Seraphic Secret

Robert J. Avrech: Emmy Award winning screenwriter. Movie fanatic. Helplessly and hopelessly in love with my wife since age nine.

Friday Photos: Passover, Time to Remember the Future

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The world knows her as Lizabeth Scott, (1922 - 2015) the husky-voiced femme fatale and noir babe. But she was born Emma Matzo of Scranton Pa. Her best film is “Dead Reckoning” ('47).
Movie lovers know her as Lizabeth Scott, (1922 – 2015) the husky-voiced femme fatale and noir babe of the 40s and 50s. But she was born Emma Matzo of Scranton Pa. Her best film is “Dead Reckoning” (’47).

Jewish holidays do not simply recall the past. Jewish holidays are cautionary tales for all time. They remind us that Jewish history repeats itself with terrible constancy.

The Jewish people introduced ethical monotheism to the world — and for this gift the world has never forgiven us.

Thus, we are despised and demonized.

When we are not in possession of Israel, our homeland, we are scorned as cosmopolitan outsiders. When we live in our homeland, we are delegitimized as thieves.

We are accused of being greedy capitalists, and at the same time cast as cruel communists.

Jews are the eternal scapegoat for those who need enemies on which to project their own mad programs.

On Passover, we celebrate the Exodus narrative. The Children of Israel escape Egyptian bondage and begin the trek to the land of Israel, the Jewish homeland.

We escape Pharaoh, but a new Pharaoh inevitably rises.

And as Jewish history tragically attests, there are always assimilationist Jews anxious to condemn their Torah loving brothers. Jews who believe that if they are only modern enough, progressive enough, pliable enough, they will escape the flames and the ashes.

We stand on the threshold of Jewish history as Barack Obama legitimizes Jew-hatred in America and on the world stage, we witness his offering up the Jewish state as a sacrifice to his wicked political ambitions.

As for the Jews who supported and continue to support Obama, as a close friend, a Holocaust survivor drily observed: “The kapos are still with us.”

 

Yemenite Jewish family celebrates the Passover seder in Jerusalem, April 1939.
Yemenite Jewish family celebrates the Passover seder in Jerusalem, April 1939.

 

Audrey Hepburn photographed by Erwin Blumenfeld, 1952.
Audrey Hepburn photographed by Erwin Blumenfeld, 1952.

 

View of Houses in Delft, Known as ‘The Little Street’ (ca. 1658) by Johannes Vermeer.
View of Houses in Delft, Known as ‘The Little Street’ (ca. 1658) by Johannes Vermeer.

 

Poster for Dead Reckoning. Imagine if the poster boasted: “Bogart and Matzo.”
Poster for Dead Reckoning. Imagine if the poster boasted: “Bogart and Matzo.”

 

Edward Hopper, Approaching a City, 1946. Oil on canvas, 70 x 80 cm. Phillips Collection, Washington D.C.
Edward Hopper, Approaching a City, 1946. Oil on canvas, 70 x 80 cm. Phillips Collection, Washington D.C.

 

Priscilla Beaulieu waves to Elvis as his plane takes off from Germany for the U.S. Life, March 2, 1960.
Priscilla Beaulieu waves to Elvis as his plane takes off from Germany for the U.S. Life, March 2, 1960.

 

Theda Bara, born Theodosia Goodman, holds a peacock feather in a still from “Cleopatra” (1917). Bara is wearing a costume consisting of a bustier and sarong with a long peacock feather train and headdress. Only ten seconds of this elaborate film have survived and we have no idea who designed the costumes but still photos testify to one ravishing costume after another.
Theda Bara, born Theodosia Goodman, a nice Jewish girl from the midwest, holds a peacock feather in a still from “Cleopatra” (1917). Bara is wearing a costume consisting of a bustier and sarong with a long peacock feather train and headdress. Only ten seconds of this elaborate film have survived and we have no idea who designed the costumes but still photos testify to one ravishing costume after another.

 

We don't think of Myrna Loy, born Myrna Adele Williams, as a star possessed of animal magnetism. That's because we view her as the well-bred but plucky Nora Charles. But early in her career Loy was typecast as an oriental vamp. In this feathered costume Loy projects as a dangerous seductress.
We don’t think of Myrna Loy, born Myrna Adele Williams, as a star possessed of animal magnetism. That’s because we view her as the well-bred but plucky Nora Charles. But early in her career Loy was typecast as an oriental vamp. In this feathered costume Loy projects as a dangerous seductress.

 

A group of Jewish partisans under the command of Abba Kovner (center) after the city's liberation. Vilna, 1944.
A group of Jewish partisans under the command of Abba Kovner (center) after the city’s liberation. Vilna, 1944.

 

American Jewish soldiers celebrating Passover in Seoul, Korea, 1952.
American Jewish soldiers celebrating Passover in Seoul, Korea, 1952.

 

Micha Bar Am: Crossing the Suez Canal, Yom Kippur War, 1973.
Micha Bar Am: Crossing the Suez Canal, Yom Kippur War, 1973.

 

Jewish children from Kaifeng, China, 1920s. Pearl S. Buck wrote an interesting novel, “Peony,” about the ancient Jewish community of China,
Jewish children from Kaifeng, China, 1920s. Pearl S. Buck wrote an interesting novel, “Peony,” about the ancient Jewish community of China,

 

Jewish Hungarian immigrants Adolph and Sam Frankel, c. 1920, in Cushing Oklahoma.
Jewish Hungarian immigrants Adolph and Sam Frankel, c. 1920, in Cushing Oklahoma.

 

Yul Brenner checks out the poster for his new movie “The Ten Commandments” in his Mercedes 300SL 1956.
Yul Brenner checks out his own image for his new movie “The Ten Commandments” in his Mercedes 300SL 1956.

 

On Oct. 6, 1965, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax chose not to play in the first game of the World Series against the Minnesota Twins because it was Yom Kippur,
On Oct. 6, 1965, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax chose not to play in the first game of the World Series against the Minnesota Twins because it was Yom Kippur,

 

“Moses Teaches the Children of Israel” by Shalom of Safed.
“Moses Teaches the Children of Israel” by the great Israeli artist, Shalom of Safed.

 

Micha Bar Am: The Return from Entebbe, Ben-Gurion Airport, Israel, 1976.
Micha Bar Am: The Return from Entebbe, Ben-Gurion Airport, Israel, 1976.

 

Last week we offered a Seraphic Secret baseball cap to any reader who could ID this photo. Unfortunately, no one go it right. This is a bird's eye view of a coffee table made of lacquered wood sitting on a bed of gravel which Karen and I found at Restoration Hardware on Melrose Ave in Los Angeles.
Last week we offered a Seraphic Secret baseball cap to any reader who could ID this photo. Unfortunately, no one go it right. This is a bird’s eye view of a coffee table made of lacquered wood sitting on a bed of gravel. Karen and I found it at Restoration Hardware on Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles.

 

Livia Yarden wishes all our friends a lovely and inspirational Shabbat, and a happy and kosher Pesach.
Livia Yarden wishes all our friends a lovely and inspirational Shabbat, and a happy and kosher Pesach. And a peaceful Good Friday to all our Christian friends whose love and support of Israel is deeply appreciated. We ask everyone to pray for the Christians of Kenya who were slaughtered by IslamoNazis.

 

The End

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • You’re welcome. Emma Matzo did not have great range as an actress. But as a noir femme fatale she was superb.

      BTW, we can surmise by her last name that an ancestor was a baker of matzo back in Europe.

  2. Another excellent post, Robert… AND it includes a Myrna Loy photo!! I have one favor to ask, can you post a side view of the table? I still can’t quite wrap my mind around that view as a coffee table!

  3. Oh I can’t help it, but the one thing I remember of the “Ten Commandments” is E G Robinson as Dathan saying “where’s your Moses now” with that accent of his. On a side note my Dad employed a bricklayer who at one time worked on the pyramids at Giza. One day if I remember I’ll tell the story.

  4. Re: The Koufax pic. I’m an old pitcher (supposed to have been pretty good), and looking at Sandy’s delivery I wouldn’t want to be the batter. He’s getting ready send a big honking hot cut fast ball, almost impossible to hit if in the right place. I’d heard alot about Koufax, but had never seen a picture of him in action, now I know why there are so many stories about him.

  6. Thank you for the wonderful message and photos. At times like these, I have to remind myself that G*d is still in charge.

    As far as the kapos, I think every group has their kapos. People willing to sell their souls in the mistaken hope that they will be spared.

    BTW that photo of Bryner and his 300SL is fascinating. He must have gotten one of the very first, as the conversion from the Gullwing (the tubular frame had to be modified to allow for conventional doors) – the change was done for model year 1957.

    The Gullwing itself was the inspiration of legendary importer Max Hoffman whose Park Ave showroom brought a lot of now famous marques to the US. It was a true race car converted for the street (hence the Gullwing doors that wqere necessary because of the tubular frame)

    Mind if I send it on to my club members with a H/T to you?

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