Shorts: The Arts

Emanu-El to host music ensemble

SheshBesh, the Arab-Jewish Ensemble of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, will perform at Congregation Emanu-El on Monday, June 27, in a performance introduced by actor Leonard Nimoy.

Founded in 1999, the Arab-Jewish Ensemble features four members of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and four Arab colleagues.

The concert begins 7:30 p.m. at Emanu-El, 2 Lake St., S.F. It concludes with a dessert reception. Tickets: $25 adults, $15 seniors and students. Information: Michael Curtis (415) 751-2541 ext. 170.




Australian wins piano competition

jerusalem (ap) | Australian virtuoso Alexander Gavrylyuk took first place in the recent finals of the prestigious Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition, named for one of the 20th century's greatest pianists.

The Jewish maestro from Poland died in 1983 at the age of 95 but is still revered by music-lovers, especially for his interpretations of Chopin.

Trailing Ukrainian-born Gavrylyuk, who is Jewish, were Germany's Igor Levit, followed by Korean Yeol Eum Son.

The Rubinstein competition, held once every three years, carries a first prize of $25,000 and a gold medal. Second place earns a silver medal and $15,000 while the third-placed winner takes home a bronze medal and $10,000.




Polish textbook teaches Jewish history

warsaw, poland (ap) | The Education Ministry and Jewish groups recently presented a new book that aims to teach Polish children about their country's once-flourishing Jewish community.

The book, which is to be handed out free to children, describes how Poland's Jewish community was nearly wiped out in the Holocaust, said Feliks Tych of the Jewish Historical Institute, one of the authors of "Memory — The History of Polish Jews."

"This book was published to tell the history of 3.5 million Polish Jews to the second and third generation of Poles who live in a world without them," he said.

The book describes the thriving life of Poland's pre-World War II Jewish community and the efforts of its tiny remaining population to reconstruct Jewish life under communism. The community began to reassert itself only after the return of democracy in 1989.

The 212-page book features multiple photos and maps. Its cover shows three photos of Jewish children: one from prewar Poland, one from a war-era Jewish ghetto and one from Poland's modern Jewish community.




Anne Bancroft, wife of Mel Brooks, dies at 73

new york (ap) | Anne Bancroft, who achieved greatest fame as the seductive Mrs. Robinson in "The Graduate," has died. She was 73.

She died of cancer on Monday, June 6, at Mount Sinai Hospital, John Barlow, a spokesman for her husband, Mel Brooks, said this week.

Bancroft won the 1962 Best Actress Oscar as the teacher of a young Helen Keller in "The Miracle Worker." She starred as Golda Meir onstage in "Golda," and appeared in several of her husband's films: "Silent Movie," a remake of "To Be or Not to Be" and "Dracula: Dead and Loving It."

She also was the one who suggested that he make a stage musical of his movie "The Producers." She explained that when he was afraid of writing a full-blown musical, including the music, "I sent him to an analyst."

When Bancroft watched Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick rehearse "The Producers," she realized how much she had missed the theater. In 2002 she returned to Broadway for the first time since 1981, appearing in Edward Albee's "Occupant."