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Israeli transsexual singer in controversial video

By WTOP Staff

YOUSUR ALHLOU
Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — A video promoting Tel Aviv’s Gay Pride Parade featuring Israeli transsexual star Dana International dancing suggestively in a synagogue in front of children has been taken offline after the parents of one of the youngsters claimed they did not provide consent to participate.

The family, believing the video to be part of an “innocent” tourism campaign, complained after seeing it on national TV. The controversy comes on the eve of the parade, an annual celebration expected to attract over 120,000 people on Friday.

The two-minute clip featuring Dana’s new single, “Kids Are Much Fun,” in which the singer, wearing a blond wig and long black dress, poses suggestively as a boy meant to be her son reads from the Torah during his bar mitzvah, a holy Jewish rite of passage.

The video was filmed in a Tel Aviv synagogue, using 15 boys who were recruited from a religious school in a nearby suburb.

The video’s director, Omer Tobi, said the students were picked by a nephew of Dana’s manager who is the main character in the video. While Tobi said the theme of the video was clear from the outset, the parents of one of the boys said they were misled.

A relative of the sixth grader said he was invited to participate in a short film “simply” about a bar mitzvah intended to promote tourism in Israel.

“That’s all what we knew, that’s what we agreed for him to participate (in). Nothing more, nothing less,” the relative said. “We never signed anything.” He spoke on condition of anonymity in order to protect the boy’s identity.

The relative, a religious Jew, said he knew Dana would be in the video, but was shocked to learn of the larger context only after it aired on an Israeli entertainment show Sunday evening.

“Kids should not be involved in a gay parade in any way, religious or not religious. Because of me being religious, it’s more offensive,” he said, adding, “We thought it was (going to be) so innocent.”

Parade organizers said they moved quickly to protect the identity of the children once they were contacted by the boy’s parents. They have requested that the children’s faces be blurred before the video is shown again. In the meantime, a YouTube link to the video is now marked “private.”

Tobi, the video’s director, said at least three adults, and a Tel Aviv municipality employee, were on the set to supervise throughout the filming. He speculated that parents may have complained after being pressured by religious leaders or the school. But after receiving the complaint, Dana’s manager blocked the video where it originally appeared on YouTube.

“It was very important for me not to lie or to pass incorrect information to the other side,” Tobi said, though he acknowledged that he knew the video might cause some controversy.

Tobi also directed last year’s Tel Aviv Gay Pride video, which raised eyebrows by showing Middle Eastern-looking men kissing passionately on the beach.

Dana’s manager, Shay Kerem, defended the video, saying it was meant to challenge the belief that homosexuality is unacceptable in society and in a house of worship. “You can’t say that God belongs just to straight people,” Kerem said.

Dana — born in Tel Aviv as Yaron Cohen — achieved international fame in 1998 after winning the Eurovision song contest with the song “Diva.” The victory stirred a backlash in religious circles back home, but she has gone on to a successful career as a singer and entertainer.

Her success has helped transform Tel Aviv into a mecca for gay pride and culture, and the annual pride parade is its main symbol and tourist attraction. It is the largest event of its kind in the Middle East.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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