The Hebrew initials for the year 5769 are an acronym for "May this be a year of a good sign." The Hebrew letters for the year actually refer to "769" because there are no Hebrew letters to represent the concept of "5000."
Pundits often take the opportunity on the eve of Rosh HaShanah to make predictions for the coming year, but a look at last year's crystal ball shows that it is better to put faith in prayer and not self-styled prophets.
Last year's forecasters generally missed the mark on predictions for 5768, but investors wish they had followed the advice of one Jewish astrologer.
The Jewish Magazine last year published "Astrological Horoscope Predictions for 5768." It accurately foresaw "that a major economic crisis is in store for
On the other hand, Shmuel Rosner wrote in the Israeli daily Haaretz, "Prime Minister [Ehud] Olmert and his government will survive politically. I do not see any looming challenge from the opposition, and do not believe any of the criminal investigations will produce an outcome that will force him out. Not within a year."
Instead, the investigations against him and the ensuing political turmoil forced Prime Minister Olmert to resign.
Rosner also predicted, "The IDF will be forced to go back into the Gaza Strip. One can't imagine the continuous shelling of Israeli towns without more violent reaction from
The writer also predicted that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani "is the clear and only choice" to be the Republican nominee for president.