Jewish World Review June 28, 1999 /15 Av, 5759
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| Boxer |
Tim Boxer
WHEN HENRY KISSINGER became secretary of state, he frequently found
himself at odds with the New York Times. He'd complain to then-editor A.M.
Rosenthal, who was always sympathetic.
"Tell me what's wrong," Rosenthal would say, "and we'll investigate.
If we're wrong, we'll fix it."
"For two days I felt good," Kissinger related at the American Jewish
Historical Society dinner at New York's Pierre Hotel.
I haven't read Kissinger's new book yet, but I counted the pages in
his "Years of Renewal" (Simon & Schuster) - 1,151 pages.
Kissinger said he attended a party for Rosenthal's wife, Shirley
Lord, who'd just published her book, "Crasher."
"My book would be just as thin as hers if I'd taken out all the I's,"
he chuckled.
AJHS president Kenneth Bialkin presented Kissinger with the group's
Emma Lazarus Statue of Liberty Award while Daily News publisher Mort
Zuckerman noted that the elder statesman "is not as smart as G-d is, but as
smart as G-d was at his age."
"What we got in Kissinger," Rosenthal said, "was the most brilliant
intellectual who ever served in American government. He will always be
remembered as an American and a Jew - I always loved that word."
Sills got up and sang a parody to the guest of honor: "I'm wild about
Henry, and Henry's wild about - Nancy!"
An amazed Barbara Walters declared, "I've never heard Beverly sing
since she retired from the Metropolitan Opera 20 years ago."
Walters said she once asked Kissinger, "How do you feel being named
the sexiest man in Washington?"
"I love it," he replied. "Now when I bore people, they think it's
their fault."
"There was a game in progress," she said, "and everything stopped
when Henry entered. The entire stadium stood up. Not one of them was Jewish."
Dinner chairman Zuckerman thanked everyone for supporting AJHS which
will move in the fall to new quarters at the Center for Jewish History on W.
16th Street.
He especially lauded Beverly Sills. He said that when the opera star
was invited to her first party she said, "Thank G-d, we're invited."
Now she says, "Oh G-d, we're invited."
Zuckerman said these are difficult times in raising funds. He told
about a charity that called a person who had not donated in some time.
No.
"Does your research show that my son is about to be thrown out of
college because his tuition is in arrears?"
No.
"If I didn't give to them, do you think I'd give to you?"
Tummling At The Y
As part of the annual Toyota Comedy Festival, the 92nd St. Y got a
bevy of Borscht Belt legends to reminisce on the good times in the mountains.
The group on stage included Stewie Stone, Freddie Roman, Mal Z. Lawrence,
Dick Capri (who calls himself "the token goy"), and newcomer Adrianne Tolsch.
Jeff Ross, a new generation comic, exposed his white bread roots when
he asked if anyone had worked as a tumbler.
"TUMMLER!" Freddie Roman yelled out.
Turns out that they'd all paid their dues as tummlers in the
mountains, except for the newcomers.
"That's a guy who entertained the guests all day long," he explained.
Mal Z. was a tummler at Esther Manor, and Stewie at the Concord.
Stewie at 59 has a two-year-old daughter. Someone asked him what it's
like having a baby at that age. He said, "It's like having grandchildren who
never leave."
Nancy Sinatra said it's great having a baby at that age.
"Why?" Stewie asked.
She said, "When the kid's old enough to aggravate you, you'll be
dead."
That cracked up the packed auditorium which included Abe Vigoda,
Mickey Freeman, Jamie De Roy, Bobby Shields, Bill Scheft (Adrianne's husband)
and Buddy Hackett.
Capri, an Italian Catholic, insists he feels Jewish: "I've worked for
so many Jewish audiences, I'm on Schindler's list."
Sexual Intrigue In Meah Shearim
Theodore Bikel, who has toured for years as the star of "Fiddler on
the Roof," joined a half dozen actors in a reading of a new controversial
play, "One Hundred Gates: A Love Story in a World of Mysticism and Desire,"
at the Manhattan apartment of Consul General Shmuel Sisso.
The plot deals with the sexual awakening of two yeshiva boys in
Jerusalem's hareidi enclave of Meah Shearim.
The author, Tuvia Tenenbom, hopes to present his play at the Jewish
Theater of New York next season.
He should have brought Dr. Ruth Westheimer from the audience to
introduce his piece. But Dr. Ruth said, "Tonight I am not working."
Theo, now starring in "The Gathering" at the Jewish Repertory
Theater, remarked, "I have to find someone who will let me play a goy from
time to time."
The House Wit
Adrianne Tolsch says her mother left Brooklyn for retirement in
California and is busy writing a book titled, "It Takes a Leisure
06/25/99: You Never Know
Always A godfather,
never a god
Wall Street broker Ephraim Propp told her, "I know why Henry married
you. He needed someone he could look up to."
Among the throng who came to praise the diplomatic godfather, who
held the highest office a Jew has ever held in the history of our nation,
were Isaac Stern and his ex-wife Vera (but not together), Lifestyles
publisher Gabriel Erem, Jeff Wiesenfeld, Forward publisher Seth Lipsky,
Malcolm Hoenlein, Erica Jesselson, Norman Podhoretz, Barbara Walters, Bruce
Slovin, Ahmet Ertegun, Elie Wiesel and Beverly Sills.
Kissinger
She told about taking Kissinger back to his German roots in Furth for
a profile on ABC's "20/20." They walked the streets where he grew up. They
went to the soccer stadium, where Jews were forbidden by the Nazis.
The prospect said, "Does your research show that my mother is in the
hospital in need of urgent surgery?"
Walters
Freddie started 37 years ago as a tummler at the Homowack Lodge.
JWR contributor Tim Boxer is the celebrity columnist of the
New York Jewish
Week and author
of Jewish Celebrity Hall of Fame and Jewish Celebrity
Anecdotes. Send your comments to him by clicking here.
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