Four Great Food Experiences In Israel

By Jeanne O'Brien Coffey - May 28, 2015

Originally appeared here on Forbes.com 

Food is an exceptional way to connect with a new culture. In Israel, freshly ground spices and nuts perfume the open air markets and form the basis of a cuisine rich with fresh vegetables, locally made cheeses and ancient grains. Here are four worthwhile stops for foodies and anyone who wants to explore Israeli culture through its food.

Chai Goat Farm, Mevo Modi’in
Judy Avraham Chai abandoned life in London and a public relations job to start an organic goat farm with her husband, and is now making cheese so popular she couldn’t age it if she wanted to. A sort of mad scientist of cheese, she makes traditional Middle Eastern cheeses like labneh, a thick savory goat’s milk yogurt, but also makes cheddar, manchego, and Roquefort.

Tours and tastings are by appointment only, and Chai also offers cheese-making classes, and opportunities to milk or herd the goats, who graze in the nearby Ben Shemen Forest.
Tel +0544283646, chaifarm@netvision.net.il

Machane Yehuda Marketplace, Jerusalem
Exotic scents overwhelm at this busy but friendly market. Stands are piled high with green and black olives, spice mixes, teas, baked goods, Israeli olive oil, halvah, and cheese, among countless other goodies. Vendors, many of whom have worked in the stalls for generations, are happy to share tastes and cooking tips. Read More

Israel-Texas researchers win top desalination award

(photo: Edi Israel/Flash90)

By David Shamah - May 27, 2015

Originally appeared here in the Times of Israel 

Texas is no stranger to droughts, a fact that long ago prompted local leaders to seek technologies that ensure a steady supply of water. With Israel a world leader in water technology, it was only natural that the longhorn state would team up with the Jewish state.

One of the fruits of that collaboration — a joint desalination project involving researchers from the Technion in Haifa and the University of North Texas — has won the $125,000 Desal Prize competition sponsored by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) as part of the Securing Water for Food Grand Challenge, with support from Sida, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Israeli and American winners of the award announced that they will use the prize money to help build a water treatment plant in Jordan.

Researchers at the Technion’s Stephen and Nancy Grand Water Research Institute joined the competition at the request of researchers from the electrical engineering department at the University of North Texas. The American researchers, who focused on developing a solution to the alternative energy aspect of the competition, asked Prof. Carlos Dosoretz and Prof. Ori Lahav, researchers from the Technion Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, to design a solution for the desalination component of the project, and to submit a joint proposal. Other researchers from universities in Jordan, Nepal and Brazil worked on other components of the project. Read More

Israel's Blatt guides LeBron and Cleveland Cavaliers to NBA Finals

(photo: Reuters)

By Ynet and Reuters - May 27, 2015

Originally appeared here on Ynetnews.com

Israeli basketball coach David Blatt is taking the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA finals, after his team crushed the Atlanta Hawks 118-88 on Tuesday to complete a 4-0 sweep of the Eastern Conference Final.

LeBron James scored a game-high 23 points as the Cavs advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2007, where they will play either the Golden State Warriors or Houston Rockets. The NBA Finals start on June 4.
 
"We've worked our tails off all season to get to the this point, and to be able to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA finals is the ultimate, especially in this city," James said in a courtside interview. "We'll be ready to go."

The Cavs were bolstered by the return of point guard Kyrie Irving, who had missed the last two games with a knee injury. Irving played 22 minutes and scored 16 points.
 
A jubilant Blatt paid tribute to his team, and reminded fans of the sacrifices he himself has made.
 
"I know it's hard for people to understand because they don't really know well my path and career. But you know this also is a new situation for me and a new place for me," Blatt said. Read More

Israel’s first Jordanian PhD wants to bring peace through water

(photo: Renee Ghert-Zand/Times of Israel)

By Renee Ghert-Zand - May 25, 2015

Originally appeared here in the Times of Israel 

Amer Sweity lives at Midreshet Ben-Gurion in Sde Boker, a tiny community located some 50 kilometers south of Beersheba. He is a Negev desert pioneer, but not in the usual sense. Residing and conducting research at Ben-Gurion University’s Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Sweity recently became the first Jordanian citizen to earn a doctoral degree from an Israeli university.

In fact, based on inquiries The Times of Israel made with several of Israel’s largest universities and the Council of Higher Education in Israel, it appears that Sweity, 34, is the first foreign national from any Arab country to have received a PhD in Israel.

Sweity, who received the BGU Rector’s Award for excellence upon the completion of his degree this past March, is an expert in desalination. His research focuses on the polyamide membranes used in the process of turning seawater into potable water. Specifically, he seeks to optimize the use of various chemicals that are added to the seawater to prevent scaling on the membranes.

“These chemicals can cause side effects. We want to see whether the chemicals decrease the membranes’ efficiency, or whether they create bacterial growth on the membranes,” said Sweity as he showed this reporter around the lab where he did his PhD research funded by Israel’s Water Authority. Read More

Israel makes it to Eurovision finals for first time in 5 years

(photo: Screenshot/YouTube)

By Times of Israel Staff - May 22, 2015

Originally appeared here in The Times of Israel

For the first time in five years, Israel has qualified for the Eurovision finals set to take place in Vienna on Saturday.

Representing Israel this year at the song contest is 16-year-old Nadav Guedj, who performed his pop song “Golden Boy” in front of a rather exuberant audience at the semi-finals on Thursday night. Guedj is the winner of the second season of the Israeli reality TV show “The Next Star.”

The song was released in March and is sung entirely in English.

Israel is among 20 qualifiers for the international contest and will battle countries such as Australia, Azerbaijan, Poland, Latvia and Montenegro for the top spot. Read More

The Travelettes Guide to Tel Aviv

(photo: travelettes.net)

By Kathi Kamleitner - May 19, 2015

Originally appeared here on Travelettes.net  

Sand dunes, camels and oriental markets, or glassy high risers, cats and crazy nightlife – what is your idea of Tel Aviv? Mine was probably a little bit of both. Having met Israelis before, I knew Tel Aviv was a city that never sleeps. I knew it was by the seaside and surrounded by desert. I knew it was considerably secular and welcoming. I had heard about the local food and the diverse cultural mix of people. But, oh dear Travelettes – I had no idea what all this would mean thrown together in reality!

Tel Aviv took my heart by storm. A couple of days where enough to lay the foundation for a future life. Or at least a month or two. Any longer and I would roll around, rather than walk… but let’s talk about Israeli food on another occasion. Right now, I want to help you decide to visit Tel Aviv as well, and give you an overview of things to do, places to see and where to spend your shekels. Read on for the Travelettes Guide to Tel Aviv…

Tel Aviv is potentially the smallest metropolis I have ever been to. Only 400,000 people live here, although the Greater Tel Aviv area counts well over 3 million. If you talk to a real central Tel Avivian, don’t even try to define the suburbs as Tel Aviv though – they will tell you, what is and what is not ‘the city’. Back to its surprising size though – despite it’s smallness, it feels so big and diverse, a new neighbourhood behind every corner, vibrating with life, young, beautiful people whereever you look. One could think you’re in Berlin, New York or London.

The city is not only a city that never sleeps, it’s also the start-up capital of the world (closing in on San Francisco & Silicon Valley). Google is here and Amazon, but also new start-ups like Roomer or TravelersBox. The creative energy is always buzzing. Young people from around the world are magnetically drawn here like flies are to light. You’ll find a lot of likeminded souls in a very small space, unfortunately this also means that living here is not on the cheap side… Either way, exploring Tel Aviv is a lot of fun. There are so many sides to it, that you need at least 4-5 days to only meet its most obvious faces. To dig deeper, take some more time, befriend locals and stay for a while. Read More

More than 17,000 march in annual "Walk With Israel" in Toronto

(photo: DAVE THOMAS/Toronto Sun)

By Terry Davidson - May 18, 2015 

Originally appeared here in the Toronto Sun 

TORONTO - Support, solidarity, and assistance.

 These were the predominant themes during the 48th annual Walk With Israel in Toronto on Monday when more than 17,000 people took up placards and blue-and-white Israeli flags for a march from Coronation Park, through the city’s downtown, and on to Ontario Place.

Steve Shulman of the United Jewish Appeal said the event is designed to “celebrate shared values between Canada and Israel and to raise significant dollars for educational, social, and health care initiatives in Israel.

“I was in Israel last week ... and what you see there is a vibrant democracy ... and that is a clear contrast to the neighbourhood around Israel, which becomes more dangerous by the day,” he added. “So, in many ways, despite all of these challenges Israel has, (it) is very much a light in terms of what can be in the Middle East.” Read More

Israel’s Efforts to Help Nepal, Mideast Christians, Show True Spirit of Zionism

(Photo: IDF Spokesperson via Twitter)

By Gabriel Nadaf - May 17, 2015

Originally appeared here in The Algemeiner 

Significant public discussion began recently regarding Israel’s and the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) mobilization to assist the wounded and missing from the earthquake in Nepal.

A large IDF delegation left for the disaster area in Kathmandu, and within a few days established a field hospital as well as a system for locating missing Israelis in cooperation with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Of course, the results were not long in coming. Nearly all the Israelis were located, many of them were evacuated to Israel, and the IDF’s Medical Corps field hospitals have provided medical services to thousands of Nepalese victims who were wounded during the initial earthquake and its aftershocks.

The State of Israel has shown its solidarity with the world community – sending more equipment and manpower than almost any other country in the world – and its efforts have been favorably received and supported. Israel’s action is based on the classic idea of mutual responsibility among the Jewish people – and any people who are in distress, be they Jewish or not. This help and assistance is almost unquestioningly given and received, even here in Israel – a country where normal discourse consists of constant argument between various opinions (like the famous saying goes: ask two Israelis and get three opinions).

This clearly Zionist value is expressed today in Nepal, but not only there. For example, the non-governmental organization Rescuers Without Borders, headed by Rabbi Aryeh Levi from Beitar Illit (an ultra-Orthodox rabbi living in a settlement), is operating in Kathmandu right now. At the same time, he is working with me (an Aramaic Greek-Orthodox priest and the head of the Christian Empowerment Council) to collect basic supplies for Christian refugees who escaped the clutches of the murderous terrorist organization ISIS. Surprisingly (or not), the main source of our manpower for this blessed activity is volunteers from the Zionist non-governmental organization Im Tirtzu, whose main volunteers are Israeli students. Read More

'We love you, IDF,' say Arabs from across the Middle East

By Jpost.com Staff - May 14, 2015  

Originally appeared here in The Jerusalem Post

An Arab-language Facebook page posted by an Israeli Arab citizen seeking to paint the IDF in a positive light has surprisingly attracted adoring feedback from youths across the Middle East who have responded with expressions of love and peace.

The page, which was given the title Tzahal bistahal (“the IDF is worth it”), features pro-Israel messages about the country and the army as well as anti-Hamas images. 

Yet what is most noteworthy were the numerous photographs sent by young Arabs from Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Morocco wishing to express solidarity and admiration for the Israeli military despite its image as an occupying power. Read More

Montreal man scrubs away anti-Semitism

(photo: courtesy)

By Renee Ghert-Zand - May 13, 2015

Originally appeared here in the Times of Israel 

Standing at a burly 6’2″ and sporting a shaved head, cool shades and a black vest, Corey Fleischer looks like an action film hero as he moves around Montreal. His fight is against the bad guys who paint hateful graffiti on public and private property, and his weapon is a power washing wand.

Fleischer simply cannot turn a blind eye to the anti-Semitic, anti-gay and racial slurs and symbols he sees all over. The owner of a power washing company he opened after graduating from university with a women’s studies degree, he dedicates many hours of his personal time to removing the markings.

For the past five years, Fleischer has been on a one-man mission to rid Canada’s second-largest city of visual hate speech. But with word having gotten out in the media about what he’s been doing, demand for his services has risen dramatically in recent months. What started as a sort of hobby for Fleischer has turned into an extensive undertaking that will require more manpower, not to mention water pressure.

As a result, Fleischer is trying to develop a cadre of like-minded people to fight the blight wrought by spray paint can-wielding bigots. He’s launched a fundraising and awareness campaign with the aim of creating a network of hate graffiti removers across Canada. Read More

Injured Syrians find treatment in Israel

(photo: CNN)

By Oren Liebermann - May 11, 2015

Originally appeared here on CNN.com

The scars of surgery run all the way down Jamal's left leg.

He struggles to walk, requiring crutches that he is still learning to use. A bulky metal brace still holds his lower left leg together. It clanks on the ground as he makes his way down the hallways of the hospital.

Jamal has been through hell. He is 7 years old. And he has come out smiling.

His family is from war-torn Syria. A rocket destroyed his leg, scarring his skin. His mother says she thought he would die.

"He needed nine packs of blood that they didn't have," she says of the medical facility in Syria. "He went into a coma for 20 days as a result."

Eighteen surgeries later, Jamal is recovering after treatment at Ziv Medical Center in northern Israel, one of a group of hospitals that has treated nearly 2,000 injured Syrians over the last two years. Read More

Israel treats 4-year-old Gaza patient

(photo: screenshot Ynetnews video)

By Matan Tzuri - May 10, 2015

Originally appeared here in Ynetnews

Yara from Gaza was transferred to Israel for medical treatment after she was injured in a car accident in the strip. Three months later she has managed to surprise hospital staff at the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon by starting to walk just a few days after she was given a prosthetic leg.

Now released from the hospital, Yara can walk and even learned Hebrew during her time in the Israeli hospital. Back in Gaza, Yara was reunited with her parents for the first time since she left to get treatment in Israel.

The accident happened three months ago, near the young girl's home in the Tuffah district in Gaza City. Yara and 15 other children had been playing near a main road when a truck that passed by did not notice the children and ran into Yara.
 
Within minutes, she was taken to Shifa Hospital in Gaza where she underwent several operations. When the doctors were unable to mend her leg they amputated it, which led to a state of necrosis – worsening her condition.
 
The hospital in Gaza did not have the means to take care of Yara which led her parents to request the Hamas authority to give her permission to get medical care in Israel.
 
After a long wait, and many objections, Hamas finally gave their permission to transfer to Yara to Israel, but her parents were told they would have to wait in Gaza. Instead, Hamas allowed the young girl's cousin to accompany her. Read More

Arab who is a diplomat for Israel

By Josh Jackman - May 7, 2015

Originally appeared here in TheJC.com

George Deek is different from most Israeli diplomats. The country’s foreign ministry is full of high-flyers snapped up at a young age, but very few are Arabs.

Mr Deek, who joined the diplomatic corps at the tender age of 25, sees no contradiction in someone with Arab roots representing Israel.

“At 14, I went to a Jewish school and as the only Arab in my class I became the voice of the Palestinians. But just like my classmates were listening to me, I was also listening to them.

“It felt natural to speak up for Arabs but it felt natural to speak up for Jews. We share common fears and goals,” he said.

The envoy, who is deputy ambassador to Norway, made his first official visit to London last week where he was guest of honour at the first annual reception of pro-Israel grassroots group StandWithUs UK. Read More

Lebanese MadMen dining in Tel Aviv

(photo: ZOUBISOU)

By Ariel Cohen, Elia Berger - May 7, 2015

Originally appeared here in The Jerusalem Post

Zou Bisou, a happening cocktail bar on central Tel Aviv’s Ben Yehuda Street, is spicing up their repertoire by hosting celebrity guest chefs and having theme nights.

The first of the annual “concept nights” showcased Lebanese chef Kamel Hashalmon cooking up his home cuisine. Each month will feature a different Arab sous chef, bringing his or her own cuisine to the Tel Aviv culinary scene. Additionally, the concept nights are done in conjunction with Heineken Premium beer. 

"As a brand capital premium carrier in the world, we at Heineken aim to introduce marketing innovations and breakthroughs to the Israeli public," Heineken marketing director Nir Gal said. “Adventures in the world of culture, art and culinary, further activities of Heineken...we aim to continue to lead in quality and innovation and this time we were able to bring our customers to the front beer and culinary world."

The bar had a 1960s atmosphere that could only be described as Mad Men-esque. Read More

Israel Criticized for Helping Nepal Earthquake Victims

(photo: Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images)

By Joel Himelfarb - May 6, 2015

Originally appeared here in Newsmax

Last week, the Israel Defense Forces sent 260 doctors, nurses and search-and-rescue personnel to Nepal to aid that nation's earthquake relief efforts.

Most people, regardless of their position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, would probably regard that as a positive development.

But Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, views the Israeli humanitarian help in a darker light.

Steven A. Cook, a senior fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations, writes in Newsweek that Roth used a report about Israeli aid to Nepal to attack the Jewish state's treatment of the Palestinians.

"Easier to address a far-away humanitarian disaster than the nearby one of Israel's making in Gaza!" Roth tweeted.

Cook wrote that he was surprised that Roth "seems so blithely unaware of just how difficult it actually is to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza." Read More

450 treated, 5 births at IDF hospital in Nepal

(Photo: IDF Spokesperson via FLASH90)

By Abigail Klein Leichman - May 3, 2015

Originally appeared here in Israel21c

Even as some Israeli rescuers have finished their work in Nepal and are landing at home today, many are still working to find and treat victims of the April 25 earthquake that killed some 7,000 people and wounded about 13,000.

Rescue and relief organizations from Israel have assisted in dramatic rescues. IsraAID personnel led a 10-hour effort by search-and-rescue teams from France, Norway and Nepal to reach Krishna Devi Khadka, a 24-year-old maid trapped in a hotel for five days in an air pocket covered by a corpse.

“When the young woman was finally extracted and carried away to a waiting ambulance, it was to the great relief of the large crowd that had gathered, bringing hope that others may yet be alive,” reports IsraAID founder and director Shachar Zahavi.

Nepalese teenager Pemba Lama also was rescued after five days under debris. Like Khadka, he was treated at the Israel Defense Forces’ field hospital, set up on April 29 in Kathmandu. Read More

On first day, IDF field hospital in Nepal treats nearly 100, delivers baby

((Photo: AP/Manish Swarup)

By Times of Israel Staff and AP - April 30, 2015

Originally appeared here in The Times of Israel 

Israel’s field hospital in earthquake-hit Nepal began operating Wednesday morning, with staff treating nearly 100 patients and delivering their first baby — a boy — on the first day, according to an IDF spokesperson

Among the patients were some 30 Israeli nationals. Most were suffering from dehydration and were soon released to their hotels.

Over 250 doctors and rescue personnel were part of an IDF delegation that landed Tuesday in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, in the wake of Saturday’s magnitude-7.8 earthquake that devastated large swaths of the mountainous country, killing at least 5,000 and leaving some 8,000 wounded and tens of thousands seeking shelter and food.

The Israeli group set up the field hospital with 60 beds, including an obstetrics department, and was operating in coordination with the local army hospital.

Of 2,000 Israelis who were in the country when the natural disaster hit, only one remains unaccounted for, even as some were still stranded in far-flung areas of the country, awaiting rescue. Read More

How Israeli Desalination Technology Is Helping Solve California’s Devastating Drought

By Betty Ilovici - April 27, 2015

Originally appeared here in NoCamels 

Four years of devastating droughts in California have pushed cities and counties in the Golden State to seriously consider turning to the one drinking source that is not depleting anytime soon – seawater. With the Pacific Ocean abutting their shores, water desalination may be the much-needed solution for Californians. But desalination has its disadvantages, the chief ones being the high costs and the potential environmental damage.

To address these challenges, California is turning to the world leader in cutting edge desalination technology – Israel. A $1 billion desalination project is already underway in San Diego County – which will be the largest seawater desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere – and Israeli engineers have been called in for their expertise.

Currently under construction in Carlsbad, 35 miles north of San Diego, the plant could potentially provide Californians with 54 million gallons of water a day. The plant is using technology Israelis have been using for years, reverse-osmosis, which involves forcing seawater through a film with tiny holes that allow only water molecules to pass through, while the larger salt molecules cannot.

2014 was California’s third driest year in 119 years and according to the US Geological Survey; it was also the warmest year in recorded history, leading California to declare a drought state of emergency last year. Earlier this month, another frightening figure was published: The California Department of Water Resources measured the statewide water content of Sierra snowpack (which provides about one-third of the water used by California’s cities and farms) at 5 percent, the lowest level since 1950. In response, the governor recently announced mandatory State-wide water cutbacks.

Despite this, the Golden State has only a handful of small desalination plants. But with the help of Israel Desalination Enterprises (IDE Technologies), the $1 billion desalination plant San Diego is due to become reality next year. According to IDE – which is also working on desalination projects in China, India and Australia – the Carlsbad project is a “complete game changer for desalination in the US.” This project is expected to provide clean water to 300,000 people and generate roughly $50 million annually for the regional economy. “The plant overcame significant practical, regulatory and economic hurdles to deliver a cost-effective and environmentally friendly water supply,” IDE said. Read More

Israeli innovations save lives in Nepal

(Photo: ZAKA)

By Abigail Klein Leichman - April 28, 2015

Originally appeared here in Israel21c

Israeli innovations like the Emergency Bandage and the Pocket BVM, a manual ventilator to assist people who are not breathing, are just two of the technologies that are being put to use in saving lives in earthquake-stricken Nepal.

According to Israeli paramedic Dov Meisel, speaking to ISRAEL21c from Nepal’s badly-damaged capital, Kathmandu, a number of innovative Israeli technologies have been packed into 60 cases of medical and search-and-rescue equipment arriving at Kathmandu today for his 25-member Israeli disaster response team.

“A lot of our equipment is Israeli-made,” said Meisel, a volunteer with Israel’s United Hatzalah voluntary emergency response network and director of international operations for IsraeLife, an umbrella organization for which he is coordinating a joint disaster response team from United Hatzalah, ZAKA and FIRST rescue and recovery nonprofits.

The Emergency Bandage, by First Care Products, has a built-in pressure bar to stop bleeding and was invented by a former combat medic in the Israel Defense Force. It’s been credited for saving lives of US servicemen in Iraq, as well as Arizona Congresswoman, Gabriel Giffords.

In addition to this, the Pocket BVM from MicroBVM, and other blue-and-white supplies, the crew is mapping its activities using a satellite-based smartphone technology created for United Hatzalah, called the NowForce Life Compass. Read More

Israeli planes bring home babies born in quake-struck Nepal

(photo: Ben Hartman)

By Tovah Lazaroff - April 27, 2015

Originally appeared here in The Jerusalem Post

Two planes that carried Israelis rescued from the earthquake in Nepal landed in Israel on Monday.

Five other flights flew to Kathmandu on Monday with Israeli rescue teams, IDF soldiers and medical personnel to help Nepal, which is still devastated by the 7.9 magnitude quake that struck on Saturday, killing over 3,300 people. Since then additional damage has been caused by a series of after shocks.

A small IAF plane was the first carrier to arrive back in Israel from Nepal. It landed at a military base early Monday. On board were a number of wounded Israelis and premature babies of Israeli parents who were born to surrogate Nepalese mothers. 

A Magen David Adom plane with five more babies born to surrogate mothers and their Israeli families landed at Sde Dov Airport at noon on Monday. Over a dozen such babies still need to be airlifted home.

Three IAF Hercules planes left for Nepal on Monday as did two El Al jumbo jets with missions jointly organized by the IDF and the Foreign Ministry. 

The large carriers with 260 personnel on board also transported 95 tons of equipment including a field hospital with a ward for premature babies. Rescuers brought with them cutting equipment, electronic devices to help find victims trapped under the rubble, generators, lighting equipment, and more. Read More