The former head of music on BBC radio is among a number of members of the Jewish community who have been recognised in The Queen’s New Year’s Honours. Jenny Abramsky, who retired from the BBC during the summer, is to be made a Dame.

Abramsky, who joined the BBC in 1969 and worked for them throughout, is now currently the chair of The Heritage Lottery Fund which provides funding for communities to help them look after and celebrate their heritage.

Steven Spielberg’s Righteous Persons Foundation has donated $1 million to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s National Museum of American Jewish History.

The Schindler’s List director helped establish the foundation in the early 1990s with a view to sharing charity cash with worthwhile projects.

The museum, established in 1976, is dedicated to the history of the American Jew. The donated funds will go towards creating a new museum building set to open in 2010.

Members of the Jewish community from business to social enterprise have been recognised in The Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Among those getting the Royal nod are US-based British neurologist Dr Oliver Sacks whose book Awakenings about his patients became a film starring Robin Williams becomes a CBE, former Sunday Mirror and Sunday Express editor Eve Pollard gets an OBE, Lloyd Dorfman, founder of currency company Travelex and a major benefactor to the arts becomes a CBE.

A Beverly Hills synagogue that counts many Hollywood stars as members and supporters including the parents of Ben Stiller as well as Angelina Jolie’s father Jon Voight, has released a Yom Kippur DVD that is being offered for free to anyone who has difficulty attending High Holiday services.

The Creative Arts Temple DVD is aimed at the elderly, disabled and anyone who cannot attend due to mobility problems and features a special 48-minute Kol Nidre service with a number of celebrities taking part.

She’s funny, cute, sexy and just downright adorable and now Michelle Citrin can add another skill to her skillset, making cool videos.

To welcome in the year 5768 and have some fun doing so, Citrin has teamed up with Jewish robot, William Levin to create I Gotta’ Love You Rosh Hashanah.

Inspired by “I Got a Crush…On Obama” starring Obama Girl, Citrin becomes Rosh Hashanah Girl.

Enjoy…

[youtube width=”320″ height=”240″]vOTOdBzSpYc[/youtube]

The Israeli consulate in New York is hailing as a success the latest issue of men’s magazine Maxim which features semi-naked photographs of women who are all ex-soldiers from the Israeli Defense Forces but others have slammed it.

According to the consulate, the move is aimed at raising awareness of Israel to young American men and the magazine was invited to Israel earlier this year to do the photoshoot.

Sexy Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson has been approached by politician-turned-environmental activist Al Gore to help promote his forthcoming Live Earth gigs.

The star was contacted by the climate-change philanthropist during a ten-day visit to Asia with charity Oxfam earlier this year, with Gore leaving a message on her mobile phone to request her support.