Material Girl to perform in Israel

Madonna will play in Tel Aviv on Sept. 1 for the last stop on her “Sticky and Sweet” world tour. The pop star’s Web site quotes her as saying she’s “very excited about returning to Israel for my last and final show.”

Madonna has adopted the Hebrew name of Esther and is a student of Kabbalah. She made a private pilgrimage to Israel in 2004 to visit grave sites of Jewish sages.

News of Madonna’s upcoming visit to Israel made front-page news there last week.

This will be the pop icon’s second gig in Israel. She last performed in the country in 1993.