MICHAEL ORDMAN: GOOD NEWS FROM AMAZING ISRAEL
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Stem cells when you need them. Weizmann researchers have discovered that the body’s bone marrow is home to stem cells that can be transformed into different types of mature blood immune cells to deal with a crisis. The level of detail within the discovery, however, will eventually lead to better medical treatments.
Heart repairs using pig tissue. The phrase “you cannot make a silk purse from a sow’s ear” is no longer true. Israel Technion scientists have used pig tissue to create a thick “scaffold” for heart muscle. It will allow doctors to rehabilitate the damaged scar tissue caused by heart attacks.
Hope for secondary cancer patients. Israel is to conduct part of an international investigation into targeted treatment of secondary cancer. Such patients do not respond to surgery or radiotherapy. But analysis of the genetic mutations of their tumours may identify medication that could destroy the cancer throughout the body.
A remarkable day in an Israeli hospital. It was one of those days that newsletter subscriber Jay Wohlgelernter was pleased that he went into work at Schneider Children’s Medical Centre in Petach Tikvah.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Israeli aid to hurricane Sandy victims. The Israeli global humanitarian organization Israel Flying Aid, which was first to land in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake, has been distributing large supplies of gas to hospitals, and food, batteries and generators to New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Long Island.
And rescuing Ghanaians from the rubble. (Thanks to Israellycool) An Israeli Home Front Command team and a Magen David Adom team are assisting in the relief effort following the collapse of a four-storey shopping mall in Ghana’s capital Accra.
SACH had a mountain to climb. Israelis and Jews from abroad climbed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro to raise $200,000 for Holon based Save A Child’s Heart. Since 1995, SACH volunteer medical staff have performed life-saving heart surgery on 3000 children from 44 countries who suffer from congenital defects.
Researchers can raise their kids too. In a first for Israeli academic institutions, seminars at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem will conclude by 3:30 p.m. to enable young researchers who are raising children to attend without sacrificing the time they spend with their children.
India admires Israel. According to SE Asia expert Professor Nathan Katz, Indian perception of both Jews and Israel is very positive. It is almost affectionate and there is much idealization.
Growing relations with Bulgaria. President Rosen Plevneliev of Bulgaria revealed that he was born on May 14th 1948 – the same day as the modern Jewish State. He planted a tree in Jerusalem’s Grove of Nations and hoped “it will grow and flourish just like the friendship between us.” He also sought more hi-tech co-operation.
Huge rally for Israel. Thousands of Texan members of the pro-Zionist Christians United For Israel gathered at a “Night to Honor Israel”. The event raised nearly $3 million to support Jewish and Israeli charities.
Texas tie-up with Weizmann. The Texas A&M-Weizmann Collaborative Program has awarded over $1.5 million for eight joint research projects to advance scientific discovery. The projects form partnerships between Israel’s Weizmann Institute, Texas A&M University and the Texas A&M Health Science Center.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Dogs can communicate. This Israeli technology has been around for a while but is worth reporting here. Israel’s Bio-Sense Technologies has a dog-alarm that can alert you when your dog senses that an intruder is approaching. It can also be used to tell you if your dog is unwell. Maybe even if it wants to go “walkies”?
A clean solution to agricultural waste. The MIGAL-Galilee tech centre has developed a mini-sewage plant to help small wineries, olive oil and cheese-makers deal with the pollutants from their industries. The mobile system cleans agricultural waste and creates biogas and usable irrigation water as valuable by-products.
Social educational network. Israeli start-up theLearnia.com is revolutionary in the way students (1st -12th grade) learn and tutors teach. The network combines free videos with social media interaction, enables students to learn with their friends while teachers gain positive feedback from students who appreciate their contribution.
Share top quality photos. Israeli media technology company ICVT has launched the iPhone app Beamr. For the first time ever, a virtually limitless number of full-resolution, original quality iPhone photos may be shared at lightning-fast speed via email, Facebook and Twitter.
“Cars are redundant”. Israeli designer Udi Rimon essentially rendered Tel Aviv’s cars redundant with his design of Tel-O-Porter – a genius bike trailer that connects to the city’s shared Tel-O-Fun bicycles. Made of aluminum tubes and stainless steel mesh, the trailer doubles as a hand held cart and holds up to 45kg of cargo.
Israeli technology to the rescue. Tamir Niv has designed a low-cost tool for digging survivors out from under the rubble of an earthquake or other disaster. His 5-in-1 MultiTool features a shovel, hammer, crowbar, lifting hook and wire cutters. Weighing 7kg it could be come as essential, in vulnerable regions, as a fire extinguisher.
Angel helps Israeli moon landing project. A substantial donation from an Anglo-Jewish sponsor has boosted Israel’s prospects of landing a spacecraft on the lunar surface. The SpaceIL project’s mission is to make Israel only the third country ever to complete a successful moon landing.
3D printers can print 3D printers. The age of the replicating robot has almost arrived. Israeli printing technology is such that a printer is now able to produce components of itself. Given enough machines of sufficient power and 3D printers can produce almost anything —cars, planes or even limb prosthetics.
Israel’s Waze helps Americans to fill up. (Thanks to Israel21c) The White House and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has turned to Waze, the Israeli app that offers real time traffic navigation updates, to help New Jersey residents suffering from fuel shortages. It directs users to stations that have fuel.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Israel rises in WEF Index. Israel has climbed two places from 26th to 24th in the World Economic Forum’s Financial Development 2012 index of 62 countries. It is second in the Middle East and North Africa region, after Kuwait. Improved financial stability has been one of the key areas of improvement over its 2011 position.
Intel invests in Israeli education. Intel Corporation’s CEO Paul Otellini has launched a $5 million investment in science and technology in Israeli high schools. The project aims to double the number of high school students completing their science and technology matriculation certificate.
Microsoft signs agreement with Israel. The agreement is intended to develop “shared infrastructure investment” in national information technology projects, and encourage interdependent Israeli technology companies and start-ups. Microsoft has also begun registering for its next accelerator program where Israeli start-ups will receive $20,000 and help from Microsoft, Israel’s Technion and Georgia Tech College.
Israel’s start-ups see international success. An in depth feature in the Wall Street Journal on the current status of Israeli entrepreneurship in the USA, UK and Europe.
How start-ups start-up. Here is an example of how three Israeli companies got the funding they needed to boost their chances of becoming a roaring success. They include mobile security company Zimperium and Clarisite with its unique EyeView customer support tool.
Go4Europe. The annual Go4Europe conference brings 1000 Israelis and Europeans together to present Israeli technologies to the European market, promote investment and establish strategic alliances in Europe. Since 2005, 88 Israeli companies have gone public in Europe – more than in the USA.
Tel Aviv to Manchester UK. Low-cost airline easyJet has started a twice-weekly service between Ben Gurion and Manchester, England on Mondays and Thursdays. It also starts its twice-daily flights on Mondays and Thursdays between Tel Aviv and Luton, adding to the current daily flights between those two cities.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Interactive Art. ”The Pixel’s Habitat: From Code to Line” is a new interactive art exhibition at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Visitors to the exhibit participate in using computer animation to make new virtual creations that are projected on the gallery’s walls and floors.
Another Israeli show for US TV. The American network ABC has bought Israeli TV show Sabri Maranan. It tells the story of a typical Jewish family who meet every week for a traditional Shabbat dinner. The title of the programme refers to a blessing over wine. The US production will be called “Tribes”.
Bubbas on Safari? The hosts of popular US Public Broadcasting System TV program “Grannies on Safari” have filmed two episodes in Israel. The globetrotting pair had been in Egypt last year, just in time for the “Arab Spring” protests, emerging unscathed if a little scared. Their Israel trip was quite tame by comparison.
Israel to participate in Junior Eurovision. For first time since youth song contest was founded 10 years ago, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority is to send its own delegation to the event, taking place in Amsterdam.
Israel’s world champion at 17-years-old. Naomi Cohen won gold at the 2012 RS:X Youth World Windsurfing Championships in Taiwan. Cohen gives hope to a new generation of Israeli athletes. Shahar Tibi finished fifth, Ofri Givati 10th, Noga Geller 12th and Adi Cohen in 18th place.
THE JEWISH STATE
Top French fire-fighter makes Aliya. Frank Louie, a senior fire-fighting officer in Paris, had everything he needed. And yet, upon retiring, he decided to immigrate to Israel and volunteer at Eilat Fire Department. ‘This is the place for Jews,’ he says.
Serving their country with pride. Eliran Oster only has one arm, but is presently teaching new IDF recruits. His message is that any thing is possible if you set your mind to it. Eliran asserted, “I am seriously thinking of going for officers training. People with disabilities should enlist. Any thing is possible.”
“Wings of a dove”. That’s the name of the project to bring the last remnants of Ethiopian Jewry to Israel. 237 of the community’s 8000 population have just been rescued from appalling conditions in Gondar and flown via Addis Ababa to Tel Aviv.
Remember to vote for Tel Aviv. The White City has made it to the final of the “City of the Year” competition. Please vote for it every day until December 31st.
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