Monday 30 October 2006

An Update On Sheik Alhilai




A little bit of humor thanks to The Australian news paper.
Oh, and by the way, incase you haven't heard the latest development in the on going saga of controversial Muslim cleric Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali, during a meeting today at the Lakemba Mosque to decide his fate... he has collapsed and had to be taken to hospital.

Sheik Alhilali became ill last week after sparking controversy over his comments in a sermon which compared immodestly dressed women to uncovered pieces of meat.

He has a history of past medical trouble and suffers from asthma, which seem exasperated in circumstances like his current ones... if you know what I mean.




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.... Just another day ....

We Love Israel!




If you haven't already come across the blog We Love Israel, have a look.


They have some wonderful pictures drawn by Israeli/Jewish children like Shalva who is 7 years old and drew the picture above.


.... Just another day ....

Friday 27 October 2006

Corn & Capsicum Fritters - Another Tasty Recipe!


As you may realise, I like to cook... suprise, suprise. Last night I made these corn and capsicum fritters and they were delicious! So, here is the recipe for those who would like to try them. This is a milchig recipe.

~ Corn & Capsicum Fritters ~

Ingredients:

310g corn kernels
1 red capsicum (bell peper) seeded & finely chopped
1/2 cup self raising flour (or plain flour plus half a teaspoon of baking powder)
1/2 cup grated cheese
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped basil leaves
4 Roma tomatoes, halved
1 tbl spoon oil
8 slices salmon
50g baby spinach to serve

Method:

1. Preheat oven to moderate, 180C (approx 370F)
2. In a medium bowl, combine corn, capsicum, flour, cheese, milk, egg and basil. Season to taste.
3. Place tomatoes and salmon in an oven proof dish, drizzle with oil and season to taste. Bake for 15 - 20 mins until tomatoes begin to collapse.
4. Meanwhile, heat a large greased frying pan on medium. Cook 1/4 cup measures of corn mixture for 2 - 3 mins each side until golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towel.
5. Serve fritters topped with tomatoes, salmon and spinach.
6. Last but not least... Enjoy!!

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.... Just another day ....

Thursday 26 October 2006

First Photos! Madonna And Her Adopted Baby David



Madonna and child ... first picture of the star with David Banda,

who she is adopting, plus her children Lourdes and Rocco.

There has been so much talk over the last few days of Madonna's adoption of baby David. There are many different ways of looking at the situation - 'if it wasn't Madonna would the addoption have gone through so fast, if at all?' 'Is she doing it because it is trendy right now?'

But then, there is also the fact that she is saving a child from a life filled with poverty, disease, no education and not much hope at all.

Anyway here are the first photos of Madonna, her family and her new baby.




Guy's new guy... new Daddy Guy Ritchie with his son.




From Malawi to London... Baby David arrives in the UK to a media frenzy.




Spreading the love... Madonna jetted into Malawi earlier this
month in support of the Raising Malawi charity.




The Father... Yohane Banda, father of Madonna's newly-adopted son.

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.... Just another day ....

Orthodox Block Bar Mitzvah Over 'Non-Kosher' Circumcision

A tramatic row over a bar mitzvah boy's circumcision forced a Sydney mother to move her son's simcha from an Orthodox shul to a Progressive temple at the 11th hour last week.


The bar mitzvah boy had been scheduled to read from the Torah at Chabad Double Bay last Shabbat, but rabbis from the Sydney Beth Din (SBD) ruled on the previous Monday that his circumcision was not kosher.


Rabbi Moshe Gutnick and Rabbi Yoram Ulman, two judges at the Jewish court, were at the mikvah in Bondi preparing to draw a drop of blood from the boy to symbolise his Orthodox conversion when they noticed that his brit milah, conducted by a Jewish doctor in 1993, was incomplete.


"We immediately called one of the mohelim to check, and he confirmed a further circumcision needed to be done," Rabbi Gutnick said.


He said he told the boy's mother, journalist and author Ros Reines, that her son could either be operated on under local or general anaesthetic, and that "hundreds of boys" - many from the former Soviet Union - have undergone this procedure in Australia prior to their bar mitzvah.


"In order to become Jewish he has to be (properly) circumcised there's nothing we can do about it. We feel terrible it's devastating," Rabbi Gutnick said.


"I didn't want my son to have that trauma (of another circumcision)," she told the AJN this week. "It's not true he wasn't circumcised; it's a question of degree."


"I spent the week in tears," she said.


"To me it didn't sound very compassionate. I just feel a sense of sorrow because perhaps we don't really fit in - that feeling of being an outcast again."


The single mother, who had an adult bat mitzvah following her Progressive conversion, said she had to inform the 100 or so guests of the change of venue 'due to a technical problem' just days before the simcha.


But she said her son sang his portion magnificently. "He's a kid that bounces back. It was one of the happiest weekends of our lives."


However, she added: "To know we’ll never be counted there (at Chabad) really hurts me."


She said the pain had been magnified because her son had a brit milah, conducted in the presence of Rabbi Kamins, eight days after he was born.


"You don't take your 13-year-old son four days before his bar mitzvah and give him a general (anaesthetic). He didn't want to do it. Just imagine if there had been an infection," she said.


Temple Emanuel Woollahra - which had a double aufruf and a bat mitzvah already scheduled for last Shabbat - accommodated the bar mitzvah.


Rabbi Kamins said it is the first time he has ever heard of such a case.


"We were able to help the family in a way which they (the Orthodox rabbinate) couldn't," he said. "I don't think they would have made that decision with any lightheartedness or lack of consideration."


But Rabbi Gutnick told the AJN the temple was "fooling the child" into believing he is Jewish.


"Unless the child goes to the mikvah and is circumcised according to Jewish law, pretending the child is Jewish is ultimately doing a disservice to the child," he said.


In response, Reines said: "I don't know how they can live with themselves."


Chabad Double Bay's Rabbi Yanky Berger said he was "very distressed" by the saga.


"I'd be surprised if any rabbis anywhere in Australia have been in this situation before," said Rabbi Berger, who attended the bar mitzvah party last Sunday night.


He said he had spoken to rabbis around the Jewish world "to see if there's any type of halachic leniency, to see if there's a precedent".


"He is an amazing kid. In difficult times people shine. He was shining. He showed such strong spirit."


Rabbi Ulman failed to return several calls from the AJN.


(Article from the AJN)


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.... Just another day ....

Sunday 22 October 2006

Kosher Cooking Carnival - Me-Ander Does It Again!





Oh yes! The 11th Kosher Cooking Carnival is up at Me-Ander, a fantastic job has been done by Muse as usual. Pop over and check out all the delicious recipes... and then cook up a storm!!

Thanks Muse for all your hard work!




.... Just another day ....

Finally An Update!

Some of you may be wondering why I haven't updated in a few days. Well, I won't go into too much detail, but Ruby (3yrs) has been quite sick since Thursday evening with a high temperature, vomiting, diarrhoea, and extreme tiredness. We have been quite worried about her, she is probably the sickest she has ever been. I took her to the hospital yesterday, the Doctor said she has Gastro and will probably be sick for another 3 or 4 days. She seemed slightly better today, so I am hoping she will continue to recover well.


Other than spending all of my time looking after Ruby, not much else has been happening. I have had a bit of a clean out in preperation for moving next year. I sold a couple of things on ebay and have some more auctions ending over the next couple of days which is good.


We had a little visitor in the lounge room the other night - a frog! I have no idea how a frog ended up in our lounge room, but I took it back outside to the pond.


I had a phone call at 8am Thursday morning from the landlord asking if it would be ok if her and her husband came and removed some ivy from a verandah post on Saturday. Of course I agreed. It may have been a bit more thoughtful if they had have started a bit later than 8am Saturday morning, especially when they asked about removing ivy from a post, not about starting a chainsaw outside the kids bedroom window at the crack of dawn and cutting branches from trees. I suppose it wouldn't have been so bad if Ruby hadn't have been awake half the night sick.


Anyway, that's all from me for tonight!


.... Just another day ....

Thursday 19 October 2006

Spoon Benders Unite!

After four decades of bending spoons, halting clocks, reading minds, and penning metaphysical thrillers, Uri Geller is seeking a paranormal protege.

A reality television show being produced in Israel, where Geller grew up, will feature 10 contestants vying for the title of "heir" to the world-famous celebrity psychic.

"The format will be something like 'American Idol'. We will keep the performances that are most riveting and amazing," Geller said on Wednesday, adding that viewers with "intuitive powers" will also be invited to call in and compete.

Geller, 59, declined to elaborate on what supernatural skills the contestants claim to have, and whether clairvoyants - who might be assumed to have an edge in predicting judges' votes - are taking part. He described the prize, simply, as "huge".

Keshet, a franchise of Israel's Channel Two television, confirmed on its Web site that the show was being produced but gave no further details.

"This is not a show where people have to prove to me that they are for real," Geller said, adding that he has no plans to retire. "I just want to be amazed."

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Wednesday 18 October 2006

4000 Bolts Of Lightning Hit Australia Today




It is getting really close to bush fire season here where we live in Australia. This time of the year absolutely terriffies me, considering where we live - the fact that the house is on top of a cliff edge and has lots of trees around makes it a really bad place to be if a fire came through.


Sometimes it's the incredible dryness of the Australian bush and the intense summer heat that causes the fires and a lot of the time it can be lightning stikes. Previous summers there have been some really big bush fires close by. It is something that I am looking forward to not having to worry about once we have moved back to the city!


This morning it was pouring with rain - something we haven't seen in quite sometime, even though we have just had our winter. They said on the news the other day that 96% of New South Wales is now in drought compared to 42% only 6 months ago.


Jade asked if she could wear long pants to school this morning because she was freezing, but after a few minutes thought, she decided to wear her school shorts. After all the rain we had this morning and how cold it was, the rest of today was quite hot and very humid - Jade asked if she could swim in the pool when she got home from school!


Thunderstorms sparked 4,000 bolts of lightning across south eastern Australia today, according to Australia's Bureau of Meteorology. Senior forecaster Neale Fraser said the lightning strikes in the south east corner of New South Wales heralded the start of Australia's summer storm season.


"From now on, right through the summer, is the severe storm season. Certainly from October onwards until March or April next year is potentially severe thunderstorm time," he said. Fire fighting officials are warning of a severe bushfire season due to a severe drought and unseasonally high temperatures.

Great... there's something to look forward to.


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.... Just another day ....

Tuesday 17 October 2006

Melbourne Ultra Orthodox Man Assulted On Simchat Torah





When I read this article from The Australian Jewish News today, it made me feel sick. I can't believe that these things are happening in Australia, it is really very sad...

An ultra-Orthodox man spent Simchat Torah night in a Melbourne hospital after being physically and verbally assaulted in an allegedly antisemitic attack.

Menachem Vorchheimer was walking to Yeshivah shul with two of his children at around 6.30pm last Saturday when he claims he was confronted by a group of young men in a minibus shouting antisemitic slogans, including "F**king Jews" and "Go the Nazis", and motioning at him as if they were firing machine guns.

When the bus stopped at the lights at the corner of Balaclava Road and Hotham Street, Vorchheimer, 33, approached the driver to inquire about the group.

"The racial taunts were deeply hurtful, particularly given when my father and grandparents had suffered at the hands of the Nazis," Vorchheimer said in a statement.

As the bus drove off, two of the passengers reportedly leaned out the window and grabbed Vorchheimer's hat and kippa.

A passing car then pursued the bus, cutting it off around 150 metres down Carlisle Street.

Vorchheimer ran towards the stationary bus, pleading for his hat, which was then thrown out of the window.

But when he approached the bus window to plead for his kippa, he said two of the passengers grabbed him by the arms, while a third punched him in the eye.

"I could feel the blood coming down my face ... I was in a lot of pain, but determined to ensure they were going to be made accountable."

To prevent the bus from leaving, Vorchheimer and others blockaded the vehicle until the police and ambulance arrived. He was later treated at Cabrini Hospital for facial injuries.

But Vorchheimer, who runs a textile company, told the AJN at a press conference on Monday that he had no regrets about his behaviour during the incident.

"It never crossed my mind that I would have been [physically] assaulted," he said, adding that he had previously been the victim of antisemitic slurs.

Gavin Queit, director of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria's Community Security Group, said the incident was the fifth physical assault on a Jew in Victoria this year.

He told the AJN that he hoped the "police will prosecute [the perpetrators] to the full extent of the law".

Vorchheimer added: "While they're more than likely to get a slap on the wrist ... at the end of the day we have to set social standards of acceptable behaviour."

Member for Caulfield Helen Shardey, who attended Monday's conference, said: "Although the police do a wonderful job, because there are usually no witnesses, no-one has been able to be held accountable."

Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) president Grahame Leonard said the "clear-cut" incident follows a national record of more than 140 antisemitic incidents in July. To date, there has never been a conviction for an antisemitic incident in Victoria.

Leonard said he was disappointed to see the greatest spike in incidents in Victoria, which was "not typical for the capital of multiculturalism in Australia".

In August, at the height of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, an ultra-Orthodox man was physically assaulted. The other three physical assaults, including an attack on an Orthodox rabbi, occurred earlier in the year.


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.... Just another day ....

Sunday 15 October 2006

Happy Simchas Torah



On Simchat Torah, the Torah wants to dance, but lacking the physical limbs with which to do so, it employs the body of the Jew. On this day, the Jew becomes the dancing feet of the Torah.

- The Lubavitcher Rebbe

Good Yom Tov to all!


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.... Just another day ....

Baleboosteh's Kosher Pizza Recipe





This is a really simple recipe, my children love it. We don't buy take-away food, and with this make-it-yourself pizza, my children feel like they are not missing out on 'take-away' and are actually still having something healthy!
These may take a little longer than going to the take-away shop, but, you know exactly what is in them and it is so much cheaper than buying them.


As the pizza is topped with cheese, this is a milchig recipe.






Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius (approx 370 degrees Fahrenheit)

Pizza Dough Ingredients:

400ml warm water
2 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons salt
5 cups plain flour
3.5 teaspoons dried yeast



Method:

I almost always do this part in my bread machine by putting the ingredients in the bread machine tub in the order they are listed above and putting the bread machine on the mix and rise setting.


It can also be done by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl, kneeding it, covering it with plastic wrap and leaving it in a warm place to rise until approx double the original size.


While waiting for the dough to rise, mix the topping ingredients in a bowl (below).


Once the dough is ready, split into 2 equal halves. Place each half onto a lammington tray (approx 35cm x 26cm) and roll to fit the tray as shown in the pictures above.


Pizza Topping Ingredients:

800g diced tomatoes
1 red capsicum diced
1 green capsicum diced
1 large onion diced
3/4 cup sliced black olives
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 tablespoon basil
salt and pepper to taste
jalapeno chillies (optional)
grated cheese


(you could add whatever toppings you like really - maybe some pineapple)

Method:

This is really easy, while waiting for the dough to rise, I use a large mixing bowl and put the tomatos, capsicums, onion, olives, garlic, basil and salt and pepper in and mix well.

Once the dough is spread into the lammington trays, simply spoon equal amounts of the topping mix onto each base and spread out to the pizza's edges. Grate cheese over the top of each pizza.

If you like it 'hot' add some jalapeno chillies to the top (leave out if children will be eating! I usually make one pizza with chillies and one without).

Put the pizzas in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes. Once cooked - slice, serve and enjoy!


These are big pizzas, approx 35cm x 26cm each (approx 14in x 10in). As a family of 5 we always end up with leftovers for lunch the next day!



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.... Just another day ....

Friday 13 October 2006

The Fonz - Still The Coolest of The Cool!


When the Hoff bailed overboard on his part in a London production of Peter Pan last week, the Fonz set sail for Never-Never Land instead.

Soap-idol David Hasselhoff had been signed to play Captain Hook in a pantomime of the classic fairytale, but he pulled out in favour of a TV role.

So Jewish superstar Henry Winkler - best known for setting new heights in coolness as Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli in the 1970s TV show Happy Days - has donned the hook and eyepatch in his place.

'I love the Peter Pan story and I love Captain Hook. He's a villain but, hey, he had his hand bitten off by a crocodile – you have to feel some sympathy for the guy,' Winkler told the British press.

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Thursday 12 October 2006

Bindi Irwin - Warrior Princess










IN the scream-a-thon that took place at the Sydney Entertainment Centre for last night's Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, the loudest from the hundreds of children lining the orange carpet was without a doubt reserved for Bindi Irwin.

The little warrior arrived with her mum Terri and a massive smile and spoke confidently to a big event throng of media rivalling the Logies or Aria awards.

"It's really big, really awesome. I'm here to talk in front of all the people about Nickelodeon,'' she told Confidential.

Bindi said she was looking forward to seeing Sophie Monk because she had previously worked with her dad.

"I really like Sophie,'' Bindi said.

Of Bindi's first public appearance, Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe said he was hoping to grab Bindi for some time together backstage.
"I didn't know she was going to be here. I think it's fabulous.''

"It's an event for the little kids so it's probably the best place for her right now.''
Original Australian Idol Guy Sebastian said he was also thrilled to see Bindi.

"I think it is an inspiration for young girls, there are so many different ways to come through grief and this is the way Steve would have wanted her to be,'' he told Confidential.

Article from: The Daily Telegraph

What a brave little girl she is! I just wonder if the accident that killed Steve Irwin has really sunk in yet and wether she really understands that her Dad is not comming back? She is a lovely little girl and sure to be a star, but I just hope she is not being pushed or pressured to much to be in the media so quickly and so much.

I wish her all the best for a successful future and I do hope she continues in her Fathers foot steps.



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Saturday 7 October 2006

We're Back!

First of all, I would like to say thankyou to all who left comments on my last post wishing us luck, it is nice to know your thoughts are with us.
This past week has gone so fast! On Sunday I was still looking on the web for somewhere to stay and finally found a 2 bedroom apartment just around the corner from the Synagogue we will be going to next year. We booked in for 2 nights which ended up being $360 and with some sweet talking from my husband the lady gave us 2 extra nights for free if we cleaned up the appartment before we left!


We ended up leaving here at 5:30am so we would arrive in Sydney at about 11am and we could go shopping for a little while before we could check in at the apartment. We had a good time over the 4 days and did a lot of shopping, met with the Rabbi and Rebbetzin that we have been in contact with since the start of the year and of course the main reason for the whole trip... Amber's appointment with the heart surgeon.


The heart surgeon has informed us that the results from Ambers investigative operation in June are not quite as bad as we first thought. She is booked in for the 11th of December for what is supposed to be her last open heart surgery. This is a bit of a suprise to me as last time I spoke to the Doctors they were talking about putting the surgery off for about 2 years. On Wednesday the Doctor told us that with this operation she will be in intensive care for at least a week, and all the drainage tubes will stay in at least a week also this time. Apparently they don't have to stop her heart for this operation either which is what had to be done last time. So, I feel quite good about that news and hopefully, this will be the last surgery she has to have and next year she will be able to start school without having to miss out on weeks on end because of hospital stays.


It was actually quite hard having to come 'home', I didn't really want to come home - it felt more like home in Sydney. We only have about another 8 months and we will be there to live....Hooray!!


Here are some pictures of the apartment we stayed in.







.... Just another day ....

Tuesday 3 October 2006

Keith Urban - Cocaine Addict, Alcoholic, Sex Addict... and Total Loser??



So much for fairytales. Just months after his romantic wedding to Aussie Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman, and weeks away from his much-anticipated album release, Keith Urban's life is should be floating somewhere in the realm of happily ever after.

But instead of celebrating his 39th birthday on Thursday with family and friends, the country rocker will be seeking treatment at Cumberland Heights, a rehabilitation centre in his home town of Nashville.

Urban is no stranger to the facility - that is where he sought treatment for cocaine addiction in 1998. However this time his demon is alcohol. Urban has not shied away from speaking about his addictions, once describing the moment he realised he needed help: when he found himself on his hands and knees searching for crack cocaine.

"I had this house in Nashville where I used to do drugs," he said. "It was a really cheap, rundown place. I remember one night crawling around on my hands and knees, looking for these little rocks at five in the morning, and I was drenched in sweat. It was the worst."

Three weeks later Urban checked himself into Cumberland Heights.

Urban recently wrote: "One can never let one's guard down on recovery and I'm afraid that I have. I deeply regret the hurt this has caused Nicole and the ones that love and support me."

So four months ago Nicole Kidman married Keith Urban... is it just me or was this one of the biggest mistakes she could possibly make? The guy is a 'reform' cocaine addict, and alcoholic and apparently a sex addict. It has been in all the glossy magazines here that he has also had an affair with a porn star. The guy had second thoughts about getting married before their big day... what other signs does Nicole Kidman need??

I don't want to sound like I am being really nasty, the guy is at least getting some help for his problems, but does anyone else think this guy is a bit of a loser?


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.... Just another day ....