August 12, 2008 | 10:20 pm

TV ‘terrorist’ plays Jewish hero on stage

Posted by  Orit Arfa

I was on my sofa in Jerusalem reading the opening credits of my favorite TV show, "24,' looking for Jewish names to figure out exactly how many Jews control Hollywood. Lo and behold, I see my friend's name: Steven Schub.

I met Schub through a networking website that connects that fans and admirers of the work of author-novelist Ayn Rand. (A quick refresher, she wrote The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, novels that glorify individualism and reason.) We met for coffee in Israel when he was there visiting his sister and have stayed in touch since.

On '24' Schub played an Islamic terrorist, Sabir (I hear roles of terrorist are usually given to Jews, go figure). With his fellow terrorists, he vaporized Valencia in a nuclear attack. He's probably best-known for his work in the film 'Caught' with Edwards James Olmos and guest star appearances on NYPD Blue, and, yes, Sesame Street. His day job is lead-singer for The Fenwicks, a 10-piece "afro-Celtic Yiddish Ska" band, but that's a whole 'nother story.
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Now he's starring as a Jewish hero in the play 'The Accomplices' at the Fountain Theater. Peter Bergson, born Hillel Kook (nephew of the famous Rabbi Kook), came to the U.S. from Eastern Europe to save Jews from Hitler's clutches only to be met by indifference, and sometimes hostility, from key figures of the Jewish community and the Roosevelt administration. Schub's admiration for Bergson's ideas and actions has lent to an inspiring and powerful performance.

Schub said over the phone (without the show's Eastern-European accent), "I definitely have always responded to people who live what they believed, and Peter Bergson was a guy who did. He was a shining example of what one man can do and that's what he did--how an individual can change history."

Schub researched the role by reading Bergon's writings and interviewing his daughter, a political science professor at Ben Gurion University. He discovered that Bergson's views actually bear many similarities to Rand, a great admirer of the Founding Fathers.

"He was a Jeffersonian," Schub said, speaking not as an expert on Bergson but as an actor who dutifully researched his character. Bergson/Kook believed that all people living in Israel--Jews, Muslims, Christians--should have equal rights and he abhorred the idea of tying religious identity to national identity, believing in separation of religion and state. He served as a member of the first Knesset, but his insistence on having a constitution similar to America's eventually led to a rift between him and right-wing leader Menachem Begin.

Having started out as a disciple of Vladmir Jabotinsky, founder of the Irgun (the militant Jewish army in pre-State days), he soon evolved from a Jewish Zionist to a Classical Liberal (not to be confused with today's liberalism.) He was a "post-Zionist already in 1947", believing Jewish identity needed to be reexamined and favoring the school of thought that believed Jews in the Land of Israel needed to be reinvented as "Hebrews."

But in his day, like many Irguniks, he was written off as a fascist.

"He didn't fall into any left-right of alternative. He was a radical for individualism in same way Ayn Rand or Jabotinsky was."

What convinced Bergson/Kook most of the need to escape from Jewish collectivist thinking were his own negative encounters from Jews as he tried to save his brethren, dramatized very well in the play. Members of the Jewish establishment tried to silence him and even deport him when he started protesting too loudly to get America to do more to save the Jews of Europe. Except for filmmaker Ben Hecht, the Jews who "controlled" Hollywood back then didn't use their influence to help the Jewish plight.

"Instead of wasting their time fighting Bergson, they could have mobilized instead to create a tidal wave of pressure. The non-Jews were more than glad to jump on board."

My kudos to Bergson, whom I was glad to discover through this play, and to my friend Schub for doing such a heroic job with the role.

He sure made up for blasting Valencia.

August 12, 2008 | 1:18 am

Jew, not a Jew, again

Posted by The Web Guy

As web surfers from around the globe continue their perennial quest for the secret, hidden Jews who control all sorts things here on Olam HaZeh, some, inevitably, find their way to JewishJournal.com.

Here’s a list of recent searches. Click on the name of the suspected Jew to see the article they found:

Warren Buffet

Michael Phelps

Helena Bonham-Carter

Olympian Dara Torres

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August 10, 2008 | 3:58 pm

I remember Gush Katif

Posted by  Orit Arfa

The third anniversary of the 'Disengagement' is upon us with the coming of Tisha B'Av, and I'm not sure how many Jewish newspapers are covering it.

We've forgotten about the good people of Gush Katif, Gaza -- their spiritual and physical suffering after being left homeless by the State of Israel for three years. (Not to mention the suffering of Palestinian Gazans.) It's old news. It's uncomfortable news. It's (gasp!) right-wing.

Sometimes, in my moments of cowardice, I too am afraid to talk about the Disengagement. It's too painful. People don't want to hear. I easily get labeled a right-wing fanatic for caring so much about the settlers, for being so opposed to the Disengagement, for calling it an 'expulsion' -- because that's what it was: the forceful expulsion of men, women, and children from their homes because they were Jews.

But I've stopped trying to convince people. I get too riled up. I get preachy. There's a video I found that illustrates the argument we all made when we protested on that disgusting summer day in Gush Katif: the terrorists will take over Gush Katif and plan the death of Jews in the settlers' homes and synagogues.

The video would be comical (it looks like they're doing aerobics) if it weren't so dark and eerie.

According to Arutz7, this terrorist training took place on the grounds of the settlement of Atzmona -- the community that once housed Israel's largest plant and flower nursery.

When I see the potential killers all covered up, prancing about to the cryptic Arabic music, I think what a perfect caricature of evil. But it's not a caricature. It's real.

And we brought it upon ourselves.

We traded beauty and joy for this.

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August 5, 2008 | 5:16 pm

Extra Extra: How to get a SAG voucher

Posted by  Orit Arfa

So I was sitting in “holding” barely shaded by the hot sun in Long Beach where they were filming the TV show Dexter. I had woken up at 5 a.m. again, very tired, when some guy asks the AD (assistant director), “what’s the secret to getting SAG vouchers?” He’s been working for two years as an extra and got no SAG voucher. I wipe my red eyes and listen attentively.

The AD answers, “There are so many extras who think they deserve SAG vouchers when they’re not doing anything to become better actors. A lot of them are more interested in ‘craft services’ than their craft.”  (‘Craft services’ describes the refreshments available on set.)

For those who don’t know, SAG vouchers (Screen Actors Guild) are given out to background actors (artists, as some like to call it, which is actually more pejorative), usually if they get bumped to a special part or become friends with the crew. The SAG voucher is like a receipt for work done that day, and once a background actor collects three of the SAG vouchers, they are eligible to join SAG. The next challenge is to come up with the dues—just over $2K.

And the AD went on and on—looking at me quite a few times—don’t know why—saying how background “artists” have to take their work seriously.

“Find something interested to do with the role, make interesting choices, don’t think it’s degrading. You can make something of it. The people on set remember you.”

He personally doesn’t like the voucher system—belonging to SAG is an achievement based on ones commitment and talent. The guys around me complained how all the pretty girls get SAG vouchers more quickly than men. They flirt with the crew and work their magic. (Again, why was he looking at me?)

I have been too tired to flirt on set…but, maybe I should I take his words to heart and try to approach extra work with a better attitude. That means putting my camera away and not filming myself in “holding”. To be a professional—and, of course, drop in some Visine so I’m a little prettier. And flirt. And hopefully, make friends.

Any AD’s out there who want to be my friend?

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