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CHILDREN
OF CHERNOBYL
Michael
Douglas Helps
Young Radiation Victims
Story and Photos by Tim
Boxer
ATHERINE
ZETA-JONES wasn’t there at Chabad’s Children of Chernobyl
benefit but her hubby, Michael Douglas, arrived at Chelsea
Piers and was promptly besieged by the paparazzi.
"We’ve
been traveling all year while she was filming two pictures – first
Oceans 12 and now Zorro in Mexico," Douglas
explained. "After that we’ll go home and take a rest."
I inquired
about his father, Kirk Douglas. "My dad, Issur
Danielovich – as he’s known around the house – is doing very
well."
On the video
screen, Kirk said he’s very much interested in Children of
Chernobyl because his grandfather’s village was in Belarus in an
area near Chernobyl.
Michael, one
of the honorees at the dinner, said he became interested in the
issue of nuclear proliferation ever since he starred in The China
Syndrome, about a meltdown at a nuclear power plant. Ten days
after the release of the film, the Three Mile Island accident
occurred.
Carolyn
Rhea, who served as
emcee, said someone called her a shiksa. "Is that good?"
she wondered. "At least I know the difference between mikvah
and mitzvah."
"We’re
all here for a mitzvah," Jon Voight said, as he praised
the organization for rescuing children from the area in Ukraine
contaminated by the 1989 explosion of Reactor 4 at the Chernobyl
nuclear power station.
Rabbi Yossi
Raichik, the organization’s director, said some 2,300
contaminated children were brought to Israel where they were treated
for radiation and given a new lease on life.
After Donald
Trump introduced Douglas with lavish praise, the guest of honor
declared, "Donald, you’re hired!"
Douglas
reminded us that he’s been fighting nuclear proliferation ever
since he starred in China Syndrome, a fictional account of a
nuclear meltdown. "Ten days after the film was released,"
he said, "Three Mile Island happened in a way that was very
similar to the movie."
Steven
Spielberg is the
organization’s honorary chairman, was represented by his mother, Leah
Adler, and his sisters, Nancy Spielberg, a founder of the
organization, and Sue Spielberg. Among the guests were the
diminutive Dr. Ruth Westheimer and Kathleen Turner
hobbling on a cane, who explained, "I have rheumatoid
arthritis."
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