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COMPILED BY ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM

F-A-R-F-E-L Spells The Name
Of A Uniquely Talented Pooch

F

arfel is making quite a
comeback — and I'm
not talking about
yummy Jewish food. I'm
talking dog.
Back in the '50s, Farfel
the dog was the popular
spokesman for Nestle
Products. He helped sing
the theme song: "N-e-s-t-l-e-
5, Nestle's makes the very
best...chocolate."

making their national TV
debut in 1951 on "The Ed
Sullivan Show."
Farfel, a floppy-eared
hound, soon became the
star of the act with his acer-
bic retorts to O'Day's wise-
cracking comments.
The wise-beyond-his-
years pooch was born in Mr.
Nelson's mind as he looked
over stuffed animals in a

Nestl e

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Farfel disappeared for
awhile, but he's back on a
number of Nestle chocolate
bars (which are certified 0-
U kosher) and even has one,
"Farfel's Circus," named in
his honor.
Farfel got his start in
show business in 1950,
when he joined Jimmy
Nelson's ventriloquist act.
Mr. Nelson, Farfel and side-
kick doll Danny .O'Day
toured supper clubs in New
York, Chicago, Las Vegas
and Los Angeles before

toy store. Mr. Nelson decid-
ed to name Farfel after his
favorite dish.
Mr. Nelson, O'Day and
Farfel made commercials
for "Milton Berle's Texaco
Star Theatre" in 1952 and
1953. They signed with
Nestle Chocolate in 1955,
making about 60 commer-
cials through 1965.
Today, Mr. Nelson serves
as assistant vice president
for marketing at a bank in
Florida.

Spam, Wonderful Spam

S

peaking of nostalgia,
piece orchestra headed by
does everyone know
Artie Shaw (born Arthur
that Spam is celebrat-
Arshawsky). Oy.
ing its 56th birthday this
Since George Hormel &
year?
Co. introduced Spam in
And to think the biggest
1937, more than 5 billion
spokesman for
cans
have
this unforget-
GRACIE—IF A STRANGE
been
sold.
MAN OFFERED TO BUY
table product
YOU A LUNCH, WHAT
Spam's
WOULD YOU SAY?
(a mixture of
greatest hey-
chopped pork,
day, though,
sugar, water
was during
and salt) when
World War II.
it was first
Dwight
introduced
Eisenhower
was — gulp —
wrote in a
Jewish.
1966 letter to
During the
Hormel: "I'll
1940s, George
even confess to
Burns regular-
a few unkind
ly promoted
remarks about
the wonders of
it — uttered
Spam on his
during the
radio network
strain . of bat-
show, co-host-
tle, you under-
ed with Gracie Allen. The
stand."
two even had a live mascot,
Spam's makers are not
a pig named (this is getting
without a sense of humor
nauseating) "Spammy." To
about their product, calling
top it off, music for the ad
it the "Rodney Dangerfield
spots were played by a 23-
of the food world."

Who Was Shmuel Ha-Magid?

B

Pamyat Issues
An Apology

J

erusalem — For the
first time, an Israeli cit-
izen has won a front-
page apology from an anti-
Semitic magazine in the for-
mer Soviet Union.
In 1991, the Pamyat jour-
nal Our Contemporary ran
an article that accused
Professor Yimeyahu
Branover of Ben-Gurion
University of calling, in his
autobiography Return, for
the slaughter of gentiles in
Russia.
Mr. Branover took his
case to district court in
Russia, which ruled that
Our Contemporary and edi-
tor Alexander Kosintsev
must publicly apologize for
the error, according to a
report from the Jewish
Press Israel Bureau.

orn 1,000 years ago
this year, Shmuel Ha
Nagid was the leading
Jewish figure of Muslim
Spain.
He was a statesman,
scholar and military leader
born to a prominent family
in Cordoba. As a young man,
he studied Jewish law and
the Koran.
In 1013 Shmuel settled in
Malaga, where he opened a
spice shop. He began writing
letters on behalf of Muslim
leaders, who were impressed
by his knowledge and use of
Arabic.
Shmuel was soon appoint-
ed to prominent positions --
including head of the
Muslim army — within the
government of Granada. He
fought his first major battle
in 1038; he won subsequent

How To Avoid
A Long Wait

I

f you're thinking about a
visit to the Washington,
D.C., Holocaust Mu-
seum, it pays to plan ahead.
Since its opening, the
museum has had long lines
of visitors waiting to get in.
Those wishing to reserve an
advance ticket, allowing
immediate entry to the facil-
ity, may do so by calling
Ticketmaster, 1-800-551-
7328. Ticketmaster charges
$3.50 for its service; there is
no cost to enter the
Holocaust Museum.
The July issue of Archi-
tectural Record features an
article on the Holocaust
Museum, in an essay
describing structures that
express "the underlying spir-
it and essence of a project."
"Permanent Witness"
analyzes "Pei Cobb Free &
Partners' daring strategy to
use the very fabric of a
building to convey the crimi-
nality of the systematic,
industrialized extermina-
tion of 6 million Jews and
others by the Nazi state."

yi

campaigns in 1039, 1043,
1045 and 1049.
In addition to his military
prowess, Shmuel was a poet
and famed expert on
Halachah, Jewish law. His
Sefer Hilkheta Gaorata, pub-
lished in about 1049, com-
prises an explanation of
Halachah based on the
Midrash and Talmud.
His poetic works were Ben
Tehillim, Ben Mishlei and
Ben Kohelet. He was the
first Hebrew poet to write of
war and battle. His other
pieces focused on holiness,
wisdom, the death of his
brother, Isaac, and a love of
Zion.
Shmuel Ha-Nagid died in
1055. He had four children
-- three sons and a daugh-
ter, and named his eldest
son, Jehoseph, his successor.

n an effort to draw attention to the
issues facing working parents, the
National Council of Jewish Women
has designated Sept. 9 "National Day ;<*' „'
/
of the Working Parent."
"The most important issue today is
balancing responsibilities in the work-
. i,\
place with caring for children and
elderly parents," said Ann Zousmer,
local NJCW president. "The Day of the
Working Parent hopes to bring this
issue to the forefront."
In conjunction with the program,
NCJW groups across the country will
distribute information, packaged in
lunch boxes and labeled "Food for
Thought," about care for children and *
the elderly. NCJW officials said they k
chose the lunch box theme because "we
know that many parents today are so
busy that they don't even have time to
grab a decent bite of lunch."
• ."-k
Locally, NCJW Greater Detroit
Section will host a seminar, focusing
on parenting advocacy issues and the
workplace, Sept. 9 at the Birmingham
Community House.
For information on National Day of
\.;,i the Working Parent, contact NCJW at Kt
53 W. 23rd St., New York, N.Y. 10010.
(212) 645-4048, or call the Detroit
' office at 258-6000.

