Menschenings
By ALEX KLINER Social Columnist
E.T. sparks filmmaking career
Tony Dean Smith's Reflection garnered five Leo nominations.
South Africa's "political madness" is what brought tiie family of tlien 12-year-old Tony Dean Smitli from Johannesburg to Vancouver in 1990. Yet it was in Johannesburg tliat Tony came upon an interest tliat would determine his professional life today... filmmaking.
"I remember loving movies from tlie moment I saw E.T. at age seven," he tells me. By age 11, he had made his first video. A happy future career had been launched!
All through Talmud Torah and high I school, Tony had film and filmmaking on liis mind: "Altliougli I've always had a love j of reading, knowledge and study, I was | not attracted to university." With Tony's bent, tlie Vancouver Film School was tlie attraaion. An attraction strong enough to graduate with a Most Dedicated Student Award of 2000. Since tlien, he's made several short films. Most recently, tlie 35-millimetre Director's Guild of Canada-funded Rejlcctiotu It won first prize at tJie prestigious Spiritual Cinema Festival, not to mention five Leo Awards nominations... the Leos celebrate excellence in B.C. filmmaking. And Tony is only 27!
Tony Dean Smith on location.
Hundreds of snakes, birds and otlier animals from tlie 10-acre Kat-ifari Zoo in Gush Katif will join tlie 9,000 settlers in the Gaza disengagement process. Tlie animals will be sent to otlier zoos or animal centres witliin Israel. Good tiling too, I say. Most of 'em probably only speak Hebrew.
As part of the lOtli anniversary of tlie Fundacion/Museo Eugenio Granell in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, it recently featured four West Coast Canadian artists whose woric "consciously embraces tlie legacy of surrealism." Among tlie artists, local painter Pnina Granlrcr.
A draft of the Balfour Declaration sold recently at Sotlieby's auction house in New York for $884,000 to an anonymous private collector. Written by British Zionist leader Leon Simon on hotel stationary, tlie document is tlie only known handwritten version of tlie declaration. For tliat kinda money, I hope at least the penmanship was decent!
"Fine exemplar of her own words: Orthodox in a way most feminists couldn't bear, feminist in a way most Orthodox practitioners couldn't lx;ar." Characterization of Tamar Ross, American-born associate professor of Jewish thought at Bar-Ilan University and author of Expanding the Palace ofToralj: Orthodoxy and Feminism. "Critical but committed. Looks beyond male domination as the para-
digm," observes one reviewer.
Pcsach Burstcin and Lillian
Lux ... Yiddish tlieatre superstars since the 1930s. Married in 1938, tliey were hailed as "tlie Lunt and Fontanne of tlie Lower East Side." In later years, performed worldwide witii tlieir two cliildren, Mike and Susan, as tlie Four Bursteins. After Pesach's deatli in 1986, Lux toured her one-woman show and performed in radio in New York, where she recently died at 86. Elaine and I became good friends with the Burstein family when I worked with them in a Yiddish musical. Papa Get Married.
For "liis work in bringing war criminals to justice," Nazi-hunter Simon Wicsenthal was awarded Austria's Grand Order of Merit in Gold by Austrian President Heinz Fischer. Wiesentlial, 96, has tracked down more tlian 1,100 former Nazis since tlie end of tlie Second World War, 60 years ago.
It's not mucli of a gamble to put your money on tlie gloves of Israeli-bom heavyweight boxer Roman Grecnberg (the "Haifa Hitman"). Upped his unblemished' record to 19 wins, no losses, after his recent teclinical knockout over Josh Gutchcr in Las Vegas.
***
Last March, Khalcd Kasab Ma-hamccd, 42, a lawyer from Umm al-Falim, opened tlie world's first Arab-createid Holocaust "museum" in Naz;iretli, Israel's largest Arab city. A Palestinian nationalist, but
also a student of Holocaust history, Maliameed has "long nursed" the idea that "a deeper Arab appreciation of tlie Holocaust could help bring botli peoples closer." An open area in Maliameed's law office houses Holocaust photographs purchased at Yad Vashem. Arab reaction ... "generally negative." Maliameed, "undeterred," plans a second exliibit in Umm al-Falim despite warnings tliat it'll be burned dov^Ti.
Young Israeli musicians to take note of, so to speak... cellist Amit Peled, 30, pianist Alon Goldstein, 34, and Minsk-bom clarinetist Alexander Fiterstein, 26. Amit, Alon and Alexander belong to a "large number" of gifted Israeli artists now based in the United States who are attempting to build careere as soloists. Hope to see you soon in Vancouver, fellas!
San Francisco psychologist Elaine Aron coined the term "liiglily sensitive people" GiSP) after extensive research identifying the trait. HSP make up 15 to 20 per cent of the population and tlieir brains, among otlier cliarac-teristics, sort information into "more subtle distinctions tlian tlie average Joe." Among a variety of singular sensitivities, HSP have been found to be "refined wine-tasters." Aha! That explains my preference for Maniscliewitz Concord. S
Alex Kliner has a varied back-gwtiiui in theativ, education and commtmity seivice.
Amati
STRING STUDIO
VIOLIN & VIOLA CELLO GUITAR DOUBLE BASS ORCHESTRA & FIDDLE
OPEN HOUSE
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3rd 11am-2pm
AMATI ART & BOOKS
CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY & GIFT SHOP
(604)733-9813
www.amatistringstudio.ca Basement Level Arbutus Shopping Centre 4255 Arbutus Street
What's happening at the JCCGV?
1. Norman Rothsteinlhecrtre August 27 and 28
Chinese Cultural Centre presents Dragon Dar)ce
Saturday 7pm Qn English) . Sunday 2F>m On English) Sunday 7pm (in Mandarin) (604) 687-8875 or www.cccvan.c6m
2. Israeli Youtti Perfofinance Group Auditions
on Wednesday, September 7 and Sunday, September 11 at 5:00 pm at ttie JCC.
3 Rosti Hodesh: Ifs A Girl Thing! Parent and Daughter information evening
Thursday, September 8 at 5:00 pm Beth Tikvah Synagogue. Leam more about this innovative program and meet the facilitators.
4. Join ttra J September Sale. Septemt>er 6-30.2005.
60% off initiation fee; . 30% off 1st year dues and 20% off 2nd year dues. 2 years of savings.
Call Alexis or Daniel for more information.
jewish coMMUNmr cams. Of greater Vancouver
950 WEST 41 ST AVENUE • VANCOUVER BC v5z 2N7
M: 604 257 5111 • ka; 404 257-5119 • WWW.jCCgV.COm
in o o
fN
VO (N
i-
u <
S
Q Z
r
n
