Stephen Tobolowsky Narrates Doc on Jews in Dallas Featuring My Great-Uncle Eli

For a few minutes just a few minutes ago, Allen and Cynthia Salzman Mondell's 17-minute doc about the history of Jews in Dallas appeared on Vimeo -- only to get yanked, since it's a $20-per-copy fund-raiser for the Dallas Jewish Historical Society. I'd never seen the movie before (and it's...

By Robert Wilonsky

July 19, 2010

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For a few minutes just a few minutes ago, Allen and Cynthia Salzman Mondell's 17-minute doc about the history of Jews in Dallas appeared on Vimeo -- only to get yanked, since it's a $20-per-copy fund-raiser for the Dallas Jewish Historical Society. I'd never seen the movie before (and it's terrific, down to the Stephen Tobolowsky narration), and it sent me staggering: I've spent the last few years posting other people's photos of Dallas plenty past, but till moments ago I'd never seen a picture of my Great-Uncle Eli (for whom I'm middle-named -- and he's on the right) and his clothing store on Elm Street just off of Harwood, which my father says opened its doors in the early 1920s.

Good thing I took a screengrab before the doc disappeared off Vimeo. What you see at top's but the bottom of the photo; the store's sign follows for the Friends who visit Unfair Park for the history and stay for the knish. Dad says he'd never seen the photo either.

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