Eye on People
Mandy Patinkin, the darling singer of the American Jewish Community released a new CD Kidults (Nonesuch Records). His CD Mamaloshen became a must for many Jews and the lovers of the Yiddish popular culture. On Kidults, Mandy Patinkin celebrates the best and brightest songs in the American musical canon, putting his stamp on classics such as "A Tisket A Tasket," "Soon It's Gonna Rain" and "If I Only Had a Brain." Produced by Tom Krasker, Kidults is conducted by Eric Stern with musical arrangements by Paul Ford, and features Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth on three of the disc's sixteen tracks. Patinkin is also a famous actor-singer on Broadway. He also won many prizes such as a 1995 Emmy Award for his great performance in CBS's series Chicago Hope.
H.E. Ambassador Anastase Gasana, (U.N. Rwanda), Joseph F. Edison, Ph.D., Dr. Nsidibe, Gloria Starr Kins, Mr. & Mrs. Harold Brauner, Mr. & Mrs. Brad Olander, Mr. David Isemin, Clare Effiong, and Fred Eno came, recently, to a special fundraising party which took place in Manhattan for the poor children of Rwanda, victims of the terrible genocide (1944). These people want to help the 'Esther's Aid for Needy and Abandoned Children.' The specific first project will be the establishment of a facility for these children in Kigali, Rwanda. You do not have to be an altruist in order to show your human side and support any relief for these children, survivors of a modern inferno which happened in our time.
Bnai Zion decided to adopt 'Ahava', a children and youth village in Israel. It helped many Jewish orphans, Holocaust survivors for many years. Today, Ahava's residents of almost 200 children between the ages of six and nineteen, are from broken homes who have undergone physical and sexual abuse, and have been involved with crime and addiction. Through an individually tailored program based on family life, therapy, and education, Ahava painstakingly builds self esteem within its fragile, damaged children. Only with this sense of confidence, believes Ahava, can children overcome their legacy of abuse and despair and become productive self-reliant members of society. Please call (212) 725-1211, ext. 225, Boris Kiderman.
Holocaust, Holocaust: After so many years of success as a writer and journalist, author Jack Engelhard published his short autobiography: How he, thanks to his father, managed to run away from the Holocaust and survived as a child. (Born in Toulouse, France, July 20, 1040). The book, Escape From Mount Moriah: Memories of a Refugee Child's Triumph, published by Comteg Publishing. Engelhard's first book was The Horsemen (1974). That was followed by Indecent Proposal (1993), Deadly Deception (1997), and The Days of the Bitter End (1998). Indecent Proposal, on which the 1993 blockbuster movie starring Robert Redford, Demi Moore, and Woody Harrelson was based, has been translated into twenty-two languages. "Ironically," says Engelhard, "it's been a bestseller in France and Germany - two countries that tried to wipe us out... blot out our names. And then a generation later, along comes this book and this movie from one who survived."
Recently, the relationship between the Vatican and the Jews has reached a point of confrontation. There are many reasons for this situation. Certain Dr. David Kertzer's new analytical survey of the linkage between Rome and the phenomenon of anti-Semitism will not relax the new tension but he only exposed the truth. Publisher Alfred A. Knopf published Dr. Kertzer's The Popes Against the Jews: The Vatican's Role in the Rise of Modern Anti-Semitism (New York 2001). The critics have praised this book. "A morally necessary book..." wrote Cynthia Ozick. And Jack Miles seconds: "Without sanctimony or melodrama but with meticulous documentation, David I. Kertzer tells a sickening story." Kertzer became famous because of his The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortary.
Many American leaders feel the need to express their support for Israel and the 'Israel Now' movement launched by the United Jewish Communities in New York. At a special meeting of Israel Now, one could see: Elie Wiesel, Governor Pataki, Senator Schumer and Senator Hillary Clinton who was attacked only a year ago as being too friendly to the PLO.
There are many friends and admirers of the distinguished Israeli-International concert pianist, Amiram Rigai. But the great pianist who contributed so many concerts and recitals to the world of music who performed with so many classical orchestras and under the famous conductors fights a battle of being healthy. Rigai encountered health problems with courage and a special spirit of optimism and belief since he has epitomized, in his personality, the spirit and values of the generation of 1948 ("Dor Tashah"). Rigai, who has a few records, is also a noted composer (Israeli Rhapsody) and he revived the legacy of L.M. Gotschalk, the famous American composer. But the most important contribution was the fact that Rigai introduced the best of the Israeli classical music to the American audience (Paul Ben-Haim).
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