royal wedding — also had two cute Jewish attendants, both with impeccable showbiz credentials. Theodora Williams is the daughter of Robbie Williams and Ayda Field; and Maud Windsor is the daughter of Lord Frederick Windsor and his wife Sophie Winkleman, sister of Strictly presenter Claudia.
Another Jewish celebrity keeping us entertained this year was former EastEnders actress Rita Simon, who was our Jew in the Jungle on I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. We watched the pink-haired star face her fears of heights, water and creepy crawlies by competing in Bushtucker trials.
She defied all the rules of kashrut by downing a glass of blended pigs eyes — yuck. Simon, who confessed to campmates that she hates it when people say her career has had a boost from her famous uncle, Lord Sugar, became the fourth celebrity voted off the show.
Perhaps Uncle (Lord) Alan was right when he suggested revealing the family link may have been her downfall, tweeting: “That is maybe why the public voted her out. It might be my fault.”
We also discovered Rita Hazan the woman who turned Beyoncé blonde. Hazan can also be credited with Mariah Carey’s signature look. The hair colourist was so excited to speak to the JC as she told our interviewer “I never did an interview for a Jewish Chronicle, I love it.”
But Israeli actress Gal Gadot had more serious matters on her mind at the UK premiere of her new film Ralph Breaks the Internet. Asked what she would do if she were “queen of the internet for a day” the Wonder Woman star responded: “Shut it down for a day… Like — we all need a break.”
Let’s hope 2019 brings even more entertainment, more love, harmony and lighthearted fun, because after a trying 2018 ending with rumours of a broiges at the palace, the last thing we need is Harry and Meghan fighting over which rabbi will perform their baby’s bris (assuming it’s a boychik).
Rosa Doherty is the JC's Social Affairs correspondent.
