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Friend: TV writer Ross intends to leave almost everything to Jewish charities

By Jacob Berkman · July 18, 2008

I have been trying to get in touch with Mickey Ross, the producer and writer on such iconic television shows as "All in the Family," "The Jeffersons" and "Three's Company," who over the past several months has given away some $14 million to UCLA and the City College of New York to build up their Jewish Studies programs.

Unfortunately, I found out Thursday that the 89-year-old Ross would not be able to speak. I spoke with a confidant and legal adviser of the writer-turned-philanthropist who said that Ross is not doing very well and has had several strokes in the recent past.

But, said Ross' friend, who did not want to be identified, more gifts might be on the way. Ross has no heirs, his wife Irene passed away several years ago, and, his friend said, Ross intends to "leave more than 90 percent of his assets to Jewish charities." He said that much of the remaining gifts could go to Yiddish projects. The previous two gifts both involved Yiddish components. Part of the $10 million gift to City College included endowing a Yiddish chair, and the $4 million to UCLA was specifically to endow a Yiddish chair.

Ross, who was born Isidore Rovinsky, grew up in a Yiddish-speaking home he has said was permeated by "the essence of Yiddishkeit."

According to his friend, Ross is still lucent, and is still making his own decisions.

Ross was never particularly religious, but "he loves to speak Yiddish," said the friend.

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Digesting the Jewish news: Trans-gendered job program in SF, a new non-profit hub in Detroit, and Go

By Jacob Berkman · July 18, 2008

I read 'em. Now you read 'em. The best of the Jewish newspapers:

• The Jewish Vocational Service in San Francisco is working with three other local non-profits on a job placement and training program for trans-gendered people, reports J. The Jewish Weekly of San Fransisco.
• A synagogue in Detroit spearheaded a project to buy a 32,000-square-foot space and turn it into a multi-tenant center for non-profits that will allow them to share space and save money on overhead, reports the Detroit Jewish News. (I wouldn't have put this so high up if I didn't think it was an interesting model. Check it out.)
• The New York Jewish Week takes a deeper look at the shenanigans at Ehud Olmert's New Jerusalem Fund.
• The federation in Seattle is still recovering from the shooting there in July 2006, in which one woman was killed and five injured, reports the Forward.
• The LA Jewish Journal takes an in depth look at Birthright NEXT, Michael Steinhardt's attempt to keep young Jews engaged when they return from Birthright.
• The Sixth & I Historic Synagogue is sparking a Jewish revival in Washington, D.C.'s Chinatown, says the Baltimore Jewish Times.
• Outside the city, a new Jewish environmentalism program takes root, reports the Washington Jewish Week.
• After first being denied, the Chabad rabbi at Princeton has finally been granted chaplain status says the New Jersey Jewish News.
• The Fundermentalist spent a few days in Sderot, but England's PM Gordon Brown, who will be in Israel next week, apparently wimped out on scheduling a visit to the rocket-addled region on Israel's border with Gaza. The London Jewish Chronicle calls him out.

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