Bernard Weinraub (born December 19, 1937) is an American journalist and playwright.

Early life and education

Weinraub was born in 1937 in New York City.Robert W. Welkos

''The Los Angeles Times'', January 29, 2014Naomi Pfefferman
Bernard Weinraub: When the news is not fit to print
''

The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles ''The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles'', known simply as the ''Jewish Journal'', is an independent, nonprofit community weekly newspaper serving the Jewish community of greater Los Angeles, published by the nonprofit TRIBE Media Corp. I ...

'', January 31, 2014 His parents were Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. He graduated from the

City College of New York The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a Public university, public research university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York ...

with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1959.

Career

After graduating from college, he was drafted into the Army and served for two years on a newspaper.''Huntington Theatre Company''
"Bernard Weinraub"
June 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2019. For most of his career he worked as a foreign correspondent with ''The New York Times'' including home bases in Saigon, London, Nairobi and New Delhi. He also covered the White House and the movie business in Los Angeles.

Journalism

He worked as a reporter for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''.Nikki Finke
Bernard Weinraub calling it quits at The New York Times
''

LA Weekly ''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. The paper covers music, arts, film, theater, culture, and other local news in the Los Angeles area. ''LA Weekly'' was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin (among others), ...

'', July 22, 2004 He started as a copyboy in his twenties, eventually being assigned as a foreign correspondent in

Saigon Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

Nairobi Nairobi is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

, then

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, and

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. From 1991 to 2004, he covered the film industry in Los Angeles. He retired in 2005, publishing an article about Hollywood and its values.Bernard Weinraub
14 Years Later, My Hollywood Ending
''

'', January 30, 2005Jordan Riefe
Journalist-Turned-Playwright Bernard Weinraub Previews His Play 'Above the Fold'
''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'', January 29, 2014

Theatre

The Accomplices

As a playwright, he published his first play, ''

The Accomplices ''The Accomplices'' is a 2007 play by ''New York Times'' reporter Bernard Weinraub. It premiered at The New Group in New York City in 2007 and played thereafter in regional theatres. The play is based on Hillel Kook's (aka Peter Bergson) exp ...

'', in 2007. It dealt with the refusal of President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

's administration to admit more Jews during

The Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The play was performed both in New York and Los Angeles, and was nominated for a

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...

. ''Los Angeles Times'' critic

Charles McNulty Charles McNulty (born 1966) is the chief theatre critic for the ''Los Angeles Times'' newspaper and a recipient of Cornell University's prestigious Nathan Award for dramatic criticism, who, himself, served as chairman of the Pulitzer Prize dra ...

said that "no one gets off the hook" in the play, including Weinraub's former employer ''The New York Times'', except for

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt ( ; October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, first lady of the United States, during her husband Franklin D ...

. He commended Weinraub's journalism skills but faulted "the phony telegraphic manner in which it’s dramatized." In the ''Times'', which was negatively mentioned in the play, critic David Ng faulted ''Accomplices'' as "a mind-numbing history lesson" and a "soporific lecture of a play."

Above the Fold

His second play, out in 2014, was ''Above the Fold''. Based on the

Duke lacrosse case The Duke lacrosse rape hoax was a widely reported 2006 criminal case hoax in Durham, North Carolina, United States, in which three members of the Duke University men's lacrosse team were falsely accused of rape. The three students were David Ev ...

, it shows the struggles of an African American journalist who realizes the scandal is phony while covering it. It premiered at the

Pasadena Playhouse Pasadena Playhouse is a Tony Award-winning historic performing arts venue located 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engag ...

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commerci ...

. It was directed by

Steven Robman Steven I. "Steve" Robman (born September 27, 1944) is an American television and theatre director/ producer. Biography Steve Robman graduated from Alexander Hamilton High School in Los Angeles, California (1962), University of California, Berke ...

and the lead actress was

Taraji P. Henson Taraji Penda Henson ( ; born September 11, 1970) is an American actress. Her accolades include a Golden Globe Award, alongside nominations for an Academy Award, six Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. In 2016 and 2024, ''Time'' named Henson one of ...

Personal life

He has been married twice. He has two children, a son and a daughter, from his first marriage to Judith Weinraub. He met

Amy Pascal Amy Pascal (born March 25, 1958) is an American film producer and business executive. She served as the Chairwoman of the Motion Pictures Group of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) and Co-Chairperson of SPE, including Sony Pictures Television, ...

, a film industry executive, at

The Peninsula Beverly Hills The Peninsula Beverly Hills is a luxury, five-star hotel at the intersection of South Santa Monica Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard. The hotel is part of The Peninsula Hotels, a chain owned by Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels. The Peninsula Beverl ...

in 1996; they got married in 1997. They reside in Brentwood, a Western suburb of

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, with their son.

Bibliography

*''Bylines'' (Doubleday, 1982).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weinraub, Bernard 1939 births Living people 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights 21st-century American Jews Journalists from New York City People from Brentwood, Los Angeles City College of New York alumni American war correspondents of the Vietnam War American male journalists The New York Times journalists Jewish American journalists American male dramatists and playwrights Journalists from Los Angeles United States Army soldiers