New Jersey Jewish News
Monmouth County Feature
Author brings “Star” power to women’s donor luncheon
Two years ago, as author Abigail Pogrebin prepared to interview 62 men and women about their celebrity status and Jewish heritage for an upcoming book project, she composed a list of questions for her story subjects.
“There was one question that kept presenting itself again and again,” Pogrebin recalled. “I wanted to know exactly how Jewish they considered themselves to be within the context of today’s society. But then another question emerged that only I could answer: Exactly how Jewish was I?”
Pogrebin, a freelance journalist and author of the 2005 book Stars of David: Prominent Jews Talk About Being Jewish, was the featured guest at the March 28th donor luncheon of Women’s Philanthropy of the Jewish Federation of Greater Monmouth County.
The luncheon acknowledged the generousity of donors to the 2006 annual federation campaign, according to event chair Nancy Roberts of Ocean Township.
“We’re grateful for the financial contributions, as well as the many talents and skills, of our donors,” Roberts said. “The women’s campaign shows the power of women in the Jewish community, and we will continue to remember to help our friends around the corner and around the world.”
To date, the women’s campaign has raised $450,454 from 1,103 donors, which represents a 10.4 percent increase from the same donors last year, according to Toby Shylit Mack of Marlboro, Women’s Philanthropy president. Overall, the federation’s 2006 annual campaign has raised $1,181,079 from 2,480 donors, an increase of 8.1 percent from the same donors last year, she added.
Pogrebin, who has traveled far and wide to promote her book, also paid tribute to the generous spirit of the campaign donors, 40 of whom attended the luncheon at the Elberon home of Alan and Sonny Winters.
“It’s inspiring to be here,” said Pogrebin, who lives in New York City with her husband and two children. “I’ve seen so many of you in such large numbers as I’ve traveled all over the country. I really think you’re doing God’s work.”
It was Pogrebin’s work as a freelance journalist and television producer that inspired her to explore the role that Jewish identity plays in the lives of American Jews who have achieved celebrity status. Her initial contact list of interview subjects consisted of people she met during her career; others were family friends, such as Gloria Steinem, who cofounded Ms. Magazine with Pogrebin’s mother, Letty Cottin Pogrebin.
Eventually, the list of interviewees included those in the business, fashion, entertainment, sports, and literary fields. Most of the individuals she contacted candidly answered Pogrebin’s questions about their celebrity status and Jewish identity.
“I wanted to know how being Jewish merged with being a public figure,” said Pogrebin in an interview with NJ Jewish News. “Did they experience feelings of guilt, pressure, alienation, or conflict? Has their religion helped to shape their lives and careers? The answer was usually a resounding ‘yes!’”
For instance, actress Natalie Portman, who was born in Israel but grew up on Long Island, told Pogrebin she is uncomfortable with the “crass materialism” exhibited by many of her peers. Sarah Jessica Parker, whose career skyrocketed as a result of her role in Sex and the City, said casting directors regarded her as “too Jewish” earlier in her career. And director Steven Spielberg and actor Leonard Nimoy vividly remember anti-Semitic experiences they encountered in their younger days.
“Spielberg told me about the daily hazing he received from other kids at his school,” Pogrebin said. “Despite pressure from school officials, he said he never revealed their names — and that he never will.”
And one of Nimoy’s most avid memories concerns a personal childhood incident, rather than a career achievement. After purchasing a toy at a store near his childhood home, Nimoy excitedly removed it from its box, only to find that anti-Semitic literature had been slipped into the package by the store’s proprietor.
But many found humor in the ethnic differences between themselves and their gentile friends and neighbors, particularly during the Christmas and Hanukka season. Ruth Reichl, who later attained fame as a food critic, said her family made a point of eating matza brie every Christmas morning, while actor Dustin Hoffman countered “Christmas envy” by erecting a “bagel tree” every year, Pogrebin said.
As she continued to gather information, Pogrebin said, she began to connect with her subjects on different, and unexpected, levels.
“They all had unapologetic pride in being Jewish — it was embedded in their souls,” she said. “But many had let go of some of the traditions and rituals. In earlier times, becoming assimilated and successful according to American standards and on American terms often meant de-emphasizing Jewish heritage and playing down the concept of diversity. It was a source of conflict for many, because they still did not want to deny their heritage.”
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dealt with conflict from another source: The sexist attitudes inherent in some aspects of the Jewish tradition had alienated her for many years, she told Pogrebin.
“Finding some sort of balance and resolution of this issue has been part of her life’s journey,” the author said.
Pogrebin’s own journey was influenced by the highly personal responses of those she interviewed, and she began probing into her Jewish identity and enrolled in a course of Torah study from an adult perspective. Last year, at age 40, she became a bat mitzva.
“The whole process, beginning with the idea for the book, has been very challenging and thought-provoking,” she said. “The stories and revelations sent me on an unexpected and resonant journey.”
She often fields comments from readers who question whether those profiled in the book are acceptable role models for other Jews.
“I can appreciate the question, since many of them admittedly are not overly religious,” Pogrebin said. “But the fact that they do have pride in being Jewish and were so willing to engage should make us proud.”
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