Though it may seem otherwise, we are not picking on the Simon Wiesenthal Center. In general, we admire the center, its founder and dean, Rabbi Marvin Hier, its staff and their fine work. The center is innovative, responsive and highly effective — qualities lacking in many major Jewish organizations, here and elsewhere.
Debut filmmaker Darren Aronofsky manages to sound incredulous about the Jewish sci-fi flick that has made him a star. \”You don\’t think God, math and bad-ass Jews makes for a Hollywood movie?\” he quips of \”PI,\” which won the director\’s prize at Sundance and a $1 million distribution deal.
Two decades ago, filmmaker Ira Wohl sat at the Passover table andthought about his cousin, Philly. For his first 50 years, thedevelopmentally disabled Philly had lived at home with his parents inQueens, never venturing into the world. Wohl now wondered how Phillywould survive once his ailing parents were gone.
Author Annie Reiner is tall, elegant, poised — and politelyexasperated when you ask about her famous father and brother.\n\nYou can hardly blame her: It\’s the umpteenth time she\’s beenasked.
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