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Celebrity News
— RANDALL KAPLAN
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“The needs of families and the needs of couples will almost always differ. Most families will want food, bathrooms and showers, and they also want to know if you can swim at that beach. A couple may want to know if a beach has surfing, snorkeling or volleyball.”
Kaplan, 52, a University of Michigan (U-M) psychology graduate who earned an advanced degree from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, has been at the helm of different kinds of businesses.
His resume includes Akamai Technologies, a computer initiative aimed at making the internet fast and secure; JUMP Investors, an entrepreneurial investment firm; Thrive Properties, a real estate development enterprise; and CollarCard, a promotional products company.
Religious and community grounding has come through activities at Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township and the Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles. Anchors to Michigan include establishing the U-M Julia Eder Dean’s Scholarship, which honors his grandmother, a “102½- yearold” still in the Metro Detroit area, and benefits students who have lived in foster homes as she did.
“I love the thought of going to the beach,” said Kaplan, also diving into podcasts with “In Search of Excellence,” which presents earthy interviews of highly successful people. “I love the sun, the outdoors, the sand on my feet, the sound of crashing waves on the ocean. I like looking at the diversity of people on the beach.”
Details
Bliss: Beaches is available on Amazon.
An aerial photo from the book
NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST
QUEEN BEES & BASEBALL
Opening June 11 in theaters is Queen Bees, a dramedy. It stars Ellen Burstyn, 88, as a feisty senior who temporarily moves into a retirement home because her home is being repaired. She battles elderly female bullies, makes a good friend (Ann-Margret) and canoodles with James Caan, 81.
The director is Michael Lembeck, 72. His father, Harvey Lembeck (19231982), was a talented comedic actor (Sgt. Bilko). Michael, a practicing Jew, began as an actor. He had a big recurring role (Max Hovath) on the 1970s hit sit-com One Day at a Time starring the late Bonnie Franklin. He has been a busy director (mostly TV) since 1989. His credits include directing 20 episodes of Friends. He won an Emmy for one in 1996. His wife, former actress Lorna Patterson, 64, converted to Judaism a few years after their marriage and they have two children. In 2009, she received her cantorial ordination from the Academy for Jewish Religion, a Los Angeles seminary.
Most years, I give a rundown of Jewish baseball major leaguers early in this season. However, the “major league status” of an unusually large number of Jewish players was uncertain in the first month of the season. This list was prepared with the aid of Jewish Sports Review magazine, a print publication.
The players are Richard Bleier, 33, relief pitcher, Miami Marlins. He pitched for the Israeli team in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. Bleier broke into the majors in 2015 (Yankees) and was traded to Baltimore in 2017, where he had an outstanding season. However, he was hampered by serious injuries in 2018 and 2019 and was traded to Miami in August 2020. He performed well in the short 2020 season
Alex Bregman, 27, third baseman, Houston Astros. Bregman, who had a bar mitzvah, broke into the majors in 2016 and has been a star player from the start. He made the All-Star team in 2018 and 2019.
Max Fried, 27, starting pitcher, Atlanta Braves. Fried, who had a bar mitzvah, briefly played for Atlanta in 2017 and returned for a great season in 2019 (17-6; great ERA).
Joc Pederson, 28, outfielder, Chicago Cubs. Like Bleier, Pederson played for Israel in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. Pederson played for the Dodgers until this year. He’s known for being a streaky power hitter who hits a lot of home runs and strikes out a lot.
Kevin Pillar, 31, outfielder, NY Mets; Pillar, who had a bar mitzvah, spent his first seven seasons with Toronto. He’s been with four teams in the last three seasons.
Rowdy Tellez, 26, first baseman/designated hitter, Toronto Blue Jays. Tellez has been with Toronto since his rookie season (2018).
Special Note: Outfielder Ryan Braun, 37, an MVP award winner, is now a free agent, “leaning toward retirement.”
