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Jonathan Gross comes to New York and has an experience of a lifetime, he shares it, including performing in Times Square for the International Day of Peace…..

On September 20, I travelled to New York to sing a song I wrote when I was 14. To be in the neon world of Times Square, with its flickering lights, and to project a stone slab from Byzantium,  was, perhaps, too much even for my hubris.

So grateful was I (vanitatus vanitatum) that I repaid Paul Sladkus’ kindness by smashing up my Hertz-rent-a-car, leased only moments before.  I’m an excitable person and the opportunity to play in Times Square for “Pause the World for Peace” was apparently too much for me.  On 42^nd and 5^th I hit a truck, rear-ending the vehicle and potentially compromising the man’s neat aluminium ladder. (damages owed to Hertz?: $3000) I was jutting my elbow into Vince’s face to show him the New York Public library. “Look! Look!” I cried. “ Boom!!” Vince didn’t say a word, accustomed to my stupidities,  but the truck driver jumped out of his car, ready to assault me. I smiled and apologized and raised my shoulders like a chimpanzee. To my left, Iranian protesters were commemorating a holiday, on this U.N. day of peace, showing grisly pictures of people who had been tortured.  Near a newsstand a woman, with a preternatural smile, was selling beads on  the street. Did I want one? No. I did not. I had already paid 5.00$ for a similar version.   My drummer and I were headed to Elmont, New York, to visit my parents’ ancestors. This was at his insistence, I must stress, because I am a coward about graveyards.  To show him around the town, I pulled up to Saddle Rock elementary school and  almost got arrested on Rosh Hashanah for taking photographs. Three police cars detained us for an hour; they thought I had drugged Vince, he was so bored with the Rockford files meets Kojack routine they were running on us). It turns out there was a school shooting (averted) in Benjamin Cardozo, where my mother taught English for more than a decade. A 16 year old had a fully loaded glock in his locker and a facebook post that was not auspicious. We had just returned from the graves of my ancestors, shortly after  my Byzantine moment in Times Square (singing an ephemeral song in front of a decidedly non-ephemeral slab of stone).  Distracted, hungry, vaguely depressed, I wondered about the divine implications of my percussionist uttering a Buddhist prayer at my grandmother’s grave. In Great neck, later that day, I found  that McMansions sprouting like mushrooms had replaced the 1970s houses I remembered, shrunken prune-like counterparts to these swollen houses, obese with pride; a cantor greeted me at the door of my former residence, the only street, perhaps, in the United States that boasts three temples. In my house there are many mansions.

Our house was a colonial affair, decolonized through lack of resources: my parents both taught English. We were a family of  secular humanists (read “atheists and non-believers”), and would hide  on Yom Kippur when the Iranian Jews kicked out of Tehran in 1978 made their way to shul to pray. Our house was up for sale, the Cantor told me. His house, he might have said, the one the temple bought for him. He was moving to Strathmore, a more lucrative village just down the road.  My sister rued the K-Mart furniture and  exercise bike. The children were confined to bunk beds, while the parents ran the roost. A true Long Island story.

Shortly before, in Times Square, as part of the Pause for Peace program, we performed “Byzantine”.  Lofty as ever in our ruminations, we were struck by the lack of bathrooms in this most civilized of cities. It was a problem then (1977, when I grew up) and it’s a problem now (2025). Several performers discreetly made their way to the Disney store a few blocks away, exchanging masonic handshakes, wandering through the dresses devoted to Ariel on the second floor,  to find their bladders miraculously transformed with the help of modern plumbing. When my percussionist had first mentioned the lack of facilities, in a true Don Quixote gesture, I winced with righteous indignation at Sancho’s impudence. How dare you expect that there would be a place to go to the bathroom? In this, the most civilized city in the world. 42^nd street.  Surely they had more important things to do than provide blue plastic port a potties!! What kind of philistine would expect a bathroom in Times Square, the land of prostitution now transformed into Disneyland. We arrived ready to play for Paul: a gorilla was dancing to the left us, promoting another store closure no doubt. Japanese hip hop dancers gyrated to no audience in particular: well dressed and youthful, stars of their own show.

We were a long way from Yeats’ “Sailing to Byzantium”.   Or were we? Life passes by, like a Fellini film, and what remains? A stone from the Byzantium period, projected in pixels on a big white screen, while a 62 year old, middle aged man (that would be me) bleats out a song he wrote when he was 14. Luckily, it only had 3 chords. The poem, on which I based the song, is hard to understand. Is Yeats  talking about visiting Istanbul? Ravenna? Apparently, Yeats visited Ravenna in 1907 and was inspired by the mosaics, to write his poem twenty years later. He didn’t visit Ravenna again (not to mention Istanbul) because he was afraid the bad air would kill him.

I knew nothing about Byzantium when I wrote the song, staring at a pine tree, a pint-sized depressive.  I still don’t. AI tells us:

Byzantium is the original Greek colony  that was founded in the 7^th century. It later became the  capital of the Eastern Roman Empire founded by Constantine; After the Ottoman Empire conquered the city in 1453, it was eventually renamed Istanbul.  Ravenna was the Western Roman empire. Ravenna was the city Yeats visited in 1907 which inspired his poem.

I lived in NYC from 1985 to 1992; like most spoiled brats ( I. borrow the term from my mother), I did so on my parents’ largesse. When I would say something particularly stupid (e.g. I didn’t know there were two twin towers), my music partner would say: “How many years college?” Though I’ve taught in a college for 33 years, I remain as ignorant as the day I was born.  Though I could do a learned  sophistical dance in a college classroom, cobbling together the work of others, I ‘m not sure I can explain what Byzantium or Byzantine means, nor the meaning of Yeats’ poem (and my own song). I remain as ignorant of Yeats and my own song as I was the day I wrote it. Such is inspiration. “If the fool persists in his folly, he will become wise.” If that phrase has a good ring to it, that is because it is not mine but William Blake’s.

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https://youtu.be/G3W9lXapVSU

Dear Friends and Members,

THANK YOU, THANK YOU & THANK YOU…here is a list of some of our partners and donors, there are many others that Good News Corporation, our 501 C 3 will be recognizing in days to come. Also, a shout out to our Global Peace Ambassador Errol Rappaport.  

Here is the link to the entire 7 Hour MAGNIFICENT LIVE CLEAN ENERGY BROADCAST FROM ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT VENUES IN THE WORLD FOR PEACE…THE CROSSROADS OF THE WORLD, TIMES SQUARE…9/20/25. 

https://youtu.be/93sGk-9aO-0

AND links to SOME OF OUR PARTNER, DONORS & TALENT SEGMENTS

OMMM Peace Day 2025

World Madam joins the

International Day of Peace 9/20

Times Square Concert

Church of Assumption, Nashville,

Tennessee Choir Performs

Handel’s Messiah, Hallelujah

AJ Raggs Sings for Peace & Love

Jonathan Gross Sings for

Peace & Love

Also, here is a portion of our NYC City Hall Press Conference on 9/20 with partners FOWPAL & MAY PEACE PREVAIL ON EARTH…

https://pausetheworldforpeace.org/2025/09/05/un-international-day-of-peace-2025-september-21-expands-to-a-global-weekend-to-pause-the-world-for-peace-worldwide-moment-meditative-minute-of-silence-plant-peace-pole-virtually-physical-at-noon-i/

For Nonprofit Donations for our Peace and Earth Day Events go to:

https://goodnewsplanet.com/pausetheworld/peace-day-donations/

STAY WELL

LET’S GROW TOGETHER. GOOD NEWS MOTTO: “All we are is what we are with each other.” Zeal 

With Respect. Love and May Peace Prevail on Earth,  For Information Contact: 

Reverend Paul Sladkus, All Faiths and Spiritual,

Founder, Good News Corporation 501 C 3 212 647 1212 paul.sladkus1@gmail.com  and our Good News and Peace Worldwide Team who make our Peace Day 9/21 happen.

www.pausetheworldforpeace.org,www.goodnewsplanet.TV, www.youtube.com/goodnewsbroadcast

Social Networks: www.Facebook.com/PaulSladkus, LinkedIn Paul Sladkus, Twitter/X Good News to Go, Instagram PausetheWorld

LET’S GROW TOGETHER. GOOD NEWS MOTTO: ALL WE ARE IS WHAT WE ARE WITH EACH OTHER. ZEAL

For more information contact: 

Reverend Paul Sladkus, All Faiths and Spiritual 212 647 1212

New York, NY, Montauk, NY

PS – SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR FRIENDS AND MEMBERS: Looking for a vacation rental, SHORT TERM, in Montauk, this year and or entire summer in 2026, here is our listing https://pausetheworldforpeace.org/2025/04/16/36000-2br-one-of-a-kind-summer-rental-opportunty-historic-montauk-manor-montauk/  call me. Paul 917 687 1790

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Three event flyers and their in-person registration, Zoom webinar registration, and livestream information can be viewed below.

YouTube Livestream Link: https://bit.ly/august-8th-event-youtube

Facebook Livestream Link: https://bit.ly/august-8th-event-facebook

https://multiculturalcooperation.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=24a497e18df55c1fd5dc5279f&id=9c66230275&e=eb7bfe3289

https://multiculturalcooperation.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=24a497e18df55c1fd5dc5279f&id=c9aafc17f7&e=eb7bfe3289

https://multiculturalcooperation.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=24a497e18df55c1fd5dc5279f&id=3cdbb27aa6&e=eb7bfe3289

To see ongoing updates, please visit our website, subscribe on YouTube, or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

multiculturalcooperation.net

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http://zoom.us/j/6060001111

https://unity.earth/uetv/forever-one-reading-the-poems-of-jonathan-granoff-ahamad-muhaiyaddeen/

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THE  FIRST EVER 100% SOLAR-POWERED CONCERT IN TIMES SQUARE FOR PEACE & ECOLOGY – POWERED BY BATTERY TOUR WITH RINGO STARR VIRTUALLY REQUESTING A MOMENT OF PEACE AT 12PM ET ON SEPTEMBER 21, 2023

PEACE LEGENDS JOIN FORCES WITH YOUNG GLOBAL INFLUENCERS IN A MOVEMENT FOR PEACE, HUMAN SECURITY, AND CLIMATE ACTION, AS TIMES SQUARE IN NEW YORK CITY PAUSES FOR PEACE.

DATE & TIME: SEPTEMBER 21, 2023 LIVE BROADCAST STARTED AT 12:00PM EDT VIA UNIFY at www.facebook.com/UNIFY and www.youtube.com/goodnewsbroadcast.  The website for the event is:  www.pausetheworldforpeace.org

On  September 21st, 2023 on the UN International Day of Peace, the 21st. Annual  Pause The World for Peace Broadcast, both in-person and global virtual audiences experienced the first ever 100% solar-powered concert in Times Square for peace and ecology, powered by multi-faceted musical artist and climate activist AY Young and his Battery Tour. Also featured is mental tranquility advocate and acclaimed singer Michel Pascal, who was joined by US Presidential Candidate, author, and activist Marianne Williamson and Myron McKinley of Earth, Wind, & Fire. As a part of the larger six-hour Peace Day event, this concert shared virtual messages from legacy peacekeepers like Ringo Starr, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Douglas, Jane Goodall, Sir Paul McCartney, Oprah Winfrey, Deepak Chopra, Joe Dispenza, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, and Shakira. The nonprofit event producer Good News Corporation has partnered with OMMM, UNIFY, WE.net, AY Young, Battery Tour, SmartFlower, Playa Betty’s, 5 Star Diamond Award, Samsung, GM, BNP Paribas, Hugg-A Planet, New York Parks and Recreation, and Times Square Alliance.

Reverend Paul Sladkus, All Faiths, and Spiritual and Executive Producer for 21 years in Central Park, NY, Times Square, NY, and worldwide stated, “ This year’s participation exceeded our expectation to strengthen the message of International Peace, along with showing our love for MOTHER EARTH.  Here are the links for the three parts, approx. 2 hours each.  We are in negotiation for additional broadcast because Pausing the World for Peace is always needed” 

https://pausetheworldforpeace.org/2023/11/02/part-1-pause-the-world-for-peace-2023/

https://pausetheworldforpeace.org/2023/11/02/part-2-pause-the-world-for-love-2023/

https://pausetheworldforpeace.org/2023/11/09/part-3-pause-the-world-for-hope-2023/

 The Battery Tour’s involvement in the Pause the World for Peace event was highly intentional. On a mission to break barriers and build bridges, AY Young was appointed by the United Nations as the Global Youth Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals in 2020, Generation 17 Youth Ambassador, and SDG Champion. AY has performed over 800 concerts powered entirely by the Battery Tour’s renewable energy. “We are all outlets for change,” says the artist. And driving positive change was a major theme between Pause the World for Peace event collaborators. 

Michel Pascal led a dance meditation and musical performance, seamlessly combining the serenity of meditation, and the joy of dance, promising a unique and transformative experience. Pascal, is co-founder of OMMM which is a movement to create a positive impact on individuals and communities worldwide through the practice of meditation, music, and multimedia content. Pascal, A.K.A “The Medicine Voice,” has been performing at Carnegie Hall since 2016, while working closely with marginalized communities, including prisoners and veterans. The concert featured a bilingual meditation guided by Juliana Klinkert, an esteemed meditation teacher known for her work at the Amity Foundation and in Hispanic communities.

Young and Pascal, along with the generations they represent, continue a wave of peace work built on the foundations of champions of peace like David Gershon (led 1986 Earth Run Torch of Peace), Ben Bowler (founder of UNITY Earth bringing cease-fires for peace), his eminence Shyalpa Rinpoche (currently building Universal Peace Sanctuary at UNESCO World Heritage Site for Peace), Jonathan Granoff (World Academy of Art & Science Fellow and UN Ambassador to the Nobel Peace Laureates), and Jeremy Gilley (founder of Peace One Day with Sir Paul McCartney message). They, like others both in New York and nationally, including Michael Fitzpatrick (25-year cellist to the Dalai Lama), Rick Ulfic & Andrew Kaen (established 11 Days of Global Unity), Reverend Susana Bastarrica & James Cannings (founded Vigil for International Day of Peace), and Reverend Deborah Muldow & Fumi Johns (of May Peace Prevail on Earth with 250,000 Peace Poles worldwide), Peace Lights Peter Rogina, have dedicated their lives to empowering communities, fostering cooperation, and addressing global challenges with social innovations. Seeds planted decades ago are breaking ground as a new surge of activism takes shape in a post-pandemic society ready for collaborative action.

The Pause the World for Peace event included a special segment entitled “Peace in Action” with renowned representatives sharing the latest in major global issues, including domestic violence, school safety, human rights, human security, animal rights, climate action, and ending violence in health, politics, and religion, regardless of gender, race, or disability, promoting practical paths to a thriving life for all. A special military and police tribute for fallen heroes was featured. 

The Pause the World for Peace event, set in the Duffy Square section of Times Square, NY, is hosted by the Good News Corporation, whose founder Reverend Paul Sladkus has continued to be a leader in rallying movements for peace in action. Sladkus, who is an ordained all-faith minister, implores, “193 countries in the UN unanimously agreed to a CEASE FIRE EVERYWHERE, ACTS OF PEACE & LOVE, and WE CAN DO IT. We listened to Ringo Starr at 12:00 pm Noon ET as he requested a Worldwide Moment of Silence for PEACE, from Times Square, virtually on September 21, 2023, and we prayed to keep that moment going for peace and ecology  to last FOREVER.”

The event ran until 5:00PM EDT and aired to the world via UNIFY (received 2 billion views with the UN for Peace Day in 2017), which broadcasted the program to their combined partner audience of millions worldwide. McKinsey Co. stated that there are 1.6 billion people worldwide already aware of the International Day of Peace. Pause the World for Peace aimed to amplify the urgent need for collective action and global cooperation. Together, we stand in solidarity to promote peace, human security, and climate action for a better and brighter future for all.

Musicians who performed  with Michel Pascal were  Myron McKinley, Earth, Wind and Fire Musical Director, Paul Pesco,  legendary guitarist of Madonna and Jennifer Lopez; Stacey Lamont Sydnor, iconic drummer of The Jackson 5; Ian Martin, soulful bassist known for collaborations with David Foster and Barry Manilow; Randy J. Greene, artist, singer, and dancer of Tuscarora Nation, Turtle Clan; and other diverse, exceptional musicians. Other stage appearances include: the City of New York, Heck from Angry Elephant, Peace Parrots, Protect Yo Heart (featuring artist Uncutt “Love is…” wall), Let’s Disrupt Digital Music Showcase, Indiggo Twins, Chip Shelton Peace Ensemble, Elvis & Elton John Performance Artists Ralph Carey & Russ Davis, Michael Jackson performance artist W. Jackson from China Great Wall, Madonna Artist Chrissie B, Marvin Gaye Artist Doug Quarteze with Gina Muza & Ant Hatcher, Reid Stowe 1,000 Days at Sea, “Beyond the Raging Sea” (refugee movie trailer), Prince Alpert Ocean Rescue Movie, David Lynch TM, Harlem Globetrotters Cheer Program, Andrea McArdle as Annie on broadway with dog Sandy, Saranne Rothberg (Stage 4 cancer survivor, Comedy Cures Foundation), Dr. Levry Global Visionary for Peace, Author and Founder of Neuro Activating Advanced Meditation (NAAM), performance artist Quinn Lemley as Rita Hayworth (face painted on atomic bomb as PR stunt, WWII), Bruce Stephen Foster, World Renown Performer Giorgia Fumanti, Carnegie Hall Pianist Katya Grineva, Michael Bulychev-Okser, Global Stress Initiative, Operation Warrior Shield, “Rock & Roll Man” the Musical (Pioneer DJ Alan Freed, unified through music, desegregation, he named rock & roll, performed by Constantine Maroulis), and the Woodstock Forever: Peace, Love & HOPE Movie.  Special Virtual Message and from their famous Get-Together song from Jesse Colin Young from the Youngbloods, Peter Yarrow from Peter, Paul & Mary. As well as a message from generations MacKenzie Brooke, Reif Harrison, and Chuckie Armstrong from Wonderama.

CONTACTS & LINKS:

Event Contact: Paul Sladkus, paul.sladkus1@gmail.com 212 647 1212 www.pausetheworldforpeace.org

AY Young Contact: Amanda Charney Amanda@BlackPandaPR.com

UNIFY Contact : Tiffany Brown PRStuntGirls@gmail.com

OMMM Contact: Juliana Klinkert info@hommm.xyz

For Updates: Good News Corporation YouTube Channel & Pause The World For Peace

#tammyscarlett #jonathangranoff #joedispenza #benbowler #deepakchopra #paulmccartney #dionnewarwick #peace #earth #davidgershon #eminenceshyalparinpoche #nepal #jennabrahmakumaris #walk #world #dinadragija #robertgrant

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Earlier this week, Henry Kissinger, a former U.S. Secretary of State and national security advisor, passed away at the age of 100. While he left mixed feelings on his actions over the course of his career, there’s no question that Kissinger had left an influential mark on politics

Kissinger was actually the first Jewish Secretary of State when he was sworn into office, which would later become a pressure point to the Nixon administration, becoming a key factor on said pressure with Israel when it came to withdraw from approaching Cairo and Damascus during the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

But the interesting thing is how Kissinger’s passing actually relates to current politics. Antony Blinken, also Jewish, now serves as Secretary of State, and is actually visited Israel this week to meet with leaders over the ongoing ceasefire in the war against Hamas.

The reason this comes up is because of the pressure that now comes from the Biden administration, though on a much different level than what Nixon’s did, in regards to the message they’re trying to convey. Not to mention the significance of their involvement in the 2024 Presidential election, which will no doubt draw both pro-Israel voters, as well as millions of Jews and Christians.

With us now to talk about Kissinger’s legacy and how it has these interesting ties with the modern political scene is Jonathan Feldstein, a key Israeli figure and founder of the Genesis 123 Foundation (based on Genesis 12:3). His expertise in what’s happening in Israel should prove useful with this discussion. We welcome him to the show.

About Jonathan Feldstein…

Jonathan lives in Israel and has a son and son-in-law currently serving in the IDF. He has established an emergency fund through his Genesis 123 Foundation:

Israel has suffered barrages of thousands of rockets and missiles fired at Israeli communities creating death, damage, injuries, fear and trauma. The security threats, deaths, injuries, and trauma are at a level unseen in years.

The Genesis 123 Foundation is standing in the gap to provide emergency needs including civilian security, soldiers’ welfare, those suffering trauma, people whose homes have been destroyed, and emergency medical needs.

Every donation of any size makes a huge difference. https://love.genesis123.co/

Jonathan Feldstein is president and founder of The Genesis 123 Foundation. Jonathan was born and educated in the U.S. and immigrated to Israel in 2004. He is married and the father of six.

Throughout his life and career, he has been blessed by the calling to fellowship with Christians to serve as a bridge between Jews and Christians and to help connect Christians to Israel in a meaningful way.

#henrykissinger #politics #jonathanfeldstein #author #secretaryofstate #genesis123foundation #genesis123

The post The Legacy of Henry Kissinger, and How It Relates To Today’s Politics (Guest: Jonathan Feldstein) appeared first on Good News!.

Global Security Institute Statement on Russian Invasion

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Read the Statement Here

Dear Friends,

The recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia is illegal and will cause enormous suffering. President Putin lied to the world when he stated that Russia would not invade Ukraine. Did Russian diplomats who parroted this lie do so knowingly? Its diplomats are professional and very intelligent. It seems that they, too, were fooled. Yet, I could be wrong. Time will tell. In the meantime, neither Russia nor the US has pledged not to use nuclear weapons first in this or any other instance. In the fog of war, terrible things, unthinkable things, can happen. That is why for diplomats to lie is so serious. If words cannot be trusted, then bullets become verbs, and in the nuclear age, unthinkable things can happen.

Regardless of what specific responses the world takes to stop and reverse this conduct, it is imperative that there be unity of purpose and outrage. Nations that abstained from supporting Security Council condemnation are asked to rethink and change. Political leaders who, for personal or partisan purposes, express explicit or implicit support for Russia’s Crimes Against the Peace should be ashamed and, where they fail to respond to the voice of conscience, we should shame them.

GSI has issued a formal statement to clarify some of the reasons why for the safety and security of the world and especially for the people of Ukraine, all of our voices for the rule of law, justice, and peace must be raised together now.

Sincerely,
Jonathan Granoff
President, Global Security Institute

Read the Statement Here

Security Council Report: “Ukraine: Vote on Draft Resolution”

Ambassador Thomas Graham, Jr., GSI Board of Directors and a Chair of its Non-Proliferation Security Group: “In a Historic Moment, the West Cannot Look Away From Ukraine.”

#russia #ukraine #guns #invasion #global #security #institute #putin #peace #council #purpose #outrage #jonathan #granoff #thomas #graham #volodymyr #zelenskyy #resolution #vladimir

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