Emotional and teary-eyed, Canadian Evan Malach won the 2012 Hallelujah Global Jewish Singing Contest last night in Ramat Hasharon, Israel. The singer/songwriter beat out 29 other young Jewish singers from around the world to take the title. His version of the classic Israeli rock song “Canaanite Blues” clinched the competition, which was judged by a star-studded panel of Israeli music experts, including rock star Yehuda Eder, singer Ilanit, and “The Voice” finalist Tzachi Halevy. The …More

Two Israelis have been taken into custody after scheming to blackmail a New York rabbi. [Israel Hayom] Israeli Paralympians aim high for London medals. [Times of Israel] Boston celebrates Aly Raisman’s homecoming. [Examiner] The top 10 Jewish moments from the Olympics. [Jewocity] A look at Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan and Florida’s Jewish voters. [Jewish Journal] Hungary’s ex-Jobbik politico Csanad Szegedi faces mounting pressure to resign from European parliament. [Telegraph] Jewish …More

For many, the dream of becoming a professional musician is not an easy goal to obtain. To do so takes persistence and perhaps a lucky break or two. Hallelujah, a global singing competition hosted in Israel, looks to make that transition easier for one new star. Among the 30 contestants is Shani Shousterman, a singer/songwriter from Los Angeles. Since graduating from the University of Southern California with a master’s degree in music, Shani has worked to make her dreams a reality, but needs some help. …More

Hundreds of musical hopefuls are currently whiling away the hours preparing video audition tapes, ahead of the application cutoff for an Israeli musical contest. The Hallelujah competition, Judaism’s answer to “American Idol,” is in its second year of programing, and manager Yair Gafni says 2012 is set to be better than ever. “We expect more applicants from more countries, with the competition more talented than ever,” Gafni said. “Basically, we expect everything to be …More

Leonard Cohen’s first album in eight years, “Old Ideas,” begins with the songwriter addressing himself: “I love to speak with Leonard/He’s a sportsman and a shepherd/He’s a lazy bastard/Living in a suit.” Sure, eight years is a long time between LPs, but “lazy bastard” is a little rough. After all, the 77-year-old has been very productive of late; he played 247 shows on his world tour that stretched from 2008 to December of 2010, with every single set lasting …More

The 20-year-old Hallelujah Song Contest is getting a makeover. Welcome to the era of social media. This year’s competition asked applicants, who are between 16 and 26 years old, to submit YouTube videos of themselves performing the song of their choice, hoping to solicit responses from all across the world, and in the process, reach out to young Jews who may feel distanced from Israel. Mission accomplished. On the contest's official website, you can hear Alex Pomerantz from the United States sing …More