Shmuel
Prayers Collected from Jerusalem's Western Wall ahead of Rosh Hashanah
The ancient stones of Jerusalem’s Western Wall have been gently denuded of hundreds of thousands of prayer notes that are punched each day into every crack and crevice by visitors to the world’s holiest Jewish site, hoping that their wishes will be picked up by God. The Western Wall is a remnant of the courtyard of the Second Temple, which was destroyed in 70 AD and stands beneath a religious plaza also used by Muslim worshippers called the Temple Mount. The Wall’s chief Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz and his army of helpers gently dislodged the multicoloured papers before wrapping them — still unread — to be buried on the Mount of Olives, another holy site. The cleanup operation to allow room for new messages takes place twice a year ahead of Rosh Hashanah — or Jewish New Year — and Passover. Although the notes have never been counted, they generally fill around 200 shopping bags a year. Many of the wishes are faxed or emailed by people from around the world, whilst hundreds of thousands of others send letters addressed simply to “God in Jerusalem”.
Mitt Romney's Israel Fundraising Draws Flak: Sheldon Adelson Pays Up, Palestinians Cry 'Racist'
We’re here at the King David Hotel where Mitt Romney is holding a fundraising event. Couples inside are paying USD 50000 to hear the Republican Presidential the most important person inside is Sheldon Adelson, the American-Jewish businessman who has donated millions of dollars to bankroll Romney’s campaign. The billionaire casino owner known for his right wing views on Israel brought some of his high-rolling friends to the Romney fundraiser…like New York Jets owner Woody Johnson. The intimate breakfast for about two dozen supporters reportedly raised USD 1 million for the governor’s campaign… Not surprisingly, many in this crowd feel Romney’s success as a business man make him qualified to sit in the White House. American Shmuel Wasserman is an Israeli-based venture capitalist. Romney’s business smarts appeal to these American voters more than usual given the economic challenges facing America. But they also see it as a sign of authenticity and pragmatism they say is lacking today… Romney consistently delivered a promise of unwavering support for Israel during his trip, culminating in a speech he gave overlooking Jerusalem’s old city. President Obama was not directly criticized, but jabs were there between the lines… On how to cope with what the West fears is Iran’s nuclear weapons program, Romney took a strong stand a day after his top adviser indicated the governor would back a unilateral Israeli strike on Tehran to stop the program if necessary… Romney’s …
The Courage to Embrace Imperfection
William Kolbrenner admits he might not have chosen to have a child with Down syndrome, which a new test can detect much earlier. But he loves his son none the less for it.
CultureBuzz Interviews: Shmuel (Shmulik) Atzmon-Wircer on Yiddishkite
www.facebook.com Founder of YIDDISHPIEL - the Yiddish Theater in Israel, Shmuel (Shmulik) Atzmon-Wircer shares his vision, thoughts, insights and reflections on a language and a culture which for centuries have been defining the Jewish people in Europe, and nowadays are making a well-deserved revival in Israel and beyond. And in many respects thanks to Shmulik’s life-long commitment and dedication. Trying to sum-up 23 years of that Theater’s amazing talents and ingenious creations inspired by the richness of Yiddish culture in the name of Yiddishkeit.
Fiddler Without a Roof
The Forverts’s Itzik Gottesman interviews Shmuel Atzmon, the founder and director of Yiddishpiel Theater in Tel Aviv.