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ded, ran around in the snow, rode our
"In fact, one of the founders, Bessie
bikes.
Davidson, is my grandmother and
"I can honestly say I had a ball
Sandra's great-aunt. They have always
growing up in Flint."
been close, especially since Sandra's
Harry Kirsbaum, a staff writer at
own grandmother, [David-Horodoker
The Jewish News, grew up in Flint and
member] Itka Lazebnik, passed away."
remembers Bernhard well.
For Bernhard, her adolescent years
"We lived about one-half mile from
in Arizona weren't as carefree as the
each other and were good buddies from
ones in Michigan. Her brother Mark
the first through third grade," he
told People magazine in 1990, "She was
recalls. "She was funny and outgoing.
the geeky one ... lots of people put her
We used to play this game where we
down. She was tall, thin and had those
would pretend to be Santa Claus and
big lips. All those things I thought were
Rudolph and give each other piggyback
so sensuous.
rides around the playground during
After graduating from high school in
recess. Here we were, two Jewish kids
Scottsdale, Bernhard moved to Israel,
playing Santa and Rudolph.
where she spent a year on a kibbutz. "It
"I lost track of her until she made
was a great experience," says Bernhard,
her way to Hollywood. Everyone has
who has since been to Israel several
his idea of what she's like, but for me,
times, but has not performed there. "It
she was just my good friend Sandy."
gave me an understanding about the
At age 10, Bernhard's father moved
work ethic and getting up every morn-
his medical practice to Scottsdale, Ariz.,
ing and going to a job."
and the family relocated. But she never
From Israel, Bernhard made her way
forgot her Michigan roots.
to Hollywood, trying to break into
"Sandra is very connected to family
show business. In order to support her-
here and still
maintains a
closeness," says
her cousin
Donna Pearlman
of Huntington
Woods, vvho saw
Bernhard and
her new baby
this past sum-
mer in Los
Angeles. "My
daughter Emily
lives in L.A., and
Sandra was at
her house for
Yom Kippur
dinner. Sandra's
Jeanette Bernhard, Sandra's mother; Bessie Davidson, her
brother Mark, and great-aunt; and Sandra Bernhard at the David-Horodoker
his family, were
celebration.
there as well."
Pearlman, a speech and language
self, she became a manicurist at a
pathologist for the Ferndale schools,
Beverly Hills salon, where the likes of
was very pleased, though not surprised,
Jaclyn Smith and Victoria Principal
when Sandra accompanied her mother
came to have their nails trimmed and
to Detroit's David-Horodoker
polished.
Organization's 60th anniversary cele-
"I had to make a living, and it beat
bration a couple of years ago.
waitressing," chuckles Bernhard, whose
Named after a shtetl bordering
goal was to be an entertainer/comedi-
Russia and Poland, the David-
an/singer who could belt out musical
Horodoker Organization was founded
numbers as well as spout humorous
by immigrants and their families to
observations. She wanted to be a cross
help others coming over to this coun-
between Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin.
try. It began as a social group but
Her first stand-up comedy routine
evolved into a philanthropic organiza-
was at Ye Little Club in Beverly Hills,
tion.
where she impersonated Mary Tyler
"It meant a lot that Sandra came to
Moore and told a joke about being a
the event," says Pearlman. "Many of
medium.
the original women are dying, and their
With a lot to learn, Bernhard con-
children are taking it over.
tinued to work on her repertoire, devel-

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Detroit Jewish News

12/4
1998

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