Amira's Posts

Original Article Published On The JP

Samuel Green, known as DJ Antithesis and “The Zionist Rapper” made aliyah to Tel Aviv and has released two EPs and multiple singles.

Samuel Green has done many crazy things to make it to Israel and continue to survive and even thrive in Israel these past 13 years.

His long, unconventional CV – which puts him in sharp contrast with the young bankers, engineers and start-up professionals who mainly populate his Tel Aviv Modern Orthodox synagogue – includes such jobs as spinning Israeli tunes on Kol Cambridge (the UK’s first and only radio show dedicated to Israeli and Jewish music) and at a club and in Tokyo, as well as rapping in front of 40,000 people in London. Green, also known as “The Zionist Rapper,” has released two EPs and multiple singles in his self-proclaimed “Zionist Hip Hop” style.

Green is also an accomplished writer, husband, father of two young children, and tour guide. His clients include senior business leaders, academics, religious leaders, politicians, journalists and celebrities, including Maroon 5 and their lead singer Adam Levine; Alanis Morissette; One Republic; The Kooks; and actress Amber Heard. In addition, Green was instrumental in helping to bring the famous Swiffer sweeping, mopping, and dusting cleaning system to the Holy Land.

The start of a love for Israel

Green’s love for Israel started in his days in Kingston, Southwest London. “Israel played a big piece growing up,” Green reports, noting a strong Zionist connection. Despite his involvement with FZY (Federation of Zionist Youth) while growing up, he, perhaps ironically, fell in love with all things Japanese after seeing a documentary about Japan and viewing the film Karate Kid. In high school, Green elected to study Japanese when it was offered, as he intended to study it at Cambridge University. Conveniently and perhaps curiously, the faculties of Japanese and Hebrew were both housed within the Oriental Studies Department.

Once at Cambridge, Green missed Israel and continued to look back fondly on his FZY days, thus switching his focus to Hebrew. “A lot of people were puzzled by that decision. That included my parents,” reports Green reflectively and philosophically in the thick English accent which remains after 13 years in Israel. “Some decisions go against the grain. Deep down, I knew what I wanted.”

GREEN’S STRONG connection to Israel includes a lifelong love of Israeli music. He has shared this love with audiences around the world through a series of online programs. He first started playing Israeli music by venturing into the world of rap music. Green was an early user of the online format. “My father worked for the phone company, and we had a DSL line before most others. I hosted a rap show for a year.”

Green hoped to continue the rap show at Cambridge University, but he was too late. “There was already a rap show. I knew a little about Israeli music, and there was no place to get it online.” While Green was excited about the possibility of sharing his love for Israeli music with a wider audience, he knew he might face some resistance to the idea. “It was the middle of the Second Intifada and the station was a bit nervous.” Nonetheless, in 2005 he was given the green light. “In the first week, we had more listeners than for any other show.” When the slot that followed the show opened up, Green asked and was given permission to expand it to two hours.

Green’s charm, passion, advocacy and creativity helped him land “a lot of Israeli big names” as guests on his show. He tracked down contact information and simply picked up the phone and called famous Israelis. “I would sometimes call and pose as my own assistant!” As a result of his creative strategy, Green landed such well-known Israelis as David Broza, Shiri Maimon, Subliminal, Mook E, Mosh Ben-Ari, and Shotei HaNevua

“We were the only Israeli program on iTunes at the time. We had thousands of fans from around the world – from the Amazon jungle to Singapore to Australia and the US!”DJ Antithesis

The program soon found its way to iTunes. “We were the only Israeli program on iTunes at the time. We had thousands of fans from around the world – from the Amazon jungle to Singapore to Australia and the US!” Despite the show’s popularity (the program was nominated in the Best Specialist Music Programming category of the BBC Student Radio Awards) and Green’s passion, it petered out upon his graduation from university as his work shifted to other Zionist pursuits.

Green began working in the mazkirut (directorship) of his Zionist youth movement and thinking more seriously about making aliyah. He realized that living in Israel would require a means of supporting himself, and he hatched a plan. “I would apply for a job with an international company – with offices in Israel – and try to get transferred.” Green applied and was accepted for an internship in the UK with Procter and Gamble (P&G), the American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. He made the difficult decision to turn it down, given his commitment to his mazkirut job.

Green’s chutzpah and drive surfaced when he asked soon after if he could reapply for the internship. This time, he was accepted and worked for the company in Geneva, Switzerland. “I figured it was easier to get to Israel from Geneva.” He moved there in 2008 and started to work. When his manager in Switzerland asked him about his career goals, he replied candidly, “To get to Israel ASAP.”

Green enjoyed his time in Geneva, where he integrated into the Jewish community and helped organize events for expats. “I was having a great time,” he says, although he still hoped to be transferred to Israel once his two-year assignment had ended. However, that was not in the cards. “My manager said it wouldn’t work out to go to Israel for my second assignment. I got on the bus and was miserable. It made me realize how much I wanted to be in Israel!”

A friend in the company offered him some sage yet unconventional advice – to write to the head of the Israel office. This is when “Plan Swiffer” was hatched. When Green heard that some bigwigs from the Israel office were coming to Geneva, he set up a meeting. “I was naive about hierarchy and set up a meeting.” Green informed them of his desire to bring Swiffer to Israel and asked for their help. He also followed his friend’s advice and emailed people at the Israel office. In Israel, he met with the Swiffer team. After what turned out to be an unexpected job interview, he learned that Swiffer would soon be launched in Israel – and he received a call inviting him to come to Israel in 2010 to join the team.

Making aliyah and bringing Swiffer to Israel

Green moved quickly to take care of all necessary paperwork for making aliyah. “I did all the paperwork super-fast at the end of June and made aliyah in August.” He considers himself very fortunate. “I came with a job, with a company I was familiar with. And my new colleagues were friendly and my age.”

After a few years with P&G, it was time for a new challenge. “I thought about other options like hi-tech or government work. A friend did the tour guide course.” Green admits he did have visions of becoming a tour guide but only after he retired as a way of making some additional money. Having thought about it some more, he said, “Why wait?” With that, he enrolled in the Hebrew course, which he completed in 2014. “I had a wonderful time on the course, and it was very good for my Hebrew,” he explains.

“I was fortunate – I jumped in and got slightly better work,” he notes, thanks in large part to the many connections he made through his years at P&G. He began leading tours for business school groups and business executives. “One thing led to another. And then I was guiding bands and people in the entertainment world, business and politics.” Green loves guiding all types of people and groups. “Everyone is interesting and has a story,” he asserts.

Green appears to be a master at juggling the many professional and personal opportunities that simultaneously come his way. He smiles as he reports, “I met my wife, Bat Chen, at a house party in Holon,” though they quickly realized that she had recently been at a Hanukkah party in his home! The two married in December 2012.

While on the tour guiding course, another interesting opportunity came his way. “In 2013, I got a call from people who were setting up a radio station in English. I don’t know how they heard about me, but they wanted to talk to me about doing an Israeli music show. I went in and made a demo. It was so much fun to be doing that. It went well. They said they wanted me to open the whole station, the whole broadcast. So we brought the station back live, then it moved to more of a podcast format,” he says.

GREEN RECOUNTS many exciting developments that took place between becoming a tour guide and (somewhat) settling down to family life:

DJ Antithesis Tokyo show advertisement (credit: SAMUEL GREEN)DJ Antithesis Tokyo show advertisement (credit: SAMUEL GREEN)

“Along the way, I had a kid – a girl [Ella] in 2017. And 2020 was quite a seminal year – I think for a whole load of us. Things happened both in terms of the radio and the guiding [no guiding due to the pandemic]. In January 2020, we were celebrating 15 years of the Kol Cambridge show. I put a lot of work into it and came in to do the show. The station manager, who is a lovely guy, said, ‘I have bad news – we will have to stop doing the show.’ He explained that costs and licensing issues with Spotify contributed to the decision.” Green laments.

Green remained determined to find a way to keep the radio program alive. He suggested renting out the studio when not in use and finding a way to have listeners support the program. “We haven’t had much luck with crowdfunding,” the station manager replied. “How much would it cost? Let me ask around and give it a try.” Green was successful in his search for backers. The show was up and running in April 2020 after only a month-long hiatus. “It was even more special to run the show crowdfunded – it means a lot to the people. It is nice to know it matters to them. We are creating a community of listeners. I correspond with them.” 

Green continues to support his family with a range of jobs. He has a blog (myisraeliguide.com), writes content for various tour companies, and since 2020 has managed a team of writers in his role as copywriting lead at the company Artist in the music space.

“I guide when I can – on evenings and weekends. I still love doing it,” he says. “I had a second kid [Yonaton], and [the fact that I have] a job where I am home most of the time is deeply appreciated by my wife!” His parents made aliyah during the pandemic and live nearby. Green still does a podcast once a week.

Despite his mostly settled lifestyle, Green occasionally gets an idea in his head that he just can’t let go. “I still have a love affair with Japan, and I try to get back there from time to time to keep the language going. I spent two months in Asia on our honeymoon, and I had planned a trip for 2020. It would have been my sixth trip. I had to postpone it due to COVID, which was upsetting.” But Green could not let the idea go. “Things started wearing in my brain – of going to Tokyo and playing for listeners there. The question was how to make it happen?” Green knows himself well. “When I get an idea in my head, I am like a dog with a bone. I just keep going!”

Green wrote to every contact he could think of in Tokyo, including friends, the Israeli Embassy and a rabbi in Tokyo who was friends with a rabbi friend in Tel Aviv. “Eventually, something panned out.” All of that legwork turned out to be unnecessary. “I received an invitation from my patron to perform in Tokyo!” Together, they explored venues, and Green had the opportunity to play at a small club in Tokyo on January 19, 2023. “I hadn’t DJ’d in a bar or club since I was in college. I had to get equipment, a little travel mixing deck, and download the software. A friend came from New York to teach me,” he adds. “Every night for two weeks, I’d DJ every night for myself so I wouldn’t make a fool of myself.” He didn’t. “We had a respectable turnout of 30 or 40. To the best of my knowledge, it is the biggest Israeli music event ever held in Japan, though I can’t confirm that.”

DJ Antithesis, who got his name while in FZY from a friend who said, “You are the antithesis of a rapper,” is doing his part to keep Israeli music alive and well in Tel Aviv, Tokyo, and around the world.

Samuel Green aka DJ Antithesis From London to Geneva to Tel Aviv, 2010

Read more

Original Article Published On The JNS

The day-school-educated son of immigrants from Lviv and Kyiv who now live in the Baltimore area has raised more than $20,000 to bring food to some 1,100 Ukrainian Jews.

Every time 17-year-old Adrian Maydanich passed grocery-store shelves overflowing with kosher-for-Passover food in his Baltimore community, he stopped in his tracks. He could not stop thinking of Jewish people in Ukraine and the difficulties they will face obtaining even basic Passover items again this year as Russia’s onslaught on the country continues.

“I realized that Jews across Ukraine will face many obstacles just to share a Passover seder with their families,” the junior at Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School and a resident of Owings Mills, Md., told JNS.

The son of immigrants from Lviv and Kyiv who themselves faced discrimination and persecution in the Former Soviet Union, as well as a difficult journey to America, responded to the call. “As a first-generation American from a Ukrainian Jewish family, I felt compelled to help. After all, that could have been me,” explained the teen. “So I started a project, Jews4Ukraine, to enable specific charitable organizations to purchase and deliver Passover necessities to Jewish congregations across Ukraine.”

Adrian Maydanich. Credit: Courtesy.

To date, Maydanich has raised more than $20,000 to help bring Passover food to some 1,100 Ukrainian Jews. He partnered with the Jewish Relief Network Ukraine, the largest Jewish humanitarian relief organization in Ukraine, supported by a number of agencies worldwide.

That way, he said, he can be assured that 100% of the funds raised will be used to distribute food for the Passover seder to congregations across the beleaguered country.

“My family is proud of our heritage and religion, and we celebrate our triumphs through adversity and the fulfillment of our American Dream,” said Maydanich. “We do not forget our past struggles; to the contrary, we always reflect on them and aspire to offer hope and comfort to people who need it. I feel deeply connected to both my Ukrainian and Jewish roots, admire my family’s triumphs and humanitarian efforts, and want to carry on these ideals through my mission to provide Passover meals to Jews across Ukraine.”

Judi Garrett, COO of Jewish Relief Network Ukraine, said Maydanich’s efforts embrace the essence of the organization.

“On Passover, one of the most important Jewish holidays, we celebrate our liberation from oppression and the beginning of new life. For the Jews of Ukraine, this holiday is particularly bittersweet, as the war continues,” she said. “On behalf of the 50,000 people we support in Ukraine, thank you, Adrian!”

Boxes of kosher-for-Passover food await unpacking at a synagogue in Kharkiv, Ukraine, in March 2023. Credit: Jewish Relief Network Ukraine.

Delivering boxes of kosher-for-Passover food to a synagogue in Kharkiv, Ukraine, in March 2023. Credit: Jewish Relief Network Ukraine.

Read more

Original Article Published On The JNS

“It is a crazy business,” said the shortstop’s father, Steve. “It is extremely stressful all of the time.”

After 21-year-old Nicaraguan pitcher Duque Hebbert struck out three of the four batters he faced—all-stars Juan Soto, Julio Rodríguez and Rafael Devers—at the World Baseball Classic in Miami, a Detroit Tigers scout offered him a Minor League contract on the spot. But for most players, including most of Team Israel’s roster, who may never reach the big leagues, the World Baseball Classic could be the largest crowd before which they will ever play.

When JNS caught up with Michael Wielansky, 26, ahead of Israel’s blowout loss on March 14 and asked what will be next for him after the competition, Team Israel’s shortstop, who lives in St. Louis, allowed that was a good question.

“I hope I’ll get a call from an [MLB] affiliate, or I’ll play independent ball,” he said. The latter refers to a league that is outside the Major League Baseball-run Minor Leagues.

One possibility is finishing up his last year of a bachelor’s degree in business and economics at the College of Wooster in Ohio.

“The whole journey is really crazy,” Steve Wielansky, the player’s father, told JNS.

Michael Wielansky. Photo by Howard Blas.

‘A great hitter and fielder’

Growing up in St. Louis, Wielansky celebrated his bar mitzvah and confirmation at Temple Israel. “My parents did a good job instilling a love of Judaism in me,” he said. “I learned a lot about Judaism.”

Steve and Linda Wielansky reported that their son was a good athlete who played soccer and basketball, as well as baseball. It was difficult to juggle sports and Hebrew school, but the family made it work.

For Wielansky, who stood 4-foot-9 inches at his bar mitzvah, professional sports seemed a remote possibility. He was only 5 feet tall when he entered high school but 6 feet by his graduation—and he did not stop there. Today, Wielansky stands at 6 feet 2 inches.

“He was a great hitter and fielder, but he couldn’t get recruited,” his father said.

After graduating from Ladue Horton Watkins High School in St. Louis, Wielansky attended College of Wooster in Ohio, where he hit .425 and won a gold glove award for his stellar defense at shortstop on the baseball team. The summer after his sophomore year in 2017, he was the most valuable player at the prestigious Valley Baseball League collegiate program, where he topped the league in on-base and slugging percentages, hits, runs and doubles.

In 2018, Wielansky hit .401 and broke Wooster’s career records for assists and triples. He was named a first-team all-American and, in both 2017 and 2018, a Mideast Region position player of the year. In the latter year, scouts started paying attention, including his hometown St. Louis Cardinals.

The Houston Astros drafted Wielansky as the 552nd overall pick, which came in the 18th round in 2018. He was a junior.

When her son was drafted, Linda said their rabbi lost a joke from his repertoire when he nudged students to exert themselves in their studies.

The rabbi told her that Wielansky’s draft really messed things up for him. She asked why. “I always tell the kids, ‘It’s not like you’re going to be a professional athlete or anything,’ ” he said. “Now I can’t say that anymore.”

Steve and Linda Wielansky with their son, Michael Wielansky, at the World Baseball Classic in Miami in March 2023. Credit: Courtesy.

‘My father and grandfather were my role models’

Wielansky’s paternal grandfather, Norman, pitched in the St. Louis Browns and Baltimore Orioles organizations in 1950, 1951 and 1954. Norman Wielansky, a right-hander, was part of a combined no-hitter on May 3, 1950. He was especially proud of his grandson but didn’t get to see Wielansky in his recent performance in Miami. He died at the age 88 in 2019.

“My father and grandfather were my role models,” said Wielansky. “They got me into baseball.”

Norman Wielansky was 6 foot 3 inches and 200 pounds, while his grandson currently weighs in at 190. The Astros wanted him to be 210, said his father, Steve. Wielansky bounced around the Astros organization for several years, playing for the Minor League teams Tri-City Valleycats, Quad Cities River Bandits, Fayetteville Woodpeckers, Corpus Christi Hooks, Sugar Land Skeeters and Sugar Land Space Cowboys.

The Astros elevated Wielansky to triple-A in 2021 but released him on March 27, 2022. “They didn’t have room for him,” said his father, Steve. Wielansky signed with the Long Island Ducks that April. But he didn’t play for that independent league team, and in May, he was traded to the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.

In January 2023, Wielansky’s career found him in Panama and as part of the Caribbean World Series. In February, he learned he would play for Israel in the World Baseball Classic. Wielansky found a lot of success in the Panamanian league, which his team won and where he hit .347.

Representing Israel, whose team “instills a culture,” in March was a great experience for Wielansky, who particularly enjoyed playing with other Jewish athletes. The team came together to hear Megillah on Purim, for Shabbat dinners and to learn about the Israeli national anthem—for which players stood, many with kippot under their hats—and had Israel emblazoned on its jerseys.

He played in Israel’s first game, a victory over Nicaragua, and he went 2-4 and raised his World Baseball Classic average to .400, in Israel’s 5-1 loss to Venezuela. (He did not play in the mercy-rule losses to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.)

His parents, sister and girlfriend told JNS that they enjoyed watching him play. “The atmosphere was so electric, with all that screaming,” his father said. “It was really fun.”

The Wielanskys hope a Major League affiliate picks up their son, who has returned to St. Louis. “It is a crazy business,” said Steve. “It is extremely stressful all of the time. It has been a phenomenal journey, and you hope your kid will do well on this great, long journey.”

Read more

Original Article Published On The JP

Access Israel has partnered with the Nippon Foundation to provide support for disabled people and their families who wish to or have evacuated from Ukraine to neighboring countries.

When the war in Ukraine broke out just over a year ago, Israeli nonprofit Access Israel and its collaborative partner, Accessibility Accelerator, sprung into action. 

The Israel NGO, which addresses issues of disabilities access and inclusion worldwide, quickly realized that the estimated 2.7 million people with disabilities in Ukraine and the elderly would have an especially difficult time fleeing the war zone and accessing necessary services. Train stations, shelters and vehicles and information in general are often not accessible.

Access Israel CEO Michal Rimon recounts, “I got a call on Shabbat from a blind woman in desperate need of dialysis who was on a train to Lviv with her elderly mother. Due to bombings, the train changed course and was going to Chelm. No one knew she was coming. So she turned to me. I made some calls and was able to help her but I realized that there is a need to help these people. If I had a vest – it would make it simple to start to get help.”

“I got a call on Shabbat from a blind woman in desperate need of dialysis who was on a train to Lviv with her elderly mother. Due to bombings, the train changed course and was going to Chelm.”Access Israel CEO Michal Rimon

Within days, Access Israel created the Purple Vest Mission and spent three weeks at the Poland/Ukraine border assisting refugees with disabilities. While the initial goal was to provide accessible solutions for those experiencing difficulties in the Ukraine, their larger mission is to raise global awareness to the importance of inclusive, accessible preparedness in times of emergency. 

Access Israel has partnered with the Nippon Foundation to provide support for disabled people and their families who wish to or have evacuated from Ukraine to neighboring countries. They also provide accessible humanitarian aid to people with disabilities and to the elderly who choose to stay in Ukraine. 

ATTENDEES OF the Access Israel ‘Future of Accessibility’ conference visit the Old City in Jerusalem. (credit: HOWARD BLAS)ATTENDEES OF the Access Israel ‘Future of Accessibility’ conference visit the Old City in Jerusalem. (credit: HOWARD BLAS)

“The Nippon Foundation contacted us and offered six months of funding, which we made last for eight months,” Rimon reports.

The idea for the Purple Vest campaign came in large part from the established practices of buildings worldwide – from the Roman Coliseum to Manhattan’s Empire State Building – lighting up in purple on December 3, the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities. 

To date, the Purple Vest Mission has evacuated more than 4,000 people with disabilities, elderly and their families and provided humanitarian aid to an additional 10,000. Access Israel and the Purple Vest’s efforts continue in Ukraine, Turkey and throughout the world. While Rimon is proud of her organization’s work, she notes that they have learned some important, eye-opening lessons that can better help countries prepare for future emergencies.

James Lassner, executive director of Accessibility Accelerator, who with his wife has served at the Poland/Ukraine border, elaborates, “We have rescued and rehoused thousands of people with disabilities from horrors of the past year in Ukraine and continue to so. As forward global thinkers, we are proceeding with individual and corporate Purple Vest Mission training to ensure that hopefully we can assist in evacuation and before and if necessary during and after disaster [hurricanes, war, etc.] strikes,”

There are much larger ideas here, Rimon says. 

Looking in the mirror

“First, we need to look in the mirror – we shouldn’t just talk about over there. We need to remember next time it could be us. Second, we need to not just hear, we need to listen to what the people are asking and telling and make the needed adjustments. Third, we need not reinvent the wheel. There are amazing people doing great things but we need to help each other fine tune it. As an example, there was a plan in place to transport the people of Ukraine, but when they stopped 2 km. from their destination, they didn’t think about how people with disabilities and the elderly would walk the final 2 km. And fourth, we need to connect the dots. We need to continue connecting people, like the Ukrainian person who was relocated to Norway. We connected him to an Israeli there who came by to bring a cake and a warm hug.”

The organization is continuing in its efforts at the Poland/Ukraine border and will return after Passover to continue in-person work. In addition, Rimon is offering a three-part online Purple Vest Training Course starting March 15 for people around the world who are interested in acquiring skills to assist the elderly and people with disabilities in the event of an emergency or severe weather. 

“More than 100 people from Ukraine, Turkey, Africa and other parts of the world are signed up,” Rimon reports. “We want them to be the first ones there to know how to assist.”

ACCESS ISRAEL and Accessibility Accelerator were recently recognized for their work in Ukraine and for their Purple Vest Mission with a Zero Project Special Award at the February 2023 the Zero Project Conference at the UN building in Vienna. The Zero Project works to promote a world with zero barriers. The work to find and share solutions that improve the daily lives and legal rights of all persons with disabilities.

“We knew we were going to be one of the 70 organizations honored for best practices,” offers Rimon, who admits she was both proud and a little uncomfortable to be singled out. “After all of the awards were given, a special award in the shape of a purple vest was created for us. They understood the importance of spreading the word and getting people to sign on to this campaign. When they called me to the stage, part of me felt uncomfortable, but the reaction by the people who were inspired remind us that you can’t sit aside – it was worth it.”

Rimon, who is a graduate of Manhattan’s Ramaz School, continues to be inspired by her teacher, Rabbi Haskel Lookstein. 

“When I was a student, he took us to the UN to stand up for [refusenik Natan] Sharansky. He taught us to do good, stand up for others, not sit aside and be our brother’s keeper.

“I am glad Purple Vest has been an inspiration internationally.”

Read more