Moshe O'Grady

The Fascinating Life of An Orthodox Jewish Surfer The Israeli...

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:30:38 -0700

The Fascinating Life of An Orthodox Jewish Surfer

The Israeli society is comprised of diverse cultures, religions and ethnic groups. The ultra-orthodox Jewish community possesses its own ideology and way of life that sets it apart from other surrounding cultures. This is reflected, for example, in the dress code that distinguishes its members from other groups. Another example is the perception that leisure is a waste of precious time. Members of the ultra-orthodox community spend most of their time in religious studies. The unique lifestyle of this community causes one of the biggest rifts between religious and secular communities in Israel.

My essay encompasses a six month documentary dedicated to an unusual man who lives in the heart of the Jewish orthodox community. Meir, 34 years old, is married to Nava (formerly Melanie) and father of six. Meir was born and raised as a secular child. The sea and breaking waves fascinated him at an early age. He started surfing at the age of 12 and at the age of 21, he went on a surfing trip around the world. In the Philippines, he met Melanie. It was love at first sight. When he was 22, and she turned 18, they got married. Upon their return to Israel, and after a slow process of several months, Meir started turning to Judaism. “Force majeure” is how he sees his return to religious faith. His wife Nava has chosen to follow the path in his footsteps as well.

Meir and Nava raise their children in Jerusalem. Meir maintains his passion for surfing along with his routine religious studies and family life. Whenever possible, he drives to his hometown, changes from his heavy black clothes into a wetsuit and surfs. Meir says, “Ever since I became ‘Baal Teshuva’ (newly religious), my surfing has greatly improved. It has become better than ever. Surfing in the open sea sharpens my thoughts, calms me down and improves my coordination.” He is an uncommon creature both in his religious study group and with his surfing mates. Nevertheless, both groups accept him with love.

For more details or questions about Gai’s documentary, shoot him an email at: GaiShtienberg@yahoo.com.

A group portrait of female punk and new wave musicians in...

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:47:41 -0700

A group portrait of female punk and new wave musicians in London, August 1980, L-R (back) Debbie Harry of Blondie, Viv Albertine of The Slits, Siouxsie Sioux of Siouxsie And The Banshees, (Front) Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders, Poly Styrene of X-Ray Spex, and Pauline Black of The Selecter. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)

Marina Abramovic meets Ulay “Marina Abramovic and Ulay started...

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:03:00 -0700

Marina Abramovic meets Ulay

“Marina Abramovic and Ulay started an intense love story in the 70s, performing art out of the van they lived in. When they felt the relationship had run its course, they decided to walk the Great Wall of China, each from one end, meeting for one last big hug in the middle and never seeing each other again. at her 2010 MoMa retrospective Marina performed ‘The Artist Is Present’ as part of the show, a minute of silence with each stranger who sat in front of her. Ulay arrived without her knowing it and this is what happened.”

Photo

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:46:39 -0700

me too !

Sun, 19 May 2013 12:24:23 -0700

me too !

Photo

Sun, 19 May 2013 12:02:30 -0700

Workers should own the work.

Sun, 19 May 2013 11:15:47 -0700

Workers should own the work.

"Entertainment is not something I’m concerned with"

Sat, 18 May 2013 11:49:00 -0700

““Entertainment is not something I’m concerned with””

- SoMa

GY!BE

Sat, 18 May 2013 11:32:34 -0700

GY!BE

"Every day it gets a little harder to pretend that everything’s OK. The rich keep getting more..."

Sat, 18 May 2013 11:29:58 -0700

“Every day it gets a little harder to pretend that everything’s OK. The rich keep getting more and we keep getting less. Post-9/11, post-7/7, there’s a police state that tightens more every day, and in our day-to-days, we’re all witnesses to the demeaning outcomes of debauched governance – random traffic stops, collapsing infrastructure, corrupt bureaucrats and milk-fed police with their petty intrusions. Our cities are broke, they lay patches on top of patches of concrete, our forests cut down and sold to make newspapers just to tell us about traffic that we get stuck in. You get a parking ticket and you waste a day in line. Cop shoots kid, kid shoots kid, homeless man dies waiting to see a doctor, old men lay in hospital beds while a broken bureaucracy steals away what’s left of their dignity. Folks flee to our shores, running from the messes we’ve made in their countries, and we treat them like thieves. Mostly it feels like whatever you love is just going to get torn away. Turn on the radio, and it’s a fucking horror show, the things our governments do in our name, just to fatten themselves on our steady decline. Meanwhile, most of us are hammering away at a terrible self-alienation, mistreated, lied to and blamed. Burning fields and a sky filled with drones. The fruit rots on the vine while millions starve.”

- Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Beard Porn…

Sat, 18 May 2013 09:52:18 -0700

Beard Porn…

Hiroshi Sugimoto, Seascapes, 1980-93 Caribbean Sea, Jamaica Sea...

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:18:44 -0700

Hiroshi Sugimoto, Seascapes, 1980-93

Caribbean Sea, Jamaica
Sea of Japan, Hokkaido
Tasman Sea, Ngarupupu
Black Sea, Ozuluce
Red Sea, Safaga
Tyrrhenain Sea, Scilla

Beard Porn…

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:10:45 -0700

Beard Porn…

Ivan Hoe. winter has not yet passed. not here in Venice. the...

Thu, 16 May 2013 19:11:00 -0700

Ivan Hoe.

winter has not yet passed. not here in Venice. the volume settings folder.

Arvo Part - Salve Regina (Full) Homemade music video...

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:49:00 -0700

Arvo Part - Salve Regina (Full)

Homemade music video by zentaylor for Salve Regina by Arvo Pärt. Performed by The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. Conducted by Paul Hillier.

Footage taken from Sátántangó (1994) directed by Béla Tarr.
Imdb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111341/

Danelectro 1448 with a string thru Supro lap steel pickup in the...

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:32:33 -0700

Danelectro 1448 with a string thru Supro lap steel pickup in the bridge position own by GuitarSlim101.

Vintage Danelectro Convertible

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:30:57 -0700

Vintage Danelectro Convertible

Neil Young-Dead Man Soundtrack

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:22:10 -0700

Neil Young-Dead Man Soundtrack

Neil Young, Guitar Solo 5 from Dead Man Soundtrack. Absolute...

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:18:00 -0700

Neil Young, Guitar Solo 5 from Dead Man Soundtrack.

Absolute “Chef d’Oeuvre”.

Efrim Menuck’s (from Godspeed You !Black Emperor and...

Wed, 15 May 2013 20:31:15 -0700

Efrim Menuck’s (from Godspeed You !Black Emperor and Thee Silver Mt Zion) best intw ever.