AMERICA-ISRAEL CULTURAL FOUNDATION
New Villain Arises
To Hiss On Purim
Story
and Photos by Tim Boxer
IKE
many other Jewish charities that fell victim to the greatest
Ponzi scheme in American history, the America-Israel Cultural
Foundation (AICF) lost a bundle from its fundraising coffers.
At the foundation's 70th anniversary
gala at Carnegie Hall, president William A. Schwartz
couldn't resist taking a swipe at the 21st century's role model
of Haman.
"I can't say the name," Schwartz
muttered. "B-B-Bernard Madoff."
Haman failed to destroy the Jews of
ancient Persia but Madoff, like an evil magician, succeeded in
making the fortunes of many vanish into thin air.
"A year ago," Schwartz continued,
"AICF was put in jeopardy due to one man, B-B-Bernard Madoff."
At the sound of the name, Schwartz
twirled a grogger [noisemaker] just as they do when they hear
Haman's name on Purim.
Since 1939 AICF has been raising funds
to help more than 13,000 promising talent in all fields of the
arts in Israel. The late violinist Isaac Stern led the
organization from 1964 to 2002 and is chairman in memoriam. His
widow, Vera Stern, was president from 2002 to 2006.
Gala chairwoman Wendy Marks and
Maddy Rosenberg presented the King Solomon Award to the
Ted Arison Family Foundation, one of AICF's high-ticket
supporters. Jason Arison, the 28-year-old chairman and
CEO of the Israeli foundation, accepted the award.
The Aviv Award, normally given to an
Israeli for artistic achievement, went to Tovah
Feldshuh, making her the first American actress to receive
it. Ally Sheedy made the presentation to her friend. "We
did a movie together last year called Ten Stories Tall,"
Ally said.
The concert featured selections from
Shubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn and Mozart by past scholarship
recipients including such luminaries as violinists Pinchas
Zukerman and Shlomo Mintz, and pianist Yefim
Bronfman.
Tovah, acclaimed for her long-running
one-woman Broadway play, Golda’s Balcony, closed the
classical concert with a dynamic cabaret performance of Gershwin
melodies. She thanked all for coming, especially her mother,
Lillian, who is 98 years old. (She’s now 99. Mazel tov!)
"As Golda Meir said, 'There are
people who love you and there are people who love you and show
up.'"