18 • JEWZ IN THE NEWZ
JEWZ
IN THE
By Nate Bloom Contributing Columnist More than Minyan of Innovators The new popular history, “How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution,” by WALTER ISAACSON, 62, is already a best seller. To his credit, Issacson does discuss the Jewish background of five of the most important “innovators”. But it occurred to me that one could write another book just about the “unidentified as Jewish” innovators mentioned in Isaacson’s book. The five “biggies” he notes were/are Jewish are JOHN VON NEUMANN (1903-1956), a brilliant mathematician who made essential contributions to computer programming and design; ANDREW GROVE, 78, is the engineer who turned Intel into the world’s largest maker of microprocessors; ARTHUR ROCK, 88, was a founder of Davis & Rock, a San Francisco venture capital firm that was one of the first venture capital firms in existence. It provided the seed money for Apple and Intel, among others; and SERGEY BRIN, and LARRY PAGE, both 41, who are the co-founders of Google. Here’s a few of the book’s brilliant Jews not identified as Jewish in the text: PAUL BARAN (1926-2011) was a co-inventor of packet switched network computing. STEWART BRAND, 75, is famous as the creator (1968) of the “Whole Earth Catalogue” (which Steve Jobs said was incredibly important to young computer geeks)—and as a cofounder (1985) of “The Well”--one of the first virtual on-line communities; and TERRY WINOGRAD, 62, a still-active Stanford computer science professor who has been a mentor to many brilliant students, including Larry Page. Nice to note: one of his daughters is a rabbi. Isaacson doesn’t overlook the contribution of women in this male-dominated field. There’s a nice section on the six women who were recruited, near the end of WWII, to program the first electronic general-purpose computer (“ENIAC”) for the Army. Issacson notes that two of the six were Jewish: RUTH LICHTERMN TEITELBAUM (1924-1986) and MARILYN WESCOFF MELTZER (1922-2008). As you might have guessed, the work of these six “Rosie the Programmer (s)” was not generally known for decades. Movie Notes “Birdman” opened in a few theaters last week and opens in many more this Friday, Oct. 24. It stars Michael Keaton as an actor
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famous for playing a movie superhero (“Birdman”)---but wants “respect” as the star of a Broadway show. I wish I could say that “Birdman,” which is already being touted for many Oscars, has many Jewish connections. But there’s only one big one---the cinematographer is the great EMMANUEL LUBEZKI, 50, a six-time Oscar nominee (won for “Gravity”). Lubezki is a Mexico born-and raised “landsman” who has long lived in America. The film’s director, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, is also from Mexico. It’s rare for a reviewer to single out a movie’s cinematography, but almost all reviews have gushed about how Lubezki's camera work and editing to give the impression that “Birdman” was filmed in one continuous long take. The New York Times review says the following about his work on Birdman: “Mr. Iñárritu, who has staged and shot the movie so that it looks like everything that happens, from airborne beginning to end, occurs during one transporting continuous take. The camera doesn’t just move with the story and characters, it also ebbs and flows like water, soars and swoops like a bird, its movement as fluid as a natural element, as animated as a living organism. Mr. Iñárritu’s partner in illusionism is the director of photography, Emmanuel Lubezki, a Houdini of fluid camera movements whose genius is for keeping you watching rather than distractedly wondering. The camerawork in 'Birdman' is an astonishment, and an argument that everything flows together, which in this movie means the cinematography, the story, the people, even time and space.” There are credible reports that Richard Gere has signed to play J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER, the late “father of the atom bomb”. The bio-pic is being directed by Israeli JOSEPH CEDAR, 46. It’s definite that EZRA MILLER, 22, will play the title role in a movie version of the comic book character “The Flash.” I think Miller (“Perks of Being a Wallflower”) is a brilliant actor who raises the level of everything he's in. So, this “Flash” may slow down and show us his colors. You might have caught a story in the lesser gossip press (that was re-reported as fact in a few Jewish media outlets)---that MILA KUNIS, 31, and Ashton Kutcher had a “kabbalah welcoming party” for their newborn daughter, WYATT. The source of this story is the Brit tabloid, the Sun. Trust me, this party is just another in the Sun’s long line of tall tales.
FROM THE PAGES 150 Y EARS A GO The congregations of this city progress daily in every respect. The K.K. Bene Israel at its late meeting raised the salary of Rev. Dr. Lilienthal to $3000 per annum and the salary of the Hazan, Rev. Mr. Mayer, to $800. The Sexton, Mr. May, a man of nearly seventy years of age refusing to accept a pension was appointed messenger of the congregation with a salary of $400 per annum for life and free dwelling. The office of Shamesh was declared vacant. The plan for building a Temple was reagitated and also an $18,000 donation was subscribed at the spot by 32 members. This sum will be increased to $50,000 which will enable them to build, as their present building and the seats sold in the new Temple will realize about $75,000. Married, Sunday, Nov. 13, at Mount Vernon, Ind., by the Rev. B.L. Fould of Evansville, Ind., Mr. Benjamin Loewenhaupt to Miss Rachel Rosenbaum, both of this city. – November 18, 1864
125 Y EARS A GO Quite the swellest affair of the season will be the ball given by Miss Lillie Levy, at the palatial mansion of West Eighth Street, in honor of her friend, Mrs. Friend, nee Friedlander, next Friday night. The Juvenile Sewing Society was lately organized for the purpose of giving a fair for the benefit of the poor. The members meet each week at a different girl’s house for the purpose of sewing. The members are: President, Miss Fannie V. Goldstein; Vice-President, Miss Leah Rexinger; Secretary, Miss Stella R. Frankenstein; Treasurer, Miss Rebecca Bauer; Purchasing Committee, Misses Florence B. Wise and Nellie Benzinger; and the Misses Lotta G. Frankenstein, Estella Sommers, Sarah Weil, Gertie Freiberg, Florence D. Marks, Josie Henle, Selma Samuelson, and Jessie, Ray, and Clarice Solomon. The society is doing very nicely. Mr. and Mrs. Louis Mayer of Walnut Hills and Mrs. Fannie Thurnaur were called to New York by the sudden death of Mrs. Mayer’s father, Mr. Leopold. – October 31, 1889
100 Y EARS A GO A daughter, Florence Ruth, as born to Mr. and Mrs. D.L. Okrent (Hanna Hirschberg) on Sunday, October 6.
Hannah Levy, wife of Moses Levy of 3227 Harvey Avenue, Avondale, died on Monday, October 19, aged forty-four years. Funeral services were held in the mortuary chapel of the Walnut Hills Cemetery on Wednesday afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. J. Mincovsky of 709 West Sixth Street, announce the engagement of their daughter, Leona, to Mr. Joseph Kaplan, all of Cincinnati, O. At home on Sunday, October 25, 1914. In honor of their tenth wedding anniversary, Mr .and Mrs. Moses Cohn of 234 Hearne Avenue, Avondale, a surprise party was tendered them by their relatives and friends at the Sinton Hotel on Friday night. It was an affair greatly enjoyed by all present – October 22, 1914
75 Y EARS A GO The marriage of Miss Gertrude V. Kahn, daughter of Mr. David Kahn and the late Mrs. Kahn, to Mr. Stanley S. Straus, son of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Straus will take place Saturday Nov. 11th, at 6:30 p.m., at Losantiville Country Club. Rabbi David Philipson will officiate with Rabbi James G. Heller asking the blessing. Mrs. Joseph Shelt, sister of the bride, will be matron of honor, and Mr. Charles Straus will be his brother’s best man. After a wedding trip to the West Coast, the young couple will be at home on Mitchell Avenue. Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Deutsch celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary with a family dinner on Tuesday, Oct. 17th. Misses Leah Posner, Frances Scheer and Merle Gilman are members of the committee of pledges of the active chapter of Delta Phi Epsilon. They were in charge of a Halloween party last Friday night. Mrs. Baldina Dreyfoos, 64, of Vernon Manor, passed away Thursday, October 26th. She was the widow of Dr. Max Dreyfoos, Cincinnati physician. She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Grauman Marks and Mrs. A. Edgar Miller, Cincinnati; four brothers, Dr. Max B., David, Maurice and Otto Levy, all of Chicago, and one grandchild. Services were held on Sunday from Weil Funeral Home. – November 2, 1939
50 Y EARS A GO Gene Mesh now is associated with Goldman, Cole and Putnick, attorneys, 911 First
National Bank Building. He obtained the degree of juris doctor at Chase College of Law and recently was admitted to the Ohio Bar. Mr. Mesh was elected to Phi Alpha Delta, law fraternity, and Order of Curia for academic excellence for a four-year average in the upper 10%. In 196263, he won the annual scholarship for ranking highest in his class. He holds the American Jurisprudence prize in trusts and code pleading. Mr. Mesh obtained his undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan. Mr. and Mrs. Mesh and their three children reside at 8421 Arborcrest Drive. Mr. and Mrs. Allan J. Sanker (Vera Hollander), 1288 Paddock Hills Avenue, announce the arrival of a son, David Allan. He has a sister, Amy. The grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Louis Sanker of Cincinnati, and Mrs. David Hollander and the late Mr. Hollander of Indianapolis. – October 29, 1964
25 Y EARS A GO Leslie Friedman and Brian Phillips have chosen to share the joy of their Bat-Bar Mitzvah, as they are close cousins. We, Peggy and Nat Friedman and Anita and Larry Phillips, would be honored to have our family and friends celebrate our Simcha with us on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 9:00 am, at Adath Israel Synagogue. Leslie is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Rich and the late Blanche S. Rich and Mrs. Sam Friedman and the late Mr. Friedman. Brian is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Rich and the late Blanche S. Rich and Mr and Mrs. Sidney Phillips and the late Jean Simkin. Dr. Bryan D. Brook, a national and international consultant in the mental health field, has recently published a book entitled “Design Your Love Life.” Dr. Brook is the son of Deborah Dunn Brook and Frank C. Brook of Cincinnati. – November 2, 1989
10 Y EARS A GO Don and Bari Marks (nee Shokler) announce the arrival of their son, Micah Serozhia. Grandparents are Bob and Gerry Shokler and the late Victor and Carol Marks. Died, Blanche Vigran, age 100, October 31, 2004 (17 Cheshvan, 5765). – November 11, 2004