MENS’ CLUB BY PAUL NETTLER Photo by Stephen Vrattos Wow! The North Shore Towers Men’s Club has talent. Karaoke Night last April 13 was a huge success. The large cardroom was almost filled. Thanks to the performance of Russell Craig, our host, the night was filled with lots of toe tapping and finger snapping. If there weren’t carpeting on the floor, there might have been Lindying too, but then we would have had to have an orthopedist on call. Craig is well known on the Karaoke circuit and claims to have 400,000 songs in his repertoire. As you know, Karaoke is an audience participation event. People pick a song they would like to sing and the words and music appear on a screen. Poor Craig. The audience was a bit shy, so he and his mom, Joan, had to pull extra duty. But not everyone was shy. Murray Levine sang great renditions of “My Way” and “I Believe.” He got a standing ovation. Gary Zemser sang “King of The Road” which was perfect for his gravelly voice, and was joined by his wife, Sandy, in singing some songs from “Fiddler.” The audience energetically participated in a group sing of “Sweet Caroline,” complete with arm waving, and “Delilah.” And the best part of the evening was that almost everyone left smiling or humming. Thanks, Craig. You sure know how to put on a show. Good luck at Carnegie Hall on July 15. The speaker at our next meeting on May 11 will be Saul Silas Fachi who has addressed us in the past. This time his topic is titled “Great Women in World History.” No gentlemen, it’s not about your wives or significant others. Among those touched upon are Sarah (Abraham’s wife), Joan of Arc and Indira Gandhi. Saul has had a most interesting life. He was born into a prominent Jewish family in Iraq. At age 10, he and his younger brother were smuggled out of Baghdad and eventually reached Israel. He served in both the Israeli Air Force and the U.S. Army. Guests are welcome with a $5.00 fee payable at the door. The April Meeting of the Men’s Club Current Events Group covered a wide range of topics from the possibility of war with Russia to the chances of Mayor DiBlasio being re-elected. Gary Darth was our leader. The first item on our agenda was the missile strike on a Syrian air base in response to the country’s gas attack. Generally, the group thought the attack was justified, but the question remains: Is Putin testing Trump and where do we go from here? Interestingly, it was pointed out that when a similar event had occurred in the past President Obama had asked whether we should attack Styria and Congress voted “no.” A related topic is our involvement with NATO where we are pledged to go to the aid of any member nation which is attacked. Several of these nations are on Russia’s border, as are the Baltic countries, or are under Russia’s sphere of influence such as Bulgaria and Albania. Could Russia’s grand plan include annexing these countries? This seems evident in The Ukraine and Crimea (Think of Nazi Germany in the 1930s), which brings to mind George Santayana’s famous quote “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” That topic segued into a discussion of home grown terrorism versus those acts by foreigners. There were also some wide-ranging discussions on such varied topics as passing a law in Israel that would ban anyone active in supporting BDS (Boycott, Disinvestment and Sanctions)— even Jews—from Israel; whether independent countries be created for the Kurds and the Basques; the machinations of the New York State Legislature; and two years of free tuition for public college students. There was little enthusiasm either pro or con regarding Mayor Di Blassio’s re-election. It seems to depend on who is running against him. In closing, Gary noted that Congress was considering changing the name “Social Security Act” to “The Federal Benefit Payment Act.” Is a stage being set? The next meeting of the Current Events Group will be on May 8th at 10:30 a.m. in the Coleridge Lounge. For information, contact Larry Darche at 718-225-3060. The next meeting of the Book Group will be on May 22 at 10:30 a.m., at which the book for the following month’s meeting will be decided. For information, contact Ralph Edwards at 347-235-0472. For those of us who need help understanding our cell phones, on May 2 and 9 at 10:30 a.m., there will be tutorials at the Apple Store in Manhasset. To sign up, contact Art Rose at 917-301-2689. Space is limited. On May 25, we are having a dinner for members and guests at LaBaraka on Northern Boulevard in Little Neck. To make a reservation, contact Jack Savita at 718-631-0028. And don’t forget Bingo in the large card room on Sunday May 28th at 7:30 p.m. Save the Date. On Thursday, June 8 at 7:30 p.m. at Towers on the Green, the UJA Federation of New York and our Men’s Club invite you to a conversation with former New York Yankee Ron Blomberg. Hear his personal story and the bigotry he faced as the first Jewish member of the Yankees. Space is limited. Please RSVP by June 2 to Sherri Candel at 516-762-5896 or to [email protected]. Other events in the planning stage include a trip to Atlantic City or Mohegan Sun, trips to the North Fork vineyards, the Holocaust Museum in Glen Cove, MOMA, and a Met game. On a different note, we are still open for breakfast at Buffy’s at 9:15 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It’s a great way to meet new members and for them to meet us on an informal basis. If you would like to talk to our President, Arnie Rabinowitz, his number is 516-317- 6705. If you would like to talk to our Events Committee Chairman, Jerry Siegel, his number is 347-235-4513. If you would like to join our Men’s Club, please call Joe Digiovanni at 516-965-9225. Gary Zemser (left) and Karaoke Host Russell Craig 24 NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER ¢ May 2017
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