JTA: The Global News Service of the Jewish People

‘Papa Jack’ Weil, who made the cowboy look classic, dies

By Jacob Berkman · September 9, 2008

The Economist has a nice obit on Jack Weil, the Denver cowboy who created a clothing line that brought Western couture to mainstream America. Weil, known as “Papa Jack,” died earlier this month at 107.

From the Economist:

His shirts, sold after 1946 through his company, Rockmount Ranch Wear, became extremely famous. The Premium Blue Flannel Plaid was worn by Ronald Reagan, and the Pink Gabardine by Bob Dylan. Eric Clapton liked the diamond-snap number; Robert Redford in “The Horse Whisperer” wore a rayon plaid. Mr Weil’s company clad Elvis Presley, John Travolta and almost everyone, gay or straight, in “Brokeback Mountain”. It also made the shirts, in red, white and blue, for the Colorado House delegation at this year’s Democratic convention. Mr Weil very narrowly missed seeing them, but that would not have troubled him. He thought that “any young man worth his salt” ought to be a Democrat; but that once he had a bit of money, the only way to keep hold of it was to turn Republican.

In his long, long life, Mr Weil accumulated plenty of simple business sense. He knew J.C. Penney, and thought him smart. Levi-Strauss was a nice fellow, but got too big for his britches; Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart, was a “hillbilly son of a bitch”.

The Intermountain Jewish News elucidates Weil’s Jewish side:

“He taught us integrity and responsibility, the strength to deal with life’s challenges, the beauty of carefully chosen words in difficult situations, and the power of storytelling and example in conveying values,” they said. “His sage wisdom made us the better for it.”

Mr. Weil, who was honored by many industry associations,. was active in the Denver Jewish community, holding membership in B’nai Brith and helping sponsor several immigrants during WW II.

Jack and Bea joined Temple Emanuel in 1928, where he later served as a board member.

He was a founder and served as president of Temple Micah, and was a longtime supporter of Rose Hospital, National Jewish Hospital, JCRS and others.

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Was today Jewish organizational picnic day?

By Jacob Berkman · August 20, 2008

I am looking for confirmation on this, but it sounds like Wednesday was picnic day for major Jewish organizations in New York.

I tried to get in touch with the executive vice president and CEO of the UJA Federation of Greater New York and was told that he was at an organizational retreat (which I hear was upstate). I have it on good source that the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee was holding its company picnic in Central Park today – though I was able to get its EVP, Steven Schwager, on the phone.

And, when I spoke this morning with the New York spokesman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, Jacob Dallal, he told me that he was on a day off. No word on whether Dallal was picnicing.

The Fundermentalist is officially jealous.

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Some sexy swag at Heeb’s latest party

By Jacob Berkman · August 1, 2008

The goody bag that Heeb gave out at the New York launch party for its summer issue. Contents include Michael Chabon’s “The Yiddish Policeman’s Union,” an issue of the Heeb swimsuit edition, a screening copy of Jakie Mason’s latest video, Bacon Salt, a “Loser” headband, breath mints, a couple of buttons, body wipes and a vibrator.

Heeb Magazine, which printed its first issue in 2002 with a boost from the Joshua Venture, which was in part funded by Steven Spielberg’s Righteous Person’s Foundation, has certainly carved out a niche for itself as the magazine for the young, unaffiliated and disaffected Jewish set.

The quarterly magazine has also become a noted presence in American pop culture, able to draw big-name Jewish celebrities onto its covers and into its pages in every issue – often in risque portraiture.

The best examples: Issue # 9: The Sex Issue, featuring Sarah Silverman wearing nothing but a white sheet with a hole cut into it, and Issue # 14: The Chosen Issue, featuring Jonah Hill holding a bagel and personal lubricant.

Heeb may or may not be where you want to spend your charitable dollars, but it has been able to effectively reach a set of Jews few other Jewish projects have, on a budget a fraction the size of many outreach projects.

The latest issue of Heeb might be its raciest yet: The Jewish Swimsuit Issue, featuring Israeli-supermodel-and-Leo-DiCaprio-ex Bar Refaeli on its cover in a bikini… ummmm… scandalously surrounded by lobsters.

(For an inside look at the making of the issue, check out the LA Jewish Journal’s God Blog)

For those still in the old-school fund raising world, this is how the other half lives.

Heeb held its New York launch party for the issue Thursday night at Bowery Electric on the Lower East Side, prime Heeb territory.

The gift bag of swag that Heeb gave out at the party included: A paperback copy of Michael Chabon’s “The Yiddish Policemen’s Union;” an advance copy of Jackie Mason’s forthcoming video “The Ultimate Jew;” packets of Bacon Salt – a kosher product that promises to make anything taste like bacon; a headband that says “Loser” on it; a package of multi-grain tortilla chips; breath mints from ModernTribe.com; body wipes, for when you need to shower but don’t have a shower; a couple of buttons; and a vibrator from the upscale adult toy store Babeland. Yes. A vibrator. (I’m going to venture to say that the UJC never gave out such a bag.)

A Fundermentalist shout out to whomever comes up with the proper order in which to use all of the items in that bag.

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Yiddishists court Ross

By Jacob Berkman · July 31, 2008

During the short period that the Fundermentalist has been around, I have on occasion received email from readers who wish to get in touch with potential funders about whom I have written.

But I had yet seen a response like the one I got after writing about Mickey Ross, the former writer and producer on All in the Family, The Jeffersons and Three’s Company, who is apparently giving away most of his fortune to programs that promote Yiddish. So far, the 89-year-old Ross, who has no heirs, has given away some $14 million to UCLA and the City College of New York to build up their Jewish Studies programs.

Half a dozen people associated with Yiddish programs have contacted me asking for a way to get in touch with Ross so they could pitch their organizations to him. (Unfortunately for them, when I called my contact for Ross, he told me that Ross is not interested in solicitations at this time.)

Thursday, I finally asked one of them why it is that Ross has generated so much interest.

While there has been a Yiddish revival of late, and a groundswell of interest in keeping the language alive, it seems that finding funders is somewhat difficult, Adrienne Cooper, the executive officer for external affairs for the Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring, told me. Even within Jewish philanthropy, Yiddish is simply a niche market.

“There isn’t a clear sense of who is out there,” Cooper said. Funders of Yiddish tend to fund very close to home, she said. They tend to associate with programs that they know intimately or that they helped start. And getting the word out to other potential donors is sometimes hard.

“They don’t always know what we do because [they often fund programs with which they have] a familial connection,” Cooper said. “And they often reach out to organizations in their own communities, or they are flying under the radar.”

The Workmen’s Circle has a budget of about $2.3 million, said Cooper, who has also worked for the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, another Yiddish-centric organization.

And often, when funders find her, it is a total surprise and not necessarily the result of long-term donor cultivation.

She may have also shed light on another Ross-related tidbit.

The Folksbiene National Yiddish Theater recently honored Rob Reiner for his efforts in preserving Yiddish. Reiner, of course, became famous for his role as Meathead on All in the Family.

I wonder what kind of schpeel the Folksbiene used to court Meathead?

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Food fodder

By Jacob Berkman · July 16, 2008

A guy who works for a non-profit that we cover wants to get lunch today, on him – which presumably means on the non-profit’s dime.

He suggested the Prime Grill, a fairly posh kosher steakhouse in Manhattan. It’s not a bad joint for a date, but for lunch appetizers run between $17 and $25 a pop, and entrees range between $26 and $59.

As much as I was tempted – as the Fundermentalist budget doesn’t allow for many $75 lunches – I wasn’t sure about spending that much on dining, especially when there is a burgeoning food crisis in this country. I raised the issue about the price, and he suggested Wolf and Lamb, another nice, but relatively more moderate kosher steakhouse (appetizers $6-$13, entrees $13-$30), still on him. I agreed.

Did I make the right call? Does your non-profit have a policy about expenditures for work-related meals?

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I wish I were a dog

By Jacob Berkman · July 2, 2008

The Leona Helmsley story just won’t end, despite that the notoriously cantankerous real estate mogul died last summer.

First, it was reported that Helmsley left millions to her pooch, Trouble. Now it seems that “The Queen of Mean” may have left billions to the greater dog community.

According to a NY Times story, Helmsley indicated in the precursor to her will that the bulk of her estate, estimated at between $5 billion and $8 billion, be left to the care and welfare of dogs.

Good news for dogs in need. Ruff news for people.

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Help the Fundermentalist find…

By Jacob Berkman · June 22, 2008

… some info on a few topics. In all cases, please reach me at my new, official e-mail: .

• After my recent articles (here and here) on Sderot and blog posts that I wrote about Sderot. This week and last, I’ve received a number of e-mails from irate PR folks asking how I dare not include their organizations’ projects in the stories. I’ve tried to reassure them that these writings were fairly focused on what the federation system was doing and on a broad overview of the situation – and that there would be other opportunities to write about everyone else at some point. Well, that some point is now. We’re trying to get together a list of the organizations doing work in Sderot. So, if you are an org doing work or if you know of an org doing work in Sderot and the surrounding areas, shoot me an e-mail.
• On other fronts, I am looking to speak with organizations and .org workers about layoffs in the non-profit world. So… if your organization has had layoffs, or is going to have layoffs – or if you as an employee have either been affected by a layoff or are afraid that you will be – let me know. Your confidence and anonymity are assured.
• Also, we are looking for more information about who is helping out with the flood situation in the Midwest. So if your organization is helping out, if you know one that is, or if you have been affected by flooding, let me know.
• Lastly, if you are not helping out in Sderot, the Midwest or with non-profit layoffs, but you are just a yenta and like to dish dirt and have something interesting to tell me.

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Man bilks dog: Helsmley’s pooch loses $10 million of its inheritance

By Jacob Berkman · June 17, 2008

Just in case you somehow missed this one: The New York Post reports that Leona Helmsley’s dog, Trouble, lost $10 million of the $12 million bequeathed to it by the late real-estate mogul left when she died last August.

In a deal with Helsmley’s estate that also saw the two grandchildren she cut out of her will awarded multimillion-dollar inheritances, $10 million of Trouble’s trust fund was awarded to Helmsley’s multibillion-dollar charitable foundation.

According to the Post, Trouble will probably still get by on the smaller allowance:

“Two million dollars . . . would be enough money to pay for Trouble’s maintenance and welfare at the highest standards of care for more than 10 years, which is more that twice her reasonably anticipated life expectancy,” he said.

Lekic put her annual expenses at $190,000, which includes his $60,000 guardian fee, $100,000 for ‘round-the-clock security, $8,000 for grooming, $3,000 for miscellaneous expenses, $1,200 for food and anywhere from $2,500 to $18,000 for medical care.

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