In the 2nd Sept 2012 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
· Israeli doctors fixed the ruptured heart of a Russian that his own doctors could not operate on.
· Take your pick of three positive news stories of Israeli & PA Arabs celebrating Ramadan.
· It’s a fact – women are one of the most important reasons for Israeli’s biotech success.
· The cooler for the chemical analyser on the Mars Rover was made on Kibbutz Ein Harod.
· Israel’s electric car travelled a world record of 1172 miles in 24 hours.
· A record two million children started the Israeli school year, including a very special orphan.
· My Rabbi was treated in hospital using the equipment that he had helped raise the funds to purchase.
· Last week’s JPost Israel Good News descriptive summary
Click here for “Israel turns Problems into Opportunities”
Page Down for more details on these and other good news stories from Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Russian doctors gave up, but Israelis saved him. Doctors at Beersheba’s Soroka hospital saved the life of a 50-year-old Russian with a ruptured aorta who was flown from Moscow for highly complex surgery. A day later he was disconnected from most of the devices except for his iPod on which he was watching films.
Just skin and bone. After seven years’ research, Israeli scientists have discovered a defective protein responsible for the rare condition known as SOFT that causes abnormal growth in some people. The discovery aids pre-natal testing and knowledge of how skin and bone develop and interact during tissue development.
Tissue transplants may cure diabetes. Researchers at Israel’s Technion and Ben-Gurion University have engineered insulin-producing tissue, which lowers blood sugar levels when transplanted into animals.
Warm chemotherapy saves 10-year-old girl. This piece of news from May comes via a friend who just sent it to me. For the first time an Israeli child under 10 had a tumour successfully removed using “warm” chemotherapy infusion. The successful operation was performed at Schneider Children’s Medical Centre.
The paralysed may speak. Three Israeli professors have published the results of their work to record neurone patterns during speech attempts and converting these into computer-generated synthesised speech. It could help “locked in” syndrome sufferers such as Stephen Hawking.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
PA residents rush to Tel Aviv beaches. No problem with freedom of movement for Palestinian Arabs during the Muslim holidays. Their leaders may be furious, but 300,000 “normal” Arabs from Ramallah, Balata, Shchem (Nablus) and Bethlehem are in Israel, with many enjoying the sun, sea and sand of Tel Aviv’s beaches.
Sweet holiday. Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria distributed candy to Arab shoppers and construction workers wishing them “Happy Holidays” in Arabic. The members of “Land of Peace” chose to advance good neighbourly relations via Eid al-Fitr, the Mulim holiday marking the end of Ramadan.
Having a ball. Nice photo of Israeli Arab children enjoying themselves during the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr at a swimming pool amusement park in Acre (Akko). The headline jokingly suggests what some foreign anti-Israel press might print.
MDA helps make Gaza girl’s wish come true. The Magen David Adom “Wish Ambulance” fulfilled the wish of a 6-year old girl from Gaza. Following three months treatment for leukaemia at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, MDA took the Palestinian Arab girl to the Mediterranean Sea at Yaffo, followed by pizza.
Israel’s biotech assets – women. Women outnumber men in biology and related sciences in higher education in Israel. While most high-tech employees are male, women comprise 60 percent to 70 percent of the biotechnology workforce. And Israeli biotech start-ups have an edge because women work harder than men.
Getting to know Israel socially. Social entrepreneurs from India, El Salvador, New Zealand, Brazil, and South Africa experienced Israel as part of the international conference S.E.E. Israel (Social Entrepreneur Exchange). Run by Jerusalem’s Hebrew Uni as part of a StandWithUs public diplomacy training program.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Israeli Mars instrument is really cool. (Thanks to IsraellyCool). Israel’s Ricor Cryogenic & Vacuum Systems manufactures the K508 Integral Stirling 1/2W Micro Cooler. This neat little device is currently optimising the temperature of NASA’s vital CheMin chemical analyser on the Red Planet.
Iron Dome designer now monitors crops. Daniel Gold was IDF’s director of research and development for the Iron Dome missile defence system. Now he is commercialising military technology for farming purposes by integrating ground sensors and airborne drones to monitor biology of the vegetation and regulate plant health.
A very “green” school. Tel Aviv’s new Porter School of Environmental Studies is due to open in 2013. The EcoBuilding is built to LEED Platinum standards – the first in Israel. It has a roof garden; solar vacuum tubes to power air conditioners; “passive” wind ventilation; recycled water plus electric car and disabled parking only.
Solar power for New Orleans. Israel’s Solaredge has installed its advanced solar panels in a New Orleans neighbourhood that was rebuilt after being devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Survivors in the “River Garden Apartments” now live in a new and modern neighbourhood, enjoying Israeli technology at its best.
Full steam ahead. The Israel Electric Company has completed a new 375-megawatt steam and natural gas power station one month ahead of schedule. The Zafit power station, in the country’s south-central region, has been connected to the national grid and will reduce the risk of power cuts due the current heat wave.
New record for electric car. Israel’s Better Place car set a new record of 1172 miles driven on electric power over the course of 24 hours. It beat the 24-hour distance record of 994.14 miles set last month. The battery was changed every 75.8 miles, each taking just over a minute compared to a conventional 5-minute fuel refill.
Find a parking space at a touch of a button. Israeli start-up sPARK has finished raising the finance to launch its mobile parking application in October. At the touch of a button drivers will be able to use sPARK’s innovative technology to find spaces on the streets and in car parks.
Israel has the most Internet users. Price Waterhouse Coopers lists Israel as having over 95% of its population with Internet access – more than any other country in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. For fast Internet usage, Israel is just 2nd with 86.4% compared to Switzerland’s 86.5%.
Surf on a donkey. For those who cannot be parted from the Internet, Israel now provides wi-fi routers on donkey rides at the Kfar Kedem biblical theme park near Nazareth. I don’t know about you, but I really couldn’t “connect” with this story.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
“Doing nicely, by doing good”. That’s how fund manager David Frankenstein describes his financial success matching up foreign investors with Israeli start-ups. He fills a vital gap where Israeli companies can raise $100,000 or several million dollars, but little in between. Janvest has four investments and plans six more.
India invests in Israeli UAVs. India’s Piramal Enterprises Ltd has bought 27 per cent of Israel’s Bluebird Aero Systems Ltd. Set up by former officers and engineers of Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Bluebird builds tactical unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and vehicles (UAVs).
Kibbutz wins huge Chinese milking contract. Israel’s AfiMilk is to build 13 advanced milking parlours in China that will serve about 50,000 cows. Mengniu Dairy, the largest dairy company in the Chinese market, will run the hi-tech parlours.
Network to success. I’ve just heard about the amazing Jerusalem Business Network Forum. With a 1000 membership, every month business people in Israel’s capital meet up and make contacts with key individuals in business, government and overseas. Mega-networking events (one is happening on 4th Sept) have initiated business ventures worth $25 million. A separate specialist group has also been formed for the Bio-Med sector.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Jerusalem beer festival. The two-day Jerusalem Beer Festival celebrated its 8th year at the historic train station in the heart of Israel capital. It featured over 50,000 litres and 100 brands of beer, production demonstrations, food, bands and DJ’s.
The best Hummus. An unusual item – a positive article by the BBC about Israel’s hummus food culture and where to enjoy the best dish.
The world’s best short storyteller. (Thanks to Israel21c) The winner of this year’s International storytelling competition at the Edinburgh fringe was an Israeli. The tale of Shachar Levy’s bar mitzvah beat off finalists from Bulgaria, Canada, Lebanon, South Africa and others. He won a rare 25-year old bottle of scotch whiskey.
Boldly going to Israel. Actor Patrick Stewart has arrived in Israel to star in an Israel film “Hunting Elephants”. He replaces actor John Cleese who had to pull out due to medical reasons. Patrick Stewart starred in the “Star Trek: The Next Generation” television series and the “X-Men” movie series.
THE JEWISH STATE
Back to school. A record two million Israeli children began the new school year last week. They included little Moshe Holtzberg who miraculously survived the Muslim terror attack on Mumbai’s Chabad Center four years ago. Moshe’s Indian nanny rescued Moshe before the terrorists discovered him.
Israel – the world’s 6th healthiest country. (Thanks to Israel21c) Israel comes a healthy 6th in the Bloomberg list of the World’s Healthiest Countries. The top order is Singapore, Italy, Australia, Switzerland, Japan and then Israel. Bloomberg analysed average life expectancy, mortality, pollution and other factors.
Blood relatives. Moshe Gerlenter arrived with his four sons and grandson Elad at the Magen David Adom Blood Center at Tel Hashomer. Elad is now 17 years old and was able to donate for the first time. Grandfather Moshe has donated 275 pints since 1973 and received a citation in 2006 when he gave his 200th pint.
Nobel laureate to teach at high schools. Nobel Prize winner for Economics, Yisrael Aumann, is scheduled to teach Jerusalem high school students in the upcoming school year. The 82-year old Hebrew University professor will teach game theory to students from all over the capital in the new pilot program.
Israel upholds the law. Sixty students representing 25 countries took part in the Student Conference on International Law (SCIL), at the Hebrew University’s Law Faculty. The theme for this year’s conference addressed Israel’s legal challenges, turning theory to practice.
The road to Temple Mount. A new video showing the route that hundreds of thousands of pilgrims took when walking from the Shiloah Pool to Temple Mount at the time of King Herod, 2000 years ago.
Now it’s personal. The Rabbi of our community has just returned following surgery. While he was recovering in Laniado hospital, where he also serves as chaplain and fundraiser, staff kept coming up to him and saying, “Do you know that your Netanya supporters bought this equipment?”
YouTube – Videos from this email
It is a miracle that a person was saved by the Israeli doctor, which was not possible in Russia. I request the doctor to help many other countries in saving patients.
So sorry, this one is my third. I am unable to correct bottom post which I originally made. I was typing two comments to two different sits in my note pad and they got jumbled together in some sentences. So again, so sorry for the errors. It is meant to read ONLY as ……………I’d first like to say I have always held a deep love for Israel and Israeli’s. My father was a Baptist Minister and I was taught early on that Israel was a holy Land, was beautiful, and so were it’s people within. Even though we see Jesus Christ as the Messiah. That is our ‘only’ difference. Such a small one at that. Christians all over America love and support Israel as I do. Obama and his party does “NOT” speak for us American Citizens! We want him out and this is why he’s recorded here as the “worst” president the USA has ever had. I think the things Israel has accomplished are beyond incredible! It’s miraculous! God’s work at it’s finest! We Americans stand with Israel! our President and his party are alone. We pray November come our election day we will have Mitt Romney as President and he stands with Israel! Which is a primary concern for most all American voters! We are disgusted by Obama and his party on them ignoring our Mother country for Israel has always been a great friend too America! Our prayers are with Israel Thank you for this site and everything you’ve accomplished! God bless his children!