Stars of David

March 12, 2009 - Michael Elkin, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Howard Silverman

What goes well with toast? Bread and butter, of course -- and life-insurance and financial services have been just that, the bread and butter for 40 years of a much honored and applauded career for Howard Silverman, who will be toasted and saluted with the 2009 Mordecai Gerson Meritorious Service Award of the Philadelphia Estate Planning Council at a luncheon this coming Tuesday at the Union league. The prominent financial guru, whose many creds include serving as prexy of the Endowments Corporation of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, has also served as a board member of the Mann Music Center, a natural role for someone whose praises everyone is singing.

Amy and Elliot Holtz of Merion Station are hosting a dessert reception on March 18 honoring Israeli filmmaker -- and Amit alum -- Tal Avitan , whose "The Wounded Town" unwinds the heart in its tale of two teens affected by a Kassam rocket.

Cantor Arlyne Unger

What do you get a cantor for her Sweet 16? A charm bracelet? Nah, charm is something Arlyne Unger's got in batches rather than bracelets. And she's displayed all that in her 16 years as religious-school director at Beth Tikvah-B'nai Jeshurun. Bimah her up twice: This Sunday, she'll be saluted for her sweet -- terrific! -- 16 years at the school post and 13 at bat for her Bat Mitzvah year as cantor. And if you think she gets the day off ... well, Unger's one of the cast of "Jewish Broadway" that day, to be followed by a musical paean, a reception and a high tea. One question: Who's bringing the danish? No, enough already, Arlyne, you've done enough!

It's party time -- and chai time for one! Theater Ariel will hold a fundraiser/ 18th birthday party on March 23 at the Prince Music Theater, where past Ariel prexy Susan Lodish will be feted. And, no, kids, the Little Mermaid won't be there, but Ariel braintrust and founder Deborah Baer Mozes is sure to be.

Keep it gay? Not in 2006 Jerusalem: Malcolm Lazin , founder/ exec director of Equality Forum, joins Philadelphia Gay News publisher Mark Segal in discussing "Jerusalem Is Proud to Present," in which a less than proud, across-the-board Jerusalem clergy banded together to try and block the city's seminal gay-pride parade. It's all displayed and screened on March 16 as part of the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival at the Gershman Y.

"Number the Stars" gets its own "Star" -- the Sean Hartley musical based on the Lois Lowry book about Danish Christians who helped rescue Jews from the Nazis, is now on stage at Haddonfield Plays & Players in New Jersey.

Susan Lodish

After some two decades of service with his oft-quirky, always humorous features for Fox29, Gerald Kolpan has left the building. His voice isn't about to be muted; Kolpan's Etta: A Novel -- about the Sundance Kid's very grown-up romance with Etta Place (Dunno about you, but Katherine Ross made "Stars" heart dance when she played the part in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid") -- comes out on March 24. Not sure about raindrops, but an added career seems to be raining down on Kolpan's head.

Naked came the stranger, sure; but how strange is it when he's/she's your new love? Dr. Judith Sills bares all on what to do in the clinical psychologist/author's latest, Getting Naked Again: Dating, Romance, Sex and Love When You've Been Divorced, Widowed, Dumped or Distracted. Some advice from "Stars": Maybe, with all this weather, you should leave on a sweater.