Arlyn Phoenix
Encyclopedia
Arlyn Sharon Phoenix commonly known as Heart Phoenix, is the mother of actors River Phoenix
, Rain Phoenix
, Joaquin Phoenix
, Liberty Phoenix, and Summer Phoenix
. She is on the Board of Directors of The Peace Alliance, an organization which supports the creation of a United States Department of Peace
.
. She has two sisters, Rhoda and Merle.
By the time Arlyn was born, the Dunetz family had become more 'culturally Jewish'; they celebrated Jewish holidays, but did not attend synagogue. Once out of school, she married a computer programmer, moved to Manhattan, and began working as a secretary. She eventually grew tired of this lifestyle:
Wanting to seek new horizons, she left New York in 1968 and headed west towards California. While hitch-hiking she met John Lee Bottom (born June 14, 1947), from Fontana, California
. They got married on September 13, 1969 in California.
Soon after their first son River was born in 1970, they joined the religious cult, The Children of God, touring Mexico and South America as Christian missionaries for several years. Arlyn and John renamed themselves for a brief period, taking the Bible
names Jochebed and Amram, respectively.
They eventually grew disillusioned with the Children of God and left in 1977. Arlyn would later state that she and her husband were opposed to the cult's increasingly distorted rules, particularly the practice of Flirty Fishing
:
They returned to the U.S. in 1978 and landed in Winter Park, Florida
, where Arlyn gave birth to her last child, Summer. In order to mark their new beginning, they legally adopted the surname "Phoenix" (Arlyn later changed her name to "Heart" in 1988) and began to embrace veganism
as their new diet and lifestyle. The parents took their five children and headed back to California, where Arlyn got a job as a secretary for NBC
. She was able to hire an agent, Iris Burton
, who eventually got all of her children acting work.
John and Arlyn divorced in 1997. She is now married to Jeffrey Weisberg.
River Phoenix
River Jude Phoenix was an American film actor, musician, and teen icon. He was the oldest brother of fellow actors Rain, Joaquin, Liberty, and Summer Phoenix.Phoenix began acting at age 10 in television commercials...
, Rain Phoenix
Rain Phoenix
Rain Phoenix is an American actress, musician, and singer. Phoenix has four siblings: two brothers, actors Joaquin and the late River Phoenix, and two sisters, Summer and Liberty.-Early life:...
, Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Rafael Phoenix , formerly credited as Leaf Phoenix, is an American film actor. He was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and his family returned to the continental United States four years later...
, Liberty Phoenix, and Summer Phoenix
Summer Phoenix
Summer Joy Phoenix is an American actress and model. She is the youngest sibling of the late River Phoenix, Rain Phoenix, Joaquin Phoenix, and Liberty Phoenix, and is married to actor Casey Affleck.-Early life:...
. She is on the Board of Directors of The Peace Alliance, an organization which supports the creation of a United States Department of Peace
United States Department of Peace
The Department of Peace is a proposed cabinet-level department of the executive branch of the U.S. government.-The history of legislation to create a Department of Peace:...
.
Biography
She was born Arlyn Sharon Dunetz in the Bronx, New York. Her parents were Jewish immigrants; her mother, Margaret (née Lefkowitz), from Hungary, and her father, Mayer, from RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. She has two sisters, Rhoda and Merle.
By the time Arlyn was born, the Dunetz family had become more 'culturally Jewish'; they celebrated Jewish holidays, but did not attend synagogue. Once out of school, she married a computer programmer, moved to Manhattan, and began working as a secretary. She eventually grew tired of this lifestyle:
"At eighteen, I was just a clone, totally unconscious. I didn't know that the air was polluted and I didn't care. I just went to work and thought that everything the Government told me was right and true. It took some time before I awakened. I became aware. It was difficult because my parents weren't seeing the same things, but I knew I had to change my life."
Wanting to seek new horizons, she left New York in 1968 and headed west towards California. While hitch-hiking she met John Lee Bottom (born June 14, 1947), from Fontana, California
Fontana, California
Fontana is a city of 196,069 residents in San Bernardino County, California. Founded in 1913, it remained essentially rural until World War II, when entrepreneur Henry J. Kaiser built a large steel mill in the area...
. They got married on September 13, 1969 in California.
Soon after their first son River was born in 1970, they joined the religious cult, The Children of God, touring Mexico and South America as Christian missionaries for several years. Arlyn and John renamed themselves for a brief period, taking the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
names Jochebed and Amram, respectively.
They eventually grew disillusioned with the Children of God and left in 1977. Arlyn would later state that she and her husband were opposed to the cult's increasingly distorted rules, particularly the practice of Flirty Fishing
Flirty fishing
Flirty Fishing is a form of evangelistic religious prostitution practiced from around 1974 to 1987 by female members in the new religious movement, the Children of God, now known as The Family International.-Etymology, definition:...
:
"The group was being distorted by a leader David BergDavid BergDavid Brandt Berg , frequently known by the pseudonym Moses David, was the founder and leader of the New Religious Movement formerly called Children of God, now called "The Family International".-Early years :Berg was born to Hjalmer Emmanuel Berg and Rev...
who was getting very full of power and wealthy," she explained. "He sought to attract rich disciples through sex. No way."
They returned to the U.S. in 1978 and landed in Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park is a suburban city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 24,090 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 28,083. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, where Arlyn gave birth to her last child, Summer. In order to mark their new beginning, they legally adopted the surname "Phoenix" (Arlyn later changed her name to "Heart" in 1988) and began to embrace veganism
Veganism
Veganism is the practice of eliminating the use of animal products. Ethical vegans reject the commodity status of animals and the use of animal products for any purpose, while dietary vegans or strict vegetarians eliminate them from their diet only...
as their new diet and lifestyle. The parents took their five children and headed back to California, where Arlyn got a job as a secretary for NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. She was able to hire an agent, Iris Burton
Iris Burton
Iris Burton was an American talent agent and dancer, who discovered and represented many famous child actors during her career.-Personal life and early career:...
, who eventually got all of her children acting work.
John and Arlyn divorced in 1997. She is now married to Jeffrey Weisberg.