Mike Burstyn and Valerie Harper | 
Valerie Harper, Mickey Freeman
and Mary Tyler Moore | 
Mickey Freeman, Fyvush Finkel,
Dr. Ruth Westheimer and
Mike Burstyn | JOSEPH PAPP CHILDREN’S FUND
Fyvush Finkel Wonders
Why No Jewish Gangs? Story by Nina Boxer
Photos by Tim Boxer  YVUSH FINKEL toured the Orthodox enclaves of Boro Park and Crown Heights and found there are no Jewish gangs in the hood. Why not? Because you can’t wear yarmulkes backwards.
Fyvush emceed the fifth annual Joseph Papp Children’s Humanitarian Fund dinner at the Hilton New York. Created by Tzivos Hashem, the Papp Fund provides food and shelter to homeless children in Ukraine. Black hat Chasidic singing sensation Avraham Fried told about being grilled by security at the Los Angeles airport: Are you carrying a DVD player? No. Are you carrying a cellular phone? No. Are you carrying an electric shaver? Huh?? Among the celebrities at the dinner were Jerry Stiller (“I remember Fyvush Finkel when he had an English name”), Mike Burstyn, Mickey Freeman, Ron Eliron, Ron Leibman, Jessica Walter, Avram Grobart and Valerie Harper. James Earl Jones and Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, founder of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, got humanitarian awards. America’s sweetheart, Mary Tyler Moore, said that “James Earl Jones has a voice that can knock your socks off” and presented him with the Joseph Papp Achievement Award of Excellence. Mickey looked at Mary Tyler Moore and James Earl Jones and declared he’s embarrassed: “I’m the only one with one name!” Mickey said he loves entertaining in Florida where “they opened a Prunes R Us.” He found the best audiences in the world are senior citizens: “I did a show for them last week, and by the time I was through there wasn’t a dry seat in the house.” | 
