Video: CBS Keeps Its Eyes Upon Israel

(Hat Tip: IsRealli.org)

In the American city that never sleeps (that's New York for those of you who do not know), CBS-TV highlighted the Jewish nation in one of its Eye on New York videos.



The video highlighted Israel's struggles during its creation as a state, as well as celebrating Israel's 60^th birthday.

Note: Next time Dan Gillerman (Israel's UN Ambassador) should mention about how close Israeli scientists are at producing a viable hydrogen car, something that has caught the attention of a few of my friends.

Video: Happy 60th Israel!

Happy 60^th Israel! Here is wishing you another 60 years of success, and hopefully peace as well!

In the meantime, here is a cool video from Aish.com, celebrating 60 years of Israel in 60 seconds.

Note: Be sure to check out the other video via Israel 21^st Century.

Video: Celebrating Israel At 60 (A New Soul)

(Hat Tip: Harry Rubenstein)

While there have been several video's displayed here at IsraGood portraying the Jewish state, this by far seems to have been the best one made.

Note: The theme song used in the video is by Yael Naim, a rising Israeli star in both the holy land as well as the US.

Update: Oh, and just in case anybody in the states does not know, today is Israel's Independence Day! Happy 60^th Israel! I look forward towards your 70^th birthday!

Israeli Flag, Super Sized!

Weighing at 5.2 tons and stretching out at 200 meters by 100 meters, this may be the largest Israeli flag ever made (if not within the top five).

(One Jerusalem) When you're driving to and from Jerusalem, in a field in the Latrun area there is a huge flag recently laid out for the upcoming 60 Independence Day Celebrations[.]

Note: Is it me, or does this flag look almost like the one made by the Filipino business woman?

Image Credit: Parks.org.il, who was also responsible for rolling out the flag.

What CNN Forgot To Tell Me About Israel

Darnell Clayton is a non-Jewish American was surprised to see how modern Israel was after a brief visit of the country when he was a teenager.

He currently resides in the US, and highlights some of the innovative (and interesting) technologies pouring out of the Jewish state over at IsraGood.com.

A long, long time ago, in a place not so far away, I was a 16 year old naive punk who pretty much believed that he knew everything he needed to know about life (and then some).

Back then your view of the world came mainly from three sources--family, friends and television.

It was during that time I had the opportunity to partake on a journey to visit Israel, which was according to friends and family a place full of angry people, war, and a few holy sites (after all, two major faiths were founded there).

Since none of my friends and family had ever visited Israel, I had to turn towards CNN (and other media outlets) for advice on what Israel was all about.

While they had no war news to broadcast about Israel at the time (as it was during the Clinton "peace talks"), the media outlets did highlight the many "angry faces" there, not to mention a few ancient holy sites.

As there was no current war going on, I decided to at least visit the holy land while it was "still safe."

After arriving in Israel (with a group of other teenagers and adults), the first thing I noticed was how normal everything looked. Except for the fact that half of the signs were in Hebrew, you probably would not have realized that you were half way around the world in another country.

Whether you were walking the streets of Tel Aviv, or running along the never ending beaches (which were surprisingly clean of litter by the way), Israel pretty much mirrored what one would expect from a country guided by what some would call "western values."

Heck, Israel even had a McDonald's (which was perplexing as I knew most successful restaurants do not set up shop inside war zones).

Most Israeli's that I encountered (if not practically all) were very helpful, friendly, and "slightly geeky" as it seemed that everyone man, woman and child had a cell phone (this was in the era when beepers were all the rage in the US).

Throughout my 30 day stay in the holy land, the only problems that I encountered was when I found out I had to pay a shekel to use the public bathrooms (all I had was paper cash on me) and that my love of Falafels was bigger than my wallet.

Oh, and there was that Dead Sea mud dilemma, as one of the girls who went with our group found out that the mud has a habit of turning blond hair green (I kid you not!!).

While many of my friends and family in the US were disappointed about the lack of adventure from visiting a "dangerous country," I came away with a broader perspective about Israel, the media (or rather what they filter), and a huge craving for some juicy Falafels (which thanks to Google I can now enjoy in America).

The 60 Bloggers project is co-production of Jewlicious.com and the Let My People Sing Festival. It is published daily for 60 days to celebrate Israel's 60 birthday.

Famous Song Writer Celebrates Israel At 60

Music makes the world go round--or so they say as one can testify to the success of Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Lopez and even Madonna.

But what some people may not realize is that one guy who has helped arrange some of the verses for these artists is releasing an album aimed at celebrating the Jewish state on its 60^th birthday.

(Jerusalem Post) It's a familiar position for the 46-year-old, Florida-based Dermer, one of America's most successful songwriters and producers. But instead of working on one of his Latin-pop mélanges for Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Lopez or Madonna that have won him Grammy nominations and Gold records, Dermer is arranging the verses for a song that's part of his new CD, Israel@60 - We Are Strong. [...]

Due to be released in time for the state's 60th birthday celebrations next month, Israel@60 consists of songs Dermer co-wrote with his BMI award-winning songwriter wife, Robin, and features a collaboration with Gronich, as well as the voices of various groups of Israeli youth whom the Dermers recorded at sites throughout the country on a recent 10-day visit. The finished CD, supported by the Jewish Agency, Israir Airlines and the Daniel Hotels, will be available on iTunes and Amazon, with proceeds earmarked for several Israeli charities.

While there is no specific release date for Lawrence Dermer's upcoming album, I would not be surprised to see some of his work receive attention from both the international and local media.

(Image via Amazon.com)

Note: Once his album launches, I'll review here on IsraGood (not to mention consider adding it to my iTunes collection).

Another Way To Celebrate Israel (Via 60 Faces)

It looks as if the Consulate General of Israel (located in New York) is promoting a new way to display the face of Israel to the world--literally.

(Isrealli.org) The Consulate General of Israel in New York, in cooperation with the Salute to Israel Parade, has initiated a banner campaign entitled, "Faces of Israel." Beginning May 4th, in honor of Israel's 60th birthday, banners will line New York's Fifth Avenue from 46th to 97th Streets. Each banner will feature the face of an Israeli citizen and be topped with a display of Israeli and American flags.

Users can visit 60Israelis.com for a preview of the faces highlighted thus far, which includes everything from models to music stars (not to mention a few non-Jewish Israeli's as well).

They are still looking for more faces, so if you think you can make "the cut," feel free to apply over here.

(Image Credit: 60 Israelis)

Muslim Mosque Celebrates Israel By Painting Itself Blue And White?

This is probably something that you do not hear about everyday! It looks as if a Muslim Mosque located A-Taibeh, Israel has decided to celebrate the Jewish states existence by repainting itself to reflect the nation's national colors.

(Israel Hasbara Committee) In a gesture to Israel and its 60th anniversary the residents of the Galilee Israeli-Arab village of A-Taibeh painted the dome of their mosque blue and white, the national colors of the Jewish state.

"We are residents of Israel. Our religion encourages love and closeness among nations. Jews, Muslims, we are all cousins, right?" the Israel Hebrew daily Maariv quoted A-Taibeh Mayor Hisham Zuabi as saying this week.

"We decided to paint the mosque's dome, the most important, dear, and holy site for us, in the national colors. We are all citizens of the state of Israel. As far as we are concerned, there is no difference here between Jews, Muslims and Christians," he said.

Zuabi added, "The goal is purification, coexistence. A Jew who enters the mosque will not feel hostility, but rather will feel at home."

Unfortunately I have been unable to locate an image of this mosque online, although if anyone within the city is able to take a snapshot of the mosque, you can email me at IsraGood [at] Gmail [dot] com and I will publish it here.

Utah College Celebrates Israel's Birthday

While most colleges focus on academics, sports, spring break (and more sports), it looks as if one school (Utah Valley State College to be exact) decided to take time to celebrate Israel existence (or rather reappearance) in the modern world.

(Daily Herald) Though their connection to Israel might seem unusual, a group of college students, state lawmakers and others got together Friday night to celebrate that nation's birthday.
On May 14, 1948, the Jewish People's Council gathered at the Tel Aviv Museum and approved Proclamation of Independence, declaring the establishment of Israel, according to the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs's Web site. The students will be out of school by the actual 60th anniversary, so they chose to celebrate Friday.

"Happy birthday, Israel," said Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, as he addressed the group headed by the American Israeli Alliance at UVU.

As Israel's birthday approaches, we will probably see even more celebrations across the US, and perhaps even China (although they may be a little busy with hosting the Olympics and all).

Note: The blogosphere is also celebrating Israel's birthday over at 60bloggers.com, a project launched by Jewlicious and Let My People Sing Festival.

IsraGood, along with 60 other bloggers and writers will be posting their viewpoints of the Jewish state, so be sure to check out the site!

Chinese Citizens Fascinated By Jews?

(Image: Section of books highlighting Jews' businesses, Credit: Ronen Medzini via Ynet News)

No matter where you go it seems that everyone has an opinion about Jewish people. Some are positive, some are not so positive.

But when it comes to the Chinese, they seem to hold a special awe for the Jewish people.

(Ynet News) Although the large majority of the Chinese have never met a Jew, the prevailing opinion in China praises and glorifies the Jews and the State of Israel. Other pearls of wisdom by the Chinese include: "Israel is small and surrounded by enemies, but manages to survive and succeed," and "China and Judaism are the only things that have maintained their character throughout history."

"Israel and China are close friends," the Chinese like to boast, showing impressive proficiency in the history of China's Jews. And indeed, the Jews owe a lot to China, which served as a haven of rest for Diaspora Jews throughout the pervious century. [...]

A common basic assumption in China and the world is that Jews have money and power. The difference is in the approach towards this assumption. While in many parts of the world the Jews' businesses and dominance are viewed with a feeling of disgust, the Chinese have developed great admiration, even idolization, for the Jewish mind.

The article in Ynet further elaborates how China became a safe haven for the Jews up until the country was invaded by Japan during World War Two.

This probably explains China's and Israel's are so friendly towards each other, not only in trade but also the realm of security as well.

Hopefully relations between the ancient cultures will continue--especially since China is acquiring a new taste for Kosher food.

60 Bloggers In 60 Days: What Will You Discover?

As the holy land gears up to celebrate its 60^th birthday, a bunch of bloggers, writers and non-geeks have decided to celebrate the occasion by highlighting what they love about the Jewish state over a span of 60 days.

(Jewlicious) Well, May 8th is the 60th anniversary of the founding of the modern State of Israel. You'll notice lots of events happening in Israel and in communities around the world meant to commemorate this historic occasion. 60Bloggers.com is meant to do the same, but on the blogosphere. Consequently, we've put together a nice broad group of bloggers, some well-established, some relatively new, representing (I hope) ideological, religious and geographic diversity. Over the course of the next 60 days each will write one blog post on 60Bloggers.com where they will write something related to how they feel about Israel at this momentous juncture in time.

IsraGood, along with 59 other writers/bloggers/geeks with Kosher passion will be joining with the festivities, and (for those wondering) I will be highlighting my first impression of the country after visiting when I was a bit younger (okay, like eight years ago).

Several authors have already begun posting their stories about Israel over at 60bloggers.com, so be sure to subscribe to the site lest you find yourself having to backtrack in order to catch up on previous posts.

Video: Israeli Girl Enlightens World About Israel

Hat Tip: Isrealli.org)

It looks as if yet another video highlighting Israel has appeared, except this time it features a little girl and some interesting facts about Israel.

Whoever made this video has done an excellent job portraying what the holy land is all about without the heavy reliance of music in the background.

Note: Perhaps the Israeli government should find a way to highlight and/or create more of these video's, as it may be cheaper to advertise them via Google than on television.

France Going Ga Ga Over Israel?

(Hat Tip: Solomonia)

Ironically it seems that a nation once regarded by many to be Israel's "distant buddy" is now embracing their Jewish friend with open arms.

(Associated Press) His embrace of Israeli President Shimon Peres spoke of more than personal chemistry: Nicolas Sarkozy wants to rebuild France's frayed ties with Israel, notably by echoing its tough stance against Iran. [...]

And during a pomp-filled dinner Monday, Sarkozy lost no opportunity to assure Peres of his friendship, saying France will always work to ensure Israel's survival.

"Not from time to time, Mr. President — always," said Sarkozy. "And those who call in a scandalous, scandalous way for the destruction of Israel will always find France in front of them to block their route."

This recent embrace of Israel by the French may surprise many people, who may not realize that France has already expressed support for the missing IDF soldiers, not to mention finding ways of easing trade between the two nations.

Hopefully this trend will spread throughout the rest of Europe, as they have much to gain from aligning themselves with the Jewish state (hint: energy, cough, energy).

Indonesia: Muslim Clerics Bring Peaceful Tidings To Israel

(Image Credit: Lonely Planet)

While there are a few other Muslim nations willing to display a friendly face towards Israel, most of the middle east has yet to warm up to the Jewish state.

Nonetheless it looks as if religious leaders from Indonesia have taken a rare step towards that path, by not only visiting the Israeli state but also wishing to present a more peaceful image of their faith towards Israel.

(Ha'aretz) President Shimon Peres on Friday hosted a rare delegation of Muslim religious leaders from Indonesia, a country that doesn't have diplomatic ties with Israel.

The clerics, who represent 70 million Muslim faithful, told Peres they came to "present the moderate face of Islam that seeks cooperation and peace with other countries and religions, and repudiates Islamic extremists," Peres' office said in a statement.

While only time will tell whether or not any fruit results from this visit, hopefully this approach will lead towards diplomatic ties between the two nations, as both countries could probably benefit economically from each other, if not politically.

Video: World's Largest Israeli Flag?

A business woman from the Philippines has made Guinness history by creating the largest Israeli flag to date.

When reporters asked what her inspiration was, her answers boiled down to two reasons--love of Israel and love of Hashem.

(Israel Times) The flag, compared to the size of 2 football fields, is 100-meters long, 200-meters wide and weights 5,200 kilos. 6 tailors, 2 designers and 40 volunteers in Philippines worked on it for 3 weeks.

This is a very significant present from Grace Gupana, Philippines business woman and nun, who has been working on the advancement of tourism between the two countries. It also represents 50 years of friendship between Israel and the Philippines.

Despite being located thousands of miles away from Israel, the Filipino's (aka citizens of the Philipines) seem to have a very strong relationship with the Jewish state, which goes back more than a half a century.

Note: For those interested in checking out some interesting images of the event, can check out My Share of Sun in Israel over here.

Video: Israeli Cool Facts (Part Two)

(Hat Tip: One Jerusalem)

It looks as if another video has surface highlighting some of the accomplishments of the Jewish nation.

The music is different from a previous video, although it may be familiar to those of you who speak Hebrew.

Question: Does anybody know the group responsible for singing this?

Video: The Israeli Facts You Never Knew

(Hat Tip: Isrealli.org)

Although very similar to a previous video, this one highlights some of the more "every day" technologies that we use in the world, such as USB key chains, to camera phones, to the health industry.

Did I mention the music is better the second time around?

Enjoy!

Note: As soon as I get some time, I'll be posting some more interesting videos from Israeli's here.

American Leaders To Show Support By Visiting Israel

(Image Credit: ImagePrintGolf.com)


Several congressional figures, as well as community leaders from New York are embarking on a journey towards the holy land in order to express their support for the Jewish state.

(Ynet News) The group includes Congressman Gary Ackerman and Congressman John Hall, as well as religious leaders and representatives of the African-American, Hispanic and Asian-American communities in New York. The mission is being accompanied by Michael Miller, JCRC executive vice president & CEO.

The JCRC sponsors missions that focus on showing solidarity with the people of Israel. "There is no substitute for meeting face-to-face with Israelis from all walks of society, in the halls of government and on the city streets. Our diverse and influential mission participants are bringing a message of fellowship and hope, and will take back home to New York real-life stories of Israeli courage and determination to build a brighter future," said Miller.

The group plans to tour Israel as well as visit several cities such as Safed and Sderot, which suffered attacks in the second Lebanon war and current rocket attacks, respectively. They will also meet with various heads of state, including the Prime Minister.

Hopefully this group will also get to tour Israel's innovative side, especially when dealing with technology and health as the holy land has a lot to offer towards New York, as well as the US in general.

IsraelPlug: Another Kosher News Weblog

(Hat Tip: Anglican Friends of Israel)



It looks as if another "kosher news weblog" has entered the scene, and by kosher I mean a site highlighting the side of Israeli life that often does not make the small screen.

Called IsraelPlug, this site's purpose is to highlight innovative side of Jews in the holy land. The site has been around since March of this year, and they have already published around 40 articles in this month alone!

Since "kosher news blogs" are becoming more common (either that or I am discovering more of them online) I thought I'd start an official kosher roll (on the sidebar) where readers can browse through other sites similar to this one.

Note: I have about ten listed thus far, although if anybody knows of any others out there, please let me know!

A Syrian Explains Why He Admires Israel

Despite the fact that both Israel and Syria are officially "not friends," it looks like one Syrian by the name of Farid Ghadry was brave enough to express his true opinions about Israel, which speaks highly of the Jewish state.

(Aish.com) Israel has, in less than 60 years, built an economy ten times that of Syria with one-fifth the population. How does one explain this fact? It is very simple: Israel is a vibrant democracy. [...]

It is said that approximately one third of all scientific Nobel Prize winners are Jewish. The ratio is mind boggling. One third comes from a universe of 15 millions Jews and the remainder two-thirds from the much larger pool of 6 billion-plus people. Arabs (mostly Egyptians) have two or three Nobel Peace and Literature Prizes (From a pool of 350 million people) but no Arab has ever won a Nobel in sciences be it chemistry, physics, or medicine. Any argument here as to why Israel is so important to the region?

Be sure to read the whole article by Farid Ghadry on Aish.

Note: This is one of a four part series by Farid, so be sure to read parts two, three and four, which are over on Farid's blog Reform Syria.