Goodbye Birthright
Hello Spotlight
This year, 26 of the top category Oscar nominees and presenters will get gift bags containing among other things a coupon for a tour of Tokyo, sessions with a personal trainer, lotions & cremes, personalized M&Ms, a “vampire breast lift,” three nights at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo near Lake Como, leases of an Audi, and a ten day customized trip for two to Israel and “all the falafel you can eat” worth over $50,000 USD (and even more in Canadian).
While many Americans plan to shun Israel’s Minister of Tourism, Yariv Levin, for his insulting remarks about some American Jews, the Oscar nominees who take advantage of the trip will probably get to meet him on their celebrity tour, in addition to thousands of their fans.
The trip is an idea of ExploreIsrael.com, a newly launched tour company, in association with Israel Ministry of Tourism. According to its website, ExploreIsrael.com has offices in Woodbridge, New Jersey and Beit Shmesh Israel.
Oscar nominees who redeem this gift in 2016 will receive two first class round-trip airfares to Tel Aviv. This is valued at $25,000 (but I can get your a flight on El Al for under $15,000 in June or July), coverage for the best restaurants and tours, and vouchers for hotels worth $1,000 a night (double occupancy probably required). My understanding is that no solicitations will be made by the celebrities’ local Federations.
It is my understanding that if Chris Rock, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jennifer Lawrence, Sylvester Stallone, Christian Bale, Kate Winslet or any other top celebrity takes advantage of this offer, they can receive Shabbat home hospitality in Jerusalem with a member of the Jewlicious.com leadership.
(Better yet, just try the the should just go on the UJA Federation Culinary Trip to Israel in April -> HERE )
P.S. – any celebrity who wants to take me as their “PLUS+1″… I am available all year.
