Israeli teen teaming with Jack Black, Zach Braff promotes Y.U., Sarah Silverman’s smooche

By Jana BaninJANA BANIN

HOLLYWOOD, FL. (JTA) — Israeli-born Odeya Rush, 16, fresh off the set of “The Giver” with Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep, has joined the cast of “Goosebumps,” The Wrap reports. Rush will star alongside Jack Black in the adaptation of R.L. Stine’s mega-popular children’s book series.

Israeli teen actress Odeya Rush joins Jack Black’s ‘Goosebumps’ (Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images Entertainment)

Per The Wrap: “Black will play Mr. Shivers, a Stine-like author whose scary characters literally leap off the page, forcing him to hide from his own creepy creations.” As for Rush, she’ll play “Black’s quirky and mysterious niece, who teams up with her young male neighbor to battle the monsters unleashed from Mr. Shivers’ works.”

The Haifa-born Rush moved to the United States with her family at age 9. She has appeared on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” as well as in Disney’s “The Odd Life of Timothy Green.” Another upcoming role: Jesus’ mother, Mary, in a biblical film also starring Ben Kingsley and Julia Ormond. Israeli roots, good looks, gigs with highly respected actors: Are we the only ones who can’t help but be reminded of Natalie Portman from her “Professional” days?

Zach Braff’s PR for Y.U.

If Zach Braff’s new film “Wish I Was Here” ends up making money, the regular folks who funded the thing via Kickstarter probably won’t see any of the profits. That said, certain donors will get to see a little more of Braff himself — like the mysterious donor who apparently requested that Braff record a Purim video promoting Yeshiva University.

“I’ll say or do pretty much whatever you want for twenty seconds,” Braff promised on his Kickstarter page to those who pledged upward of $500. “I will send you the mpeg file so you can upload to YouTube, play at parties, or send to friends. I will be your dancing monkey.”

In the video, he claims to be a doctor, a rabbi and a lawyer, and that when it comes to combining world-class academics and Judaic studies, Yeshiva University is the place to be. To be clear Braff, who has said he had a “Conservative/Orthodox” upbringing, attended Northwestern University, not Y.U. And while the clip bears the hash tag #Nowherebuthere, the name of Y.U.’s ad campaign, it does not appear to be linked to the university. Also, he’s not a Maccabeat. So anyway, Happy Purim.

New couple alert: Sarah Silverman and Michael Sheen

Move over Jesus, Sarah Silverman has a new man in her life. According to a report from Us Weekly, Silverman was caught last week “getting hot and heavy” with British actor Michael Sheen at his 45th birthday party in West Hollywood. Silverman’s five-year relationship with Jimmy Kimmel ended in 2009, while the “Masters of Sex” star Sheen was married to Kate Beckinsale (who, by the way, was at the party, too) for eight years.

They divorced in 2003 and have a 14-year-old daughter, Lily. Anyway, back to the canoodling. “They were making out at Soho House,” an eyewitness told Us Weekly. “They were all over each other for a lot of the night.” Then this, from an “insider”: “Sarah and Michael came and left together. She drove. When they left, Sarah opened her trunk so Michael could put all of his gifts in and then they drove away.”

Silverman’s people did not respond to requests for comment, but we will closely monitor her prolific Twitter feed for deets. Keep you posted.

Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Larry King remember Sid Caesar

Sid Caesar, the Jewish comedian who helped pave the way for American comedy as we know it today, died Feb. 12 at his Beverly Hills home after a brief illness, Variety reports. Caesar, born in Yonkers, N.Y., to immigrant parents from Poland and Russia, began his career playing the saxophone and doing some comedy work in the Catskills.

His breakout gig was the weekly live comedy program “Your Show of Shows.” Writers for the 1950s sketch show included Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, Neil Simon and Carl Reiner. “Inarguably he was the greatest single monologist and skit comedian we ever had,” Reiner told The Hollywood Reporter. “Television owes him a debt of gratitude for his pioneering work and the great shows he gave us all. Render onto Caesar what is his due. He deserves real applause from the American people.”

From Brooks: “Sid Caesar was a giant — maybe the best comedian who ever practiced the trade. And I was privileged to be one of his writers and one of his friends.” Allen said, “He was one of the truly great comedians of my time.”

Among the first to pay respects via Twitter was Larry King. “Sorry to learn about the passing of Sid Caesar — a dear friend, a comic genius & an American classic — there will never be another one like him,” King wrote. To hear King speak about Caesar in person, check out this video from the 2010 Chabad telethon.

In the clip, King introduces a highlight reel of Caesar’s famous double talk act in which he babbles in foreign accents so convincingly, it sounds as if he’s actually speaking French, Italian and of course, Yiddish.

Schmidt and Nick crash a bar mitzvah on ‘New Girl’

Mazel tov to “New Girl” on its bar mitzvah … scene. On the latest episode of the Fox comedy, Schmidt (Max Greenfield) Jews it up yet again, this time crashing a bar mitzvah with Nick (Jake Johnson), who he’s enlisted as his wingman.

Nick’s job: To distract Schmidt’s rabbi (Jon Lovitz) so Schmidt can hit on his daughter Rachel. It’s all typical “New Girl” stuff, but with yarmulkes. What could be bad?

Here are five highlights from the party: 1. When introduced to an elderly guest, Nick suavely tips his yarmulke. You know, like it’s a regular hat. 2. The sports-themed centerpieces. 3. This joke from the rabbi: “Did you hear the one about the waiter? He walks up to a table of Jewish women and says ‘is anything alright?’ ” 4. The spat between Nick and the rabbi, which includes scathing putdowns such as “You sir are no Sammy Davis Jr.!” 5. Schmidt’s prayer-pickup line hybrid: “Baruch atah adonice dress!” Amen.

‘Shoshi Games 2014′: A ‘Girls’ Olympics meme

How would Shoshanna Shapiro, Zosia Mamet’s Jewish American Princess on crack (literally, sometimes) from “Girls,” fare at the Olympics? “Shoshi Games 2014” helps get your imagination going. The anonymously created Tumblr superimposes Mamet’s face onto shots of various athletes, complete with Shosh-esque quotes as captions. Think lines like “Curling? I’ve been doing that since my bat mitzvah,” and “Are we going to a Drybar? #helmethair.” Good stuff, mysterious Tumblr genius.

For the latest Jewish celebrity news, visit JTA’s 6 Degrees (No Bacon) blog.