Monday, September 27, 2010

Sunday, September 19, 2010

NEVER FORGET: The 1972 Munich Olympic Massacre


Jim McKay and his broadcasts from the Munich Olympics.

Never forget, nobody ever needed an excuse to kill Jews.  What is equally sickening to me, is that during the massacre other countries blamed Israel for ruining the Olympics.  And if you didn't know, the Olympic Committee has never officially recognized the murdered Israelis...even through a moment of silence.  I remember watching the Olympics in 1992 to see if there would be something said about the 20th anniversary...but no such luck.  If you think times have changed, you're wrong.  Like it or not, we are alone.

Watch the outstanding documentary, "One Day In September," about the Munich Olympics.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Kai Fresh Sushi - Tel Aviv

Kai Fresh Sushi ephemera!

My cousin took us for a night out in Tel Aviv, and we all agreed upon sushi.  A great little joint to grab your sushi off a conveyor belt.  So, over raw fish and beer, we caught up on each others' lives and had a fantastic dinner.  One thing I'll never forget is that my oldest son felt like misbehaving and laid his head next to the conveyor belt so he could lick each dish as it passed by.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Get Yer Kippot Here!


When you are in Jerusalem, you're bound to drop by Ben Yehuda Street, the center of the city's tourist universe.  If you are looking for kippot, this area ain't exactly cheap.  However, if you really need a kippa NOW (as I did) this is a great place to go.  Just off Ben Yehuda is Joel /Yoel Salomon Street, and that's where Michael Kippa Center is.  The woman behind the counter was wonderful, offering our boys water while we went through drawers of kippot.

Yoel Salomon Street, Jerusalem

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Mini Israel Theme Park - "See It All...Small!"


We had some free time while staying in Jerusalem and were looking for something to do.  My wife's aunt recommended we check out "Mini Israel," which is...wait for it...Israel in miniature!  Some of you may remember a place where the Old City is in miniature, which I think is somewhere near Jerusalem.  Well, this is substantially bigger.  13 acres (60 dunams) of miniaturized Israel!

Wait a second, I thought David had already killed Goliath!
I felt like a miniature Peeping Tom snapping this photo of the mini-Israeli hotties.
It is near Latrun, and we got lost trying to find it.  The exit for Latrun off Highway 1 is not marked as "Latrun," so after a sign telling us the exit for Latrun was approaching in 1000 meters we kept looking for Latrun...and looking...and driving...and we totally missed it!  My wife, the superb navigator she is, put us back on the right track, and out of the dusty haze we saw the signpost for Mini Israel!

Like so may of these tourist attractions in the Israeli desert, not everything was 100% intact, what with the 100+ degree heat pounding the displays day after day after day.  However, I'd say 90% of the displays were fully funtional, and there appeared to be several new displays under construction...so this place is only going to get bigger (ironic, huh?).  There is something for everyone - all of the major Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Bahai sites are presented

Giant lizards were taking over Tel Aviv...wait...oh, this is a pic from Mini Israel.

It was surprisingly expensive, though.  79 NIS for the wife and me, and 59 NIS for our 7 year old.  Throw in another 10 NIS per person for the new 3D movie at the entrance, some ice cream and beverages, and we spent around $75 for the afternoon, which is actually a lot of money for an afternoon in Israel.  That said, now that we have been to Mini Israel, we don't have to go the next time!

If you have a few extra hours on your way to or from Jerusalem and are driving on Highway 1, check out Mini Israel.  The kids will think it's cool, and that's what is most important, right?

John Lydon in Israel

A fantastic interview in Israel for his 31 August gig in Tel Aviv.  John puts the pathetic Brit protesters in their place, exposing their blatant hypocrisy and anti-Semitism for what it is.  "Jews are people, too," he points out.  Why can't more artists speak their mind in such an articulate, intelligent way?  Fuck you Elvis Costello, Frank Black, Santana, and all of your ilk.  And what makes the Costello situation funny, is that his wife performed in Israel after he chose not to! 





And here is another one from Tel Aviv.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Public Image Limited at the Heineken Music Festival - Tel Aviv


Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the festival, but I snagged this ad from Yedioth Ahronoth.  More and more international acts are hitting the shores of Israel, even if a few acts use politics to hide their anti-Semitism and refuse to play.