Don't Wait To Be A Hero
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Scarsdale resident and volunteer fire fighter, Mark Bezos, is the development director of Robin Hood, a poverty-fighting charity in New York City. He joined Robin Hood following the sale of his advertising agency, excited to have found a way to use his powers of persuasion for good.
In Scarsdale Bezos serves as a volunteer firefighter and at a recent TED Conference he told the story of an act of heroism that didn't go quite as expected -- but that taught him a big lesson: Don't wait to be a hero.
Bezos, who lives here with his wife Lisa and four children, agreed to share this inspirational video with you. Click here to view this memorable moment.
Free Tickets Available For the Jacob Burns Film Center Jewish Film Festival
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The Jacob Burns Film Center is offering Scarsdale10583 readers a limited number of FREE tickets to some upcoming events. On Monday night March 28 at 7: 45 pm, a documentary about Grace Paley will be shown and the event will include a Q and A with the filmaker Lilly Rivlin.
In addition, the Jacob Burns Film Center will present their tenth annual Westchester Jewish Film Festival from March 24- April 14. On the program are 30 films representing 17 countries and 15 speaker events. Special Events include interviews with directors, panel discussions, live musical performances, receptions and a photography exhibit in our upstairs gallery.
In considering the eclectic and rich array of film selections culled from over 150 entries from around the world, several themes stand out, including films about legendary Jewish artists and writers, ’Jewish Noir’ thrillers, music documentaries, and extraordinary films highlighting Jewish stories from Latin America, dramas from France and the evolving life and culture in Israel - along with many special guests attending these events.
Some of the films focusing on iconic Jewish artists, writers and musicians are:
Norman Mailer: The American - A brash and surprisingly candid look at the notorious author’s provocative personal life and career, with filmmaker Joseph Mantegna in attendance for a Q&A at the March 30th screening,
Vidal Sassoon: The Movie - A box-office and critical hit about the life of this legendary arbiter of style, featuring with a fantasia of iconic, evocative images from the 60s and 70s, with local filmmaker Craig Teper interviewed by Janet Maslin at the March 28th screening,
Stalin Thought of You: A fascinating documentary about the soviet political cartoonist Boris Efimov in a stunning, intimate history of the Soviet Union, with a Reel Talk by JBFC’s Brian Ackerman at the April 10th screening,
Amos Oz: The Nature of Dreams - An intimate look at the acclaimed and controversial Israeli author and peace activist, and a profound meditation about Israel’s struggle for identity.
Mahler on the Couch (opening night at New York Jewish Film Festival) - A riveting, witty and compelling adventure that unveils the life of the tormented and brilliant composer Gustav Mahler and his notoriously passionate wife Alma - with a sublime Mahler soundtrack!
Among the ‘Jewish Noir’ films are a group of riveting, suspenseful dramas from around the world:
Little Rose: From Poland, a sexy, knock-out suspense thriller set in Communist Poland in 1968.
Eichmann’s End: Love, Betrayal, Death: The thrilling tale of the Nazi mastermind hiding in post-WWII Argentina, and the Mossad’s attempt to track him down and capture and him.
Five Brothers: A contemporary drama from France that follows a family of very different Jewish brothers who become entangled with the Mob and face the struggles of family ties, honor and revenge.
Naomi: A compelling and surprising drama set in Haifa about infidelity and the price of desire.
The Army of Crime: Set in WWII Nazi-0ccupied France, a gripping thriller about a fierce underground battle led by an Armenian poet and a gang of young freedom fighters.
In addition, the festival will include a group of exhilarating new music documentaries. For a full list of films, visit http://www.burnsfilmcenter.
As a special free giveaway to Scarsdale10583 readers, JBFC is offering 10 pairs of FREE tickets to non-speaker event screenings! To enter, please send an email to [email protected] with “Scarsdale10583 Giveaway” in the subject line by March 29th. In the email please include your name, the film you would like to attend (non-speaker event screenings only), and the date and time of the screening. Winners will be selected at random and will be notified via email by March 30th. (Note: Only winners will be notified and all tickets are subject to availability.)
Scarsdale Resident Linda Simon to Head Morgan Library Department of Drawings and Prints
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Scarsdale resident Linda Wolk-Simon has been appointed as Charles W. Engelhard Curator and Head of the Morgan Library and Museum’s renowned Department of Drawings and Prints. The Morgan houses one of the world’s finest collections of old master drawings, as well as a growing collection of nineteenth-century and modern works on paper.
Ms. Wolk-Simon was most recently Curator in the Department of Drawings and Prints at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she has held a number of positions over more than two decades. A specialist in Italian Renaissance art, she will assume her duties at the Morgan in May. Her appointment concludes a broad, international search.
“I am delighted that Linda Wolk-Simon will join the Morgan’s team of outstanding curators,” remarked Museum Director, William M. Griswold. “Linda has laid out a compelling vision for the future of one of the most important of the Morgan’s collections. She is noted in the field for the vitality of her exhibitions and the excellence of her scholarship. This is an exciting time in the department, as the collections continue to grow, particularly in the area of modern and contemporary drawings, and as we seek to expand our exhibition program and educational offerings.”
The Department of Drawings and Prints is the largest of the Morgan’s curatorial departments, and its approximately 25,000 works span the fourteenth century to the present. The department is especially strong in drawings from the Italian, French, Dutch, and British schools, and the list of important artists represented is vast, ranging from Michelangelo and Raphael to Dürer, Rubens, Fragonard, David, Watteau, Gainsborough, Constable, and Turner, to name only some of the highlights. The department also has the largest and finest collection of Rembrandt etchings in America. In recent years, with support from Trustee Eugene V. Thaw and under the energetic leadership of Isabelle Dervaux, Acquavella Curator of Modern and Contemporary Drawings, the Morgan has systematically expanded its collection and programs to encompass the twentieth and even twenty-first centuries.
“It is a supreme honor to be appointed to head the Department of Drawings and Prints and to follow in the 
tracks of so many distinguished predecessors,” said Ms. Wolk-Simon. “The Morgan houses one of the preeminent collections in the world, and the depth, breadth, and quality of the holdings are truly extraordinary. I look forward to working with Bill Griswold and my new colleagues as we set out to create a template for the future and to craft the next chapter of the department’s long and impressive history.”
Upon Ms. Wolk-Simon’s arrival, she will launch a long-range program of major international loan shows of old master drawings, beginning with the first-ever monographic presentation of the drawings of the seventeenth-century Italian artist and satirical poet Salvator Rosa. Focused exhibitions highlighting individual masterpieces or small groups of distinguished works in the Morgan’s collection and supplemented by a few key loans; a rotating installation of selected works from the Morgan’s extensive and varied holdings of drawings and prints; and thematic exhibitions bringing together works from a number of different curatorial divisions will also be part of the department’s program.
Ms. Wolk-Simon received her Ph.D. in the History of Art from the University of Michigan. In 1986 she joined the staff of The Metropolitan Museum, where she was a curator in the Robert Lehman Collection, coordinator of the museum’s World War II-era Provenance Research Project, and a curator in the Department of Drawings and Prints specializing in Italian drawings. She also served for many years as reviews editor for the scholarly journal Master Drawings, which has its headquarters at the Morgan.
At the Metropolitan Museum she organized or co-curated numerous well-received exhibitions, including most recently Art and Love in Renaissance Italy; Raphael at the Metropolitan: The Colonna Altarpiece; and An Italian Journey, Correggio to Tiepolo: Italian Drawings in the Tobey Collection. A noted expert on the art of Raphael and his followers, she has contributed essays, articles, and reviews to numerous publications; lectured extensively in the United States and abroad; and was the recipient of a Fulbright Grant, and of a Kress Fellowship from the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, at the National Gallery of Art. Her publication Raphael at the Metropolitan: The Colonna Altarpiece was named most outstanding essay devoted to a single work of art by the Association of Art Museum Curators.
Simon, a mother of two has lived in Scarsdale for almost nineteen years and commented, “I love living in Scarsdale because it’s such a warm and friendly community with so much to offer—great schools; sports and activities for kids; wonderful services such as the library and the pool; friendly, accomplished people; interesting and fun events going on all the time such as lectures at the library or at local synagogues; concerts of outstanding quality performed by the New Choral Society at Hitchcock Church in my own backyard and, in the summer, at Chase Park by Westchester Band, plus it is a great commuter town. I was able to both pursue a career in the city and have lots of time at home with my kids without feeling like the commute consumed hours and hours of my day.”
She would like to encourage you to visit the Morgan Library and Museum at 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street sometime soon. The building began as the private library of financier Pierpont Morgan and is now a museum, library, musical venue, architectural landmark and historic site. In 2006 the building was expanded by architect Renzo Piano and in 2010 the original McKim building was restored. See what they have to offer at www.themorgan.org .
Jacob Burns Film Center to Host Tribute to Debbie Friedman
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The Jacob Burns Film Center will host a special event before the opening of their 2011 Westchester Jewish Film Festival. A Journey of Spirit, a film documenting the life of Debbie Friedman will be shown on Tuesday, March 22, at 7 pm to celebrate the life of this beloved Jewish singer/songwriter, teacher and passionate Jewish visionary. Friedman died on January 9, 2011 and had a profound influence on contemporary Jewish music.
Many in Westchester were deeply touched by her music and her contribution to local Jewish congregations. Her music was often used in services to promote spirituality, healing, and community. Rabbi Shira Milgrom and Cantor Mo Glazman of Congregation Kol Ami in White Plains, Cantor Jill Abramson of Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale and Cantor Jack Mendelson of Temple Israel Center in White Plains, will attend and share memories and thoughts about this remarkable woman and her music after the screening of the film.
A Journey of Spirit tells the story of the legendary singer, songwriter and guitarist Debbie Friedman, as it explores her indelible contribution to the transformation of liberal Jewish worship and the growth of the new profession of Jewish singer/songwriter. This moving documentary highlights a lively and heartfelt exchange which places the debate about contemporary versus traditional prayer music squarely on the table, featuring interviews with many of our local Westchester clergy as well as the 2004 children’s choir from Congregation Kol Ami in White Plains.
A Journey of Spirit - Ann Coppel. 2004. 75m. NR. US.
Tuesday March 22 at 7 pm
Advanced ticket reservations recommended
To see the full Festival schedule and reserve tickets, click here:
Hard Times for Readers
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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There was a time when Scarsdale was flush with options for book buyers. Reading, Writing and Wrapping was downtown and if they didn’t have the title you wanted on hand they could order it for quick delivery. For a time, there was cute little bookstore in the village of Hartsdale. Radiating outwards, there was a huge Barnes and Noble on Central Avenue as well as two well-stocked Borders books, one in White Plains and one on the Post Road in Scarsdale. Even the Westchester Simon Mall had a bookstore, and though their inventory was limited you could find bestsellers and literary gifts.
But those days have passed, and for book lovers who have not adopted a Kindle, a Nook or an iPad, paper versions of books are hard to come by. The latest news is that Borders has filed for bankruptcy and their store in the Lord and Taylor shopping center will close no later than April. This latest shutdown leaves area residents with a lone Barnes and Noble in City Center in White Plains that is low on stock and difficult to access. Even if you can navigate the multi-tiered parking structure, remember your space number and find change in your pocket you still may not find the book you’re looking for in the store.
If you want a book, your options have dwindled. You can shop online, put a book on reserve at the library or take the train into the city, where Posman Books in Grand Central Station never fails. Isn't it surprising that an area rampant with readers can’t support one well-stocked bookstore?
