Masha Leon
By Masha Leon
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News The Voice of Al Franken
AL FRANKEN — IN HIS OWN WORDS Returning from Washington on November 19, in the “quiet (no cell phone) car” of the Acela Express, I recognized the voice of Al Franken. Crossing the train’s aisle, I approached the dapper-suited Franken — then in the vortex of a recount in his Minnesota senatorial race against GOP…
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News Hats Off to Marvin Hamlisch
NOTHING BUT ART AT THE AMERICAN FRIENDS OF ISRAEL MUSEUM GALA Greeting 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…
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News Fashion Icon Honored
ISRAEL FILM FESTIVAL OPENING GALA HONORS AMERICAN FILM GIANTS AND SHOWCASES ISRAEL’S FILM TALENT At 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…
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News Ruth Gruber Honored at Free Speech Dinner
FREE SPEECH AND FOUR-LETTER WORDS ON MENU AT NATIONAL COALITION AGAINST CENSORSHIP AWARDS DINNER The 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…
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News Elinor Guggenheimer Remembered
IF YOU HAVE OSTEOPOROSIS, “BREAK A LEG” DOES NOT MEAN GOOD LUCK “So far I have not broken anything, but have had my knees replaced,” said Jane Brody, health columnist for the New York Times and an honoree at the September 24 National Osteoporosis Foundation luncheon at the Pierre. “The best predictor in mid-life [for…
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News Remembering Yukiko Sugihara
Were it not for Yukiko Sugihara, who died on October 8 at age 94, I might not be writing this column, nor would there be some 55,000 descendants of the Jews her husband helped save from the Holocaust. Wife of Chiune Sugihara, Japan’s consul in Kovno, Lithuania, in 1940, she supported her husband’s issuing 2,139…
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News Bloomberg, Sarkozy Honored
SARKOZY DECRIES ANTISEMITISM IN FRANCE AT APPEAL OF CONSCIENCE DINNER “In 1776, when we were trying to win our independence, it was France that came to our aid,” said New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to France’s president, Nicolas Sarkozy, at the Appeal of Conscience Foundation dinner, which honored both men. Bloomberg, who admitted that…
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News Elie Wiesel’s Birthday Bash
WISDOM AND MEMORY AT 92ND ST, Y’s TRIBUTE TO ELIE WIESEL AT 80 Elie Wiesel’s 80th birthday, September 30, was celebrated October 2 when the 92nd Street Y held an event titled “A Day of Humanity and Peace — A Tribute to Elie Wiesel.” It was a memorable gift to hundreds of Wiesel fans. “Mayn…
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