Michael Aloni, aka Akiva, to Star in "The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem"
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Michael Aloni on the set of The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem, Photo Credit Diana BletterWe last saw Michael Aloni at New York’s Central Synagogue where he had joined the cast of the breakout Israeli series Shtisel to discuss it with fans in the United States. Aloni who played Akiva, an ultra-orthodox young man searching for meaning and a spouse had become the heart throb of the Jewish community.
Now Aloni is filming a new series based on a best selling novel, The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem. The book takes place in the early 1900’s when Israel, then Palestine, was under Turkish rule. The article below was written by Israeli-based writer and friend of Scarsdale10583 Diana Bletter who was on the film set in Safed Israel and chatted with Aloni. It was first published in the Jerusalem Post.
Up in the hills of Safed, in a picturesque cobblestone alleyway, actors Michael Aloni and Swell Ariel Or stood together recently and hugged during the filming of The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem, a TV series based on Sarit Yishai-Levy’s best-selling novel. The story of the multi-generational Ermoza family, set in the early-mid 20th century, actually takes place in Jerusalem, but most of the series was filmed in Safed. The city’s ancient streets — without too many air conditioning units — make the vintage cars and costumes seem authentic.
It was a chilly, drizzly day, the 70th day of filming, with 10 more days to go. During a pause between sprinkles of rain, actors who play extras walked up the narrow alley in period costumes, passing the signs plastered on building walls in the old-fashioned font of the time, and a clothing store filled with vintage clothes. The series starts in 1917, at the time of the Ottoman Empire, and continues through Israel’s War of Independence. The day’s shooting was now during the British Mandate and a large British flag fluttered by a shop window.
Or, the series’ leading actress, dressed in her role as Luna Ermoza, (in her breakout role), walked up the street; her father in the series, Gavriel Ermoza, played by Aloni, (of Shtisel fame), ran after her. He showed Or a newspaper article and said, “I didn’t want you to see this when you were alone…” and then put his arms around her for a dramatic moment.
“CUT!” yelled the director, Oded Davidoff.
Three extras on set during a break - photo credit Diana Bletter.WELL, VIEWERS will have to wait in suspense to find out what happens until the series airs in Israel on Yes TV in early summer. There is not yet a release date for countries around the world, but Danna Stern, managing director of Yes Studios, which distributes the series, said she has “no doubt this show will be a success, and I don’t say that often.” Drama Quarterly.com just named Beauty Queen one of the top 20 shows to watch in 2021.
On the film set was Dafna Prenner, co-CEO of Artza Productions, the series’ producers. She and her partner, Shai Eines, had their eye on the novel ever since it was published in 2016 and then translated into 11 languages. Prenner said that a book that sells well in Israel might sell 10,000 copies; Levy’s novel sold 300,000, making it one of the best-selling books published in Israel in the past 20 or 30 years. The first two seasons of the series were created by Shlomo Mashiach and Ester Namdar Tamam and written by Mashiach. The series also stars Hila Saada (The Baker and the Beauty), Itzik Cohen (Fauda), and Dov Navon (Cash Register).
Prenner said that this period drama has been one of the most expensive to make in Israel. It was originally supposed to be filmed in the Ukraine but when “Corona hit,” she said, “we had to move everything to Israel,” increasing production costs another two million shekels.
There have been few shows depicting what life was like in the early 1900s, Prenner said, first in what was then Palestine and then the early days of Israel. Vintage clothes were hard to find and sometimes had to be sewn, and the makeup artist had to work hard to make sure everything from hairstyles (including metal clips) to mustaches were just right.
Aloni with stylist: Photo Credit Nati LeviThe Beauty Queen of Jerusalem is a story about members of a Sephardic family, also known as Spagnuolo Jews, because they made way to Jerusalem after Spain expelled the Jews in 1492. The Ermoza family speaks Spanish-Judeo, a dialect of Ladino, and because they have been in Jerusalem for so many generations, they feel superior to newer immigrants. According to Aloni, whose own family stretches back nine generations in Israel, the specificity of the story is what makes it appeal to international audiences.
“When you write something that’s very particular and seems provincial and personal, you can hit the hearts of people,” Aloni said in an exclusive interview between shooting scenes in Safed. When Aloni first started filming Shtisel he didn’t think anyone would even see it. “I never imagined it to be so successful,” he said. “Even the Arab world is watching the show. I know because I get messages from Arab viewers on my social media all the time.”
Aloni said that what makes this series so unique is that the politics and complexities of the time were so special. During Turkish rule, Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem worked together as merchants. The tensions started to increase during the British rule, Aloni said, and then the series focuses its tale on “Israel on its way to becoming a country.”
The director of the show, Oded Davidoff, “gives us freedom to be totally in character and own every moment,” Aloni said.
The show will have 22 episodes and each episode is an hour long. Prenner said that in Israel, the entire series is shot at the same time, unlike in the United States.
While the show is based on the novel, the series has its own story lines. Aloni said he feels that the book will work better as a series than a film because there is more opportunity to develop different plots and “add something new.” He said that when he first read the book, he cried for the last 70 pages.
During a break in the filming in a clothing shop, Or sat outside with her boyfriend in the series, Israel Ogalbo, better known as a star in Survivor and Big Brother. They said they were going to be sad when the shooting ended; since August, they have been working in the production along with more than 30 production crew members who circled the set offering hot tea and warm crepes on the cold day.
Aloni said the essence of the novel, as well as the series, is the story of a family. He cited Leo Tolstoy’s quote from the novel Anna Karenina, “All happy families resemble one another, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”
The series follows members of the Ermoza family who, Aloni said, have been cursed to live without love.
“Family is family,” Aloni said. “Life is full of choices we make that we have to live with.” He paused for another thoughtful moment and then added, “and we carry our family’s history on our shoulders and in our hearts.”
National Jewish Book Award Nominee Diana Bletter is the author of the novel, A Remarkable Kindness (HarperCollins, August 2015). Her first book, The Invisible Thread: A Portrait of Jewish American Women, (in collaboration with prize-winning photographer Lori Grinker) was nominated for a National Jewish Book Award. Her memoir, The Mom Who Took Off On Her Motorcycle, has been featured on The Jerusalem Post and www.hairpin.com. Her latest book is Big Up Yourself: It’s About Time You Like Being You.
Shop Local for Holiday Food and Gifts
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With so many spending the holidays at home, this is a good year to shop local for gifts and let local chefs, bakers and restaurants supply the fixings. See below for gifts and food sure to please everyone at your holiday celebration. Buying close to home is easy for you and helps to support our local merchants.
Bronx River Books
Get your Season’s Readings at the neighborhood bookstore. 10,832 different titles currently in store. Hundreds of thousands more available within three days by special order. In-store, curbside, and website shopping. Plus jigsaw puzzles, cultural gift items, and gift certificates.
37 Spencer Place
Scarsdale, NY 10583
914-420-6396
www.bronxriverbooks.com
Eastchester Fish Gourmet
This holiday season, let Eastchester Fish Gourmet cater your holiday celebrations. Our holiday menu includes many of the favorites from our restaurant and more... shrimp cocktail platters, parmesan encrusted cod, lobster, poached salmon platters, mini crab cakes, baked clams, paella, clam sauce and more. See the holiday menu here.
Looking for the perfect gift? Click here to order a Gift Card online - they never expire!
Eastchester Fish Gourmet
837 White Plains Road
Scarsdale, NY
(914) 725-3450
https://www.eastchesterfish.com
Current Home
Home is where the love is this holiday and Current Home has 
exactly what everyone needs to make time at home special. Current Home is the go-to destination for a large selection of games the whole family can enjoy. Othello, tic tac toe, rummy Q and backgammon are just some of the options available. Want to make game time cozy? Be sure to add in one of the fabulous throws they have available. Current Home sells monogrammed washable throws, warm wools and fabulous faux fur throws that make a favorite 
holiday gift.
1096 Wilmot Road, Scarsdale
NYC: 1189 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
www.currenthomeny.com
Eye Gallery of Scarsdale
The Eye Gallery of Scarsdale invites you to check out the latest sunglasses and eyewear for this holiday season! With new styles from Chanel, Chrome Hearts, Jacques Marie Mage, and Barton Perriera you will never run out of options for holiday gifts this year! And while you’re in town make sure to make an appointment for your annual eye check-up.
Eye Gallery of Scarsdale
8 Spencer Place
Scarsdale, NY
(914) 472-2020
https://eyegalleryscarsdale.com
Flourish Baking Company
You can find both sweet and savory selections at Flourish Baking Company this holiday season.
Known for her innovative vegetable cookery, chef/owner Diane Forley has prepared a set of all-vegetable holiday menus. For Hanukkah: Latkes with applesauce, 'Cauliflower Kasha’ Knishes, chocolate-glazed Hanukkah ‘gelt’ Donuts. For Christmas: Wintry Brussels Sprouts Chowder, Artichoke Mushroom Galette, and a festive mixed berry Eton Mess Pudding made with egg-free meringues. 
To celebrate with friends and family from a distance, FLOURISH is curating care-packs of their sweets and savories that are available for pickup or shipping: fruit and vegetable-filled buns, crumb-top coffee cakes, assorted donuts and date-sweetened chocolate truffles. Free from eggs, dairy, soy, peanuts and tree nuts, the kitchen at Flourish Baking Company is 100% plant-based, allergen friendly and vegan. Holiday menus are now up on our website and orders can be placed directly online.
Flourish Baking Company/Meringueshop
160 Summerfield St., Scarsdale, NY 10583
914-725-1026
914-356-4719
http://www.meringueshop.com
http://www.flourishbakingcompany.com
Open Monday to Friday from 9.30 to 5pm for curbside pickup.
I Am More Scarsdale
Karen Lazar Bracelets: Karen Lazar’s 14k gold-filled bracelets are versatile and can be dressed-up or dressed-down. They look amazing with a watch, bracelet, or in a stack, and they can feel both bohemian and classic. The bracelets also give women that opportunity for a quick fix—something new and shiny that you can add to your existing collection. Prices range from $45-$95. (Diamond collection $$). 10% discount offered on stacks of 5 or more bracelets.
Evolg Gloves: No More Cold Fingers While Texting! Our EVOLG Glove collection, all touch screen capable, is the perfect gift this holiday season.
$44-$150
I Am More Scarsdale is a unique women’s retail boutique in Scarsdale Village, featuring the hottest new trends in fashion, accessories and jewelry.
I Am More Scarsdale
6 Spencer Place, Scarsdale
914-723-6673 (MORE)
www.iammorescarsdale.com
Eye Q Optometrist
Eye Q Optometrist is celebrating the holidays by offering some great gift ideas for your friends and families. One of their great Opticians can help you choose a great pair of designer Sunglasses from Gucci, Celine, Maui Jim, Oliver Peoples, Garrett Leight, Ray-Ban plus more. Eye Q also has great stocking stuffers, including Anti-fog wipes, eyeglass cases with great designs, eyeglass chains, and gift cards.
Another great idea is an OYO Box, a beautifully laminated eyewear box that can hold an eyewear collection. Stop in anytime at 1098 Wilmot Road, right in the Golden Horseshoe Shopping Center.
Eye Q Optometrist
1098 Wilmot Road
Golden Horseshoe Shopping Center
Scarsdale, New York
914-472-5932
https://www.eyeqdr.com
Scent Fluence Aroma Design Studio
Experience the influencing power of scent! Find the perfect scent for your home or space.
- Explore our curated library of over 65 exclusive scents
- Try our innovative line of scent diffusion systems
- Need a great holiday gift? Select from a range of fragrant gift giving items including;
Gift sets, Candles, Soaps, Scented Hand Sanitizers, Scent games for the whole family
- Ask about our exclusive Custom Scent Salon
Scent Fluence Aroma Design Studio
22 Harwood Court, Scarsdale
914-338-5070
Open Tues-Sat 10am-5pm
https://www.scentfluence.com
Stretchlab
Give your friend or loved one the gift of movement this holiday season, with a gift card from
Stretchlab Scarsdale. We offer 25 and 50-minute stretches to improve your flexibility, mobility, range of motion and more. That's something everyone could all use right now, after being stuck at home for so long. We adhere to strict Covid safety protocols, so you can feel relaxed while your highly-trained flexologist works on you. Mention 'Gift Guide' and get a special deal on a 5-pack of stretches that will have the person you give it to calling it the 'Best...Gift...Ever'. Stop by, call, or email to get your gift.
Stretchlab Scarsdale
1136 Wilmot Road in the Golden Horseshoe
914-574-4723
https://www.stretchlab.com
Rothmans
Rothmans, a unique family-owned and operated men’s clothing store offers the best of the best in men’s clothing, sportswear, shoes and accessories in terms of style and value. They have great gifts in store for all the men in your life. For this season, they recommend this black softwear hoodie, a Rothman’s exclusive, luxury Hestra gloves from Sweden and ultra-soft shirts from Faherty Brand. Call and they’ll be 
happy to deliver to your home. Check out their holiday gifts here or stop by the store to shop in person.
Rothmans Scarsdale
1 Boniface Circle
Scarsdale
(914) 713-0300
Open seven days a week
www.rothmansny.com
Standing Room Only
Let Standing Room Only cater your Hannukah or Christmas dinner. They have a sumptuous holiday menu with all your favorites including potato latkes (miniature and large), sweet potato latkes, zucchini latkes and applesauce. For entrees there is brisket, noodle pudding and charred brussel sprouts. And don’t forget the miniature chocolate chunk cookies for dessert.
For Christmas, order tenderloin of beef in a red wine reduction, brined breast of turkey
potato galette, marinated/grilled long stemmed artichokes and carrot souffle. And don’t forget our Holiday Sweet Basket including 48 pieces of spritz cookies, brownies, meringues and silver stars.
Click here to find their daily and Hannukah menus and call (914) 472-3002 three days in advance to place your order. Pick it up at:
Standing Room Only
1491 Weaver Street
Scarsdale
Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
https://www.srofinefoods.com
Send Your Letters to Santa
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Santa will be making his way through Scarsdale to pick up letters from Scarsdale children. Beginning Monday, November 23rd, Santa's mailboxes will be located by the Chase Bank on East Parkway, the Post Office on Chase Road, in front of Metro Deli on Palmer Avenue and in front of the Scarsdale Village Hall! Santa is looking forward to receiving your letters!
The deadline for submitting letters is Sunday, December 13, 2020.
Business News: Restaurants and Bars Must Close at 10:00 p.m., Support Local Business by Purchasing Raffle Tickets
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Bars, restaurants and gyms or fitness centers, as well as any State Liquor Authority-licensed establishment, are now required to close from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. daily. Restaurants will still be allowed to provide curbside, food-only pick-up or delivery after 10:00 p.m., but will not be permitted to serve alcohol to go. The State Liquor Authority will issue further guidance for licensees as to what sales are continued to be permitted.
The Governor also announced that indoor and outdoor gatherings at private residences will be limited to no more than 10 people. The limit will be implemented due to the recent prevalence of COVID spread resulting from small indoor gatherings including Halloween parties. These gatherings have become a major cause of cluster activity across the state. Further, this public health measure brings New York State in line with neighboring states including Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. This new rule is also effective Friday November 13, 2020 at 10:00 p.m.
Scarsdale Business Alliance announces its Holiday Shop & Dine the ‘Dale Raffle line-up from over 50 Scarsdale merchants.
The Scarsdale Business Alliance (SBA) Holiday Shop & Dine the ‘Dale initiative is currently running now through December 31st. During this time, Village businesses are each running their own promotions, offering a variety of sales and special holiday items. By choosing to shop and dine locally, you are investing in our neighborhood and strengthening our community.
A central part of this campaign is the SBA Holiday Raffle, where over 50 local businesses have donated gift cards and items to be raffled off throughout the holiday season. Raffle drawings will begin on Friday, December 4th at this year’s Scarsdale Village “Virtual Light the ‘Dale Event,” and will continue throughout the month. These raffle items are a fabulous way for the merchants to say thank you to our community for their support throughout the pandemic, and also a way to encourage people to continue to shop local.
Raffle tickets are available for purchase for $10 each on the SBA’s website with a package of 6 for $50. Additionally, people can purchase raffle tickets by accessing the scan code located on posters throughout each of Scarsdale’s retail hubs.
This year more than ever, Scarsdale brick and mortar businesses need your support. Due to the global pandemic, certain safety measures will be followed, such as social distancing, mask requirements, and density restrictions. Just like the rest of the country, Scarsdale is expanding the concept of Black Friday to cover the entire period between Thanksgiving and Christmas, as sales will occur over a longer period of time in order to reduce overcrowding. Scarsdale merchants used a similar approach when they expanded the normal 3-day sidewalk sale to a weeklong event.
The SBA has also been shepherding the Mask the ‘Dale Campaign. You can see the signs in each of its 
storefronts throughout the Village, promoting mask-wearing while shopping.
The SBA is grateful for the partnership they have with Scarsdale Village officials to help its businesses follow Covid restrictions. They continue to work diligently to reimagine outdoor usage of space and have amended town codes to allow display of wares and safe outdoor dining.
The SBA is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the Village of Scarsdale and its local businesses. Like all other businesses, the SBA suffered financially this year as well. Many merchant members were unable to pay their annual dues, and free provisional memberships were given to all 10583 businesses in order for the SBA to offer its assistance and services to its local businesses. In addition, the Scarsdale Music Festival, the SBA’s largest fundraising event, was cancelled.
Please consider supporting the SBA with your purchase of raffle tickets. Proceeds from the raffle sale will support the Scarsdale Business Alliance and all of its members.
Raffle Item Donors: Akai Lounge, BLVD, Bronx River Books, Cheryl’s closet, Club Pilates Scarsdale, Current Home, Equinox, Eye Gallery, Eye Q Optometrist, Flourish Baking Company, Great Stuff, Greenwich Medical Spa, Haagen-Dazs, Holsten Jewelers, I Am More Scarsdale, Jewels by Joanne, Julius Michael Scarsdale Hair Salon, La Dentelliere, La Renaissance Bakery, Learning Express Toys, Lulu Cake Boutique, Madelyn Jordon Fine Art, Mariachi Loco ll, Meritage, Mixology, Orangetheory Fitness Scarsdale, Pamela Robbins, Pampered Chef, Parkway Cafe, PixieLane Elanit, PLUSHBLOW, Popojito, Rothmans, Repertoire Dance Shop, Rudy's Music, Sapori, Scarsdale Acupuncture, Scarsdale Flower Boutique, Scarsdale Integrative Medicine, Scarsdale Pilates, Scarsdale Prep, Scarsdale Woman's Exchange, Scent Fluence, Stretchlab Scarsdale, The 808 Bistro, The Dark Horse, The Shade Store, Village Computer Shop, Wilson & Son Jewelers, Yeomiji, Zachys.
Post Peak (Foliage and Election) Glories
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Where were you when they called the election on Saturday November 9? Scarsdale photographer extraordinaire Michael Chayes was hiking around Rockefeller Preserve in Pleasantville enjoying summer temperatures, dramatic vistas and the end of fall foliage. He forwarded these stunning photos. If you have some pictures of your weekend happenings to share , email them to scarsdalecomments@gmail.com.
Yellow
Tree
Reflections
Linda Hillman Chayes and Dan ChayesPhotos: Michael Chayes: Follow Chayes on Instagram at michaelchayesphoto.
Headline: Linda Hillman Chayes
