Today's Entertainment Schmooze For Jews

Anyone remember Entertainment News and Views?

It was a local publication with news and notes, mostly catered to the older condo crowd of Hallandale, Aventura and Broward.

We called it "entertainment schmooze for Jews."

I got thinking about that rag after hearing this great NPR report on the demise of the classic Jewish Deli. As noted here, it's tied to a book called Save the Deli, which comes out October 18th.

The author David Sax defines it pretty nicely:

"A Jewish deli should specialize in, first and foremost, Yiddish foods — the foods of the Eastern European Ashkenazi Jews. So if it's a place that specializes in pizza or chicken wings or diner food, and then does a corned beef sandwich on the side, it's not a Jewish delicatessen," he says. "There are many places that serve corned beef and pastrami sandwiches — from Subway to the supermarket — and they don't factor into this at all."

Boy I remember when South Florida had a surfeit of great delis, from Pumpernick's to Wolfie's to Corky's to Rascal House and on and on.

There were also cafeterias like Dubrow's, Hoffman's etc.

What's left? Roasters & Toasters (which isn't bad), I think The Original Pastrami Club up in Lauderhill, Grunberg's downtown. I don't know if Deli Lane or Jerry's Famous even count, but they're there I guess.

Do bagel places that also serve deli qualify? Then you have Bagel Emporium, Sage, Bagel Cove, Bagel Bar, Moe's in Aventura etc.

Oy what'd I give for a good kishke and a nice bread basket.

Here's the rest of the news and notes for you altacockers still reading this:

Judge Scott Silverman had a excellent fundraiser last night, and there's a law library gala you should all attend tonight.

There, I'm done.

Sheesh, how'd I get so sentimental this morning?

Good things are worth preserving, I guess.

In The 1920s, Could You "Text Message" The Ice Deliveryman?

I know how much Judge Silverman loves to preserve and celebrate our heritage, particularly as it relates to the courts and our rich South Florida judicial history.

So he would know for sure, but I'm fairly certain that in the old days you could not text message your boss from the witness stand about your testimony:

While the judge and attorneys conferred, a courtroom spectator passed a note to a defense attorney saying the witness, Sky Development chief operating officer Gavin Sussman, appeared to be text-messaging Sky chief executive Yizhak Toledano at the plaintiff table.

Vistaview attorney William Petros, a partner at Coral Gables-based Petros & Elegant, said the incident occurred while the judge and lawyers for both sides met at the bench on the third day of trial.

Petros asked for another sidebar and relayed his suspicions. The judge asked Sussman if he’d been text-messaging, and he admitted he and Toledano texted twice about Sussman’s testimony, Petros said.

One message from Toledano to Sussman said: “We never filed a lawsuit against seller. These people developed the site 40 years ago, in 40 years and know every corner.” It wasn’t clear from a transcript who sent the second text saying, “We maybe got this document after Sept. 7 when the bank discovered the problem.”

Petros asked for a mistrial, which the judge granted.

Before that, Silverman had engaged in a heated exchange with Toledano. “Let me be really frank about this,” the judge said. “I never had this happen before. This is completely outrageous, absolutely outrageous.” Toledano responded, “It was on a break.” Silverman shot back: “It doesn’t matter. You are communicating about the case and the subject matter of the case with a witness who is currently under oath and before the jury,” Toledano said, “I’m sorry, after we took the break, it’s not in the middle.”

The judge explained himself again.

“It’s a problem on your communicating with the witness about his testimony whether it’s before the break, after the break and during the break while he’s testifying,” he said. “This is outrageous.”

A basic trial rule prevents people on the witness stand from communicating with anyone about their testimony during recesses or other breaks.

When the judge asked about the texts, Petros took Sussman’s phone to read them, and they exchanged sharp words over whether Petros snatched the phone. The bailiff threatened to call police and said “someone is going to get arrested if there’s no order in this court,” the transcript said.

Outside court, Petros repeated his objections to the electronic exchange.

“Texting in this manner is no different than being wired and having someone talk in your ear,” he said. “It was a fraud on the justice system. This case in my view is an intentional interference with the judicial process, and an act like that infringes on the ability of the court and the judicial system to operate fairly and impartially.”

He contends the texting warrants dismissal of the case and plans to file a motion.

Bill, instead of filing the motion, you can have one of your kids text message it to HarveyRuvin92435, and that way you can also vote for Kris Allen in the American Idol finale.

I tell you, Harvey has really done wonders with the electronic filing system.

Thank You Judge Silverman; Florida Legislature, Not So Much.

Well it was a good and bad day yesterday for our local court system.

On the good side, anyone else attend the rousing and inspirational dedication of historic Courtroom 6-1? It looks great:

The carved wood doors leading to Miami-Dade's newly renovated historic Courtroom 6-1 swung open Thursday, giving spectators a glimpse at its restored 1928 grandeur.

More than 200 spectators filed inside for the afternoon unveiling and dedication of the courtroom, which once again looks just like it did 80 years ago when the Miami-Dade County Courthouse opened for legal business at 73 W. Flagler St.

The $650,000 restoration of the spacious courtroom, which took eight months, is a natural move in preserving local legal history.

''No other courtroom in Miami-Dade has hosted as many historic cases as this one,'' said Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Scott Silverman, who led the push for the restoration and heads the 11th Judicial Circuit Historical Society.

If you all haven't been by, please take a look. And take a moment to thank Judge Silverman as well as those firms who helped underwrite the restoration, including Boies Schiller & Flexner and Greenberg Traurig. Now, what can we do to get Judge S to preside over that majestic space?

The bad: Thanks to the wisdom of the voters and our State Legislature, Chief Judge Farina had to axe 14 court employees and lay off another 14. Just another really bad day at the office:

The court’s family division took the biggest number of layoffs, losing a court operations manager, two administrative assistants and an administrative secretary. A vacant court analyst position was dissolved.

The probate and guardianship division lost two court program specialists and deleted three vacant slots.

Five vacant law clerk positions were eliminated in the Office of General Counsel. The remaining cuts came in the traffic, criminal, juvenile, general magistrate, unified family court, court administrator and general jurisdiction divisions.

The cuts were by far the deepest for any circuits in Florida.

Oh well, the family division just hums anyways, so no worries there. And traffic, criminal, and juvenile, your days of living high off the hog are over. Just don't get concerned when the judge you are waiting for has to make copies, answer the phone, and fix the broken a/c while you wait to argue some meaningless and esoteric discovery dispute.