A freilichen (happy) Chanuka to all of you. Tomorrow night (5th night) is present night here in the Matzav household, and you all won't believe what I bought for Mrs. Carl.... Yes, of course she reads the blog so no, I won't be posting it.
Over at Israel Video Network they're having a Chanuka video contest. I wanted to show you this one, which I think is pretty clever.
This stage sure needed a lot of support to be able to sustain this high
amount of eregy coming from Ohad Moskowitz combined with Freilach "Big Band" and
Yedidim Choir, it was a night unlike any other....
One of the (if not THE) key battles for Jerusalem in 1967 was the battle for Ammunition Hill. Ammunition Hill, which we pass on our way to the Old City - it's probably a five-minute drive from our house - is a small hilltop which was a system of bunkers filled with weapons. The IDF had to conquer it in order to make it to the Old City of Jerusalem and the eastern part of the city. It sits practically on the green line.
After the war, this song about the battle was written and performed by an IDF choir. I am posting two versions of it, one which has no subtitles, but shows the scenery on the hill and some of the men (really boys) who were killed in the battle. The other has subtitles in both English and Hebrew.
Let's go to the videotapes.
Today, Ammunition Hill is a museum and memorial to those who were killed in the battle for Jerusalem.
From the first time I heard this song, it always bothered me how the commander - apparently knowingly - sent 'Eitan' (whose full name and picture appear in the first video) to his death.... Obviously, he felt that the alternatives were worse....
Les Miserabbis - A Jewish musical you don't have to be Jewish to love
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD A GLOSSARY OF WORDS USED HERE: http://www.djcoleman.co.uk/Les_Misera...
• INSPIRED by LES MISERABLES & 40 YEARS OF SHUL
• WRITTEN & DIRECTED by DAVID COLEMAN
• LIVE MUSIC: SANDRA FRIEDMAN & JOSHUA NESBITT
• LIGHTING: MARTIN KISNER & GARY NESBITT
• SOUND: RICK SARSON
• PRODUCTION & EQUIPMENT: PARAMOUNT PRODUCTIONS
• FILMING: UNATTENDED CAMERAS
• CAMERAS KICKED by WANDERING AUDIENCE MEMBERS (BLESS)
• EDITED by DAVID COLEMAN
SYNOPSIS
A
family which doesn't go to synagogue very often, arrives to celebrate
the son's bar mitzvah. But, alas, the boy was taught the wrong parsha
(reading). Mum is dressed inappropriately and Dad's mobile phone gets
involved at the wrong moment.
This is the story of Rabbi Azriel David Fastag, who wrote the song Ani Maamin (I believe - the Martyrs' song), while on the train carrying him to the Treblinka concentration camp.
Let's go to the videotape.
For those who read Hebrew, the full story is here.
Ari Taylor sings Mi Yitain (Who Shall Give) with Ohad and Shloime Gertner in concert, Jan
6th 2014. Accompanied by the incredible Asaf Flumendorf and his
orchestra.
Tomorrow morning, God willing, for the thirty-something consecutive year (I'd rather not say precisely how many), I am making a celebration for completing a tractate of Talmud on the eve of Pesach. I am a firstborn son, and on the eve of Passover, all firstborn sons must fast unless they participate in a seduath mitzva (a meal that is itself a mitzva). Traditionally, this is accomplished by completing a tractate of Talmud, and tomorrow morning, I get to do it again, God willing. One of my sons will God willing also finish a tractate....
At the end of the siyum (which is that it's called in Hebrew), we say the Hadran - We will return to you, because one never truly finishes learning any tractate of Talmud. Each tractate is deep and has much more to glean from it.
Here's the Shira Chadasha choir (yes, I know, two nights in a row) with Hadran - We will return to you.
Rabbi Nachman Seltzer is proud to present a brand new Shira Chadasha
Boys' Choir video in honor of Pesach 2014. The song is called, "Chasal"
(חסל). Composed by: Yishai Saks
Arranged by: Gavriel and Yishai Saks
Mixed and Mastered by: Yitz Berry
Recorded at: Durango Studios Beit Shemesh www.durangostudios.com
Recording Engineer: Baruch Bergenfeld
Video Filmed and Directed by: Tiferet Shish
Guitars: Yehuda (Judah) David
This song is the one that indicates that the actual seder has ended.
Let's go to the videotape (Hat Tip: BY - son # 2, child #3).
Okay - we have until Monday night to learn this by heart....
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
