Mayim Bialik a Frum Jewish Actress Highlights Hollywood’s Rejection Of Religious Celebrities

Mayim Bialik, 39, the nerdy yet witty character from the Big Bang Theory, recently spoke out about Hollywood and her dedication to being an Orthodox Jewish woman.

According to US Magazine, Bialik told Fox news that she feels Hollywood isn’t as friendly to celebrities who are candid about their dedication to their religious beliefs.

“I think in general it’s never going to be trendy to be observant or religious in Hollywood circles,” she told FOX411. “There are people I know of faith and we tend to congregate together. I study Jewish texts weekly. That’s something positive to me when you’re a person of faith, it stays with you all the time.”

Bialik is not only a devote Orthodox Jew, but she is also openly supportive of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the Jewish state altogether. In the past when she had visited a friend in the IDF she received some rather hateful and anti-Semitic “fan mail.”

“I’ve gotten a lot of negative attention for visiting Israel,” she said. “That’s what’s amazing … simply by going to Israel this summer and saying nothing more than, ‘I’ve gone to Israel,’ I got the same amount of hatred and threats and anti-Semitism for actually making a statement trying to support people whether I like it or not are serving in an army.”

In addition to visiting her loved ones serving in the Israeli army, she also donated money to IDF last year for bulletproof vests,and enthusiastically supported the first Jewish Legos created by Minnesota man Yitzy Kasowitz.

“Am I dreaming? Jewish-themed Lego sets? I can get behind this Jewcer campaign 1000% and can’t wait for my incentives to come: an IDF Lego man and a Lego tzedakah box! (there’s also a Lego Seder plate!),” she wrote on her Facebook page.

Not only does she just support Israel, but she is also a practicing Jew who prides herself on her modest views. Last September, Bialik took to her blog to criticize Ariana Grande for being skimpy attire on a billboard.

The Big Bang Theory actress may be facing some opposition from anti-Israel fans and liberal Hollywood, but she won’t be going off the derech any time soon, making sure her liberal yet modest opinions are heard.

Hate mail won’t stop Mayim Bialik: ‘Coming to Israel is a political act’

Mayim Bialik

Actress Mayim Bialik is known for many things, among them old and current TV shows Blossom and The Big Bang Theory, her PHD in neuroscience, and her love for Israel. 

Last week she combined her passion for the holy land and her successful acting gig as the Big Bang Theory’s Amy Farrah Fowler, drawing an international CBS team to Israel for a photo shoot.

Mayim Bialik

"I went with them to Paris two years ago and when they asked me where I wanted to do it this time, I said Israel." She tells The Jerusalem Post."I was amazed they took me up on it." A large portion of her crew came from France, Italy and England, had never visited Israel before and came exclusively to work. "I think that's kind of amazing," Bialik enthuses. She describes the crew's response to Israel as “overwhelmingly positive.”

"The country is far more complicated and fantastic than they had imagined and they can go back and report that Israel is a beautiful place that people can tour and take children to and it has great food and nightlife...that's an amazing outcome," she states.

Bialik notes that the only thing that slightly marred the trip was a stream of hateful messages on social media regarding the very fact that she was in Israel. She says she has received many messages over the years on her social media accounts with language as strong as "Hitler should come and finish the job.” Bialik tends to block the people behind these messages, saying she doesn't like her social media account to be a platform for fighting and disinformation.    "Me coming to Israel is a political act simply because there are people who don't believe in Israel's right to exist," she remarks, adding that this reality is "sobering" for her as an American Jew. "The fact that I'm visiting is enough for people to call for the destruction of the Jewish people." Bialik emphasizes that this type of sentiment is not connected to her politics, but her simple presence in Israel. "I'm very clear on what anti-Semitism looks like."

Mayim Bialik inside house of relative and famous poet Hayim Bialik

Bialik is not new to backlash over her status as an Israel supporter in Hollywood, having been subject to calls for boycotts against her and to have her fired. She also faced criticism for donating to the IDF during last summer’s Operation Protective Edge in Gaza, which she says triggered a similar dialogue.

Bialik, however, puts politics aside on her regular trips to Israel, particularly when visiting family who live in the West Bank.  'I don't consider it a political statement to visit the West Bank and I avoid talking politics with them," Bialik clarifies. The LA inhabitant who also has family in Kibbutz Gezer, revels in the safety and comfort she feels when she brings her two sons to Israel. Referring to the small size of the country and the relaxed and warm culture, she feels she can give her children more independence when visiting Israel. "I've been asked to watch other people's kids while they run into the supermarket - it's like one big family," she says by way of explanation.

The family oriented actress says she shares more than a science degree with her character Amy Farrah Fowler. “I’m pretty socially awkward,” she laughs, answering in the affirmative when asked if she would be friends with the fictional scientist in real life. “She’s honest, and I gravitate toward interesting people who are intelligent rather than trendy.”

As for Farrah Fowler’s romantic future, Bialik isn’t giving anything away concerning last season’s dramatic ending which saw her breaking up with boyfriend Sheldon Cooper before he revealed an engagement ring to the audience. Claiming she knows nothing of the writers' future plans, she anticipates "whatever works with the strangeness that is Sheldon and Amy - it's clear that neither of them will ever have a conventional relationship."

Why I fast on Yom Kippur

Mayim Bialik

by Mayim Bialik

Several articles have been posted in the past week discussing the Jewish New Year, with a few focusing specifically on the issue of fasting for Yom Kippur. Many people don’t like the concept of fasting, and many people don’t see any religious or spiritual value in fasting. I happen to be a person who likes the concept, and who sees and reaps a tremendous amount of religious and spiritual value from fasting. I also have fasted throughout two pregnancies and through nursing babies and toddlers on demand all day and all night.

Am I better than you for fasting while nursing and pregnant? No. Do I work hard to accomplish this? Yes. Here’s why I put in the effort:

1) Fasting is an important religious and spiritual exercise. Fasting and “afflicting ourselves” on Yom Kippur is described in the Torah, which is my personal guidebook for life. I have made a commitment to find a way to apply the wisdom of thousands of years of history and tradition to modern life and it works for me.  Praying, singing, chanting, meditating, and spending time away from work and cell phones and cars and electronics is what we Jews have the opportunity to do every week on Shabbat. On Yom Kippur, doing these things while fasting takes it to a different and much more intense level. As it should be: this is the day our year is, in part, determined. It’s a heavy day and fasting sets it apart as intense and meaningful in a special way.

2) Fasting is symbolically important. By peeling away the material parts of our existence through refraining from the sustenance we live by daily, we get to see what’s left over. Without the rhythms of meals, what drives my day? Without snacks to keep my hands busy or to calm my anxiety, what can I do? Look what we think we need, and look what we literally can go without.

3) Fasting makes us angelic. Last Yom Kippur, as the 25th hour of fasting was coming to a close and we were all exhausted and starving and ready to go home, our rabbi said with a huge smile on his face, “I wish this didn’t have to end.” And through my exhaustion and hunger, I felt it too. There is a “high” you get when focusing so much on fasting and praying and just being in your head. Fasting makes us like the angels, they say. We make ourselves literally “above” the need for mortal sustenance. On Yom Kippur, we draw near to a different way of existence and it’s heavenly.

4) Fasting is groovy. While we are discussing the “high” you get from fasting, I want to mention that we have access to different parts of our brains when we refrain from food and drink and it makes your brain a little bit loopy but also very free. Our glucose storage is emptied out by the end of the day, and we are running on adrenaline and a lot of mental strength. It’s a healthy exercise, and it’s one that our Prophets employed to encourage transcendental experiences. A lot of religious observance is about finding what works for you within an ancient framework, and I love that my fasting makes me feel connected to thousands of years of Jews who have fasted too. It’s just plain awesome.

5) Fasting is not going to kill you. If you have medical reasons not to fast which are confirmed by a doctor, of course, don’t fast. We are instructed to live by the Torah, not to die by it. The health of human beings is always valued over and above any religious proscriptions. Rabbis are trained to answer all sorts of questions about fasting, and there is no charge to ask a rabbi a question. Try your local synagogue, JCC, or even a Chabad. They love answering questions!

6) Fasting and nursing can co-exist. If you are nursing, consult with a lactation consultant and your pediatrician about fasting. My personal experience both as a nursing mom and a Certified Lactation Educator Counselor is that during the first three months of nursing, when milk supply is being established, you want to be very careful about supply, and babies will often want to nurse a lot the day AFTER a fast to pull up milk supply that may have dropped from a day of no water and no food. Fasting is so important to me that I put in my best effort to keep it going: I step up my fluids the day before I fast, and I take it super easy: no elaborate walks, no active playing with the kids, and nothing involving too much effort at all. I make simple snacks for my boys and I explain to them that mama is tired and hungry (and grumpy) because she is fasting, so let’s have an easy day. Sometimes a new toy or book helps fasting days go more smoothly. I think it’s important for my kids to hear why I fast so that they can learn the value and see that commitment in action.

7) Fasting can be modified. Depending on your religious proclivities, there are established modifications that allow you to fulfill the obligation to fast, should you so choose it. Traditional guidelines about eating small portions of food (less than something called a kazayis) throughout the day can be explained to you by a rabbi, and it works for a lot of people. The idea behind fasting is to shift your consciousness, to shift your pattern, and to shake your life and head up. I recommend the following suggestion to anyone on the fence or just plain grumpy or skeptical about fasting whether you go to synagogue or not: try your own modification as a self-disciplinary, spiritual journey this year. Try eating smaller portions. Or eat only “simple” foods without sauces or jams or sweets. Skip dessert and decadent foods, or only drink water instead of juice, soda, or coffee.

Judaism is not a cafeteria religion; I am not saying to just pick what you like and leave the rest. But it’s okay to try out aspects of observance – such as fasting – and see if it strikes something in you. Each mitzvah we do is independent of every other mitzvah, and it counts. It counts if we light Shabbat candles even if we go clubbing after. It counts if we bless challah, even if we put bacon on it after we bless it. Every thing we do counts. It does make a difference in this world. We are all “good Jews,” we just practice differently. Just like we are all “good parents,” even if we practice differently.

Every year holds tremendous potential for personal growth, change, and self-discovery. Fasting has the potential to teach you a lot about what you need, what you don’t, and what you can accomplish. Whatever your Yom Kippur looks like, may you have a blessed year full of only what you need and nothing you don't