GROWTH: ARTS AND CULTURE
Since the early years of the 20th century, when Dr. Philip Phillips opened his home on Lake Lucerne to cultural groups and then built a theater on Pine Street and Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando, Jews have played an active role in Central Florida’s arts and culture. They have enhanced the area with their own talents and creativity as performing and visual artists. They have also provided generous support for the organizations and venues that deliver art and culture to the public. Here, you will see a representation of the many talented artists in the Jewish community who continuously enrich the City Beautiful.
Stuart Omans, founder of the Orlando Shakespeare Theater (OST), at the original site of the amphitheater at Lake Eola, 1989.
Omans took a temporary leave as chair of the University of Central Florida English department in 1987 to “bring Shakespeare to the kind of people the playwright reached in his own time.” Disney World and the City of Orlando built the amphitheater at Lake Eola for the annual performances. Omans served as the OST’s founding director from 1989 to 1994. Now retired from UCF as professor emeritus, he and his artist wife Jan split their time between Winter Park and rural North Carolina. The OST is now housed in the Lowndes Shakespeare Center in Loch Haven Park.
Collections of the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU, originated by Marcia Jo Zerivitz, LHD, Founding Executive Director
Marilyn and Sig Goldman in front of the Suzy K. Edwards mosaic at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center, 2008.
The Goldmans have been magnanimous supporters of the arts including the Orlando Shakespeare Theater (OST) and Mad Cow Theatre. Marilyn is a member of both the President’s Circle of United Arts (along with her son Steve) and a member of the Platinum Circle. She and her late husband Sig were honored for their contribution to the OST by having one of three theaters named for them. The mosaics of Shakespeare and scenes on the exterior façade were designed by Jewish artist Suzy Kimelman, formerly of Orlando.
Orlando Shakespeare Theater
Lester and Sonia Mandell at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center (LSC), 2008.
The Mandells are members of the President’s Circle of United Arts and have a theater named in their honor at the LSC. Walk into the lobby of the Lowndes, and you will see the Lester and Sonia Mandell Studio Theater, to the left, and the Marilyn and Sig Goldman Theater across to the right. Walk through the lobby, pass the Dr. Phillips Patrons Room and you will come to the concession area—named “Harriett’s Bar,” in large letters, for Harriett Lake, who also is presenting sponsor of Orlando Shakespeare Theater’s annual new play festival.
Orlando Shakespeare Theater
Architect Alan Helman (second from right, inset) joins others involved in the construction of the Astronaut Memorial Foundation’s Space Mirror Memorial, Kennedy Space Center, (background) dedicated May 9, 1991.
Alan Helman was national chairman of the Astronaut Memorial Foundation design competition. Others who worked on the project were L-R: Randy Berridge, Bob McGinnis, and David Walsh. Helman is a founding partner of the Maitland based architectural firm of Helman Hurley Charvat Peacock. For over 40 years, the firm has designed buildings all over the world. A sampling of their local commissions includes Epcot American Adventure Pavilion, Lynx Central Station, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando Science Center, Rosen College of Hospitality Management, and the Rosen JCC of Southwest Orlando.
Alan Helman
Carol Stein performs the “Moonlight Magic Cabaret” at the Winter Park Playhouse, 2014.
Pianist, vocalist and composer Carol Stein spreads musical joy throughout Central Florida, from commercial gigs at Disney’s Pleasure Island, where she entertained for eighteen years, to Jewish communal organizations, including the Jewish Pavilion, where she was honored in 2016. She says “Music is my way of changing the world, one note at a time! Inspiring a child, bringing a smile to a senior citizen who may be feeling sad or alone, or just bringing happiness to people with music is what I love doing most!” Her husband, Lee Wolfson, a ventriloquist, has been president of the Florida Ventriloquist Association.
Carol Stein, photo by Lee Wolfson
Rachel Heimovics Braun displays some publications she edited or authored, 2016.
When she arrived in Central Florida in 1984, Rachel’s first writing assignment was scripting a video to instruct volunteers for a Super Sunday Federation campaign. She often combines her professional editorial skills with her interest in American and local Jewish history. Former president of the Chicago and the Southern Jewish Historical Societies, she was the founding managing editor, in 1998, of Southern Jewish History, the annual journal of the Southern Jewish Historical Society. In 2014, upon her retiring from the journal, the SJHS bestowed upon her the Saul Viener Award for Outstanding Service in the Field of Southern Jewish History.
Photo by Roz Ettinger Fuchs
The celebratory show, Jews in Jazz, presented at the Roth Family JCC, April 21, 2012.
The show was organized by Michael Kramer, a keyboard artist who is very active in the local jazz scene and who often performs with his son, Ben, a bassist. The Seminole Cultural Arts Council named Michael the 2010 Artist of the Year. Central Florida has had many Jewish jazz musicians including the late Sid Weinberg, saxophonist and long-time president of the Central Florida Jazz Society; the late George Yonni Sherzer, composer, pianist and vocalist; Carol Stein, composer, pianist, and vocalist; Howard Herman, pianist; Gloria Yousha, singer; Paul Stenzler, bandleader; and Alan Rock, jazz instrumentalist and broadcaster.
Michael Kramer
Joanne Fink with some of her publications, 2016.
Joanne Fink loves to draw and letter to inspire herself and others. For over 30 years she has developed products for the gift, stationery, craft and faith-based industries. What gives her the most pride? “I’d have to say founding Zenspirations, which is both an art form and spiritual practice.” A passionate advocate for artists’ rights, Joanne has a long history of community service. She has contributed her talents to countless causes in the local Jewish community. “I think my biggest contribution . . . has been the gift of building community through art.”
Joanne Fink
Matitiahu Braun performs the theme from Schindler’s List, Oviedo, 2011.
Israeli-born violinist Mati Braun spent 38 years with the New York Philharmonic. Upon retiring in 2006, he moved to Central Florida. He performs throughout the area as a recitalist and teaches violin, viola and chamber music. His most recent CD, Voices of Time: Works for Solo Violin and Solo Viola (MSR) has been called “veritable master classes in both violin and viola” by Phil’s Classical Reviews, and Howard Goldstein of BBC Music Magazine called it “one of the most memorable collections of string playing I’ve heard in a long time.” Rachel
Heimovics Braun
Eric Jacobsen conducts the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, 2016.
When Eric Jacobsen was named the primary conductor and music director of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra in 2015, he became the third Jewish orchestra conductor/music director in Central Florida. He was preceded by Hermann Herz (1967 to 1970) and Sidney Rothstein (1982 to 1986), as principal conductors of the predecessor Florida Symphony Orchestra (FSO). In 1979, violinist Arthur Tabachnick and his wife cellist Shirley Tabachnick became the FSO concert master and principal cellist. She retired from the orchestra in 1988 and he retired in 1990.
Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra