Stars of David

April 24, 2008 - Michael Elkin, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Jennifer Weiner

If you're reading this and saying to yourself, "Gee, maybe I should start thinking about filing that income-tax return," stop reading and call your local CPA immediately. You're about to be seeing more "Stars" than this column can accommodate.

But "Stars" always has room for superachievers, such as Jennifer Weiner, who just seems to be getting bed and bedder. Indeed, author Weiner's latest tome, Certain Girls, looks like another certain hit, marking the return of Candace Shapiro from Weiner's Good in Bed. Speaking of certain girls: The latest in Weiner's real world is baby Phoebe, born just four months ago. Will she be following in her Mom's shoes? If so, they'll be some really high heels: Weiner just signed a $6 mil contract with ABC to create a series.

Leslie Beth Baskin

No one ever went bankrupt betting on the achievements of Leslie Beth Baskin, chair of the Creditors Rights and Bankruptcy Group/Spector Gadon & Rosen, P.C. The win-win Wynnewood attorney has just been assigned the chair of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Bankruptcy Conference.

Some items travel better than others: Hal F. Rosenbluth, for many years associated with the one-time family-run worldwide Rosenbluth Travel, has been as in-demand for exec positions as an airline with a 100 percent on-time performance. Betting on his great performance again is Walgreen Co., which just named Rosenbluth corporate veepee. Wonder if he'll be working seven nights/ six days.

Frank Podietz

To life, to life -- to Frank Podietz, former prexy/CEO of the Madlyn and Leonard Abramson Center for Jewish Life, who will be toasted with a special tribute by the center on June 4 at Congregation Beth Or in Maple Glen. Shirley and Jules Perlstine are trib committee chairs.

He could have gone anywhere, but he chose Temple. Now he's going someplace else. Morris J. Vogel, a 35-year history prof at Temple U., is making some history himself: Vogel is going from North Philly to Lower Manhattan in his new appointed position as prexy of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum in New York, where the Kazakhstan native -- won't Borat be surprised -- assumes control June 1.

Looking back, fans of Libby Newman are looking forward to her "Retrospective" at Villanova University, running April 25 to June 15, with a meet-the-artist handshake of an event this Friday at 5 p.m.

Housing problems? "Stars" should have such problems. Indeed, he'd love to see the mortgage on this one. Local fashion biggie/philanthropist/movie producer Sidney Kimmel got his asking price within a month for his Palm Beach manse, a spread big enough to fly 1,000 kites. (Given he produced "The Kite Runner," that seems appropriate.) At $81.5 mil, wondering if he threw in the washing machine.

Here's a zoo story that would rattle Edward Albee's cage: The Philadelphia Zoo has created a Junior Advisory Council; kids from 8 to 14 have been selected to talk up all things zoo. The highly competitive and pride-worthy roster of lion kings-to-be includes Perelman Jewish Day School fourth-grader Jesse Shuter.

Libby Rosof

We'll give ya somethin' to blog about: Roberta Fallon and Libby Rosof, the brains behind "Artblog," as well as being much-exhibited artists and curators, have cured the possibility of an empty calendar for themselves on May 19. That's when the two will be handed honorary doctorates of fine arts at Moore College of Art & Design's commencement ceremony.

Baseball & Ballantine & Brodsky: Baseball laureate -- if there isn't such a position, there should be one -- Chuck Brodsky, folk singer/composer extraordinaire, scored a heartfelt hit with "Whitey & Harry," a paean to the legendary double-play Phillies broadcast team of Richie Ashburn-to-Harry Kalas. (Hard to believe, Harry, that Whitey died a decade ago.) That 2002 number (Brodsky's latest CD, "Two Sets," is coming out May 1) is included in the just-released DVD, "Richie Ashburn: A Baseball Life." Somewhere, a huge cigar is smokin' up the heavens in appreciation.