'A Hard Rain's Gonna' Fall' - in Hebrew (Video)

Although I never, as a rule, watch American Idol, or its Israeli version, "Cochav Nolad," rules are made to be broken, and this time it was over nominee Maya Rothman's neat little Hebrew version of Dylan's 'A Hard Rain's Gonna' Fall.'

Noted lyricist, playwright and columnist Jonathon Gefen did the translation (not too shabby at'll...), and, and, umm... I have no idea who actually won the contest.

Ahh, what the hell. Enjoy this YouTube version via Danya via Israelity. Shana Tova!

Flagging support for Israeli charities after war

The war may be over, but the socioeconomic, psychological and emotional needs of thousands of Israelis countrywide remain dire, especially now, on the eve of Rosh Hashana. Help them start off the New Year better than the old one ended.

From the Support Israel site:

The "Support Israel" Flag is a special way to show your support to Israel during this difficult time. The flag is constructed of logos of the many organizations that support Israel through Hasbara (PR), Donations, Aliya, Education etc.

By clicking on the organizations' logos you can take a look at the websites, learn about their activities and choose your preferred ways to help Israel.

By forwarding the Flag to your friends, you show your support and help Israel reach as many supporters as possible. Our goal is 1 million supporters!

(Cross-posted at Israelity)

JerusalemOnline news update: 00:00, Sept. 21th (Video - Channel 2 TV)

Today's Headlines:

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• Confidante of woman accusing President of rape describes ordeal
• Protesters demand PM Olmert's resignation at stormy party gathering
• Israelis in Thailand not worried, despite military overthrow
• Fun video for Jewish mothers and wives - click to watch

Click on image for latest Israel
Channel Two TV news update

World's Wildest Terrorist Bloopers (video)

Pope, shmope - here is the definitive response to the Western World's allegation that Islam doesn't have a sense of humor:



(Cross-posted at Israelity)

PC Jewish New Year greetings to Muslim World

(Yes, yes, I know this has been around the "that's funny"/"stop sending me this crap" email list umpty-leven times, but I like it, ok? Deal with it. Send it to your Muslim friends for Ramadan next month - just don't come whining to me about the death threat replies...)
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Shanah Tovah

From me ("the Wishor") to you (hereinafter called "the Wishee").

Please accept without obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, politically correct, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the Jewish New Year (herein referred to as "Rosh Hashanah" holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious or secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all, and a financially successful, personally fulfilling, work/life balanced and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 5767-2006/7, but with due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures or sects, and having regard to the race, creed, colour, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform or dietary preference of the Wishee.

By accepting this greeting you are bound by these terms that:

- This greeting is subject to further clarification or withdrawal.

- This greeting is freely transferable provided that no alteration shall be made to the original greeting and that the proprietary rights of the Wishor are acknowledged.

- This greeting implies no promise by the Wishor to actually implement any of the wishes.

- This greeting may not be enforceable in certain jurisdictions and/or the restrictions herein may not be binding upon certain Wishees in certain jurisdictions and is revocable at the sole discretion of the Wishor.

- This greeting is warranted to perform as reasonably may be expected within the usual application of good tidings, for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first.

- The Wishor warrants this greeting only for the limited replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the Wishor.

- Any references in this greeting to "Y-K-...V-K", the Lord", "Hashem" "Our Father", "Avinu Malkeinu", or any other festive figures, whether actual or fictitious, dead or alive, shall not imply any endorsement by or from them in respect of this greeting, and all proprietary rights in any referenced third party names and images are hereby acknowledged.

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And speaking of Harvey the rabbit, and the rabbi above, remember the following if you plan on attending "Congregation Sha'are Shaina led by Rav Baryiach" - aka - sleeping in for Rosh Hashana morning services:

Aerosmith dedicates 'Dream On' to abducted IDF soldier

Aerosmith's Steve Tyler

From Ha'aretz:

Steven Tyler, lead singer of the rock band Aerosmith, dedicated the group's hit song "Dream On" to abducted soldier Ehud Goldwasser at the request of Golwasser's wife Karnit during a New York concert this week.

Karnit is in New York attending meetings at the annual UN General Assembly this week, together with her husband's family and Regev's brother.

Israel's usually "top-down," and stumbling PR efforts should be pumping instances like this as hard as possible, IMHO, since such dedications reach a range of grassroots public opinion that would not likely ever hear - or even be interested in hearing - about Israel's "case."

Dream on...

(Cross-posted at Israelity)

The Dilbert Mideast Peace Plan

Cartoonist Scott Adams has always held a special - albiet quirky - place on my bookshelf for writing things that go way beyond scrawled comic strips about corporate office culture, a befuddled engineer with a permanently bent tie, ascerbic Dogbert, and the Pointy-Haired boss.

Two of his books were New York Times best sellers, and his deeply off-the-wall/off-the-deep-end view of reality always attracted the unhinged part of me. Anyway, I came across the following reading James Taranto's Best of the Web in the Wall Street Journal, which led to more first-morning-coffee time wasting, reading his peace plan for our beloved region. So, I figure why not waste a few minutes together while you read it over, too. It's ok, I'll wait:

On paper, Israel deeds all of its lands to Jordan – a relatively friendly Muslim country – and leases the land back for eternity. That way, Muslims satisfy their religious requirement that land once belonging (in their opinion) to Muslims, always belongs to Muslims. In this plan, Israel would pay some manageable “rent” for all of the land it occupies, including the settlements. Think of it like a shop owner paying protection money to the local Mafia. It’s repugnant, but it works. And it’s cheaper than permanent war.

(Cross-posted at Israelity)

Fire-breathing, gefilte-fish-juggling Rosh Hashana video

JerusalemOnline News is featuring a slick new video for Rosh Hashana, just awaitin' Internet "viralization:"

A very clever, offbeat look at holiday preparations with Israeli juggler Chen Zohar.

(Cross-posted at Israelity)

Israel's new media relations chief enters the fray (Exclusive Audio)

David Horovitz, The Jerusalem Post Editor-in-Chief has a great interview with Miri Eisen, the new media relations point man - 'er, woman, in the Prime Minister's Office.

In an ascerbic, wickedly accurate opening, David deftly deconstructs what Israel has to offer the maw of world media coverage of events here:

I keep thinking that it must be here somewhere - at the end of a distant corridor, or hidden in some overlooked wing: The Communications Department of the Prime Minister's Office.

In one room, facing banks of television screens, the PM's expert news monitors are doubtless taping and taking notes on live broadcasts from the Arab world and beyond. In another, the rapid-response information unit is bound to be collating the material Israel wants conveyed to the world in urgent response to current events, commissioning the necessary film clips and interviews. In a third, the strategic team, a carefully chosen mix of academics and ex-intelligence wizards and media veterans, is obviously formulating the wider, longer-term messages Israel seeks to impress upon the rest of the global village, gearing up for its routine daily liaison session with the communications departments of the Foreign Ministry and the IDF, and for its crucial weekly meeting with the prime minister.

But alas, as Col. (res.) Miri Eisin, the transparently decent, earnest new English-speaking face of the Prime Minister's Office, knows all too well, there are no news monitors here, no instant-response team, no strategic planning unit. On the so-called "second battlefield," the media arena where official Israel tries to impact the world's perception of what is happening on the real front line, Eisin is Ehud Olmert's lone English-language soldier.

"We're a small staff," she acknowledges with heart-breaking understatement...

Read it all.

I recorded Eisen at a moving address she gave at a 2004 memorial service for North American immigrants who died in battle or in terrorism against Israel, held by the Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel. She talks about her parents brave decision to make "aliyah" (immigration to Israel), and her decision put down roots here, and proudly raise a family in the face of terror and tyranny.

Well worth listening to.

JerusalemOnline news update: 00:00, Sept. 18th (Video - Channel 2 TV)

• Deal developing over IDF soldier's release
• PM Olmert returns fire over war criticism
• Midnight confessions for Rosh Hashanah
• A special video for all the Jewish moms - click to watch
  
  
  
  Click on image for latest Israel
  Channel Two TV news update.