KNOWN TO be an avid reader, President Shimon Peres was particularly interested in a book presented to him by Tamar Kollek, the widow of legendary mayor Teddy Kollek. Accompanied by her daughter Osnat Kollek-Sachs, author Ruth Bachi-Kolodny and publisher Ilan Greenfield, Tamar Kollek, who has known Peres for more than 60 years, presented him with Bachi-Kolodny's biography Teddy Kollek: The Man, His Times and His Jerusalem.
Peres, who at one time worked closely with Kollek, is mentioned many times in the book, though not nearly as many as his mentor David Ben-Gurion, whom Kollek first met in London in 1940. Twelve years later, Kollek was the executive director of Ben-Gurion's office when Ben-Gurion was prime minister. The presentation gave both the president and Tamar Kollek an opportunity to reminisce.
STILL DRIVING her 1972 Oldsmobile to the spa each day, Dolly Lipschitz, who made aliya from South Africa in 1972, celebrated her 90th birthday in Jerusalem on Sunday night at a dinner event hosted by her son, well-known restaurateur Stanley Lipschitz, at Bible Times in Ein Kerem.
Seven of Dolly Lipschitz's eight grandchildren managed to attend the event with her granddaughter Yael and her husband Luciano flying in from Germany to celebrate the milestone birthday.
In addition, three of her five great-granddaughters were present along with her only great-grandson, seven-month-old Yonatan, who lives in California with his parents, Yaron and Tali.
Among the many family members and friends who made the trip to Jerusalem were Dolly Lipschitz's son Anthony, brother Geoff Tollman, her niece Darrylle Levenbach, Max and Sylvia Shapiro and many friends. The gathering included secular and haredi Jews, some with crocheted kippot, Christian Arabs and evangelical Christians, all of whom rubbed shoulders in expressing their love for Dolly Lipschitz, who made a moving speech in which she paid tribute to her late husband Syd. She was particularly pleased that including herself and her brother, there were four generations of her family present.
THERE MUST be some magic formula attached to the capital's Beit Knesset Hanassi in the Rehavia neighborhood. Among its members are an extraordinary number of great-grandparents, not to mention couples, who have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversaries or will do so later this year. But brinksmanship in the long-lasting marriage department belongs to Ivan and June Goldstein, who last Shabbat hosted a kiddush to mark their 60th wedding anniversary.
Ivan Goldstein was born in Denver, Colorado, where his mother's family arrived in 1870 in a covered wagon. During World War II, he served in the 11th armored division, which was part of the Third Army. Wounded and taken prisoner after his tank was hit during the Battle of the Bulge, he was marched into Germany where he became a slave laborer. His American Sherman tank was discovered in 1999, and now sits as a memorial in in the Belgian town of Bastogne.
Following the war and his liberation, Ivan Goldstein spent nine months in army hospitals, later attending the University of Denver where he graduated with a bachelor's degree specializing in graphic art. In 1948, he married his college sweetheart June Alexander. The Goldsteins have four children, 21 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. For more than 30 years, Ivan Goldstein ran an advertising display and screen printing company which he founded. After retirement, he and his wife settled in Jerusalem.
AN ITEM in last week's Grapevine referred to the Amram Miller Memorial Scholarship, awarded through the Jerusalem Rotary. Amram Miller's widow, Dr. Jacqueline Miller, wanted to clarify that although she and her sons presented the scholarship, it was donated by the Amram Miller Memorial Foundation, which includes many relatives, friends and colleagues in Israel and abroad. The scholarship was not a one-time thing but will be presented in perpetuity to honor the memory of the former president of the Jerusalem Rotary and a well-known Jerusalem dentist, who was known for considerably reducing and sometimes waiving his fees for people in need.
ALTHOUGH THE Gaon family is inextricably associated with Jerusalem, the family in more recent years has been actively associated with Ramat Hasharon where several members of the family live, including former Jerusalem city councilor Yehoram Gaon. Ramat Hasharon was also home to his late brother, prominent businessman, philanthropist and peace activist Benny Gaon, who died two months ago after a long battle with cancer.
A public auction of huge, colorful strawberry sculptures with proceeds going toward the establishment of a Benny Gaon Memorial Youth Center for Volunteerism in Ramat Hasharon brought in $100,000. The Gaon family showed up in force: Yehoram Gaon with his son Moshe and daughter Hila; and Benny Gaon's widow Rachel and their children Michal, Moshe who recently took over his father's role as head of Gaon Holdings, Boaz and Yoav.
Auctioneer Meni Pe'er succeeded in bringing down the hammer on 30 sales. Sculptures that were not sold will be used to decorate streets and public buildings in Ramat Hasharon.
ISRAELI FANS of the renowned and internationally acclaimed Yale University a cappella group Whiffenpoofs, founded almost a century ago, will be able to catch up with the 14-member all-male group at three performances: on July 29 at 8:30 p.m. at the Music and Arts Performing Center of Ra'anana, on July 30 at 8 p.m. at the YMCA in Jerusalem, and July 31 at 7:30 p.m. in a private home in Zichron Ya'acov. The concerts will be performed in honor of 15 years of LOTEM, Integrated Nature Studies, a non-profit organization which offers hikes, workshops and extracurricular activities to people with special needs. Tickets for this concert are NIS 80 each with proceeds to Lotem and bookings via 054-539-3253 or lotemconcert@gmail.com
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