Tell Me Why Elizabeth Applebaum AppleTree Editor 0: I was recently reading in the National Enquirer — I don't actually buy it, of I course; it's my husband's copy — that Jodie Foster and I actor Russell Crowe are romantically involved. I just saw him in the new film Gladiators, and that got me I wondering: were there any Jewish gladiators? I A: Yes, there certainly were. During the Roman occupation, gladiatorial contests were held in Israel. Very few persons volunteered to be gladiators. Their ranks were drawn from slaves, prisoners of war and criminals con- ; demned to death. As the Roman appetite for gladiatorial spectacles increased, fighters were drawn from , I , offenders convicted of minor crimes. Debtors who could not satisfy their I creditors sometimes sold themselves I into slavery and fought as gladiators. As you can well imagine, most of I the men forced into the gladiatorial life were unhappy. Although suicide I was common, many, if not most, of I the fighters ended up dead in the I arena anyway. To be sure, some of I the successful gladiators who actually I enjoyed their careers were psycho- : pathic killers. There were Jews I among them, and the Talmud records I that many of them renounced Judaism I and delighted in the resulting anguish I of the Jewish communities. Probably the most famous Jew who was a gladiator was Shimon ben Lak- ish, also known as Resh Lakish. He I lived in the Land of Israel in the third century C.E. Somewhat wayward in I his youth, he sold himself as a gladia- tor because he had no other way to I make a living. After a chance meet- ' ing with the renowned Rabbi Jochanan, Resh Lakish became a I devout Jew and a brilliant student of the Torah. He developed into a I major Torah scholar in his own right • VG) 7/7 2000 1 00 The Glad Gladiator The famous Jewish fichter who became a Torah scholar. and was highly respected for his for- bearance, personal integrity and love of the Jewish people and Land of Israel. His legal opinions and deci- sions are quoted in the Talmud and other rabbinic literature. Q: I know Hollywood is wacky but, come on. Did Lucille Ball REALLY hire a famed Jewish makeup artist to help her prepare for her court appearance during divorce proceedings from Desi Arnaz? A: Only in Hollywood, my friend. It's true. Ball was, like many stars of the 1940s and 1950s, a longtime fan of Hal King, first leading make- up artist, then "cosmetic beautifier" and finally "director of beauty" (I am not making up these titles, I promise) at Max Factor's Hollywood salon. For a time, the I Love Lucy show even included the credit: "Make-Up by Hal King." Ball and King tem- porarily ended their partnership, then reunited when Ball was head- ing for divorce court. After that, she became his No. 1 client and Robert Salvatore replaced King at the Max Factor salon. Q: I notice that President Bill Clinton received the Charle- magne Award during his recent visit to Europe. Did Charlemagne have anything to do with Jews? A: The historical record shows that Charlemagne (742-814), king of the Franks and first emperor of what later came to be known as the Holy I Roman Empire, probably had little to do with the Jews of his realm. Among the few Jews that we know of whose paths crossed with Charlemagne were his physician, named Ferragut, and an interpreter, Isaac, who was part of a delegation Charlemagne sent to the Caliph Harun al Rashid. As ruler of a vast group of territo- ries, Charlemagne tried to impose unity through a common faith, Chris- tianity, so his relations with the Jews . were influenced by the theological policies of his administration. His royal court included a special Christ- ian official to administer the laws affecting the Jews. These laws restrict- ed business dealings by Jews and put Jews at a legal disadvantage in dis- putes with Christians. Because of his military successes,- his position as the first ruler of a Christ- ian empire in the west and his physi- cal presence (he was said to stand almost 7 feet tall), Charlemagne, almost before his death, was made a legendary figure. Like so many others, the Jews had their own stories of Charlemagne. One legend has it that the Jews of Narbonne, in the south of France, helped to drive out the Muslims, thus securing the victory of Pepin the Shor e father of Charlemagne. As a gesture of appreciation, the Narbonne Jews were given the right to be governed by a Jewish king, and Charlemagne invited Rabbi Machir ben Yehuda to become the founder of the Jewish dynasty. (Machir was the younger brother of Rabbi Gershom ben Yehu- da, who issued the famous edict pro- hibiting polygamy.) The story proba- bly has a basis in fact because for centuries the Jews of Narbonne owned property, and for a time, wer self-governing. Another tradition holds that it was Charlemagne that brought the Kalom, mus family from Italy to Germany. Th( Kalonymus family is historically signifi cant because most of the rabbinic . and communal leaders of German Jewry from the 9th to the 1 3th cen- turies were drawn from its ranks. To c large extent, it also was responsible for the mystical movement known as Chasidei Ashkenaz that helped form the character of German Jewry. The Kalonymus family originated from the city of Lucca in Tuscany, ano by the 800s already included a num ber of prominent rabbis and scholars : For unknown reasons, a king of the Franks moved some members of the family from Lucca to Mainz and othe cities along the Rhine River. Although some ancient texts name Charle- magne as the king responsible for their transplantation, many scholars believe it actually was Charlemagne grandson, Charles the Bald. o you have a question for Tell Me Why? Questions may cover any field of Jewish life, history and religion, but should be of interest to a general readership. Please send questions to Elizabeth Applebaum, Tell Me Why, 14420 Vernon, Oak Park, Ml 48237. Please be sure to include your name and address. Unfortunately, there can be no response to individual queries, but as many questions as possible will be answered in the column.