Witty Rosh Hashana seat auction for $1.8 million on Ebay
Brilliant synagogue marketing landed a conservative shul in Miami, Florida as the hot topic of discussion this week. They wanted to get attention for the upcoming high holy days and what better way to do it than to cause a stir within the comunnity in the form of an Ebay auction for Rosh Hashana seats. Everyone knows that the more you donate, the better seat you get. To turn that on its head, the synagogue put up front row seats for, hold on to your seats, 1.8 million dollars on Ebay. They even used the standard increment of $18, Chai, for an extra ironic twist. Good thing I live in Israel where the holiday services are still free because there just isn’t an extra 1.8 Mil in my budget.
High Five, Temple Emanu-El. You’ve really taken it to the extreme, and I like it. More here, from Ynet News.
Jerusalem stone meets M.A.C., Tommy, and Billabong. But where?
After seeing many signs on King David St for the new Mamilla Mall, my interest was piqued, and I wanted to explore what looked like a mall with prices way out of my league. But where was it? For all the ‘now open’ signs, I didn’t see any arrows, or any indication that there was life behind the huge blockade of construction. But, thanks to my cousin who’s living in the old city, I was pointed in the right direction.
It reminded me of high-scale malls in America with a slight Israeli twist – the Jerusalem Stone. Although this mall clearly appeals to tourists, it seems strange that Americans would come all the way to Israel to buy a Tommy Hilfiger shirt. Nothing says souvenir more than MAC lipstick for your friends back in America.
All cynicism aside, it is a beautiful outdoor strip mall and has a MANGO store coming soon. I am a girl, after all.
How to get there: Take the 18, 13, or 21 bus and get off at the David Citadel Hotel. Walk toward the old city and you will see a guard and a set of stairs to your left, about halfway down the block.
Rumor has it that Israel’s biggest movie theater is coming to this mall soon. This has yet to be verified.. if you have any details, please share.
The Big Felafel 