Srugim Billboard Ads to be placed in Geniza

Srugim billboards are plastered all over the country (Bnei Brak, Tel-Aviv, Jerusalem, Kiryat Ono, etc.) and they have raised the ire of some. If you look closely, the background image of the show's stars is composed of the writing of a Sefer Torah. Some Srugim aficionados have even gone through the entire billboard ad, and discovered that some ads also includes G-d's name in the text.


Rabbis and Askanim decried the billboards, and demanded that the YES Satellite Broadcasting company (which produces Srugim) remove the billboards immediately. They even raised the issue with the Chief Sephardic Rabbi, R' Shlomo Amar.

Not wanting to offend religious citizens (potential viewers), or damage the Srugim name, YES announced they would remove the billboards with the background Torah Images. Immediately thereafter, the "Central Organization for the Geniza of Holy Texts" voiced their concern that the removed billboards would simply be "thrown away."

The Yated Neeman newspaper reported today that YES announced that they would arrange for a proper burial of all the removed billboards in accordance with the customs of geniza, and they sincerely apologized for the mishap.

No wonder Srugim's so successful.

If you didn't personally know about religious Judaism, you would swear this was being made up.

Hat-tip: Laizy, YNET, Yated Neeman.
Photo Credit: MyRightWord

PS: This was a better ad...click for better resolution.
(Updated and translated at Lurker's request)




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Israel YES Satellite TV Interference Source Located

Scan any Israeli alternative news website, and you'll see complaints from all over Israel about poor reception issues from YES, the Israeli DBS (Digital Broadcast Satellite) TV service -- what is supposed to be DVD-quality, crystal-clear reception has turned into a pixilated, garbled signal.

Beirut's "Variety" news site picked up on the story and has linked it to Israel's top secret, not cleared for publication, alleged attack on Syria last month.

BEIRUT -- Watching television in Lebanon and Israel has become a jarring experience over recent weeks.

Frustrated viewers have inundated their cable and satellite providers complaining that the onscreen images constantly flicker and freeze. Analysts on both sides of the border suspect covert military activity but, like any good Middle Eastern story, theories abound as to who is the culprit.

The onset of the problems coincided with a Sept. 6 Israeli air raid on Syria. Television signals began to deteriorate shortly afterward and on Sept. 12, Lebanon's Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh told local daily An Nahar that interference had "started with the aggressive Israeli infiltration on Syria."

But by Sept. 20, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, which also linked reception problems to the raid, reported "Syrian espionage activities on northern Israel using Russian experts" as a possible cause of the disruption.

A third theory emerged on Sept. 23 when satellite industry publication Rapid TV News cited reports that strong radar signals were being generated by "various intelligence elements, chiefly Western countries, which are trying to fathom the intentions of Israel and Syria in the near future."

Israeli and Lebanese cable providers have offered less specific explanations. Israeli satellite operator Yes said reception problems had been caused by "electromagnetic interference not connected to the company."

Now, after web reports on rotter.net earlier this evening indicated that a ship might be involved, the latest report from Channel 1 Israel TV (via Walla) is that a ship flying a flag from Holland is responsible for the interference.

Was it working for Russia? Syria? NATO? Or perhaps an illegal Phlippino Gambling operation? We'll see how this story unfolds...

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