Forward.com

Hats Off to Marvin HamlischGreeting the more than 600-strong crowd at the October 27 American Friends of Israel Museum “Israel at 60” gala, held at the Waldorf-Astoria, AFIM President Stephen Lash said that “one-third of the guests in the room are under 45 years old” and that “despite the turbulent times,” nearly $3 million had been raised. James Snyder, director of the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, touted “the growing presence of Israeli art on the world landscape.”
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Fashion Icon HonoredAt the opening night gala of the 23rd Israel Film Festival, held October 29 at the Ziegfeld Theatre, mistress of ceremonies Lanie Kazan credited the festival’s success to the “vision and chutzpah” of founder Meir Fenigstein. In an aside apropos Israel’s 60th anniversary, Michael Douglas joked, “I always like a country that is younger than I am.” Douglas then presented the IFF Lifetime Visionary Award to Danny DeVito, the actor/producer/director whose performance credits include the TV show “Taxi” and the films “Romancing the Stone” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” “You got to listen to me!” DeVito belted out. “I’m the only sheygets here.” He then added, “We are all mishpukhe together.”
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Ruth Gruber Honored at Free Speech DinnerThe National Coalition Against Censorship’s executive director, Joan Berlin, reminded the crowd gathered for the organization’s recent event that George Orwell had famously written that telling the truth in difficult times is a revolutionary act. At the October 21 “Free Speech Matters” dinner, held at the Rubin Museum of Art, honorees included journalist and author Anthony Lewis, publisher Barney Rosset, comedy club visionary Caroline Hirsch, TV reporter Dan Rather and 97-year-old photographer, journalist and author Ruth Gruber.
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