Photo of Tel Aviv Beach Sunset by Steve Ornstein. The Hebrew University celebrates its 60th anniversary with three top news announcements. Two young cancer patients (from Gaza and Israel) at a Tel Aviv hospital are best friends.The UN General Assembly passed an Israeli-sponsored resolution despite Arab opposition.Israeli water companies are poised to purify India’s water supplies.Philips is to build a new research & development center in Haifa. A neat application to buy Israeli spectacles on-line (and even try them on).An Israeli rower has been completely rehabilitated one year after almost drowning. Israeli schoolchildren substantially improve their international math and science results.
Page Down for more details on these and other good news stories from Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
60 years of medical achievement. 1000 graduates of the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School gathered yesterday at the opening of an alumni conference marking 60 years since the graduation of the school’s first class. Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat said that there are 32,000 medical employees in Jerusalem.
Understanding brain degeneration. Hebrew University researchers have uncovered important details about the origins of brain diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, ALS and Huntington’s diseases. The research could lead to new methods of preventing toxic proteins in the brain from causing damage and even death.
Oyster mushroom molecule kills cancer cells. Israeli researchers have discovered that extracts inside the edible Oyster mushroom contain molecules that bind themselves to cancer cells and kill them.
Fighting infectious diseases. The Israel Ministry of Health has designated the Sanford Kuvin Center for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem as Israel’s National Laboratory for Leishmaniasis – a parasitic disease affecting an estimated 12 million people worldwide.
Smartphone apps to keep you healthy. Israeli smartphone apps demonstrated at Tel Aviv’s (Innovations in Cardiovascular Interventions) event included Healarium – an information and incentive system, Mobile-CliniQ from Aerotel – transmitting data from sensors to hospitals, and Dario from Labstyle Innovation – a portable glucose meter for diabetics.
A database for ALS treatment. Israeli non-profit organization Prize4Life seeks to accelerate the discovery of treatments and a cure for ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease). It has set-up a database called PRO-ACT that will help develop viable Phase II and Phase III treatments for ALS.
Fighting lung infections with NO2. Israel’s Advanced Inhalation Therapies is to begin two clinical trials using nitric oxide to treat infectious lung diseases. Immune systems of the young are very sensitive to viral infections. Nitric oxide gas could help toddlers and infants with pulmonary infections due to bronchiolitis.
Using ice to heal. The UK’s Daily Telegraph newspaper has reported on an innovative treatment for breast cancer (and maybe other cancers) using a super-cooled needle to inject balls of ice into the tumor. At the end of the fifth paragraph they finally mention that IceCure – the company that developed the system – is Israeli.
Terrorist victim regains sight. In November, Gaza terrorists fired an anti-tank missile at an IDF jeep, seriously wounding Sergeant Shimon Alankri. Doctors at Soroka Hospital in Beer Sheva saved his sight and celebrated with Shimon last week when he managed to light Hanukkah candles.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Israeli, Gaza cancer patients become best friends. Tal Zilker, from Southern Israel has the same type of cancer as his friend Qsuy Imran, from Gaza. Both are 17 years old and patients at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center where they play together on their playstations. Please read this amazing story.
Israeli Ambassador to Ethiopia visits her childhood village. Nearly three decades after immigrating to Israel, Belaynesh Zevadia returned to her village in Ethiopia, this time as Israel’s ambassador. The local synagogue had been preserved, despite the fact that the village’s Jewish population had left long ago.
At risk teens make Hanukkiot from sand. A group of teenagers in the southern town of Yeruham have been making holders for Hanukkah candles out of the multicolored sands found in southern Israel. These have then been sold to a chain of convenience stores and to companies who present them to workers as Hanukkah gifts.
Welcoming the newcomer. Jerusalem Village makes connections between young immigrants and Jerusalem’s existing young adult communities. It organizes Shabbat dinners for 200 people, Hebrew-speaking activities centered on photography, urban gardening, cooking, and even training for the Jerusalem Marathon.
Adopt a survivor. Philanthropist Jay Shultz has inspired 80 young Tel Aviv professionals to pair up with some of Israel’s 200,000 Holocaust survivors in a unique volunteer effort named “Adopt-A-Safta”. Volunteers chat, play games, go for walks, to movies or cafés with their adopted grandparents and help doing odd jobs.
The new friends of Israel. Whilst the media drones on about threats to recall Ambassadors, the important news was that of the new Ambassadors of Croatia, Switzerland, India, Belgium and the Vatican who have just presented their credentials to Israel’s President Shimon Peres.
Helping the Navajo to start-up. The head of the Navajo Nation, Ben Shelly, is in Israel learning about agriculture technology, tourism, capital infrastructure and government services in rural areas. Israel began helping the Native American Indians in 1986 by increasing crop yields through drip irrigation.
Israeli company saves America’s data. Hurricane Sandy caused havoc to many East Coast US companies. But Israeli disaster recovery company Zerto prevented many from going out of business altogether by storing their vital information safely several thousands of miles away from the danger area.
UN passes Israeli resolution. The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly passed an Israeli-sponsored U.N. resolution titled “Entrepreneurship for Development,” marking the first time that the U.N. has formally recognized that entrepreneurship should be a major tool in reducing poverty, creating sustainable development, and reinvigorating the environment. Most Arab and Muslim countries voted against.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Israel keeps your food fresh. (Thanks to NoCamels.com) Israel’s BT9 provides companies with sensors for their temperature-sensitive products and sends them alerts when there is a problem. It’s called “Cold Chain Management” – perishables are transported around the world and monitored in Israel.
Smart energy grid for Netanya. Herzliya-based energy-storage innovator Nation-E has joined forces with Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems to develop and commercialize grid-level energy storage communication systems. The technology will be piloted with the Netanya Municipality.
A vaccine for crops. (Thanks to Israel21c) This article describes the latest developments at Israel’s Morflora. Its revolutionary technology (originating from the Hebrew University) delivers genetic traits to a seed, without transforming the genome of the treated plant. The new strain boosts crop yields and help battle world famine.
Women “man” unmanned vehicles. To avoid risks from Gaza snipers, missiles and explosives, Israel deploys the Guardium – an Unmanned (armored) Ground Vehicle. The UGV is equipped with 360-degree cameras and loudspeakers. They are controlled remotely by IDF soldiers who are all women.
Israel to transform Indian water system. Israeli water experts visited the Indian city of Raipur before a Dehli water conference. Abraham Tenne of the Israel Water Authority said, “The Indian water community looks to Israel as a sort of guru; they know the Israeli water industry very well and hold it in very high regard.”
Glasses to see in the dark. The Israel National Nanotechnology Initiative has given a $6.5 million grant to a team led by Ben-Gurion University to develop thin film nano-coating, a few microns thick, for night vision glasses. Nano-photonic technologies will change invisible infrared light to visible.
UK appoints Tech Envoy to Israel. UK Prime Minister David Cameron announced at a Conservative Friends of Israel lunch that Saul Klein, a partner at investment firm Index Ventures, would act as an unpaid ambassador for tech partnership between Britain and Israel and help build links with innovative Israeli companies.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Philips Healthcare sets up new R&D center in Haifa. Philips’ new center will focus on image processing and analysis, and long-term research. It will employ scores of scientists, image processing technicians, and software and clinical engineers. Philips currently has 600 employees in Haifa, specializing in 3D CT scanners.
Wizz-ing from Tel Aviv to Budapest. Israel’s Tourism Ministry promoted visitors between Israel and Hungary by organizing a fashion show by Frau Brau on Wizz Air’s inaugural flight between Tel Aviv and Budapest. Passengers boarding the Hungarian aircraft had no idea what awaited them.
Israeli-made glasses on-line. I once spent a fortune on a pair of foreign-made spectacles from a local optician. With IsraelOptical you choose Israel-made glasses on-line with free worldwide shipping. You can upload your own photo to see what the glasses look like on. It’s a win-win alternative – unless you’re an optician.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Israeli-Ethiopian arts festival. The week-long Hullegeb festival in Jerusalem will consist of six performances of theater, dance and music, each bringing something different to the stage. The event will shine a spotlight on the contemporary Ethiopian artistic community, and how Israeli artists have influenced it.
Israeli film wins in LA. “The Gatekeepers,” a film by Israeli director Dror Moreh, was named best documentary Sunday by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. The film is an exploration of Israel’s Shin Bet security agency, guided by all six living domestic intelligence chiefs.
Stevie Wonder wouldn’t but Chaka Khan. The Friends of the IDF dinner was a great success with a superb Grammy from award-winning singer Chaka Khan. Over $11 million was raised and many tributes were given to (and by) Israel’s brave soldiers.
A holiday of holidays. Haifa’s Holiday of Holidays Festival is open to the wide public, free of charge – an event that appeals and attracts both Jewish and Arab population. Highlights include art exhibitions, a performance festival, a poetry festival, concerts, street performances, family workshops, tours and food.
Amazing comeback for Israeli rower. Three years after an accident on the Yarkon River left her on a respirator, Jasmine Feingold won the 2,000-meter event at the Israeli Rowing Championships and now is working towards competing in the 2016 Olympics. She recovered after spending a year at the Loewenstein Rehabilitation Center in Ra’anana – one of the best such facilities in the Middle East if not the world.
THE JEWISH STATE
There’s no place like Israel. The latest video from Kinetis highlights the truth about the Jewish State. The vibrant non-profit organisation shows world influencers (and reminds Israelis) how wonderful our country is.
Christians proclaim solidarity with Israel. Delegates at the Protestant Consultation on Israel and the Middle East declared, “We are committed to stand with Israel and the Jewish people.” They criticized other Christian groups for recent comments against Israel.
Israel soars up world education league. Israeli students came 18th of 42 countries in the latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, up from 25th in the last test in 2007. In math alone, scores went up from 24th in 2007 to 7th in 2011 and top of the western world. In reading, Israel is now 18th (was 31st).
Hasmonean town discovered. Israeli archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a community from time of the Hanukkah story, around 2,200 years ago. The excavation in Jerusalem’s Kiryat Hayovel neighborhood has yielded a perfume bottle, wine press, bread oven and the remains of houses and agricultural buildings.
Nice words from UK PM. “And if we’re looking for other countries that can help inspire us in this global race, there’s no doubt in my mind that one of them is Israel.” (There were some poor words too!)
