I would like to wish all of my readers ראש השנה (or Rash Hashana). Here is a video below courtesy of Aussie Dave (of Israellycool fame) that will hopefully bring a smile to your face during these "exciting times."
Ever wonder what life would be like if the Jews never existed? Here is a humorous video from Jewlarious highlighting the setbacks to civilization if Israeli's were removed from the picture.
(Hat Tip: Life in Israel)
Answer: Nothing really, but it looks as if they have inspired another interesting video by SmoothE.tv.
Here was a video that was featured on YouTube's homepage recently, which was created by SmoothE.tv. The name of the song is called Crank That Kosha Boy (which could not have come out at a better time during the Hanukkah season).
(Hat Tip: One Jerusalem)
It looks like an Israeli soldier found an interesting way to instruct Palestinian kids on what it means to be...well...Israeli.
Here is a video that is a modern day parable of what is happening in the region of Israel (except that it is rated "G" for the general audience).
It's not as funny as this video (which I am about to order soon) but you will probably enjoy this nonetheless.
I've been following this story on (and off) online, and after much speculation it seems that an Israeli bands controversial song will be allowed to be played at the Eurovision competition after all.
(Jewtastic) The Israeli entry in this year's Eurovision Song Contest will be allowed despite fears the track would insult Iran with its references to nuclear war.
Finnish Eurovision official Kjell Ekholm voiced concerns about Teapacks' Push The Button entry last week, because he thought it could be deemed offensive to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
I am not sure how many times the West Side Story has been retold, but this by far seems to be the most creative version ever played out (if not the most delicious). Here is a quick preview of the movie entitled the West Bank Story (with more details about the film below).
(Jewish Telegraphic Agency) The title is a riff on Leonard Bernstein's "West Side Story." In this case, though, the confrontation is between competing West Bank falafel stands, the Israeli Kosher King and the Palestinian Hummus Hut.
Their weapons are falafel and hummus folded into a pita, the soul food loved by all Middle East factions. [...]
Amid catchy tunes, dancing and a mugging camel, David and Fatima fall in love. After both eating establishments are set on fire, the lovers persuade the rival owners to join hands and hummus to feed their hungry customers.
If you are Jewish and have a sense of humor (or simply a gentile who loves to laugh like me) then you will sure enjoy this video.
(Aish.com) The unusual story of Shmuel Skaist begins when he was a rabbi in a yeshiva high school for boys in New York area. Trying to come up with a way to get his unruly teenage students to stay seated and actually listen, he attempted something unconventional -- he brought in his guitar and started playing. "It was then that I realized the power that music had as a way to communicate with people," says Skaist who goes by the name "Rav Shmuel" when performing because that's what his students call him. [...]
"I started getting a little bit of a following," admits Skaist humbly. "Not thousands of people mind you, but after a while fifty to a hundred people would start coming to a show if they heard that I was playing."
The Jewish Music Group, a not-for-profit Jewish recording label, noticed the success and helped produce Rav Shmuel's first album: Protocols.
Disclaimer: I'm joking.
Anyways, it seems that a humorous musical is catching some attention in Israel. The plot: a man and his family perform Aliyah and try to survive in their new homeland.
(Ynet News) The musical "In Bukhara I Was Boi" (rich) was performed for the seventh annual conference of the Bukharian Jewish Congress, under the leadership of Lev Leviev. [...]
The playwright, director and actor, Chai Davidov (of Bukharian origin) was called to duty to write the musical that is based on the lives and experiences of the Bukharian immigrants to Israel.
The musical tells the story of 'Mula Chai-Abu Albanat', who emigrated with his family from Bukhara to Israel, and struggles with the hardships of absorption, cultural differences, language issues, and the social and financial struggles that his family experiences. His family is composed of seven people - Chai, his wife Mazal and their five daughters.
Here is an interactive video from Rabbi Yaakov Salomon with a humerous (yet powerful) story on focusing on the positive.
Note: You need to click on the image in order to view the video.
You gotta be kidding me.
(Ynet News) According to The Sun newspaper, Britney has dyed her hair dark and was seen wearing a Jewish Star Of David said to impress boyfriend Isaac Cohen while they were out on a dinner date in LA.
The singer has been rumored to have broken up with Jewish Isaac, and also to have used him to try and win back her former boyfriend Justin Timberlake, the report noted.
However sources close to the singer are saying that perhaps her choice of symbol is a sign of true devotion to Isaac, her Jewish boyfriend.
I like the thought behind the idea, and the design looks semi-futuristic, but I am not to sure if I would have these items in my room, especially with pets around.
But these lampshades, are designed from a food I don't enjoy on the dinner table--squash.
(Israel 21st Century) Shuli Levin's lampshades look so good you could almost eat them. But rather than cultivate the squash-like gourds that grow outside his studio in Bnei Zion, a moshav north of Ra'anana, for food, the intrepid Israeli industrial designer transforms their fibers into hip, cutting-edge eye candy for the home.
The 33-year-old former kibbutznik, carpenter, and exhibition designer's business-conscious idealism combined with his novel use of raw material, ecologically and socially conscious manufacturing process, put him at the forefront of innovative Israeli design now beginning to command the world's attention.
Gee, it looks like one race hating man is going to radically change his views about the world or is going to be extremely ticked off.
(Jewish Telegraphic Agency) Jon Goldberg, head of the Atlantic Jewish Council, was attending Jared Taylor’s Jan. 16 speech on the costs of racial diversity and integration in North America.
Aside from Goldberg, only protesters and journalists attended Taylor’s speech.
The masked protesters shouted obscenities at Taylor, then shoved him into a hallway, at which point Goldberg intervened.
(Hat Tip: Isrealli)
I don't really watch HBO (in fact I barely watch any TV as YouTube is much more fun) but it seems that one Israeli television show has caught the attention of HBO.
(Ynet News) HBO has ordered 40 episodes of "In Treatment," a half-hour drama starring Gabriel Byrne.
Based on the popular and critically acclaimed Israeli series of the same name ("BeTipul" in Hebrew), "Treatment" centers on a therapist (Byrne) who is calm, smooth, insightful and non-confrontational with his patients but turns into a testy, self-doubting individual full of barely concealed anger when he is a patient seeing his own shrink.
Only. If. (via YouTube)
(Hat Tip: Israelity)
Who ever said that one could not be religious and have a good time?
(Ynet News) "Dance as if no one is looking at you," reads a sign posted at the entrance of a hall where religious women meet to dance.
Once a month, dance-loving religious women from across the country meet at the Ramat Beit Shemesh Cultural Center for a treat of groove provided by the courtesy of DJ Lea Sardes.
Disco, hip hop, salsa, samba, and belly dancing are on the menu. [...]
Nurit, a regular dancer at the center spoke of her experience: "After evenings like this I feel that I am making dance steps on the street. My husband says that it fills me with enough energy for a whole week."
It looks like a cross between the muppets and sunny delight. Via YouTube.
...you might want to see if you have an Israeli foreign ministry on your cell phone.
(Israel Today) The driver of the broken down bus had promised the group that another bus would come to replace the broken one and take them home, but nothing happened and the Israelis had to wait there for almost eight hours.
After hours of waiting, one of the travelers called the tour operator in Israel, who called the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem. The Foreign Ministry quickly phoned the Israeli embassy in Amman, Jordan. The embassy quickly found a helpful hand at the Jordanian royal palace. The Jordanians quickly called the Saudi royal palace in Riyadh, who promised to take care of the urgent situation.
Not exactly the best place to celebrate the special occasion with the one you love, but these are interesting times in Israel, so any place will do.
(JTA.org) Shlomi Boskila and Maya Lugasi wed July 20 in northern Israel in the shelter because of ongoing Hezbollah rocket attacks, The Associated Press reported.
"This shows Hezbollah and Nasrallah that not even 20,000 missiles can destroy the happiness of the bride and groom," said Boskila, referring to HezbollahÂ’s leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah.
