Aviva Kempner
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BASEBALL DIGEST WORLD SERIES EDITION A Special Publication of Arnall Golden Gregory LLP * * * By Abe J. Schear Aviva Kempner October 2013 “In the View of the Director” Aviva Kempner was born in Germany Schear: What are your first memories people in Israel that get up early in and moved to Detroit when she was three. of baseball? the morning to watch Sports Center The daughter of a Holocaust survivor, Kempner: It’s walking with my father or something like that from the night baseball was an important part of her and my brother into Tiger Stadium in before. There are a lot of people there immersion into America, an activity she Detroit. Very, very warm memories. that do that. Did you father play shared with her family. Her memories of And when was that? baseball when he came to the United the Detroit Tigers are warm and poignant. In the early 1960’s. That was the best States? thing about Detroit. I say that I made the No. No. We’re not talking any athlete Flash forward, Aviva, now an award most positive film about Detroit, it was here. winning film maker, made the Emmy just about the 1930’s and the 1940’s. Did he move to Detroit in the 1920’s? nominated movie “The Life and Times It has been all downhill in part since No, after we left Berlin. I think it was of Hank Greenberg”, the celebrated Tiger then I suppose. Now you didn’t 1949 or 1950. player from the 1930’s – 1940’s and, initially grow up in Detroit? Did you have siblings that played likely, the best of the non-pitching Jewish I came to Detroit when I was 3½ I baseball? baseball players of the twentieth century. believe. My brother played little league. Hank Greenberg’s story is one of sport and Did you parents learn to become Growing up I went to a lot of little excellence, of overcoming discrimination baseball fans? league games. and of overwhelming success. Aviva My dad was an immigrant Jew. He Did you mother learn to follow skillfully explains the story to the viewer. came in the 1920’s and, very typically, baseball? if you were an American, you followed No, it was definitely my dad. Film and baseball clearly go together, each baseball. He was a big fan. I could see When you first went to your first a story with a beginning and an end. There him, right now, leaning in his chair in game, do you remember where you is a purpose and, often, a thoughtful analysis. the early days listening on the transistor sat? I am really honored that Aviva shared a few radio and in the later days just watching No, but I do remember keeping score. minutes of her time and encourage you to TV. What’s interesting is that when he It was a traditional little booklet. You become engaged in her projects. moved to Israel, he said there were only know if it was a hit to first you do a two things he is going to miss, his kids diamond. The old fashioned way of *** and baseball and I was never sure what keeping score. Abe J. Schear is an attorney with Arnall Golden Gregory LLP and is a member of the firm’s Real Estate Group. Contact Abe at 404.873.8752 or [email protected]. “I think the golden age of baseball players is not remembered because it was so many years ago.” I Remember When, a book which includes the first 35 interviews in this series, is available for $20. A check should be made was the order of the primary thing he is Did you father see baseball really as an payable to Abe Schear and mailed to him at going to miss. American game? Arnall Golden Gregory. That’s funny. There are a lot of He just totally bought into it and loved A r n a l l Go l d e n G r e g o r y L L P | October 2013 it. It wasn’t so much any other sports. make a catch and hitting against the wall. I had just finished a film and I was in LA Detroit, you know, was pretty popular, He was a favorite player too. I think opening it. I was getting dressed for the a pretty big sports town. We briefly Kaline and Colavito. I guess I was an opening and heard that Hank Greenberg lived in the suburbs so I remember there outfield person. had died the night before and I knew at was a neighbor kid who played a lot of When you went to the ballpark, what that moment that that had to be by next baseball. The first boy I kissed was a were your favorite things about the film, because growing up my brother baseball player, Jeff, who sadly, sadly, park? It was quirky. and I heard all the time about Hank sadly died in Vietnam. I have a tribute It was just something that my brother Greenberg. Especially on Yom Kippur to him at the end of the Hank Greenberg and I bonded with my father. My when my dad would take us to Kol Nidre film. parents had been divorced so it was just services. I remember thinking growing I guess your father and you originally something we did with dad and until up that Hank was part of Kol Nidre started listening to the games and then this day. I loved the green field. It’s services and in fact he was in our home. I guess he enjoyed just sitting and just like the line in the Billy Crystal My dad had also talked about domestic watching the games as well. movie “and seeing families together”. I anti-semitism. He said when he left the Right. And we went to a lot of them too. loved it when the Tigers won. All of us army that anti-semitisim was happening Did you read the paper about streaming into the stadium, all coming in America. I knew I had to do a film baseball? Did your dad read the paper back out. about Jews fighting the Nazis and I about baseball? It was a pretty big part of the wanted to do a film about the American Yes and we’d talk about it. community. What is the most counterpart. In some ways, why didn’t Who the announcers were in Detroit memorable game you think you’ve Americans do more for its brethren? back then? ever gone to? Hank Greenberg, who I suppose Ernie Harwell. It was a World Series and Aretha logically would have broken Babe He was remarkable, a totally sweet Franklin sang the national anthem. I Ruth’s record if anyone had ever man. can’t remember what year that was. I thrown him any pitches that he could That is when we were listening. meant to look it up and I didn’t. Going hit in the last 2 or 3 weeks of the He was like many of the other to the game and loving the game and season. announcers, a southerner who just talking about it at night about what had Right. really knew how to tell stories and happened. It seems to me that Hank Greenberg he was from just outside Atlanta and Did your dad teach you to keep score? was (and his family) always been went to Emory. The only announcer Yes. That’s what I was saying. He remarkably graceful about basically that I think was ever traded for a would buy those books and it would not having a chance to break a great player. have each player and then we would do record. I didn’t know that. That’s a great line. like a diamond to see how far they had Well you know either way, I’m not sure When he was with the Atlanta Crackers he was traded for a player. Detroit was your favorite team. Are “I think it’s a very intellectual game.” they still your favorite team? Since I live in Washington, obviously Detroit takes second priority now. advanced. That real old fashioned way. they purposely didn’t pitch him a ball Who were your favorite players Do you still have your score cards? because he was Jewish as the papers say. growing up? No. Do you think Hank Greenberg is Well I can remember several things. Let I actually have a pile of my mother’s remembered significantly enough as a me go back to my father. Or are you score cards that she kept from the baseball player? going to ask me about Hank Greenberg 1930’s. I think the golden age of baseball players and how I first heard about him? You grew up in Atlanta? is not remembered because it was so I will get to Hank Greenberg, I I grew up in Dayton. many years ago. I believe that the film promise. How far does your family go back? did a lot to really give Hank his due and Ricky Colavito is who I had a total crush They came to the United States in I’m really proud of that. I think a lot of on. It was my first adolescent crush. I 1903. the great players in that period are not remember when he went up there, strong Were they peddlers? remembered because it’s so many years good looking Italian guy. He would do They were grocers.