Holiday travel
Madonna and her film director husband Guy Ritchie joined thousands of followers of Kabbalah in Tel Aviv last week to celebrate Rosh Hashana for the Jewish New Year.
Madonna decided to "ring in the holiday" with a visit to the Jerusalem home of Israeli President Shimon Peres.
Other luminaries who also attended included actress Demi Moore and her husband actor Ashton Kutcher, fashion designer Donna Karan and former talk-show host Rosie O'Donnell, all of them accompanying Madonna to Israel to attend the special conference for Kabbalah, which is described as a medieval form of Jewish mysticism.
How do I know all about Madonna's comings and goings last week?
I was contacted with the scoop by Marcus Sheff, a publicist for The Israel Project, an international nonprofit organization "devoted to educating the press and the public about Israel while promoting security, freedom and peace."
Marcus said the group was created "to provide journalists, leaders and opinion-makers accurate information about Israel."
The Israel Project is not related to any government or government agency.
According to presidential spokeswoman, Ayelet Frish, the two discussed how to advance the peace process, as well as issues of conciliation and tolerance throughout the world. Madonna promised to do her best to promote these values in her songs and books.
Although most of Madonna's recent headlines have been about her overseas adoptions, she has also become increasingly involved in humanitarian issues around the world in recent years.
Her last trip to Israel was three years ago, also on a Kabbalah-centered trip.
She first visited the Jewish state in 1993, when she performed in a concert unrelated to Kabbalah in Tel Aviv's Hayarkon Park. Madonna said she will return to Israel next weekend for Yom Kippur.
Book it
While at this year's 26th Annual Wizard of Oz Festival, one of the visiting guests I met was a young author from New Hampshire named Joshua Dudley, who is continuing the story traditions started by Frank L. Baum when he originally penned the first of 40 books about the land of Oz way back in 1900.
Dudley, 21, can be proud of his new book, which is also his first book, "Lost in Oz" (May 2007 www.Lulu.com $10.95).
It's not only selling well, it also has a great story, including the author's own experiences and voice as one of the characters.
It's all about four friends who find themselves lost in a mysterious place and all sharing the same goal: to find a way home. (Sound familiar?) Of course ... their only way home is to catch up with a little girl wearing magic shoes. For more information, visit www.lostinozbook.com.
The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at ppotempa@nwitimes.com or 219.852.4327.
celebBirthdays
Cartoon voice legend June Foray (Rocky the Squirrel, Tweety Bird's Granny) is 90. Singer Jimmie Rodgers and actor Robert Blake are 74. Actor Fred Willard is 68. Singer-actor Frankie Avalon is 67. Guitarist Kerry Livgren (Kansas) is 58. Actor James Gandolfini ("The Sopranos") is 46. Singer Joanne Catherall of the Human League is 45. Actress Holly Robinson Peete ("Hangin' With Mr. Cooper") is 43. Singer Ricky Bell (Bell Biv Devoe, New Edition) is 40. Actress Jada Pinkett Smith is 36. Actor James Marsden ("The Notebook," "Ally McBeal") is 34. Rapper Xzibit is 33. Actors Taylor and Brandon Porter ("Party of Five") and Patrick Schwarznegger (son of Gov. Arnold and Maria Shriver) are 14.
