WONDER WOMAN IS JEWISH!

Gal Gadot: Getting to know the new Wonder Woman

From CNN Entertainment, 05-Dec-2013

Talk about a breakthrough role.

Now that Israeli model/actress Gal Gadot has been cast as Wonder Woman in Zack Snyder's Batman vs. Superman movie, she's catapulted from little-known name to one on everyone's lips.

So who is she, exactly? The short answer is Gisele from the "Fast & Furious" franchise - the criminal weapons expert/Mossad agent who's appeared in the last three "Fast" flms.

But outside of her association with the Universal franchise, there's a bit more to 28-year-old Gadot than that. Here's what we've dug up: 

1. She served in the Israeli military
Gadot served with the Israel Defense Forces as a fitness instructor, and "Fast & Furious" director Justin Lin mined some of that experience for Gadot's character, Gisele. "Justin Lin and I knew we were going to work on [three films together], and we wanted her to evolve," Gadot told Forward.com. "I think the main reason was that Justin really liked that I was in the Israeli military, and he wanted to use my knowledge of weapons."

2. She has action star chops
As a result, Gadot's movie training is almost exclusively action-oriented, and she's a fan of doing her own stunts.

Aside from her work with the "Fast" franchise - which began in 2009 with "Fast & Furious" and escalated with 2011's "Fast Five" and 2013's "Fast & Furious 6" - she's appeared in just a few other pictures, including 2010's "Date Night" and "Knight And Day." She's green, but also has plenty of experience playing a badass - which should be perfect for portraying Diana Prince in her big screen debut.

3. She's a former Miss Israel
Gadot grew up in Tel Aviv, and prior to going into the military she won the 2004 Miss Israel pageant. That kick-started her modeling career, which has included some work in Maxim.

Read the entire article at CNN Entertainment.

(P.S. Prof. Chandni, being Bene Israel herself, is over the moon with the announcement that the Wonder Woman is Jewish! And a Miss Israel! Who competed at Miss Universe! What a wonderful gift to the world on this last day of Hannukah! Take that, the Donald and Paula Sugar Honey, what with your plastic titleholder this year!)