The Alter Rebbe - in wax!

From http://shiratdevorah.blogspot.com/

The Rebbe in the Wax Museum

One of the rabbis in this photo is made of wax.

It's such a strange photo.... at least 3 of them look wax-like.

It's actually a photo of Israel's Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar visiting a wax museum in Russia. The waxwork is in the centre: it is the "Alter Rebbe", Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder and first Rebbe of Chabad and author of the Tanya, Shulchan Aruch HaRav, and Siddur Torah Or.

I thought replicas (statues) were forbidden under Jewish law.Seems like they forgot to tell the local wax museum in St Petersburg Russia.

And from Chabad on line:

Israel's Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar met with the "founder of Chabad - the Alter Rebbe" last week - or at least his lookalike.

Israel's Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar concluded a visit to the Jewish community in the Russian city of St. Petersburg. He was hosted by Rabbi Mendel Pewsner, the city's Chief Rabbi and Chabad Shliach and Mark Gruberg, chairman of the local community.

The visit was jam-packed, beginning with the first Congress of Rabbis of Russia, a Farbrengen for Tammuz 12 in Cheder Menachem, inagurating a Bukharian shul and welcoming a new Torah to the city's main synagogue.

Amar also took the time to learn about Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder and first Rebbe of Chabad and author of the Tanya, Shulchan Aruch HaRav, and Siddur Torah Or.

Amar visited Petropavlovski fortress where the Alter Rebbe was imprisoned for 53 days in 1798. He later visited the a local wax museum which includes a wax figure of the Rebbe in a lifelike pose.

More photographs here

Important Note: Please note that Disney and more will have a summer break during a big part of the month of July. I will try to post articles but probably not on a daily basis. If you're leaving for vacation whether it's in Disney Parks or anywere else on the planet, i wish you a happy holiday!

Universal Hollywood King Kong 360 3D Video !

One of the most awaited attraction of the year is opening tomorrow at Universal Hollywood: King Kong is back in the beloved Universal Tram Tour, and in 3D thanks to a brand "360 degrees" 3D movie directed by Peter Jackson.



You will find below the first available video of the ride as well as the official making-of with interview of Peter Jackson and Universal Studios Creatives. No need to say that if you want to keep the surprise you should avoid to watch the two first videos which shows the ride itself. Of course, the tram is supposed to move in all direction and guests will see this in 3D which is not the case here... The show looks great, a bit short - but it's always too short when it's good, isn't it?

Here is the first video, filmed during the ride by DaytimeHijacker.



This next video from DreadCentral will show you Peter Jackson introducing the attraction at the Grand Opening yesterday as well as more shots of the ride itself!



Here is another one showing the full ride.



Want to know how it was done? Here is the official making-of!





Video: copyright Universal Studios

Good Luck Mr. President!

Mazel Tov and Happy Birthday to AJN Watch

AJN Watch was launched exactly a year ago today and all of us here are pretty chuffed that we are still around 12 months later.

While we realized that our potential audience - frum Jews upset by the AJN’s biased and misleading reporting - was limited, it seems that there is a large measure of interest in the wider community as well. We also know via feedback that our posts have become topics of conversation at many a Shabbos table and in Shuls.

Additionally other posts of interest usually get wider circulation and we notice a spike in the readership. Thus we are BH pleased and capable to carry on in both directions and will, with the help of Hashem, continue in our task.

During the year a number of you have - via private emails - queried how we are travelling and how many “hits” we are getting?

For those who enjoy figures here you have the report from “Statcounter.com” with details for the past year.
Over 40,000 visits and thousands of repeats. Not bad for a bunch of newbies...

The figures seem adequate (at least to us) and even more so as we notice that in the last 3 months numbers they have risen by approximately 50%.

And, by the way, this is post # 194. Giving us an average of almost 4 posts per week.

Have we achieved anything? An interesting question.

Probably depends on how you look at things. The AJN is still around – and we of course never expected otherwise.We understand that the Hamodia has swallowed a fair chunk of their readership. (In our view, with some better promotion, the Hamodia with its far superior coverage and content, could do even better.)

The Jewish News still employs that page "number 2" dreckerati reporter Adam Kamien, who, you may remember, in the early days threatened to come after us. (And has been afraid to mention our name since!)

On the other hand, the creation of this blog ensures that there now is a voice for observant Jews who  previously felt degraded and hurt by the reporting style and editorial positions taken by the secular-as-they- come Australian Jewish News.

Readers may have noted that not only Kamien but the AJN itself has banned any mention of our name in both their newspaper and their website. Any reference to AJN Watch in any letter or posted in their comments section is immediately deleted. Despite this many of our posts have been widely distributed by our readers and often forwarded to writers and reporters in the wider Australian and the international Jewish media. No doubt it could be awkward for the AJN – which regularly criticises other media for anti-Israel/anti-Jewish bias - to be shown up as doing the same to Orthodox Jews.

Obviously no reasonable fair-minded person, whether orthodox or not, indeed whether Jewish or not. could fail to be appalled by the “Charged” front page cover about Rabbi Engel of Adelaide. Exposing such iniquitous publishing standards and unconcealed prejudice may hopefully ensure that the publishers will think twice before repeating such blatant intolerant bias.

And of course the delicious upshot of that affair is that the editor responsible for the headline, Ashley Browne has meanwhile been thrown out of his job whilst Rabbi and Mrs Engel have been totally exonerated!
We are optimistic that Browne’s replacement has superior standards to his predecessor.

Our campaign against the AJN’s advertising and publicisingTreif establishments continues and we cannot let go. It is an utter disgrace that a so-called “Jewish” publication blatatnly promotes non-Kosher. The minimum that they must do is to adopt the UK Jewish newspaper system where every advertisement for a caterer or restaurant includes a symbol indicating whether it is Kosher or non-Kosher. Zeddy Lawrence, the current editor, hails from London and should know all about this. It is about time that he introduced at least this minimal change.

We have a lot more to say and no doubt will do so in later posts. Meanwhile “Happy Birthday to us” and we look forward to informing and entertaining you for another year.

Finally a vote of thanks to all who contributed 'guest posts'. These usually generated much comment (and often controversy). Please keep them coming. At the same time we extend an invitation to other budding writers to submit articles of interest.

This Blog Would Be Temporarily Disrupted Due To The Owner's Grieving

T__T x 100000000000000 days

Is what I'm doing right now. I just hate hate hate this kinda feeling. I really don't wanna experience it again but if he is far away from me, I have no choice but to constantly endure this insane heartache.

I miss him so so much. And its only been like 10 hours. Can't imagine what would be the rest of half year like.... T__T

Don't pity me please. Don't say any word of console. It would make my tears go even more berserk.

Tell me something happy. Or funny. But if you've got none, its ok... Don't let this post ruin your day. Forget about it.

Multiple Orgasms

AJN editorial: Not good enough Zeddy

If the editor of the AJN, Zeddy Lawrence, thinks that he has in any way purged his newspaper of the despicable manner in which they reported the Engel affair, he is very much mistaken. This editorial does absolutely nothing towards this and some may say even reinforces the view that the newspaper completely disregards the feelings of religious Jews.

Admittedly Lawrence wasn’t at the helm of the AJN when this outrage occurred. However, upon assuming his position he became responsible for this affair as well. A decently worded apology would not have been out of place as well as a pledge that in future everyone – even rabbis and frum Jews – will be treated in a more humane and mentchlich manner.

"Kosher aware" - a new term for deception

Seems that the fraudulent “Kosher-friendly” and “Kosher-style” terms (see here) are old hat. Now we find the AJN advertising staff have come up with a new description for a treif locale: “Kosher aware”.

Well, if they are aware about Kashrut, they well know that what they are serving is 100% treif! What a disgrace.

Meawhile has anyone heard a complaint or protest from the ORA or RCV or indeed from our rabbis about this continuing shameless deceit? And why doesn’t it concern our rabbis enough to have mentioned this disgraceful and misleading advertising ploy in their submission to the government on labelling laws?

Why aren’t they engaging with the Jewish News demanding that they stop promoting treif – or at the very least ban misleading advertisements that easily take in naïve and unsophisticated people?

We know that many rabbis are followers of our blog. We ask them specifically “When will you take this issue seriously?”

And what about the Kashrut organisations? Shouldn’t they be battling the endorsement of treif with the same vigour that they promote Kosher?

Disney and more open its vault ! Private Sale for D&M readers !

You know that i'm a Disney fan since a long time and in one of my previous life as journalist i was invited at many Disney events and park's Grand Opening. Many of you asked me if i had kept interesting press material and collectibles from these events and today i've decided to open my personal "vault" and put on sale in exclusivity for my Disney and more readers rare press collectibles and even a one-of-a-kind Imagineering model! Some of these collectors have an affordable price, and few others are more expensive as they are really rare collectibles.

How does this private sale works? Very simple: from the moment the collectible you're interested by is still listed below OR if it's not written "SOLD", it means that it's still available and you can buy it.

How do you order and pay for it? Just email me at: lawrence55@wanadoo.fr and send the payment of the total amount including shipping by Paypal. Paypal payment must be sent to the same email adress: lawrence55@wanadoo.fr
.
For any questions, just email me. Please note that sometime i might not be able to answer you immediately but generally i always answer in the next three days.

NO 1: DISNEYLAND PARIS SPACE MOUNTAIN GODDESS WDI RESIN MODEL :
Price: ITEM SOLD!

There we go with the first item, and this one is coming from Imagineering as it is a one-of-a-kind 24" high Disneyland Paris Space Mountain goddess WDI model. Walt Disney Imagineering attraction models are extremely rare, and specially those of such famous attraction like Space Mountain. This model is in resin and shows the goddess that one can see on the side of the huge Columbiad cannon, part of Disneyland Paris Space Mountain. The pictures and artwork below will show you where the goddess is located on the cannon.



Here is the story of this model: When WDI Imagineers create an attraction, they always build models of it. Models of the whole building, and also models of special parts of the attraction decor. I bought this beautiful model eight years ago from a former imagineer. This model was given to him - while he was a WDI Imagineer - by another imagineer working at WDI model shop. Here is the reason: when a resin model is done, it's always with a mold. When the resin is "dry" they take it out of the mold. Sometime everything works fine, sometime not. In this case the model went out a bit broken and some tiny parts missing - the top of the fingers of the hand holding the bow and a tiny bit of the ribbons on the feet. The model was stick again and it was so well done that you can't hardly see it. However, as at WDI everything must be perfect they don't use an almost-perfect model and re-do it again, this is why the model shop give it to the imagineer from whom i've got it some years later.









The design of this Sky Goddess was inspired by the famous art-deco style, and the sculpture by WDI sculptors is so fine you can see any detail. It will be easy to create a stand for it, or simply to put it against a wall. As it is in pure resin it will be possible, too, to paint it if you wish. As i've said, it's 24 inches high, and its thickness is between 0,5 mm and 1 cm depending which part of it you're looking at.

A beautiful one-of-a-kind rare and unique collectible item for Disney theme park fan!

Because it is a fragile item, it will be sent in a wooden box specially designed for it to make sure it arrives in perfect condition, And of course it will be fully insured for the price you will pay, include shipping price. Shipping in the wooden box is 85 U.S $ in air mail shipping from France.

NO 2: DISNEYLAND PARIS SPACE MOUNTAIN GRAND OPENING PRESS KIT:
Price: ITEM SOLD!

Rare 1995 DLP Space Mountain Grand Opening press kit, beautiful with "silver" printing and gorgeous Space Mountain rendering inside.





NO3: SHOOT FOR THE MOON "40 YEARS OF IMAGINEERING" PRESS KIT
Price: ITEM SOLD!

Rare press kit for the "Shoot for the Moon, 40 years of Imagineering" documentary which includes rare colour and B&W pictures of Imagineers at work! The movie was done and released for DLP Space Mountain opening in 1995. Pictures below.





NO 4: EPCOT MISSION SPACE OPENING PRESS KIT
Price: $30 - Shipping: $18

Great Mission Space press kit, including official pictures of WDI artwork, press material, four beautiful official pictures prints, map of the park, etc...





NO 5: WALT DISNEY WORLD 25TH ANNIVERSARY INVITATION AND PRESS KIT
Price: $80 - Shipping: $20

WDW 25th Anniversary special guests Invitation and Press kit, beautiful, include the program/itinerary of the 3 days 25th celebration events, etc...The cover image of the press kit magically changes when you open it. Very rare items.










NO 6: WALT DISNEY WORLD 25TH ANNIVERSARY INVITATION
Price: $60 - Shipping: $15

WDW 25th Anniversary special guests Invitation only, without the press kit, beautiful, include the program/itinerary of the 3 days 25th celebration events, etc...Very rare item.





NO 7: SET OF WDW PRESS CREDENTIALS
Price: $10 - Shipping: $5

A Set of WDW press credentials, including the one for DLP Honey I schrunk the audience Grand Opening.



NO 8: DISNEYLAND PARIS CHRISTMAS EVENT INVITATION
Price: $20 - Shipping: $6

Disneyland Paris Christmas press event invitation. Rare, simple, and classy. Sorry, the picture is a bit too "blue", don't pay attention to that.





NO 9: DISNEYLAND PARIS MILLENIUM EVENT GUEST KIT AND WATCH
Price: ITEM SOLD!

This rare Millenium event guest kit was given during the Dec 31st, 1999, Millenium night celebration and include a unique collectible "Millenium" watch! The "cold light" stick that every guest was supposed to "break" and light at midnight of this memorable night is still unbroken inside the kit!









NO 10: SET OF DISNEYLAND PARIS ENTRANCE CARDS
Price: $25 - Shipping: $5

During DLP early years the entrance ticket was not in paper but in plastic, just like and the size of a credit card, with special image printed on it. They've changed this a looong time ago and these early tickets are now highly collectibles! The price here include seven different DLP 1990's entrance tickets plus the same for Disney Quest AND a rare Peter Pan 3D image! (which changes depending of the angle of view). See picture below.



NO 11: 100 YEARS OF MAGIC EVENT INVITATION
Price: ITEM SOLD!

Gorgeous invitation for the "100 Years of Magic" event at WDW in October 2001. The box open and inside you have several cellos which unfold with Disney classic animated movies scenes printed on each. Beautiful, rare and highly collectible. See pictures below.









NO 12: THREE ALICE IN WONDERLAND POSTCARDS FROM DISNEY ANIMATION EXHIBIT IN PARIS
Price: ITEM SOLD!

Two years ago a gorgeous Disney Animation exhibit happened in Paris Grand Palais. Some beautiful postcards - here below from Alice in Wonderland artwork - from legendary Disney animators artwork were published specially for the exhibit and are not available anymore. Note that the picture below is a bit too "blue".



NO 13: SNOW WHITE AND JUNGLE BOOK POSTCARDS FROM DISNEY ANIMATION EXHIBIT IN PARIS
Price: $12 - shipping: $5

Two years ago a gorgeous Disney Animation exhibit happened in Paris Grand Palais. Some beautiful postcards - here below from Snow White and Jungle Book artwork - from legendary Disney animators artwork were published specially for the exhibit and are not available anymore. Note that the picture is a bit too "blue".



NO 14: PETER PAN, CINDERELLA & LADY AND THE TRAMP POSTCARDS FROM DISNEY ANIMATION EXHIBIT IN PARIS
Price: ITEM SOLD!

Two years ago a gorgeous Disney Animation exhibit happened in Paris Grand Palais. Some beautiful postcards - here below from Peter Pan, Cinderella & Lady & the Tramp artwork - from legendary Disney animators artwork were published specially for the exhibit and are not available anymore. Note that the picture is a bit too "blue".



NO 15: DISNEY'S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE GRAND OPENING FUN MAP
Price: $100 - shipping: $20

This Disney's California Adventure fun map was given to the guests invited to DCA's Grand Opening. The map was originally fold, not rolled, and will be sent like this.





NO 16: DISNEY'S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE GRAND OPENING PRESS KIT
Price: ITEM SOLD!

Great original DCA Opening press kit, including THIRTY SIX Disney official pictures, beautiful 8" x 10" prints, and park guide map, press material, etc...great stuff.





NO 17: DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM GRAND OPENING PRESS STUFF
Price: ITEM SOLD!

Set of Animal Kingdom Grand Opening press material, including event credential, park map of opening day, small notebook, etc...



NO 18: HONG KONG DISNEYLAND PRESS KIT
Price: ITEM SOLD!

Nice Hong Kong Disneyland press kit, including, park's guide maps and Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel Stationery and rendering print!





NO 19: TOKYO DISNEY SEA GRAND OPENING COLLECTOR WATCH
Price: $100 - shipping: $15

RARE Tokyo Disney Sea Grand Opening collector's watch, in its original box, perfect condition, never used. Great collector's item.





NO 20: DISNEYLAND PARIS "SONG OF THE SOUTH" COLLECTOR PIN'S
Price: $40 - shipping: $5

Beautiful Song of the South collector's pin's released by Disneyland Paris in a limited edition series. The pin's includes a picture of Walt in the center. Size: approximately 2" large x 1,75" high. Perfect condition.



NO 21: DISNEYLAND PARIS "DL MOUSEKETEERS" COLLECTOR PIN'S
Price: $25 - shipping: $5

Beautiful DL Mouseketeers collector's pin's released by Disneyland Paris in a limited edition series. The pin's includes a picture of Walt in the center. Size: approximately 2" large x 1,75" high. Perfect condition.



NO 22: FRENCH WALL-E AND UP! PRESS KITS
Price: $40 - shipping: $15

Beautiful and rare french WALL-E press kit. It includes a special brochure which unfold in all directions to reveal the WALL-E Press brochure inside. Also include, the french UP! Press kit.







NO 23: PIRATES OF CARIBBEAN DEAD MAN'S CHEST PARIS GRAND PREMIERE INVITATION - SIGNED BY JERRY BRUCKHEIMER
Price: $50 - shipping: $15

Huge 18" x 11" Pirates of Caribbean Dean Man's Chest Paris Premiere Invitation, signed by Producer Jerry Brukheimer. Beautiful invitation for this VIP event, Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Jerry Bruckeimer were there, surrounded by hundred of Paris fans.







All pictures: copyright Disney, Pixar, Bruckheimer Productions.