Crystal Skulls with a 'kipa' ?

Even the movies are getting into Jewish genealogy. The Jewish Exponent's Michael Elkin offers a Jewish look at Indiana Jones and his crystal skulls, or as we call them in Yiddish, chochkes (dust-catchers)

Did you know that Harrison Ford's maternal grandparents - Anna Lifschutz and Harry Nidelman - came from Minsk? Admit it - how many of you will now go to JewishGen to see if there are Belarus SIG records for his bubbe (grandma) and zayde (grampa)? Or to Steve Morse's One-Step to check the Ellis Island Databse?

Jones and bones: Indiana (Harrison Ford) and his kid (Shia LeBouf) meet up with some skullduggery in their new adventure.

Who knew that when Indiana Jones went raiding for the lost ark, he was looking to return it to his synagogue?

According to Elkins, the original Temple of Doom was a synagogue on La Cienega in Los Angeles that couldn't pay the real estate taxes and went out of business.

There's more, and Elkins even mentions that hit series of a certain generation, "Bonanza."

It's always been that way, especially when it makes for a bonanza at the box office. Or TV, for that matter. After all, all four actors playing Papa Ben and the sibling Cartwright clan of "Bonanza" were Jews.

And what was it that Hop-Sing and half-sister Hip-Hop served up for Sunday brunch to the kosher cowboys? Beans and rice? No. Lox and bagel.

C'mon, you never heard of the famous ... Ponderosa Spread?

Kick back and giggle. Put the kipa on the chochke! For those who aren't members of the tribe, a kipa (Hebrew) is a yarmulke (Yiddish) or skullcap.

Read more here.