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Engineering fun for everyone
Stan Shear is a multi-talented musician, magician and... ventriloquist.
ALEX KUNER SOCIAL COLUMNIST
Stan Shear has been in Vancouver for less than a year. Already he's very much a part of the community. An experienced cantor, during the High Holy Days he conducted services at Shaarey Tefilah. He's also taken over as the director of the Vancouver Jewish Men's Choir. And why not! He's simg in shul choirs since his childliood in South Africa.
Stan Shear, centre, with Benjie, left, and Jasper. Was also a choir master. Stan's formance and subscription de- 2004 foreign investment.
Seems both my wife Elaine, an avid admirer of June's wardrobe, and Adrienne are of the same mind when it comes to Jime's designer duds ... they're worth talking about.
★★★
Foreign investment in Israel reportedly totalled $2.11 billion in January and February. Includes $1.08 billion in February, a third
a classically trained concert pianist. Also does a lick or two on the harmonica, accordion, guitar and banjo.
Stan's a magician and ventriloquist too... with a PhD in engineering. Worked as an engineer 20 years. Then "moved" into computer program development, on which he lectured for eight years at the University of Cape Town. All that time he's been performing professionally.
Stan's two puppet pals are Benjie and Jasper. Together the/ve been entertaining at all sorts of simchot locally, and for all sorts of groups, from children to seniors... "liopefully bringing pleastu-e to all ages." Good idea, Stan! Wlio doesn't need pleasure ... at any age?
Because of the extreme secrecy demanded by Mossad, former agent Peter Zvi Malkin, who, in 1960, apprehended Adolf Eichmann and who recently died at 77, said nothing about his role in Eichmann's capture. Only broke his silence years later at his mother's death bed. "Mama," he said, "I'm the one who captured Eichmann. Fruma is avenged." Fruma, Malkin's sister, was a victim of the Holocaust.
'k'k'k
Got Elaine and me an appropriate post-Purim gift... tickets to the upcoming Vancouver Opera production of Giuseppe Verdi's The Masked Ball. Why appropriate? 77ie Masked Ball is "Grand Opera"... music, sets, costumes, characters, all on a grand scale ... just like the story of Purim. Ajnd that's why I say appropriate. Besides, it's opera at its operatic best. The Masked Ball plays April 30, May 3,5 and 7, at the Queen E., 8 p.m. Per-
tails, 604-683-0222.
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Featured here recently... Gci> aid Tritt, owner of Vera's Burger Shack. Having read my piece, Vera's frequenters and fervent burger aficionados Stan and Recna Taviss toll me "Vera's are the best burgers in town." Now that, I'd say, is an endorsement with everything on it!
★★★
For centuries, a strand of red string worn around the left wrist has signified to some Jews their link to kabbalah. Shlomo Pcrcl-man, Orthodox Jew and store owner of Pinsker's Judaica Centre in Pittsburgh, Penn., is concerned about today's pop culture kabbalah. Worries that kabbalah study and the red string itself are being transformed into "hollow fashion statements." Hence, he produced a seven-minute video, T/ieAutlicntic Red String. It's on his Internet site, wwwju-daism.com.
★link-Apropos the above... kaballah-nik actor Ashton Kutcher "in-sisted" upon wearing his red string through the filming of the Hollywood movie Guess Who. Test-screening audiences found it "distracting." Hence the string was digitally removed at an approximate cost of $100,000 US. There's a producer-shoulda-pulled-strings joke there, somewhere!
★★★
In Ottawa last month, after presenting June Groldsmith with an Order of Canada, Governor General Adrienne Clark-son spent most of her conversation with the Music in the Morning fbundei/director discussing June's fabulous frock.
These figures represent an "unprecedented" annual pace of $12 billion, which would be an all-time record. Likewise, overseas investment by Israelis is also "soaring." Total, $3.31 billion in January-February,* an annualized $20 billion.
★★★
Coming soon on the web ... Jewish Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Collective brainchild of American media guys David Segal (reporter, Washington Post), Jeflrcy Goldberg (writer, New Yorker magazine) and Allen Goldberg (executive, XM Satellite Radio).
Should mention Alan Freed, visionary American 1950s disk jockey/concert producer. Coined the term "rock and rolL" Had the pleasure of working with Freed in New York on the mid-'50s movie Mr. Rock and Roll.
★★★
Paper Clips ... a film documentary about a tiny school in a tiny white Protestant Whitehall, Tenn. (population 2,000), whose students, as a dass project, built a Holocaust memorial and collected one paper clip for each of the six million Holocaust victims. Massachusetts businessman/ philanthropist David Ganz saw the film and began waging a "grassroots campaign" to deliver the documentary to every school in the United States. Wears a paper clip to draw attention to his effort
★★★
Pesach homily... In life, don't give up! Kemember, even Moses was once a basket case. Happy Passover! □
Alex Kliner has a varied background in theatre, education and community service.
The Vancouver Talmud Torah Board of Directors, Administration and Staff would like to wish the entire Jewish Community A happy, healthy and safe Passover Chag Sameach ve'kasher
• VTT will be closed for the Pesach break April 15-May 2
• Spring Fair & Walk For Israel Sunday June 5th • Raffle Tickets now on sale at VTT $2 or $40 per book • Tribute Cards available for all occasions
VANCOUVER TALMUD TORAH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 998 West 26lh Ave., Vancouver, BC, V5Z 2G] lei 604-736-7307 'fax 604-736-9754 • ^v^v^v.falmudto^ah.conl
ORGANIC COFFEE Sandwiches, Juices Baked Goods
open Every Deaf at 5:00 cum.
2698 West 4'" Ave ■ (corner of Stephens & 4th) (604) 688-1173
Chag Sameach!
The Board ofDirectors, Executive Director andStaff atlheJCC ivish everyone
ajoyous andpeaceful Passover.
JEVym C»MMUNnY CENnS OF GKATBt VANCOUVER
950WEST41SI AVENUE • VANCOUVER BCV5Z2N7
m604 257 5111 •kscMMasr-siw* www.Jccgv.corT)
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