LAST WEEK, colleague Shelly Paz published a story about Israeli journalists who, in line with what appears to be a new trend, had ventured into politics. Although she mentioned some veteran politicians such as Ehud Olmert, Yossi Sarid, Shulamit Aloni, Silvan Shalom, Amnon Rubinstein and Yossi Beilin, she didn't mention those before them, such as Zalman Shazar, who was Israel's third president and editor-in-chief of the now defunct Davar. There's also Uri Avnery, who is today celebrating his 85th birthday - three months after the actual date. Some of the other journalists-turned-politicians were Geula Cohen (the mother of Tzachi Hanegbi), Yossi Ahimeir and Moshe Katsav. Nahman Shai, who recently decided that he wanted to be a politician in the ranks of Kadima, used to be a military correspondent for Channel 1 and was also commander in chief of Army Radio.
SEPARATING IS one thing, and divorce is another. Since their split-up several months ago, Michal and Assaf Amdursky have taken their time about making the arrangement permanent. Actually, he has taken his time. She has paid a couple of visits to the Tel Aviv Rabbinate, which so far has raised no objections to a divorce, but he has not yet made an appearance in that domain - although he has been squiring other ladies in the interim.
RAISED IN Yiddish theater in Montreal, Canada, where her mother Dora Wasserman was acknowledged as the queen of the Yiddish stage, Ella Gaffen often introduced Yiddish cabaret into her work in the hotel industry in Israel. A Yiddish musical festival that she organized when working in Neveh Ilan drew packed houses. More recently, Gaffen was working at the Jerusalem Gate Hotel, where she also managed to introduce a little Yiddish musical comedy. While she enjoys hotel work, the pull of Yiddish theater is apparently stronger. She has kissed her job goodbye and is temporarily returning to Montreal to work with her sister Bryna Wasserman, who is the director of the Yiddish Theater at the Segal Center for the Performing Arts (formerly the Saidye Bronfman Center) that was founded by their mother in Montreal more than half a century ago. For a dead language, Yiddish seems to have more lives than a cat.
IT WAS a long courtship but a short-lived marriage between former Miss World Linor Abargil and international basketball player Sarunas Jasikevicius. Soon after their marriage, the two cashed in on their union by modeling underwear for Delta. Even after they split, the posters showing them in their intimate apparel remained on view. Last week, it was announced that Jasikevicius, who at the time of their marriage played for the Indiana Pacers in the US and is now playing for Panathinaikos in Athens, will be back in Israel in January. Not only will he look up old friends in Maccabi Tel Aviv, but he will also fulfill a modeling contract with ml men.
APROPOS LINOR Abargil, who was raped just before the finals of the Miss World contest in the year in which she won the title: She is making a documentary film on rape, together with Dutch actress and director Cecilia Peck, who is the daughter of the late Hollywood heartthrob Gregory Peck. Abargil believes that it is imperative to break the silence surrounding rape - and that is the message of the film that she and Peck are making.
NOT EVERYONE gets the opportunity to hear the composer of an international hit song tickle the ivories with the tune. But then again, it's difficult for a composer to refuse an invitation when there are two presidents of different countries in the intimate audience. Thus, Kobi Oshrat accompanied singer Meital Trabelsi when she sang the Eurovision-winning "Hallelujah"in Jerusalem recently. This time around, the performance was not in Binyanei Hauma, but in Beit Hanassi, where the audience included President Shimon Peres and Austrian President Heinz Fischer.
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