Luke Ford

Fred emails: "Are you on this LAJE list? It is put out weekly by Reuven (formerly Rob) Kershberg, a member of Anshe Emes. I love the personal story below and the reminders of his dead grandmother’s frumkeit, as if the story would lose its meaning if he didn’t take steps to call attention to the fact that she was shomer shabbos. I think the moral of the story is: If not for her baal teshuva grandson, if all grandma had to show for her years on earth was a family of secular Jews, then why bother surviving the Holocaust?" Kershberg writes:

She and my grandfather were the sole survivors of their respective families. Both Shomer Shabbos frum Yidden. ….In many ways, I feel like my grandparents survived the Holocaust JUST for me. In their lifetimes they were able to witness a grandson .. once assimilated into the American culture .. like the rest of the family .. come back to Torah Judaism. Enjoying Shabbos as she and her husband did in Poland before the war. She was able to see her grandson marry a Bas Kohain from a religious family.. Have a child with her. Raise another Yid as Hashem would have wanted. Because of her guts and instinct, and ONLY because of her, I was able to live, and come back to our rich tradition.

Area Rabbi’s Dinner Out Sparks Rumors Of CEO Bid LOS ANGELES, CA ‚Äì Rumors are swirling among Orthodox insiders that the Weil family supper last night at Pats, site of the first Orthodox Union primary, was, in fact, an attempt by the family of nine to test the waters for a 2008 presidential run. The candidate ‚Äì interacting with locals, visiting key landmarks, and, according to political observers, using the outing to showcase his message of strong family values… Pundits said the family’s slow walk down leafy Pico Boulevard signaled a deep concern for environmental issues, while their decision to attend Sunday services at Bnai David Judea acted as a nod to the community’s important bloc of not-so-religious voters. The Weils also strolled the shopping districts of wealthy Beverly Hills, showing their ability to relate to a cross-section of Americans. "They looked very presidential," Rob Eshman said.

There’s More To Pico-Robertson Than Our Acclaimed Escorts Sure, our escorts have won every major award and their reputation is unrivaled in the Los Angeles Orthodox community, but there’s only so much time you can spend with a prostitute before your hunger comes knocking. When it does, sample some of Pico’s culinary offerings. Whether it’s a burger and Blizzard at the new Milk n Honey, or a steak sizzled to perfection at Pats, dining out kosher-style doesn’t have to break the bank. Just remember to bring your appetite, although that won’t be hard to do after getting your ashes hauled six ways to Sunday. And bring along your escort if you want. No one will make a peep.

O.U. Leader Being Pushed Out

The country’s largest Orthodox organization has begun searching for a new chief executive, despite the fact that the man currently filling the role has no desire to step down. "Obviously, a decision was made either not to renew my contract, or to reconsider my role at the organization," said the current executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb. "All I can really say is that I have a contract that expires in 2008, and I intend to serve to the best of my ability up until that point." …One likely candidate with an MBA is Rabbi Steven Weil, the young chief rabbi at the largest Orthodox synagogue in Los Angeles. The Jewish Press recently ran a brief item claiming that Weil already had been chosen for the O.U. position. Savitsky said that the report had "absolutely no merit."

In February of 2006, Rabbi Hagai Batzri remarried without giving his first wife a get (Jewish divorce). The dispute was resolved within a few months, but now Rabbi Batzri’s second marriage has ended. The rabbi has started a new synagogue in the San Fernando Valley with a Hebrew school.

Memorial Service For Rebbetizen Dolgin At YICC Jan. 9 At 7:30 p.m.From the latest edition of the Encyclopedia Judaica by Sheldon Teitelbaum (updating first edition work of Max Vorspan):

The most significant of centrist Orthodox synagogues, the Beth Jacob Congregation, was led by Rabbi Simon Dolgin who arrived in 1938 and relocated Beth Jacob from West Adams to Beverly Hills in the 1950s. He also established the Hillel School and had a distinguished career before moving to Israel in the early 1970s. He was one of the very few rabbis who moved to Israel, neither at the beginning nor at the end but at the prime of his American career, where he became director general of the Ministry of Religion and a rabbi in Ramat Eshkol.

From last week’s YICC bulletin: "A community-wide Shloshim memorial service in memory of Rebbetizen Shirley Dolgin, mother of our member Jess Dolgin… Please join us in paying tribute to the memory of a woman who helped shape the Orthodox community of Los Angeles… This service is the only community-wide tribute being held in Mrs. Dolgin’s memory." A source writes:

This is controversial since it should be held in Beth Jacob. Two years ago when Rabbi Dolgin died, Rabbi Weil without the Dolgin family’s permisssion decided to have a memorial while rabbi dolgin’s son Jessie was still sitting shiva in israel. Rebbetzin dolgin asked him to wait till Jessie returned so he could hear all the good things people would say about his father. Weil’s response was no. She asked him then if he was going to have to please allow Rabbi Muskin [of YICC] to say something since her husband became friends with Muskin. His second response was no. Hence the shloshim is at yicc. The Jewish Journal would not print this but the truth should be told.

Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy‘s Annual Banquet Jan. 3 A source writes: "Big dinner (tickets are built into tuition which ensures parents come), customarily a little unruly by virtue of the size of the event. Seems like the school is doing well in terms of fundraising and morale. Emcee was Hillel alumnus Chayim Frenkel, cantor of a reconstructionist temple in Pacific Palisades."

Blonde Ambition Star To Run Family-Friendly New Studio Capable Of Seizing Universal

If everything I’m told is true, I have the greatest rags to riches story in the history of Hollywood.

But let me start at the beginning.

I met Suzy Mandel, the former Benny Hill and Page Three girl, at a party in September. She was working as a production assistant..

I asked her for an interview. She said she would give me one but down the line.

On Dec. 14, Mandel aka Jacquelineann Elaine Jefcoate leaves me a message that includes this nugget: “I am going to give you a very private scoop. There’s a new international studio going up — Zent International Films. It is backed by international money.

“I am still helping Jennifer. We have a deal probably with HBO.

“I have been offered the position of president and CEO of this new studio. It will be on par with Paramount. Tom Cruise is now taking over Paramount. This studio has the capability of taking over Universal. It’s doing deals with some of the London studios and Arizona studios.

“This is not a bizarre phone call. I’ll have the corporation send you the paperwork.”

“I probably won’t say anything else about it until the papers are signed. We don’t want to get caught with our knickers down.”

“My cell phone is not working very good because I threw it across the room.”

Dec 22. Suzy leaves another message: “Our first movie will be a pretty big one. A 35mm. Then I will go down to a comedy. Most of the programming will be children’s type programming, documentary-style.”

Dec. 31. Suzy emails me financial documents with the header: “THIS IS THE PROOF.”

Suzy calls at noon. “The studio is owned by Zent & Associates, a very large conglomerate.”

There are three Google results for this conglomerate.

Luke: “Where are they based?”

Suzy: “All over the world.”

I Google “Zent International Pictures” and find no results.

I Google “Alfred Zent” and find eight results including these two:

According to Offshorebusiness.com:

Grenada passed its Offshore Banking Act in 1996 and licensed its first offshore bank, Grenada International Bank & Trust Corp., on April 15, 1997. GIB&TC, which was controlled by habitual U. S. conman Alfred Zent and a ‘nun’ known as ‘Sister’ Susan Walsh, actually collapsed in scandal before it even officially opened for business.

According to the Oct. 6, 1997 Forbes (by Brigid McMenamin):

Sister Susan’s banking career began in an association with Alfred Zent, 73, a former silverware salesman who now claims to be an international financier, operating in Mexico, the Caribbean and Arizona. Zent lives and works in a cheap tract house in Mesa, Ariz., using a post office drop as his business address.

Last year Zent wanted to start an offshore bank and picked the Caribbean island nation of Grenada, where he had pull with the prime minister. Still, even in Grenada you need credentials to open a bank, and what better credential than association with a charitable religious person?

…Zent once testified in criminal court that he’d served as a general in the Bay of Pigs. In fact, Zent did serve from 1942to 1965; but never rose above captain.

Luke: “What type of films are you going to make?”

Suzy: “We are aiming for the family market. Nothing fast-paced. No fast-cutting.”

“I’m aware of those articles [on Alfred Zent]. I have never had a problem with him.”

“I was married to Stanley Margolis (of Plastic Cinemas in England, the third largest chain of theaters in the world). We divorced sixteen years ago.”

Suzy says she caught pneumonia in October and almost died.

She’s waiting for knee surgery.

“You’ll really be amazed at who’s coming in on this.”

“I come from a different background than people realize. I was bought up on a private island (Isle of Sheppy). My uncle Dashwood built up much of the Isle of Wight. My brother (Peter Charles Carrol Jefcoate) pops around the world with the princes and won the Duke of Edinborough award for bravery when he was 14. My father’s (Derek Roland Jefcoate who was a restorer for the queen) quite a famous man. My grandfather Alfred Victor Jefcoate sold his clubs to Warner Brothers. My great grandfather was famous. My great great grandfather owned most of the breweries in London. My grandmother’s maiden name was Hughes. The Jefcoates were big plantation owners down south.”

“I speak French and Russian and some Hebrew, Italian, German, Greek and Latin. I have degrees in history, German, Geography, Design, Interior Design, and Nursing. My uncle went down on the Poseidon. My other uncle was a cover for the matahari.”

Suzy says President Clinton prevented her American boyfriend from marrying her.

12:54 p.m. I answer the phone.

“This is Dr. Alfred E. Zent.”

“Background for me, my brother in law (Eddie Peterson) was Sammy Davis Jr.’s business manager for 19 years.”

“I lost a fortune with the guy who started the Black Entertainment Group.”

“I have been in three movies including The Misfits and Arizona.”

There’s no result for “Alfred Zent” on imdb.com.

Luke: “So you’re a medical doctor?”

Alfred: “I’m a psychologist. I have three PhDs — in psychology, political geography, and asset management. I went to Arizona State College, Arizona State University and the University of Arizona and the University of Mexico.”

“I was in the military for 23 years. I’m a World War II vet. I was wounded, got a Purple Heart, and a POW. Korean vet. Wounded. Vietnam Vet, unwounded. I fought in the Congo in a quasi-CIA operation. And in Panama. I speak Spanish as well as English. I’m building 3,000 houses in Cancun, Mexico, courtesy of the government down there.”

“I taught school for 22 years and I’ve been in private investment for twenty odd years.”

“I’m a promoter. I work with people who are not too good sometimes. I work with people who bring me strange stories and find out they are not true.”

“I lost a leg two years ago. I lost my wife of 39 years two years ago. I lost my dog of 16 years two years ago. I lost my brother at 75. I’ve been lying back doing nothing for the past two years.”

“I have eight children and eleven grandchildren.”

“I knew Benny Hill and the president of Virgin Islands. He helped us raise money in Saudi Arabia.”

“I remember that bitch in Forbes magazine.”

Alfred says he spoke to Steve Forbes about that article.

Alfred says he knew Lee Iacocca.

Alfred: “How can they call me a con man? I’ve never been arrested for anything. I’ve never gone to jail. I retired from the military as a two star general.”

Luke: “What’s your approximate networth?”

Alfred: “My credit union (Union de Credito de Fomento Integral de Naucalpan) in Mexico is worth $2.5 billion.”

The credit union’s credo is “Profesionalisimo par la Excelencia.”

Alfred: “I just became the president this year. We’re on the dormant list right now because I just withdrew the capital.”