Who's The Real Rosh Hashanah Girl?

Everything you always wanted to know about Rosh Hashanah, but were too busy kvetching to ask, presented for your viewing entertainment by Esther Kustanowitz, in her own inimitable way!

Shana Tovha, Chaverim!

When you think of Rosh Hashanah Girl, you probably think of the brilliant video co-created by Brooklynites (and ROIers) William "the Jewish Robot" Levin and singer/songwriter Michelle Citrin. And you should. Because who could compete with that, really?

But what many people don't know is that I rocked Rosh Hashanah first. This classic clip is an interview that the very funny Teresa Strasser did several years ago (before she was exploiting her baby) when she lived in New York and worked for Good Day NY - because the network decided that talking to rabbis about Jewish holidays was a little boring, they opted for a fresher voice...

There was initially talk of my becoming GoodDay's "Go-To-Jew," who'd come in periodically and talk about Jewish life and holidays. That didn't happen for whatever reasons, probably including the fact that Teresa moved back to LA. But that was my first real TV appearance, and now that I'm a seasoned professional living in Los Angeles, you never know what the future will bring. (You hear that, future? Bring it.)

While we're on Rosh Hashanah as a topic, let me remind you of a Yom Kippur option for people who can't get to (or don't feel comfortable going to) synagogue: I'm helping JewishTVNetwork to promote their online Kol Nidre service, which will air online erev Yom Kippur (September 27) live from Los Angeles. For more information, contact me (esther.kustanowitz at gmail) and/or click over to the special High Holidays page of the JewishTVNetwork.com site, which also has links to relevant video clips, recipes and more!

September 14, 2009 in Clips, Friends Doing Cool Stuff, Holidays, Jews in the News, Media Conspiracy,Pop Culture, ROI Community, Shameless Self-Promotion, Viral Video Vildechayas | Permalink

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If This Is Life

One of the most beautiful songs ever recorded, and the video is incredible.

You will love it.

The singer is Keren Peles, the song is "If this is Life".

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It's a troubled love song. the chorus goes: "if this is life, we'll live. look at me, you become similar. I like feeling sad together when evening comes. All day long you forgot to promise me what you promised her. and she's too big for me, for us, I wish it was just the two of us"

The U.S. Defense Department denies a Times report that it is targeting Afghan drug traffickers

The US military said it is careful to distinguish between Drug dealers who are terrorists and those who depend on drug traffic for their livehood.

MB

by Al Pessin

The U.S. Defense Department is denying a New York Times report that it is targeting Afghan drug traffickers, saying instead that it targets terrorists who work with the traffickers to finance terror operations.

The New York Times reported that 50 Afghan drug traffickers have been put on the U.S. target list, giving them the same priority as insurgent leaders. The Times says the decision is in a report being prepared by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, based partly on statements by two American generals serving in Afghanistan.

Pentagon Spokesman Bryan Whitman acknowledged the link between the Afghan drug trade and violent groups, but said the U.S. military is careful to distinguish between Afghans who depend on the drug trade for their livelihood and terrorists who use the drug trade to finance attacks.

Whitman said the link between the Afghan drug trade and terror financing is well known. U.S. officials have estimated terrorists and insurgents get $80-million a year from drug trafficking. But Whitman says the fight against the violent groups is separate from the fight against the drug trade.

"We do not do or conduct counter-narcotics operations. That is a law enforcement activity," he said.

Whitman says civilian U.S. government agencies work with the Afghan government on the narcotics issue, while the U.S. military focuses on security.

The counter-narcotics effort is a sensitive subject in Afghanistan. U.S. officials acknowledge direct action, like destroying opium poppy crops, often turns Afghans against their government and foreign countries trying to help it. American and other international officials are taking a different approach to the problem, trying to provide alternate crops for the Afghan farmers, and protection from the insurgent and terrorist groups that try to force them to plant the lucrative poppies.

Big Power meeting with Iran over its nuclear program

David Gollust

The State Department announced on Monday that it will send its third-ranking diplomat, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns, to an October 1 Big Power meeting with Iran over its nuclear program. U.S. officials say the five permanent U.N. Security Council member countries and Germany will present a "united front" against Iran's alleged nuclear weapons ambitions.

The October meeting, at a still-to-be announced venue in Europe, will be a rare opportunity for face-to-face U.S. diplomatic contact with Iran. Officials here say the under secretary will deliver a message from the Obama administration that "the clock is running down" for Iran to be responsive to concerns about its nuclear intentions.

The European Union's chief diplomat, Javier Solana, arranged the meeting with Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, after Tehran said last week it had accepted an offer for talks with the five permanent U.N. Security Council member countries and Germany - the P5+1.

Last April, the Big Power grouping renewed an offer of economic and political incentives for Iran to end a uranium enrichment program that U.S. and European officials believe is weapons-related and return to negotiations over its nuclear activities.

While accepting the proposal for talks, Tehran insists that it will not entertain the idea of stopping the enrichment drive, which it contends is part of a civilian power program and to which it is entitled under the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty.

State Department Spokesman Ian Kelly said that despite Iran's comments, the six powers will have the nuclear issue at the top of their agenda and present a "united front" against any plans by Iran for the militarization of its nuclear program. He said that U.S. patience on the issue is limited.

"We have not had the opportunity to get an official response from the Iranians on our offer that we made back in April," said Ian Kelly. "So this is why I say we want to take this opportunity to hear from them face-to-face, directly across the table what their choice is, in terms of which path they're going to pursue."

Kelly said the choice for Iran is further isolation, if it refuses to be responsive to concerns about its nuclear intentions, or cooperation and integration with the world community.

The Obama administration has threatened new sanctions against Iran if it does not alter its nuclear course. But Russia, a veto-wielding member of the U.N. Security Council, last week all but ruled out additional punitive measures in the United Nationsframework.

The State Department said last week that it wanted the Big Power meeting with Iran to occur before world leaders convene in New York next week for the new U.N. General Assembly. But a senior official here insisted on Monday that delaying the meeting until October 1 was not a setback.

Under Secretary Burns will take part in the October 1st meeting in line with an Obama administration decision early this year to join in P5+1 meetings with Iran, despite a 30-year absence of diplomatic relations.

The U.S. diplomat, a holdover in the post from the Bush administration, also took part in a P5+1 meeting with Iran in July of last year, but it was described then as a "one time only" gesture.