Heebonism 2007

Heebonism New York will take place at the Knitting Factory and start with an hour-long open bar from 9:00-10 p.m. The 21+ blowout will feature live sets by Original Hamster, Terry Diabolik (Finger on the Pulse), June D (White Dove) and DJ Krowd Pleezr, Christmas Carol Karaoke, "Strip Dreidel" led by Kinkyjews.com and all sorts of other Semitic salaciousness.

The event runs from 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. (open bar courtesy of LinLin Vodka for the first hour) and will be held at the Knitting Factory (74 Leonard Street, New York, NY). Tickets are $20 in advance ( Knittingfactory.com) or $25 at the door. (The event is 21+)

BOTRO

Move over, Shabot? Max Miller of Columbia, Maryland, sent me this picture of BOTRO, a Jewish robot that his father drew for him in the mid 1960s. Way ahead of his time!

The Hanukkah in NYC Real Estate

Shabot fan Stephanie from IntoTheBox.tv submitted this video blog episode, The Hanukkah in NYC Real Estate, about a new synagogue being built in Lincoln Square. Lincoln Square Synagogue will be the first new temple build in NYC in decades.

The Nightmare Before Hanukkah

I found this odd video last year but saved it for Hanukkah time. It's no Todd and God or 8 Nights of Hanukkah, but consider it your gift for the first night!

Shabot on Facebook

Keeping up with the times, Shabot 6000 now has a page on Facebook! If you are a member of Facebook (if you're not, come out from under that rock and sign up!), you can receive news and updates about the cartoons, discuss the comics with fellow Shaboteers, and get to know the cartoonist (me) by becoming a Fan of Shabot 6000.

And, as an added bonus, now you can view the latest Shabot 6000 comic strip right in your Facebook profile! Just add the Shabot 6000 Facebook application, developed by friend Meir Taub, to your Facebook account and new comics will appear in your profile as they are released weekly.


So join the fun and become a Shabot 6000 Facebook Fan today!

The Adventures of Todd and God

Ladies and gentlemensches, I am pleased to present The Adventures of Todd and God, a new educational cartoon I developed for MyJewishLearning.com. This first episode is a Hanukkah special on how to light the menorah, and if all goes well, hopefully we can develop Todd and God into a series. So please share with your friends and let MyJewishLearning.com know what you think!

All art, animation, voices, sound design, and theme song by William Levin of JewishRobot.com. Special thanks to Daniel Septimus of MyJewishLearning.com for entrusting me with this project, and buddy Berger Boy for helping me brainstorm!

Visit Todd and God at their special home at ToddAndGod.com

Hammy Hanukkah

Jones Soda has released a new series of limited-edition holiday soda flavors, available in Christmas and Hanukkah packs. The Hanukkah pack includes Latke Soda, Apple Sauce Soda, Chocolate Coins Soda and Jelly Doughnut Soda, while the Christmas pack includes such holiday favorites as Christmas Tree Soda, Egg Nog Soda, Sugar Plum Soda, and my favorite, Christmas Ham Soda! And the good news is it's all kosher, even the ham soda, so you can enjoy the refreshing taste of ham with no guilt! I might try mixing the Christmas Ham Soda with the Hanukkah Apple Sauce Soda so I can get a taste of Peter Brady's favorite "pork chops and apple sauce".

8 Nights of Hanukkah

I am pleased to present "8 Nights of Hanukkah"! a new musical cartoon that I produced for my friend Sara Schwimmer of PopJudaica.com, formerly known as ChosenCouture.com. Conceived by Sara, illustration and animation and music and voices by me, and featuring a Fran Drescher, Natalie Portman, and a dead-on Madonna impression by friend Andrea Praet!

Perfected

Thanks, Paul, for pointing out that our lovely friend, Leah Kauffman, the voice behind Obama Girl and the inspiration for Rosh Hashanah Girl, has a new parody music video out, Perfected, a response to political pundit Ann Coulter and her inflammatory comment that "Jews need to be perfected by becoming Christians."

Personally I don't think Coulter's comments were offensive at all. She was simply summarizing the underlying theme of "completist" religions, including Christianity. Still, the song is catchy and fun, and it's nice to see Kauffman in front of the camera as well as the microphone!

PresenTense Drunken Thunk Tunk

Getting into the spirit of the Drunken Brainstorm, Dana Raviv, Avital Aronowitz, and Rachel Travis
PresenTense Magazine had their first, but certainly not last, Drunken Brainstorming meeting last night, to celebrate the release of Issue Three while coming up with article ideas for Issue Four. Hosted by Rachel Travis at her Travis Think Tank on the Upper West Side, about 20 contributors showed up to do l'chaims between thinking. The evening was more productive than anyone could have predicted, and I'm looking forward to seeing some of the concepts move from Post-It notes to glossy magazine pages.

If you give 20 drunks 20 pens, how many magazine articles can they come up with in 2 hours?
PresenTense Editor in Chief Ariel Beery keeping track of all our article ideas
See more photos on Facebook

Mega Mini Mega

Israeli singer Einat Sarouf leads us in round of "Salaam", the unofficial birthright israel bus trip anthem
Yesterday I attended the birthright israel Mini Mega Event, a reunion for birthright alumni and friends hosted on the vast Bedford estate of Michael and Judy Steinhardt. And when I say vast, I'm talking Neverland Ranch proportions, complete with apple orchards, a Japanese garden, a zoo with exotic animals, catered food in a tent for hundreds of alumni, and more. Michael Steinhardt introduced his friends, Senator Joe Lieberman, and honorary Jew, Newark NJ Mayor Cory Booker, who gave a most memorable, rousing speech about, oddly enough, the privilege of being Jewish.

A baby fennec fox, just one of the exotic animals in Steinhardt's zoo
birthright staffer Melissa Frank calls her boyfriend in Israel to brag that she is hanging out with the Jewish Robot
Shira Shimoni of Taglit-birthright NY and Aaron Bisman of JDub Records
"Sure, Mrs. Steinhardt and Mrs. Schusterman, I'd be happy to pose for a photo and sign my autograph for you!"
Michael Steinhardt, Newark NJ Mayor Cory Booker, singer, and Senator Joe Lieberman singing "Oseh Shalom" ... "We Are The World style!"
Photographer Michael "Crouching Tiger" Findling captures it all on film
Esther K. and JTA's Jacob Berkman, whose goal is to make his head and hair grow to resemble a fist holding a black tambourine
Mini Mega Coordinator/Terminator Lindsay Litowitz
Filmmaker Alan Dorfman with Moshav singer Duvid
Jewish Robot freestyle rapping against Wu-Tang Clan member Remedy

Watch Wu-Tang Clan member Remedy perform at the Mini Mega

While I'm not a birthright israel alumnus, I've participated in several events funded by the Steinhardt Foundation and the Schusterman Foundation, and I can see how these mega events will help former participants maintain a sense of pride and responsibility, even though they are miles away from Israel.

See more photos from the birthright israel Mini Mega event on Facebook:
Photo Album 1, Photo Album 2, Photo Album 3

Hookah in the Sukkah

Dope beats courtesy of Harel Schachal & Anistar
PresenTense Magazine celebrated the launch of their third issue (in which I have a full-page Shabot 6000 special "Shabot Spot" comic) with Sukkot in the PresenTense: A Feast from the Middle East, celebrated in perfect weather and under the sukkah at the Sixth Street Community Synagogue in Manhattan. With live Middle Eastern music, more hookahs than you could shake a bong at, and food and wine flowing, I believe everyone who attended had a fantastic time, and this party marked the best PresenTense event yet!

PresenTense editor Esther K. and graphic designer Sari Lisch
Educator and former PresenTense contributor Beth Pollack and voiceover artist Jessica Wachsman
Heeb contributor David Kelsey and Basya Schechter of Pharaoh's Daughter
New Jewcy contributor Maya Wainhaus, world traveler Raven Brown, and Alicia "The Postmaster" Post
The shwarma and pita simply wasn't Jewish enough for Eli Valley's strict standards, so he moved shop to the kitchen for some real Jewish food ... Matzo Farfel
Jewish Robot with bedazzled admirer Alicia Post
Success! Party organizers Ariel Beery of PresenTense and Maven Haven, Dara Lehon, and the Good Rabbi Charlie Buckholtz

OneVoice is One Word

OneVoice President Daniel Lubetzky
Last night I attended the OneVoice Blogger Meet-Up at Think Tank 3 in Manhattan. From their website,

On October 18, 2007, the Israeli and Palestinian peoples will say "enough!" - enough stalemated negotiations, enough violence and chaos, enough setbacks and excuses.
Through unprecedented, massive parallel summits in Tel Aviv and Jericho satellite-linked to locations worldwide, and supportive events in London , Washington , D.C., and Ottawa , the moderate majority will take a stand.

After an introduction by Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist, and Arianna Huffington of the Huffington Post, OneVoice President Daniel Lubetzky explained that, while traditional media has failed in spreading the word in their stand for peace in the Middle East, there is still hope with the new media reporters, like us bloggers. So far, over half a million Israelis and Palestinians have pledged their support in the One Million Voices campaign to end the conflict. We bloggers were invited to help spread their word.

Jewschool.com founder Daniel Sieradski compares notes with Craigslist founder Craig Newmark
Aryeh Goldsmith of the Jewish blog aggregator Jrants.com, Leah Jones of Accidentally Jewish, and ever present Esther K.
Heeb's Adam Baruchowitz and Etty Beke for NuYorker
Etty told me that if we took this photo, she would be the envy of all her friends in Venezuela, who happen to be Shabot 6000 fans. As opposed as I am to befriending tall, young Venezuelan Jewish girls, I reluctantly agreed to pose with her.

See more photos by Dan Sieradski

Barely Political Party

Team Obama Girl (creator Ben Relles and vocalist Leah Kauffman) with Team Rosh Hashanah Girl (me and Michelle)
Having been inspired by BarelyPolitical's Obama Girl, we were flattered to learn that the Obama Girl team are mutually fans of our own Rosh Hashanah Girl production. So last night, Rosh Hashanah Girl a.k.a. Michelle Citrin and I attended Barely Political's launch party for their new music video, I Like A Boy ..., featuring Leah Kauffman, the voice behind Obama Girl.

Flanked by two of three Romney Girl Triplets
Unfortunately we didn't get to meet Amber Lee Ettinger a.k.a. Obama Girl as she was a bit under the weather (and seemingly preoccupied with a very lucky boyfriend), but I did get to meet many of the talented folks behind BarelyPolitical.com's videos, including two of three Romney Girl Triplets.

Huffington Post reporter Rachel Sklar, vocalist Leah Kauffman, and Michelle Citrin
New BFFs, the voices of Obama Girl and Rosh Hashanah Girl
Many business cards were exchanged that night, and as we were all promptly ushered out of the Canal Room at 9pm so they could get ready for the next event, we all wished each other an easy fast, because, as it turns out, almost everyone involved in these projects was Jewish.

Relatively Cool

Cousin Jake on my rooftop in Brooklyn
Meet my cousin, Jake. Jake's grandmom, Annette, and my dad are first cousins, and whatever complex level of cousinhood that puts us in, we're blood. So I was more than happy to show Jake around Brooklyn during his visit to NYC last week, when we met for the first time.

Cousin Jake—tall, slim and handsome, a cool 16 years old—lives with his parents in California. He's only a junior in high school, but when he graduates he wants to move to New York and study music full time. He's a talented bass player, and has already performed at Carnegie Hall. He also likes to shoot artistic photographs with an old manual film camera. We're obviously related.

We spent the day becoming acquainted, walking around Brooklyn, through Prospect Park, checking out the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, and ending the night with live jazz at the Tea Lounge. A perfect day with a real cool coz!

September Timbre

Meir, me, Esther, and Aryeh at Jewzapalooza
As the new year approaches, thankfully the shofar isn't the only music you'll hear this month. Last Sunday was the Oyhoo! Jewzapalooza festival at Riverside Park on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, featuring musical acts including Dan Zanes, Pharaoh’s Daughter and more. Check out the schedule for more Jewish music events in NYC, all part of the Oyhoo! 2007 venue.


And yesterday, between curtains of rain, I went to see our very own Michelle Citrin, a.k.a. Rosh Hashanah Girl, perform a set in the 9/11 September Concert series at Union Square.


Check out this video of Michelle performing her catchy tune, "I Believe in Music"!

Jewish Alliance Colony, 125 Years Later

My niece Lola represents a new generation of Jewish Alliance descendants
Last week I returned home to Vineland, NJ ... and I mean HOME home, back to our farmland where my family lived when I was born, for the 125 year anniversary of the Jewish Alliance Colony. For a little background, Joel Landau of The Courier Post explains in his article, "Town honors anniversary of Jewish colony":

In 1882, 43 Jewish families fled the Soviet Union to come to South Jersey and do something they were never allowed to do before.

The refugees, from what is now Odessa, Ukraine, started the Alliance Colony, which became the first Jewish agricultural colony in the country. Now, descendants of those first families and hundreds more that came shortly afterward reflected on and honored their history at Alliance Cemetery on Gershal Avenue.

My father's side of the family were amongst the original 43, and I have many fond memories of growing up in Vineland with fellow descendants, who are like a big extended family to me.

Rabbi Murray Kohn, who performed our bar and bat mitzvahs, and officiated my sister Sandy's wedding
The songs I write for my cartoons? I have Barbara Kornbluh, my childhood piano instructor, to thank for making learning music so fun!
Celia Pretter, with her daughters Talia and Alana, was our favorite babysitter when we were little. She lived down the street where her parents raised chickens, and we would ask our parents to leave just so Celia would come to sit for us. I was just a wee lad, but you can see why she is still my favorite!

Kosher Barbe-CUTE!

Photo by Paul Berger
Brooklyn buddy Paul Berger snapped this fine photo in Prospect Park earlier in the week. What a cute family picnic, with all the kids in matching shirts!

An interesting question has been posed on the comment section of Paul's post: is it kosher to use the park grill, which is not kosher, even if you are not grilling directly on it?

I suspect the family are cooking on their own grill and coal basin, and are using the park grill merely as a high platform for their own cooking device. Would that be a halachicly kosher solution? Would they have to kasher their cooking basin when they got home? Enough Hassidic families use the park grills in the same way that it must be kosher, but if anyone can explain exactly why, Paul and I would appreciate it.

Enjoy your Labor Day Weekend!

Rosh Hashanah Girl

I am pleased to bring you my first non-cartoon video production, "I Gotta' Love You Rosh Hashanah"! Fellow ROI120 participant and music co-writer Michelle Citrin stars as Rosh Hashanah Girl in this musical parody of the popular "I Got A Crush...On Obama" video that came to fame on YouTube this summer.

The Rosh Hashanah Girl concept was originally pitched to client Taglit-birthright israel as another animated holiday e-card, but as I was recording the music with Michelle, I began to realize it would be so much better as a real live video, and with Michelle as Rosh Hashanah Girl. Reluctant at first, Michelle graciously accepted the star role, and we set out to shoot on location throughout New York City. Once we had enough footage, friend Simon Weaver lived up to his name and weaved the tapestry of video goodness you see above.

If you watch the video closely, you'll spy Leading Up North Fly Girls Danielle Cohen, Sydney Henning, Esther Kustanowitz, Lindsay Litowitz, and Gabby Sirner; Grey co-worker Jim Heekin; even notable Union Square 6'7" Jewish faith healer Te'DeVan.

We hope you enjoy the video and will share it with your friends and family ... Even Obama Girl herself is helping to spread the word!

Song: "I Gotta' Love you Rosh Hashanah"
Performed by Michelle Citrin
Lyrics and Production by William Levin and Michelle Citrin

Eat Me, I'm Kosher

A man after my own single-minded heart, Seattle blogger Ben has devoted an unreasonable amount of time to cataloguing and pontificating on Suicide Food — that is, "any depiction of animals that act as though they wish to be consumed."

In one of his recent posts, Ben showcases a glatt kosher beef product from Simcha Valley. In describing the happy cow, who, judging from the bloody brisket she holds in her cloven hoof, is apparently aware of her ultimate consumption, Ben provides some relevant facts about kashrut:

So here, our happy cow is perfectly situated to contemplate and serve God, right up to the Blessed Moment. Of the 613 mitzvot—the commandments contained in the Torah—a great many deal with the proper disposition of sacrificed animals. Our cow is in the right line of work. After her ritual death, her internal organs will be rigorously inspected for any of 70 irregularities that would render her remains non-kosher. (Glatt is often thought of as "ultra kosher," a designation requiring extra scrutiny.) Is it any wonder she is filled with gladness?

Mmm, all this talk about inspecting entrails is making me hungry!

Behind the Scene

Tuesday August 7 was National Underwear Day, an event launched by Freshpair, based on the simple belief that underwear deserves a lot more recognition than it gets. What does this have to do with Jewish and/or robots? Other than my sneaking suspicion that many of the models were actually androids, the event was founded by Freshpair president Michael Kleinmann, and the video production was coordinated by Alex Lirtsman, with on-the-fly editing by buddy Dave Marcus, who got the Jewish Robot in on the job of preparing the videos for YouTube for The Underwear Observer blog.

Alex smiles because, well, we're blogging about National Underwear Day!
Seen the behind? Behind the scene in Hard Rock Café at Times Square
"Must ... concentrate ... on ... editing ... Ignore ... girls ... in underwear!"
Jewish Robot, Dave Marcus, and Freshpair president Michael Kleinmann, (who bears an uncanny resemblance to ROI120 leader and friend, Elias Parker!)