Celebrity Jews

ARTS&LIFE

CELEBRITY JEWS

NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST

A KING; A QUEEN; YOUNG LEVINSON & LEVY SHINE

Of course, you’ve heard that Larry King died last week at age 87. I saw King in the ’80s before he became really famous. I chanced to learn that he was doing a free, live radio show in San Francisco, a block away from where I then lived. So I sauntered over. He looked worse then, at about 53, than he looked at 73. During every ad break, he’d creep up the wide ramp on the side of the audience seats. His back was hunched over, and he smoked a cigarette as he walked. Not long after, he had a massive heart attack and he learned his lesson. He took care of himself and lived another 34 years. King worked (and worked) and always seemed upbeat despite a rough childhood; an arrest for larceny in 1971 (he was acquitted); seven failed marriages and the premature deaths of the two oldest of his five children. Maybe the miracle of his unexpected stardom and decades of good health sustained his spirits.

A new version of the ’80s TV series The Equalizer starts on CBS on Feb. 7 (8:30 p.m.). Queen Latifah stars as Robyn McCall, an enigmatic woman with a mysterious background who uses her extensive skills to help those with nowhere else to turn. Adam Goldberg, 50, is a main cast member. He’s best known as the star of the Hebrew Hammer movies and as the Jewish army soldier who tragically dies in a one-on-one fight with a Nazi soldier near the end of Saving Private Ryan.

The original Netflix film, Malcolm & Marie, begins streaming on Feb. 5. It’s a two-character movie, made during the pandemic, with a very small crew. The brief official description: When filmmaker Malcolm (John David Washington) and his girlfriend Marie (Zendaya) return home from a movie premiere and await his film’s critical response, the evening takes a turn as revelations about their relationships begin to surface, testing the couple’s love.

For more details, see the long Variety review online. Variety gave it an “all-rave” review, as did other many outlets. (Oscar noms seem a certainty). All this praise included Sam Levinson, 36, the film’s director and writer. He is best known as the creator and “showrunner” of the American version of Euphoria on HBO (which stars Zendaya and was based on an Israeli series). Sam is the son of Oscar-winning (Rain Man) director Barry Levinson, 77.

Dan Levy, 37, will be the guest host of Saturday Night Live on Feb. 6. Levy won four 2020 Emmys: for his acting in the series Schitts’ Creek, for writing a Creek episode, for directing an episode and as a co-producer of the series, which won the best comedy series Emmy. The last award he shared with his father, Creek star and co-producer Eugene Levy, 74.

Larry King during an interview with Ross Perot in 1993.

JEFFREY MARKOWITZ/SYGMA VIA GETTY IMAGES VIA JTA

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ON THE GO

PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS

YIDDISH POETRY IN TRANSLATION 4-5:15 PM, FEB. 4

U-M Frankel Center for Judaic Studies will present an Zoom a performance by Detroit-born Mikhl Yashinsky, followed by Q&A with Mikhail Krutikov. At this event, Yashinsky will perform the Yiddish poetry of Ezra Korman in his own translation. Yashinsky has taught Yiddish at the University of Michigan, YIVO and the Workers Circle, and is known to Yiddish theatrical audiences. Info: tinyurl. comsawyerseminar2021.

VIRTUAL RUFUS AT ARK 5 PM, FEB. 5

The Ark in Ann Arbor will present a Rufus-RetroWainwright-Spective. Advance ticket: $20; Day of Show: $25; Monthly Pass (4-show bundle+2 Fireside Chats): $70. Info: theark.org.

IRISH MUSIC AT THE ARK 8 PM, FEB. 6

Mick Gavin’s Crossroads Ceili will be live from The Ark as part of the Ark Family Room Series. Free. Tip jar available. Info: theaqrk.org.

JFS HEALTH PROGRAM 1:30-3:30 PM, FEB 8 (FOR 6 WEEKS)

Jewish Family Service will bring this free Zoom presentation. Personal Action Toward Health (PATH) is a fun, interactive program designed by Stanford University to provide the necessary skills and tools to help people manage chronic pain and other persistent health conditions live a healthier life. This workshop is conducted by certified leaders and is open to adults, their family and friends, as well as caregivers. A reservation is required. Contact Beth Seelbach, 248-592-2655 or bseelbach@jfsdetroit. org. Registration priority will be given to those living in Western Wayne, Livingston, Oakland, Washtenaw and Macomb counties.

JHSM PROBES A SUMMER PLACE IN MICHIGAN 2 PM, FEB. 10

The Jewish Historical Society of Michigan offers an exclusive Zoom screening of a new documentary about a summer place in Michigan that has continued for six generations, which explores the impacts of history, antisemitism and the oppression of the Chicago summer heat, combined with a common desire to be amongst friends and family in a community lakeside setting. JHSM members: $10; nonmembers: $18. Register at michjewishhistory.org.

ABOUT GENETIC TESTING 7:30 PM, FEB. 10

Hadassah Greater Detroit will present a virtual program, “The Modern Approach to Genetic Testing from BRCA to TaySachs.” Hillary Regelman, director of National Outreach for JScreen, will discuss the history behind Jewish genetic screening and current innovations. Register by Feb. 8 at hadassahmidwest.org/ GDGenetic or call 248-683 5030. There is a $10 event fee.

ISRAELI COVID RESEARCH 2 PM, FEB. 11

Technion will present critical research in the era of COVID-19 as reported by Professors Alon Wolf, Yair Ein Eli, Naama GevaZatorsky and Yonatan Savir. They will discuss an overview of the most promising COVID-related research at the Technion. Visit: info@ats.org.

GENOCIDE DISCUSSION 7 PM, FEB. 11

The Holocaust Memorial Center presents a program on the Uyghurs, a Turkic Muslim ethnic group in western China who are being persecuted by the Chinese government with incarceration in concentration camps, forced sterilization, mass disappearances and the destruction of their culture. Dr. Ellen J. Kennedy, executive director of World Without Genocide, discusses the efforts to hold the Chinese government accountable. Watch live at facebook.com/hmczfc. No Facebook account is needed.

Compiled by Sy Manello/Editorial Assistant. Send items at least 14 days in advance to calendar@thejewishnews. com.

Class Probes: What Is It Like to Die?

What is it like to die? These are the words Dr. Raymond Moody uses to open his bestselling book, Life After Life. He writes, “That is a question which humanity has been asking itself ever since there have been humans.”

Judaism has a lot to say on this topic. In addition to providing practical direction in end-of-life decisions, as well as the process of mourning, the Talmud and Kabalah (Jewish mysticism) address the more esoteric issues of death: how it is experienced by the soul, Heaven and Hell, and even reincarnation.

Rabbi Shneur Silberberg of Bais Chabad of West Bloomfield will lead a sixpart series titled “Life After Life,” produced by the Jewish Learning Institute (JLI).

The classes are accredited (CE) for doctors, nurses and mental health professionals.

The weekly classes began the week of Jan. 31, but students can join afterward and catch up on video. Choose either Sundays at 11 a.m. or Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. Classes will be available on Zoom.

For information, visit www.baischabad.com/SOUL or contact rabbishneur@ baischabad.com.