Michael C. Fenenbock

Michael Fenenbock ^[1] is the co-founder of the awarding winning political media firm, MAX Films.^[2] Fenenbock along with his wife and business partner Daphne Weisbart specialize in highly contested Congressional and Legislative election contests and have won an impressive number of major awards. ^[3][4]

Over his career, Fenenbock has produced advertising for American political campaigns ranging from President to US Senate to Congressional and Legislative campaigns.

Early life and education

Fenenbock was born and raised in Southern California, the son of UCLA and NFL football great Chuck Fenenbock.^[5]

After a stint in the Air Force, Fenenbock earned a BA and MA in American History from San Francisco State University, and a Ph.D.(ABD) in American History from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Political Career Highlights

In 1978, Fenenbock helped Pat Williams win a long-shot Montana Congressional race. He then served as Montana governor Tom Judge’s senior advisor and press secretary.

During Senator Edward M. Kennedy's 1980 presidential campaign, Fenenbock was tabbed as Deputy Western States Coordinator, before moving to Washington, DC where he joined Senator Kennedy’s national campaign staff and helped coordinate efforts at the 1980 Democratic national convention in New York City.

From 1981-82, Fenenbock served as U.S. Senator John Melcher’s press secretary and senior political aide in Washington, DC.

Fenenbock left Senator Melcher’s staff in 1982 in order to accept a position as Senator Edward Kennedy’s political director. In that capacity he headed the Senator’s political operation at the 1982 Democratic mini-Convention in Philadelphia. Over the next two years, Michael directed three highly visible governor’s races – Evelyn Gandy in Mississippi, Wayne Townsend in Indiana, and Anthony Solomon in Rhode Island.

Other Career Highlights

In 1988 and 1990, Fenenbock headed the California Task Force for the Homeless and produced television ads featuring Martin Sheen, Rue McClanahan, Marsha Mason and other celebrities.^[6]

In 1992, Fenenbock directed and produced an Addy award winning commercial on behalf of Rural Americans for Fairness in support of the Clinton-Gore for presidential ticket. ^[7]

In 1996, Fenenbock joined New York City real estate magnate Lewis Rudin in launching a successful bid to restrict the budding anti-semitic militia movement. Their cooperation led to the sponsorship of ballot initiatives clamping down on militia activity, most notably in Montana.^[8]

In 1997, Fenenbock directed and MAX Films produced the All About Dogs TV show.

In 1998, Fenenbock authored Fireworks Every Time He Touched the Ball, a book chronicling his father’s NFL days.^[9]

In 2009, Max Films produced Never Surrender, a short video featuring comedian Paul Rodriguez, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Congressmen Jim Costa and Dennis Cardoza. Never Surrender illuminated the plight of Mexican-American farm workers in California’s San Joaquin Valley.^[10]

Pro-Israel

Fenenbock is a strong supporter of Israel.

In 2007 he began a friendship with former IDF surgeon general and Israeli Knesset member Arieh Eldad in an attempt to shape an emerging nationalist political coalition in Israel. Fenenbock’s three-part filmed interview with Eldad for Pajamas Media was widely distributed.^[11][12][13]

In association with Moshe Alafi and Alafim Productions Israel, he and his wife produced a short film titled Hatikvah: Portraits from the New Israeli Right. The film featured notable Israelis Arieh Eldad, Yishai and Malkah Fleischer, Tsafrir Ronen, Yoram Ettinger, Yossi Ben-Aharon, among others.^[14]

During the Gaza military operation of 2008 he received access to Israeli forces in action against Hamas and wrote of the experience.^[15]

Fenenbock’s opinion editorials have been published in both Israeli and American newspapers.^[16][17][18]

Personal life

Fenenbock met and married Daphne Weisbart in 1988.^[19] Her parents are Israelis and her maternal grandparents were among the founders the Israeli city of Raanana. Daphne spent part of her youth in Israel and is fluent in Hebrew. They settled in New York’s Hudson Valley in 2002.

References

1. ^ http://www.maxfilmsonline.com/pages/michael_fenenbock.html
2. ^ http://www.maxfilmsonline.com
3. ^ http://www.campaignsandelections.com/campaign-insider/Reed-Awards-Finalists-Announced
4. ^ http://www.aegisawards.com/winners_list.html
5. ^ http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FeneCh20.htm
6. ^ http://articles.latimes.com/1990-05-29/local/me-274_1_orange-county
7. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=rUzOKdXP2EUC&pg=PA39&lpg=PA39&dq=Rural+Americans+for+Fairness&source=bl&ots=uw0e8uPi0X&sig=KOhEHw_RdTVh72aqUiYA7RbDpJU&hl=en&ei=slhRSqDCIc-EtweB_fGgBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2
8. ^ http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/law/militia_4-24.html
9. ^ http://www.amazon.com/Fireworks-Every-Time-Touches-Ball/dp/0615111343
10. ^ http://vimeo.com/12626094
11. ^ http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/dr-arieh-eldad-the-pajamas-media-interview-part-1/
12. ^ http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/dr-arieh-eldad-the-pajamas-media-interview-part-2
13. ^ http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/dr-arieh-eldad-the-pajamas-media-interview-part-3
14. ^ http://maxfilmsonline.com/hatikvah
15. ^ http://thejewishstar.wordpress.com/2009/01/21/opinion-before-wars-end-a-visit-to-the-front/
16. ^ http://www.ynet.co.il/english/Ext/Comp/ArticleLayout/CdaArticlePrintPreview/1,2506,L-3674282,00.html
17. ^ http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3731806,00.html
18. ^ http://moreshet.co.il/web/drashot/drashot2.asp?id=6602&kategory=2200
19. ^ http://www.maxfilmsonline.com/pages/biographies_daphne.html

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