It\’s a unique mixture of Hollywood marketing savvy and Chassidic religious fervor — one of the last live variety shows on TV, according to its promoters. The goal is to surpass last year\’s telethon tote board total of $4,387,652.
With its recent purchase of an office building near the corner of Pico Boulevard and Doheny Drive, Chabad has established a two-block stretch of facilities — which the outreach group plans to call \”Rebbe Square\” — in the heart of one of Los Angeles\’ prime Jewish neighborhoods.
For many, the High Holidays have already been officially ushered in — not with the blowing of the Shofar, but with the sound of Rabbi Boruch Shlomo Cunin\’s voice hosting the annual Chabad telethon.
The Chabad Telethon — that unique mix of caring, sharing and good production values — returns to the small screen this Sunday, Aug. 30, from 5 p.m. to midnight on UPN Channel 13.
From its beginnings in a storefront office behinda pizza shop in Encino, Chabad of the Valley has expanded into amultimillion-dollar operation with nine Chabad houses and 75 rabbisand staff members.
You\’ve read the newspaper ads or heard the pitches on the radio: Donate your old car to our worthy charity, which aids orphans/immigrants/homeless/the halt and the lame, and enjoy a generous tax write-off.
Thousands of Los Angeles-area youngsters participate in hands-on workshops.
If anyone had any doubts that the Chabad telethon has become a landmark on the pop culture scene, consider this: The entire cast of \”Friends,\” one of NBC\’s top-rated sitcoms, has produced a segment of the show to air only on the telethon.
Rabbi Boruch Shlomo Cunin will once again be joined by JonVoight (left) and Jan Murray (right), at Chabad\’s annual telethon. As sure as the swallows returning to San Juan Capistrano, the dancing rabbis are returning to TV stations nationwide for the annual Chabad telethon. Nothing in modern culture quite compares, or quite illustrates just how topsy-turvy modern culture can be: Here are Orthodox rabbis in traditional 17th-century Polish noble garb dancing with Hollywood stars in Armani suits, espousing lines of ancient Torah via the most advanced satellite technology, giving a centuries-old pitch for charity, and taking payment via credit card.What a wonderful world….\n\nThis year\’s telethon will take place on Sunday, Sept. 7, from 5p.m. to midnight, on UPN Channel 13. Rabbi Boruch Shlomo Cunin, theWest Coast director of Chabad and founder of the telethon 17 yearsago, will lead the marathon endeavor, and comedian Freddie Roman willhost. Among the stars slated to show up — and eventually dance withthe rabbis — are James Caan, Mayim Bialik, Tony Curtis, Sid Caesar,Fyvush Finkel, Estelle Getty, Jan Murray, Tony Danza, Judd Nelson,Jon Voight, Regis Philbin, Edward James Olmos, Shelley Winters, theLimelighters, the Tokens and Ed Ames. Producer Jerry Weintraub ischairman of the event.
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