Warmth Flows as 1,200 Honor Israel’s 40th Anniversary

A lot of adjectives come to mind when describing the massive benefits that this town churns out like cutout cookies. Two adjectives that don’t get used very often-- haimish and million-dollar.

First haimish , which is Yiddish for cozy, warm, having the feeling of a happy home. That’s precisely the feeling of the Thursday-night celebration of the 40th anniversary of Israel at the Century Plaza.

Not that there weren’t dignitaries among the 1,200 guests brought together by Consul General Eytan Bentsur, the Mayor’s Committee to Celebrate the 40th anniversary and Aish HaTorah Jerusalem, an international educational organization “dedicated to bringing Jews back to their own heritage through education and awareness of . . . ethical values” for everyday life. Many of those involved with major Jewish organizations are also involved with Aish HaTorah, studying with a rabbi and/or attending the ongoing lectures and educational forums.

The highlight of the evening--the establishment of the Mayor Tom Bradley Fellowship, which will in turn sponsor a free public lecture series focusing on the moral and ethical concepts underlying Western civilization.

The evening’s program, produced by former ABC vice president Lou Rudolph, reflected the international nature of the organization. At one time, two small groups of people stood on the stage, one behind Israel’s flag, the other behind an American flag. One group was made up of Americans who fought in the Israeli War of Independence, while the other group was of people who had lost family members in the various Israeli conflicts.

Richard Dreyfuss, who has been publicly questioning some of Israel’s internal policies, nevertheless took a significant part in the evening. In an eloquent speech, almost a soliloquy, he said, “. . . We Jews are certainly no strangers to controversy. . . . Our task has never been to inspire indifference, least of all amongst ourselves. . . . We are Jews, history’s ever-present other.” He then did a litany of persecutions: “The Romans forced us from our ancient home. Where was the world’s great hue and cry? . . . And when a lunatic Fuhrer enunciated an evil that systematically slaughtered 6 million, where was the world? Where was the world?”

Rabbi Noah Weinberg, who founded Aish HaTorah, spoke, as did State Superintendent of Public Education William Honig (introduced as “the man who holds the highest elected constitutional office of any Jew in the history of the State of California”). Taking part were Aish HaTorah chair, banker Carl Rheuban, the organization’s president Richard M. Horowitz and Drexel Burnham Lambert’s Michael Milken.

AND NOW, THE MILLION-DOLLAR BABY--”Thank you, Roz” became an all-too-familiar theme by the end of the Great American Party at the home of Susie and Ted Field Saturday night--a million-dollar thank you. Chairs Roz Wyman and Fred Hayman (who insisted on giving his partner all the credit) had put together a play-as-you-go evening, completely underwritten by the Fields, and it indeed raised $1 million for the Greater Los Angeles Partnership for the Homeless.

Wyman and Hayman were in turn lavish in their thanks to Reagan Kitchen Cabineteer Grace Salvatori (Democrat Wyman, telling of “Gracie’s generosity” in giving the last $50,000, quipped “Politics does make strange bedfellows”). ABC’s Barbara Walters turned up to make a special presentation to Partnership founding chair Bettina Chandler and her husband, Otis Chandler, the chairman of the executive committee of the board of directors of Times Mirror Co.

After a cocktail hour that featured carnival games (and was the astrology booth popular!), people headed into a red, white and blue tent, to move between the cuisines of various regions of the country. So you could catfish or you could burger or you could tostada or you could pizza.

The crowd included an extraordinary mix of brand names, such as Peg Yorkin (another major supporter), Stanley and Anita Hirsch (he was getting big thanks for his recent major gift to the Downtown Women’s Center), Happy and Frances Franklin hosting a table that included Sid and Frances Klein and a soon-off-to-Europe Loretta Young, along with Tiffany’s Roberta Herbison. Disney’s Michael and Jane Eisner were happy since she sold the raffle tickets that won Disney CEO Frank Wells a James Rosenquist painting, although he was across town chairing the Landmark School benefit.

Robinson’s Bob and Sue Mettler visited with Joan and Marco Weiss. Hayman and Betty Endo hosted two tables that included Ricardo and Georgiana Montalban, Fiorenza Courtright and Henry and Jayne Berger. Neil Papiano and Sharon Thralls brought along his poker buddy Walter Matthau. City National Bank’s Bram and Elaine Goldsmith hosted a table, while other strong support came from the law firm of Riordan & McKinzie and from Warner Brothers’ Bob and Nancy Daly. Marshall and Marlene Grossman continued their involvement with the Partnership, as did Don and Arletta Tronstein. Bullock’s Allen and Kelli Questrom hosted Atty. Gen. John and Andrea Van de Kamp and Councilman Zev and Barbara Yaroslavsky.