Honoring Creativity

In Los Angeles, stars come out for Jewish entertainment awards.

KELLY HARTOG

Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Los Angeles
he carpet wasn't exactly red —
in fact, it was blue — but the
requisite chicken dinner was,
indeed, on hand.
All this — and bread baskets for
making hamotzi, the Jewish blessing
over bread.
Oct. 11 was a night for Jews, and
those portraying them, to be in the
news as the National Foundation for
Jewish Culture and the Los Angeles
Entertainment Industry Council held
the fourth Annual Jewish Image Awards
at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. (Detroiter
Jim August is chair of the NFJC.)
The awards were established to recog-
nize outstanding contemporary creative
work that transcends Jewish stereotypes
and cliches in American film and televi-
sion and that promotes Jewish values,
history and tradition.
The event was hosted by comedian
Jeffrey Tambor of the hit television
series Arrested Development. Tambor also
received the award for portraying a male
Jewish television character for his role in
the show.
Tambor portrays George Bluth Sr.,
who is doing time in prison for shifty

T

show has a TVMA rating — for
mature audiences.")
Forty people work on the show,
including seven writers and a group of
animators in South Korea, where
many current animated TV shows are
sent for the drawing work.
Silverstein, married with one child,
comes from a Reform family; Jeser,
who is single, is from a Conservative
family. Their parents all have worked
for Jewish charitable organizations.
Silverstein and Jeser each graduated
with business degrees — Silverstein
from Tulane University in New
Orleans and Jeser from the Rochester
Institute of Technology.
But they told their parents they
wanted show business careers. "My
parents weren't real happy about it —
until later when they borrowed money
from me," Jeser quipped. ❑

CC

Drawn Together premieres 10:30
p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 27, on
Comedy Central.

accounting practices. While there,
George supposedly discovers God and
becomes an Orthodox Jew, albeit with a
limited knowledge of Jewish practices.
"So many people have got behind
these awards, and they promote the
[Jewish] people's self-image," Tambor
said.
Kristin Davis received an award for
her portrayal of Charlotte York, who
converts from Episcopalianism to
Judaism in HBO's Sex and the City.
Davis said playing Charlotte as a Jew
was the "most difficult thing I've ever
had to do in my entire career."
As a- "Southern girl with no religion,"
she said she was delighted to be so
warmly embraced by the Jewish com-
munity, noting an article in the Jewish
press announcing that "our Charlotte"
was receiving an award.
Tony Kushner's HBO film Angels in
America, based on his play of the same
name, won two awards — for Ben
Shenkman's portrayal of Louis Ironson,
a gay, secular, assimilated Jew who redis-
covers his roots when called upon to
recite Kaddish — and excellence in a
narrative film.
Excellence in a television episode
went to The Simpsons' "Today I am A
Clown," written by Joel Cohen, in
which Krusty the Clown goes back to

Private Ryan, Speed and The Patriot,
cheder after discovering he can't be
received the Tisch Industry Leadership
included on Springfield's Jewish Walk
of Fame because he never had a bar
Award.
Gordon said he has been honored to
mitzvah.
produce shows that are close to his
Excellence in a documentary film
heart, particularly the movie he directed
went to Menachem Daum's movie
Nothing but the Sun
about the
Hiding and Seeking. Fearing that his fer-
Holocaust as seen through the eyes of
vently Orthodox sons are becoming
children.
-
religiously intolerant, Daum, a resident
But the buzz in the ballroom was over
of Borough Park, N.Y., takes them on a
Josh Schwartz, the 28-year-old wun-
journey from America to Israel and
derkind creator and executive producer
eventually to Poland, where they meet
of the hit Fox drama The OC.
the non-Jews who hid Daum's father
The OC centers on the Cohen family,
during the Holocaust.
assimilated Jews in Orange County,
The cross-cultural understanding
Calif.
award went to Joe Fab's documentary
The youngest person in network his-
Paper Clips, about middle-school chil-
tory to create and run a network series,
dren in Whitwell, Tenn., who in 1998
began collecting 6 million paper clips in Schwartz was presented with the first
Creative Spirit Award.
honor of the Jews killed in the
Schwartz thanked his rabbi and
Holocaust. Paper Clips is set to be
thanked the foundation for honoring
released by Miramax next month.
his "vast body of work"
The major awards of the
— joking that next year
night went to Caryn
it would be difficult to
Mandabach, Mark Gordon
find someone to present
and Josh Schwartz.
with a similar award.
Mandabach, a television sit-
This year's awards coin-
com producer, received The
cided with the start of
Morningstar Commission
the 350th anniversary
Marlene Marks Woman of.
celebration of Jewish life
Inspiration Award for her
in America, and the Top
three decades' worth of work,
10 Jewish films of all
which includes hits such as
time were announced,
The Cosby Show, Grace Under
as determined by a
Fire, Roseanne and Third Rock
nationwide poll.
From the Sun.
Schindler's List' took the
Gordon, a veteran producer
top spot. 111
of over 50 films and television Josh Sch wartz:
shows, including Saving
TV wunderkind.

—

Whale Of A Tale

Boy with local ties stars in 'Around the Bend"

GAIL ZIMMERMAN

Arts Entertainment Editor

y

ou can hear the knelling from
Southfield all the way to Florida.
Seven-year-old Jonah Bobo's
extended family — great-grandmothers
Ida Raimi of Southfield, Frieda Pantzer
of West Bloomfield and Esther Pantzer
of Florida; great-aunts Shelly Forman of
Southfield, Faye Margolis of
Huntington Woods and Laurie
Nosanchuk of West Bloomfield; and
grandparents Manny and Renee Raimi,
former Detroiters who live in Florida —
can't wait for the Oct. 22 movie pre-
miere of Around the Bend.
The film, written and directed by
Jordan Roberts, is scheduled to open
Friday, Oct. 22, at the Landmark Maple
Art Theatre in Bloomfield Township. It
features the young actor in a story about

four generations of men in the same
family: a great-grandfather (Michael
Caine), grandfather (Christopher
Walken), father (Josh Lucas) and 7 year-
old son (Bobo). Their journey takes
them out on the road to discover a fami-
ly secret.

-

Jonah Bobo and his mother; Denise
Rain?i, at the LA. premiere of 'Around
the Bend"

—

Jonah, the son of former Detroiter
Denise Raimi and her husband, Scott
Bobo, got his start in commercials.
Around the Bend is his first major feature
film.
He also is the voice of Austin, a shy
but resourceful kangaroo, on the new
animated series The Backyardigans, airing
11 a.m. weekdays on Nickelodeon and
weekends on CBS (check your local list-
ings).
A cousin of director Sam Raimi
(Spider Man), Jonah, who resides in
New York City with his parents, keeps
kosher, attends synagogue every
Saturday morning and schedules work
around his observance of Judaism.
Currently filming an sci-fi adventure
movie with actor Tim Robbins, Jonah
celebrated Sukkot in a makeshift sukkah
on the set. ❑

Around the Bend is scheduled to
open Friday, Oct. 22, at Landmark's
Maple Art Theatre in Bloomfield
Township. (248) 263-2111.

10/22
2004

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