Samantha Ruth Prabhu is vacationing in Rishikesh with her friend and has been sharing pictures from there. The Family Man 2 star, who has been in the news lately for her separation from Naga Chaitanya, has revealed she's staying at The Roseate Ganges, a luxury hotel on the banks of the river Ganges.

In the pictures shared on her Instagram Stories, Samantha gave a glimpse of the infinity pool that comes with a view of the mountain, the monkeys, a huge spiderweb she noticed, and an old tree she spotted. She also geotagged the location. Her friend Shilpa Reddy also shared a picture to reveal that they stepped out for a trek.

The luxury resort, as per their official website, offers nature walks by the river, treks, yoga on the white sand beach, meditation, the religious Arti by the Ganges, river rafting, a spiritual peregrination, as well as visits to organic farms, Sivananda Ashram, Rajaji National Wildlife Park and The Beatles Ashram.

With 17 villas present, a night at the resort could cost anything between 26,897 to 50,000, depending on the time of the year one visits. While the prices seem to be below 30,000 most times, on occasions like Diwali and New Year, the prices shoot up.

Also read: Samantha Ruth Prabhu reveals what she hates being asked in interviews, calls such questions extremely inhumane

Previously, Janhvi Kapoor had stayed at the resort when she visited Rishikesh with her friends. A picture of her unwinding in the infinity was shared by the resort as well.

Samantha's break in the mountains comes after her announcement of her split with Chaitanya. After being married for close to four years, Samantha and Chaitanya issued identical statements confirming that they were parting ways. Although the cause of their separation isn't revealed, Samantha had lashed out at rumours suggesting affairs, that she never wanted children and has had abortions.

The Telugu star is also set to return to work soon. She has recently signed two bilingual movies back-to-back. One is helmed by director duo Hari and Harish whereas the second is with debutant director Shantharuban. She also has director Gunasekar's period drama Shaakuntalam in the pipeline.

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Step inside Samantha Ruth Prabhu's Rishikesh luxury resort on banks of river Ganges, see pics and video - Hindustan Times

Durga Puja is an integral part of Hindu Bengali culture. Apart from being a religious festival, it is an emotion that resonates in the hearts of the Bengali community. As such, it comes as no surprise that Bengalis wait in sheer anticipation of the annual Durga Puja. But, for Hindus living across the border in Bangladesh, the auspicious occasion was sullied by violence, vandalism, killings, rapes and desecration at the hands of radical Islamists.

In a Muslim-majority nation where they constitute less than 10% of the total population, Hindus remain vulnerable to attacks by radical Islamic terrorists. Opindia has documented 100s of such cases of persecution and ill-treatment meted out to the minority community. Given Bangladeshs track record of human rights violations, attacks on Hindus remains a routine affair. However, this time the Islamists tried to create a context to justify their ruthless atrocities on minorities, ahead of Durga Puja.

In the wee hours of Wednesday (October 13), radical Islamists reportedly entered the Nanuar Dighir Par Durga Mandir in Cumilla district and placed a copy of the Quran on the feet of the idol of Lord Hanuman. According to Shibu Prasad Dutta, the general secretary of Cumilla Mahanagar Puja Udjapon Committee, someone carried out the mischief in the morning when the guard was asleep. The miscreants took some pictures of this and ran away. Within a few hours, using Facebook, the propaganda spread like wildfire with the provocative pictures, confirmed a district official.

The foundation for orchestrating a Hindu pogrom was perfectly laid The insult of the Holy Book, the punishment for which is death. Dipan Mitra, the Secretary-General of World Hindu federation (Bangladesh Chapter), stated, Then they raised an issue of insulting Islam and gathered a mob and started attacked Hindu Temples in Cumilla town. After that, the attack on temples and Hindus was spread all over the country

He further added, They Vandalized more than 315 Temples and its Idols and looted all valuable things in more than 30 districts of Bangladesh during 13 16 October 2021. They attacked and vandalized nearly 1500 Hindu houses in Cumilla, Chandpur, Noakhali, Chittagong, Coxs Bazar, Feni, Chapai Nawabgonj and other districts. Mitra recounted the names of the 10 Hindus who were slaughtered by radical Islamists under the garb of blasphemy. They included Manik Saha, Jatan Saha, Prashanta Das, Priest Nimai Krishna, 4 unnamed Hindu priests and 1 more unidentified victim. Besides, 23 Hindu women and girls were raped and 17 Hindus remain missing.

Mitra concluded, Now is the time to clarify the position of the government do they want Bangladesh to be a secular prosperous Bangladesh or do they want to take it back to the ideology of previous Pakistan. He also mentioned that the lack of justice is giving birth to new crimes in this country. He appealed to the government for immediate arrest of all culprits and provides exemplary punishment.

While blaming the Hindu community for the desecration of the Quran, Islamists vandalised the Durga Puja pandal and the idols of the deities kept at the Nanuar Dighir Par Durga Mandir in Cumilla. According to Dipan Mitra, the Islamic extremists also attacked the Nrisingh Dev and Dashavuja Kali temples. He added that the mob also vandalised the Rishipara temple, Rajeswari Kali temple, besides 14 other temples and Durga pandals in the district.

The Secretary-General of the World Hindu Federation (Bangladesh Chapter) informed that the Muslim fanatics attacked 15 Puja pandals (Banskhali), 3 temples and puja pandals (Melaghar in Patia), 5 temples and Puja pandals (Sarkarhat and Hathazari) in the Chittagonj district. He added that attacks were also carried out at the Karunamoyi Kalibari temple at Chakbazar and J M Sen Hall Puja Pandal in Chittagonj.

At the same time, 70 Hindu houses were attacked in Hajiganj in the Chandpur district. About 150 Hindu families were targeted along with the iconic Ramkrishna Mission. Besides, 7 temples and puja pandals were also destroyed by Muslim extremists. Advocate Dr Gobinda Chandra Pramanik, Secretary-General of Bangladesh Jatio Hindu Mohajote, shared the news of the death of Manik Saha, publicity secretary of Chandpur district branch of Bangladesh National Hindu Youth Grand Alliance.

The Islamists attacked the Ram Thakur Ashram and vandalised 10 temples and puja pandals including Mongola, Nabadurga, Bijoya, Trishul and Koatbari Puja Pandal. About 20 houses were attacked in Nalchira, Chayanibazar, Begumgonj, Choumohoni and Sonaimuri. At the same time, 9 temples and puja pandals were vandalised at Choumohoni in Noakhali.

On Friday (October 15), a frenzied mob of radical Islamists attacked the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple in the Noakhali district of Bangladesh.In a tweet, the official handle of ISKCON wrote, ISKCON temple & devotees were violently attacked today by a mob in Noakhali, Bangladesh. Temple suffered significant damage & the condition of a devotee remains critical. We call on the Govt of Bangladesh to ensure the safety of all Hindus & bring the perpetrators to justice.

The Bangladesh unit of ISKCON lamented that the sculpture of its founder, AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, was burnt down during the arson attack on the temple. A Twitter account (@HinduVoice_in) had shared disturbing visuals of arson by radical Islamists. In the video clip, flames and smoke were seen rising from the burnt ISKCON temple. SpokesmanRadharamn Das had shared visuals of a Hindu monk, who was critically injured after sustaining a dagger attack to his head.

In a video that has now surfaced on social media, a Hindu monk at ISKCONnarrated, Hare Krishna! Today, Jamaat attacked the ISKCON temple and other temples in Choumani in Noakhali. They have executed it as part of a vicious plan. ISKCON Mandir has been desecrated. They have killed one devotee outright and stabbed another, leading to his critical state. Several motorcycles were set on fire. There was a mob of 400-500 people. They have looted 1 lakh taka from our temple The Noakhali administration has yet not taken any action against the miscreants.

Radical Islamists attacked Hindus in the Feni district in the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh. A 14-second video clip had gone viral wherein radical Islamists could be seencreating mayhem on the streets. Equipped with lathis, the frenzied mob gathered in large numbers and then looted and vandalised Hindu temples in unison.

Reportedly, the President of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, Shukdeb Nath Tapan, was attacked by the same Islamist mob near the Joykali temple. The Hindu community was preparing to lead a march from the said temple to the old Dhaka-Chattogram Highways Trunk Road. Islamists, who had gathered near Trunk Road Bara Masjid attacked the Hindus with sticks and brickbats. In a bid to control the law and order situation, the cops deployed a large team in the Feni town. They resorted to firing tear gas shells to disperse the unruly mob.

According to Officer-in-Charge (Feni Model Police Station) Nizam Uddin, more than 40 people were injured during the clashes. They were then rushed to the Feni General Hospital. According to Shukdeb, the district administration took time in sending in Border Guard Bangladesh (BGF)and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). The attackers torched a passenger vehicle at Kalipal, hurled crude bombs, vandalised a fire truck and attacked Hindu temples such as JoyKali, Jagannathbari, Kalibari Temple and Gaziganj Ashram.

As per eyewitnesses, the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami named Islami Chhatra Shibir was among the perpetrators. Local activists of the Awami League and its student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League tried to resist the attackers. Weve got reports about vandalism of shops. We are working on it, stated Inspector Monir Hossain (Feni Model Police Station).

In a fresh attack on Sunday (October 17), they carried out arson at a village and burnt 20 Hindu homes in Pirganj Upazila in the Rangpur Division of Bangladesh.

BDNews24reportedthat Muslims in Jelepolli in Majipara had alleged that a Hindu man had posted content dishonouring religion on Facebook. District Superintendent Md Qamruzzaman stated, Police stood guard around his home. That home was saved, but the attackers set fire to some other homes not so far from his. The frenzied mob of radical Islamists targeted three villages namely, Majhipara, Bottola and Hatibandha villages in Pirganj Upazila.

BDNews24 added that the Fire Service Department received information about the arson attack at around 9:50 pm. It was only at 3 am on Monday morning that the fire could finally be extinguished. While there have been no casualties or estimates of the damage caused, it is believed that 15-20 houses were burnt down during the attack.

Dipan Mitra, the Secretary-General of the World Hindu Federation (Bangladesh Chapter) shared a list of temples, Hindu houses that were attacked and burnt in 24 other districts of Bangladesh. His comprehensive list reads

In a statement on Friday (October 15), the International Commission for Human Rights and Religious Freedom(ICHRRF) condemned the targeted attacks on the minority Hindu population during Durga Puja. ICHRRF remarked, Durga Puja is the years biggest religious festivity in traditional Bengali Hindu culture, and is a time of great celebration, musical performance, dioramas, feasts, parades and personal reflection, observed across social divides in Bengali society. However, this iconic Hindu religious festival has come under gruesome attack from Muslim mobs this year in Bangladesh, vandalizing Hindu temples, smashing icons, and assaulting devotees.

It further added, Across 22 districts of Bangladesh, major and minor incidents of attacks and vandalism have so far claimed the lives of at least 4 people and injured over 60 others, some critically. The violence erupted in Cumilla after rumours of an act of blasphemy at a Hindu religious gathering. Attacks followed in quick succession at several other locations. ICHRRF also condemned the targeting of the ISKCON temple in Noakhali. The International Commission for Human Rights and Religious Freedom also criticised the action of the Bangladeshi police.

To stop the attacks, Bangladesh police authorities have enforced a ban on all kinds of gatherings and rallies in several districts, effectively squelching public festivities and giving in to Islamist demands to exterminate overtly Hindu observances. The police also opened fire on a gathering of over 500 people, which is reported to have resulted in some casualties. The Durga Puja attacks this year are not isolated. They form part of a continuing series of attacks on Bangladeshi Hindus since early this year, which in turn are part of a decades long process of ethnic cleansing of minorities from Bangladesh, it concluded.

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From Hindu temples to Durga Puja pandals, Hindu homes, shops and villages: Comprehensive account of the carnage in Bangladesh by Islamists - OpIndia

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Sunday asserted that despite less time, all out efforts would be made to realise the peoples dreams by fulfilling the remaining promises made to them.

Reiterating his Governments firm commitment to ensure holistic development in the State and welfare of all sections of the society, Channi said

judicious utilisation of time would be done to achieve the goal for betterment of the State.

Channi, in his address during a function held at local MLA and former Minister Sunder Sham Aroras residence, said the State Government was working round the clock to ensure overall development and timely completion of ongoing infrastructure works as urban development is a crucial component of holistic growth.

All basic amenities in urban areas will be provided to the people in the urban areas keeping in view their future needs, said Channi, adding that there was no dearth of funds for the same.

Announcing Rs 10 crore for Hoshiarpur to be given within next few days, the Chief Minister said that his Government was already making best use of available time so as to touch new heights of success and glory in the State as per peoples aspirations.

Pointing out, the Chief Minister also announced that Hoshiarpur would get state-of-the-art Biodiversity and Sports Park at a cost of Rs five crore to further develop flora and fauna in the region.

Foundation stone of this Park and the upcoming Medical College would be laid shortly. However, the classes of this Medical College would commence from the next academic session. All the necessary directions have already been issued to expedite the process for tender floating so that its construction could be started at the earliest, he added.

Extending a healing touch to the children, who lost their parents during COVID-19 pandemic, Channi handed over packets containing daily use items and some cash to them.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister also went to the residences of MLA Arun Dogra and MLA Pawan Kumar Adia, where he met the families of both MLAs and interacted with them. Later on, the Chief Minister also visited MLA Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewals residence.

The Chief Minister, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Revenue Minister Aruna Chaudhary, also paid obeisance at Swami Jagat Giri Ashram in Pathankot. Channi, who attended the Satsang while sitting amongst the people, announced a grant of Rs 51 lakh for Ashram, road widening project that leads to the Ashram, and also laid the foundation stone of a hostel in MKM Public School at Ashram premises.

Special focus is being laid to strengthen the education and health sectors for ensuring affordable quality healthcare and education to the weaker sections of the society so that young minds from the unprivileged part of the society can contribute towards societys development, he said.

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Channi: Govt committed to ensure holistic development in State - Daily Pioneer

During the previous several decades, as scholars interested in the life and thought of Mahatma Gandhi, we have had the privilege to work in the archives of the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad the most important repository of the correspondence to and from Gandhi and to walk around the hallowed ground of the Ashram, the residence of the Mahatma and his wife Kasturba, from 1917 until he departed from there on the historical Salt March to Dandi in 1930.

We have wondered what direction the Ashram could take in the 21st century. Over the years we have imagined, in particular, what the Sabarmati Ashram might become and how it could play its role in spreading the message of Gandhi, how it could be ensured that the most effective use is made of this unique world-significant location. Of course, it has a large role to play as one of Indias most historical sites, as a museum and as a pilgrimage place that inspires the quest for truth and teaches the observant visitor about the value of nonviolence and simplicity in a period of threatening environmental collapse and very present economic inequality. For these reasons, the lessons taught by Gandhi, and embodied in the Ashram, are just as important now as ever before.

The ethos of the Ashram is conducive to the higher-level ways of thinking and being that Gandhi modelled. So powerful are the present simplicity and orderliness of the surroundings that they cannot but affect the thoughtful visitor. In the late 1970s, the revolutionary thinker Ivan Illich, talking of Gandhis hut at Sevagram, noted, This hut of Gandhi demonstrates to the world how the dignity of the common man can be brought up. It is also a symbol of happiness which we can derive from practising the principle of simplicity, service and truthfulness. Of course, he could just as easily have been talking about Hriday Kunj, the basic but inspiring home of Gandhi and Kasturba at the Ashram. But such happiness requires time, a slower than usual pace, and quiet reflection something impossible among huge crowds.

It seems to us that there are two possible ways to make sure that the Ashram remains relevant into the future. One of them seems obvious, but we feel would create more loss than gain. If the press reports of the proposal to redevelop the precinct are accurate, the Ashram could become a mass tourist hub, with a large car park, food court, shops, a VIP lounge, that could reclaim the visual wholesomeness, tranquillity and uncluttered environment of 1949, while becoming a world-class tourist destination. This would generate money for the state and, perhaps, make the Mahatma known to a far greater number of people.

One must ask, however, whether there is not a higher purpose in preserving the Ashram in its striking simplicity and as a relatively hard-to-access place without food outlets on the grounds, and without lounges for important visitors (what would Gandhi say about this!).

A potential Disneyesque Gandhi theme park (and what would Gandhi say if he could re-visit Dandi?) may be popular among those wanting to take a selfie and tick a bucket-list box. However, there may be another approach, one that allows the Ashram to become (or, indeed, remain) something harder to envisage but where one can feel the Gandhian ethos. It was here that Gandhi conducted his experiments to observe and infer ethical action, where communal living and dining meant that caste divisions were done away with, where ashramites learned that they could take on the might of an empire.

Would the proposed makeover not end up obliterating Gandhis ideas and message? Would one still be able to feel Gandhis spirit? The loss would be intangible, but huge. When Gandhi was asked why he did not visit America, he expressed the fear that people would come to see him out of idle curiosity: Lets see this animal in the Indian zoo. He wanted those who had an interest in him to really understand what he was trying to do and invited them to come to the Ashram and make a detailed study of his teachings.

Instead of a tourist hub where Gandhi could become a mere tourist attraction, here is a chance for India to ensure that the Ashram where the Mahatma walked and worked, and where one can still feel his spirit in the gardens, homes, and prayer ground, remains a living, breathing means for the world to understand Gandhi and his message.

Of course, as scholars of Gandhi, we may have a narrow perspective. In addition to attracting true seekers, could the Ashram also be positioned so that it ensures that its outstanding collection of Gandhiana is shared by scholars and peace workers in a way that helps to promote first-class Gandhi scholarship and considered Gandhian praxis, and possibly to help create a worldwide community of like-minded Gandhi inspirees? While the Gandhi Heritage Portal of Gandhi-related documents and information is provided electronically by the Ashram, could the Ashram be the site of an international Gandhi research hub in India? It could become the most important place in the world for scholars and seekers to come and work, to meet other scholars and seekers, to share information and discuss ideas. It could foster greater contact among Gandhi experts and ensure that Gandhi scholarship is carried out at the highest level and that an understanding of a Gandhian ethos is not lost. Could it be a place where Gandhi scholars and sincere seekers from around the world come and work with the best of local scholars and activists who could inspire each other?

Having access to documents, whether in hard copy or digital form, is not the same as having a group of like-minded people working in one place. And if the place had a Gandhian atmosphere (such as the Ashram could provide, but simple academic libraries and archives, no matter how good they are, cannot) it would be a wonderfully unique atmosphere and, through the Sabarmati Harijan Ashram, India could serve the entire world as a beacon for the seeker of truth and nonviolence.

This column first appeared in the print edition on August 25, 2021 under the title Gandhi Ashram of the future. Weber is author of On the Salt March: The Historiography of Gandhis March to Dandi, DiSalvo of The Man Before the Mahatma: M.K.Gandhi Attorney at Law, and Dalton of Mahatma Gandhi: Nonviolent Power in Action

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The future of Sabarmati Ashram - The Indian Express

The Mahatma Gandhi Ashram at Sabarmati has always attracted universal reverence in India and outside. It has received and welcomed a wide range of individuals, many of whom come here as pilgrims.

The Ashram is not a project, or Gandhijis home, or a tourist spot. It is where our history of achieving freedom for millions with non-violent means was made. It is where we experimented with a future way of living. The Ashram is not a mere memorial of objects and artefacts but a place that inspired satyagraha and carved pathways inner and outer to peace. It is our common and shared responsibility to protect, preserve and promote. All of us. Including our government.

What we have to preserve is the sanctity of the Ashram. We have to preserve the simplicity, logic and spirit of Gandhijis ideas and values. And we have to do so with consensus, and in full collaboration with each other. I insist that any change to the Ashram, or the proposal to redevelop it, is made with consensus and any process for this change is collaborative.

So far, all have been open, welcoming, and cooperative in discussing ideas and plans. The suggestions and protest letters about the redevelopment plan are most valuable and welcome. I have faith that we will all continue this open and peaceful process to achieve a consensus.

And, therefore, there is hardly any possibility of the governmentalisation of the Ashram, we believe. We will continue our efforts to protest, protect, and promote this Ashram with peaceful means.

Non-violence, to me, has never been a lack of action or timid acceptance, it has been a force of its own that is connected with wider day-to-day political, social, and economic struggles for the freedom of the poor and women workers. Gandhi Ashrams will not work for the betterment of Indias society nor its citizens if they are not more and more aligned to the Gandhi way.

This is not to take Gandhi too literally. Let us conceive of Gandhi as a way of thinking about our society, economy and politics. The Gandhi way is self-reliance at the local level, and full employment at the household level. It is a way towards sustainability and near-zero carbon footprint. It implies local ownership of the means of production. It calls for a broad-based and inclusive social and economic democracy. The Gandhi way is to build peace at home, in the neighbourhood and in the world. And in this, Dalits, minorities, Adivasis have a leading role to play. Women and workers will be the engines.

As a society, we seem to be rushing towards mass suicide, with investments that lead to no jobs, and infrastructure that pollutes air, food and water faster than we can clean or preserve them. If the majority turns on minority communities, cultures or ideas, in the end we will leave no one alive.

Unless the ashrams take the economy and the citizens to self-reliance, to full and meaningful employment, to sustainability, and to local cooperative control of the means of production, they will not deliver what they promise widespread long-term prosperity and samullas for every Indian.

The Ashram is not made of the four walls that protect Gandhijis artefacts and archives needless to say they are priceless to us all but of an endless set of doors that open us to the Gandhi way. Let me give a personal example. What touches me at the Ashram is the recurring memory of my grandfather, Dr Manidhar Prasad Vyas, from Desai ni Pole, Khadia, Ahmedabad, joining the Salt March and being hit by police sticks that broke his teeth, weakened the bones in his limbs for the rest of his life, and transformed him from a successful medical doctor into a lifelong satyagrahi.

Gandhiji would have been puzzled by his people caring for the Ashram precincts but not moving ahead to the peaceful, Gandhian constructive way of building a mutually nurturing society.

This column first appeared in the print edition on August 23, 2021 under the title Open doors, not walls. The writer is Sewa founder and chairperson of Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust

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It is not enough to protect the precincts of Sabarmati Ashram - The Indian Express

Ma Anand Sheela, the controversial former aid to Bhagwan Shri Rajneesh (later known as Osho), has commented on the two rival biopics being made about her; one, a film starring Priyanka Chopra, and another a show, reportedly starring Alia Bhatt.

In a new interview, Ma Anand Sheela said that she hopes the two projects are able to avoid focusing only on the scandals that she has been involved in.

Asked about the narrative projects being made about her, she told journalist Puja Talwar, "Well, I sometimes chuckle. Sometimes they will have to do deep searching into my character. They have to move a little bit away from scandal. And I don't know if they can. And if they don't, I take it as an impression of me they are doing."

Sheela rose to prominence after appearing in the 2018 Netflix documentary series Wild Wild Country, which focused on the ashram that Rajneesh set up in Oregon with Sheela's assistance, and the massive scandal that forced them to shut down, and caused irreparable damage to their relationship.

Sheela also appeared this year in Searching for Sheela, a one-hour documentary executive produced by Shakun Batra. She said that she hasn't seen it in its entirety, but only fast-forwarded to her own portions, to ensure that her words weren't misrepresented.

Shakun Batra is the man behind the purported Alia Bhatt project. He spoke to Hindustan Times about it earlier this year, and said, "It's an ambitious show, it's something that's very close to my heart..." He said that he was ready to 'jump back into development' on the show after completing work on his upcoming film, starring Deepika Padukone.

Also read: Ma Anand Sheela hasnt given Priyanka Chopra permission for the biopic, says Alia Bhatt has the necessary spunk to play her

Sheela had previously said that she hasn't given Priyanka permission to play her on-screen. She told Hindustan Times, "I told her I do not give her permission to do [the] film because I have not chosen her... In Switzerland, we send legal notices very simply. I sent her an email which is accepted there as legal." Asked if she'd heard back, she said, "No, never. Not even a courtesy letter that they received my notice but thats not an issue, maybe she never had the opportunity to meet me or make time to meet me and it is no big issue... not everybody has the time to meet me."

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Ma Anand Sheela's advice to Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt if they want to play her: 'Move away from scandal' - Hindustan Times

The women you will encounter in this book are not four different iterations of the same template. They seek a dissolution of ego, not an extinction of personality.

My first encounter with Arundhathi Subramaniams writing was as a college student in the first decade of this century. Her poetry gave me an opportunity to engage with the inner lives of pilgrimage and postcolonialism in an idiom suited to my curious, restless mind. Her prose showed me a way to inhabit the present moment without apology, while being open to the guidance that might come from those who have asked the same questions before me.

Her new book Women Who Wear Only Themselves is a reminder of her enduring interest in exploring spiritual life when it is a subject that many of her contemporaries only scoff at. Perhaps it is comforting to inhabit the familiar language of cynicism that flows easily from the tongues of those like myself who have been taught to think critically. It takes courage to see things as they are, and not merely to spot what is problematic and how it can be fixed.

Published by Speaking Tiger, this book offers four essays bound together by the authors enquiry into the sacred journeys of four fellow travellers all of whom are women. In the Preface, she writes, These women made no effort to impress. They were gracious enough to share their life journeys, without trying to flaunt their attainments, win recruits, or garner publicity. I am a seasoned listener, and instantly alert to subtle attempts to broker deals.

The first essay, titled Clothed in Emptiness, is about Sri Annapurani Amma who resides in an ashram in the village of Chinnalambadi in Tamil Nadu. She wears no clothes, except during public satsangs and television interviews. Her guru is an 18th century saint named Sadashiva Brahmendra, whose compositions still suffuse the repertoire of Carnatic musicians. He may not be around in a physical human form but he continues to be a living presence for Amma.

Her devotion to him may come across as a disappointment if you equate surrender with subjugation. However, an open heart can help you perceive that their relationship is not bound by codes of obedience and punishment. She refers to her guru as thatha, the Tamil word for grandfather. There is a profound sense of security in knowing that you are being led and looked after by someone who craves no validation and desires only your well-being.

The second essay, titled The Reluctant Guru, is about Balarishi Vishwashirasini whose hermitage lies deep in the palm-fringed road from Coimbatore to Palakkad. Thrown into gurudom because of her stunning gifts as a child prodigy, she is now maturing as a teacher of nada yoga. The author explains, The idea of offering sound to the divine appealed to me. I like the idea of the spoken word as libation a sensual and aromatic gift to the gods.

The experience of being one with Shiva is what gives meaning to this teachers existence. The awareness that she has miles to go before she sleeps has taught her to wear the guru role with joy and lightness. She tells the author, When confronted by questions I cannot answer, I learnt to say, I dont know, and simply offer the person a cup of coffee or tea It is not my role to satisfy people. I now realize that. I can only give them what I am capable of offering.

Arundhathi Subramaniam

The third essay, titled What It Takes to be a Redwood Tree, is about writer-filmmaker Lata Mani whose former life as a Marxist and feminist intellectual was turned upside down by a brain injury from a road accident. She is based in California. I was not looking for the divine, she came looking for me, she says while describing her relationship with the path of Tantra that has transformed her understanding of trauma, pain, illness, disability and death.

She believes that understanding the social basis of gender counts as essential work towards spiritual liberation because men, women, boys, girls, intersex and trans persons, each carry particular burdens. In her view, struggles and spiritual journeys are shaped by class, caste, culture, race, etc. She says, The trick is in learning how to simultaneously understand, honour and take distance from that which we have assumed has made us who we are.

The fourth essay, titled The Leap into Monkhood is about Maa Karpoori whose transition from marriage to monastic life was catalysed by a yoga class that she had no intention of joining but was cajoled into by her former husband. It was there that she met her guru, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. Eventually, she picked sangha over samsara, and walked into a life of voluntary simplicity in an ashram near Coimbatore. The shift was rewarding but not easy.

Arundhathi Subramaniam, who is also the author of the book Sadhguru: More Than a Life, writes, Her guru, once a close friend and guide, was turning into a larger-than-life figure. Access to him was growing more difficult. A small band of fellow disciples was growing into a large bustling ashram. A spiritual path was getting systematized. It was unnerving. She found ease in silence and sanyas, dropping the need to have a personal relationship with her guru.

Each essay has a different flavour because each quest is moulded by a unique set of causes and conditions. The women you will encounter in this book are not four different iterations of the same template. They seek a dissolution of ego, not an extinction of personality. Being able to tell the difference can be an impossible task if you keep trying to forcibly sift reality through preconceived categories of analysis. You cannot be free while being caught up.

If you need a concrete takeaway from this book rather than the chance to sit and contemplate at leisure, read the Afterword. Tying up all the connecting threads, she writes, On one level, they are part of a quietly growing chorus one that recognizes the importance of honouring a woman-nourished, woman-vitalised, woman-inclusive spirituality on this planet. On another, they are just fingers pointing, as so many have before, to the moon.

*

Chintan Girish Modi is a Mumbai-based writer who tweets @chintan_connect

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Book review: In Women Who Wear Only Themselves, an h..al life through the sacred journeys of four travellers - Firstpost

The chief priest of an Ashram in Sayala of Surendranagar was allegedly murdered by his sewak (helper) after a dispute between the duo, with police forming multiple teams to arrest the accused.

According to police, the incident took place in Nageshwar Ashram at Vanki village of Sayla taluka in Surendranagar on July 4 night, when head priest Bhavani Shankargiri Bapu, said to be above 60 years old, was allegedly assaulted by his helper Sitaram (Ramji), 30. Bapu died during treatment in a Rajkot hospital on July 6 night, after which police lodged a case of murder against Sitaram who is absconding.

I arrived at Nageshwar Ashram with my guru Dharmendragiri Bapu for a satsang On July 4 night, Dharmendragiri Bapu, Bhavani Shankargiri Bap, Sitaram and I were sitting in the ashram. Bhavani asked Sitaram to get him dinner and water The latter got infuriated and started abusing him. Sitaram picked up a wooden stick and assaulted Bhavani Shankargiri multiple times on his head due to which he fell unconscious. He then assaulted Dharmendragiri and myself with the stick and demanded keys of my motorcycle. He then locked us inside the ashram and left on the motorcycle, said Ashish Shekhalia, helper of Dharmendragiri Bapu, in his police complaint.

We called on 108 helpline and Bhavani Shankar Giri was taken to a hospital in Surendranagar. He was later shifted to Rajkot based hospital where he died on July 6 night during treatment, the complaint added.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Surendranagar Superintendent of Police Mahendra Bagadia said, The accused assaulted Bapu over demanding dinner and water. He is absconding as of now and teams have been formed to arrest him.

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Police look for helper who murdered head priest in Surendranagar ashram - The Indian Express

With a pared-down audience and a lengthy list of safety protocols, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are set to begin later this month, more than a year after they were postponed due to what was then called a developing global situation. The COVID-19 pandemic has meant a difficult time for athletes across the world. For many, it involved isolating with family and loved ones, reduced training opportunities, and lots of unknowns.

But now one of the biggest summer sporting events is on track and will run from July 23 to August 8. And the excitement is palpable.

Israel plans to send 89 athletes in 15 sports to compete in the games this month, including 54 men and 35 women. This is the countrys largest delegation to date and almost double the number of athletes it sent to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Israel is probably now in the top 30 this time of biggest teams. Sending a team of almost 100? Thats actually really big, especially for a small country, says David Wiseman, co-founder of Follow Team Israel, the only organization devoted entirely to providing information on Israeli athletes in English.

Due to qualifying standards, athletes from small countries generally receive invitations to qualify in certain events. In Israel, 24 out of the 89 athletes will compete as a baseball team. That leaves 65. It shows you that were really improving. That weve got athletes that are even able to qualify, which is just amazing. And that means all the athletes are improving to get there, Wiseman tells NoCamels.

Israels biggest delegation also includes some of the top judo athletes in the world and at least 10 gymnasts: Alex Shatilov, the male artistic gymnast competing in his third Olympic Games, Linoy Ashram, the rhythmic gymnast that may very well be Israels best chance for a medal in Tokyo, and a womens rhythmic gymnastics group, which took the gold medal at the European Championships in November 2020.

While Israel has won a total of nine Olympic medalssince its debut in 1952 as a country officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee, this year is its best chance to grab first, second, and third-place finishes.

As the Olympics approach, were featuring some of the top Israeli athletes competing in Tokyo in just a few weeks.

The Olympics will see Israels first-ever equestrian team, made up of four show jumpers, the first Israeli archer, and the first Israeli surfer to compete in the games.

There are also Olympic events in which Israeli athletes have never competed or medaled.

Twenty-two-year-old Linoy Ashram first made history in September 2017 by becoming the first Israeli rhythmic gymnast to get a medal in the all-around competition at a World Championships. She won the bronze medal in the competition. Previously, Neta Rivkin was the only Israeli to win a medal, but it was in an apparatus final.

The twenty-two-year-old powerhouse has since become Israels most successful rhythmic gymnast to date and has repeatedly placed in the top three in rhythmic gymnastics competitions for a number of years. While Neta Rivkin earned a chance to head to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, she was not able to move past the qualifying rounds in the individual all-around when her final score was not enough to earn her place in the top 10.

Everybody has expectations for Linoy, says Follow Team Israels other co-founder Shari Wright Pilo. Is Linoy going to get a medal? What happens if she doesnt? Is she a loser? No, shes a total winner. She got them. Shes in the top 20 of the world to be there.

But Ashram already has the world championship medals to back her up, so an Olympic medal is a very real possibility. She is the 2018 World All-Around silver medalist, two-time (2017, 2019) World All-around bronze medalist, and the 2019 European Games All-around silver medalist. In November 2020, she won a gold medal in the individual rhythmic category at the European Championships in 2020. She was the first athlete in decades to win the top spot, which has been dominated by athletes from a former Soviet Union country or Bulgaria.

I am very happy, Ashram told Israels Kan public broadcaster after her win, according to The Times of Israel, but The focus is on the Olympics, she said.

Over the past 15 years, she has won 47 medals, including 11 at the World Championships. She hopes to add at least one Olympic medal to the collection in just a few weeks.

Bullseye! Twenty-two-year-old Itay Shanny has made history by becoming the first-ever archer to compete in the Olympic Games for Israel.

With his outstanding performance in the final Olympic qualifying tournament in Paris, Shanny secured himself a spot for Tokyo 2020 by finishing 23rd out of 94 contenders.

Its surreal. Im going to be the first archer from Israel to be at the Olympics, he said at the tournament, according to World Archery, the official website of the international federation of the sport of archery.

I need to see on paper my name and Tokyo qualification, he added.

Shanny scored 656 points in the initial qualification round. He later beat 90th seed Oliver Ormar Ingvarsson (Iceland) Latvias 42nd seed Janis Brunis, and gained a victory over 10th seed Senna Roos of Belgium to reach the round of 16, meeting the Olympic quota.

Ive thought about that moment for a long time in my head, said Shanny. Im still in sort of shock. Im not celebrating as maybe I should. Its amazing, I feel great.

Anat Lelior is Israels first (and currently only) Olympic surfer among the 20 men and 20 women who will be competing this summer.

Lelior qualified for the 2020 Olympics in 2019 after finishing as the highest-ranked female surfer from Europe at the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Games in Miyazaki, Japan. That same year, she also had her best season on the World Surf League (WSL) World Qualifying series, culminating in a first-place finish at the Deeply Pro Anglet in France.

The 21-year-old Tel Aviv native started surfing at five with her sister Noa, and by 12 she had claimed the Israeli national championships.

Growing up surfing the Meditteranean waves in Tel Aviv has also given Lelior a unique mentality and approach, she tells Olympics.com

I live in a sea compared to an ocean, and a sea is almost like a puddle next to a pool, said Lelior. The waves are not really consistent and its really hard to be an excellent surfer next to all the world champions and all the other contestants. So, I just try to keep pushing harder and harder even though I dont have the conditions that they have.

Lelior sheltered in place with her family in Tel Aviv during the pandemic, and she looks back at the experience positively as it offered her an opportunity to focus and plan out her goals.

Im even grateful for the Olympics being postponed. I think it gave us all time to see whats the most important in our lives, she adds. I know what I want to do with my life now and Im ready to start it.

Israels equestrian team at the Olympics will certainly be a first. The team is made up of Alberto Michan, a Mexico-born horse rider in his third Olympics but representing Israel for the first time, Teddy Vlock, a 23-year old jumper juggling training with Yale University in the US, Danielle Goldstein Waldman, a 36-year-old, American-born rider known for her trademark hair styled with colorful feathers, and Ashlee Bond, the daughter of Israeli-American actor and model Steve Bond.

Bond began competing in equestrian competitions when she was six. After her first grand prix competition in 2001, when she was 16, she was named Grand Prix Rookie of the Year by the US Equestrian Federation and Pacific Coast Horse Shows Association.

Bonds passion for the sport wavered at times. At 19, she quit and explored other career possibilities. Soon after, when she was 21 traveling to New Zealand with her mom, Bond rediscovered her passion. Over the next 15 years, Bonds passion led to numerous victories and accolades, including Chronicle of the Horse Show Jumping Horseman of the Year for 2009.

She became a citizen of Israel in 2018 and qualified to participate in the Olympics in the summer of 2019. Bond will ride the horse Donatello 141 at the Games.

Its #TeamIsrael all the way! You cant pick just one member of this superstar team. Baseball in Israel does not enjoy the same popularity as in the US, Japan, or the Dominican Republic, but the country is still celebrating its first baseball team to ever qualify for the Olympic Games.

Made up of 12 pitchers, three catchers, six infielders, and three outfielders, the 24-person team is also the first Israeli sports team to have qualified for the Olympics since the national soccer team in 1976.

Much of the Israeli team is made up of Jewish Americans who became Israeli citizens as a requirement for the Olympics.

Everyone is a passport holder or citizen of Israel. Most of the players are from the minor leagues, but a few have played in the major leagues and a few are native Israelis, including the pitcher Shlomo Lipetz, who was born in Tel Aviv, Eric Holtz, a US-born baseball coach who had played for the Israel Baseball League in 2007, told NoCamels in 2019. Holtz was asked to head coach the Israel Senior National Team in 2017 and, in 2019, the team made history by defeating South Africa 11-1 during a six-team Europe/Africa Olympic qualifying tournament in Italy, and securing a spot in Tokyo

The teams first game at the Tokyo Olympics will be against the American team. They will also face teams from Japan, Mexico, South Korea, and the Dominican Republic.

Baseball can be sudden death, says Wiseman, But they have a good chance.

Some of these competitors are not household names just yet, but they are definitely ones to watch for their hard work, tenacity, and dedication.

Israeli runner Lonah Chemtai Salpeter will compete in the Womens 5,000 meter, Womens 10,000 meter, and the Womens marathon event at the Tokyo Olympics this month. She previously competed in the Womens marathon during the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro but left the event at the 33rd kilometer due to a shoulder problem, which she said had to do with continuing to breastfeed her 20-month old son.

Since then, the Kenya-born runner has won the 10,000m race at the 2018 European Athletics Championship. She also completed the Tokyo Marathon in 2020 with her personal best time of 2:17:45. It set a new Israeli national record, the second-fastest European of all time, and the 6th fastest woman in the marathon in history.

It made her the 6th-fastest woman in the marathon in history (now 7th), the second-fastest European of all time, and it gave her a new Israeli national record, Wiseman tells NoCamels.

Chemtai Salpeter first came to Israel in 2008 while working as a caretaker for the children of Kenyas ambassador to Israel. In 2011, she met Dan Salpeter, an Israeli running coach whom she later married.

Wright Pilo has interviewed Chemtai Salpeter for Follow Team Israel in the past. Shes got a great story, she tells NoCamels.

Chemtai Salpeter had been running shorter distances for much of her life, but she only started running marathons in 2014. By 2016, she came in first among women in the Tel Aviv marathon and qualified for the Olympics with a time of 2:40:16.

She received Israeli citizenship in March 2016, just in time to be able to participate in the Olympics.

Most people know Israeli judoka Ori Sasson for winning a bronze medal in the +100 kg category at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and Israeli judoka Sagi Muki for being the 2019 world judo champion and for his unlikely friendship with Saeid Mollaei, the Iranian judoka who left Iran after revealing that Iranian authorities allegedly told him to intentionally lose a match to avoid a potential face-off against Muki in the finals.

Then theres Peter Paltchik, the Israeli judoka who is making a name for himself as the current number one ranked judoka in the world in the under 100kg weight category.

Paltchik is considered one of Israels top athletes and a potential Tokyo Olympic medalist. He previously took gold at the 2020 European Championships under-100kg category in Prague, and bronze at the International Judo Federations (IJF) 2021 World Judo Masters in Doha, Qatar in January.

Peter is such an awesome guy and his matches are always so exciting, says Wright Pilo, who tells NoCamels the judoka was one of several athletes who did a workout video for Follow Team Israel at the very beginning of lockdown last year. I asked him at the very first lockdown when nobody was doing workouts online. He was like, Sure, Shari, Im on it. Paltchik did an exercise that he said gets him moving during training called the lizard walk.

Hard work and dedication to the sport is what brought this judoka to the forefront of his sport. In 2016, he didnt even qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Missing out on qualifying for the Rio Games was one of the lowest points in my life, he told Olympics.com in February.

Its the same hard work and dedication that has been part of his life since he was young and already facing tough challenges and severe obstacles. Paltchik was born with multiple fractures and health complications.

The doctor said to his grandfather, Take him to sports, that will help him, Wright Pilo says. He began judo at age four and has since indicated that it helped foster his resilience both physically and mentally to overcome challenges.

The Israeli judoka is ready to show what he can do in Tokyo and says Israels strong system for serious judo athletes, which has produced medal-winning competitors like Arik Zeevi, Ori Sassoon, and Yarden Gerbi, is whats going to help get him there.

We have a system that works very, very good. Everyone is very focused on what needs to be done. And its a big system that is motivating everyone, he told Olympics.com, As for Tokyo, I think in my case, its an advantage because Im coming very, very ready. My physical and my mental game is ready. Everything is on the right path.

At just 17 years old, Lihi Raz is the only female artistic gymnast that will represent Israel in the womens artistic gymnastics competition in Tokyo. Raz was the Israeli national champion for her age group in 2019. She qualified by winning the bronze medal in the European Championship in Womens Artistic Gymnastics this past December.

She was the first Israeli to win a medal in the competitions history, according to The Jerusalem Post.

But she almost didnt make it. Israel did not send a female artistic gymnast in 2016 and when it was time to decide if there would be one in 2020, the Israeli Olympic Committee had additional internal qualification rules for athletes. Raz, due to her age and lack of experience, was not designated as an Olympic hopeful. She had to fulfill additional criteria including placing no lower than 12th on bars, beam, or floor, or in the first two halves of competitors on vault at the European Championships In this case, the pandemic worked to her favor.

Raz not only placed in the to 8 on the floor exercise in the qualifying round, but she also ended up winning bronze in the final and is the first-ever senior World Artistic Gymnastics medal for Israel at the European Championships.

Of course it was the goal but it was a bit of a surprise because I didnt yet know that I was capable of it. It made me believe in myself more and see what Im capable of achieving, she later told Haaretz, according to gymnastics news website Gymnovosti.

Raz was born in the US and moved to Israel with her family when she was three months old. Her gymnastics career started when she was just six.

Avishag Semberg is the 19-year old Israeli taekwondo athlete that has qualified for the 2020 Olympics by winning first place in the 2021 European Taekwondo Olympic Qualification Tournament in Bulgaria in May. She will be one of just 16 competitors in her weight category.

Previously, Semberg won gold in the womens-49kg category in the 2020 European Taekwondo Championships in Sarajevo, as the only woman competing in the Israeli delegation.

competing for Israel, Semberg has said: When I enter the arena with the Israeli flag on hand and the ISR on the suit I feel it is my commitment to represent Israel with dignity and I am excited about this opportunity.

Semberg was born in 2001 and started practicing taekwondo in the first grade.

My expectations of myself ahead of the Olympics is to do my maximum during the preparation and especially in the competition. Resist the pressure and give everything I have until the last second! she has shared on the official Israel Olympics Committee website.

Brothers Ran and Shachar Sagiv will compete in the triathlon event at the Tokyo Olympics. The sons of Israeli Olympic marathon runner Shemi Sagiv, the brothers will look to advance the family legacy while competing together in Japan.

Based in Zichron Yaakov, a town just south of Haifa, the Sagiv brothers have trained since they were young, including during high school and military service.

Shachar is currently ranked 39 in the world, and Ran is ranked 52, according to World Triathlon, the international governing body for the Olympic and Paralympic sport of triathlon. Each brother has won Israeli triathlon national championships. In 2017, Shachar finished fourth in the U23 World Championship, and in 2019, Ran won the bronze medal in the same event.

This will be the second consecutive Olympics that includes Israeli triathletes. Ron Darmon finished in 26th place in 2016.

In 2004, Israels first and only Olympic gold medal so far went to Gal Fridman in mens windsurfing at the Games in Athens.

This year, Yoav Cohen is looking to repeat the win as a competitor in Mens RS:X windsurfing class. Or at least showcase his talents. The 21-year-old finished in fifth place at the 2021 RS:X World Championships in April and reached a tie with Shahar Tzuberi in the ranking of the countrys selection. Although Tzuberi competed in the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics for Israel and was chosen to compete in the Games before the postponement last year, the teams coach, Gur Steinberg, decided to make Cohen the representative instead.

The world will see how Cohen fares in the mens RS:X windsurfing heats later this month.

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Israel Is Sending 89 Athletes To The Tokyo Olympics. Here Are 11 To Watch - NoCamels - Israeli Innovation News

(JTA) The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are finally happening, a full year after they were planned. And yes, theyre still being called the 2020 Olympics, even though theyre happening in 2021.

The Jewish athletes competing this year and there are many are the products of inspiring journeys. Theres the fencer looking for redemption, Israels first Olympic surfer, one of the greatest canoe paddlers of all time, a teen track star para-athlete, and so many more.

The games run July 23 through Aug. 8; the Paralympics will be held Aug. 24 to Sept. 5.

Here are many of the inspiring Jewish athletes to root for.

Basketball, USA

Is Sue Bird one of the greatest Jewish athletes of all time? Perhaps.

The basketball legend has won gold medals with the U.S. womens basketball team in the last four yes, four Olympics. (The team has not lost at the games since 1992.) Bird, now 40, is back for her fifth, and likely last, Olympics.

The child of a Jewish father and non-Jewish mother, Bird was born and raised in Syosset, Long Island. Shes been a basketball star since her debut for the University of Connecticut in 1998 and selection as the WNBAs No. 1 overall draft pick in 2002 by the Seattle Storm. In her nearly 20 years as a pro, Bird has won four WNBA championships (including last year in the COVID-19 bubble) and is a 12-time All-Star.

Bird also gained Israeli citizenship in 2006 in a basketball-motivated decision, so she could play for European teams. Her citizenship also allowed her to connect to her Jewish identity.

It was cool because what I found was in this effort to create an opportunity in my basketball career, I was able to learn a lot about a culture that I probably wouldnt have tapped into otherwise, Bird told the Washington Jewish Museum.

Read more on Sue Bird here.

The womens basketball tournament begins on July 26; the U.S. plays its first game on July 27 against Nigeria. The gold medal game is Aug. 8.

Rhythmic Gymnastics, Israel

Israels best chance at winning a medal is 22-year-old Linoy Ashram. The Mizrahi and Sephardi gymnast (her father is Yemeni Jewish and her mother is Greek Jewish) is set to compete in her first Olympics after winning in the individual rhythmic category at the European Championships in 2020 the first athlete to take the gold medal in decades who was not from a former Soviet country or Bulgaria.

Ashram has many firsts for her country: Shes the first rhythmic gymnast from Israel to win an individual all-around medal at the World Championships, the first to win gold in the World Cup series and the first to win a European All-Around title. Can she be the first to win gold in gymnastics at the Olympics? Well find out early next month.

Read more on Linoy Ashram here.

The rhythmic gymnastics competition takes place Aug. 6-8.

Tennis, Argentina

Diego Schwartzman is the highest-ranked Jewish tennis player in the world. Last year he broke into the top 10 for the first time, becoming the shortest top 8 player since 5-foot-6 Harold Solomon, also Jewish, in 1981. The Argentines listed height of 5-7 is called one of the more generous measurements in professional sports he likely stands around 5-4 (the U.S. Open lists him at 5-5). Watching him go shot to shot with players that are over a foot taller is nothing short of remarkable.

Nicknamed El Peque, or Shorty, the 28-year-old is set to play in his first Olympics. (For tennis, qualifications are based on world rankings, with the top 56 players becoming eligible.)

Schwartzman is open about and proud of his Jewish identity. Last year he wrote movingly on his familys Holocaust history, and how his great-grandfather escaped a train car headed for a concentration camp and ended up in Argentina.

I am Jewish and in Argentina, we have many Jewish [people] there, and all the people there know me, he told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in 2017.

Read more on Diego Schwartzman here.

The mens tennis tournament begins on July 24.

Beach volleyball, USA

Alix Klineman had played indoor volleyball for Stanford in college and professionally following her graduation in 2011. But in 2016, she failed to make the U.S. Olympic Volleyball Team and vowed to find another way to compete at the games. So she switched to beach volleyball. Unlike indoor volleyball, which has teams with rosters selected by coaches, beach volleyball is a two-person sport dependent on your own results with a partner.

I looked at the beach as a new opportunity and a chance to chase my dreams without anybody having to give me approval or put me on a roster, she said in 2019. The biggest thing was pursuing the Olympics and getting a new shot at that.

Klineman teamed with two-time Olympian April Ross she had been partnered with three-time gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings and they quickly rose in the rankings. They are entering the Tokyo Games with a world ranking of No. 2, with a more than solid chance of winning gold.

Klineman, 31, was raised in Southern California in a Jewish family. In 2015, she was inducted into the SoCal Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Read more on Alix Klineman here.

The womens beach volleyball tournament begins on July 24.

Surfing, Israel

Anat Lelior is Israels first and only Olympic surfer. Surfing is new to the Olympics, and only 20 men and 20 women will be competing this summer. Lelior, 21, qualified as the highest-ranked female surfer from Europe (Israel competes in European leagues). Lelior, who hails from Tel Aviv and served in the Israeli military, started surfing at 5, and by 12 she had won the Israeli national championships.

I know people arent aware of surfing in Israel, and the fact that I get to be the one to show people that were capable of more than they think, thats just amazing, Lelior told Surfline. But more than that, I want to show kids, women, everyone from everywhere, that they can do anything they want. Theres no limits. I mean, look at me. I had no idea that this would happen, and now Im going to the freaking Olympics.

Read more on Anat Lelior here.

The surfing competition is subject to change depending on wave conditions at Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach. The womens competition is tentatively scheduled for July 25-28.

Baseball, Israel

The Cinderella story continues.

In 2017, Israels national baseball team which included several American Jewish players who became Israeli citizens to represent the country surprised observers by placing sixth at the World Baseball Classic, an international tournament of the worlds best teams, with wins over top squads from South Korea, Chinese Taipei, the Netherlands and Cuba. Israel was far from a top-10 powerhouse at the time, not even ranked in the top 10 teams in Europe. That made sense, as few Israelis play the sport.

Along the way, the team ginned up enthusiasm for baseball in Israel and gave some under-the-radar Jewish players, many who had spent several years in the minor leagues, new chances to shine. Oh, and there was that endearing mascot a life-sized Mensch on a Bench.

In 2019, Team Israel won the European Baseball Championship to qualify for the Olympics. The current roster is anchored by de facto captain Danny Valencia who has Cuban and Jewish heritage and hit 96 home runs over eight Major League Baseball seasons and Ian Kinsler, a former four-time MLB All-Star who made it to Israel on one of the last flights before COVID-19 shutdowns last year to earn his Israeli citizenship.

Only six teams are in play (the field also includes South Korea, Japan, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and the United States), so Team Israel has a chance of snagging a medal.

Read more on Ian Kinsler here, and keep an eye out for more JTA coverage of the team closer to the games.

The baseball tournament runs July 28-Aug. 7. Israels first game is against the United States.

Canoe slalom, Australia

Jessica Fox is known as the greatest paddler of all time: She has 10 World Championship medals, including seven gold medals, and seven overall World Cup titles. Her parents, Richard Fox and Myriam Jerusalmi, also were Olympic canoeists Myriam, a French-Jewish athlete, won bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Mom is now coaching her daughter.

Born in Marseille, France, Fox moved to Australia at 4, so her dad could take up a coaching position with the Australian Olympic team.

Both my parents competing in the Olympic Games is something pretty special, she said. It definitely inspired me to get to this position. Winning a medal is something that you dream [of] and Im proud to follow in my mothers footsteps.

Fox, 27, won silver in the K-1 slalom competition at the 2012 London Olympics and bronze in the 2016 Rio Games. This year, for the first time, women will also be competing in C-1 slalom so Fox, ranked No. 1 in the world, is favored to win not just one but two gold medals.

In 2012, Fox became the the second Australian Jewish athlete to ever win an Olympic medal.

Read more on Jessica Fox here.

The womens K-1 slalom competition is July 25-27. C-1 slalom is July 28-29.

Fencing, USA

Eli Dershwitz is returning to the Olympics for redemption.

At the 2016 Rio Games, the Jewish saber fencer lost in the opening round. In 2021, hes ranked No. 2 in the world and hoping to medal.

Dershwitz, who started fencing at 9, would win back-to-back NCAA championships for Harvard in 2017 and 2018. In Tokyo, he will aim to become the fifth U.S. man to win a medal in saber fencing. No American man has ever won gold in the category.

Born and raised in Sherborn, Massachusetts, to a Jewish family, Dershwitzs maternal grandparents are Holocaust survivors. He has a twin sister, Sally, who worked on the frontlines caring for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dershwitz grew up attending a Conservative synagogue in Natick, Massachusetts, and told Hillel International before the Rio Games that he considers himself a proud member of the Jewish community.

The Jewish community has been very supportive throughout my journey to the Olympics, and I look forward to representing them on the world stage, he said in 2016.

Read more on Eli Dershwitz here.

The mens saber fencing individual competition takes place on July 24; the mens saber team competition is on July 28.

Racewalking, Australia

Jemima Montag was perhaps destined for Jewish athletic greatness. Her parents, Ray and Amanda, met at the 1989 Maccabiah Games the Olympics for Jewish athletes held in Israel where Amanda was competing in the heptathlon and Ray was a cricketer. They hit it off on the flight home to Australia.

Growing up, the Montags encouraged their daughters (Jemima is one of three) to try everything, from long jump to shot put to ballet. But for Montag, race walking just clicked.

I found that my combination of endurance, hypermobile joints and fiery competitiveness were a great trio for racewalking, she said.

Montag soon became one of the best racewalkers in Australia, but after the World Youth Championships in 2015, she decided to step away from the sport. A family ski trip to Japan in 2017 reignited her competitive spirit. Her sister joked shed love to return to the country for the Olympics, and her mom encouraged her to go for it. A year later, at the 2018 Commonwealth Games a tournament of the Commonwealth nations, or the former territories under British control Montag won gold in the 20km event.

Montag credits her Holocaust survivor grandparents for her work ethic and resilience. When a training session or race feels tough, she thinks about them and reminds herself that grit and perseverance are in my DNA.

Read more about Jemima Montag here.

The womens 20km race walk will take place on Aug. 6.

Judo, Israel

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Or Ori Sasson won bronze in the mens heavyweight judo competition and became a national hero overnight not just for his skill but also his sportsmanship after one of his opponents, from Egypt, refused to shake his hand following a match.

Every boy and girl saw not only a great athlete but a man with values, then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Sasson in a phone call that was broadcast live on Israeli TV. You showed the true face of Israel, its beautiful face.

Sasson spent the pandemic year delay competing on Israels version of The Masked Singer his costume was a falafel sandwich and finished third. Watch one of his performances here.

This year, the Kurdish Jewish Sasson now 30 and likely in his last Olympics is set to compete in the heavyweight competition and in the team competition, an addition to the Olympics judo lineup. Judo has been the pride of Israels Olympic fortunes, winning five of the nations nine overall medals. (See more on one of Sassons teammates below.)

Read more about Ori Sasson here.

The mens 100+ kg competition is on July 30. The team competition is on July 31.

Judo, Israel

Sagi Muki made headlines when he befriended an Iranian judoka, Saeid Mollaei, who was forced to throw a match to avoid competing against an Israeli athlete. Mollaei fled Iran as a dissident and received refugee status in Germany. The story of their friendship is now being made into a TV show.

But Muki,29, is an Olympic medal contender in his own right. The half-middleweight judoka is a two-time Israeli national champion,a2019 world champion, and the 2017 and 2018 European champion. He was expected to medal at the 2016 Rio Games but was hampered by an injury.

Born and raised in Netanya, Israel, to a Yemeni Jewish family, he started focusing on judo when he was 8 years old.

The mens under-81 kg competition is on July 27.

Marathon, Israel

Maru Teferi, who was born in northwestern Ethiopia and immigrated to Israel with his Jewish family when he was 14, is the Israeli record holder in six distances, including the half marathon and the marathon. His fastest marathon time of 2:07:20, run right before the pandemic in February 2020 is just 6 minutes off the world record.

Now hes set to compete in his second Olympics. This time hell be joined by his wife, Selamawit Selam Dagnachew Teferi. Theyll be the first married couple to represent Israel at the Olympics.

Teferi, 28, met now-wife Selam while training in Ethiopia in 2012. Selam, 27, is not Jewish, but she moved to Israel in 2017 after the couple married and became an Israeli citizen. That made her eligible to represent Israel at the Olympics.

Even in our wildest dreams, we didnt think this would be possible, Selam said.

Read more about Maru Teferi here.

The mens marathon will take place on the last day of the Olympics, Aug. 8. To watch Selam, the womens 5,000m competition begins July 30; the finals are Aug. 2. The womens 10,000m is on Aug. 7.

Basketball, Japan

Avi Koki Schafer is sometimes listed at 6-foot-10. With that height, you would think he has played basketball his entire life. But the Japanese Jewish athlete didnt get into the sport until he was 16. Just seven years later, the 23-year-old will be playing for Japan in the countrys home Olympics.

Schafer, whose mom is Japanese and dad is Jewish American, grew up in Japan but spent his senior year of high school playing for Brewster Academy in New Hampshire before going on to play Division I basketball at Georgia Tech for two years.

He left his sophomore year to go pro in Japan and since 2019 has played professionally in his native country.

When I came back to Japan from the United States and decided to become a professional in Japan, I made the decision with an eye on the Olympics, he said shortly after being selected to the team. It is held in my home country and I want to show Japanese people what I can do.

Read more about Avi Schafer here.

The mens basketball tournament begins July 25. Japans first match is against Spain on July 26.

Paralympics track and field, USA

Ezra Frech is only 16 years old, but hes already made a name for himself as a para-athlete. The Los Angeles native competes in the high jump, long jump and the 100m race.

Due to a congenital abnormality, Frech was born with only one finger on his left hand, and he was missing his left knee and shinbone.At 2 he had surgery to remove the curved part of his leg, and had a toe attached to his left hand. By 9 he was on Ellen talking about his athletics and advocating for adaptive sports, and at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships, he was the youngest athlete in the world to compete at 14.

Everywhere you go, people dont think youre capable of what an able-bodied person can do, Frech said. Ill go to my high school track meet and they dont expect the one-legged kid to go out and win the competition. When I was younger it got to me, but now its a motivation and excites me that I have a chance to prove people wrong, to shock them and turn some heads.

His mom, Bahar Soomekh, is a Persian Jewish actress. She fled Iran with her family in 1979. His dad, Clayton Frech, left his job in 2013 to found Angel City Sports to bring adaptive sports opportunities to Los Angeles.

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Tokyo Olympics: All the Jewish Athletes to Watch Detroit Jewish News - The Jewish News