Total Mayhem

Hi all, it was a month of total Mayhem, beginning with the death of Osama bin Laden and into the sea he was lade/laid. The World media went berserk as newspaper headlines and T.V programmes were filled with osamaganda. Obituaries were prepared, documentaries edited, blogs written and millions of tweets tweeted the death of the evil Osama. Done and Dusted.

It was a sad month for the Israeli Justice system as it said farewell to one of the greats. Former Israeli Supreme Court Justice Moshe Landau, who presided over the Adolf Eichmann trial and announced to Eichmann "This Court finds you guilty", passed away on the eve of Holocaust remembrance day he was 99. On a lighter note Israel celebrated 63 years of independence since 1948.

The computer war continued as ‎Bill Gates (Microsoft) wanted a communications aspect at the company, so they bought Skype for 8.5 billion cash. Stock exchanges greeted new companies to the exchange in May 2011. LinkedIn, the Professional social media network group went public. They can be found under the code LNKD on the NYSE. Pandora, an Internet radio station also floated as ‘P’ on the NYSE.

Anthony Weiner (a politician, but a human too) also went public, for the wrong reasons, on Twitter. He subsequently resigned from Congress.

Out in California, Arnold Schwarzenegger's marriage was terminated - (but he'll be back). Other discoveries were made in the Schwarzenegger household too.

The Icelandic volcano of ‘Grimsvotn’ erupted; it is probably a little easier to pronounce this volcano than ‘Eyjafjallajokull’ of last year. Another erupted volcano in Chile left thousands of passengers stranded in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa as dangerous lava filled the skies above the Southern Hemisphere causing hundreds of flights to be cancelled.

Many proclaimed, but the world didn't end. Either did the civil war in Libya and the killings in Syria and Yemen. Haiti has a new President - the singer Michel Martelly! On musical note congratulations to Azerbaijan on winning eurovision 2011.

Dallas was too hot for the Miami Heat as German wunderkid Dirk Nowitizki destroyed LeCon James and co in the NBA finals. Barcelona thrashed Manchester United in a messi night at wembley to claim the Champions League.
Say a prayer for our brothers and sisters in Israel as they continue to defend their sovereignty.

I hope June is a healthy and happy one for all. Regards from Miami Beach.

'The Brothers Ashkenazi' by I.J. Singer

Set in pre-war Lodz, during the years of revolutions, wars, pogroms and anti-Semitism comes a story complete with joy, tragedy, perseverance and triumph. The Brothers Ashkenazi, twins, Meir Simcha (Max) and Jacob Bunem (Yakub) are destined for success, in different ways. They both grow in wealth, affluence and influence, but learn that all one takes to the next world is a good name, a healthy reputation. As they grow in age, they grow apart, however brothers remain brothers.

The story is written with great detail and description about an era of Eastern Europe that was rife with commerce, development and hardship. Singer captures the movement, the fluctuation and craziness of the characters in exquisite thoroughness. Singer puts The Brothers Ashkenazi back together again.

'Sacred Trash' by Adina Hoffman & Peter Cole

Hoffman and Cole team up to write a narrative on what some called 'the 8th wonder of the world' - the lost and found world of the Cairo Geniza.

The book is about discovery, tradition and rescue of holy Jewish literature of 900 years in age from Fustat (Cairo) Egypt.

With a dynamic team of research scholars including, Solomon Schechter, S.D Goiten and many other 'Geniza' experts, the authors narrate a story of immense historical importance, filled with richness, colour, depth and lucidity.

What may be 'trash' to some, is a 'treasure' to others.

A Royal April

I write from Sydney, Australia after a wonderful visit to my homeland for Passover (Pesach). It was a fabulous trip, a first for MDL. We had precious family time plus we visited and saw some of the great Australian sites. Pesach, as usual in Anglesea was leaven free. Thanks to all the hardworking team for making a real beautiful Chag (holiday). Let us hope and pray that what we read aloud at the Seder “next year in Jerusalem” actualizes.

As the academic year winds down in the North, the South readies itself for ski season. New Zealand is still one of the choicest of options even though Christchurch lies in a heap of rubble.

Apparently #osamaisdead. Barak Obama announced to the world that Osama Bin Laden, the worlds’ most wanted man was captured and killed by American forces in Pakistan. Possibly Obama found Osama to boost his re-election campaign. Media sources have been waiting a long time for this newsworthy story including the broadsheet, tabloid and electronic newsfeeds. Conspiracy theories will be created and perhaps Obama was upset that he did not receive an invite to the Royal Wedding and in turn, Will and Kate’s media fame was overshadowed by the death of Evil Osama. Details to ensue.

April 1st brought snow to New York (this is not a April fools joke) while a Government shutdown was avoided in Washington D.C. The Australian Dollar continues to strengthen and a high of 1.10 USD was recorded in late April. Meanwhile the Japanese government approved a quake budget of 4 trillion Yen to assist in the cleanup and recovery after the mass earthquake and tsunami. Samsung is suing Apple, but that seems to happen every day.

It was a Royal April as Will and Kate tied the knot in London. Thousands upon thousands came to London to see David and Posh Beckham’s outfits (and Kate’s dress). The Empire State Building turned 80 while Israeli teenagers got a taste of Justin Bieber as he performed in Tel Aviv.

Fighting continues in the Middle East and Africa. In Libya, NATO attacked Gaddafi and succeeded in killing Gaddafi’s son (G senior still on the run). The fighting also claimed the lives of notable Journalists Tim Hethrington and Chris Hondras. In the Ivory Coast, French forces captured dictator Laurent Gbagbo. Syria has problems too, as does Bahrain and was forced to cancel its Formula 1 championship race.

Manchester United will not win the treble this season and Fernando Torres finally broke his goal-scoring drought for Chelsea (at a cost of 50 million pounds). Sri Lanka might have been bribed to lose the world cup final (but India and Tendulkar were the better team).

Yom Hashoa, the day of Holocaust remembrance passed and we remember all the pure and holy souls who died in the sanctification of G-D’s name during World War 2. Yom Haatzmaot, Israeli Independence Day approaches and let us all join in unison and pray that the ‘David’ can once again defeat the ‘Goliath’ and keep Israel safe.

Dayenu.

'The White Tiger' by Aravind Adiga

Set in India, The White Tiger is a dark comical fiction work of literary par excellence. Adiga creates the character 'Balram Halwai' and sets off on a frenzied, passionate and detailed journey of modern India.

Corrupt politicians, impoverished citizens and the affluent are all targeted in Adiga's portrayal of the realities of day-to-day India.

It is a story within a story, about a chauffeur turned entrepreneur and his courageous, yet cunning plan, to leave the 'chicken coop'.

March Madness

Hi, March has come and gone and so has Purim, Patrick’s Day and Passover is looming. If you thought the New York winter had departed, think again. New York was blessed with some more snow, hail, icy rain and temperamental weather.

The world witnessed a most savage, cruel and cowardly attack as terrorists murdered five members of the Fogel family in Itamar, Israel. May those who perished be an eternal light for the Jewish people and may their memory shine and eliminate evilness. Meanwhile, a Jerusalem bus is blown up and the world remains silent. However, we are the ones who build! Am Yisrael Chai (the nation of Israel is very much alive).

Violence and war is still brewing in Libya, Syria and Yemen (and other places) as rebel groups attempt to overthrow current leaders. Allied forces have made been employed to try and fight the evil. There has been talk of arming Libyan rebels as they battle with Gaddafi (or however you spell it). Ivory Coast is dealing with its own civil war too.

Japan is rocked into a state of chaos as a mammoth earthquake and subsequent tsunami causes mass carnage and death. Nuclear reactors were affected and radioactivity escaped into the atmosphere (nuclear-ism – the state of Japan).

The Australian dollar continued its ascent, while the Japanese Yen posted a 16-year high against the United States dollar. AT & T mobile joined forces, while the New York Times started to charge online readers.

Elizabeth Taylor passed on she was 79. She also was married 8 times to 7 husbands. The Charlie Sheen craze died down and Apple gave birth to their latest child, iPad 2.

For cricket lovers, the World Cup continues in the sub-continent, where India will play Sri Lanka in the final. Ricky Ponting stepped down from the Australian captaincy; Michael Clarke didn’t exactly step up. The Australia Socceroos beat Germany in a friendly somewhere in Europe (not sure why Australia can only win friendly games when they count for nothing). And for completeness, the 2011 baseball season started with a New York Yankees victory.

Wishing everyone a very happy Passover and whatever everyone celebrates. Celebrate freedom, remember the slavery and rejoice for the upcoming redemption. And remember; just be kind to each other.

'The Jew in the Lotus' by Rodger Kamenetz.

A group of Jewish men and women trek to India to meet with the Dalai Lama and to explore the link between Judaism and Buddhism, if any.

Rodger Kamenetz gives a personal tale of spirituality, mysticism and renewal. Kamenetz is a brilliant writer, who captures the scenes and happenings as they unfold in Dharamsala, India.

Zalman Schachter-Shalomi leads a dialogue between Judaism and Buddhism, Rabbis and Monks deep in Northern India.

Read and absorb, so you can learn and then teach.