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Whitney May Record Christmas Special; Other News
submitted by: Elllis, Lisa D.
source: Israel Insider, Agence France Presse, Associated Press
Date: May 28, 2003
Pop star Whitney Houston visits Black Hebrews on spiritual retreat in Israel
International singing superstar Whitney Houston and her family arrived in Israel for a week-long visit as guests of the Black Hebrew community in Dimona. Houston is slated to meet with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon tonight in Jerusalem.
"We're happy to be here," declared Houston, 40, and her husband, former singer Bobby Brown, accompanied by their daughter and a 16-person entourage. "We arrived in Israel for a spiritual visit, to meet with our brothers and sisters in Dimona. We are very excited and looking forward to our visit," the couple said at an emotional arrival ceremony at Ben-Gurion International Airport on Sunday. [Note: Whitney is still 39 years old at this time, and Bobby is a former member of New Edition, not a former singer.]
Houston has sold more than 180 million copies of her albums and has won a number of Grammy music awards. She starred in the film The Bodyguard with Kevin Costner. In a television interview with Barbara Walters, Houston admitted addictions to drugs and sex, and there have been reports that her marriage with Brown has been occasionally violent. [Note: Whitney's interview took place with Diane Sawyer, not Barbara Walters. The only reports of alleged violence have been unsubstantiated reports from tabloids. They also have confused record sales with album sales.]
According to media reports, Houston came to Israel "looking for inspiration" for an upcoming Christmas album and to make a recording with the musical members of the Black Hebrew community. Houston will also take the opportunity to scout for filming sites for a proposed television program with Stevie Wonder, one report said.
"Whitney came to support Israeli tourism and she plans to tour the country," said Black Hebrew community member Assiel Ben-Israel. "We love her and we will try to make her stay with us as pleasant as possible."
"She is loving it. She is a spiritual woman and wanted to come here and touch the land and be around the saints of Dimona," said Patricia Houston, Whitney's spokeswoman and sister-in-law, who explained that the trip to Israel had been postponed several times due to security concerns. Black Hebrew community representatives are hoping that the Houston's visit to Israel will spark renewed tourism among the African American community.
"A journey of spiritual purification"
Yeda'a Bat Israel, the Black Hebrews spokesperson, explained the connection between the pop diva and the Israeli group: "You have to understand, black-skinned people always dream of visiting the Holy Land. We're Jews and she's Christian, but the holiness of Israel is common to different religions. Whitney came to Israel on a journey of spiritual purification and to visit the holy sites and we're glad that she's coming with her children. It's important they see the places they've read about over the years."
The Black Hebrews are a community comprised of some 1,500-2,000 members who consider themselves to be of Jewish lineage and observe Jewish laws and customs. The community re-located to Israel in the late 1960s following spiritual leader Ben Ami Ben Israel. Today most of the Black Hebrews live in Dimona, Arad and Mitzpe Ramon where they live a modest communal life, adhere to strict vegan diets. Many members of the community practice polygamy.
"We are descendents of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We were exiled from Israel in the year 70 CE when the Romans conquered it. We wandered to Africa and were taken as slaves to the U.S. All the years we maintained our Judaism, as much as we could. In 1966, Ben Ami had a vision that it was time to move to Israel," Bat Israel stated.
The Black Hebrews have been struggling for years to get the state of Israel to recognize them as Jews. They recently received the status of temporary residents and are still hoping to become full-fledged Israeli citizens someday. "We have hope that the new interior minister, Avraham Poraz, will help us find a solution," said Bat Israel.
Some 250 Black Hebrew members joined Houston for a five-hour cruise on a yacht in the Gulf of Eilat yesterday. During the boat tour a wedding of two community members was conducted, and the community choir performed for an enthusiastic Houston. Tonight Whitney is scheduled to fly from Eilat to Jerusalem for her meeting with Sharon.
Whitney Houston to return to Israel in September to film US cable show
JERUSALEM (AFP) - US pop diva Whitney Houston, on a six-day visit to Israel, is planning to return in September to film a special Christmas programme for a US cable network, the Israeli tourism ministry said.
Houston's husband Bobby Brown told Tourism Minister Benny Elon that she had decided to make a Christmas special in Israel for the US network HBO in late 2003, a statement said.
"It is a pleasure and an honour to be in Israel. Thank you for your special attention," Houston wrote in a letter presented to the minister. "I hope to see you soon."
The couple on Tuesday met with Israeli Prime Minster Ariel Sharon at his Jerusalem residence, and Brown later met with Elon at the King David hotel.
At the meeting, the minister presented Brown with a replica of a third century silver dinar and a certificate of appreciation for being a "goodwill ambassador for Israel." A similar certificate was also made out for Houston.
Houston, 40, and her husband and daughter made the visit to Israel at the invitation of the desert-dwelling Black Hebrews, who have been living here since 1969. She is due to release a musical track sung with members of the community.
The family are due to visit the Galilee and Jordan river later in the week, according to media reports.
Houston Meets Sharon During Israel Visit
JERUSALEM - Whitney Houston, on an inspirational trip to the Holy Land, met Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
"It's home, it's home," she said when Sharon asked her how she felt in Israel. She and her husband, singer Bobby Brown, stood next to Sharon on an outdoor patio before their meeting on Tuesday. Houston wore a scarlet African-style dress with a white lace front and a wide scarlet headband, narrow sunglasses shading her eyes.
Houston, who arrived Sunday evening, is being hosted by the Black Hebrews, a group of nearly 2,000 black Americans who followed a Chicago bus driver to Israel decades ago and believe they are descendants of one of the lost tribes of Israelites.
Their religious customs include a vegan diet and polygamy, and they have a well-regarded choir at their compound in the desert town of Dimona. Israel does not recognize them as Jews.
Sharon welcomed Houston and Brown to Jerusalem, which he called "the capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years." Noting that this was their first trip to Israel, Sharon said he hoped it would be the first of many, to which Houston replied, "Yes."
Houston, who is to stay for a week, plans to visit holy sites in the country, including the Western Wall and the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem and the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel.
Before arriving in Jerusalem, the 39-year-old singer visited the southern resort of Eilat.
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