ENTERTAINMENT
ul Noise
JOSEPH AARON
Special to The Jewish News
Hearing impaired
actress Marlee Matlin
achieved the
highest honor
in her field
Jewish,
he's
she's deaf and
she's this year's
winner of the
Academy Award
for Best Actress.
She's Marlee Matlin and
while she is most definitely
not the first Jew to win the
top Oscar, she is most
definitely the first deaf Jew to
do so.
And when her name was
announced citing her for her
role in 'Children of a Lesser
God,' the screams of joy corn-
ing from the synagogue Mat-
lin grew up in could be heard
all the way to Hollywood.
It was 14 years ago, when
Matlin was seven, that Rab-
bi Douglas Goldhammer first
met her. It was in a suburb of
Chicago where Goldhammer,
a Reform rabbi, was attempt-
ing to start a synagogue for
deaf Jews. In the process of
locating families to make his
dream a reality, Goldhammer
came across the Matlins. And
that's how he came across
Marlee.
Donald and Libby Matlin
were among the first to join
the new congregation and
their deaf daughter Marlee
WEEK
became one of the first
students to take private
Hebrew lessons with Gold-
hammer.
Marlee had lost her hearing
when she contracted roseola
at the age of 18 months. She
became completely deaf in
her right ear, but retained 20
percent of her hearing in her
left ear. Once a week, Gold-
hammer studied with her,
teaching her to read Hebrew
aloud and to translate simple
Hebrew texts. She also
learned about Jewish holi-
days, customs and cere-
monies.
What Goldhammer remem-
bers most of his years of
studying with Matlin is what
he said to her as they were
preparing for her Bat Mitz-
vah. Goldhammer, in an inter-
view, said he remembers
rehearsing Matlin's speech
and not being happy with the
way she was delivering it.
"I remember telling her
that she had to learn to pro-
ject to the audience. I guess
she has."
At her Bat Mitzvah, Mat-
lin, who can speak reasonably
well, was also required to read
from the Torah and to then
give an English translation of
what she read in sign
language:'
Goldhammer remembers
that Matlin "loved studying
Torah, loved Hebrew and
Jewish studies, had a great
commitment to the congrega-
tion and was more involved
than others. Jewish tradition
tells us that the deaf are ex-
empt from all religious com-
mandments. As a result, they
are cut out of the learning
process, especially of learning
Jewish language So when
they are included, they love it.
Marlee was symbolic of that."
Matlin loved, said Gold-
hammer, to take part in visits
the congregation made to
Jewish elderly living in nurs-
ing homes and to be part of
the temple choir, made up of
deaf kids who signed and
their hearing brothers and
sisters who sang.
"Everyone always loved
Marlee. She was a friendly,
friendly person. She had the
most marvelous charisma.
People were very attracted to
her."
One result, Goldhammer
said, was that Matlin's pic-
Continued on next page
OF MAC AES — ati.
0 I N G PLACES
LISTINGS WELCOME
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Screening a film? Staging a
play? If so, The Jewish News
wants to hear about it in our
new entertainment calendar,
Going Places. Send concert,
film, dance, comedy, club
and other entertainment ac-
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sion charge of each event
and a name and phone
number of someone to call
during business hours. List-
ings must be received at
least two weeks prior to pub-
lication.
MUSIC
DETROIT SYMPHONY OR-
CHESTRA: Ford Auditorium,
8:30 p.m. Saturday; oboist
Heinz Holliger 8 p.m. Thurs-
day; admission, 567-1400.
DETROIT INSTITUTE OF
ARTS: 5200 Woodward,
Detroit, Brunch With Bach,
harpists Elyse Ilku and Jane
Rosenen 10 and 11:30 a.m.
Sunday, admission, 832-2730.
BIRMINGHAM MUSICALE:
Tel-12 Mall, Southfield, Music-
a Never Ending Joy, con-
certs, 1:30 p.m. Friday, 12:30
and 3 p.m. Saturday, free,
353-4111.
FORD HOUSE CONCERT
SERIES: Edsel and Eleanor
Ford House, 1100 Lakeshore
Dr., Grosse Pointe, The Magic
Fiddle, 3:30 p.m. Sunday, ad-
mission, 357-1111.
CENTER SYMPHONY OR-
CHESTRA: Jewish Center,
6600 W. Maple, West Bloom-
field,
Ventura String
Quartet,3:30 p.m. Sunday;
lecture, Elkhonon Yoffe, 2
p.m. Sunday, free.
FAMILIES
DETROIT YOUTHEATRE:
Detroit Institute of Arts
Auditorium, 5200 Woodward,
The Sorcerer's Apprentice,
11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday,
admission, 832-2730.
COMEDY
COMEDY CROSSING: 23055
Telegraph Rd., Southfield,
Ron Coden and Company
Comedy Show, 8:30 and 11
p.m. Friday and Saturday, now
through May 30, admission,
353-3798.
COMEDY CASTLE: Northwood
Inn, 2593 Woodward, Berkley,
Mark Pitta, 8:30 and 11 p.m.
today and Saturday, Bobby
Slayton, Tuesday through
May 16, admission, 542-9900.
DUFFY'S ON THE LAKE: 3133
Union Lake Rd., Union Lake,
Mike Ridley, 7-11 p.m. Tues-
day - Thursday, no cover, Bob
Posch and John Cionca,
9:30 and 11:30 p.m. today and
Saturday, admission,
363-9469.
THEATER
DOWNTOWN
DINNER
THEATER:
Veterans
Memorial Building banquet
hall, They're Playing Our
Song, presented by Jimmy
Launce Productions, cocktails
6:30 p.m., dinner at 7, curtain
at 8:45 today, every Friday and
Saturday, admission, reserva-
tions, 224-6000.
Continued on Page 73
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