DAVID by Max Friedland

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2016 JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL PROGRAM INSIDE

NEVER SAY DIET

Riveted Ready

Levi Strauss Found Gold in a Miners Denim Pants

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ADULT LEARNING PUNCHING BACK EATING THE HOLY LAND

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OP EN NO W

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JANUARY

38 54

pulse

live

think

grill

explore The month’s event listings to help plan your day or your stay

devour Where to find some of the best eats, drinks and foodie happenings in the Valley

30 speak Why we stuff our face instead of facing our stuff. The art of letting go — of calories.

44 Semicolon; The Adventures of Ostomy Girl A movie about Dana MarshallBernstein’s struggle with Crohn’s disease.

58 Garry Goett CEO of Olympia Cos., The month’s spotlight on someone to know.

24 discover Places to go, cool things to do, hip people to see in the most exciting city in the World

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2016 JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL PROGRAM INSIDE

J A N U A R Y 2 016

38 taste A filmmaker and a chef travel to the land of milk and honey.

48 Riveted & Ready Levi Strauss found gold in a miner’s pants and unexpectedly created an enduring fashion trend.

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22 desire Sin City abounds in world-class shopping ... these are a few of our favorite things

34 sense Local programs available for adult continuing education. It is never too late to sign up for class.

54 Punching Back Sparring with Parkinson’s disease to take back control.

NEVER SAY DIET ADULT LEARNING

Riveted Ready

PUNCHING BACK EATING THE HOLY LAND

Levi Strauss Found Gold in a Miners Denim Pants

J A N U A R Y 2 016

on the cover

www.davidlv.com

If only the miners knew who would be wearing their pants.

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Copyright 2016 by JewishINK LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. DAVID MAGAZINE is protected as a trademark in the United States. Subscribers: If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we are under no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year. The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited or contributed manuscripts, photographs, artwork or advertisements. Submissions will not be returned unless arranged for in writing. DAVID MAGAZINE is a monthly publication. All information regarding editorial content or property for sale is deemed reliable. No representation is made as to the accuracy hereof and is printed subject to errors and omissions.

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4 JANUARY 2016 | www.davidlv.com

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SNJH

THE STORY OF A PEOPLE AND A CITY The Jewish community has played an integral role in building Las Vegas. Entrepreneurs, risk-takers, pioneers, professionals, community leaders—the lives of Southern Nevada’s Jewish people reﬂect our region’s dynamic history. The Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project preserves and shares hundreds of historical items and stories about these contributions.

Help us enrich future generations with your story. SHARE YOUR LIFE STORY

DONATE YOUR ARCHIVE

EXPLORE THE COLLECTION

with our Oral History Research Center so future generations can hear and read your story in your own words.

of personal or organizational records. Original documents, photographs, newsletters, and more about life in Southern Nevada are of interest.

of digitized content online at http://digital.library.unlv.edu/ jewishheritage. We value your feedback on our work in progress.

Contact the project coordinator, Barbara Tabach, at 702-895-2222 or barbara.tabach@unlv.edu. Images from UNLV University Libraries’ Special Collections, from left: Edythe and Lloyd Katz and their families on their wedding day (1948). Men with Torah scrolls and shofar (undated). Irwin Molasky, Merv Adelson, Tommy McDonald, Howard Capps, and Bluebell dancers Valda Boyne and Gaby Whitaker with time capsule at Stardust Hotel Golf Course (1961). Hank Greenspun, Barbara Greenspun, Barbara Sinatra, and Frank Sinatra (undated). Mark Fine and others at a groundbreaking ceremony (undated).

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Publisher/Editor Associate Publisher

Max Friedland

max@davidlv.com editor@davidlv.com

Joanne Friedland joanne@davidlv.com

EDITORIALllllllll

Calendar Editor

Brianna Soloski

brianna@davidlv.com

Copy Editor Pulse Editor Production Assistant

Pat Teague

Contributing Writers

Marisa Finetti

Marisa Finetti ZoĂŤ Friedland

Ruth Furman Jaq Greenspon E.C Gladstone Corey Levitan Lynn Wexler

ART & PHOTOGRAPHY

Art Director/ Photographer

Steven Wilson

steve@davidlv.com

ADVERTISING & MARKETING

Advertising Director

Joanne Friedland joanne@davidlv.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS 702-254-2223 | subscribe@davidlv.com

Volume 06 Number 9 www.davidlv.com DAVID Magazine is published 12 times a year.

To advertise in DAVID Magazine, call 702-254-2223 or email ads@davidlv.com To subscribe to DAVID Magazine, call 702.254-2223 or email subscibe@davidlv.com

DAVID Magazine sets high standards to ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable manner. This copy of DAVID Magazine was printed by American Web in Denver, Colo., on paper from well-managed forests which meet EPA guidelines that recommend use of recovered fibers for coated papers. Inks used contain a blend of soy base. Our printer meets or exceeds all federal Resource Conservation Recovery Act standards and is a certified member of both the Forest Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. When you are done with this issue, please pass it on to a friend or recycle it.

6 JANUARY 2016 | www.davidlv.com

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contributors

Marisa Finetti is a local writer, marketing professional and blogger. The Tokyoborn Finetti has called Las Vegas home since 2005. She has written for such publications as Spirit and Las Vegas and Nevada magazines and has a healthy-living blog at bestbewell. com. When she’s not writing, Finetti enjoys family time with her husband and two boys.

Ruth Furman has a day job running ImageWords Communications, but the career journalist moonlights as a freelance writer from time to time and jumped in the ring to curate content for DAVID’s boxing feature. Furman’s father is recovering from a stroke and she shadows him on his physical therapy and occupational therapy when visiting her native Indiana. “Dad finds boxing-type moves to be a fun change of pace from his daily exercises. The exercises seem to help with his upper body strength and mobility. It’s a nice change of pace, so when I had the chance to learn more about the new options , I was thrilled,” she says.

Jaq Greenspon is a journalist, screenwriter and author with credits on The New Adventures of Robin Hood and Star Trek: The Next Generation. He also is a literary and movie critic, has taught and written about fi lmmaking but is most proud of his role in the fi lm, Lotto Love. A Vegas resident for most of his life, he now resides in Eastern Europe.

E.C. Gladstone is a Las Vegas-based writer/photographer and social media consultant. Covering the ever-growing worlds of travel, food, wine & spirits, he has contributed recently to BonAppetit.com, About.com, Thrillist, Everyday With Rachael Ray and multiple local Vegas outlets. Previously, he helped launched JLiving magazine and has held editorial positions with many websites and magazines including AOL.com, US Weekly, and Alternative Press. His ideal day involves a busy kitchen, soul music, laughter and cask spirits. Currently he is compiling a book of his rock journalism from the ‘90s. Find more of his writing on food and beverages at nowimhungry.com and sipsavorswallow. com.

Corey Levitan is a regular contributor to Men’s Health magazine. He wrote the most popular newspaper humor column in Las Vegas history, “Fear and Loafing,” which ran 176 times in the ReviewJournal from 2006-2011. At home, however, he is referred to as “Mr. Poopyhead” by his four-year-old daughter, and something much less printable by his wife. Follow his latest adventures here and at coreylevitan.com.

Lynn Wexler has been a feature writer and contributor for magazines and newspapers, locally and nationally, for over 20 years. She writes a monthly online column entitled Manners in the News, which comments on the behavior of politicians, celebrities and others thrust in the public arena. She is the Founder and President of Perfectly Poised, a school of manners that teaches social, personal and business etiquette to young people. She is a former TV Reporter and News Anchor. Of her many accomplishments, she is most proud of her three outstanding teenaged children.

8 JANUARY 2016 | www.davidlv.com

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Join us for the 21st Annual

Susan G. Komen Southern Nevada Race for the Cure®

Get Involved

We Live Here. We Race Here. We Save Lives Here.

SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2016 | FREMONT STREET EXPERIENCE Registration now open! Visit komensouthernnevada.org • 702.822.2324

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from the publisher How do you get 350 Jews into a room without them all trying to speak at the same time? Fire up the projectors at the 2016 Las Vegas Jewish Film Festival. Joshua Abbey, who subjects himself to a marathon of two movies a day for a year, produces this Jewish cultural arts extravaganza. His selection process, bleary eyes or not, has delivered quality content for the past fifteen years. This month’s DAVID focuses on two of the ten movies in the festival schedule. This should not be taken as a reflection of the quality of the remaining eight but our humble attempt to give our coverage some local and Israeli flavor. The “flavor” we seek in the first movie dissected is that of the gastronomy (beyond falafel and pita) of Israel. Initially food writer Eric Gladstone was less than enthusiastic about this month’s assignment. He’d long since given up writing movie critiques and hoped for some other food- and beverage-related project. But, in Finding the Land of Milk and Honey, pages 38-41, he describes how he changed his tune just a few minutes into the movie. James Beard-awarded chef Michael Solomonov travels to Israel with documentary filmmaker Roger Sherman to search out the authentic roots and influences of contemporary Middle Eastern cuisine. Albeit aroma-denied, festival attendees can go along for the adventure. Our recommendation is to eat after the show; there are a few fine Middle Eastern establishments in town to choose from. Robin Greenspun’s poignant Semicolon; The Adventures of Ostomy Girl shines a light on a well-known Las Vegas family and its private struggles with a loved one’s chronic illness. Lynn Wexler interviews Greenspun and Carrie Marshall, mother of Dana MarshallBernstein, who has Crohn’s disease. At press time, Dana is recovering from the surgery she contemplated in the movie. I smell a sequel. Keep your eyes peeled for next year’s festival for details. In 1984, it was announced that former heavyweight champion of the world, Muhammad Ali suffers from Parkinson’s disease, possibly because of brain injuries he sustained during his remarkable 22-year boxing career. Not many Parkinson’s patients have gone 12 rounds, or even put on gloves. Ironically, 30 years later, some are lacing up their Boons to punch back at the disease. Ruth Furman explores this phenomenon in Punching Back, pages 54-57. In the 1954 Elia Kazan movie On the Waterfront, Marlon Brando’s character Terry Malloy says mournfully “I coulda been a contender.” Today, in gyms and medical facilities around the country, Parkinsonian pugilists are courageously addressing that lamentation. The Las Vegas public relations community pitches me story ideas all the time, and for this I am most grateful. Seldom have I been pitched with as much passion. Lauren Eisenberg and Ayelet Blit, were about to launch their ongoing adult education initiative Jewish University and Nancy Weinberger wanted the world to know. Being a sucker for a smile, I caved. In Tickling the Old Grey Cells, pages 34-37, Jaq Greenspon talks to them as well as program coordinators of similar learning groups at UNLV. We all need to thank them for their valiant efforts to keep us mentally relevant. See you at the movies and, oh yes, in the racks too.

Max Friedland max@davidlv.com

10 JANUARY 2016 | www.davidlv.com

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ALL YOU NEED IS LIGHT

JANUARY 9-24, 2016 PRODUCED BY:

MAJOR SUPPORT FROM:

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SON OF SAUL

Hungary 2015 | Hungarian, Yiddish, German with English Subtitles | 107 minutes | Mature Themes

Saturday January 9 | 7:00 PM Brenden Theatres Palms Casino Resort

Moderated by: Director László Nemes (pending) with Survivor and Author Stephen “Pista” Nasser Grand Prix winner at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and Hungary’s official selection for the 2015 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. During World War II, a Jewish worker at the Auschwitz concentration camp tries to find a rabbi to give a child a proper burial. Not recommended for the sensitive or the young.

THE FRISCO KID USA 1979 | 119 minutes

Sunday January 10 | 1:00 PM Adelson Educational Campus

Dedicated to Blanche and Philip Meisel (free admission, first come first served) Moderated by: LVJFF Director Joshua Abbey Jewish Western comedy featuring Gene Wilder as Avram Belinski, a Polish rabbi who is traveling to San Francisco, and Harrison Ford as a bank robber who befriends and reluctantly guides him through the perils of the Wild West.

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CARVALHO’S JOURNEY USA 2015 | 85 minutes

Sunday January 10 | 3:30 PM Adelson Educational Campus

Film Provided by The National Center for Jewish Film www.jewishfilm.org Co-presented by JCCSN Jewish University Moderated by: Director Steve Rivo with Director of the Nevada State Museum Dennis McBride Daguerreotypist and artist Solomon Nunes Carvalho’s extraordinary journey across the United States in 1853 as a member of explorer John C. Fremont’s westward expedition.

APPLES FROM THE DESERT

Israel 2014 | Hebrew with English Subtitles | 96 minutes

Saturday January 16 | 7:00 PM Adelson Educational Campus

Moderated by: IAC Las Vegas Director, Community Events & Programs Hadas Newman, with IAC Las Vegas Board Member Dr. Danny Eisenberg, and LVJFF Director Joshua Abbey Adapted from Savyon Liebrecht’s poignant short story about Rebecca Abravanel, the only child of an Orthodox Jewish family living in Jerusalem who defiantly initiates her spiritual coming of age journey.

SEMICOLON; THE ADVENTURES OF OSTOMY GIRL USA 2015 | 83 minutes

Sunday January 17 | 1:00 PM

Adelson Educational Campus

Moderated by: Director Robin Greenspun with Executive Producer Cari Marshall Dana Marshall-Bernstein, the daughter of Cari Marshall and Ed Bernstein, is a feisty, funny, and charming 25-year-old living with the challenge of Crohn’s Disease. This life affirming Las Vegas based documentary is a testament to the power of love and family in coping with life’s adversities.

IN SEARCH OF ISRAELI CUISINE Israel 2014 | Hebrew and English with English Subtitles | 96 minutes

Sunday January 17 | 3:30 PM Adelson Educational Campus

Moderated by: Food Critic and Author of EATING LAS VEGAS John Curtas with Chef Michael Solomonov (via Skype) (pending) and Director Roger Sherman (via Skype) Michael Solomonov, a James Beard Award winning chef, takes us on a luscious culinary odyssey through Israel’s surprising diversity of ethnic and contemporary cuisine.

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W ELCOME TO THE 15 TH ANNUAL L AS VEGAS JEWISH F I LM FESTIVAL.

DOUGH

ROSENWALD

Thursday January 21 | 7:00 PM

Sunday January 24 | 1:00 PM

England 2015 | 94 minutes

Cinemark South Point Hotel and Casino

Moderated by: Menemsha Films Founder and President Neil Friedman An elderly Jewish baker struggles to keep his familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s multigenerational business afloat until a newly hired young Muslim apprentice surreptitiously intervenes and sends sales sky high. DOUGH is the most popular film at Jewish Film Festivals this past year!

USA 2015 | 100 minutes

Adelson Educational Campus

Film Provided by The National Center for Jewish Film www.jewishfilm.org Moderated by: Director Aviva Kempner w it h A EC Hea d of S ch ool Ra bbi Joyce Raynor, Ph.D (pending) and AEC Head of Upper School Leslie Smith Rosen Chicago philanthropist Julius Rosenwald, the son of an immigrant peddler, rose to head Sears and then partnered with Booker T. Washington to build 5,400 Southern schools in African American communities in the early 1900s during the Jim Crow era.

The 2016 LVJFF is produced by the Desert Space Foundation and the Adelson Educational Campus with major support provided by Adelson Family Foundation, Jewish Federation of Las Vegas, Jewish Community Center of Southern Nevada, Israeli American Council, and generous contributions from numerous individual donors, businesses and organizations in our community. The 2016 LVJFF is dedicated in tribute to Blanche and Philip Meisel for their enduring encouragement and support. Jos hua A b b ey, Di re c t o r, LVJ F F

TI CKE TS:

PEGGY GUGGENHEIM: ART ADDICT USA 2015 | 96 minutes

Saturday January 23 | 7:00 PM Adelson Educational Campus

Moderated by: Author Phoebe Hoban A portrait of one of the most powerful women in the history of the art world who transformed a modest fortune and impeccable taste into a mission to protect and promote artists like Max Ernst, Jackson Pollock and Marcel Duchamp while also creating one of the premiere collections of twentieth century art.

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THE LIBERATORS

Germany 2015 | 60 minutes, full length unedited version

Sunday January 24 | 3:30 PM Adelson Educational Campus

Moderated by: Survivor and Author Ben Lesser with WWII Veteran and Artist Sam Chinkes (Followed by a kosher reception in the AEC Cafeteria) To mark the 70th anniversary of allied troops liberating the Dachau concentration camp, U.S. veterans and former Survivors speak about the war-time experiences that changed, and continue to shape, their lives.

A dmi s s i on i s fre e t o ve t e ra n s, professional educators and students. For everyone else LVJFF tickets are $10.00 each and good for any one film in the film festival program schedule on a first come first served basis. Seating is limited and will depend on availability. Seating is not guaranteed. In the event that an individual screening becomes sold out, ticket holders unable to be seated will receive a $10.00 refund and be able to use their ticket for any other film in the remainder of the film festival. Tickets are available through the Presenting Sponsors (listed next page) or online at www.lvjff.org.

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HOST VENUE SPONSOR: ADELSON EDUCATIONAL CAMPUS 9700 Hillpointe Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89138 (702) 255-4500

MISSION STATEMENT: The mission of The Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Educational Campus is to instruct and inspire new generations of students who will draw strength from a rich Jewish heritage, use their knowledge, values and vision to fulfill their own potential, and build a better world.

SATELLITE VENUES: BRENDEN THEATRES PALMS HOTEL 4321 W. Flamingo Road Las Vegas, NV 89103 (702) 507-1525

CENTURY THEATRES SOUTH POINT HOTEL 9777 Las Vegas Blvd South Las Vegas, NV 89134 (702) 796-7111

E X EC U T I V E P R O D U C E R S : Rita Deanin Abbey and Robert Belliveau • Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson • Blanche and Phillip Meisel CO - P R O D U C E R S : Adriana Gonorazky and Carlos Banchik • Sabes Family Foundation • Betsi and Dr. David Steinberg • Heidi and David Straus • Janet and Kent Wellish A S S O C I AT E P R O D U C E R S : Arlene and Jerry Blut • David Chesnoff • David Dahan • Helen and Robert Feldman • Andy Katz • Henry Kronberg • Jean and Ben Lesser • Sandy and Stan Mallin Cari Marshall • Judy and Ronald Mack • Emily and Michael Novick • Sonja and Michael Saltman • Sandy and Paul Schiffman • Marcy and Jack Simon Doug Unger • Nancy and Irv Weinberger • Janet and Kent Wellish • Carol and Jeff Zucker P R E S E N T I N G S P O N S O R S (have LVJFF tickets available): Adelson Educational Campus • Anti-Defamation League of Southern Nevada • Bet Knesset Bamidbar • Brandeis National Committee • Congregation Ner Tamid Congregation P’nai Tikvah • Israeli American Council • Jewish Community Center of Southern Nevada • Jewish Federation of Las Vegas • Jewish National Fund Kraft/Sussman Funeral Services • Midbar Kodesh Temple • Temple Beth Sholom • Temple Sinai • Touro University Nevada U P DAT E D S P O N S O R S H I P I N F O R M AT I O N W I L L B E AC K N O W L E D G E D AT T H E F I L M F E S T I VA L S P EC I A L T H A N K S : Rabbi Joyce Raynor, Ph.D , Head of School, Adelson Educational Campus • Leslie Smith Rosen, Head of Upper School, Adelson Educational Campus Amir Eden, Head of Campus Life, Adelson Educational Campus • Brian Rouff, Imagine Communications • Johnny Brenden, Brenden Theatres Betty Yurcich, Venetian Hotel • Michael Bohnen, Adelson Family Foundation • Tamar Nissim, Israeli American Council • Hadas Newman, Israeli American Council Ray Fiol, President, Holocaust Survivors Group • Aaron Abbey, Content Editor • Nancy Weinberger, JCCSN Board Member • David Dahan, Orgill Singer Todd Cox, CPA (702) 732-2319 • Sean Hill, Technical Director • Eric Beymer, Website Design • Joanne and Max Friedland, David Magazine • Elaine Steinberg, Volunteer Coordinator • Lisa Rivo, National Center of Jewish Film • Becky Gillig, National Center of Jewish Film • Jeffery Fey, Logo, Key art and Layout Design CORPORATE S P O N S O R S :

M E D I A SPONSOR: M A G A Z I N E

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pulse explore @ 16 devour @ 21 desire @ 22 discover @ 24 MICHAEL BUBLE 1.1

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eXplore L A S

CLARK COUNTY ARTISTS GUILD WINTER ARTS CELEBRATION: Through Feb. 23, times vary, free. Summerlin Library, 1771 Inner Circle Drive, Las Vegas. 702-507-3860. lvccld.org POLYMER CLAY EXPRESSIONS BY LAS VEGAS POLYMER CLAY GUILD: Through Feb. 28, times vary, free. Centennial Hills Library, 6711 N. Buffalo Drive, Las Vegas. 702-5076100. lvccld.org

V E G A S

CARLY RAE JEPSEN: 8 p.m., $55.50. Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-414-1000. venetian.com NEW YEAR'S SPECTACULAR: 8 p.m., $34. Orleans Arena, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. orleans.com MORRISSEY: 8:30 p.m., $45. Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702693-5555. hardrockhotel.com LIPSHTICK - THE PERFECT SHADE OF STAND UP - WHITNEY CUMMINGS: Time and cost TBA. Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-414-1000. venetian.com RALPHIE MAY: 9 p.m., $45.95. Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-894-7111. treasureisland.com

BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY NATIONAL COMMITTEE - NANCY SCOTT: 10:30 a.m., $40. Canyon Gate Country Club, 2001 Canyon Gate Drive, Las Vegas. For more information and to register, contact Evelyn Brunner at bnclv.org.

MOB MONTH 2016 - MAFIA 101: 7 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3458. lvccld.org TUESDAY AFTERNOON AT THE BIJOU FEMME FATALES, GUMSHOES & FILM NOIR: Tues. through Jan. 26, 1 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3400. lvccld.org

JENNIFER LOPEZ: Jan.20 through the 30, 9 p.m., $59-$219. Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. planethollywoodresort.com

January 1

PRETTY LIGHTS: 10 p.m., $59.95. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702862-2695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas FIRST FRIDAY: 6 p.m., free. Various downtown locations. firstfridaylasvegas.com MICHAEL BUBLE: 8 p.m., $59.63-$182.57. MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las

HUES OF EMOTION BY CHRISTINE BINNS: Through March 6, times vary, free. Sahara West Library, 9600 W. Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-507-3630. lvccld.org

Vegas. 702-891-1111. mgmgrand.com A JOYFUL PERSPECTIVE BY JOHN TRIMBLE: Through Jan. 26, times vary, free. West Las Vegas Library, 951 W. Lake Mead Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-507-4010. lvccld.org THROUGH MY LENS BY DAVID R. MURPHY: Through Feb. 16, times vary, free. West Charleston Library, 6301 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-507-3940. lvccld.org

DISNEY ON ICE - FROZEN: Through Jan. 11, times vary, $35-$80. Thomas and Mack Center, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas. 702-739-FANS. unlvtickets.com

16 JANUARY 2016 | www.davidlv.com

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John Fogerty 1.8-23

LAS VEGAS STORIES - GROWING UP IN JERRY TARKANIAN'S LAS VEGAS, 1973-1992: 7 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459.lvccld.org VINTAGE URBAN COLLECTION BY ALEXANDER P. HUERTA OF PEACENART STUDIO: Through March 8, times vary, free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3400. lvccld.org BECK: 9 p.m., $75. Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-8622695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas JCCSN’S JEWISH UNIVERSITY PRESENTS THE KOSHER NOSTRA, A CONVERSATION WITH OSCAR GOODMAN: 6 p.m., sold out, The Mob Museum, 300 Stewart Ave, Las Vegas. 702-794-0090. jccsn.org/jewish-university

AN EVENING WITH WILLIE NELSON AND FAMILY: 8 p.m., $20-$45. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com SUSAN ANTON — ALREADY HOME: Through Jan. 9, 7 p.m., $35. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702749-2012. thesmithcenter.com CHARLIE MURPHY: Through Jan. 10. 7:30 p.m., $30. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com

JOHN FOGERTY — PEACE, LOVE AND CREEDENCE: Through Jan. 23, times vary, $59.50. Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-414-1000. venetian.com

QUEENSRYCHE: 8:30 p.m., $25-$30. Hard Rock Live, 3771 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-733-7625. hardrocklive.com ONE NIGHT WITH THE KING: Through Jan. 10, 8 p.m., $19.95. Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. orleans.com LAS VEGAS JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL: Through Jan. 24, times vary, $10. For more information, contact Joshua Abbey at 702239-2277 or HDreality@aol.com. lvjff.org SATURDAY MOVIE MATINEE - BLACK MASS: 2 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-5073400. lvccld.org

301 N. Buffalo Drive 255-3444

WINTER BLOOD DRIVE: 2 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3400. lvccld.org

www.thebagelcafelv.com

ALICE - A STEAMPUNK CONCERT FANTASY: 10 p.m., $15-$30. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-862-2695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas

WhereTheLocalsEat.com

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MOB MONTH 2016 - THE LUFTHANSA HEIST - THE REAL STORY: 7 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3458.lvccld.org

THE CAT IN THE HAT: 6:30 p.m., $14.95. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com JCCSN ANNUAL MEETING: 7 p.m., free. Temple Sinai, 9001 Hillpointe Road, Las Vegas. For more information, contact Jeffrey Metz at 702-794-0090 or jmetz@jccsn.org. UNLV JAZZ CONCERT SERIES - UNLV JOE WILLIAMS EVERY DAY FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP JAZZ COMBO: 7 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3400. lvccld.org

LUCIE ARNAZ — LATIN ROOTS: Through Jan. 16, 7 p.m., $39. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-7492012. thesmithcenter.com DANIEL TOSH: Through Jan. 16, 7:30 p.m., $59.99. Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-791-7111. mirage.com

FRANKIE AVALON: Through Jan. 17, 7:30 p.m., $45. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com

Cat in the Hat 1.13

VOICES OF RUDY - THE JOURNEY TO THE MOVIE: 7:30 p.m., free. West Charleston Library, 6301 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-507-3964. lvccld.org ERYKAH BADU: 9:30 p.m., $47.50. Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-862-2695. brooklynbowl.com/ las-vegas

MARTIN LAWRENCE: 7 p.m., $39.50. Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-693-5555. hardrockhotel.com STYX: 8 p.m., $43. Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-942-7777. palms.com MOB MONTH 2016 - ROB THE MOB: 2 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3458. lvccld.org MARY WILSON: Through Jan. 17, 7:30 p.m., $20. Suncoast, 9090 Alta Drive, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. suncoast.com

WARREN G: 9 p.m., $25. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-862-2695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas

ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA FEATURING PINCHAS ZUKERMAN: 7:30 p.m., $39. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

MOB MONTH 2016 - WHITEY BULGER AND THE BOSTON MOB: 7 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3458. lvccld.org

20 Styx 1.16

BRONSON, BRODY AND THE BEATLES — A HARD DAY'S NIGHT OF LEGENDARY MUSIC: 8 p.m., $15. The Smith Center, 361

18 JANUARY 2016 | www.davidlv.com

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Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-7492012. thesmithcenter.com JENNIFER LOPEZ: Through Jan. 30, 9 p.m., $59-$219. Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. planethollywoodresort.com

AN EVENING WITH KIM MACQUARRIE ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AMERICA: 7 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org THE PASSION OF LOVE BY ZINOVY SHERSHER: Through March 1, times vary, free. Whitney Library, 5175 E. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-507-4010. lvccld.org

CHRISTINE EBERSOLE — BIG NOISE FROM WINNETKA: Through Jan. 23, 7 p.m., $39. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com LOUIE ANDERSON: Through Jan. 23. 7:30 p.m., $15. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com CNT CONGREGANT OF THE YEAR SHABBAT CELEBRATION: 6:15 p.m., free. Congregation Ner Tamid, 55 N. Valle Verde Drive, Henderson. For more information, contact Beth Bowman at bbowman@lvnertamid.org. lvnertamid.org

MOB MONTH 2016 - REMEMBERING SHERIFF RALPH LAMB: 7 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3458. lvccld.org

MCCARTNEY YEARS: Through Jan. 31, 7:30 p.m., $25. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com

SINATRA'S CENTENNIAL BY LAS VEGAS NEWS BUREAU: Through March 15, times vary, free. Windmill Library, 7060 W. Windmill Lane, Las Vegas. 702-507-6030. lvccld.org

ADRIAN ZMED - BOWLING + MOVIE NIGHT - GREASE 2: 11 p.m., movie is free, bowling is $20. Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-862-2695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas THE WORLD THROUGH MY EYES BY SHALINI SHAH: Through March 20, times vary, free. West Las Vegas Library, 951 W. Lake Mead Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-507-4010. lvccld.org

LEGENDS - KEOLA BEAMER & HENRY KAPONO WITH MOANALANI BEAMER: Through Jan. 30, 7 p.m., $37. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

BO BURNHAM: 8 p.m., $49.50. Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702693-5555. hardrockhotel.com STRETCHING AND SEATED YOGA CLASS WITH CAROL DICKMAN: 10:30 a.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3400. lvccld.org

IRATION WITH ANUHEA: 8 p.m., $30. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702862-2695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas

THE MOTET: 9 p.m., $17. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-8622695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas

To submit your event information, email calendar@ davidlv.com by the 15th of the month prior to the month in which the event is being held.

NEVADA BALLET THEATRE PRESENTS

MOSCOW NIGHTS AND THE GOLDEN GATES - AN EVENING OF RUSSIAN FOLK MUSIC, DANCE AND STORIES: 7 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org

Live happily ever after this Valentine’s Day.

STICK FIGURE: 8:30 p.m., $15. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702862-2695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas

Feb. 13 at 7:30pm & Feb. 14 at 2:00pm

EUROPE: 8 p.m., $30-$35. Hard Rock Live, 3771 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-7337625. hardrocklive.com NEVADA BALLET THEATRE - BLACK AND WHITE BALL: Honoring Olivia Newton-John. For further details, visit nevadaballet.org. THE SOUND COLLAGE: 4 p.m., free. Windmill Library, 7060 W. Windmill Lane, Las Vegas. 702-507-6036. lvccld.org

MADEON WITH SKYLER SPENCE: 8 p.m., $25. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-862-2695. brooklynbowl.com/ las-vegas

(702) 749-2000 or visit NevadaBallet.org Groups (10+) call (702) 243-2623

Presenting Sponsor ~ Nancy & Kell Houssels Supporting Sponsor ~ Audra & Bobby Baldwin Photo by Virginia Trudeau.

NEVADA BALLET THEATRE — DAVID MAGAZINE ADwww.davidlv.com — 5.25” X 4.8125” | JANUARY 2016

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devour Nonna would be proud If you haven’t been to Carbone yet, you should — at least to order the spicy rigatoni vodka. Each addictive forkful of this distinctively saucy Italian collaboration of al dente rigatoni bathed in luscious tomato sauce, herbs and cream — flecked with zingy Calabrian chiles — makes Carbone’s spicy rigatoni vodka a classic. Surrounded by Carbone’s signature, captain-driven service and tableside presentations, the entire experience embodies glamour and award-winning culinary craftsmanship. Carbone, inside Aria, 3730 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 877-230-2742.

Fit for a king

‘Winterize’ with Dorian Gray

Biryani is a classic and flavorful dish of Southern Asia. It made its way into Indian cuisine through the Mughal Empire during the 12th and 13th centuries A.D. The recipe for biryani includes aromatic basmati rice layered with tender chicken pieces cooked in fragrant spices. Because of its connection to the royal courts of the Mughal Empire, biryani also stands out as a dish for the most special of occasions. But at Mint Indian Bistro, it’s a daily offering.

Delmonico Steakhouse lead mixologist Juyoung Kang unveiled her much-anticipated specialty menu, featuring 13 handcrafted cocktails. One called Dorian Gray caught our attention for January. “This is a variation on a classic cocktail called Gold Rush (whiskey, lemon and honey),” says Kang. “I always love a bit more flavor in my cocktails, so I felt like it needed a little more depth in citrus and earthy flavors.” She chose a slightly peated Scotch whisky and paired it with an Earl Grey tea-based honey (made in-house) for a slightly rustic smoke and citrus floral sweetness that shines through in a simply made cocktail.

Mint Indian Bistro, 730 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-894-9334.

Dorian Gray: • 1.5 ounces Black Grouse Scotch • 1 ounce lemon juice • 1 ounce Earl Grey honey syrup Garnish: Microflower Glass: Coupe Method: Combine all ingredients. Add ice, shake and strain into glass. Delmonico Steakhouse, inside The Venetian Las Vegas, 702-414-3737. www.davidlv.com | JANUARY 2016

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desire

Snow Fun

There’s nothing quite like being prepared in the coldest elements, especially when it comes to your hands. Burton’s systematic storm-proofing Gortex under glove has 2-in-1 versatility for when you don’t know what the weather will bring. $69.99. sportchalet.com

Protect the noggin with Bern Watts EPS Mate Black helmet with 9 vents for maximum airflow, cold weather liner with Crank Fit micro adjustable fit system. $119. Sport Chalet, 7230 Arroyo Crossing, Las Vegas. 702-263-6756.

Just add snow and you’ve got everything you need to make a frosty family. The L.L.Bean-exclusive kit includes glasses, carrot noses, eyes, antlers, buttons and more. $34.95. llbean.com

Rated comfortable even when the temps dip to 18 degrees and manageable to 0, the Lithium sleeping bag is perfect for hibernating on all but the chilliest winter nights, and still weighs a mind-boggling 2lb 12oz. There’s also a trapezoidal footbox that’s wider in the toes and narrower in the heels to match the shape of your feet. $487. backcountry.com

22 JANUARY 2016 | www.davidlv.com

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Grab your RAILZ Snow Scooter and glide down the sidewalk or head to your favorite sledding hill. This innovative scooter features patented skis instead of wheels, so it rides on snow just like a wheeled kick scooter! $69.99. brookstone.com

Perfect for hiking on and off trail in rolling terrain, the men’s Easton Trail 30 Snowshoes have ergonomic frames designed for a natural stride and curved-toe crampons that deliver great traction. $110. REI, 710 S. Rampart Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-951-4488

The compact frame and smaller face fit of the Smith I/OS pack the same high performance of larger Smith goggles, including 5X fog protection and 2 swappable lenses for whatever light hits the slopes. $180. REI, 710 S. Rampart Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-951-4488.

The Alpine Classic snow sled by Molson blends timeless style with unmatched performance in a nearly indestructible design. It handles everything from gentle slopes to extreme runs and will keep you coming back for decades of fun. $459. Molsonrunnersleds.com www.davidlv.com | JANUARY 2016

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discover A spot of tea? Rí Rá Las Vegas introduces a traditional afternoon tea menu, featuring a variety of leaf teas, finger sandwiches, homemade scones and decadent desserts, each day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Priced at $22 per person, afternoon tea includes six finger sandwiches, freshly baked, homemade fruit scones, four miniature desserts, such as napoleons, raspberry roulade, tartlets and macaroons, and a pot of tea for two. Choose from a range of leaf teas, such as Barry Tea Gold, Republic Darjeeling Black, Organic Assam, Wuyi Oolong and The People Green, among others. Rí Rá Las Vegas, The Shoppes at Mandalay Place. 702-6327771. www.rira.com/las-vegas/

Food “Uberized” Baby, it’s cold outside. And sometimes we just want our takeout delivered to our home or office. Direct from eateries, such as Honey Salt, Crave, MTO Café, INYO, Born & Raised and more, Bite Squad brings everything from fast-casual to gourmet dining selections straight to your doorstep, with no order minimums. From a single slice of dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth, to an array of appetizers and entrees for lunch or dinner, Bite Squad does delivery differently with tablet friendly, easy, online ordering. What sets it apart from others? Catering options, real-time GPS trackability and eco-friendly vehicles. Download the iPhone app or visit bitesquad.com.

Winter Safety The Mount Charleston Winter Alliance announces the launch of www. mtcharlestonwinter.com. This website provides winter weather road conditions, safety tips and winter outdoor recreation information for visitors to the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area. According to the Nevada Highway Patrol, up to 25,000 vehicles can clog Lee and Kyle Canyons during a holiday weekend. Driving conditions, chain requirements and road closures, including Nevada State Routes 156 (Lee Canyon Road), 157 (Kyle Canyon Road) and 158 (Deer Creek Road), will be posted on the site. Before you drive, be prepared with warm clothes, water and a full tank of gas. For real-time road information, dial 511 within Nevada and 1-877-NVROADS outside the state, or visit www.mtcharlestonwinter.com. 24 JANUARY 2016 | www.davidlv.com

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mingle TOURO UNIVERSITY SEASON OF LIGHTS SOIREE Venue Eaglet Prince Law Center 1

Date Sunday, December 13

Event Guests celebrated the season and supported Touro‘s Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities at a festive reception and silent auction. Kosher small dishes were enjoyed while viewing 2

auction items and custom-designed children’s chairs created by local artists. The evening’s highlight was the presentation of the Luminary Award to Sharon Sigesmund Pierce and Stephen Pierce.

Photos 1.

(left to right) Touro CEO Shelley Berkley with 2015 Touro Luminary

Award honorees Stephen Pierce and

Sharon Sigesmund Pierce. 2.

(left to right) Vladimir Ristich, Teresa Maharaj and Don Michael, Jr.

Ryan Evans and Kevin Mack of Counts Kustoms

Chris and Ann Kellogg, Debbie Cohen and Cindy and Tom Reiman.

5. 6

(left to right) Sam Berkley, Dee and Fred Berkley, Shelley Berkley and

Max Berkley. 6.

(left to right) Ashraf and Fahima Khalaf with Touro alumna Aliyah Suba and Dr. Faisal Suba.

Robin Slonina and Shelley Berkley.

Robert and Tracy Eglet.

Christina Bailey and Tonisha Porter.

Photos: Mona Shield Payne www.davidlv.com | JANUARY 2016

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mingle FRIENDS OF THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES, LAS VEGAS CHAPTER: 5TH ANNUAL GALA Venue The Venetian Resort | Hotel | Casino

Date

Thursday, December 10

Photos 1.

Top row: Eugene Lebovitz and guest. Bottom row: (left to right) FIDF National Director and Major General (Res.)Meir Kliffi-Amir, Brig. General (Res.)Gila Kliffi-Amir, Dr. Miriam Adelson, Sheldon G.

Adelson, Art Marshall and guest. 2.

(left to right) David Chesnoff, Gala MC., Las Vegas Annual Gala Chairs Dana and Michael Werner.

(left to right) Harvey and Lynn Wallack, FIDF Las Vegas Gala cochairs Stanley and Sandra Mallin, FIDF Las Vegas Gala co-chair Jerome

Blut, Diana Chesnoff and Gala MC David Chesnoff. 4.

(left to right) Bernice Friedman, Henry and Edy Kronberg.

Sgt. (Res.) Shai lighting the menorah for the fifth night of Hanukkah.

(left to right) Lana, Victor and Lizzie Fuchs.

(left to right) FIDF National Chairman Emeritus Nily Falic, FIDF

Las Vegas Annual Gala Chair Dana Werner and Simon Falic. 8.

Las Vegas Sheriff Joe Lombardo and his wife Donna.

Photos: Abe Geller

26 JANUARY 2016 | www.davidlv.com

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mingle ANTI DEFAMATION LEAGUE 2015 FIGHT AGAINST HATE GALA HONORING LOVEE AND BOB ARUM Venue 1

Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino

Date Thursday, November 19

Event This “Fight Against Hate” gala was held ironically at the Paris Hotel Casino named for the City of Lights, which had 2

just witnessed, a few days prior, the horrific effects of hate. The evening’s planned theme provided an extra punch as a result and attendees left with a lot to consider. The ADL’s mission to fight hate, intolerance and anti-Semitism cannot come at a more important time.

Photos 4

Honorees Bob and Lovee Arum

(left to right) Karin Sporn, Ardi Najmabadi, Audrey Plotkin and Guest.

Matthew Frazier and Nevada Regional Board Chair Josh Reisman

(left to right) Sam Berkley, Jessica Marshall and Todd Marshall

Guests

(left to right) Josh Reisman, Ashlee Winkle and Leslie Maple

Former heavy weight champion of the world George Foreman.

Jewish Federation of Las Vegas CEO Todd Polikoff and Marla Letizia.

Touro University California CEO and Senior Provost Shelley Berkely.

Photos: Cashman Photography www.davidlv.com | JANUARY 2016

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mingle AHAVAS TORAH CENTER 2ND ANNUAL DINNER HONORING ERIC COHEN, DOUGLAS EISNER & ELI AND KELLY MIZRACHI Venue Congregation Ner Tamid

Date Sunday, December 13

Event Support raised by this simcha enables Ahavas Torah Center to continue their programming of Jewish learning and community outreach throughout Henderson and Las Vegas. What better

reason to gather for an evening of good food, fine fellowship and celebration.

Photos 1.

The winners of the Q Trivia contest!

(left to right) Eric Cohen, Doug Eisner, Victoria Eisner, Frimie Fromowitz and Rabbi Yehoshua Fromowitz.

(left to right) Frimie Fromowitz, Kelly & Eli Mizrachi and Rabbi Yehoshua Fromowitz.

Henry Edelman, Rabbi Yehoshua Fromowitz.

Hadassah Cohen and Sara Maryles.

Michael Huskey and Leib Flisser.

Devorah Solomon, Venus Behdadnia and Frimie Fromowitz.

Sholom and Bashie Rand.

Sam Elbaz and Pouya Behdadnia.

Photos: Yitchok Tom

28 JANUARY 2016 | www.davidlv.com

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live Never Say Diet @ 30 Tickling the Old Gray Cells @ 34 Finding the Land of Milk & Honey @ 38

NEVER SAY DIET pg 30

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speak

Never Say

Diet

30 JANUARY 2016 | www.davidlv.com

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Why we stuff our face instead of face our stuff

By Corey Levitan

ast month, scientists isolated a protein found in the body, called sLR11, which makes stored fat tougher to lose. That means Big Pharma already is working on a drug to disrupt that protein. And it’s a drug destined to become the next diet fad, because we’re all lazy nudniks who’d rather swallow a pill than jog a mile or hoover up less of everything in our fridges. As Homer Simpson is fond of saying, “Mmm … doughnuts.”

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But what if that drug poses significant health risks not known until years after it hits the general population? Ask a former fen-phen user about that. (Oh wait, you can’t. They’re all dead!) There are no shortcuts, people. And the answer does not require a scientist to decode: 1) Burn more calories than you consume; and 2) When you’re happy with the results, equalize the calories to maintain. And when I say “people,” holy crap am I also addressing myself. Twenty years ago, I joined those mesmerized by the science of the heart-healthy diet devised by a doctor who may have died of a heart attack. (Although the official cause of Robert Atkins’ death was from head injuries sustained in a fall, a posthumous medical report indicated a history of cardiac arrest, congestive heart failure and hypertension.) Eat all the meat you want, Atkins wrote in his diet book, the best thing since sliced bread to people who thought sliced bread was the worst thing. One small problem: I’m a vegetarian. So my Atkins Diet was actually the Fried Egg, Swiss Cheese and Diet Sprite Diet. Within two months, I was in Cedars-Sinai, wheezing into a hospital-strength nebulizer. The doctor had never seen asthma so unresponsive to this emergency treatment. And that’s because it wasn’t asthma, which I found out after several more weeks of testing. It was acid reflux so bad that it backed up into my windpipe. Activated by my amazing new all-fat/all-acid diet, my GERD went rogue — burning even through 80 mg/day of Prilosec — and has never completely dissipated. But, hey, I lost 15 pounds and reacquainted myself with two old belt notches. “Wow, you look great,” my friends told me before asking which terminal disease I had. (Of course, once I could use my mouth to eat again instead of just cough, every ounce of that weight

returned and then some.) But that apparently wasn’t enough reality for me. Because then, 10 years later, I discovered yet another quick fix that was finally going to magically deflate my spare tire. I became probably the foremost American consumer of carb-blocker pills. (Again, this was back in L.A., which has never seen a fitness bandwagon it didn’t want to own, customize and valet-park at the Ivy.) Made from magic beans (white kidney, specifically), they blocked the absorption of the starchdigesting enzyme amylase, instantly transforming potato chips into wood chips. At least that was in theory. In practice, the only thing I lost was about $500. In fact, I gained five pounds, topping the scale at a life-high 167. I don’t fault the pills for packing on the weight; only the spaghetti-centric eating habits they encouraged. However, they may have been responsible for the only pre-diabetes diagnosis I’ve ever received in my life. (My doctor at the time couldn’t say, but the two capsules I swallowed before every meal probably didn’t help things.) Quick fixes don’t work for weight loss because our bodies evolved to store fat, like pretty much everything else we evolved to do, as a preferable alternative to dropping dead. Surviving famine was the issue here. Approximately 2-6 million years ago, when it was the expansive savannas of Africa that were devoid of food for months and not just the local Fresh & Easy and Haggen’s, the only hominids who got to pass on their genes were the ones who could store enough fat to live on until the fruit, leaves or antelope returned. But scientific ignorance is always fine by Big Food, which analyzes JCCU.pdf 1 12/17/15 12:28 PM each successive diet fad and sees millions of schmucks (again, myself frequently included) who require a money-ectomy. They fund stud-

We get it. Losing weight isn’t easy. It’s really, really hard. Weight Watchers works because we understand that. That is why we are different. We help with the hard parts. Call today to see how we can help you. ��.......... ~ MemberSupport@wwlv.biz 32 JANUARY 2016 | www.davidlv.com

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ies from the most corruptible respectable scientists they can find, bamboozle the media (It isn’t difficult, since editors are always happier reporting a study’s findings than dedicating expensive manpower to investigate its integrity) and voila! Before low-carb beer, this brought us low-fat Snackwell’s and anal-leakage Olestra potato chips. The latest crocks, of course, are the Paleo Diet (zombified Atkins) and (even though it’s not weight-related) gluten-free everything. Last August, a researcher who provided key evidence for a 2011 study establishing gluten sensitivity published two follow-up papers proving it never existed; his original study was flawed. But the truth has never stood in the way of great marketing, so an estimated 30 percent of Americans still think they need to avoid gluten due to food labels nagging them like a Jewish mother to do so. (Gluten intolerance exists, but only in the 1 percent of people who suffer from celiac disease. And they know they have it because eating gluten, um, turns their insides slowly out.) For me these days, it’s strictly regular exercise. And by that, I mean leaving yoga class after 15 minutes, followed by two jogs around the Las Vegas Athletic Club track, before texting my wife to ask if she’s hungry enough yet to join me for a slice at Rocco’s NY Pizza. But, hey, it’s better than sitting home on the couch and ordering in. And this rational train of thought will continue chugging along – at least until the next weight-loss “miracle.” Then, I’ll be lined up for my sLR11 prescription, or my helium colonic or whatever else, with the rest of the lazy nudniks. Mmm … pizza.

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sense

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Tickling the Old Gray Cells It’s Never Too Late to Sign Up For Class By Jaq Greenspon “The excitement of learning separates youth from old age. As long as you’re learning you’re not old.” — Rosalyn S. Yalow

hen you’re a child, the whole world is new and fresh and exciting. Everything is something new to learn and explore. The brain is expanding at a fantastic rate and stimuli are coming in faster than we can process them. It’s glorious. When I was a child we had two (seriously, two!) sets of encyclopedias in the living room bookcases, a red, tall and slender Britannica, and a brown, thicker and shorter Funk & Wagnalls. I’m pretty sure we got one set at the grocery store, back in the days when they had premiums, when you could get a volume every week with a minimum purchase. Back then, I would run in to the living room, pull down the equivalent volumes from the competing sets and look up some bit of information. I’d compare the differing definitions and then run back into my room and finish whatever I was doing. (Yes, once a week or so, I’d be required to replace the various volumes that had grown into nice stacks on the floor.) I loved learning, and most kids feel the same. We want to know everything. But then something happens and we start going to school. Our free form learning is boxed in. Boundaries and rules are placed on our exploration and we are punished if we don’t adhere strictly to prefigured guidelines. (Harry Chapin’s Flowers Are Red sums this concept up better in four and a half minutes than a dozen online policy reports.) It’s not long before we’re looking so forward to summer that we start to lose drive in March. And we’re so focused on results, grades and high test scores, we forget how to actually learn. We graduate (OK, roughly 71 percent of us here in Nevada did in 2013, which is up from 62 percent in ’11) high school, move on to college and then to the “real world” of jobs and families. Throughout those years, we get locked into specific paths. Ancillary interests get sidelined or relegated to weekends or a couple of minutes before bed. In short, we stop learning and become passive participants in our own lives. So what happens when all that’s done? When the kids have left and the job is over? “I stayed home for three months,” says Cathy Lowe, 76, laughing.

“And my husband and I ate bacon and eggs every day, and we porked out and didn’t know what to do with the next day.” She retired a little more than six years ago, after a career directing the education departments for the California and Arizona Supreme Courts. With all that free time, she knew she needed to do something. “I tried various organizations,” she says. “A friend of mine said ‘why don’t you come to OLLI?’ So I came, kinda skeptical about peer-led education, and the first class I went to was a guy who’s now in his 90s, was teaching about tribal conflict in Afghanistan. I was so blown away I got “Be a student out and got to my phone and called my husband and said, ‘you gotta get over so long as here. This is great stuff.’” you still have OLLI is the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNLV, one of 119 orgasomething to nizations at colleges and universities learn, and this around the country supported by The will mean all Bernard Osher Foundation. Its mission is “to improve quality of life through your life.” support for higher education and the — Henry L. Doherty arts.” In Las Vegas, this means a program for retired and semi-retired folks who wish to learn without the hazards of “formal” education getting in the way. Currently, there are over 1,500 “members” who, as Lowe says, “take courses for no credit and no homework.” These courses are what’s called “peer-led” education, with each being taught by a volunteer and member of the OLLI community. Lowe, now finishing a three-year term as president of the board, teaches a course or two when she can. In fact, anyone with knowledge of something can apply to create a course to pass that expertise along. “We put out a curriculum guide course structure every single semester,” she says, “and there are about 80 courses that are offered simultaneously. We put out a call for proposals and then a curriculum. Then people have the opportunity to register for classes.” www.davidlv.com | JANUARY 2016

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Don’t think, though, that these are fluff classes. “These are college level courses,” says Rob Levrant, OLLI’s director. “They are not something that competes with Parks and Rec.” Sure, they do offer some courses in artistic endeavors, crochet and photography. But, for the most part, it’s a pretty wide variety of classes. There are a number of history courses, some Pop Culture, some foreign language. “We have our first math class, the Joy of Mathematics, being taught this coming spring,” Levrant says. “You name it, we offer it.” The OLLI model has not gone unnoticed in other communities. Both Lauren Eisenberg and her “partner in crime” Ayelet Blit had OLLI in their sights last summer when they decided to set up a similar institution focused on the Jewish community. Nancy Weinberger approached Eisenberg to help start up an initiative to “get more Jewish people doing Jewish.” Eisenberg was sufficiently intrigued to bring Blit into the discussion. The two looked at what was on offer and what they could bring to the table. What they found was no middle ground. There’s either “Melton, which is phenomenal, but it’s a two-year commitment,” or you need to belong to a synagogue or Hadassah, where “once in a while you can Lauren Eisenberg hear a rabbi or some illustrious person brought in to the community to speak to you.” They found “nothing in-between.” So they decided to create the JU, the Jewish University of the JCC of Southern Nevada. The goal, Blit says, was to see “the JU becoming something like programs like OLLI. People are looking for academic classes. JU will be on that list.” Eisenberg concurs. “I would like JU to be very established and be the place if you want any kind of enrichment that is not … how-to,” she says. “We’re not how do you bake challah, and we’re not how do you celebrate Pesach. But if you want a deeper understanding of Haggadot, through the centuries, then JU is the place you would go to. [JU] would become the academic institution for furthering your Jewish knowledge.” Unlike OLLI, which carries a flat fee per semester, no matter how many of the 80 or so classes on offer that you take from JU the approach is a la carte, Ayelet Blit with a $10 per academic hour fee. “The idea is not for anyone to be intimidated,” Eisenberg says. “We don’t want anyone to say ‘Oh, that looks really cool, but can I afford the time every Tuesday night?’” “That was the premise,” Blit says, “that people would not need to commit to a full semester. They can choose a subject they like, and they can pick and choose the classes, so if they don’t have the time to put in a long commitment they can still take classes. We have different tracks, and each track might be a different amount of classes and lectures within it.”

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In effect, the classes along the track are all interconnected without being intertwined. With the exception of the language courses, they don’t necessarily build upon each other. This way, someone can come and take a class in the track, and if they have to miss the next or the one after that, they won’t have lost understanding along the way. Also unlike OLLI, which is only open to those over 50, the JU welcomes “The illiterate anyone beyond high school who has an interest. Either way, the idea is to of the 21st broaden the scope of knowledge, to century will offer that apple out to the public with full awareness and aplomb. not be those When I was in university, I had a who cannot professor who exclaimed that Ameriread and write, cans are the only culture that’s proud of its ignorance. Asked to explain, he but those who said that “whenever I tell people I’m cannot learn, an English professor, the reaction is almost always: ‘I was never very good unlearn and in English.’ To which my reply, after relearn.” much consternation, has become ‘yes, — Alvin Toffler I can tell.’” But why is this so? We, as a culture, embrace our ignorance, as though it were a blanket to keep us warm — instead of gathering around the fire of knowledge. By the time you get out of the rat race, though, perception seems to matter less. We don’t care so much what other people think, we begin to care more about what we think. And how we think. It’s easy, once you don’t have a regular schedule to follow, a box where you fit, to find yourself adrift. Like Cathy and her daily ritual of eggs and bacon, it becomes easy to succumb to Newton’s first law — once you start resting, it’s hard to get back out there. Rob Levrant looks at it this way: “When you’re a kid, other than your family, your life revolved around your school. And then you moved into high school and college and that became even more pronounced. Go off, you have your career, and these folks return to school, this becomes their social circle, their family. Their source of pride and connections.” Among OLLI’s members are former professors, educators, surgeons and attorneys, as well as everyday folks. These are who want to keep their minds sharp and active, and this is how they do it. “At the same time,” Levrant says, “this becomes their lifeline.” Their eldest teaching member is 96-year-old Ruth Elliot, who is teaching a course this coming spring titled “Tweak Your Mind.” Over at JU, they’re just starting out. January is their inaugural semester, and Lauren Eisenberg is thrilled with how quickly their little project has gotten legs. Their inaugural lecture, on Jan. 7, in conjunction with the Mob Museum, showcases local judge, NPR commentator and poet Dayvid Figler. He’ll be interviewing former Mayor Oscar Goodman on the Jewish connection of the mob to law enforcement. “We just released tickets for that event, and they’re selling like hotcakes,” she says. “There’s a lot of interest. We did that on purpose to show what kind of things we want to do.” If you’re interested in joining either, or both, institutions, January’s the time to do it. Take the opportunity of the New Year to reignite your passion for being mentally active. You’ll be surrounded by good people who want to teach you and learn from you. It’s time to give back. As it says in the Talmud — “Much have I learned from my teachers, more from my colleagues, but most from my students.”

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taste

Finding the Land of Milk and Honey A New Film Explores the Israeli Culinary Scene

By E.C. Gladstone

hen it comes to the world’s great cuisines, as well as the world’s great food sources, Israel is rarely in the conversation, despite its historic reputation as “the land of milk and honey.” There may be many reasons for this. But a new, inspiring film, In Search Of Israeli Cuisine (debuting this month at the Las Vegas Jewish Film Festival), makes a strong case for how wrong this is. Directed by veteran documentarian Roger Sherman (multiawarded partner of Ken Burns), In Search Of Israeli Cuisine follows Israel-born, James Beard-awarded chef Michael Solomonov (Zahav, Philadelphia). He travels far and wide throughout the small but widely varied, Holy Land, meeting

passionate chefs, farmers, fishermen, cheesemakers, winemakers and others (with as many backgrounds as imaginable), who cross-pollinate while keeping hundreds of traditions alive. The sum is like an Anthony Bourdain travelogue, but twice as complex and infinitely more personal. When DAVID magazine suggested this story, I was hesitant. I studied film in college and wrote about that world for a few years, but left it behind quite a while ago with no regrets. I decided I would watch the movie before choosing to accept this story, 20 minutes in I was not only ready to accept, but jumping out of my skin wanting my best friend and other food fans to watch the film, too. Sherman believes his film is not really about food. As a viewer, I

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have to disagree. It’s all about food: gorgeous food, alluring food, both exotic and familiar food. Yes, it takes some detours into the challenges of life in Israel, and how food may or may not perform a role of understanding between cultures (“Food is not political” and “Food brings hearts together” are two of many memorable quotes). But if you don’t come out of this film dying to eat, you’d better check your vital signs. Rather than craft a labored essay on a film that truly speaks for itself, I spoke with Sherman and Solomonov by phone, to get more of their personal perspective about making the documentary.

Roger Sherman, Filmmaker DAVID: Tell me briefly how this film came about? SHERMAN: Joan Nathan, the Jewish cookbook author, called me about five years ago and said she was leading a food press trip to Israel in three weeks and somebody canceled, and you have to come. At the time, I couldn’t have cared less about Israel. I wanted to go to Paris. But I went, and I couldn’t believe what I discovered: one of the most dynamic food scenes in the world. One hundred-plus cultures have come to Israel over the last 100 years, or have been there for hundreds of years, each with their own traditions. And it’s a country where every 10 miles is a different microclimate. Locavore is a foreign term there — everything is local. I came back home and told people what I had seen, and they laughed at me, because here our concept of Israeli cuisine is bad falafel or brisket. DAVID: How did that experience transform into making this film? SHERMAN: The more people I talked to, the more surprised I was that no one knew about this. I make films that I want to surprise and delight and inform. And here was a topic that would do just that. So two years later I decided I would make In Search of Israeli Cuisine. And we filmed in over 100 locations over a month, all over Israel. Thirty days in a bus. And then I went back again to get a few pick-up scenes. We filmed Jewish and Arab and Muslim and Druze chefs, and it’s a portrait of the Israeli people told through food. Even in food, you can’t get away from the conflict. Conflict is everywhere. And while this is not a political film, we do talk about the conflict because you can’t talk to anybody for more than five minutes without the conflict coming up. And, yet, the people are amazing: lively and talented and smart. And I’ve made some great friends. DAVID: When or where did you connect with Michael Solomonov? SHERMAN: An Israeli friend told me if I wanted to eat the best Israeli food in America, I had to go to Philadelphia and eat Michael Solomonov’s food at Zahav. So we decided to take the train down from New York — on our way to Joan Nathan’s birthday event in D.C., actually — and everything we ordered was remarkable, very fresh, very focused. And then Michael came and talked to us for 15 minutes. And I said to my wife, ‘that’s my guy.’ Because Mike was born in Israel and grew up in the U.S., and went back and forth all the time, he was so knowledgeable. … and also incredibly funny and very interested in listening. I call him my ‘Chef Guide.’ I don’t use hosts in my films; this was almost a first. DAVID: How did you find all these people and places? SHERMAN: Tons and tons of research. We had a spreadsheet that was pages long. And we would say ‘we have too many people like this, we need more like this … ’ Then the very first day, the first location fell through! And our guide said, ‘Well, I know this Druze guy who grows olives … ’ and we got this fabulous olive-picking www.davidlv.com | JANUARY 2016

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While on location in Israel, filmmaker Roger Sherman enjoying some hummus and salad.

scene. Being flexible is probably the key to good filmmaking. DAVID: How many people did you talk to overall? SHERMAN: I have no idea! There will be a big extras section on the DVD. DAVID: Do you feel the overall message here is about food or people or culture? 6.7

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SHERMAN: It’s about people and culture. I think it’s much, much bigger than food. It’s not a cooking show. There are no recipes. I wanted to introduce Americans to the Israeli people. And (to) go into Palestinians’ homes. We only get bad news about Israel. But we are in 16 film festivals now. Many accepted us based on a rough cut!

LITTLE SHOPPING HORRORS GOURMET GIFTS

Michael Solomonov, ‘Chef Guide’

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DAVID: What was your initial feeling about getting involved with this?

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SOLOMONOV: Obviously, the idea of leading a culinary documentary tour of Israel is like my life’s dream, so I was honored to do it. And it was educational for me. I thought I knew a lot about Israeli food and Israel. But we were there shooting up to five locations a day, for three weeks straight, and most of the places I had never heard of or been to! It was very cool. When you deeply care about something, it doesn’t matter whether cameras are rolling or not.

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DAVID: Roger feels this film isn’t ultimately about food. As a viewer, I disagree. How about you? SOLOMONOV: You say it’s all about the food. And the truth is the food is representative of the people and the culture. And you’ve got all these people in one place, and there’s no denying that! Hopefully, the film can be used to celebrate the commonalities. DAVID: Is there a way to approach this subject without getting overly complicated? SOLOMONOV: Without a doubt. Because at the end of the day it’s about food. I’ve led a couple (of) culinary tours in Israel, and I don’t want to argue politics — ever. I just want to show people Israel. That’s what we do at Zahav. You can bitch about who invented falafel and where hummus came from, or you can just walk down

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Elegant and romantic latin-tinged pop from the golden age of song.

Chef Michael Solomonov in deep conversation with Israeli cheese maker Shai Seltzer

the street in Jaffa and eat great hummus and falafel. It doesn’t all have to be about politics. We sit here in the U.S. and judge every other country: How do you talk about American cuisine and not talk about colonialization and slavery? It’s crazy. You can’t argue that the Druze woman making fresh mountain bread on a burner and serving fresh goat’s milk labneh is not making something pure and perfect and delicious. I’m not going to pretend that food is what’s going to create peace in the Middle East, but it may not be a bad place to start. DAVID: How was the making of the movie different from the culinary tours you’ve led? SOLOMONOV: Well, I was leading a bit, but I was also following. And there was a lot of time in the bus with people I didn’t know until then, so there was a lot of time to be introspective. We’ve got 200 employees in my company. And I have a wife and two kids, and to be away from all that, for three weeks in a country that is my birthplace, that is spiritually important to me … and the place that my brother died serving. … to be on a bus discovering new things and exposing it to people. It was one of the greatest things I’ve ever been a part of. It’s intense. The fact that I spent so much of my life attached to that country and cuisine, and then to stumble upon new things 80 percent of the time. It was just so cool. But, also, I can do 16-hour shifts in a kitchen, no problem. But doing five locations in a day … it was exhausting! DAVID: Was there any one particular highpoint for you? SOLOMONOV: There were a lot. Hanging out with some of the chefs that I really respect — Erez Komarovsky, Meir Adoni, Jonathan Borowitz. Hanging out with those three was very cool. When we went to this guy’s farm, where he farms like the Nabateans did, and he’s growing acres with water he traps once a year … And we ate these guavas … I’ve never tasted anything like that, never eaten anything so concentrated, so pure, so transformative. It’s amazing to see that, the way that people grew things 2,000 years ago. That was life-changing. Every day was just mind-blowingly different and new. So many different kinds of people in one place. It was fascinating. It was an amazing experience, and I would do it again in a second.

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www.davidlv.com | JANUARY 2016

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think

Semicolon; The Adventures Of Ostomy Girl

Inspiration Born of Adversity, Dana’s Battle with Crohn’s Disease By Lynn Wexler

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Life continues to amaze me … the paths it takes that I could never dream it would. … All in all, I’m living for today. This moment. Exactly. Because it’s honestly all any of us have. … Stay tuned ... — Dana Marshall-Bernstein

wenty-six-year-old Dana Marshall-Bernstein’s excruciating struggle with Crohn’s disease — a chronic bowel inflammation with hellish symptoms — and her treatment at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio provide the backdrop for director Robin Greenspun’s documentary Semicolon; The Adventures of Ostomy Girl. Parents Cari Marshall and Ed Bernstein had hoped to find the best treatment facility for their daughter in Las Vegas, near the family home. But the Cleveland natives eventually realized that their hometown has one of the top digestive disease centers in

the country. A city named for the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, and site of the famed Cleveland Clinic, became Dana’s home away from home. Semicolon; is a heart-warming, if at times uncomfortable, portrayal of the human spirit’s capacity for strength and humor while enduring grave emotional and physical challenges. The film unfolds through the point of view of its co-producers, Dana and her mother. Both women are tenacious, loving, gracious and funny — heroically facing a dire life circumstance they had no part in choosing. www.davidlv.com | JANUARY 2016

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In 1932, Drs. Burrill B. Crohn and Leon Ginzburg and Gordon D. Oppenheimer formally “discovered” the disease, which took Crohn’s name. Today, up to 700,000 people in this country live with the disease, according to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America. Research suggests that heredity, genetics and environmental factors can contribute to the development of Crohn’s. And about 75 to 90 percent of patients eventually require surgery. But treatment therapies for Crohn’s have increased dramatically over the past few decades. In the past, steroids provided the only option. Now, physicians have an array of medications in their Crohn’s quiver. Cutting out the diseased area is no longer the only surgical option. In severe cases, such as Dana’s, a small bowel transplant is also a possibility. Dana was 4 when finally diagnosed with Crohn’s. “At one point,” Marshall says, “doctors thought it was appendicitis. So Dana had an appendectomy that turns out wasn’t even necessary! When her fever returned, doctors did an endoscopy and found the problem. She was on and off steroids – until things got worse when she turned 16. She had her first surgery at USC in California, and that’s when she got the ostomy bag.” By age 25, and after 20 surgeries, Dana had 5 inches left of what had been a roughly 23-foot-long small intestine. The truncated length was insufficient for her body to absorb nutrition from the food passing through. The documentary, shot from late 2013 to early 2014, takes the audience along as its young protagonist subsists on IV nutrition and contends with a waste bag routed through a slit and attached to her

abdomen. With candor and wit, Dana describes spending half her life in hospitals, separated from family and friends, while missing out on the normal emotional and social stages most growing girls take for granted. “Ostomy Girl” is the moniker Dana gives herself during the making of the film — a testament to the self-deprecating humor so central to her coping skills. We’re also witness to Dana’s biggest life decision to that point: whether to continue with her current regimes or risk a rare, complicated small bowel transplant that might offer a chance for a more “normal” life. “Crohn’s has affected my whole life — every second of every day of my life,” Dana says at one point. “When I go to the doctor, I say: ‘This is what you do for a living, but this is what I do to live.’ It’s not something I can take a break from, like a five-minute breather, or go on vacation and say, ‘I’ll deal with this on Monday.’ It’s very tiring. The problem with having something called inflammatory bowel disease is the word bowel,” she says, “because people don’t want to talk about that.” That’s why Dana, when approached by her mom to film her daily life for all to see, agrees to publicly expose her private struggle, hoping that people will learn, understand and, perhaps, not be so quick to judge. The idea for the film came just before Thanksgiving in 2013 when longtime friends Marshall and Greenspun got together for lunch. Greenspun asked about Dana, and Marshall said she wished someone could just follow her daughter with a camera each day, to document how a serious chronic disease can affect a mother-

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daughter relationship. Greenspun, with a background in producing film and TV projects, and the connections and resources to make a documentary, seized the moment. “I thought I was going to make a really nice film about a mother and daughter,” she says, “and how their relationship was affected by a chronic disease.” She arranged for a film crew in Cleveland to start in six weeks, but Marshall called and said she was going to Ohio immediately because her daughter needed emergency surgery. Greenspun asked the clinic’s media staff in Cleveland to document the arrival, and they did. “We had no time to do a full production schedule,” the director says. “It became real time. Whatever Dana was doing, we were there. We never knew what was going to happen next.” Greenspun had planned to ask all the questions off-screen. But Dana took over, quizzing everyone from residents to Dr. Feza Remzi, chairman of the clinic’s Department of Colorectal Surgery, about her treatment. “I could never have gotten from them what she did,” Greenspun says now. “She knows her disease, inside out, backwards and forwards. She’s not afraid to be pointed and challenging.” Remzi says. “Dana is one of the smartest, (most) brilliant, self-esteemed spirits that I’ve ever seen. She doesn’t let anything get her down.” Marshall, a life coach professionally, and prominent philanthropist and activist on behalf of Crohn’s and Inflammatory Bowel Disease, says from start to finish the film project “has had the feeling of being blessed. It was out of our hands, as a much higher power was at the helm … as always.”

When you see it, expect blunt discussions and toilet humor. And get ready to witness the strain that a chronic illness can place on relationships, including the mother-daughter dynamic. “With 4 1/2 hours of film edited down to 83 minutes, they were really wonderful about allowing me to keep enough of it in there to really make that point,” Greenspun says. Since its premiere in Las Vegas at Brendan Theatres at the Palms on March 15 last year, Semicolon; has been invited to eight film festivals. It also received the Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary at the Sedona International Film Festival, and was named Best Feature Documentary at the Las Vegas Film Festival. Joshua Abbey is the director of the Las Vegas Jewish Film Festival. “I asked Cari and Robin to include Semicolon; in the 15th annual LVJFF, because it’s important for all who have not yet seen this life-affirming portrait to be able to do so,” he says. “Both families have been pillars of our community. This film is a testament to the spirit of L’Dor V’Dor (from generation to generation). As Dana demonstrates her will to prevail, she continues her family’s legacy.” The film will be screened Jan. 17 at 1 p.m. at the Adelson Educational Campus. Semicolon; The Adventures Of Ostomy Girl is more about valor and willpower than pain and suffering. As the producers put it: “Prepare to lose your heart, as well as your inhibitions, about not laughing at ‘certain things.’ Dana will teach you the meaning of courage, along with the value of a really good poop joke!” www.davidlv.com | JANUARY 2016

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Riveted & Ready

think

Levi Strauss Found Gold in a Miner’s Denim Pants By Marisa Finetti

ooking back from the 17th century to the present, denim has been woven, used and discarded; made into upholstery, pants and sun shades; worn as the fabric of hard, honest work; used to construct the sails of Columbus’ ships; and ridden horseback with American cowboys. So how did this utilitarian fabric become the stuff of legend it is today? And how did pants made from denim come to be called jeans, when they weren’t made from a fabric called jean? One very important reason can be found in the life and work of a Bavarian-born businessman, and a tailor from Nevada. At the height of the Gold Rush, the wife of a local mine laborer asked Jacob Davis, a Reno tailor, to make a pair of pants for her husband that wouldn’t fall apart. Davis, trying to think of ways to strengthen the trousers, drew inspiration from a horse blanket in his shop that had metal rivets at its points of strain. He decided to put metal rivets on the pants to see if they’d hold up. He placed the rivets on pocket corners and at the base of the button fly. Davis, fueled by local demand he was having trouble meeting, quickly decided to apply for a patent. But he needed a business partner to get the project rolling and to help foot the $68 patent application fee. He immediately thought of Levi Strauss of San Francisco, from whom he’d purchased the cloth to make the riveted pants. The founder of Levi Strauss & Co., an astute businessLevi Strauss, c1890 man himself, saw the potential for this new product and agreed to Davis’ proposal. In 1873, he and Davis obtained a U.S. patent for the process of putting rivets into men’s work pants. Soon, the first riveted clothing was being made and sold on a large scale. Within no time, the jean was a bona fide success. Who would have imagined that denim fabric, thread and a little metal would become the world’s most popular apparel? Knowing the riveted pants were going to be perfect for workwear, it’s likely that Davis and Strauss chose denim over jean fabric for its sturdier quality better suited to the rigors of manual labor.

So how did “jeans” come to mean pants made from denim? Some say the word might be from the French transliteration (“Genes”) for Genoa, a reference to the northwest Italian port city where denim pants were first made. (The word denim is thought to have derived from a French fabric known as serge de Nîmes). The other explanation is that jean and denim fabrics were both used for work-wear for many decades, and “jeans pants” was a common term for an article of clothing made from jean fabric. Levi Strauss himself imported “jeans pants” from the eastern United States to sell in California. When denim eventually supplanted jean as the more popular fabric for making workwear, “jeans” was retained as the descriptive word for the garment. Certainly, the word jeans has been used to describe any type of pant made of denim, not just the riveted, indestructible, humble workingman’s pants that Levi Strauss & Co. popularized. In any event, wearing something so quintessentially American quickly took root. And by the 1930s people were willing to pay money to experience the “traditional” cowboy lifestyle, which included wearing jeans. Denim jeans also became popular, particularly overseas, in the 1940s and 1950s when U.S. service personnel wore them while off duty. When James Dean and his adolescent cohorts favored them in Rebel Without a Cause, other young, like-minded Americans pulled their jeans on, too. And in the 1980s, the interest in jeans exploded with Calvin Klein’s marketing campaign that featured Brooke Shields. “You want to know what comes between me and my Calvin’s?” the 16-year-old asked coquettishly in 1981. “Nothing.” Today, jeans continue to epitomize classic American style. Levi’s made it effortlessly cool. Since Levi Strauss & Co. invented them in 1873, jeans have become the most recognizable and imitated clothing in the world — capturing the imagination and loyalty of people for generations. A writer for American Fabrics magazine once observed, “Denim is one of the world’s oldest fabrics, yet it remains eternally young.” That’s as true in 2016 as it’s ever been.

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Worn bygenerations and defining style for decades, leviâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 501ÂŽ jeans have been a canvas for self-expression

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Miners were among the first customers for the new, riveted workwear, which debuted in 1873. These hardy fellows are at the La Grange Mine in California, posing for a photo in their dirty Levi’s® duds.

Philadelphia’s favorite son, Kurt Vile, is all about staying connected with his roots. He’s risen to fame as a renowned singer, songwriter and guitar player, but has retained his hometown sensibility in his music. Kurt’s style reflects his sentimentality more than it does his status as an indie rock icon. It’s understated and worn in. He relies on the basics— graphic tees, Levi’s® 510™ Skinny Fit jeans, and his beloved Trucker Jacket that travels with him wherever he goes. From his Philly roots to his laidback look, Kurt prefers to let his music do the talking.

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You wouldn’t know it by watching her perform, but Kavka Shishido has always been shy. Her desire to hide led to drumming—the instrument of the often overlooked. But as she grew her craft, she learned to take the spotlight. And now she’s pushing herself further through collaborations with other musicians. With this musical stretch comes a willingness to test new styles, too. All-black outfits with Levi’s® Skinny Jeans will always be her go-to. But Kavka is finding herself more and more comfortable in new looks like a worn-in, perfectly-tapered Levi’s® 501® CT jean.

Miner Trade Card The pants were made for the working men of the American West, such as miners and other laborers. This trade card was made around 1899 and was a gift with purchase for those who bought a Levi Strauss & Co. product. Trade cards were collected and pasted into scrapbooks.

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It may have been the Cold War, but Levi’s® jeans found their way to Moscow in 1959, as part of an international trade fair. Local “cowboys” dressed up in the products and the jeans were one of the most-mobbed displays at the fair.

Roots matter to Benjamin Booker. He takes Gainesville, Florida’s influence with him wherever he goes. There— in the burgeoning punk scene with strong blues elements—he found his sound and a unique style to match. Sharp yet muted, Booker always looks effortlessly cool by going back to basics. Like his favorite Levi’s® Trucker Jacket, Booker prefers things that get better with time. He wears what feels natural and plays what feels right. And no matter where around the world he tours, he stays true to his roots.

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Ryn Weaver commands attention onstage—or anywhere, really. The moment she steps into the spotlight, she is transformed. Not into someone else. Rather, into the most powerful version of herself. Ryn’s selfdescribed “playfully chic” style reflects that transformation. Offstage, her go-to outfit is black Levi’s® Skinny jeans with a tucked-in shirt. But onstage those same slimming skinnies get stepped up with a flowing top, leather jacket and statement hat. She takes cues from her older rock idols to create this dramatic look. At the end of the day, though, it’s all Ryn.

Women loved denim in the 1930s West. These cowgirls, representing a California rodeo, proudly sport their Levi’s® jeans.

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think

Punching

Back

Sparring with Parkinson’s Disease to Take Back Control. By Ruth Furman

hen you think of boxing, who comes to mind? Marciano? Mayweather? Probably not a Parkinson’s patient. But new advancements show that individuals afflicted with this progressive disorder of the nervous system, marked by a decline in the brain’s production of the neurotransmitter dopamine, can box their way to an improved quality of life.

That’s right. Boxing. But not in a “take your corner” and stumble to your cut man kind of way. This kind of boxing is more therapy than body shots, and it doesn’t involve hitting below the belt — or anywhere else for that matter. Moderate boxing therapy — nonimpact boxing — typically involves working with hanging bags, primarily to engage patients in an enjoyable activity while safely

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Left: Rock Steady boxing program participants and trainers. Above: Sparring with boxing legend Richard Steele and Jennifer Nash, Rehabilitation Manager at Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center

increasing their heart rates. Improved balance and eye-hand-foot coordination often result. “There’s really no medication for eye-hand coordination,” says Dr. Ryan R. Walsh, Lee Pascal Parkinson’s Disease Scholar and director of the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Program at Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. “Boxing gets patients going in a coordinated fashion and challenges their stability.” Boxing therapy can empower patients, he says, as they gain the confidence to help themselves in ways medicine can’t. Because boxing therapy knows no age limit, and can even be done while seated, it’s a worthy option for many Parkinson’s patients. As with any therapy, patients should check with their doctors before starting a boxing program. Walsh calls this buzz-worthy patient activity “one more piece of the physical therapy puzzle,” and one that can provide social benefits as well. “Boxing puts some of the patients I know in a better mood, and it can even help with cognition,” he says. Jennifer Nash is manager of Rehabilitation Services at Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas. She says many clinic patients being treated for progressive neurological disorders enjoy boxing therapy.

“We make it fun,” she says. “No one likes to do anything that they hate. Knowing it’s good for you will not make it easier or more enjoyable to do, so we like to emphasize the fun part as well as being functional with fitness.” Boxing, or any physical activity, can be beneficial to anyone, particularly as we age and confront a higher risk for falling. “Boxing specifically improves balance and stability on all forms of motion,” Nash says. Physical therapy is a great place to start, Nash says, especially for those afraid of falling or fearful of going to a gym because of a limited ability to walk or move around. “We want to get people strong enough to enjoy exercise classes,” she adds. Larry Katz has Parkinson’s and takes classes at the Lou Ruvo Center, as well as a stretching class at Las Ventanas. The Las Vegas resident, now in his 70s, particularly enjoys his weekly Rock Steady boxing classes at Richard Steele’s gym in North Las Vegas – a program Lou Ruvo Center staffers recommended. Katz says he has always enjoyed the “Rocky” movies, but never pulled on the gloves himself until recently. “I like the benefits of boxing,” he adds, “and I like the people who run the gym. When you have a disease, it’s like a full-time job. The variety and the type of www.davidlv.com | JANUARY 2016

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exercise really helps me from progressively getting worse.’ Katz, who sometimes uses a cane for balance, has become a celebrity of sorts in his neighborhood because of the improvements others have seen in him since he started boxing. In his classes, which he attends with a friend, Katz begins by stretching. He then rides a bike, hits the obstacle course, heads for the speed or punching bags and does some ring work. “I enjoy my boxing classes,” he says, “because I am with people in a similar situation. It is good for coordination, and keeps me from getting worse. It’s also great camaraderie. People see me and tell me how well I’m doing. They saw how bad I was before. I feel that I’m doing what I can to maintain a decent lifestyle until they come up with a (Parkinson’s) cure.” Townsend Carter co-owns and is co-founder of the DopaMind Boxing & Cycling Inc. The nonprofit program is designed to help in the fight against Parkinson’s more aggressive symptoms, including an altered gait, rigidity, and balance and muscle activation issues, to name a few. He says boxing therapy has grown in popularity, as the sport’s bad rap has lessened over the years. “Once researchers took a more detailed look into the sport of boxing,” Carter says, “they were able to find the correlation between Parkinson’s and boxing fundamentals. To learn to box, you start small and build up — like learning how to walk.” He applies that same approach with the patients he trains. “We take the fighter inside and bring them back out one step at a time.” Like Walsh, Carter appreciates boxing therapy for the social benefits it provides. He focuses on the therapeutic gamut, everything from boxing, conditioning, strength training, stretching and other techniques, in his quest to help attenuate some of Parkinson’s ad-

Carter Townsend of DopaMind Boxing & Cycling works with a client.

Larry Katz during a Standing Class at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health

vanced symptoms. “Through the utilization of boxing,” Carter says, “we are able to improve symptoms such as (impaired) gait, rigidity, (poor) hand-eye coordination, reflexes and proprioception – the patient’s ability to sense stimuli arising within the body regarding position, motion and equilibrium. Carter says he has seen some of his clients go from being unable to walk to being capable of jogging the length of his facility. Tyler Meyers of ATI Physical Therapy says boxing can be considered for those who’ve had strokes or are battling Parkinson’s. “While I have not personally recommended boxing as a form of exercise for patients with Parkinson’s disease,” the physical therapist says, “in my opinion it would be great to improve coordination and balance. I think it can also be beneficial psychologically: the patient may surprise themselves, (by) being able to do something they first didn’t think was possible.” Meyers is a proponent of any exercise regimen. “However, boxing is beneficial in the sense that much of the training would involve high intensity interval training, which is great for overall fitness in general.” But there are caveats, he says, especially if the patient is sparring with a live partner. “Anyone interested in boxing should consult their physical therapist, who can help them determine their limits,” Meyers adds. Matt Nussbaum lives in New Orleans and manages Le Boxeur Gym. He’s also co-owner/developer of Flex Mitt. He calls mitt work fun. “You feel like you’re fighting, but you’re not getting hit. You’re testing your reaction time against those of the trainer,” he says, “and it’s something you can definitely get better at over time.” Those new to boxing, he says, should be aware of how they are burning energy and how they are breathing. And, Nussbaum cautions, “You can injure yourself by hitting a heavy bag hard without

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proper technique. Get in there and spar with responsible trainers. Good boxers never have to use their power to give you a great workout inside the ring, so the chances of injury are nil. Sparring is super-challenging mentally and physically, and you can do it at any age. Just take your time and have fun with it.” Stephanie Sarell is with Sarell Case Management of South Bend, Ind. She works closely with many seniors, including those with mobility issues. “Many older adults don’t consider fitness until they get a diagnosis, or they are required to have physical therapy. For people who have movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s, balance is a challenge. “Often their muscles are fatigued from the start of the workout because the disease causes tremors,” she says. “Once we begin and focus on working out, the movements get more fluid and a successful workout happens. “The result of exercising daily, walking daily — with or without a supportive device — and building muscle is (gaining) control over muscles that don’t want to do what they are supposed to do. There is a reduction in locked muscles and a gain in flexibility. These are essential to continue to walk, stand, sit, lie down and get back up. These simple exercises and improvement on balance help people complete their activities of daily living without assistance, or as much assistance, which equals independence,” she says. As demand increases, more area gyms and studios are adding boxing programs and regimens geared to seniors. Luke Hoffman, owner of Evolution Yoga in Henderson, says boxing-type workouts are increasingly popular for all ages. “Combining a great upper body workout, with the opportunity to get out and interact with others, has healing effects,” he says. “Boxing builds strength and builds confidence, which is ideal for seniors and those battling illnesses. It is important that seniors feel involved in life.”

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Jennifer Nash, Rehabilitation Manager at Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center poses with Richard Steele www.davidlv.com | JANUARY 2016

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grill

Garry Goett

CEO of Olympia Cos. & developer of Skye Canyon Garry Goett foresaw a national and local trend: an increased interest in the active outdoor lifestyle. As president and CEO of Olympia Cos., and developer of Southern Highlands, he decided it was time to step away from the traditional master-planned development model to offer residents a home, a community and a lifestyle – not just a house. His vision and Olympia’s latest venture is Skye Canyon. The 1,700-acre, master-planned community in northwest Las Vegas, south of Kyle Canyon Road, is touted as the “base camp” for the great outdoors. DAVID: What led you to your career in real estate development? GOETT: I received my undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Calgary and went on to get a law degree from the University of Toronto. After practicing corporate law for 12 years, I began to develop a growing interest in real estate development. I ended up leaving my law practice and working on a variety of smaller, innovative real estate projects in Las Vegas, which eventually led me to work on projects of a larger scale with master-planned community development. DAVID: Why is healthy outdoor living the center of your new community Skye Canyon? Is this a trend in Las Vegas? GOETT: After our success with Southern Highlands, we saw trends emerging in our local market in terms of lifestyle preferences that included a surge in outdoor recreation participation and people prioritizing fitness and well-being. According to the Outdoor Industry Association, 57 percent of Nevada residents are outdoor enthusiasts. Las Vegas has become a mecca for sports like climbing, cycling and running, and the population who enjoys those activities has been growing steadily. Take the growing number of outdoor-centric retailers, yoga studios, cycling teams and climbing gyms that have popped up all over the Valley in the last five to 10 years. It’s also no surprise that the ‘fit’ lifestyle trend has been increasing, and people are demanding amenities like gyms and outdoor recreational opportunities near their homes. When we started planning Skye Canyon, we saw it as an opportunity to create a community centered on healthy community living for the growing population of homebuyers who wanted their community to cater to their active lifestyle choices. However, everyone’s idea of being an outdoor or a fit person can vary. Some choose to take a walk through the park to stay active,

while others choose to cycle uphill for miles. We designed Skye Canyon to accommodate everyone’s lifestyle needs, no matter their age, level of fitness or how they choose to experience the great outdoors. DAVID: What are some of the healthy lifestyle amenities that Skye Canyon offers? GOETT: At Southern Highlands we created Southern Highlands Golf Course, the centerpiece for the 2,700-acre master plan. For Skye Canyon, we created the next generation master-planned community, where the idea of leading a healthy and active lifestyle directs a lot of our choices in terms of outdoor amenities and activities. Skye Canyon’s onsite amenities include Skye Canyon Park, which houses our community hub, Skye Center, and our fitness facility, Skye Fitness. Both are opening in March 2016. The 8,200-square-foot contemporary rustic Skye Center includes a coffee bar, open-air cantina and wine bar, outdoor patio, fireplace and fire pits, as well as interactive home-finding tools. Skye Fitness is a 10,000-square-foot fitness facility, including state-of-the-art equipment, a juice bar, a yoga room and a junior Olympic swimming pool. Skye Canyon’s amenities also include designated bike lanes on all major streets, an extensive network of hiking and biking trails and community parks in every neighborhood. DAVID: Skye Canyon is near Kyle and Lee canyons. How is this location benefiting residents? GOETT: Skye Canyon is taking the idea of amenities a step further by adding more residential benefits that support a healthy and active lifestyle. The community is 20 minutes from downtown Las Vegas, and 20 minutes from Lee Canyon Road, which puts us in the optimal location for the best of both worlds. To further explore these nearby outdoor recreation opportunities, we established a partnership with Lee Canyon. Residents of Skye Canyon receive a “Skye Pass” that allows them to take advantage of special pricing on Lee Canyon’s lift tickets, equipment rentals, ski passes and lessons, along with summer recreation benefits. For more information on Skye Canyon, visit www.SkyeCanyon.com. Pulte Homes and Woodside Homes’ models are open for viewing, and Century Communities will open its model homes on Saturday, Jan. 23. Skye Canyon’s grand opening will be in March. Details will be posted on the website, as they become available.

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