October's People
By: Gad Nahshon
Barry Manilow was awarded The Humanitarian Award from The Friends of Sheba Medical Center recently at a benefit dinner at The Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.
Following opening comments by Mrs. Lea Rabin, Honorary Chairman of the evening, The Humanitarian Award was presented to Manilow by Elizabeth Taylor and Mrs. Barbara Sinatra. Other guests included Melissa Manchester and Barbara Cook who performed with MANILOW to the sold out room of over 800 guests. Mrs. Rabin spoke about the progress of the Jerusalem-based medical center and David Brenner was the host of the evening.
The event raised over $300,000 for The Friends of Sheba Medical Center which is the largest, most comprehensive hospital in Israel and the entire Middle East. Growing and advancing immensely over the past 50 years, the hospital currently sees 700,000 in-patients and outpatients per year.
Rabbi Kenneth N. Hain of Lawrence, New York was elected president of the Rabbinical Council of America, the world's largest Orthodox rabbinic organization, at its Sixty-Third Annual National Convention at the Homowack Resort Hotel, Spring Glen, New York.
Rabbi Steven M. Dworken, Executive Vice President, commented "Rabbi Hain was elected president due to his standing in the Orthodox rabbinate, his leadership qualities, and his ability to analyze and comprehend the major issues facing the Jewish community today. Rabbi Hain has a wonderful ability to establish both personal and professional relationships, and the rabbinate and the Jewish community will surely be the beneficiaries of his counsel and leadership."
Veteran Israel Bonds leader Howard Hirsch of New York and Marlene Post of Massapequa Hills, New York, national president of Hadassah, have been elected to the Board of Directors of Development Corporation for Israel/State of Israel Bonds. Hirsch will serve as secretary of the Board.
"Howard Hirsch and Marlene Post each possess the outstanding leadership skills and unyielding determination to help Israel overcome the challenges it will face in the 21st century," said Gideon Patt, Israel Bonds president and CEO.
Board chairman Burton P. Resnick welcomed Hirsch and Post's addition to the Board, stating: "I know they will make significant contributions to our campaign to provide vitally needed investment capital for Israel's economic growth and development."
Mandy Patinkin recently decided to contribute his talents to the ongoing preservation of Yiddish culture. He developed his own one- man show called "Mamaloshen" ("The Language of My Mother").
Mandy Patinkin performed in Mamaloshen at a return engagement to the Angel Orensanz Foundation Center for the Arts (172 Norfolk on the Lower East Side). Mandy Patinkin performs an array of musical numbers, all of which are sung in Yiddish, for this limited engagement and is joined by violinist Saeka Matsuyama and Eric Stern on the piano.
Mandy Patinkin just returned from a 40-city North American tour of his critically acclaimed one-man theater concert. He has won an Emmy Award for his role in the CBS series, "Chicago Hope," a Tony Award for his role as Che in "Evita" and a nomination for his starring role in "Sunday in the Park with George."
"It is time that we as a people in New York State stand up and say that the American genocide must be recognized and must be acknowledged. It must be acknowledged by the Turkish government," said Governor George Pataki, who also hosted the Armenian Genocide Recognition Ceremony in New York City (June 28, 1999).
Over 100 invited Armenian community leaders attended. These included, His Eminence, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Prelate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church, His Eminence, Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America for the Eastern U.S. and Canada, His Excellency, Bishop Hovhannes Tertzakian, representing the Armenian Catholic community, Reverand Nishan Bakalian, representing New York City's Armenian Evangelical community, and His Excellency, Movses Abelian, Armenia's ambassador to the United Nations.
Most importantly, through the work of Aghavni Ellian and Robert Kallem of the New York Armenian Home, eleven survivors of the Armenian genocide were present. The survivors were driven to the event by limousine service provided by Berj Haroutunian of Vital Transportation.
By the way, in 1915, when genocide of Armenians took place (the Mussa-Dag), the Jewish establishment and the leader, Dr. Stephan Wise, did protest against the silence.
Albert Memmi, Roberto Benigni and David Trimble received Honorary Doctorates from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. The ceremony took place at the campus on June 6, 1999. Memmi is a famous Jewish writer and a native of Tunisia who lives in France. Benigni is the famous Oscar winner for his film "Life is Beautiful." Trimble is an architect of the peace in Ireland.
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