Popular soloist Ofira Gluska celebrated her 60th birthday just before Pessah.
By GREER FAY CASHMANOfira Gluska 88 248(photo credit: Courtesy)
PRIZE-WINNING filmmaker Vered Berman, who specializes in Holocaust-related documentaries and who some years ago succeeded in restoring the identities of child Holocaust survivors who had little or no knowledge of their pasts, has come up with another unusual Holocaust-related story. My Sister Tikva has a more bittersweet ending in that it results in a reunion, but it revives a lot of pain in the process. In it, game theory expert Prof. Yair Tauman is haunted by a childhood memory which never leaves him - the parting from his sister Tikva, who, on the day of her departure for the United States, learns that she is adopted. Born in Lithuania, she was given to a Christian family that hid her for the duration of the war. For some years she lived with the Tauman family in Israel, and then was separated from them without properly understanding why. She was sent to the US, from where she sent letters to her brother Yair, and he in turn sent letters to her. She continued to live in America, but the letters eventually stopped. Nonetheless, Tauman could not shake off the sense of loss and was eventually reunited with her in Baltimore, where he discovered that they had each kept the letters from the other, and that each nursed emotional scars that had never healed. The film will be shown on April 20 on Channel 10.
THIS SEEMS to be the year for senior citizen entertainers to come to Israel. It started last September with Paul McCartney, 67, who will be followed this summer by Leonard Cohen, who will be 75, and now singer and actor Paul Anka, 67, has announced his visit. The Canadian-born singer of Lebanese background has written hundreds of songs, many of which became hits - among them the Frank Sinatra theme song "I Did It My Way," for which he wrote the lyrics, "Diana," "Put Your Head on My Shoulder" and "You Are My Destiny." Anka is due to appear at Tel Aviv's Mann Auditorium in August.
ISRAELI ENTERTAINERS are outstanding in their readiness to give moral support to one of their own, especially when that person is down on his luck. Ofira Gluska, who had her start with the Nahal Brigade Band and moved on to become a popular soloist, overcame a bout of ill health and celebrated her 60th birthday just before Pessah. Members of the industry turned up in force at a sing-along, produced by her son Sagi, at the Petah Tikva Cultural Center. The venue was most suitable, considering that Gluska was born in Petah Tikva. Mayor Yitzhak Ohayon was among those who filled the hall. The emotionally charged performance was emceed by Israel Prize laureate designate Nahum Heiman and attendees included Aviva Avidan, Kobi Oshrat, Miri Aloni, Dina Golan, Edna Goren, Yizhar Cohen, Ruti Navon, Dorit Reuveni and many others.
AS THE father of three sons, comedian and television host Dudu Topaz has told his fair share of bedtime stories. In fact, he once had a television show in which he told them. But now he's put out a book called Sweet Dreams with Dudu (Halomot Paz im Dudu), the official launch for which was held at the Tzomet Sfarim flagship store in Tel Aviv. Long-time friends who've been with him through thick and thin were naturally on hand for the launch. Among them were Tzipi Shavit, Meni Pe'er and Yigal Shilon. Also present were Moshe Datz and Hani Nahmias, each of whom has a large dose of personal and professional child entertainment in their respective repertoires.
MANY ATTRACTIVE young women take up modeling to pay for their university studies. Actress and model Rotem Sela is no exception. Sela, who is aiming for a law degree, often has to sacrifice sleep - not so much to study as to be ready for a sunrise shot in a sexy swimsuit. On a recent shoot in Eilat, she had to be up at 4 a.m. so that she could be combed and made-up by the time the photographer was ready.
ALTHOUGH SHE's four months pregnant, model Mali Levi will continue working as the presenter for Femina for the foreseeable future. Blonde hair is not the only thing that she has in common with MK and former model Anastasia Michaeli: neither of them expands much when they're expecting. Michaeli, who is in a more advanced stage of pregnancy than Levi, was recently photographed by both Yediot Aharonot and Maariv and betrayed hardly any sign that her eighth child was due to make an appearance in June. Levi and her football star husband Shimon Gershon are expecting their second child, a sibling for two-year-old Noam.
THE YOUNGEST of 10 siblings, Kobi Peretz, who is one of the most popular Mizrahi singers, is also on the way to being a daddy, though it's unlikely that he and his model wife Inbal will emulate the fruitfulness of Peretz's parents.
if(catID != 151){
var cont = `Take Israel home with the new Jerusalem Post Store
