AFTER GRACING the cover of Sports Illustrated, Bar Refaeli has now graduated to the cover of Esquire, where she appears in the July issue naked, her body adorned only by a passage from a Stephen King short story. She's appeared in sexy poses before, but none quite as sexy as this. Ross McCammon, who wrote the cover story for Esquire, offers a literary drool, totally captivated by the 24-year-old sabra and describing her as "Israeli ambassador to the world" and "living canvas." He was also charmed by her accent when pronouncing words like "comfortable," "magical" and "cleavage" - words he judged by the frequency of their usage as her favorites.

THE NEW York Post has reported a budding romance between Israeli supermodel and actress Esti Ginzburg, 19, and film star Chace Crawford, with whom she is scheduled to appear in Joel Schumacher's movie Twelve, based on the book by Nick McDonell about New York prep school youngsters with drug issues. Several other American publications have reported that Ginzburg and Crawford are dating and that they vacationed together. Crawford, by the way, has taken over the role that was to have been Zac Efron's in Footloose.

NATIVE ISRAELI Natalie Portman is on her way to Ireland to star in a multimillion-dollar comedy with a medieval fantasy setting. Filming of Your Highness is scheduled to begin in July. The plot is about two arrogant princes who fall in love with a warrior princess - which sounds almost like a period take on Star Wars, which helped to make Portman a household name. Portman, who lives in New York, was born in Jerusalem 28 years ago. She celebrates her birthday on June 9.

THEATER PERFORMANCES usually start on time, but the audience who showed up for the premiere of the Gesher Theater production of Isaac Bashevis Singer's Love and Hate had to cool its heels due to the late arrival of guest of honor President Shimon Peres, who shared reminiscences about Bashevis Singer, whom he knew personally. Since the performance was on Saturday night and as the head of state, he could not leave Beit Hanassi until Shabbat ended, Peres couldn't get out of the house until after 8 p.m.

MEMBERS OF Israel's entertainment industry often appear gratis for urgent causes. So it came as no surprise when several celebrity performers, including Boaz Mauda, Keren Peles and Harel Skaat, added their talents to a fund-raiser for infant Ariel Sids, who desperately needs heart surgery in the US. Together with other celebrity entertainers, they appeared at Soho restaurant in Rishon Lezion, and not only raised their voices, but also opened their checkbooks.

IT HAD all the stuff that romantic Hollywood movies are made of. Budding singer comes to meet journalist for an interview. She knocks on the wrong door, which is opened by a young man with blue eyes who instantly captures her heart. When she later finds the journalist, she asks him for the telephone number of the man behind the wrong door, takes the initiative and calls him. This leads to the beginning of a love story that was cemented last Wednesday in Caesarea when Keren Peles, wearing a short, flapper-style dress and stilettos, married her Prince Charming, Tomer Grencel. In attendance were many celebs, including Ninette Tayeb, Gidi Gov, Miri Mesika and Erez Tal.

THEIR NAMES may not be as well-known to the general public as the celebs with whom they've danced, but when Masha Troyansky and Boris Zaltzman get married in December, it will definitely be the wedding of the year. The two, who have been an item for the better part of a decade, are the professionals who appear in Dancing with the Stars on Channel 2. They are the ones who somehow manage to get celebs with two left feet to develop lithe movement and a sense of rhythm.

Celebrity Grapevine

Bar Refaeli has graduated to the cover of Esquire, where she appears in the July issue naked