By DAVID R. TOPPER Today the term Zionism is debased by otherwise liberal-thinking former-friends of Jews and Israel. This is a fact. Nonetheless, I don’t wish to pursue present-day politics and debates on the issues around this fact. Except to point out that the former-friends’ error stems from a lack of knowledge of the history of the region – by just focusing on recent events.

Accordingly, I wish to put Zionism into a deeper historical perspective by recalling that, ever since the Roman destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, the idea of returning to Zion was fundamental to the Jews of the Diaspora. Being indigenous to that region of the Middle East – hence going back thousands of years – Jews continued having a presence there – even after the Temple was razed.  

Moreover, and in particular, my aim is to recall the story of one the major Zionists in Jewish history – Judah Halevi.  

But perhaps it is best to start with this brief factoid. The Hebrew word צִיּוֹן (pronounced Tzee-yohn) has no unique meaning – ranging across fortress, desert, or monument – with its origin still being debated by scholars. One common use is for Mount Zion, a hill in Jerusalem. Close by is Mount Moriah, where King Solomon built the first Temple. In time, the term Zion came to be used for both hills together, and eventually for all of Jerusalem. Thus, the term Zionism refers to the idea of the exiled Jews (the Diaspora) returning to their indigenous homeland, centred at Jerusalem. Surely this was what Halevi believed, even though the word itself was not coined until 1890. 

Judah Halevi (also Yahuda ha-Levi) was born in 1075 (alt 1080) probably in Toledo, Spain. This was during the so-called Golden Age of Jewish Culture there. The Jews in Islamic Spain were relatively free – unlike the Jews of central Europe, who suffered under the despotic rule of feudal lords. Highly educated, Judah became a physician, philosopher, mathematician, and poet. Today it is his poetry that has designated him as the greatest Hebrew poet. He died in 1141, probably at the age of 66. 

He is often paired with Maimonides, considered the greatest Jewish thinker, who lived a generation later (born 1135). Both were physicians to the courts of the Caliphs in Spain.

Around the year 1120, probably about age 45, Halevi settled in Seville, married, and had one daughter. Another child also may have died. Much later, his wife died, probably after their daughter grew up and had children. With the loss of his wife, Judah grew restless. The Dream of Zion beckoned. 

My heart is in the east, and I in the uttermost west—

How can I find savour in food? How shall it be sweet to me?

How shall I render my vows and my bonds, while yet

Zion lies beneath the fetter of Edom, and I in Arab chains?

A light thing would it seem to me to leave all the good things of Spain—

Seeing how precious in mine eyes to behold the dust of the desolate sanctuary. 

This is one of a series of poems on this quest: called today The Songs of Zion, or the Zionides. His ultimate goal was to make aliyah to Jerusalem. To spend his final days there. 

Zion! wilt thou not ask if peace be with thy captives

That seek thy peace—that are the remnants of thy flocks?

…

I would choose for my soul to pour itself out within that place

Where the spirit of God was outpoured upon your chosen. 

…

I would fall, with my face upon the earth, and take delight

In thy stones and be tender to the dust.

…

Sweet would it be unto my soul to walk naked and barefoot

Upon the desolate ruins where the holiest dwellings were;

In the place of the Ark where it is hidden, and in the place

Of the cherubim which abode in the innermost recesses.

Sometime in 1140 he set out on his pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Taking a small ship through the Mediterranean, his mind was focused on the goal of being in Jerusalem.

Beautiful height! O joy! the whole world’s gladness!

O great King’s city, mountain blest!

My soul is yearning unto thee—is yearning 

From the limits of the west.

…

And who shall grant me, on the wings of eagles,

To rise and seek thee through the years,

Until I mingle with the dust beloved,

The waters of my tears?

…

Shall I not to the very stones be tender?

Shall I not kiss them verily?

Shall not the earth upon my lips taste sweeter

Than honey unto me?

He, of course, also wrote poems about the sea voyage. 

My God, break not the breakers of the sea,

Nor say Thou to the deep, ’Be dry’–

Until I thank Thy mercies, and I thank 

The waves of the sea and the wind of the west;

Let them waft me to the place of the yoke of Thy love,

And bear far from me the Arab yoke. 

There often were storms at sea.

Hath the flood come again and made the world a waste

So that one cannot see the face of the dry land,

And no man is there and no beast and no bird?

…

But only water and sky and ark, 

And Leviathan making the abyss to boil,

So that one deems the deep to be hoary.

…

And the sea rages and my soul exults—

For the sanctuary of her God, she draws near. 

It was a lonely trip. Thus, it’s not surprising to see him remember – and even dwell upon – the family that he left behind; especially, his daughter and her children. 

Even so far that I can forsake her that went forth of my loins,

Sister of my soul—and she mine only one— 

And I can forget her son, though it pierces my heart,

And I have nothing left but his memory for a symbol—

Fruit of my loins, child of my delight.

Yet, he remained focused on the goal – Zion.

But all this is a light thing when set against Thy love,

Since I may enter Thy gates with thanksgiving,

And sojourn there, and count my heart as

A burnt offering bound upon your altar;

And may make my grave in Thy land,

So that it be there a witness for me. 

…

I cry to God with a melting heart and knees that smite together,

While anguish is in all loins,

On a day when the oarsmen are astonished at the deep,

When even the pilots find not their hands.

How shall I be otherwise, since I, on a ship’s deck, 

Suspended between waters and heavens,

Am dancing and tossed about? —Yet this is but a light thing,

If I may but hold the festal dance in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem! 

…

Truly the secret of my quest is in the hand of the Highest,

Who forms the mountain heights and created the wind.  

The sea voyage ended in Alexandra, Egypt on Sept 8, 1140. He was welcomed by the large Jewish community there.

Praise, above all cities, be unto Egypt

Whither came first the word of God.

…

Fate has tossed me into the wilderness of Egypt:

Bid it carry me away and toss me yet again

Until I behold the wilderness of Judah.

Not surprisingly, while in Egypt he recalls Moses, whose name comes up in several poems. Here’s one. 

My God, the wonder of Thee is astir from age to age:

And here is the Nile for witness, that Thou hast turned it into blood, 

Not by magic …

But by Thy name, by the hand of Moses.

The Jews of Egypt begged him to stay. They must have been quite convincing – or, at least, they kept him occupied with things to do – because, despite his quest for Zion, he remained in Egypt until May 14, 1141, when he finally left – to resume his journey to Zion. (No matter how much I ponder this episode, I remain astonished that he stayed in Egypt over 8 months, especially since he was on the doorstep of Zion. It’s a fact that will ever bother me, and also remind me that no matter how much we may try – we can never really get into another’s mind.) 

Can bodies of clay

  Be prison-houses

For hearts bound fast

  To eagles’ wings—

For a man life weary

  Whose whole desire

Is to lay his face

  In the chosen dust?

…

To cast Spain from him

  And seek shores beyond;

…

To seek forgiveness

  At the peaceful graves 

Of the ark and the tablets

  That are buried there. 

It was an auspicious time to be in Palestine. From the fall of 1140 to the summer of 1141 was a period of relative peace and quiet. The land was governed as the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, which encompassed much of what today is the state of Israel. But, of course, Judah was a Jew, and Christian Crusaders had a notorious record of the indiscriminate slaughter of Jews in their wake as they were crossing Europe in their journey to liberate the Holy Land from the Muslims.

As fate would have it: Judah Halevi never got to test the relative peace of the Crusader Kingdom. How close he came to Jerusalem is unknown. All we know for sure is that he died on the way in 1141– probably in July or August. 

The historian in me, therefore, expects me to end this story – right here. Done.

However, recalling all Judah went through, leaving his family, the storms at sea – the many, many Zionist poems, only a fraction of which I have quoted here – the Romantic side of me pleads that I bring up the legend that arose sometime after his death. 

The legend says that Judah got as far as approaching the gates of Jerusalem. Then, while reciting his poem Ode to Zion – an Arab ran him through with a sword. In another version he was trampled by an Arab horseman. Hence, in either case, he fulfilled his dream of reaching Zion. But just reaching it. That’s all.

Since I may enter Thy gates with thanksgiving,

And sojourn there, and count my heart as

A burnt offering bound upon Your altar;

And may make my grave in Thy land,

So that it be there a witness for me. 

I wish it were so. I do. But, as with most legends – this one probably isn’t true. He may not even have come close to Jerusalem. 

In the end – and interestingly enough – Judah’s plight seemed to be echoing what happened to Moses in his yearning to see the Promised Land. It was just a quest. Only an (unfulfilled) quest.

Truly the secret of my quest is in the hand of the Highest,

Who formed the mountain heights and created the wind.

                                                 * * *

For English translations of his poems, I used: Selected Poems of Jehudah Halevi, edited by Heinrich Brody, trans. from the Hebrew by Nina Salaman (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publications Society of America, 1974). 

The biography that I have is: The Life and Time of Jehudah Halevi, by Rudolf Kayser, trans. from the German by Frank Gaynor (New York: Philosophical Library, 1949). Kayser, incidentally, is a son-in-law (by marriage) of Albert Einstein. 

By HANNON BELL (Special to jewishpostandnews.ca. All photos from Hannon Bell’s personal collection) Elizabeth Taylor’s Jewish connection may not be well known by the general public, but it played a significant role in her personal life, as well as in her film career.

Mike Todd, Eddie Fisher and Liz’s conversion to Judaism

In 1957, Jewish producer and promotor Mike Todd (whose real name was Avrom Goldbogen) was captivated by a then-25-year-old actress, Elizabeth Taylor, who had already had a long film career, shooting to fame with her star role in “National Velvet” when she was only 12.

By the time Taylor met Todd she had already been married twice before – to hotel magnate Nicky Hilton and British actor Michael Wilding.

Todd though, swept Taylor, with his charm and they married in Mexico in February 1957.

The marriage was attended by Taylor’s parents, Francis and Sara, as well as Todd’s best friend, singer Eddie Fisher, along with Fisher’s wife, actress Debbie Reynolds.

Unfortunately, the union (of which Elizabeth Taylor has said that of all her eight marriages, the ones to Todd and Richard Burton were the most meaningful) didn’t last long as Mike Todd was killed in a plane crash only one month after they were married. He was en route to New York from Los Angeles to attend a Friars Club testimonial dinner in his honour when his plane crashed  in New Mexico while it was trying to fly through a storm – killing all onboard.

Ironically, Elizabeth was spared as she had a bad cold and was advised against the trip and chose to stay home. 

In her bereavement, she sought out Todd’s best friend, Eddie Fisher.

With both of them seeking understanding and love over the loss of his friend and her husband, feelings went from comfort to love for one another.

The tide had turned and the dutiful widow had now become known as a home wrecker, upsetting the boundaries of America’s perfect couple, Eddie Fisher and pert Debbie Reynolds.

Prior to this though, Elizabeth had begun exploring Judaism during her brief marriage to Mike Todd.

To navigate her through this journey of discovery, Elizabeth studied with Rabbi Max Nussbaum.

In 1959, Elizabeth Taylor and Eddie Fisher were married in a civil and a Jewish ceremony – thus cementing her conversion to Judaism. Here is a photo showing Elizabeth with the Katuba (Jewish marriage certificate).

Discussing her long standing dream of conversion and finally realizing it, Taylor said, “It has nothing to do with any marriage plans. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” she told reporters.

For her conversion Elizabeth adopted the Hebrew name Elisheba Rachel, thus beginning her long devotion to Jewish causes, education and charitable causes.

“Cleopatra”

In perhaps her most famous role, as Cleopatra – in the film of the same name, because of her strong support for Israel, Elizabeth Taylor was not allowed into Egypt in 1962, where the film was scheduled to be partially shot.

As well, Arab nations also banned the showing of any of her films as a result of her conversion to Judaism.

That didn’t matter to Taylor – she could’t have cared less.

Ironically, Egyptians themselves were not able to see the movie about perhaps the most famous Egyptian of all time!

Eventually though, all was forgiven when, in September 1979 – following the signing of a peace accord between Egypt and Israel earlier that year, actress Elizabeth Taylor and 11 Israelis were honoured guests at the Fourth Cairo international Film Festival, which also marked the ending of the cultural boycott of Israel by Egypt.

It was during the festival that Elizabeth Taylor had a sit down with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat – at the presidential rest house in the Suez Canal city of Ismailia.

Devotion to Israel and the Jewish people

In my Elizabeth Taylor collection of over 100 catalogued binders with over 20,000 photos I document many instances of her devotion to Israel and the Jewish people.

In August 1975 Elizabeth Taylor, along with her then husband Richard Burton visited Israel.

A very meaningful moment occurred when Taylor touched the Wailing Wall in silent meditation.

In June of 1976 Elizabeth Taylor was honoured by the American Jewish Congress as an artist and humanitarian for her work in founding The Israeli War Victims Fund after the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

She was presented with her citation by Israeli Ambassador Shimcha Dinitz. Also pictured in a photo at the event is the President of the Congress, Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg.

It was around the same time as that event when  she attended a reception where she met with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.

Begin referred to Elizabeth Taylor as a “good friend.”

Was that on a personal level or as a strong supporter of Israel?

I tend to believe it was the latter.

In 1977 Elizabeth received the Women’s Division of B’nai Brith’s humanitarian award at a special luncheon held by the  Antidefamation League at New York’s St. Regis Hotel.

In May of 1979 Elizabeth attended the Israeli Bonds Dinner in New York.

As of 1979, Elizabeth Taylor had visited the State of Israel five times.

Elizabeth Taylor in films that had Jewish connections

“Love is Better Than Ever”

During the making of 1952’s “Love is Better Than Ever,” Elizabeth Taylor had just annulled her first marriage to Hilton Hotel heir Nicky Hilton when she became involved with the Jewish director of the film, Stanley Donen.

Elizabeth’s mother Sara is reported to have been unhappy and objected to the alliance due to the fact that Donen was Jewish.

“Ivanhoe”

In the 1952 film “Ivanhoe,” Elizabeth played the Jewish character Rebecca. One of the themes the film documents is antisemitism among the Normans and Ivanhoe’s friendship with the wealthy Jew Isaac and his daughter Rebecca.

“Victory at Entebbe”

On December 13, 1976, the movie “Victory at Entebbe” was aired on television in the U.S. The movie was based on true events surrounding the hijacking of Air France Flight 139 by Palestinian terrorists. The flight had departed from Tel Aviv and was headed to Paris when hijackers forced it to divert to Entebbe Airport in Uganda.

The story was close to Elizabeth’s heart and she said she participated in her small role as Edra Vilnovsky in “Victory at Entebbe” for the sake of her fellow Jewish people.

In the film she and costar Kirk Douglas played the Jewish parents of a 16-year-old girl held hostage at Entebbe.

An interesting side note worth mentioning  is that Kirk Douglas was supposed to be on the same plane as Mike Todd the night it crashed in 1958.  Douglas’s wife Anne had a strange premonition Kirk shouldn’t go on that flight. Fortunately for Anne Douglas, she was right. 

“Genocide”

“Genocide” was a 1981 film released by the Simon Wiesenthal Centre. Writing in the New York Times, reviewer Janet Maslin noted that “Miss Taylor, whose narration is particularly simple and affecting, reads letters from victims of the Nazis, farewell to friends and loved ones and horrifying accounts by first hand observers.”

A reviewer in Variety commented that “ Genocide gains its greatest force as a film via Elizabeth Taylor’s emotional voice over of personal testimony by witnesses to the Holocaust terrors.

“A moving performance by Taylor conveys in human terms about a sober rendering of mere facts and figures cannot”.

The Krupp Diamond

Here’s another irony to Elizabeth Taylor’s life: In 1968 Richard Burton bought the famous Krupp diamond as a gift for his then-wife, Elizabeth Taylor.

This 33.19 carat stone was owned by Vera Krupp, whose husband was a Nazi munitions magnate.

Taylor described the the acquisition thusly: “I think it fitting and charming that a nice little Jewish girl like me has ended up with the Baron’s rock.”

In closing

Elizabeth Taylor’s love and fierce dedication to Judaism is something to be admired as she put her heart and soul into the many Jewish causes she supported.

When Elizabeth Taylor passed away on March 23, 2011 she was buried as per Jewish ritual.

May her memory be a blessing      

About the author:

Throughout his life Hannon Bell has had many interests and passions.

As an actor he has performed on stage, on film, and on radio.

As a singer and songwriter he has written over 26 songs and won two lyric awards from the American Song Festival.

As a model in his younger days he won a TV commercial award at the Modelling Association of America Convention and Competition in NYC. The award was given to him by Christie Brinkley.

But, more than anything Hannon Bell is probably best known as the owner of the world’s largest collection of Elizabeth Taylor memorabilia. 

It all started when, as a teenager in 1963, Bell saw the film “Cleopatra.”

HIs passion turned into a lifelong dedication so much so that Bell is considered an expert on all things Elizabeth Taylor.

Having compiled and catalogued Taylor’s life and career in over 100 binders with over 20,000 photos and more, Bell has earned a reputation as not only a huge fan of Elizabeth Taylor, but also an expert on her life and career.

He has been consulted as a source by authors Kitty Kelly and C. David Heymann, both of whom have written biographies of Elizabeth Taylor.

Bell has been mentioned or featured in: People, Look, Scoop, the National Enquirer, Midnight Magazine, Toronto Star, Vancouver Sun, Winnipeg Tribune, Winnipeg Free Press and Winnipeg Sun.

He has written four songs about Elizabeth Taylor and, according to author C. David Heymann, was the inspiration for the naming of Passion Perfume in 1987. In a letter Taylor wrote to Bell in 1975, she asked him to send her two of his custom T Shirts that had on them the inscription: “HANNON’S PASSION – ELIZABETH TAYLOR.” 

After working with Heymann on his biography of Taylor, titled “LIZ,” Hemanann sent Hannon a  copy of the book with the signed inscription,”to Hannon, who has the finest Elizabeth Taylor collection in the world.” 

By BERNIE BELLAN (originally posted July 12, amended July 14 & 15) As has been our custom for many years now we try to find shows that have either Jewish performers, themes that would have particular appeal for Jewish audiences…or simply shows where someone contacted me and asked for a plug!

This year’s Fringe Festival runs from July 15-26. For show dates and venues go to winnipegfringe.com.

In no particular order here are blurbs about the shows we’ve found that fit our somewhat arbitrary criteria. (By they way, if we’ve omitted a show that should be included in our list there’s plenty of time to get added to this post. Just drop me a line at jewishp@mymts.net.)

One of the Fringe’s perennial favourites, Alli Perlov is back yet again making great fun of a very popular movie – in this case it’s “Toy Story.”

Here’s what the blurb in the progam says about her show:

Adam Schwartz first appeared at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival in 2013 – in a one-man show. Since then, Adam has gone on to appear in – and produce shows featuring other neurodiverse artists in succeeding years. Adam wrote us: “This summer I am shooting my comedy special. This is a project I’ve been working on for 16 years and I believe is the first Canadian autistic comedy special exploring life. It explores issues like early and late diagnosis, support workers as well as accommodation I have received.”

Another veteran performer on the Fringe circuit, Melanie Gall is returning for her 13th season at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival.

Randy Ross is also back this year. Here’s what Randy wrote us: “I’ll be back at the Winnipeg fringe in July with a new show, ‘How Much Can You Change for Someone You Love?’

Winnipegger Nicholas Rice is a veteran of the Winnipeg theatre scene. He has appeared in five Winnipeg Jewish Theatre productions over the years. This year will mark Nicholas’s second time appearing in a Winnipeg Fringe Festival show. His first appearance, two years ago, was in a show also called “A Side of Rice” but, in chatting with Nicholas he told me this new show,”Another Side of Rice,” will be completely different from that first show.

During the show, Nicholas said, he “will tell three different stories” from different parts of his life. The first story will relate an experience he had at Sir John Franklin School (which no longer exits). The second story will be about an experience Nicholas had while teaching in Toronto where, he says, one of his students, upon finding out Nicholas was Jewish, told him that he “would burn in hell.”

The third story will also be set in Toronto. The show will last 70 minutes, Nicholas added.

Rudi stands outside his father’s study in Paraguay, struggling to find the courage to go in. It’s been seven years since he left after uncovering the truth: that his father was a doctor at Auschwitz.

Haunted by a past he didn’t create but can’t escape, Rudi is forced to grapple with the legacy of his father’s crimes and search for a way to live with the weight of inherited guilt. Another tour-de-force script from acclaimed Canadian playwright Hannah Moscovitch, whose powerful and provocative work continues to captivate audiences worldwide.

On July 15 we received an email from someone by the name of Jillian Birdie Burke. Here’s part of what Burdie wrote: “My name is Birdie Burke, I am a Jewish artist and I’m one of the producers and performers of A Kid Napping,  a new comedy is coming to the Winnipeg, Saskatoon, and Victoria Fringe Festivals this summer – from the same duo who brought you last year’s award-winning BRAIN.

“ Kid Napping follows two well-meaning but wildly incompetent ex-convicts whose kidnapping plan goes spectacularly wrong when they accidentally find themselves caring for a room full of kindergarteners.

“As part of the production, we’re also donating proceeds from our sales to local children’s organizations in each city we visit. 

“For Winnipeg we’ll be focusing on Rossbrook Kids and the Rainbow Resources team.”

Okay – now here is where we start to get away from previewing Jewish performers, but I’ll explain in each case why I’ve included a particular show.

Safe Sex is a collection of three one-act plays written by Harvey Fierstein who is Jewish, but had said that “although he does not believe in God, he prays three or four times each day.”

“As one of the first openly gay celebrities in the United States, Fierstein helped turn gay and lesbian life into a viable subject for contemporary drama.”

Now, since Harvey Fierstein grew up in New York – a very Jewish city, when we were contacted by someone by the name of Charlie Hume who said he was an actor and producer with a company called Starr Street Productions – based in New York City, we had to ask him whether there was any Jewish connection?

Charlie replied: “Perhaps unfortunately, the show is written and performed by Catholics. I would say that our company’s greatest connection to Judaism is that we all studied together at The Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute. Lee Strasberg- if you’re not familiar- was a legendary Jewish acting coach who was instrumental in revolutionizing theater and the performing arts in New York City and beyond. We walk in the footsteps of Lee and many other Jewish cultural leaders, who have long been among the most steadfast supporters of the arts in America.”

Well, that’s good enough for me. Here’s a description of their play:

Finally – and this one really is a stretch – three days ago we were speaking to Reverend Don James, who is the National Development Director at Bridges for Peace (an organization that has close ties to our Jewish community) when Don happened to mention that his daughter, Hilary, is producing a Fringe show that has something to do with a Fleetwood Mac record album. (Apparently Don had never heard of “Rumors” because he didn’t know what the name of the album was. Oy!)

So I said to Don: “Have your daugher contact me and I’ll give her a blurb.” Well, she hasn’t contacted me yet, but I’m giving her a blurb – whether she wants one or not!