Fascinating article by R Natan Slifkin about how we got to where we are in terms of the crazy shiurim for an olive. Highly recommended.
It doesn’t format so well as a blog page, so let me know if you would like me to email you the PDF.
http://www.dovweinstock.com/blog/evolution-of-the-olive/
Hat Tip – Abba.
On March 23, 2011, the Ramaz Chamber chorus, in an SRO appearance at Barnes and Noble on E 86th St on NYC’s Upper East Side, performed Daphna Weinstock’s arrangement of Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow”.
So, the battle is on – which video will go viral?
Ghettopella, based at Montreal’s McGill University, has just released their first video on YouTube. No specific Jewish content here – in fact that is not really their type of thing – but with strong ties to the Jewish student community at McGill, they have a natural audience. Here’s their first effort – of course, the video is not professionally produced so there is no choreography and the audio isn’t good either – but the group has potential. Keep a watch out for more! (search YouTube for ‘ghettopella’ for additional versions of varying quality)
The Maccabeats, Yeshiva University (YU) students’ a capella sensation, released a Purim video last week, and has had extensive exposure in the NY Jewish world and beyond. Here’s their Purim entry (400K hits to date):
Finally, I just came across Ein Prat / Fountainhead’s ‘Raise Your Mask’ Purim video. I hadn’t come across this group before. They are pretty polished, and I liked their script, videography and choreography better than the Maccabeats (I particularly liked the Elvis Presley reference). 65K hits to date.
What do you think – who is the worthy a capella group of the future – Ghettopella, Maccabeats, or Ein Prat?
“Ghettopella” in its first Youtube appearance – at McGill’s Cafe Campus! With Elan as lead Bass.
The first clip has much better audio but gets cut off during the 3rd number.
The second clip has poor audio for the first number but that improves for the third and fourth songs (start at about the 2:50 mark).
We started Menchot today, having finished Zevachim yesterday (Siyum and BBQ Sunday at our house!). I’ll take this opportunity to plug Rav Dov Linzer‘s fine shiur, which is now available via live video, as well as audio and video archives. The shiur takes place at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale at 7:30am Sun-Fri, and after mincha on Shabbat. Rav Dov (Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah) gives a clear and lucid shiur, combining his wonderful scholarship with a liberal sprinkling of his trademark common sense and wit.
The best part is, if you can’t be there in person, there is live audio and recorded audio and video! Details:
Rav Dov has also started an excellent blog on daf-related topics, complete with resource pages and other articles of interest, at http://the-daf.com.
Highly recommended!
We saw two great shows this week.
The Stratford Shakespeare Festival’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest, at the Roundabout Theater – with the simply wonderful Brian Bedford.
And, last night, The Merchant of Venice at the Pace University theater. The show starred F. Murray Abraham (did you know he is Syrian, not Jewish?) as Shylock, but while he gave a fine performance, the production was more notable for the way it set the piece in the present – with the characters as Wall Street Yuppies, using Apples and iPhones – as well as the suggestion of a sexual attraction between Bassanio and Antonio, making the lost ring theme at the end of the play a most believable test staged by Portia, rather than the exceedingly silly farce that it appears to be on the page (and, I suppose, in many productions). Jacob Ming-Trent also put in an inspired performance as Launcelot.
See http://theater.nytimes.com/2011/03/05/theater/reviews/05merchant.html for a review. The show closes in NYC on Sunday, but will be travelling the country (Chicago, Boston, LA) – if you get a chance to see it, don’t miss it!
Yet another article (in SEO News) asking, “Has SEO Peaked“? Their short answer – not yet, but things are changing all the time…
My take is that SEO is still vital, but the field is increasingly crowded.
At Advantage, we are shifting our focus to LEAD GENERATION. We make the investment and take the risk, with a commitment from the client to buy leads that we generate. For the right vertical, it’s a winning combination!
For those interested in a fuller account of the Metula hockey tournament, check out this video!
Sue is #8 and Elan is #22 on Team USA (white jerseys).
🙂
🙂
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