AJT
Jaffe’s Jewish Jive
Both mega discounters understood Jewish fashion, but they got off track in the past few years with new owners, or by trying to be something other than their original business model. Jewish women with any memory feel this loss. My black and lemon diamond patterned dress for the gala was Just Taylor, a steal from TJMaxx at $39.99, as were the leather-like leggings. This time they didn’t rip out the label. I squeezed into a wide three headed lion belt from the Festival Flea Market in Pompano, Florida. $10. What fun! The Main Feature “Run Boy Run” Mark Kopkin said, “‘Run Boy Run’ touched me, as it hit so many emotions from the sadness in the way this young boy was treated, to respect for his persistence and perseverance, to anger for the way the woman was treated that sheltered this innocent child. I thought it was a great film; and the gala preceding was fantastic!” Matt Bernstein, our movie guru said, “Opening night was the second
t i m e I saw “ R u n B o y Run.” I admired it very highly from the first. A p o w erful, moving, stunMargot Alfie’s dessert booth n i n g f i l m beautifully made.” That being said, although these movies must and should be made, and their stories told, I couldn’t help hearing comments such as: “I am taking a break from the gut-wrenching, despair, ‘tearing my insides’ out type of movies” or “I am passing on the Holocaust and Palestinian conflict movies this year” or “The child’s arm being mangled on the farm or the dog being shot in his arms made me cover my eyes.”
The festival offers something for everyone; and in the past few days, I saw “Marvin Hamlisch – What He Did For Love” and the “American Jerusalem: Jews and the Making of San Francisco.” The 1915 World’s Fair, Levi Strauss, the Gold Rush, the earthquake, America’s first Jewish major, all lend a different look at easy assimilation in San Francisco. Both were A+ and worth the drive to Merchants Walk at 9:30 p.m. in 33 degree weather. Note in the Hamlisch movie, the aging women Angie Dickinson and Carol Bayer Sager looked terrific; and the men like Christopher Walken looked like the “walking dead” with spiked hair. Those Who Served Us One of the more lively booths was Margot Alfie’s “Cooking with Margot” of Mexican-Syrian heritage. She caters intimate gatherings from tapas to high tea; luckily that night she had her cascading dessert display: butter sugar cookies, almond apricot pistachio paste pin wheels, chocolate and traditional baklava. Margot was on the AJFF movie selection committee and viewed over 250 movies. Hope she microwaved her own popcorn.
February 14 ▪ 2014
Fuego Mundo was a first time exhibitor this year. Co-owner Masha Herskovitz said, “I loved being a major sponsor and working with such a great cause and group of people. We wanted to promote the films and festival, and at the same time, expose more people to our authentic South American, healthy, dairy-free and certified kosher cuisine.
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“We provided a 100 percent sponsorship that night including feeding 800 people, decor, staffing, a silent auction prize for a three-course meal for six people, and a commitment to feed 45 AJFF volunteers ‘gratis.’ It was our first time participating in the gala. This is the first year that AJFF has offered its patrons our kosher option, so there were a lot of ‘firsts’.” My personal “fav” AJA started with a Tuna Tataki, Spicy Tuna Roll, and Vegetable Roll combo. Here To Serve has been involved with AJFF for five years. In addition to the booth, they also had a silent auction item. General Manager David Abes said, “We love giving back to the community
that has supported us for so long. It’s impossible to measure the wealth of that kind of return!” Noting that they avoided meat (and non-kosher seafood), Abes said, “We really love to introduce festival attendees to our 11 concepts, but we also like to be considerate about people’s preferences – so it’s no coincidence!” Israeli Animal Magnetism Another fun touch was the Israeli partner in “Mag-nificent,” who took the red carpet pictures and transformed them into magnets to distribute as favors during the evening. “We really have a unique story. Both my partner and I are Jewish; we met at summer camp; and when I moved here from Israel, we started the company together,” said Roey Shoshan. It costs $299 an hour with a minimum of three hours on weekends (less during the week). They boast such clients as Audi, The Atlanta Hawks, Four Seasons, Dominos, and Star 94. Adora Israeli food booth said they came over from Tel Aviv just for this event. To my taste, the humus was pasty and “blah,” not even as good as Sabra.(Luscious Lemon is the best). They were hospitable, upbeat and did a better job with their creamy chestnut soup. It’s Not Too Late As of the gala night, 152 screenings were already sold out. Sometimes new tickets go on sale, and some viewers have been known to show up at the box office and get in. But it’s not too late to participate in the second largest Jewish film festival in the U.S. (San Fran being number one). And remember to arrive early to claim a seat. Some have begrudgingly had to sit on the front row since others arrived an hour early with extra scarves, purses, and coats to save multiple seats for their entire neighborhood, who then saunter in at the last minute. After 35 years with the Atlanta Newspapers, Marcia currently serves as Retail VP for the Buckhead Business Association where she delivers news and trends(laced with a little gossip). On the side, Marcia is Captain of the Senior Cheerleaders for the WNBA at Philips Arena.