Nahum Gutman’s “Cafe on the Promenade.” Gutman was a painter, often of landscapes, though not always, whose paintings evoke charm and naivete. The warmth and innocence of the place and the people in it often shines through in his works and he illustrated children’s books before and after the creation of the state of Israel. There’s more information at the Gutman Museum site.

I know, you guys like Jewlicious better when I don’t post much and just put up these images once a week…

Shabbat shalom!!

(Image source)

So said Juliette Lewis when she performed with her band, Juliette and the Licks at Goldstar Zappa in Tel Aviv last Wednesday night. You might remember Ms. Lewis from her performances in Cape Fear where she was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Natural Born Killers, The Basketball Diaries etc. Some may dismiss Juliette and the Licks as yet another ego-driven vanity project like other Actor-fronted rock bands. In most cases, such a dismissive attitude would be accurate. But not in this case. Juliette Lewis had serious stage presence as she slithered and shimmied across the stage, demonstrating an air of serious gravitas that would befit a major rock talent. The locals couldn’t get enough, lapping up every lick, cheering and hollering in a way atypical for usually reserved Israeli audiences. And apparently they loved their quick jaunt to Israel, having visited both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. See them if you have a chance. Seriously. And thank them for coming to Israel! Here’s a video of the show where they perform their song “Sticky Honey” and say nice things about Israel:

Michelle Citrin and William Levin get together to bring us this adorable variation on the I Got a Crush on Obama video – including the dance on the desk in the office scene, the final funny fall down scene but no bikinis and no red hot shorts with Rosh Hashana emblazoned on the butt. Rosh Hashana is the Jewish New Year and it’s coming soon! Enjoy the video…

Oh.My.God. Was that Esther of Presentense and Sydney Henning of Taglit-birthright israel at the end there??

I have now been home from Building Bridges for Peace for about a week. My camp recovery period has included lots of sleep, television, and a fair amount of beer (I have been using one of the many wonders of NYC — beer deliveries from the Korean market around the corner).

The last few days of camp were amazing, as always. The Palestinian and Israeli participants are friends again, the staff are too tired to care about broken rules, and everyone is generally pretty happy. During this time of pseudo-Utopia, we had an amazing evening program sponsored by an organization called Sacred Slam. The aim of the organization is to use art in order to break down stereotypes and misconceptions. Their most recent project involved using art with people dealing with mental health issues. Spoken word and poetry are two of the more common artistic means used, but video, music, and collage are also quite popular. At the event for BBfP, there were two spoken word artists, a guitarist/singer, and a violist. It was amazing and everyone was really into it.

The final performance was a hip-hop band, called the Flobots. They were really the highlight of the night. Their lyrics are socially motivated and the beats of the music are catchy. When I spoke to a few of the band members after the show, they said that they’re trying to re-define what hip-hop can be. They want to be able to motivate people to affect change in their communities through music. As a result, they’ve founded their own organization which does music workshops in various schools and communities in the Denver, CO area (where they’re based). It was amazing to watch the Flobotsperform and I have been addicted to their CD since I heard them. Definitely check them out.

Camp ended well and I am happy to say that maybe I helped to create some small peace in the world.

From arutz Sheva.

The IDF soldiers who refused to take part in the destruction of the Hevron Jewish Community’s Shalhevet neighborhood are being awarded by activist groups for their moral bravery.

Simultaneously, as the IDF awards citations for soldiers who served in the Second Lebanon War on Sunday, Rabbis and the Committee to Save the Nation and the Land will award moral citations to soldiers who recently refused to act against the Jewish families who were forcibly removed from Jewish-owned property in Hevron.
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I’ve been meaning to put this link up for a while, but I just keep reading and rereading it and then I find I have some errand to run. In one fell swoop they show up both Walt and Mearsheimer’s whiny tactics as well as those critics of Israel who like to play the victim game. I have no issue with critics of Israel – heck, while I think we here at Jewlicious all love Israel, our love is not blind and we have criticized Israeli policies and actions on numerous occasions. Our criticism I think is balanced and not the result of flawed academia, spurious theories or just plain dumdassedness. For instance, you’ll never hear us mention an Apartheid wall or genocide or use the term “storm trooper” to refer to Israeli security forces. But I digress.

The Forward in this editorial takes certain critics of Israel to task, and rightly so. They even used the word “whine.” How awesome!

Lately, however, some of Israel’s critics have started learning a few tricks themselves — and rather than enriching the conversation, they are choosing to further muddy it… The trick follows a typical pattern. Step one: Publish your views in as provocative a manner as possible. Use words like “apartheid,” as Jimmy Carter did in his book, or paint Jewish lobbying efforts in darkly conspiratorial terms, as Walt and Mearsheimer did in a paper published last year. Step two: Dare the Jewish community to lash out at you, then whine about being victimized by bullies. Step three: Implore fair-minded liberals to line up behind you, forcing them to choose between endorsing your vision — however skewed — or becoming part of the censorship juggernaut… But that’s the genius of the victimhood game: If you’ve been rejected, you’ve won in the court of public opinion.

Walt and Mearsheimer’s crappy book is coming out soon. I’m not linking to it. But do note that on the cover is an American flag rendered in blue and white. What a couple of assholes.

Besides names that kind of rhyme? Well, our old friend EV (who allegedly looks like Geoff Rush) has put up a site displaying his recent comics with links to where they were originally published.

On Jewschool EV announced it by writing:

I’ve finally put up a site with some subtle cartoons, some previously published, others rejected from every publication in the world. Please visit, and remember to leave insulting comments. Extra points for proper spelling of “despicable self-hatred.”

Muffti offers you a link to the site, http://evcomics.com/ with some trepidation. Be forewarned that EV has an eye for the darker side of things and his interpretation of Sheer ha’Sheerim probably won’t be endorsed by any Rabbi’s who aren’t regular users of crack. His subtle and clever views about the dialectical relationship between, say, the ADL and public anti-semitism are manifest in a rather non-subtle comic display. In other words YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH click not if offensive comics be not for you. But click if they are because EV is talented.

The professor who cannot stop his vicious self-hatred has been mothballed by DePaul. When he was denied tenure, it was only a matter of time. According to the Chicago Tribune, his class initially appeared on the class list and then was removed. DePaul placed him on paid leave for the entire year, but Norman will have nothing of it.

Finkelstein told the [Tribune] that he planned to wage his own campaign against the administration.

“I intend to go to my office on the first day of classes and, if my way is barred, to engage in civil disobedience,” Finkelstein said. “If arrested, I’ll go on a hunger strike. If released, I’ll do it all over again. I’ll fast in jail for as long as it takes.”

Classes start on September 5th. Assuming that Norman does go to his former office on Sept. 5th, he could in theory sit there the whole day until business hours are over. According to my humble interpretation of Illinois Compiled Statues (720 ILCS 5/21-3) (from Ch. 38, par. 21-3) a person can legally enter a public building, and if not bothering anyone, can stay. Ever if he were to stay there after they close, most likely the worst offense is a class A or B criminal misdemeanor. Hardly the kind of thing that gets you locked up in jail long enough to have a hunger strike.

In order to really get locked up for a longer period of time, he would have to do something more drastic and take a bigger risk than just trespassing. He could refuse to speak, and be completely non-cooperative. If there is a court order barring him from DePaul, and he trespasses, that could put him in more hot water. If he were to break into his old office, that would be even harsher.

I don’t really see him sitting in jail for more than a few hours, since they have better things to do in Chicago than allow this dude to make a hunger strike, when they have violent criminals that need cell-space.

If Norm is serious about a hunger strike—hardly the kind of thing to do if you hope to get hired at any school—then the hunger strike will have to be at DePaul to get any attention. And figuring that the arrest and release and arrest cycle plays out a few times, it could very be that come September 21st, Norm might be fasting somewhere.

The Halacha is Norm that if a person fasts on Yom Kippur without kavanna (that is Hebrew for conscious intent) that the fast is for Yom Kippur and repentance, they still receive the benefit of the fast.

Instead of seeking vengeance — consider doing some introspection as to why you ended up in this place. Instead of continuing to blame the Zionists and Dershowitz for your troubles, try taking some responsibility for your actions. DePaul didn’t give you tenure because of your unbecoming pugilistic nature, not respecting other views, and getting into personal and vicious arguments on the national stage. (And not because you lack language skills or poor scholarship.)

____

As we prepare for Rosh Hashanah, the gates of repentance are open to you at every moment. It is precisely when a person has reached a critical stage, that they are sometimes able to look and see the error of their ways.

Go to Israel for FREE this winter!
With registration for Taglit-birthright israel’s next round of Winter and Spring trips to Israel coming up on September 5th, it seemed like as good a time as any to release the latest Where in Israel is Jewlicious video. This video features dancing by Adam Bakhash, Brian Adam Becker, Sarah Eisenberg, Marlise Elgart, Chana Ickowitz, Kevin Lipp as well as Liran Shachi, Robyn Zucker and Corinne Shalev, members of BR417 – the Jewlicious summer 2007 Taglit-birthright israel bus. OK, so this video is badly shot. It is kinda cheesy. Sue me, I never went to film school. But I think it is fairly representative of how much fun one of our trips are… especially this coming winter’s trips which are fortified with… vitamin H! OK, watch the video. Enjoy. And if you or anyone you know want to go to Israel this winter, for free, go to the Taglit-birthright israel Web site on September 5th and sign up with Oranim, our Taglit-birthright israel trip provider and select the Jewlicious trip…

this trip is a gift from Taglit-birthright israel.

Very funny, a bit long, and right to the point. We are totally ignorant of our own traditions, history, and religion, and we continue to drop out for all sorts of reasons. It’s enough to make this grown rabbi cry and laugh, and then cry.

Granted, a sampling of ramblings from the Upper West Side is not a groundbreaking scientific study. [As if one would be needed to show how ignorant we are about basic Jewish knowledge.] Much hunch is that this would be the same video if filmed in a Jewish area of Detroit, Chicago, Miami, or LA.

LOL – ELUL!

With the resignation of U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Michael Chertoff is being eyed for the position. He would become the first Jewish U.S. Attorney General since Edward Levi from 1975-1977. Levi was a seriously distinguished jurist born in Chicago, Illinois, the son and grandson of rabbis. He received his A.B. Phi Beta Kappa from the undergraduate college of the University of Chicago in 1932, and later his J.D. at the University of Chicago Law School in 1935.

Michael Chertoff is also the son and grandson of Rabbis, and could become the first Jew appointed to this position in 30 years.

When Chertoff was nominated as Secretary of Homeland Defense worried members of the Jewish community thought that having a Jew in such a prominent position might be “bad for the Jews”. After all, if anything goes wrong, they can blame the Jews. Other more enlightened opinions pointed out that “they” already blame the Jews for everything.

The main question remains will Chertoff be good for America? Can he bring respectability and the aura of professionalism to a position thoroughly politicized and tarnished? Chertoff had a very successful run as a US Attorney, garnering praise from Dems and Republicans. However, Chertoff then became special counsel for the Senate Whitewater Committee that spent millions and millions trying to bring down Clinton. Chertoff also co-authored the controversial Patriot Act. He led the charge against Arthur Anderson, the former accounting house, that went down with Enron.

However, my own memories of Chertoff go back two years, when he oversaw FEMA’s disastrous relief efforts in the wake of Hurrican Katrina. FEMA, which had been rolled into the Department of Homeland Security, failed. Failed big time not only in immediate response, but in every step afterwards. Billions wasted, trailers of food and water never reaching people. FEMA even prevented relief from reaching people in some cases.

In his defense, we can say that Chertoff inherited a bad egg in FEMA. The agency and its director Michael Brown were incapable of dealing with the scope of the tragedy, and unable to recognize that and act. However, Chertoff let Brown run the failed rescue and relief efforts for over a week, before recalling him to DC. Nearly 2000 people died in Hurricane Katrina.

Chertoff’s record of public service, and high level of personal integrity, point to him being an excellent candidate. Chertoff’s close affiliation with Bush, the Patriot Act, and FEMA, are warning signs that he may not be able to repair the cratering damage called Alberto Gonzalez.

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef as quoted in Jpost:

“Is it a wonder that soldiers who don’t observe the Torah, don’t pray every day and don’t put on tefilin every day are killed in war? It is no wonder…Soldiers who are believers and who pray, God helps in wars. They are not killed…”

Embarassingly enough, this dark ages bullshit kind of thing is actually ‘news’ in Israel. In any case, no worries Rabbi; according to Arutz Sheva, half of new combat officers are religious. So surely we can look forward to wars of much lower casualties. Right?

Wow. They let us do it again. So, do you want to go to Israel this winter? For free? Well registration for the next round of free trips to Israel with Taglit-birthright israel begins September 5th. And this winter, as in past seasons, one of your many options is to go with Jewlicious. We’ve partnered with some pretty cool people to offer you a trip that is both unique and interesting. Built on the already excellent program developed by Taglit-birthright israel and Oranim (our trip provider), the Jewlicious trip will offer interesting speakers and activities, as well as top notch madrichim (trip leaders) who will supplement the trip content with their own unique perspectives – definitely not your cousin Marvin’s Taglit-birthright israel trip. More details will follow in the days and weeks to come.

What? What is vitamin H? Oh you’ll find out. We’re full of surprises…

In the meantime, visit the Oranim Web site and sign up in order to get relevant trip-related alerts. On September 5th, make sure to visit the Taglit-birthright israel Web site and register for your free trip to Israel. Make sure to choose Oranim as your trip provider and then select the relevant Jewlicious trip. You can also visit our Jewlicious trip Facebook group – just click on that link!

this trip is a gift from Taglit-birthright israel.

I was watching Al Jazeera. They were showing the Oscar winning West Bank Story (I hadn’t seen it yet). After the screening they showed a discussion between Palestinians and Israelis who had also seen the film. Suddenly, a news alert flashed across the screen and as the competing Felafel and Hummus stands burnt to the ground, Al Jazeera let us know that once again, the Lebanese Army was bombing the shit out of what was left of the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp. They are hoping to flush out the remaining Fatah al-Islam gunmen inside. So far 300 people have died in the fighting and all but 80 of the 40,000 residents of the problematic camp have fled. This fighting has been going on for months. No really. I’m not kidding – 300 dead and 40,000 homeless. I’m serious. Here – read about it on the BBC. Or on Reuters.

Now I know these Fatah al-Islam gunmen dudes are supporters of Al Quaeda and all – but with 40,000 people forced out of their homes, you’d expect some UN guys to say something or at least some cool footage of weeping civilians. With 40,000 people frightened away by intense violence, someone had to have wept. I’ll keep monitoring the news. I’m sure we’ll get the footage of this human rights catastrophe pronto. Any minute now, I’m sure.

Oh, and I enjoyed West Bank Story. Didn’t enjoy the post-movie conversation as much, but the movie was hilarious.

Facebook has groups for every possible interest. Like for instance, do you hate Crocs? You know those ridiculous multi-colored plastic shoes that are sooooo comfortable but look totally ridiculous? Well, there’s a group for you! Called “I Dont care How Comfortable Crocs Are, You Look Like A Dumbass” (link is only visible if you have a Facebook account) it has 318,354 members, 37,393 wall posts and 1063 photos. One of them shows Hitler wearing Crocs. And the comments? Emily Dundas Oke of South Kamloops Secondary School noted that Hitler’s Crocs were on the wrong feet. Sam Hanske of Ballard High School then noted “well the point is hitler is a dumbass, because: 1) hes wearing crocs 2) wrong feet 3) hes hitler.” Well put Sam, well put. ALL enemies of the Jews are dumbasses.

Man, those people hate Crocs like Abe Foxman hates anti-Semites.

Hat tip to LGF for this one. A New Zealand Pizza joint named ‘Hell Pizza‘ thought that a billboard with Hitler saluting while holding a slice o’pie would help sales. In bad taste? Probably. But as you’ll see below, they are known for some general whackiness in their marketing…

New Zealand restaurant chain Hell Pizza is currently under fire for placing posters featuring the man who triggered World War II and was responsible for the genocide of millions of people on billboards in four cities across the country. The ad features Hitler sieg-heiling with a slice in his hands and the slogan: “It is possible to make people believe that heaven is hell,” a quote attributed to Hitler.

“We thought that people would be able to see a funny side to a guy doing a ’sieg heil’ salute with a piece of pizza in his hand,” Kirk MacGibbon of the Auckland-based Cinderella advertising agency said. “If you laugh at something, you take its power away.” However he added that “there are certain things we are still unable to laugh about” and said there had been a handful of complaints from Jewish residents.

The company has abandoned the Hitler campaign, but it still isn’t shying away from controversy. Its new advertising poster boy is Pope Benedict XVI, who is shown with a slice of pizza along with the quote: “Hell is real and eternal.”

Hell Pizza also raised a storm of controversy among Catholics and others last year with its campaign for seven pizzas named after the seven deadly sins. To advertise its “lust” pizza, the company mailed condoms to potential customers.

“That was the most controversial ad campaign that we’ve ever done,” MacGibbon said.

Everything Ends, Everything Starts Again…

Late August in Jerusalem is kind of a bittersweet time. It’s hot and sunny and the weather is always beautiful, but with the holidays rapidly approaching, you know it’s just not going to last. Ariel Beery, Aharon Horowitz of Presentense Magazine and their Pixies closed down the house after spending weeks developing all kinds of innovative projects (1st pic, first row left – notice the Jesus like lighting on Beery…), Taglit-birthright Israel held it’s last mega event with special guests Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr. and Mrs. Sheldon Adelson. Bibi needs another coaching session with his political consultants. He won the summer time Likud primary – some would say because it was held in August and all his opponents were on vacation. But if he wants to win the next election, he needs to gesticulate less with his hands – that’s deemed too ethnic and not leader like. Mrs. Adelson, who is Israeli, was a total babe and addressed the crowd in flawless Hebrew – which was probably lost on the 97% of the attendees who didn’t understand a thing she said. What they did understand was that she and her husband donated $25 million to Taglit-birthright israel this summer so that no one would have to be wait listed. As for Sheldon Adelson, he’s kind of short with a shock of improbably red hair. He walked with the assistance of a cane but he spoke lucidly and vividly about his father who never made it to Israel because he couldn’t afford the trip. Adelson, who grew up on the mean streets of Boston, is not an imposing figure but his success in the Casino industry belies a certain toughness. Let’s put it this way… I would hate to be caught counting cards at any of his establishments. I like this guy. Let’s keep him!

So, hardly was the last summer mega event over when preparations began for the winter Taglit-birthright israel season. Registration for free trips to Israel begins September 5th, but more on that later.

August also seems to be the season for all manner of street fairs. I’ve already discussed the Jewish Agency street fair, but now there were a few random street events, all held Friday afternoon. Bolinat hosted Soulico and MC Carolina who performed to a crowd of water gun toting revelers. Yankees and Blue Hole held a series of Friday afternoon shows where I watched missFlag perform (those guys are everywhere!) as well as Rebel Sun and Coolooloosh and Zvulun Dub Society (2nd row left to right). These shows are great as they force me to prepare early for Shabbat so that I may enjoy a decadently relaxing afternoon in the sun, sipping an Arak Limonada (the official drink of the summer), dancing and chilling with friends.

Of course I also take photos. In doing so I can’t help but think I am documenting the very last of Jerusalem’s secular permanent residents – as if they were endangered species like Manatees. Except instead of bovine water mammals, I am surrounded by more aviator shades than one would find at a Top Gun party, a bunch of Israeli men who think of underwear as an appropriate alternative to bathing suits (as they take a dip in the fountain in front of the stage) and a mess of strikingly beautiful and wildly interesting people (3rd row, left to right – random aviator shade woman, Avigail and Dee who won’t stop following me around and young love!).

Today was the final installment of this series. This summer also saw the departure of several Jerusalemites that I know – off to take a breather in the US (Oh, it’s temporary. We’ll be back. Really. Uh huh.). I know Lori will be back but as for the rest of them, I’m not so sure. But like everything else, every ending is also a new begining. I look forward to the new crop of dreamers and schemers, searchers and lurkers – all those crazy and colorful people that make Jerusalem the unique place that it is. And now the week is about to end. the Sabbath queen beckons for our day of rest – allowing us to charge up for the week to come. Shabbat Shalom!

Crossposted at WWPD.

What happens when a quintessential New York Jew meets the family of his non-Jewish girlfriend? I have no idea, it’s not as if any movies have been made about such a situation. So it’s a good thing Julie Delpy had the courage to cover this uncharted territory. Still, it is a good movie, and here’s why. In other words, spoilers below.
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During the month of Elul, we have the chance to do a lot of thinking before Rosh Hashanah. Each day as we approach the end of the year, we can sense the faint sounds of the Shofar that will ring out on Rosh Hashahah.

Craig Taubman—musician, concert producer, and educator—has created an online compilation of thoughts by prominent humans as an aid to Elul’s spiritual preparation.

In this very spot, on each of the 29 days of Elul, we will post a ‘Jewel’ of an inspiration from an amazing group of individuals. From Deepak Chopra to the Dalai Lama and Kirk Douglas to Matisyahu, these wonderful people will share their thoughts on ‘Hope and Healing’.

Ha’aretz reports about a survey by Professor Howard Litwin of the Israel Gerontological Data Center published in The European Journal of Aging which found that attending synagogue extends longevity.

In 1997, 5,000 Israeli men and women aged 60 and older were interviewed with a follow up by Prof. Litwin’s group in 2004 of 1811 of the individuals. Of these, 38 percent had passed away and those still alive were questioned about their lifestyle.

The researchers learned that low income and depression contribute to a shorter life expectancy.

These findings are not surprising,” said Litwin, “but we did find two other unique variables that influence survival: the frequency of communication with friends and the frequency of synagogue attendance. Those who attended synagogue regularly clearly had the highest rate of survival.”

…One explanation is spiritual, that is, the individual faith factor,” he said. “A series of studies that have been conducted in recent years, especially in the United States, argue that faith helps people deal with psychological pressure. People who believe and pray apparently survive longer.

“Another explanation is the connection between attending synagogue and belonging to a supportive community.”

Litwin said that in late old age decreased social activity is a common problem. “A person who goes to synagogue has a function: He is called to the Torah, and he has a network of social ties in the community.”

Litwin also suggests that Orthodox Jews have to walk to shul on Shabbat which improves their health but the bottom line seems to be that beyond socialization, attending synagogue and becoming a part of a larger community assists in living longer.

Sorry Muffti.

Sorry that I was so late posting this… blame it on the beer? Remember when I posted about the Jerusalem Wine Festival? Well the day after that a bunch of us went to the old train station where the Jerusalem Beer Festival was held. Talk about a study in contrasts! Where the Wine Festival was genteel and elegant, the Beer Festival was rambunctious and a tad uncouth. Where the Wine Festival entertained attendees with chamber music and an easy listening cover band, the Beer Festival entertained with a collection of local indie bands, including our dear, dear friends, missFlag. But despite the differences, one can never escape the democratizing influence of alcohol – regardless of whether you were wearing a tie or a tank top, regardless of whether you lived in Rechaviah or Talpiot, regardless of the size of your paycheck, at the end of the evening, attendees at both festivals ended up the same way – completely shnackered…

From left to right, top to bottom, we have Assaf on the drums and Ohad on lead vocals and guitar of missFlag. Next we see Herzl Beer – soon to be occupying shelf space near you! Below that there’s a random drunken couple – well at least she clearly is. Then there’s Rebeka – don’t ask, and what it looks like when you’ve had too much beer. Don’t believe anyone when they tell you Jerusalem’s not HELLA FUN!

note: Looking for the latest on the Google JewTube legal action? Go here.

I caught up with my old friend and ROI Alum Jeremy Kossen the other day. I hadn’t seen Jeremy, the founder of Jewish video sharing site JewTube since he was here in Jerusalem for ROI120. At the time, JewTube had just launched and it seemed like every story in the press about ROI120 included an interview with Jeremy. So I thought, why should the traditional press have all the fun? I want to ask Jeremy some questions too!

ck: Jeremy, can you tell us how many videos have been viewed on JewTube since your launch in July?

jk: Since our launch at ROI120, we’ve had 349,965 video downloads (as of 10:05 pm Pacific Time) from 145 videos.

ck: Wow. That’s awesome. Speaking of ROI120, how was that for you?

jk: My ROI experience was incredible….life changing. I got to spend quality time with the second most important Jew besides Jesus (or JC as I like to call him), Mr. David Abitbol.

ck: Jeremy. This is all on the record. You don’t have to flatter me, I already get duffel bags full of unmarked bills to promote you guys…

jk: Really?

ck: No Jeremy. I was kidding. Sheesh.

jk: Okay, in all seriousness about ROI… ROI was an incredible experience. It was like going to a summer camp – albeit a very short summer camp – with a bunch of other highly intelligent, motivated, young professional Jews who have aspirations (and the wherewithal) to change the world. I was very impressed with the caliber of people and I made great friends and contacts from all over the world. In fact, several of the contacts I made are now involved in JewTube. Beyond networking at the event, thanks to ROI120 I was able to meet with and get interviewed by a ton of prominent media, including Globes and Ha’aretz to name just two.

ck: The last time we spoke, you shared with us some of the goofy emails you got from people miffed that you snagged the jewtube.com domain name before they did. So what sort of craziness has been happening since you launched?

jk: The craziest thing about the whole experience is having investors and VCs contact us unsolicited. That’s been a thrill!!

ck: I bet. Not as funny as threatening emails written in all caps, but certainly more thrilling! Who doesn’t get a thrill at the site of duffel bags full of unmarked bills? Who?

jk: That’s not quite the way VC investments work David.

ck: Oh. Yeah. I knew that. Thanks for your time Jeremy. Good luck and continued success!

jk: Luck is for rabbits.

So true Jeremy. It’s always a pleasure to talk to Mr. JewTube and I know we’ll hear a lot more from him in the future. So far JewTube has been lots of fun and I am looking forward to all the Jewy video goodness Jeremy has in store for us. I am also looking forward to seeing ROI120 videos up on JewTube as well… But for now, here’s a hilarious video, courtesy of JewTube, of Bruno (another Sasha Baron Cohen character) at Spring Break taking the piss out of stupid jocks:

THE Bad Ass Jewish Music Site
DJ motherfuckin’ Handler. Why do I keep plugging this guy? I have no idea. Except that maybe despite everything he keeps doing cool things. Really, I can barely keep up. This man is a machine. I thought that maybe after he got married, domestic err, responsibilities would keep him busy, but no. I met his wife. She’s got the same manic look in her eyes that he does and so the onslaught of Handler related projects just keeps on coming. So what has the dude that brought us The Sephardic Music Festival, Modular Moods etc. brought us now? How about Shemspeed?

Huh? Is that a new brand of crystal meth? Apparently not. Shemspeed bills itself as “The Largest and Most Diverse Jewish Media Site.” I know. You’re thinking “bullshit!” right? Well, if so you’d be wrong. Now I don’t know if this baby that is barely a week old is in fact the largest anything, but dang yo, it is pretty darn big. It has it’s own TV and Radio stations where you may sample cool Jew music as well as a huge CD and digital music store, CD reviews and interviews, and an in depth and international events calender. Oh and what’s a new Web site launch without an iPod giveaway? It’s there but fuck that noise. The site rules on its own.

Finally, stay tuned for the requisite international launch parties taking place in both New York and Hell Aviv on the 25th of October featuring more Jew music than you can shake a stick at – whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean. Stay tuned for more info as I have no doubt Handler is not going to ever leave me alone…. I know that’s a double negative. Sue me.

Question. Why is no one in the organized Jewish community funding this boy? Why?

Anna Ticho is the painter.

Shabbat shalom!

(image source)