This Week’s Sanity Report from Israel Oct. 23, 2022
Health and Sustainability are two key themes of the Jewish festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles) that Jews just finished celebrating. They also feature heavily in my latest positive Israel newsletter.
Recent medical innovations include protecting heart function, aid for dyslexics, trauma therapy and delivering healthy babies. Technical innovations help capture more solar energy, remove carbon dioxide from the air, and recycle everything from shoes, and old phones to construction materials. Israeli businesses are producing food from seaweed, pollinating tomatoes, manufacturing efficient electric motors, and desalinating seawater. Israeli startups are making a global impact with a World Sustainability award and the world’s first sustainability database.
Read about Israel’s successes in breeding rare species, the bird sanctuary in the heart of Tel Aviv, and unusual sea creatures visiting Eilat’s coast. Finally, Israel again proves it will always come to the aid of victims of natural and humanitarian disasters.
The photo is of grapes growing alongside the path next to the children’s playground near my home in Israel – a healthy environment for children to grow.
the highlights include:
- Israeli innovations benefit heart patients and expectant mothers.
- An Israeli startup finds jobs for “invisible” US workers.
- An Israeli company won a World Sustainability award.
- Intel launched its latest Israeli-developed processor, in Israel!
- Six Israeli sustainable innovations.
- An Israeli desalination facility to be built in Azerbaijan.
- Millions of Jews and non-Jews visited Jerusalem during the Jewish festivals.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Diagnosing irregular heart rates in high-risk patients. Prof Mahmoud Saliman of Rambam Health Care Campus is the first in Israel to insert an ultrasound device through a vein (without anesthesia) to safely diagnose a patient suffering from atrial fibrillation (AFib). High-risk patients cannot have anesthesia or blood thinners.
https://www.jpost.com/health-
The secret to a healthy heart. Scientists at Israel’s Assuta Ashdod Medical Center found why patients with a high-risk of coronary heart disease (e.g., some diabetics and smokers) have healthy arteries. Their endothelial progenitor cells have longer telomeres and greater function. It can help in developing preventative medicines.
https://www.jpost.com/health-
OrCam for dyslexics. OrCam Learn (see here previously) is a voice-activated, interactive handheld device designed for people with learning challenges. It combines AI with a high-resolution visual sensor, and laser capture. It reads text aloud from any surface, listens to the reader and provides feedback. And much more.
https://learn.orcam.com/en/ https://www.youtube.com/
European approval for bone augmentation material. (TY Atid-EDI) The Ivory Dentin Graft™ dentin graft material from Israel’s Ivory Graft has just received the European CE Mark for use in the repair or augmentation of bone defects. Its similarity to bone makes it an ideal grafting material, e.g., in dental procedures.
https://www.prnewswire.com/il/
Animal Assisted Therapy – a win-win. HAMA (see here previously) is among the pioneering organizations in AAI – Animal Assisted Intervention in Therapy and Education in Israel. Many of the animals are rescued from abuse and neglect, and have in turn enriched humans suffering from trauma, deep loss, and abandonment.
https://www.jpost.com/health-
Detecting fetal anomalies. (TY UWI) More details about Israel’s IdentifAI Genetics (see here previously) and its Hoobari blood test invented by Tel Aviv University’s Professor Noam Shomron. The test separates the DNA of a 10-week fetus from that of its mother and then checks it for mutations. Much safer than amniocentesis.
https://www.israel21c.org/new-
Miracle baby. (TY UWI) Before aggressive chemo, Tzvia had ovarian tissue frozen. 20 years later, doctors at Jerusalem’s Hadassah hospital defrosted and re-transplanted some of the tissue. It reversed her menopause and Tzvia has now given birth to a healthy baby girl – the longest ever time for a successful post-cancer transplant.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
3 successful Israeli women. Interesting interviews with Jasmin Inbar, VP Corporate Development at Israel’s ASTERRA (see here previously; also, Adva Amir, CEO & Co-founder of Direct and an airline pilot for Skywest Airlines; finally, Yael Ben Arie, CEO of Octopai, which helps companies to control their data.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
https://www.calcalistech.com/
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Hiring skilled underprivileged workers. Israel’s female-founded TaTiO uses AI to recruit employees based on skills rather than resumes. It aims to hire from the estimated 27 million underprivileged workers in the US who lack the credentials or education sought by recruiters, rendering them “invisible” to the job market.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Fighting poverty in Africa. Israel’s Tzippora Nusbaum has been helping women in Northern Tanzania add to their income by growing and selling mushrooms. She is now replicating her “Entrepreneurs vs. Poverty” project across Africa. The mushroom farms simply need sterilized agricultural waste, buckets, and dark places to grow.
https://nocamels.com/2022/10/
Treating hurricane victims one survivor at a time. There are several first-hand accounts on the Internet of Israeli NGO United Hatzalah treating survivors from Hurricane Ian in Florida USA.
https://israelrescue.org/blog/
https://www.jpost.com/
https://themedialine.org/top-
Saving species. (TY WIN) Jerusalem’s Biblical Zoo just celebrated the birth of a rare southern three-banded armadillo, classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as “near threatened.” Their flexible bands allow them to curl into tight balls to defend themselves. Link below lists other species the Zoo conserves.
https://www.israel21c.org/
https://www.jerusalemzoo.org/
World Sustainability Award. Israel’s HomeBiogas see here previously) has been awarded the World Sustainability Award in the field of Circular Economy. One judge described it as: “an astonishing innovation, which opens up a new era of possibilities for the under-developed world but also the developed one.”
https://www.calcalistech.com/
The 5th most educated country. (TY Rhoda) The Erudera education search platform rates Israel as the fifth most educated country in the world, with over half (50.12%) of people having completed tertiary education. The top four are Canada, Japan, Luxembourg, and South Korea. The OECD average is 39%.
https://erudera.com/resources/
https://www.jpost.com/israel-
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Intel’s Israeli-developed 13th gen processors. Intel has unveiled ‘Raptor Lake’ – its 13th generation Intel Core family of processors. It includes the Core i9-13900K – the world’s fastest desktop processor. For the first time, the official launch was held in Israel, with 90 senior tech journalists coming from abroad for the event.
https://en.globes.co.il/en/
https://www.intel.com/content/
Construction Software of the Year. Israel’s Buildots (see here previously) won the “Construction Software of the Year” award at the 2022 London Construction Awards at London Build, the UK’s leading construction and design show. It was also a finalist in the “Product Innovation” and “Technological Innovation” categories.
https://www.israel21c.org/
Reducing traffic accidents at Ben Gurion airport. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s SaverOne (see here previously) prevents car accidents by disabling mobile phones while driving. Israel Airports Authorities, operator of Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, is to pilot SaverOne’s technology for drivers of vehicles in its operational areas.
https://www.prnewswire.com/il/
Solar panels track the Sun. Israel’s SolarGik tilts solar panels throughout the day with a “smart PV tracker” so they catch more sun and produce up to 25 per cent more energy than standard, fixed panels. The trackers can be installed any place a fixed-tilt panel can be installed.
https://www.solargik.com/ https://www.youtube.com/
Removing CO2 from the air. (TY Israel21c) Israel’s RepAir Carbon Capture has developed an electrochemical device that utilizes (renewable) electricity to separate CO2 from the air cost-efficiently and ensures that the CO2 captured from the atmosphere is economically viable.
https://finder.
Bio-degradable shoes. (TY NoCamels) Israel’s Belena has developed BioCir™ a compostable and biodegradable thermoplastic material. Belena’s first product is BioCir™ Slides – fashionable, easy to wear, sandals that are fully compostable. Belena even supplies addresses where any worn-out slides can be recycled.
https://balena.science/ https://balena.science/
Your old smartphone has value. (TY NoCamels) Israel’s Refurbished Smartphone Revolution has automats in Tel Aviv where you can pop in your old smartphone to receive either money, or a gift card redeemable at major retailers and service providers, or a refurbished phone on the spot.
https://get-re.com/
Sustainable quality wall tiles. (TY NoCamels) Israel’s female-led startup Criaterra Earth Technologies (see here previously) is one of 10 companies chosen to represent Israel at COP27, the United Nations Climate conference, at Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, in November. Criaterra’s tiles are 100% recyclable and biodegradable.
https://criaterra.com/ https://www.calcalistech.com/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
The world’s largest sustainability database. Israel’s Continue AI has developed a sustainability intelligence platform to help leading companies reach their environmental goals. The platform utilizes AI to synthesize millions of data points to provide recommended actions that enable corporations to achieve sustainable goals.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Join the Technion UK (virtually) on its Israel tour. Register for free to join (virtually) the Technion UK’s “Out of This World” Israel trip (Oct 24-28). Hear from Technion Professors and entrepreneurs; See museums, Iron Dome, and more. Save the date (Jun 4 – 8 2023) for the Israel 75 trip.
https://technionuk.org/
Israeli involvement in diverted asteroid mission. (TY UWI) NASA’s DART mission successfully diverted an asteroid showing it potentially can protect the Earth. Israel’s Ramon.Space (see here previously) provided an important computer processor for the Italian satellite that captured vital images of DART’s impact.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Jerusalem’s new water system is completed. After six years of work (see here previously) and some NIS 2.5 billion, Israel’s National water company Mekorot has inaugurated the new 5th water transmission system for Jerusalem. It will be the main water artery for the towns surrounding Israel’s capital city until 2060.
https://www.jpost.com/
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
More offshore gas discovered. (TY WIN) Energy producer Energean has announced the discovery of 7 – 15 billion cubic meters (BCM) of natural gas at its Hermes exploration well in the Mediterranean Sea off Israel.
https://en.globes.co.il/en/
An Israeli desalination plant on the Caspian Sea. (TY Hazel) The ‘Azerbaijan Investment Company’ has signed a memorandum of understanding with Israel’s ‘I.D.E. Water Assets Ltd’ (IDE Technologies – see here previously) to establish a plant for desalinating Caspian Sea water in Azerbaijan.
https://www.azernews.az/
3D-printing of parts for Boeing. (TY Hazel) Back in 2018, Israel’s Assembrix (see here previously) protected Boeing’s intellectual property during the 3D-print manufacturing of parts. Assembrix has now signed an agreement with Boeing to develop a platform that physically prints airplane and space station parts.
https://www.jpost.com/
Israeli electric motors for Japan. (TY NoCamels) Israel’s EVR Motors (see here previously) has partnered with Tsukasa Electric to bring EVR’s breakthrough electric motor to Japan. The motor is suitable for electric vehicles, construction equipment, agricultural machinery, industrial robots, small boats, and much more.
https://www.startuphub.ai/
Electric partnership for Nigeria and Ghana. Israel’s SixAI (see here previously) is partnering Japan’s Musashi Seimitsu to produce and lease millions of battery-powered motorcycles and auto-rickshaws in Nigeria and Ghana. The cheap, environmentally friendly vehicles will then be rolled out to the rest of Africa.
https://www.jpost.com/
Polly goes to Finland. Israel’s Arugga AI Farming (see here previously) has won its first European contract. Agrifutura Oy, the Finnish producer of tomato brand Nams, will deploy Arugga’s robot tomato pollinator on its 4.6 hectares of greenhouse tomatoes. Arugga’s “Polly” pollinator is already in use in the USA and Australia.
https://www.arugga.com/news/
Seaweed to Canada and Italy. Israel’s Seakura (see here previously) has launched its seaweed-based products in nine Canadian supermarket chains. They include organic seaweed falafel mix and various seaweed pastas with lentils, corn, or quinoa. Seakura also supplies Italian frozen food manufacturer Rispo with fresh seaweed.
https://www.israel21c.org/get-
Dutch government selects Israeli travel platform. The government of the Netherlands has selected Israel’s Atriis as their global managed travel technology platform for the next eight years. The Dutch government will use the Atriis platform to book business travel for more than 12,000 travelers worldwide.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Cost of living moves Israelis into hi-tech. Israelis are finally getting the message that they do not need to slave away at low-paid, dead-end jobs when there are thousands of well-paid hi-tech jobs available. A survey by Practicum Israel showed over 60 per cent of respondents moving into the hi-tech sector due to high living costs.
https://nocamels.com/2022/10/
From camel rancher to hi-tech developer. Here is one example of an Israeli embarking on a completely new career. Shlomo is a full-stack developer for the fintech firm Capitolis. But just five years ago, he was a camel rancher with little-to-no technical experience.
https://www.jpost.com/
Exits, takeovers and mergers to 23/10/22: Israeli semiconductor startup Banias Labs was acquired by UK’s Alphawave IP for $240 million. Israeli-owned BrainPOP was acquired by Lego’s holding company KIRKBI A/S for $875 million.
Investment in Israeli startups to 23/10/22: TripActions raised $300 million; IronVest raised $23 million; SecuriThings raised $21 million; Classiq raises an extra $16 million; Cipia raised $9 million; Tres.finance raised $7.6 million; Kubiya raised $6 million; Continue AI raised $5.7 million; TaTiO raised $5.3 million;
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT`
A bird sanctuary in the center of Tel Aviv. The Rosh Tzipor (Bird’s Head) Forest is situated in HaYarkon Park in the heart of Tel Aviv. Inside is the new Ganei Yehoshua park bird watching center at the junction of the Ayalon and Yarkon rivers. It covers 8 acres of trees, green areas, streams and ponds with many species of birds.
https://www.israel21c.org/
https://www.kkl-jnf.org/
Israeli Jazz. Paris-based photographer Raphael Perez is displaying his collection of 80 photos of 65 Israeli jazz musicians from Oct 13-30 at the ZOA House (Beit Ziyonei America), in Tel Aviv. He plans to publish his book of the photos plus biographies of the musicians, in English, French and Hebrew in Feb 2023.
https://www.israel21c.org/
After the Chag at Center Stage. Upcoming events at Center Stage in Raanana (Israel’s only professional English language theater) include Eli and the Chocolate factory (25 Oct – Jazz), Iris Bahr’s Comedy Nite (26 Oct), Sorcerers Night (31 Oct), Songtalk (9 Nov), and Chorale Vie Nouvelle (29 Dec – Congolese in Israel).
https://www.centerstageisrael.
https://www.centerstageisrael.
Street musician plays on stage with Maroon 5. Israeli singer-songwriter Coral Bismuth was performing on a Tel Aviv beach when spotted by Adam Levine, lead vocalist of Maroon 5 who were in Israel prior to the band’s concert in Yarkon Park. He invited Coral to join the band on stage and play to 70,000 Maroon 5 fans.
https://www.israel21c.org/the-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
“False killer whales” sighted near Eilat. A pod of ten “false killer whales” (Pseudorca crassidens) made a rare visit to the Gulf of Eilat. Israel Nature and Parks Authority maritime ranger Omri Amosi swam with them and documented them. The dolphin species is so named because they have skulls like killer whales (Orcas).
https://www.israelhayom.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Maccabi Haifa beats Juventus. (TY Hazel & JNS) Maccabi Haifa beat top Italian soccer team Juventus 2-0 in their UEFA Champions’ League group match in front of some 30,000 ecstatic fans in Haifa. Maccabi Haifa’s first win in Europe’s top competition keeps alive their slim chance of qualifying for the final stages.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
THE JEWISH STATE
Israelis rescue survivor from Ukraine. Two volunteers from Israeli NGO United Hatzalah rescued a wounded 86-year-old Shoah survivor from the fighting in the Ukrainian city of Lyman. Alexander and Vadim traveled over 2,500 km to bring the woman to the Slovakian border, where she received medical treatment.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/
Surfside to twin with Samaria. (TY UWI) Surfside, Florida is to establish a twin city relationship with Israel’s Samaria Regional Council. Its purpose is to thank Israel for its help its help in the search and rescue operation at the site of the collapse the 12-storey Champlain Towers South condominium last year.
https://www.jns.org/surfside-
“Hakhel” at the Kotel. Some 50,000 people attended the once-in-seven-years’ “Hakhel” communal ceremony at the Kotel (Western Wall in Jerusalem). Israel’s President Isaac Herzog participated with Israeli religious and political leaders in the dedication of three Torah scrolls. In Biblical times the King read the whole scroll.
https://www.jns.org/once-in-
https://youtu.be/7jgKjyhRYyg?
The Bible Marathon. Nearly 4,000 men and women ran in this year’s International Bible Marathon. The 42.2km race began and finished at Ancient Shiloh, where the original Biblical Tabernacle was sited on entering the Land of Israel over 3,300 years ago. The race always takes place during the Jewish feast of Tabernacles.
https://www.
Sukkot on the Real Jerusalem Streets. Sharon captured the colors and crowds of Sukkot (Tabernacles) in Jerusalem; at the Kotel, at the President’s residence and almost everywhere in between. Meanwhile some two million people visited the Western Wall during the holidays.
http://rjstreets.com/2022/10/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
They shall all come to Jerusalem. (TY Stuart Palmer) The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) held its annual Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) for 2 nights by the Sea of Galilee and the next 5 days in Jerusalem. The event was attended by more than 1,700 Christians from over 70 countries.
https://haifadiarist.blogspot.
https://www.jpost.com/
