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`Hebrew Hammer' Joins Hillel
Written and directed by Jonathan
Kesselman, The Hebrew Hammer pres-
ents a character rarely seen in
Hollywood: a sexy and powerful Jewish
superhero.
"We chose to partner with Hillel on
this project because Hillel shares the
film's cutting-edge, youthful sensibility,"
explains Kesselman. "The film also
shares Hillel's commitment to Jewish
pride."
A resource guide, available at
wwvv.hillel.org offers programming
ideas, a glossary of terms used in the
movie, Chanukah recipes and Hebrew
Hammer e-cards.
Kesselman will join students for an
online chat at wwwhillel.org at 7 p.m.
Nov. 9.
Students at the University of Michigan
and Michigan State University Hillels
will join more than 80 colleges and uni-
versities across the United States and
Canada in getting an early start on
Chanukah this year with the Nov. 16
DVD launch of over-the-top hit comedy
The Hebrew Hammer.
Hillel has partnered with cable TV's
Comedy Central and the film's produc-
ers to sponsor screenings and provide an
educational context for the movie.
"A good-natured Jewish spin on the
`70s 'blaxpoitation' genre," according to
Variety's David Rooney, the film focuses
on the Hebrew Hammer's (Adam
Goldberg) quest to save Christmas from
an evil Santa (Andy Dick). With help
from his friend Mohammed (Mario Van
Peebles), the head of the African-
American Kwanzaa Liberation Front, he
protects his traditions from destruction
— while keeping his pimpy sense of
style.
— Keri Guten Cohen,
story development editor
On Christian Zionism
ments against "Christian Zionism" did -
not take into account the long history of
Protestant and Catholic statements
affirming Jewish aspirations regarding
Israel.
"Christians in Israel are free to wor-
ship and pray in a state that safeguards
the freedom of all religions — in stark
contrast to the surrounding Arab
Muslim countries," the statement read.
"Persecution in those countries is inten-
sifying. It is short-sighted to criticize
Christian support for Israel, the one
country in the Middle East that is a true
friend to Christians."
In a show of solidarity with the Jewish
community, the executive committee of
the National Christian Leadership
Conference for Israel made a strong
statement of support at their Oct. 24
meeting in Detroit.
"We, the members of the NCLCI
executive committee, will not be intimi-
dated or silenced in our commitment to
and advocacy for the people, land and
State of Israel," they stated.
The group, a coalition of Protestants,
Catholics and other Christians, respond-
ed to this past summer's statements and
resolutions by a number of Protestant
denominations that denounced
"Christian Zionism."
The NCLCI added that the state-
(--
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— Sharon Zuckerman, staff writer
r --- 3 — 7
U.S. Holocaust Museum Feted
Leo Melamed was 7 years old when
the Germans marched into his home-
town of Bialystok, Poland.
The chairman emeritus of the
Chicago Mercantile Exchange told his
tale during the United States
Holocaust Memorial Museum's
Michigan Tribute Dinner in
Birmingham on Oct. 19.
He and his parents took the last
train out of Bialystok to Lithuania
before getting a transit visa to Japan,
courtesy of Chiune Sugihara, Japan's
consul general in Lithuania who saved
3,000 Jews.
"Our odyssey spanned three conti-
nents and six languages," he told a
rapt crowd of 450. "Today, those
3,000 souls he saved are over 250,000
descendants.
"No one else in my family was so
lucky, nor were any of my friends so
lucky. On June 27, 1941, every Jew in
our neighborhood, some 800 souls
including both my grandparents and
my aunt, were forced into the
Bialystok shul and torched," he said.
Quotables
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Leo Melamed: "No one else in my family [in Bialystok] was so lucky"
2004
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has proposed
leaving all Jewish settlements in Gaza and four in
the northern West Bank. Can you name the four?
— Goldfein
pur tisatuoH quIrieN curlyED arc rem-uptp.m Joj
palvIs sivaumplas )1u-eg lsam. moj aq1 :Jamsuy
Melamed said he always remembers
who and what were lost.
"My mission is that the world
remembers," he said. "In memory lies
our salvation, in memory lies our
`Never Again.'"
As pledge cards were being filled out
and collected, dinner chairman
Mickey Shapiro of Bloomfield Hills
urged the crowd to give more.
The event raised more than $1 mil-
lion toward a $22 million goal. The
museum is also aiming to add a $10
million endowment fund.
"The museum's basic operating
needs are funded by the federal gov-
ernment, said Marcia Ross of the
USHMM.
Most of the programming, which
includes exhibitions, educational and
scholarly research, is funded privately.
In 2003, the USHMM raised $25.8
million in private donations and
received $37.7 million from the feder-
al government.
— Harry Kirsbaum, staff writer
Do You Remember?
November 1994
"There would be no American musical without
Jews. Their influence is corollary to the influence
of black musicians on jazz; there were as many
Jews involved in the form."
— Laurence Maslon, associate professor of arts, New
York University, in 'A Jewish Street Called
Broadway" in October's Hadassah magazine.
Jordanian King Hussein promised Israel "a very
warm peace" and a major effort to curb Islamic
militants operating against Israel from his king-
dom.
Hussein rejected criticism from Syrian
President Hafez Assad that the treaty was "blas-
phemous."
"Nobody will teach me what Islam is and what
my belief is," said King Hussein.
— Sy Manello, editorial assistant
11/ 5
2004
II