The ORA and ECAJ submission

Thanks to Galus Australis we can now read the submission of ORA and ECAJ to the Food Labelling Review (here).

Kosherman comments:
Having had a quick read of the submission it seems to confirm that ORA wants to be the "posek acharon" in deciding who can and who cannot offer Kosher supervision in Australia.
Seeing that quite a few of ORA's members are themselves employed in the Kashrut supervision industry (eg, Rabbi Y Sprung, Rabbis Moshe and Mordechai Gutnick, Rabbi Yanky Barber), aren't we expecting too much from them to vote for approval of new competitors?

As far as I know, the only organization mentioned in the submission whose rabbis are not members of ORA are from Adass. (Anyone know if Rabbi M Rabi and Rabbi S Silberberg are ORA members? And if not, how can they assure themselves of getting fair treatment?)

I had asked "Did ORA in their submission demand that fraudulent terms like “Kosher-style” and “Kosher-friendly” be proscribed? If not, why not?"

Reading the submission I found nothing about this. One may have thought that eliminating the use of such blatant deceitful terms would have been of major concern for our rabbis (and indeed for the lawyers on the ECAJ). Looks like we were wrong.

I am still puzzled on why there was there no public consultation with the main stakeholders, ie, Kosher consumers? Another concern expressed by commentators on GA is why were details only released to the public after the closing date for submissions?

Let’s hope that ORA and ECAJ will try and clear things up for us.

Cheeky French Open Fashion

"Of course, I want to be number one. But being happy and healthy is the most important thing."

"When you lose, you're more motivated. When you win, you fail to see your mistakes and probably no one can tell you anything."
Venus Williams

Is this the most daring tennis outfit ever?

Could this happen here too?

Thanks to a number of our readers who forwarded us the link to the following Vos iz Neias article as a response to Kosherman's report on ORA and government labelling proposals.

Check out the VIN link for some interesting comments on this story.


Editor's Note: That's it, as promised three days ago i'm back on Disney and more for weekly articles and this first one is talking about - guess what? That's right: Imagineering! with a full review of the new and fantastic Imagineering book.

Walt Disney Imagineering " A Behind the Dreams Look at Making MORE Magic Real " Review !



Let's put it like this: the new Walt Disney Imagineering book "A Behind the Dreams Look at Making MORE Magic Real" is simply GORGEOUS. No kidding, folks. A totally "can't live without it" book for any Imagineering fan. And, as i've worked in publishing the last 30 years and did the Disneyland Paris "From Sketch to Reality" book you know that i know what i'm talking about when i do a book review, don't you?

No, frankly, this book is really fantastic. It's important to say that it's a totally brand NEW book, and NOT an updated edition of the first Imagineering book published ten years ago. All the artworks and pictures were not in the first one and this one is totally complementary with the first book.

Melody Mahlberg and all WDI Imagineers who designed this beautiful 192 pages Imagineering tribute did a superb job. From the size - the book is bigger than my DLP book which is already big - to the layouts, fold-out pages, and gorgeous printing the book is "technically" perfect. But of course what is the best is what is inside it! Lot - and i mean really a lot of WDI artwork, most of them never seen before (yes, even on Disney and more!), fantastic behind the scenes pictures (also released for the first time), sketches, rare blue-prints, etc... a pure treasure!



Okay, let's have a closer look at it: there is three parts in the book: Part I is called: Theory and this first part explains how Imagineers creativity requires "a few - a very few" ground rules. Here are some pages from this chapter beginning by the chapter opening...



You'll find gorgeous artwork even on double pages, whether it's this rare sketch for "Soarin' over California"...



...Or a first concept for Tokyo Disney Sea's Port Discovery.



Mind you, normal pages don't have only one picture, but a lot!.. like this one explaining how important is the "Previsualization"...



And others even have fold-out attraction storyboard like this one for the Disneyland's Submarine Nemo ride.



Part II of the book is: Tools and explain how Imagineers make use of a variety of resources to create the magic of Disney Resorts and attractions whether it's tools to visualize or analyze, explain and build.





If you look well you will also learn WDI secrets from rare theme park plans like this double-page with a early DLP plan (on the right) revealing that a "flying saucers" attraction was envisioned where DLP guests now ride Autopia...



Another example with this double pages talking about attraction gags imagined by Imagineers...



...or how important the WDI sculpting section is.



Part 3 is called: Portfolio and you'll have an inside look at the mosaic of people, talents, ideas, and projects from Imagineering.



Just like in the Part 1 and 2 you'll find great pictures and artwork.





You'll find also pages about the Disney Cruise Line - including a giant fold-out of the ship design - and several pages on the awaited Little Mermaid attraction, including a Mermaid ride concept i've never seen before! (no, it's not on the picture below, i've kept the surprise for you)



Except if you're blind you probably have already understood why this new Imagineering book is an absolute must-have for a Disney super-fan like you (or me!). And, good news, although the book is now released and ready for immediate shipping the Amazon $37.80 (instead of $60) special price is always available. And frankly, considering how great this book is it's truly the deal of the month!

You'll find below - or in the Disney & More Amazon Store - the direct link to order the book on Amazon, and if you could use these links for your order i will be thankful to you as i really need your support! Thanks by advance!






Also, talking about books, find back all the "spirit" of Disney and more in the gorgeous Disneyland Paris book! With 750 pictures including 250 WDI renderings this 320 pages book was acclaimed as "the best book ever done on a Disney theme park". See my special offer below to don't miss the last copies!


All pictures: copyright Disney Editions, Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney Enterprises Inc

Apichatpong Weerasethakul Takes the Palme d'Or

Tim Burton and the jury awarded Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives the Palme d'Or at Cannes today, marking the first Palme d'Or for the director and for Thailand. Weerasethakul won the Jury Prize in 2004 for Tropical Malady (which still feels like a giant oversight by Quentin Tarantino and his jury that year, who gave the Palme d'Or to Fahrenheit 9/11) and the Un Certain Regard Award in 2002 for Blissfully Yours. You can watch A Letter to Uncle Boonmee, the director's fantastic 17-minute short which he expanded into the feature, on MUBI. In his fourth outing as a feature director, Mathieu Amalric took home the Best Director prize for Tournée [On Tour]. In a rare tie, Javier Bardem and Elio Germano were named the Best Actors for Biutiful and La nostra vita [Our Life] respectively, and Juliette Binoche won her first Best Actress prize at Cannes this year for Abbas Kiarostami's Copie conforme [Certified Copy]. Rounding out the rest of the awards: Lee Chang-dong won Best Screenplay for Poetry, Xavier Beauvois' Des hommes et des dieux [Of Gods and Men] was awarded the Grand Prix and Michael Rowe's Año bisiesto [Leap Year] won the Caméra d'Or (for best first film). Full awards below:

Palme d'Or: Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, d. Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Thailand/France/Germany/Spain/United Kingdom
Grand prix: Des hommes et des dieux [Of Gods and Men], d. Xavier Beauvois, France
Prix du jury: Un homme qui crie [A Screaming Man], d. Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, France/Chad
Prix de la mise en scène [Best Director]: Mathieu Amalric - Tournée [On Tour]
Prix d'interprétation féminine [Best Actress]: Juliette Binoche - Copie conforme [Certified Copy]
Prix d'interprétation masculine [Best Actor]: (tie) Javier Bardem - Biutiful; Elio Germano - La nosta vita [Our Life]
Prix du scénario [Best Screenplay]: Lee Chang-dong - Poetry
Caméra d'Or: Año bisiesto [Leap Year], d. Michael Rowe, Mexico

Should ORA be the official arbiter of Australian Kashrut authorities?


A supreme kashrut authority?
Post by Kosherman:

The AJN seems quite excited by the pitch of ORA to get itself appointed by the federal government to sanction Kashrut authorities. The paper has devoted the whole front page, a half page article and even an editorial to this topic. If we didn’t know better, we could get the impression that the focal purpose and objective of the Jewish News is to advance Kashrut in Australia. Yet this is the same publication that in its Simcha supplements advertises Treif caterers and establishments using the deceptive and fraudulent tags of “Kosher-style” and “Kosher-friendly”.

In fact in this same issue you will find this ¼ page colour advertisement for a Treif chicken shop! What a disgrace! What hypocrisy!

On the issue of ORA becoming the patron saint of Kashrut in this country, let me pass on some of the concerns that I have heard from other Shul-goers since the story broke.

  1) What is the situation with smaller and newer Kashrut providers, eg, Rabbi Shalom Silberberg of Sydney Adass and Rabbi Meir Rabi of Kosher veYosher? Will ORA object to their supervision?

 2) Who in ORA will make decisions for approval or non-approval? Will it be rabbis who themselves have a vested and financial (direct or via salary) interest in Kashrut and thus maybe an aversion to new competitors? Or will they be ethical and ensure that no rabbi in involved in Kashrut gets involved? And if so, will the qualifications of any new applicant be left in the hands of ORA members who have no idea or experience in Kashrut matters? Yes, I realise it is a real pickle.

 3) Is it a good idea to get the government involved? Didn’t this happen in some states of the US with quite negative results? Do we really want them looking over our shoulders? How will the Kosher consumer benefit from all this?

4) Did ORA in their submission demand that fraudulent terms like “Kosher-style” and “Kosher-friendly” be proscribed? (And if so does the AJN know about this?) If not, why not?

5) Where can we read the entire submission by ORA? Why was there no public consultation with the main stakeholders, ie, Kosher consumers?

 Many other questions are being asked and there is no shortage of criticism. A couple of local Jewish blogs have now joined the fray as you can read here and here.

On behalf of AJNWatch I invite our readers to comment on this matter and offer their ideas on the best way to go forward.

PS: Did anyone else notice the irony of that AJN front page being shared by an advertisement for an establishment under the supervision of non-ORA member, Rabbi Meir Rabi?
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)