ASIAN CUISINE Grand Opening Our Famous Dishes • Pad Thai • Vegetable • Pad Ped Deluxe with • Rice Bowl • Noodle Bowl I Hallelujah wi re r Adam Chicken • General Tso's Chicken Orchard Lake Rd. BUY ONE I 6700 West Bloomfield Plaza ENTREE (3 doors down from Brody's) Kleinberg, rig in the studio 'GET ONE 50% OFF1 with Israeli si er Momi Levy OF EQUAL OR LESSER VALUE. (248) 9 32-2 889 APPLE GRILL ASIAN CUISINE Hours: Sun-Thurs 4pm-9pm Fri and Sat 4pm-9:30pm Not valid with any other offers. Excludes tax. Expires 4/30/12 UI Tomer Levy The Contest Last year's contest drew 230 applicants from around the world, ages 16-26, all of whom submitted video audi- tions over YouTube, says Yair Gafni, the contest's director. This year, singers are invited to submit auditions through YouTube, but Gafni also is planning sev- eral live contests around the world. Kleinberg is helping produce the June 3 contest in Mexico and will perform at the contest as well. Another contest in New York City also is in the works. The Hallelujah website, www.hallelujah.org.il , which updates automatically, boasted 133 submissions at press time. Singers, this time between ages 18-30, have until April 30 to apply. In their video auditions, contestants can sing in any language, but when it comes down to performing for the judges, singers receive a list of Hebrew songs to choose from. "It's all about spreading the Israeli music... around the world because we believe that through the music [Jews] will get closer to Israel, to their heritage, to their people, and that's what hap- pened," says Gathi. "Bringing the people together to Israel from different coun- tries, they discover that the meeting point is very easy for them:' From the submissions, the judges narrow the contestants down to 30 who are then invited to Israel for about a month of rehearsal and travel in prepa- ration for the televised performances. The first-place winner of the Mexico contest, and any other global contest, is included among this group of 30. Judges then choose 12 for solo televi- sion performances while the others perform as a group. Gafni said Hallelujah is "not a com- mercial project:' but rather, a "national Zionist project?' The 2012 competition is sponsored by Birthright, and like last year, is supported by the Foreign Ministry, the Jewish Agency, Masa Israel Journey and others. Gafni and the Hallelujah team are still working out this year's logistics, such as performance space. While the list of judges is not final, it is slated to include Israeli singers like Dudu Fisher and Tzahi Halevi, music producers, and directors from the Rimon School and Meitar Association, which brings dias- pora and Israeli Jews together through song. Hallelujah first launched in 1992 and boasted three seasons but was canceled due to funding constraints. The contest came back last year, Gafni says, because the pervasiveness of social media reduced marketing costs. From 1992- 1994, the Israeli government covered the contest's costs. "Everything had to go through TV and broadcasting, and it's only because of the budget we stopped it, and now we're back with a bigger possibility to do it with less [of a] budget:' he says. While aliyah is not the goal of Hallelujah, Gafni names four contes- tants from last year who have made or soon will make aliyah, all of whom intend to study music, pursue music production or launch their own singing careers. Among those taking the plunge is Kleinberg, whose move to Israel will come this month. He plans to study at the Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in Ramat Hasharon, near Tel Aviv. "I want to get to Israel and start mak- ing Israeli music:' he says. "I don't know if the contest is going to help me, but at least they gave me a really big chance to know some Israeli producers and some Israeli musicians:' With or without the intent of making aliyah, the Hallelujah contest's singers developed deep bonds with Israel. The "best meeting point" for these young Jews is music, Gafni says, rather than examining the Jewish state from politi- cal or religious angles. "We bring them together around the music, which is their favorite subject in their life;' Gafni says. "It's much easier for them to connect to Israel and to each other [through music]." ❑ For more information on Hallelujah, go to www.hallelujah.com.il . "Consistently delicious food is the driving force behind Sposita's success" Danny Raskin, Jan 5, 2012 SPOSITA'S RISTORANTE Fine Italian Dining in a Casual Atmosphere Sunday-Thursday Sunday-Thursday 15% OFF 15% OFF TOTAL FOOD BILL OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK! 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