Saturday, September 04, 2010
Two Hours To Go Until Selichot
26th Elul 5770
Selichot start tonight!
It's time to link to one of my favorite posts, original posted here and later on at Beyond BT.
Selichot start tonight!
It's time to link to one of my favorite posts, original posted here and later on at Beyond BT.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Israeli "Artists" on the Dole
The artists that refused to appear in Ariel made a lot of noise. In the end, I think that they and their colleagues will probably regret this refusal, a cheap imitation of ignorant artists from abroad that refuse to appear in Israel at all.
What's more, the commotion caused by these artists brought to light a fact that is rarely brought to the attention of the public, a fact that they would probably prefer remained concealed deep in the books of the Israeli Government's budget: these people are on the dole.
According to the paper "Yisrael Hayom", the various theaters in Israel are supported by the state to the tune of 88 million shekels per year. The "HaBima" theater receives 25 million, the "Kameri" was given 11 million, 8.8 million goes to "Beit Lisin", 6.6 million shekels is allocated to the "Gesher" theater, 5.5 to the Be'er Sheva theater, another 5.5 million to the "Khan" theater in Jerusalem, 3.3 million to the Haifa Municipal theater. The remainder is given to various small theaters.
Why in the world does the government have to subsidize theaters? Did the American government have to fund Oscar Hammerstein? Did George and Ira Gershwin receive subsidies? It is especially hard to ignore the above questions when one looks at the great contribution that Jews have made to the American entertainment industry, in contrast to the dismal output of the Israeli theater.
To date the Israeli theater has not produced anything of note. Where is the Israeli musical that was so appealing that it was performed all over the world in different languages, an Israeli "Fiddler on the Roof"? Unfortunately it has yet to be written. What's worse, often the plays and musicals produced in the Promised Land are post-Zionist, anti-Torah tirades that appeal to a very small percentage of the public. I am willing to wager that if the theaters had to survive solely on the basis of ticket sales, the quality of what they offered the public would improve greatly.
The subsidization of Israel's theaters is an anachronism that is not only harmful to the tax paying public: it prevents any real creativity by the artists themselves. Unfortunately, chances are that the Israeli public will continue to payroll the often exorbitant lifestyles of these actors, directors, playwrights etc. These "artists" on the dole will lack any incentive to produce anything original or appealing. Instead, they will continue to preach their puny politics to people of their own ilk at the expense of the Israeli taxpayer.
I think it is fitting to finish this post with Rabbi Nechuniah Ben HaKana's prayer (Brachot 28B):
מודה אני לפניך ה' אלהי ששמת חלקי מיושבי בית המדרש ולא שמת חלקי מיושבי קרנות שאני משכים והם משכימים אני משכים לדברי תורה והם משכימים לדברים בטלים אני עמל והם עמלים אני עמל ומקבל שכר והם עמלים ואינם מקבלים שכר אני רץ והם רצים אני רץ לחיי העולם הבא והם רצים לבאר שחת
What's more, the commotion caused by these artists brought to light a fact that is rarely brought to the attention of the public, a fact that they would probably prefer remained concealed deep in the books of the Israeli Government's budget: these people are on the dole.
According to the paper "Yisrael Hayom", the various theaters in Israel are supported by the state to the tune of 88 million shekels per year. The "HaBima" theater receives 25 million, the "Kameri" was given 11 million, 8.8 million goes to "Beit Lisin", 6.6 million shekels is allocated to the "Gesher" theater, 5.5 to the Be'er Sheva theater, another 5.5 million to the "Khan" theater in Jerusalem, 3.3 million to the Haifa Municipal theater. The remainder is given to various small theaters.
Why in the world does the government have to subsidize theaters? Did the American government have to fund Oscar Hammerstein? Did George and Ira Gershwin receive subsidies? It is especially hard to ignore the above questions when one looks at the great contribution that Jews have made to the American entertainment industry, in contrast to the dismal output of the Israeli theater.
To date the Israeli theater has not produced anything of note. Where is the Israeli musical that was so appealing that it was performed all over the world in different languages, an Israeli "Fiddler on the Roof"? Unfortunately it has yet to be written. What's worse, often the plays and musicals produced in the Promised Land are post-Zionist, anti-Torah tirades that appeal to a very small percentage of the public. I am willing to wager that if the theaters had to survive solely on the basis of ticket sales, the quality of what they offered the public would improve greatly.
The subsidization of Israel's theaters is an anachronism that is not only harmful to the tax paying public: it prevents any real creativity by the artists themselves. Unfortunately, chances are that the Israeli public will continue to payroll the often exorbitant lifestyles of these actors, directors, playwrights etc. These "artists" on the dole will lack any incentive to produce anything original or appealing. Instead, they will continue to preach their puny politics to people of their own ilk at the expense of the Israeli taxpayer.
I think it is fitting to finish this post with Rabbi Nechuniah Ben HaKana's prayer (Brachot 28B):
מודה אני לפניך ה' אלהי ששמת חלקי מיושבי בית המדרש ולא שמת חלקי מיושבי קרנות שאני משכים והם משכימים אני משכים לדברי תורה והם משכימים לדברים בטלים אני עמל והם עמלים אני עמל ומקבל שכר והם עמלים ואינם מקבלים שכר אני רץ והם רצים אני רץ לחיי העולם הבא והם רצים לבאר שחת
Labels: Israeli government, Israeli left, Land of Israel
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
We Simply The Best
I was in Haifa recently and I bought the wife and kids some pizza:
This "All American Pizza" was actually quite delicious. The guy that designed the box was obviously not "All American". It should say, "We Are Simply The Best". In Hebrew, the form of be in present tense is very rarely used. That's probably the reason that it was left out here. This is a common error among native Hebrew speakers wishing to communicate in English.
This "All American Pizza" was actually quite delicious. The guy that designed the box was obviously not "All American". It should say, "We Are Simply The Best". In Hebrew, the form of be in present tense is very rarely used. That's probably the reason that it was left out here. This is a common error among native Hebrew speakers wishing to communicate in English.
Labels: English, Haifa, Hebrew, pizza
Monday, August 23, 2010
Teshuvah in the News
Jpix!!!
Friday, August 20, 2010
It's Already the Tenth of Elul!!!
10 Elul 5770
Will the month go by without any serious Teshuvah?
Here's a link to some posts on Elul. Some of them IMHO are even worth reading!!!: [click]
Will the month go by without any serious Teshuvah?
Here's a link to some posts on Elul. Some of them IMHO are even worth reading!!!: [click]
Labels: Elul
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
The Best Article About the "Disengagement" Ever
Moshe Dann tells it like it was and is:
The expulsion of 10,000 Jews from their homes five years ago was not a localized event in the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria. It was a national implosion, a national disgrace. It caused enormous physical, psychological, social, cultural, military and strategic damage to the entire nation – and it still does. Like an ecological disaster, its foulness still seeps through our foundations, and continues to poison us.Read the rest!
Undermined by enforcing a political agenda, the entire political system, the media and judicial institutions refused to act responsibly. Basic civil and human rights of Jews were abandoned. Those responsible for welfare and proper compensation misled and lied; led by Sela, the Disengagement Authority, our country was in denial. Our own political and many spiritual leaders – those for whom we voted, in whom we trusted – failed to organize and prevent this catastrophe. Ministers who disagreed were fired; public debate was suppressed.
Labels: Ariel Sharon, disengagement, expulsion, Israeli Judicial System, Israeli left
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Jerusalem Calatrava Bridge Update
It's been a long time since I put up pics depicting the bridge's progress. You can see that the train tracks are ready:
There's an ongoing war with the "graffiti artists". White paint covers up somebody's thoughts:
This piece of graffiti has not been as yet painted over. Did somebody have a Bar Mitzvah? Is this in honor of the shayetet?
The view from the other side of the bridge. All that's missing are the trains:
There's an ongoing war with the "graffiti artists". White paint covers up somebody's thoughts:
This piece of graffiti has not been as yet painted over. Did somebody have a Bar Mitzvah? Is this in honor of the shayetet?
The view from the other side of the bridge. All that's missing are the trains:
Labels: graffiti, Jerusalem, Jerusalem Calatrava Bridge, Pics
