Model Jews

FINE LEATHER FURNITURE HONESTLY PRICED

Advertising
firms in Israel
are starting to
pursue
Orthodox Jews,
balancing
modesty with
Madison
Avenue.

ERIC SILVER
Israel Correspondent

J

erusalem —
The thir-
tysomething
cantor stands at
the lectern in a fash-
ionable Jerusalem syna-
gogue. He is clean-
shaven, stately and
sounds as if he's audi-
Disc jockey Mordecai Parazon works for a religious sta-
tioning for lead tenor
tion in Jerusalem, but may be part of a new wave of
in Fiddler on the Roof
Orthodox advertising.
He wears a long black
robe, a black and white
striped tallit and a silk
"There is a great international poten-
biretta that could have fallen off a
tial," he says, "not just among the
Renaissance bishop.
Orthodox public. It's a great gim-
With the nasal trills of his trade,
mick for the [gentiles]. It'll shock
he launches into a cheery Sabbath
them."
hymn. On the bimah with him,
Until recently, most ads in the
three machers in prayer shawls and
religious media in Israel stuck to the
skullcaps proudly echo each verse.
printed word, an announcement in a
They've hired a star chazzan and he's
box. "I've made a revolution," Ben-
delivering the goods.
Naeh brags. "When I suggested using
Suddenly the cantor coughs and
people, no one agreed. They all said,
splutters. He can't go on. The three
`Not in our community.' For two
worthies throw up their hands in
years I trekked around yeshivas. I
despair. The cantor whips out a tube
persuaded leading rabbis to put in
of mints, slyly revealing the brand
writing how good it would be if reli-
name, pops one in his mouth and
gious men were seen on television,
picks up where he left off. The mach-
on posters, in newspapers."
ers beam with relief. The camera rolls
The breakthrough came when a
on.
Jerusalem sage advertised cellular
The four men are recruits for
phones on the front page of a reli-
Israel's first Orthodox, strictly kosher
gious newspaper. When he com-
modeling agency founded by Amos
plained that he'd only earned $200,
Ben-Naeh, a bearded yeshiva gradu-
Ben-Naeh told him he'd have to
ate turned ad man. The cantor is a
appear in the lay press, too, if he
cantor, the three machers are pious
wanted to hit the big time. The rabbi
Jews. They're making a peppermint
is reviewing his options.
commercial.
Although Nathan Herstik, the
Ben-Naeh, who is 34 and studied
peppermint cantor, has performed at
for 10 years at the flagship National
synagogues in Canada, Germany and
Religious yeshiva, Mercaz Harav, is
Israel, he says he can't support his
targeting both the burgeoning reli-
wife and three children on the book-
gious market in Israel and secular
ings he gets. Until he was discovered
consumers in Israel and abroad.
by Ben-Naeh, he paid the rent by

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