Iftah Ya Simsim
Iftah Ya Simsim (; meaning "Open Sesame") is the first international co-production of the American children's television series "Sesame Street" created in the Arab world. It premiered in Kuwait on September 14, 1979 and was broadcast in 22 Arabic-speaking countries, running until April 6, 1990. The program continued to be well-known decades after it went off the air. In 1978, educators, mass media officers, and social planners agreed to adopt "Sesame Street" as a feasible and economical solution for the low attendance in preschools and illiteracy that plagued the region. They approached the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), the producers of the American show, and purchased the rights to create an Arab version for US$2.5 million.
Meir Simcha of Dvinsk
He died in a hotel in Riga while seeking medical treatment. He had one daughter, who predeceased him before her marriage. Since Rabbi Meir Simcha had no surviving children, one of his most prominent students and a close friend, Rabbi Yisrael Avraham Abba Krieger, committed to carrying on his legacy. Today there are descendants of Rav Yisrael Avraham Abba Krieger who carry the name Meir Simcha.He opposed the non-religious Zionist groups, but was in favor of Religious Zionists. After the Balfour Declaration, he was of the opinion that the Three Oaths were no longer in effect. He was present at the founding meetings of Agudath Yisrael in the German town of Bad Homburg, but could not attend the first large conference in Katowice due to poor health. He had several clashes with some of his contemporaries, including Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan (the "Chafetz Chaim") on political issues and questions of Jewish law.