Scene Around

More Jewish super-talents ...

ADAM SANDLER is a talented actor-comedian who has starred on television and in many movies. He, of course, is Jewish and born in Brooklyn like me! His ancestry is Russian like me! At the age of 6, he and his family moved to Manchester, New Hampshire, where he grew up. (Not like me.)

As a teenager, Adam attended the Jewish youth group BBYO. He graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in Manhattan.

Of course, he became famous as a member of the Saturday Night Live comedians. (That's where I first saw him and became a fan!)

And I was surely a fan of this guy as well ...

I'm referring to Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarella" better known as HENRY WINKLER. (He was born in New York City also.)

Winkler's parents were German Jews who were living in Berlin during the rise of Nazi Germany. In 1939, his dad realized it was no longer a safe place for Jews, he arranged to take his wife on a business trip to the United States. And he also smuggled the family's jewels out of Germany by disguising them as a box of chocolates. (Uh oh! It's a good thing I didn't try to eat them!)

So far Henry and his lovely spouse, STACEY, have been married for 40 years! (In show biz that's amazing!).

Scholar appointed as U.S. antisemitism envoy ...

I read this in the World Jewish Congress digest and pass it along to you: "The WJC welcomed the recent nomination of Dr. DEBORAH LIPSTADT, as U.S. antisemitism envoy with the rank of ambassador, as the world's oldest hatred continues to surge around the globe.

'President BIDEN and Secretary of State BLINKEN could not have found anyone better qualified than Dr. Deborah Lipstadt, a renowned historian of the Holocaust, to confront today's challenges, according to WJC President Ambassador RICHARD S. LAUDER. 'She brings a deep understanding of antisemitism as well as real-world experience to the position.'

Jewish communities worldwide will benefit from her appointment at this critical time. Her demonstrated courage in confronting antisemites and Holocaust deniers from across the political spectrum makes her the ideal person to represent the United States in confronting surging anti-Semitism around the globe.

The WJC enthusiastically looks forward to continuing close cooperation with the office of the Special Envoy, which has been diligently operating under the leadership of U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State KARA MCDONALD and her staff.

Amb. Lauder added, 'Dr. Lipstadt, a longtime friend of the WJC, will be an outstanding partner for other government officials fighting antisemitism, and the WJC will be pleased to welcome her at our next meeting of Special Envoys & Coordinators Combating antisemitism.'

A prolific author, Lipstadt is widely known for prevailing in a landmark libel case in Britain brought by Holocaust denier DAVID IRVING. She is the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory University in Atlanta."

And, of course, I feel I must repeat this message sent to me by WJC:

"Every time we check the news, it seems that there are new anti-Jewish or anti-Israel stories to report. I know you are concerned too by this ever-increasing hatred, which all too often leads to violence. We must draw a line in the sand to tell the world in no uncertain terms: 'NO MORE!

HATE STOPS NOW!'

I'm sure I mentioned this in the column before ...

But I feel it's worth mentioning again.

I once wrote in this column that I loved dogs better than people. Readers complained at what I wrote. So, the next column I wrote that "I love dogs better than SOME people." Nobody complained! (Everyone was sure I didn't mean them!)

What you can do for helpless animals: Report cruelty, report neglect, report abuse, report chained dogs, report abandonment, pets left in cars, beatings and physical abuse.

(Pretty much the same as you would report about a helpless child.)

JCC Seniors On The Go ...

A message from BARBARA GOLDBERG about upcoming events:

Jan. 3rd - Maitland performance arts will bring a music duo by Robert and Jon, each first Monday of the month.

Jan. 10th - Victor Granatstein will present a program on Jewish Civilization. Batya and Victor will also provide lunch at 11:45 a.m. Please RSVP.

Shira will again be on stage, singing and performing for us "Lots of Love, at 1pm." 

And bringing in the new year ...

There will be a Disco Night starring the Dazzling Divas on Saturday, Jan. 2nd beginning at 11 a.m. at the Artisan Hotel (downstairs) Cover is $5. This is a "Happy New Year" celebration.

One for the road ...

Two Jews meet on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx for the first time in over 25 years, since they were boys together in Russia.

One of them has two young sons with him.

After the usual greetings and embraces, one of them inquires about the other's sons:

"Those are two beautiful boys you have. How old are they?"

The other replies: "The doctor is five and the lawyer is three."