October 19, 2018

Israel… A Wedding Destination Close to My Heart

Leave a Comment / Travel, Weddings / Delia duPlessis

I often get inquiries from my clients to recommend a venue in Israel where they can get married. Many are observant Jews who want to book their wedding close to one of the Jewish Holidays so they can celebrate both during one trip. This requires a venue that is Shabbat “friendly”. Meaning for instance, that there is no key needed to enter the hotel room during Shabbat.

I asked Sharon of Valerie Wilson Travel to provide me with a venue that will cover all the relevant requirements and she recommended the fabulous Ritz Carlton just outside of Tel Aviv. This venue is perfect for couples who don’t want to be in the middle of the hustle of Tel Aviv, but still close enough to enjoy the fun and able to explore the rich history, holy sites and culture of Jerusalem.

Nestled right above the marina, The Ritz-Carlton, Herzliya is the perfect spot for guests to fully immerse themselves in everything that makes this region so incredibly compelling. Herzliya is known as “the Palm Beach of Israel”, and is just 15 minutes away from the energy of Tel Aviv. The hotel is less than an hour’s drive from the holy city of Jerusalem, where visitors are enveloped in the uncompromising awe of an ancient land. Whether you choose to venture out and explore the area’s many attractions and points of interest or relax on the pristine Herzliya beach and let the sun warm your spirit, you are sure to return home with memories and pictures that will last a lifetime.

If you are into exploring, there are many activities to choose from, such as a one day drive to Caesarea, where the past and the future come together. There are live music concerts in the famous roman theater along with spectacular 18-hole golf course.

Then there is the Dead Sea – the lowest point on earth and known as the ultimate natural healing spa for an unforgettable experience of pampering and rejuvenation.

You could also stroll around the great walls and between the beautiful colorful quarters of Jerusalem. Embrace the spirit feeling of this unforgettable ancient holy city, which is sacred to many religions. Visit the iconic and spiritual Wailing Wall which reveals thousands years of history.

Masada is a UNESCO heritage site overlooking the desert and the Dead Sea. One of the most exciting tour sites in Israel combining a story of historical battles with Archeological pieces.

Israel is not just an interesting and stunningly beautiful country to visit, the Ritz Carlton is one of the top venues should you choose to celebrate your wedding there. They will celebrate each couple’s unique story. You can have your wedding in either their indoor or outdoor areas and their menu will delight the most discerning palate! They have experts on site at your disposal who understand that planning is simply the first step to bringing your vision to life. Imagine the stunning wedding pictures!

Contact Sharon for more information. She will ensure that all your needs are meticulously taken care of!

Sharon Bame Associate Advisor sharon.bame@vwti.com | O 650.485.4545 | D 415.215.1079

Thank you for spending this time with me! More info on weddings and event planning, wine and food pairings and much more coming up on this blog.

Batyah

Israel… A Wedding Destination Close to My Heart Read More »

TV,Amazon, Keren Shahar, Michael Aloni, Tomer Kappon, Jewish Journal, ABC, When Heroes Fly, Israeli, American, The Baker and the Beauty,

Israeli Series ‘The Baker and the Beauty’ Headed to U.S. TV

Leave a Comment / Entertainment / Gerri Miller

American audiences will be seeing more Israeli series—and English adaptations of Israeli hits—in the coming year.

The hit Israeli comedy “The Baker and the Beauty,” which has two seasons available for streaming via Amazon Prime, will be turned into a one-hour comedy for ABC. Set in Miami, the remake follows the unlikely relationship between a supermodel and a regular guy who works at his Cuban family’s bakery.

Netflix has acquired Keshet International’s “When Heroes Fly,” Israel’s most-watched new drama, to air in subtitled Hebrew on the streaming service early next year. Inspired by a best selling novel and set in the Colombian jungle, it’s about four estranged Special Forces buddies who reunite to find a missing woman, the sister of one and the girlfriend of another.

The cast includes Tomer Kappon (“Fauda,” “Hostages”), Michael Aloni (“Shtisel”), and Oded Fehr (“24: Legacy,” “Once upon a Time”), now appearing in Hulu’s space mission series “The First.”

According to Keshet COO and president Keren Shahar, “It’s one of those series that instantly grabs you and keeps you hooked until the very end. Featuring breathtaking cinematography and a stellar cast, this series feels completely international and totally at home on a global platform like Netflix.”

Israeli Series ‘The Baker and the Beauty’ Headed to U.S. TV Read More »

Report: Iran Ramping Up Missile Shipments to Hezbollah

Leave a Comment / Israel, Online / Aaron Bandler

Iran is ramping up its shipment of missiles to its Shia terror proxy, Hezbollah, according to a new report from Fox News.

The report states that a recent flight from Tehran to Beirut is believed to have provided Hezbollah with a stash of weapons, including a GPS device that converts rockets into precision-guided missiles.

The shipment was provided at one of Hezbollah’s secret sites in Beirut, an issue that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu touched upon in his recent United Nations speech. Netanyahu highlighted Hezbollah’s secret weapon caches as evidence that the Shia terror proxy is using Beirut’s civilians as human shields.

Israel has conducted more than 200 strikes in Syria since 2017 targeting Iran’s shipments to Hezbollah, the report states.

Israel intelligence has been worrying that Hezbollah’s growing arsenal of weaponry could lead to a conflict between the two that would be bloodier than the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.

Report: Iran Ramping Up Missile Shipments to Hezbollah Read More »

Hailee Steinfeld to Play Pop Star in ‘Idol’ movie

Leave a Comment / Entertainment / Gerri Miller

Singer and actress Hailee Steinfeld is in final negotiations to star in and
produce the Netflix movie “Idol,” about a assistant for an iconic pop star who
tries to become her, in “All About Eve” fashion.

Steinfeld, who was nominated for an Academy Award for “True Grit,” has
since combined her acting and singing talents in the second and third “Pitch
Perfect” movies. In December, she appears in “Bumblebee,” the latest movie
in the “Transformers” franchise, and will be heard as the voice of Gwen Stacy
in “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” She’s set to play poet Emily Dickinson
in an upcoming comedy series for Apple TV.

But before that, the “Love Myself,” “Starving,” and “Let Me Go” singer will host
and perform at the 2018 MTV European Music Awards, airing globally from
Bilbao, Spain on Nov. 4.

“The EMAs are a show where anything can happen,” Steinfeld said in a
statement. “I can’t wait to host a night filled with incredible artists,
performances, some surprises of my own – let’s do this, Bilbao!”

Hailee Steinfeld to Play Pop Star in ‘Idol’ movie Read More »

Facebook Takes Down Farrakhan Video Comparing Jews to ‘Termites’

Leave a Comment / Online, United States / Aaron Bandler

Facebook has taken down Louis Farrakhan’s video in which he compares Jew to “termites,” The Wrap reports.

The video, which was posted to Facebook with the caption, “To members of the Jewish Community that don’t like me. Thank you very much for putting my name all over the planet. Because of your fear of what we represent, I can go anywhere in the world and they’ve heard of Farrakhan. Thank you very much.”

The clip is of a recent Farrakhan speech, where he states that he isn’t anti-Semitic because he’s “anti-termite.”

Facebook told The Wrap that the video “violates our hate speech policies,” amounting to “Tier 1 hate speech” that falls under the category of “dehumanizing” language.

Farrakhan’s video is still up on Twitter, as Twitter has stated that it doesn’t violate their policies since they haven’t established policies on dehumanizing rhetoric. The Anti-Defamation League has called on Twitter to take down the video.

Some Twitter accounts have accused Twitter of bias since they haven’t down the Farrakhan video yet they have suspended a couple of popular right-wing accounts without providing much of an explanation for doing so.

Twitter has not responded to the Journal’s request for comment.

Facebook Takes Down Farrakhan Video Comparing Jews to ‘Termites’ Read More »

Rep. Sherman Condemns SJP Conference in Letter to UCLA

Leave a Comment / Online, United States / Aaron Bandler

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) condemned the upcoming National Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) conference, scheduled for Nov. 16-18 at UCLA, in a letter to the school’s chancellor, Gene Block, arguing that the conference promotes anti-Semitism.

The Oct. 11 letter begins by noting that SJP members “have posted violent anti-Semitic rhetoric on social media, ranging from calling for the annihilation of the Jewish people, to admiration of Adolf Hitler.” Sherman added that National SJP’s website would fall under the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism that was recently adopted by the State Department, such as comparing Israel to the Nazis.

Sherman also stated his concern that only those who have been “verified and vouched for” by SJP or another pro-Palestinian group on campus would be allowed to attend, meaning that most Jewish students wouldn’t be allowed to attend the conference.

“Even if SJP can point to a handful of Jewish students allowed to attend, the exclusion of the vast majority of Jewish students raises issues under Title VI,” Sherman wrote. “A public university should not allow any to implement a litmus test for event participation on their campus based on an applicant’s beliefs, religion, or national origin.”

Sherman added that if UCLA’s SJP chapter – a co-sponsor of the event – is funded by mandatory student fees, then the conference would be in violation of the University of California’s policies for excluding large numbers of students from attending.

“I am sure you support Title VI of the Civil Rights Act like I do, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in federally assisted programs or activities,” Sherman wrote. “This includes protecting students from anti-Semitism and preventing discrimination against most Jews in admissions to a conference held on campus.”

Sherman’s letter concluded, “While I recognize UCLA’s responsibility to allow freedom of speech, our campuses should never become an environment where Jewish students are harassed, bullied, or prohibited from learning.”

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157908382503452&set=pcb.10157908387833452&type=3&theater

Chancellor Block responded to Sherman in a letter obtained by the Journal. Block’s response states that while UCLA “unequivocally condemns anti-Semitism” and is against the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, the First Amendment requires them to allow the conference to proceed on campus.

Additionally, Block noted that SJP has told UCLA that they will not be using mandatory student fees to fund the conference.

“Since they are not using these university funds for the event, there is no mandate that the conference be open to all University members,” Block wrote.

Block added that UC policy does however prevent student groups on campus from discriminating membership based on viewpoint and that the university will ensure that students will be safe on campus.

“We will continue to stress that our students should approach controversial topics thoughtfully and respectfully, without resorting to insult or ethnic bias,” Block wrote.

Rep. Sherman Condemns SJP Conference in Letter to UCLA Read More »

How Abraham healed God

Leave a Comment / Blogs / Rabbi John Rosove

The greatest Jewish theological revolution since the destruction of the Temple (70 CE) was brought about by Kabbalah. The greatest new idea about the relationship between God and humankind during the past 2000 years was introduced by Jewish mystics who boldly asserted that we humans have the ability to restore God’s wholeness and effect the end of God’s exile within the Divine Self.

Much of this new thinking was stimulated by Rabbi Isaac Luria (15^th century, Safed) whose ideas about the origins of the universe led to the belief that the Jewish people has the capacity to create the conditions necessary for the coming of the Messiah.

Isaac Luria’s cosmology is powerfully innovative. He explains that when God contemplated creating the universe the Creator realized that there was no room for anything except God’s Self, Who filled time and space.

To accommodate the new creation God underwent contraction (tzimtzum). Before the beginning God was light, and so God took away some of the light and placed it in giant vessels (keilim), but the vessels were not strong enough to contain the light and an explosion shattered the vessels (sh’virat ha-keilim) flinging the shards (kelipot) to the four corners of the universe. Trapped in the shards were sparks (n’tzitzot). Whenever a Jew performs a mitzvah (commandment), a spark is released from a shard. When all Jews perform all the mitzvot all the sparks are released, the Messiah is ‘awakened,’ and Tikun Olam (restoration/repair of the world) results. When this occurs God too undergoes Tikun and the holiest Name (YHVH or Yod–Heh–Vav–Heh) is reunified.

Jewish mystics explain that the Yod–Heh (the first two letters of the 4-letter Name) represents the “highest” and purest of God’s ten emanations (Sefirot), but were separated from the Vav–Heh (the third and fourth letters of the holy Name) when the vessels shattered. The Vav-Heh represents the “lower” Divine Sefirot. As such, the “upper” and “lower” worlds were split apart mirroring the brokenness of our own world.

Enter Abraham, who in this week’s Parashat Lech L’cha (Genesis 12:1-17:27) receives the Divine call. That call and Abraham’s receptive response was a necessary stage leading to the unification (Yihud) of God’s holiest 4-letter Name. How so?

In Genesis 12:2 we read of God’s promise to Avram :

“I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and You shall be a blessing (Veh’yeh b’rachah).”

Note that God’s 4-letter Name (Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh) is comprised of the same 4 letters as Veh’yeh (“…and be a blessing”), but appear in a different order (Vav-Heh-Yod-Heh).

Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev (1740-1809, Ukraine), teaching that nothing is to be overlooked in Torah and every word and letter have deeper metaphysical significance wrote:

“The letter Yod-Heh [the ‘higher’ Divine emanations] in the word Veh’yeh is an allusion to God, whereas the letters Vav-heh [the ‘lower’ Divine emanations] is an allusion to the Jewish people. As long as Abraham had not existed, there had not been a human being who tried to ‘awaken’ God’s largess to be dispensed in the lower regions. God’s largess, whenever the Eternal One dispensed it for the good of humankind, owed this exclusively to the Creator’s goodwill [i.e. meritless Grace]. As soon as Abraham became active on earth, there were deeds on earth that ‘awakened’ God to dispense the Divine largess as a result of acts performed by human beings. In other words, prior to Abraham, God’s Name could be spelled in the order Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh, whereas this order had now been reversed and God’s Name could be spelled as Vav-Heh-Yod-Heh… The reversal of the sequence of the letters Vav-Heh hints at this largess having its origin in the ‘lower,’ rather than the celestial regions.” (Kedushat Levi, translation and commentary by Rabbi Eliahu Monk, Lambda Press, volume 1, pages 43-44)

What is the meaning of this complicated understanding of the 4 letters in God’s Name? Until Abram appeared, Levi Yitzhak taught, there was no mutual relationship between God and humankind. However, with Abram all that changed. Abram’s capacity to “hear” God’s call (i.e. prophesy) and respond augured well not only for the future spiritual development of the Jewish people but signaled the beginning of Divine Tikun.

The Torah’s reversing the order of the letters represents Abram reversing the direction of largess that had exclusively come from God to humankind to a new paradigm that moved from humankind to God.

The idea that Jews can affect the internal life of God is revolutionary, not only in Judaism but in the history of religion. This is why, according to Jewish mystics, Abram was the world’s first Jew. As a Jew, each of us carries a burden, responsibility and opportunity to work towards tikun olam, the restoration/repair of a shattered universe. When that occurs so too is there a Tikun Shem M’forash (a restoration of God’s holiest 4-letter Name).

Shabbat Shalom.

How Abraham healed God Read More »

Rosner’s Torah Talk: Parshat Lech-Lecha with Rabbi Avi Weiss

Leave a Comment / Israel, Rosner's Domain, Uncategorized, Videos / Shmuel Rosner

Rabbi Avi Weiss, is an American open Orthodox ordained rabbi, author, teacher, lecturer, and activist who is the founder of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale in The Bronx, New York. He is the founder of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, a rabbinical seminary he refers to as “Open Orthodox”, a term he coined to describe an offshoot of Orthodoxy, and the founder of Yeshivat Maharat for Orthodox women, co-founder of the International Rabbinical Fellowship, an Open Orthodox rabbinical association founded as a liberal alternative to the Modern Orthodox Rabbinical Council of America, and founder of the grassroots organization Coalition for Jewish Concerns – Amcha.

Parashat Lech Lecha (Genesis 12:1–17:27) – features Abram’s Journey to the land of Canaan, his forced departure to Egypt, his covenant with God, the birth of Ishmael, Abram’s circumcision, and the changing of his name to Abraham.