Category Archives: Lifestyle

Yael Eckstein: The Intersection of the Spiritual and Physical

Lifestyle, , , ,

In a world which seems to be increasingly materialistic, it is like a breath of fresh air to learn about people who are working hard to combat this trend. One of those people is writer Yael Eckstein, who is also Senior Vice President of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.

Eckstein is a regular contributor to the Jerusalem Post, and has authored two books: Holy Land Reflections: A Collection of Inspirational Insights from Israel, and Spiritual Cooking with Yael. Eckstein’s articles in the JPost remind us to keep our priorities straight and be thankful for all the good in our lives. Her most recent articles discuss helping immigrants to Israel from countries where it is difficult to freely practice Judaism; the need for governments, organizations, and individuals to help the Druze community in Syria who are suffering from persecution and from Syria’s civil war; and the obligation and responsibility to care for aging, destitute Holocaust survivors.

Spiritual Cooking with Yael offers simple, healthy recipes while integrating words from the Bible, meditations, and spiritual teachings into each. The goal of the book, as Eckstein puts it, is to “transform the physical acts of cooking and eating into a spiritual experience using the proper thoughts and intentions.”

Her work with the IFCJ, as an overseer of all ministry programs and as a spokesperson, allows Eckstein to be “an advocate for those in need, and a passionate voice for the vision and mission (of IFCJ),” said IFCJ board chairman John French.

In a world which feels and looks to be overwhelmingly indifferent to the pain of others, it is inspiring to know there are people like Yael Eckstein working to help those in need.

Most Expensive Zip Code Moves East

Lifestyle

Wondering where the country’s most wealthy dwell? For the past two years the zip code of distinction has been 94027, whose numbers represent Atherton, California in what is known as Silicon Valley.

Atherton attracts some of the world’s most influential hi-tech execs such as Paul Allen, the cofounder of Microsoft, HP CEO Meg Whitman, and Eric Schmidt, Chairman of Google. The median income in Atherton, according to data from the US Census Bureau, is just short of a quarter million dollars: $220,583.

That’s yesterday’s news. The new reigning zip code for the country’s most wealthy is 11962, a Long Island community called Sagaponack. In Sagaponach the median sale price for a home from January 2014 until June 2015 was $5,125,000, according to the real estate listing site Property Shark. In Atherton the median price was only $5,050,000.

Sagaponack is only two hours’ drive from New York City, in the Hamptons on the south shore of Long Island. Pop musician Billy Joel lives in Sagaponack, while the Clintons like to vacation in the town. Ira Rennert built a $248 million estate there composed of three swimming pools, a 164-seat private theater, and a car garage with a 100-car capacity.

Jazz Musician Beylar Eyubov Making Debut in West

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Not many people have heard of Beylar Eyubov, but in Azerbaijan, he was an up and coming folk & jazz musician with a loyal following of fans dedicated to his music. Before relocating to Brooklyn in the late 90’s, Eyubov had appeared in several Azerbaijani music festivals, toured around Eastern Europe, many cities of the former Soviet Union, and even Japan.

In 1997, after much consideration and support from his fans, Beylar Eyubov decided the time was right to move to the West. He made his first U.S. home base in New York City for a short while before moving out to Brooklyn, where he still resides this day. He recalls his travels while making his way out West. On his way to New York Eyubov performed during a short stopover  in London,  in some of the more well-known clubs in the West End, and then headed out to the States.

Jazz music is a popular genre in Azerbaijan, the foundation of which was laid right before World War II erupted by the State Pop Orchestra- also known as “State Jazz.” The ensemble was at first composed of three trombones, a trumpet, five saxophones, a piano, a guitar and of course percussion.

Having such a talented musician as Beylar Eyubov come to live and work in New York brings the Western influence of Eastern jazz full circle. During the post-war years the oppressive hold the Soviet regime had on its citizens hindered the full development of jazz, such as in the case of  great musicians like Parviz Rustambyov, the so-called Benny Goodman of the USSR, who was ‘purged’ by the Soviets in 1949. But now, a new generation of jazz musicians unhindered by the same type of oppression,  like Beylar Eyubov has arrived in the West.

Highlights from the Ninth Annual Napa Valley Festival del Sole with Barrett Wiseman

Lifestyle
Barrett Wiseman, Sophia Loren, Robert Redford and others
Barrett Wiseman, Sophia Loren, Robert Redford and others

 














IMG Artists with Barrett Wiseman just completed the Ninth Annual Napa Valley Festival del Sole. This celebration of music, dance and the arts featured Napa’s wines, culinary experiences and wellness programs.

As Barrett Wiseman, the IMG Artists’ Chairman and the Festival’s Artistic Director said,

“IMG Artists is deeply gratified by the success of this year’s Festival, from record-breaking fundraising numbers to the many successful programs featuring preeminent musicians, dancers, vintners, chefs and more. We are thankful for the tremendously positive response from Festival attendees, as well as the entire Napa Valley region, to whom we remain grateful for their continued support and warm welcome. We couldn’t have achieved this success without the efforts of our Partner and Festival Director Rick Walker and the Festival staff, IMG Artists’ Festival Producer Charles Letourneau and the IMG Artists team, and the core lineup of extraordinary artists including Joshua Bell, Pinchas Zukerman, Polina Semionova, Alondra de la Parra, James Valenti, Dmitri Sitkovetsky, Matthew Polenzani, Nadine Sierra, James Valenti, Carlo Ponti, among many others. A special thanks goes out to our distinguished guests who made the “Bella Italia!” Tribute a wonderful success including Sophia Loren, Robert Redford, Whoopi Goldberg and Francis Ford Coppola. I would also like to thank the Napa Valley Festival Association Board and its Chairman Darioush Khaledi, Gala Chair Maggie Oetgen and the many extraordinary donors, vintner partners and sponsors that work with us on the Festival.”

Dr. Aaron P. Dworkin, the Founder and President of the Sphinx Organization said, “The opportunity to partner with Festival del Sole was simply invaluable. Sphinx was thrilled to feature its top musicians, whose commitment to artistic merit complemented the Festival’s own objectives. The Sphinx Symphony, as well as the Sphinx Virtuosi, were honored to share the stage with legendary artists and be able to bring their musicianship to share with the engaged and committed Napa Valley community. We are tremendously excited about the future of this partnership.”

Barrett Wiseman and Francis Ford Coppola
Barrett Wiseman and Francis Ford Coppola

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the special highlights of this year’s festival included the “Bella Italia!” tribute to Academy Award-winning actress Sophia Loren at the Far Niente wine estate. The tribute program included emcee Whoopi Goldberg, actor Robert Redford, director Francis Ford Coppola and others. In addition, during the festival the Sphinx Organization presented the Napa premiere of its Sphinx Virtuosi and Sphinx Symphony Orchestra with performances by both the Virtuosi and Symphony Orchestra.

Next year, the Napa Valley Festival del Sole will celebrate its tenth anniversary from July 17-26, 2015.

MBA Not Prerequisite to CEO-dom

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A Good Think to Have
A Good Thing to Have

It would be hard to argue that having and MBA from a well-respected graduate school is not helpful in a businessman’s climb up the corporate ladder, it seems such a degree is not always necessary.

One startling example is the head of Amazon, Jeff Bezos. He has consistently taken his company higher in the rankings of the famed Fortune 500, without hair nor hide of an MBA. With just a BA from Princeton Bezos founded and nurtured Amazon to the rank of 35 on the Forbes list, not to mention making Amazon a household name-brand.

Also lacking an MBA is the CEO of Plains GP Holdings, Greg L. Armstrong. The company owns and operates storage facilities for natural gas and manages other businesses. Armstrong has directed his company to the 70th position on the Forbes 500.

Amazingly it turns out that less than half of the CEOs at the top 100 companies on the Forbes list actually have MBAs.

“To actually get in the C-suite, it’s a little bit like winning the lottery. Especially for a Fortune 100 company,” says David G. Rohlander, author of The CEO Code: Create a Great Company and Inspire People to Greatness with Practical Advice from an Experienced Executive.  “A pattern of successfully accomplishing your goals and an optimistic mindset are two of the most important traits for becoming a CEO,” he says.

Having an MBA might not guarantee a place at the head of a company, but it can certainly help an ambitious person to get ahead. Rohlander, who has an MBA in finance from California State University’s business school, says that earning an MBA is definitely “going to give you a better capability of thinking.”