JULY 9 • 2020 | 33
(JTA) — Until the last day of
his life, Carl Reiner was tweet-
ing about some of his favorite
topics: politics, comedy and the
twists and turns he experienced
over decades as one of the
world’
s greatest living funny-
men.
Reiner died Monday, June 29,
at 98, hours after reiterating his
dismay that Donald Trump had
become president, days after
posing with his daughter Annie
and longtime friend Mel Brooks
in Black Lives Matter shirts and
70 years after his first television
appearance.
The Bronx native, the son
of Jewish immigrant parents,
called himself a “Jewish atheist”
and said his faith in God had
ended with the Holocaust.
After serving in the U.S.
Army during World War II, he
began a long and varied show
business career. He created The
Dick Van Dyke Show, formed a
comedy duo with Brooks that
was highlighted in their album
the “2000 Year Old Man,
” wrote
screenplays for Steve Martin
films including The Jerk and, in
his later years, voiced characters
in animated films.
DETROIT MEMORIES
In 1999, Jewish News
Contributing Writer Suzanne
Chessler interviewed Reiner, in
which he shared some mem-
ories of Detroit. He told her
about the time when he was
in a Broadway road company
of Call Me Mister in 1947, and
Detroit was the last stop before
Chicago. “My son Robbie
(producer-director-actor Rob
Reiner) was 5 weeks old. There
were two weeks in Detroit
and Cleveland when I did not
see my little son, but my wife
brought him out to Chicago
because that was a six-month
run. We stayed at a hotel, and
that’
s where he started to grow.
”
An avid baseball fan, Reiner
told Chessler about one of his
all-time favorite players.
“When I was a kid, I knew
every Detroit ballplayer because
I followed every team in the
league,
” he said. “When Hank
Greenberg, a Jewish kid from
the Bronx, became an idol not
only in Detroit but in the whole
baseball community, I followed
his career.
”
HIS ‘
KEY TO LONGEVITY’
In a 2015 documentary about
longevity that Reiner hosted, he
offered his own secrets for long
life. “The key to longevity,
” he
said, “is to interact with other
people.
”
In the documentary, Reiner
also offered insight into what
made him funny.
“I think it’
s partly your genes,
”
he said. “
Also, it’
s your environ-
ment. Also, if you have a funny
bone; if you grew up in a family
with a sense of humor.
”
Reiner’
s wife of 64 years,
Estelle, died in 2008. Along with
Rob and Annie, he is survived
by a son Lucas, their children
and their children’
s children.
Carl Reiner, Consummate Old
Jew Telling Jokes, Dies At 98
Carl Reiner at the
Aero Theatre in
Santa Monica, Calif.,
Aug. 3, 2017.
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Jaden,
your mom and I are so proud of you.
The way you handled waiting
for your Bar Mitzvah taught us all
a lesson on patience.
Now the time is here and you will
be called to read out of the Torah
this weekend!
We know you will be amazing!
We included this photo of you with
your siblings because you really are the
best big brother and we all love you.
Love Mom, Dad,
Noah, Stevie and Eddie
The Probate Law Firm of