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Jack Benny as a Jew
by Milt Joatfabfrg
Jack couldn’t be considered a
religious man aa far as following
the strict tenets of Judaism. He
belonged to the Wilshire Temple
but he seldom attended services,
even on the High Holy Days. He
didn’t observe the dietary laws,
but today many Jews, especially
those who are Reform and
Conservative rather than
Orthodox, do not do so either.
Herman Wouk, the author of
such best-selling books as The
Caine Mutiny and Marjorie Mar-
mngstar, is one of the few Jews,
in the industry who adheres not
only to the ’’Ten Com
mandments,’’ but also to the
more than six hundred other,
lesser known, commandments
that a religious Jew must follow.
When Herman came to
Hollywood in an advisory
capacity while they were filming
The Came Mutiny, he told me: ”1
gave my agent a tough assign
ment. I told him he had to rent
me a four-bedroom house in
Beverly Hills within walking
distance of an Orthodox syn
agogue.”
But if Jack wasn’t a. good Jew
according to the book, he was a
good man. He was proud of his
heritage, but not boastful. He
appeared at almost every Jewish
benefit — not to mention
benefits for other religions and
all charitable causes. When
Israel was declared ah indepen-
Jack Benny and
Rochester inspect the
famous MaxweU.
dent nation in 1948 and the Arab
countries immediately launched
the first of many wars to
obliterate this small country,
many fund-raising drives were
held, and Jack acted as master of
ceremonies St these affairs
whenever possible, sometimes
several in a day.
There is an oki Yiddish joke
which goes: "The Jews are a very
argumentative people. The only
thing you can get two Jews to
agree upon is what a third Jew
should give to charity.” Jack
gave generously to charity, all
charities, and those who knew
the size of his donations agreed
Jewish Hall off Fame
The First International
Conference of "Who’s Who In
World Jewry” will convene in
Jerusalem from January 11
through the 22, 1978. The main
purpose of the conference is the
establishment of the Jewish Hall
of Fame, a unique museum and
cultural institution to be con
structed in Jerusalem.
Included in the lengthy list of
international Jewish celebrities
which make up the Hal} of
Fame’s honorary advisory board
are Abba Eban, Saul Bellow,
Leonard Bernstein, Jacob Javits,
Golds Meir, Yehudi Menuhin,
Artur Rubinstein, Jonas Salk
and Marie Syrkin. ,
' Eliyahu Tal, honorary
secretary of the founding
assembly of the Jewish Hall of
Fame has described the project
as "aimed at educating the
world, including world Jewry, of
the great contribution made by
Jews to world civilisation.”
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that he had given more than
enough.
While he never emphasized
his Jewishness, he certainly
never denied it. One incident
that stands out in my mind was
the time we were scheduled to do
our regular Sunday broadcast in
Los Angeles at 4:00 p.m. All
Jewish holidays start at sun
down, and sundown that Sunday
would mark the start of the mopt
solemn and holiest of holidays,
Tom Kippur, the Day of Atone
ment The day before the broad
cast Jack told me that he felt
Very badly that although on the
West Coast the sun wouldn’t
have set yet it certainly would
he down and it would be dark on
the East Coast where we were
heard from 7.-00 to 7:30 P.M.
He said, "Milt, I wouldn’t
want people to think' I’m
desecrating this holiday by
working on it.” I smiled and
pointed out to Jack that he had
nothing to worry about. Since it
would be sundown in New York
and the East Coast all the Jews
living there would be in their
temple praying, and they
wouldn’t know that he was on
the air.
Jack shook his head and
answered, "I wasn’t thinking of .
the Jews, Milt. I wouldn’t like
the Gentiles to think I didn’t
respect my religion.”
He had a very valid point and
therefore we inserted an in
nocuous line in the script —
some small joke which hinged on
the fact that there is a three-
hour time difference between
both coasts of our country, and
how amazing it was that it was
broad daylight here in Califor
nia, and yet back East it was
already evening. Jack was con
tent with that — and he was
right in wanting this line in
serted.
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Crate City Lodge
B’TIAI B’Rlth
Wishes Its Members
Their Families, and
Friends
A HAPPY
NEW YEAR
ABE OOLDSTEM, Honorary President
STANLEY M. LEFCO, President
LEON S. SOCOL, President-Designate
ALLEN MARKS, Vice President
ALLEN 80DEN, Vice President
FRIO YONDORF, Vice President
ALAN N. ZANER, Vice President
MICHAEL WEISER, Treasurer
JACK HILLMAN, Recording Secretory
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Tage 35 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE September 9, 1977