Geraldo Rivera ...Jerry Rivers.... Is he Jewish?

http://www.galegroup.com/free_resources/chh/bio/rivera_g.htm ^

[dennisw]

 

http://www.galegroup.com/free_resources/chh/bio/rivera_g.htm

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage - Biography

Geraldo Rivera
1943
Journalist, Television talk show host

Controversial television journalist Geraldo Rivera, host of the daytime talk show Geraldo, has gained a reputation as the king of tabloid television. Despite his reputation, however, Rivera has enjoyed a long and often distinguished career. Some of his many roles have included advocacy lawyer, public speaker, charitable foundation board member, and investigative reporter.

Born in Brooklyn

On 3 July (some sources say 4 July) 1943, Gerald Michael Riviera was born to Allen and Lillian (Friedman) Rivera. In later years, the transformed "Geraldo" questioned his mother about her misspelling of their surname on his birth certificate. Although she claimed a poor sense of spelling, Rivera asserted in his autobiography Exposing Myself that he believed she was attempting to deflect future discrimination from her children. Such discrimination was very real in Brooklyn, where the Riveras then lived, and the mixed marriage of Cruz, a Puerto Rican man, and Lillian, a Jewish woman, drew its share of criticism.

From Long Island to Alphabet City

In their desire to shield their children from discrimination, the Riveras (who sometimes used the misspelled surname) moved to West Babylon, Long Island. There, young Rivera grew up in ethnic confusion. Raised in the Jewish faith of his mother, he physically resembled his father's family, many of whom still lived in Puerto Rico. To complicate matters further, his neighbors, schoolmates, and friends were mostly white Protestants. His desire to fit in caused him to lead a double life — an ethnic pastiche at home, and a 1950s suburban teen at school.

Exposed to Anti-Semitism

Even though the Riveras felt that they had to downplay their identity in West Babylon, it was a surprisingly open community. However, a blatant act of anti-Semitism at their temple in the 1950s jarred young Geraldo into a sense of what minorities in less accepting communities faced every day. It would be the first of several instances that helped him form a deep pride in both of his heritages and at the same time alerted him that he might become a "lightening rod" for the close-minded.

Enrolls in College

As he grew up, Rivera developed career plans and concentrated on where to attend college, while ignoring the growing specter of the Vietnam War. After serving two years in the Merchant Marine, he attended New York City's Community College of Applied Arts and Sciences and the State University of New York Maritime College. Believing he needed to see what life outside New York was like, Rivera spent some summers in Puerto Rico, and eventually transferred to the University of Arizona. He earned his B.A. there in 1965. While studying in Arizona, he became aware of the reality of the war's escalation and the probability of being drafted. A friend suggested that he marry his girlfriend, thereby gaining a deferment.

Marriage

Rivera married Linda Coblentz in Scottsdale, but they soon moved on to Huntington Beach, California. Jobs were hard to come by, and Rivera often suspected that his ethnic background was the reason why so few doors opened. Many times he wondered whether he should return to calling himself Gerry Rivers, as he had done at Arizona. His new father-in-law was concerned about the couple's financial prospects, so he encouraged Rivera to attend law school. Soon the couple moved back to New York City so that Rivera could matriculate at the Brooklyn Law School. He received his J.D. in 1969 and was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1970.

Involved in Social Advocacy

Just as Rivera's career was taking off, his marriage was falling apart. In his autobiography, he admitted that this problem was due to his infidelities, a compulsion that would also cost him two subsequent marriages. Ultimately, Linda moved out of their inner-city apartment in the tough Lower East Side neighborhood called "Alphabet City." It was here that Gerry Rivers finally became Geraldo Rivera, immersing himself in his Hispanic heritage and in social advocacy. While accompanying a Hispanic pride group called the Young Lords in their "occupation" of the First Spanish United Methodist Church, he committed himself to the cause of "poverty law," eventually serving as their attorney. While in law school, he had clerked for the Harlem Assertion of Rights and Community Action for Legal Services center. Now in practice, he extended this advocacy-based service. Though he defended poor clients, he still felt he was not making any real, lasting change for them.

Decides upon Career Change

The early 1970s was a time when federal jobs were opening up to underrepresented groups. During this period, Rivera gained the opportunity to become a television journalist. He had been considering a career change when the Federal Communications Commission started its initiative to get more minorities into broadcasting. As a bilingual social advocate, Rivera seemed like the ideal candidate when he applied for the position of newscaster for WABC-TV in New York City. He attended a crash course in graduate journalism at Columbia University at ABC's urging.

Rises to Investigative Reporter

In broadcast news, it is common for the new face on a team to be assigned fluff pieces, usually social events or human interest stories. Assuming this was part of moving up the ladder, Rivera accepted the assignments, but longed for the day when he could cover hard news. It was a chance encounter with a suicidal heroin addict, while Rivera was going to work one day in 1970, that catapulted him into the slot of "investigative reporter." He arranged for a news crew to film the desperate pleas of the addict's brother, and within days the piece was expanded into a series, "Drug Crisis in East Harlem." The series earned him the 1971 New York State Associated Press Broadcasters Association Award; he added to this early success, by winning the Broadcaster of the Year for 1971, 1972, and 1974.

Receives Criticism

As Rivera's fame grew, he was increasingly identified as a Hispanic role model. Nevertheless, detractors charged that he was culturally as well as ethnically Jewish, and that his emphasis on his Hispanic heritage was merely a vehicle to obtain an affirmative action job. To shore up their criticism, they pointed to Rivera's frequent name changes, his early attempts to downplay his Latino roots, and his suburban years in Long Island. They even viewed his inner-city apartment and association with the Young Lords as evidence that he was trying to become something he was not. Rivera met such criticism with commitment to minority stories, excellence in broadcasting, and the intellectual higher ground of silence, although privately the rumors irked him.

Marries Novelist's Daughter

Rivera remarried in 1971, this time to Edith Bucket Vonnegut (daughter of novelist. "Edie," as she preferred to be called, was an artist and designer, and as the child of a famous parent she was used to the very public life that was just then buffeting Rivera. Their marriage lasted several years, but eventually succumbed to Rivera's infidelity. Despite the problems in his personal life, Rivera was about to produce the expose that would launch him into the national spotlight.

The Willowbrook Report

New York's mental institutions in 1972 were filthy, dangerous warehouses. At the Willowbrook State School for the Mentally Retarded on Staten Island, Rivera's investigative team found mentally impaired children living in conditions unsanctioned since the reform movement of the last century. Acting on a tip from a former employee, the news crew made an unannounced visit, gaining access in a possibly illegal manner. The resulting taped report — "Willowbrook: A Report on How It Is and Why It Doesn't Have Be That Way" sickened America and initiated an institutional reform movement. Rivera himself gained national exposure and a promotion to national network television.

Hosts Late Night Show

Rivera became the host of the nationally broadcast late night program Good Night, America. The show featured a mixture of exposé and celebrity watch, which put Rivera's face before a wider audience but did not satisfy his journalist's hunger for hard news. After all, he was the man who had produced such exposes as "The Littlest Junkie," "Migrants: Dirt Cheap," and "Marching Home, Again." As a result, Good Night, America became a forum for Rivera's personal opinions on controversial subjects such as the legalization of marijuana and prostitution. His tendency to editorialize had gotten him into trouble at WABC, when he publicly announced his commitment to Senator George McGovern's failed 1972 presidential campaign.

Ruffled Feathers at ABC

In 1978, Rivera began a seven-year stint as a special correspondent for the ABC news magazine 20/20. Although he was back on track with "legitimate" journalists, he continued to interject his personal viewpoint into his stories. It was the sort of thing that unnerved seasoned TV journalists, but it made Rivera widely popular with audiences, who saw him as a reporter who cared about the people and issues in his stories. The downfall of Rivera at ABC was a matter of some speculation, but the spark that started it was generally acknowledged to be a story about Marilyn Monroe 's supposed romantic involvement with Senator Robert Kennedy, who was Attorney General of the United States at the time of her death. Rivera contended that the man in power at 20/20, Roone Arledge, killed the story due to his friendship with the Kennedys. Arledge countered that it was just the latest in a long line of stories bordering on sensationalism that Rivera had tried to bully 20/20 into airing.

Documentaries Propel Career

By 1985, Rivera had begun carving out a niche for himself in the field of syndicated documentaries. His hallmark documentary was a live broadcast of The Opening of Al Capone's Vault in 1985. Even though the sensational build-up over two hours resulted in an anti-climax when the vault yielded little more than old glass bottles, it received the largest audience ever for a recorded live broadcast. The high ratings propelled Rivera into several other like documentaries, including American Vice: The Doping of America , Murder: Live from Death Row, and Devil Worship: Exposing Satan's Underground. Although some of these productions resulted in lawsuits — Rivera's camera crews filmed arrests live, ignoring the rights of innocent people who would later be released with charges dropped—his fame grew exponentially. In fact, he began to regard lawsuits, bad press, and physical confrontation as enhancements for his public image.

Second Marriage Ends

Rivera's tumultuous career throughout the 1970s and 1980s was matched by an equally rocky personal life. After his 1976 divorce from Edie, Rivera married Sherryl Raymond, a TV producer. This marriage resulted in a son, Gabriel Miguel, though Rivera admitted that he did not properly appreciate the joys of fatherhood during the early years of his son's life. The marriage ended in 1987, the same year Rivera's signature television show was launched.

Origins of Tabloid Television

The craze of tabloid television — syndicated hour-long talk shows that take a peeping tom's look at various sensational subjects—started innocently enough. The forerunner of these shows was Phil Donahue's local program in Dayton, Ohio, in the 1960s. Donahue himself went on to host a national talk show, and in his wake followed Oprah Winfrey, Sally Jessy Raphael, Jerry Springer, and many others. However, no person would come to characterize this form of entertainment more than Geraldo Rivera. His constant striving for more unusual guests and topics earned him a reputation among journalists and critics that was less than complimentary. However, Rivera reveled in the infamy, even burlesquing his own image by playing himself on television dramas. Such self-deprecating humor made him a good-natured, easy target.

Sustains Injury During Show

Rivera was very serious about the quality of his show, however. He was accused of inciting guests to boost ratings, but he also became the unwitting victim of guests-gone-berserk. Perhaps the most famous of these incidents broke out during a show about teenage white supremacists. African American activist Roy Innis was called a racial slur by a White Aryan Resistance Youth Group member and a fistfight occurred. During the resulting fracas, a chair was hurled over the front of the stage and struck Rivera, breaking his nose.

Awards

No matter how controversial the Geraldo show became, Rivera remained extremely popular with the public. He won seven Emmy Awards and the presigious Peabody Award as well as many broadcast journalism citations and honorary doctorates. In addition, Rivera's family life appeared to stabilize after his 1987 marriage to TV producer C. C. Dyer. The couple tried to have children, undergoing several surgeries and experiencing two miscarriages. They finally had a daughter, Caitlin, in 1993. Mother and daughter have frequently appeared in the audience during tapings of Geraldo, and Rivera often held his daughter in his arms during commercial break lead-ins.

Publishes Autobiography

Sometimes lauded, sometimes criticized, Geraldo Rivera undoubtedly became a force to be reckoned with. His early triumphs have often been overlooked by those who decry his more controversial exploits. On the jacket of his autobiography, Rivera cited a former NBC News president who said "Geraldo Rivera should be arrested for exposing himself." To counter the remark, Rivera titled his 1991 book Exposing Myself. True to its title, the book provides a highly personal and sometimes shocking portrait of the complex and controversial television personality.

During the 1990s, Rivera made his way back from his King of Tabloid reputation and was once again perceived by the networks and by many viewers as a serious investigative journalist and reporter. His CNBC series Rivera Live, which explored court cases and legal matters was very successful. In 1997 Rivera was being wooed by the big networks when he signed a new six-year contract with NBC worth more than $30 million.

FURTHER READING

Books
Brewer, Annie M., ed., Biography Almanac, Detroit: Gale, 1981.
Les Brown's Encyclopedia of Television, 3rd edition, Detroit: Gale, 1992.
Rivera, Geraldo, Exposing Myself, Bantam, 1991.
Ryan, Bryan, ed., Hispanic Writers, Detroit: Gale, 1991.

Periodicals
Carter, Bill, "Million Deal from NBC," New York Times News Service, 1997, accessed 8/26/99 online at http://www.latinolink.com
Detroit Free Press, September 19, 1994.
Esquire, April 1986.
TV Guide, April 18, 1987; March 26, 1988.

[a_witness]

I really doubt that Barney Frank has children and grandchildren.

Well then he cannot reproduce himself or his values except by deception. It is the parents' obligation to raise their children to prevent that outcome if at all possible. Sometime it is not possible but we must fight the good fight. Carry on.

[elephantlips]

In the Jewish culture only the mother can pass on the line. Unless any of his wives with whom he had children were Jewish, the resultant progeny are not.

[a_witness]

In the Jewish culture only the mother can pass on the line. Unless any of his wives with whom he had children were Jewish, the resultant progeny are not.

Do you consider it likely that Mr. Rivera will marry a Jewish woman and raise Jewish children (who will themselves raise Jewish children) ?

His seed will likely not be counted among the Jewish people.

[Michael2001]

While I may have been a little blown away by your last post, I actually do understand your sentiment. I'm a big proponent of Catholics rearing big Catholic families myself. I see no reason either of us should fall for the WASP agit-prop designed only to maintain what population differentials they believe are in their best interests.

Well this is one of the first of these I've seen. Usually it's blacks complaining that whites are keeping them down. Yes it is all one big conspirtacy that we WASPs have to stop Catholics and Jews from reproducing. This is what we do all day in between games of golf and croquet

[Askel5]

I'm not talking about run-of-the-mill Protestants who likely retain a genuine Christian sensibility and charity.

I'm talking about the Anglophile WASP elite and their "faith-based" partnerships from whence have issued the gamut of population controls and eugenic practices ... including forced sterilization, birth control (particularly as "gifted" to the poor by the State), Legal Abortion (a GOP policy), destructive research on and manufacture and sale of human life under the guise of helping the infertile or homosexuals reproduce.

You want some posts on the subject? I'm more than happy to oblige.

[ValerieUSA]

I read that Jerry is a JERK.

[Simcha7]

Shalom

Dennis,

Yes! I agree with you.

If Your Mother is a Jew then You are Born a Jew but...

What kind of a Jew are You IF Your Heart IS NOT...JEWISH?

I'm wondering just where is Gerry Rivera's Heart?

He say's continually..."I Am A Zionist", but Jerry, how on this Earth can You be a Zionist when You Lick The Rear End of one of the biggest TERRORISTS Israel has EVER had to deal with???

Check Your Heart...Gerry Rivera, to Whom and where does it belong?

[Michael2001]

I agree with you to an extent that there are a lot of idiots in government and media who are doing a lot to stop good and honest people from reproducing. From the legalization of abortion on demand, to the tremendous amounts of taxes we pay etc. But to suggest that this is a WASP plot to contain Jews and Catholics is absurd, and borders on the anti-white conspiracy theories of Louis Farakhan, and the anti-Jewish and anti-Catholic conspiracies of David Duke.

[afraidfortherepublic]

I don't know his religion (if any), but Geraldo is a philanderer, that's for sure.

[afraidfortherepublic]

...to suggest that this is a WASP plot to contain Jews and Catholics is absurd

Wanna bet? I don't know where the jews fit in, but the early beginnings of Planned Parenthood certainly focused on Catholics (those irresponsible Irish, Italians, and Polish, you know). That same outlook spearheaded the public school movement too, as well as the Catholic response that resulted in the establishment of the Catholic schools.