James Franco paints ad for ‘This is The End’

By Jeffrey Hensiek
Published on May 20, 2013

Billboards calling for end to U.S. aid to Israel posted in N.Y., Conn.

Published on March 27, 2013

Billboards calling for an end to U.S. aid to Israel were erected this week at 25 train stations in suburban New York and Connecticut.

Ad featuring Bar Refaeli airs over IDF’s objections

Published on March 21, 2013

An ad showcasing Israeli innovations featuring Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli aired despite protests from the military.

‘Savage’ jihad ad debuts in New York City subway

Published on September 24, 2012

An inflammatory ad equating Islamic jihad with savagery was posted Monday in 10 New York City subway stations, even as much of the Muslim world was still seething over a California-made movie ridiculing the Prophet Mohammad.

Republican Jewish Coalition begins $5 million TV ad campaign

Published on September 19, 2012

The Republican Jewish Coalition launched a $5 million television advertising campaign aimed at Jewish voters in swing states.

Thou shall not have images ... on buses ... neither men nor women

Published on August 28, 2012

Fearing costly vandalism aimed at buses carrying advertisements that include images of women; to avoid legal issues of discrimination if only images of men appear; and to side-step head-on collisions with Jerusalem's ultra-Orthodox community; Egged, Israel's public bus cooperative has ordered the company handling its on-bus advertising to stop running ads with pictures or representations of either men or women. As of August 1, a "faceless" policy was put into effect.

Romney ad raps Obama for not visiting Israel [VIDEO]

Published on August 6, 2012

A Mitt Romney campaign ad criticizes President Obama for not visiting Israel during his presidency and refusing to call Jerusalem the capital of Israel.

Emergency Committee for Israel raps Obama, J Street hits Romney in ads

Published on July 26, 2012

Liberal and conservative pro-Israel advocacy groups released ads targeting the presidential candidates.

Turkish Hitler ad pulled after Jewish community protests [VIDEO]

Published on March 27, 2012

A Turkish advertisement that uses Adolf Hitler to sell men's shampoo has been pulled following protests by the Jewish community in Turkey.

New Israeli bill seeks to widen ad ban to all underweight models

Published on March 5, 2012

A bill seeking to ban the use of underweight models in Israeli advertising also aims to prevent Israel's media from using ads produced overseas with too-thin models.

Girls’ faces blurred in toy store ad in Beit Shemesh

Published on February 7, 2012

The faces of young girls modeling Purim costumes in a toy store ad were blurred in a haredi Orthodox newspaper in Beit Shemesh.

ADL, Reform group rip Lowe’s for pulling ads from show on Muslims

Published on December 15, 2011

The Anti-Defamation League and a Reform movement group have expressed concern with a decision by Lowe’s to pull its ads from a show that depicted Muslims in a positive light.

Opinion: Israel intended no offense with ad campaign

Published on December 13, 2011

The State of Israel has always prided itself on being not only a home to its native citizens but a haven for Jews from across the globe.

Israel-Diaspora crisis: Averted

By Shmuel Rosner
Published on December 7, 2011

After revelations last week of Israel’s guilt trip on the Jewish Diaspora through a billboard and video advertising campaign that included, among others, a young Americanized girl mistaking Chanukah for Christmas, to the distress of her Skyping Israeli grandparents, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly shut the whole thing down, but not before an outcry that left Israel with one more public-relations problem on its hands.

Ad campaign flare-up obscures bigger challenge: Luring home Israeli expats

Published on December 6, 2011

A few different sparks led to last week’s flare-up over a two-month-old Israeli ad campaign to lure home expatriates in the United States.

Wodka vodka ads, called anti-Semitic, removed

Published on November 23, 2011

An offensive billboard that the Anti-Defamation League said reinforces anti-Semitic stereotypes was removed.

ADL raps Wodka vodka ads for stereotyping

Published on November 22, 2011

The Anti-Defamation League criticized the New York ad campaign of Wodka vodka for reinforcing anti-Semitic stereotypes.

Don’t run Republican Jewish Coalition ads, pro-Israel group J Street tells Jewish newspapers

By Ron Kampeas
Published on October 13, 2008

A campaign by a new dovish pro-Israel group to get Jewish newspapers not to run Republican Jewish Coalition attack ads has raised questions about what's kosher and what isn't this political season.

French Israeli singer-songwriter Yael Naim infuses Apple Computers with ‘New Soul’

By Elissa Strauss
Published on March 7, 2008

Generating buzz for pop music was once the territory of MTV and radio, but television advertisements are quickly becoming musical tastemakers, and there is no hipper marketer on this front than Apple. No wonder, then, that Yael Naim's song, "New Soul," featured in the ubiquitous MacBook Air commercial, has garnered the French Israeli singer a nearly instant burst of popularity.

False Advertising

By Julie Wiener
Published on March 30, 2000

An advertisement that appeared in 80 American Jewish newspapers last week, including this one, looked fairly innocuous.
The title of a film, "The Rabbi," appears in Hebrew-style lettering, above a close-up shot of a bearded, yarmulka-wearing man praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

"The unforgettable story of an Israeli rabbi and his struggles in modern society," the ad says. "The drama of this family relationship will move and inspire you."

What it does not mention is that "The Rabbi," a one-hour made-for-television film broadcast on stations throughout the country last weekend, is about a "messianic Jew" who gradually convinces his Orthodox family that he did not abandon Judaism when he took "Yeshua" into his heart -- the name "messianic Jews" use for Jesus.

Also omitted from the advertisement is the fact that "The Rabbi" was produced by Morris Cerullo, a San Diego-based Christian missionary who describes himself as a "servant of God."

An Attitude Problem

By Rabbi Elazar Muskin
Published on March 2, 2000

The personals sections in an Israeli newspaper contained the following ad:
"Jewish man seeks partner who will attend shul with him, light Shabbat candles, celebrate holidays, build sukkah together, and go with him to brit milah and bar mitzvah celebrations. Religion not important."

The absurdity, of course, makes us laugh, but the humorous story actually emphasizes an important message contained in this week's portion. The Torah underscores that not only is religion itself important, but our attitudes about it are crucial.

Singles

By Stephen A. Simon
Published on April 2, 1998

So you've finally decided to place a personal ad.Can't believe you waited so long. Just describe yourself, the personyou want to meet and -- Shazam! Couple of phone calls, cafe, Italianrestaurant, and you'll be on your way.