Assi Cohen had even more reason than usual to smile last week.
By GREER FAY CASHMANgrapes 88(photo credit: )
TELEVISION VIEWERS are used to seeing public relations guru Ran Rahav on current affairs programs in which he defends the interests of his clients or is asked for his professional opinion on a particular personality or event. Now they're going to see him in another capacity. Rahav, who is the public relations consultant to Cellcom, will appear with the company's CEO, Amos Shapira, in a commercial aimed at recruiting new employees. Rahav will not pocket his handsome fee, but instead will contribute it to Alut - the Israel Society for Autistic Children and to the Israel Committee for the War Against AIDS. In addition to his intense involvement with his burgeoning PR company, which operates around the clock, Rahav is on the boards of several philanthropic and cultural organizations, is one of the country's leading collectors of Israeli art and is also the honorary consul for the Marshall Islands. Rahav, 44, is married to Hila - his life partner, mother of his son Roee and a partner in his business. He is very close to the Rabin family, and is particularly keen to support Alut - of which the late Leah Rabin was the founding president, and which has named a Home for Life after her.
THOUGH HE is usually photographed with a broad grin on his face, actor Assi Cohen had even more reason than usual to smile last week. His wife Lianne gave birth to their second daughter, a sister to their 18-month-old Ellie.
AND DUE to give birth in a couple of months is actress Alma Zak, 37. She and her significant other, actor Alon Neuman, 41, are expecting their first child some time in the fall. Zak has reportedly said that she wants three children.
ON THE other hand, there may be some truth in the rumors that the on-again, off-again relationship between Bar Rafaeli and Leonardo DiCaprio is coming to an end. She was photographed vacationing in St. Tropez in a hot pink bikini while he had to disrupt a vacation in Spain to go to Germany for the funeral of his grandmother, 93-year-old Helene Indenbirken, to whom he was extremely attached.
IT'S BEEN a while since former stand-up comedian, serious actor, writer and former politician Shmuel Vilozny has been in the limelight. Now he has his chance to get back into it as one of the stars in the new Cameri Theater production of The Right Age for Love, written by Yair Lapid. The script went through several rewrites before everyone was happy with the story of a woman who, after 31 years of marriage, leaves her husband for a 29-year-old lover. It was not easy for Vilozny to throw himself into the production. His father died just over two months ago, the same week that Yair Lapid's father, Tommy Lapid, passed away. But Vilozny is getting his act together, and this could very well be his opportunity to shine again.
THERE'S ALWAYS an element of emotion in television and film industry award ceremonies, and this year's Israel Television Academy event was no exception. Among the awards distributed was one for the late Yisrael 'Poli' Poliakov, who died last October at age 66. Poliakov, best known as one of the Israel Prize-winning Gashash Hahiver comedy trio, continued to appear on stage and screen after the group disbanded. It's All Honey, a television series in which he starred with his daughter Yael Poliakov, won the award for best comedy series and best comedy script. She also won the award for best comedy actress and accepted the posthumous award given to her father for best comedy actor. "Poli would have been pleased," she said amid smiles and tears. Assi Dayan, who was named best dramatic actor for his role in B'Tipul, which was named the best drama series script, was not present to claim his award.
