Date Doctor, Can You Help Me?

Like most of us, Michal (an Israeli woman), admits to rejecting potential partners because they happen to be “bald, [have] a big nose, or a pot belly”.

And who says there’s anything wrong with that?

But for those of us who’ve rattled around the dating scene for years on end, well, maybe we should be taking a closer look at the question.

Alright. So say that you already know you’re a walking dating disaster. Then what? You know that your approach is wrong, you priorities are out of whack and you’ll likely die alone, what do you do?

The last thing you’ll want to do is start taking advice from well-meaning friends and relatives. They’re either full of smug advice or probably haven’t dated since the prospect of being a “wallflower” was a serious concern.

Enter the date school.

I was very interested to read about the concept (on the Israel21c website) developed by the Sexuality Center in Tel Aviv - a psycho-sexological clinic that treats couples and individuals who have difficulty with developing and maintaining healthy sexual relationships.

At the school, ‘pupils’ receive one-on-one treatment from date doctors, who play the role of potential partners. For Michal, the recommendation was to calm down a little, and not reveal too much of herself too quickly.

And of course, she was told to try and look beyond the outer shell. That way she just might find out about “the other side of the soul”.

Read more about the date school on the Israel21c:

Muslim Lesbians Conference in Haifa

Whether you agree with it or not, we here at Isrealli are proud to be part of a country that not only respects and protects minority rights, but serves as a beacon of freedom and expression for the most maligned minorities in the world. Yes, this is an instance where we can, and should, pat ourselves on the back. Israel as any democratic and open society has problems with racism, discrimination and ignorance, but Israel’s democratic foundations allow and more importantly, insist on this sort of freedom of being and expression.

Again, whether you agree with it or not, this is a proud day for Israel.

From MSNBC.com:

Arab lesbians hold rare public meeting in Israel
Women quietly gather in Haifa; homosexuality strictly forbidden in Islam

HAIFA, Israel - Arab lesbians quietly defied Islamist protesters and a social taboo to gather at a rare public event Wednesday in a northern Israeli city.

Many of the attendees said they were sad that the only place safe enough to hold a conference for gay Arab women was in a Jewish area of Haifa, which has a mixed Arab-Jewish population. Israel’s Jewish majority is generally tolerant of homosexuality.

Continue reading Muslim Lesbians Conference in Haifa…

Dana Makes a Comeback

In the wake of the recent Eurovision controversy, we wanted to highlight the recent comeback of one of Israel’s past winners- Dana International. The clip above is from Eurovision 1998 when she won.

Here’s the dibs from YNET on her latest release:

Eurovision winner makes comeback

Israeli singer Dana International releases first single after five-year break from business

Or Barnea

Former Eurovision winner, Dana International, will release her first album in five years this summer. Her latest single, “It’s all for the better”, was released Tuesday. Listen to it first here, on Ynetnews.

Dana is currently working on her new album, which includes songs written and composed by Dana herself.

Continue reading Dana Makes a Comeback…

Pass-it-Over?

We’re not sure how much we can add to this debate, besides refering to Genesis chapter 1 verses 11 and 12, “And God said: ‘Let the earth put forth grass, herb yielding seed, and fruit-tree bearing fruit after its kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth.’ And it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, herb yielding seed after its kind, and tree bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after its kind; and God saw that it was good.” Hey, we didn’t write it…

From the JPOST:

Is marijuana kosher for Pessah?
By SHEERA CLAIRE FRENKEL

Every Sunday school student knows Pessah for its ban on food that rises, but a growing number of Jews are asking whether the holiday also precludes them from getting high.

Hemp has increasingly been spotted on the list of kitniyot, or legumes, that Ashkenazi Jews abstain from eating during Pessah, according to several influential rabbinical Web sites, including kashrut.com. But not everyone agrees that hemp qualifies for the ban, and the debate has led many to question the definition of kitniyot.

Continue reading Pass-it-Over?…

Strengthening Webs

T

This is an interesting article from HAARETZ about the strength of the Israeli internet start-up market and specifically Relegence an Israeli company recently acquired by AOL. A little about Relegance according to their website:

Using proprietary technology, Relegence simultaneously monitors, indexes, and filters tens of thousands of live content streams - local and international newswires, television and cable networks such as CNBC, regulatory feeds such as EDGAR and RNS, corporate and information web sites, bulletin boards - and puts on a user’s desktop only the information which is relevant to his or her individual search criteria. Additionally, Relegence can integrate all of a corporation’s internal content streams, such as research, with external content and create a powerful tool for corporations and their employees to manage and utilize mission-critical information in their day-to-day activities and enable them to make more timely, accurate business decisions.

AOL can definitely use all the help it can get…

From HAARETZ:

Will AOL find its salvation in Israel?

By Lior Haner

Every new Internet startup’s wildest dream is to clock its millionth registered user. This magic number usually indicates a critical mass that will help spur advertising and sales revenues from services and will attract large companies that are considering acquisitions. An Israeli representation of an American giant and a blogger who makes it big can, it seems, increase the magic number a hundredfold.

AOL, the Internet dinosaur from the 1990s, acquired Israeli startup Relegence in November 2006 for between $50-100 million. The company’s headquarters and its 60 workers remained in Israel. This was only AOL’s second acquisition in Israel. The first was the giant deal involving Mirabilis, the developer of the ICQ instant-messaging software, for $407 million in 1998. ICQ’s development center is also in Israel.

Continue reading Strengthening Webs…

Film Fest Circuit

Tribeca Film Festival will release this years installment of films from across the world on the 28th and the JPOST did a nice write up on all of the Israeli films that have made the cut. Tribeca is always good time here in NY, so if you have the opportunity, and are here late next month, come check out some of the Israeli entries.

Cinefile: Israelis at Tribeca
By HANNAH BROWN

Israeli films will have a strong presence at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, which runs from April 25-May 6, as has been the case throughout the festival’s history. Actor/director Robert De Niro, producer Jane Rosenthal and philanthropist Craig Hatkoff founded the festival in 2002 as a way to help revive downtown Manhattan after the 9/11 terror attack.

The complete program will be available on March 28 at the festival Website, www.tribecafilmfestival.org, but so far, several Israeli films have been listed as part of this year’s program, including the feature, My Father My Lord (Hufshat Kaytz), directed by David Volach, which tells the story of a troubled ultra-Orthodox family on vacation, starring Assi Dayan and Sharon Hacohen Bar. It was shown here last fall at the Haifa International Film Festival.

Continue reading Film Fest Circuit…

Engagement?

Word on the webs and internets today is that we’ve got him, that’s right folks we’ve snagged Leo… Good work Bar.

From Gawker, last item:

Star magazine reports that a recent trip to Tel Aviv, Israel made by Leonardo DiCaprio and his supermodel girlfriend, Bar Rafaeli, was for the purpose of officially introducing Leo to the fam, along with a super-secret engagement celebration. Supposedly, the party was held in conjunction with birthday festivities for Rafaeli’s brother, in order to disguise the engagement party.

A source tells the publication the party was “for just a small group of close friends and family”. Insiders claim the couple treated guests to fine chocolates and cupcakes before announcing their engagement with a champagne toast. The source explains, “Bar said that Leo had asked her to marry him and that she had said yes.”

Friends of the couple have stated that a small, intimate ceremony in Israel could possibly take place at the end of the year, followed by a party in the States to celebrate the occasion. I want to get married, mostly cause I’m dying to register for stuff. Like an Emmy. Or two.

English Fans, Oh My

Tomorrow is a big day for Israeli soccer. Up against England we have to win to qualify for Euro 2008. From this side of the Atlantic, where soccer is still a sport for high school girls, we wish our team luck.

English soccer fans who have traveled in droves to Tel Aviv said they felt more welcome in Israel than in any country they have traveled to so far when following their national team.

One group of fans sitting and drinking into the late hours on the Tel Aviv beachfront said that in their short time in the country, they have developed a very positive view of Israel.

—

Yeah, beer has that effect.

Hell Yeah!

Wonkette thinks we’re awful and annoying, and we kinda like it…

Also in repsone to Btwbfdimho: “Are those chicks representative of the whole population? Holy demographics; almost in the same league with Brazil & Argentina.”

You’re damn right!!

From Wonkette:
This is only the beginning. Soon Israel will finally work up the nerve to set up that Match.com profile. “Single female middle eastern country, 58, prosperous, heavily armed, seeks partner for peace, economic development, maybe more.” Then she gets what looks like her dream response: “Divorced male middle eastern territories, 58, interested in someone who’ll be a good trading partner but still give us our independence.” So Israel arranges that coffee date at Starbucks and the fellow walks in … and whaddya know, it’s Palestine! When they realize what’s happened, they laugh and laugh and laugh. Not long afterwards, the bombing starts.

Good Hair Day

We’ve been to the Salon and got a perm. Now we just have to figure out who all these witty twenty somethings are…

From Salon.com:

Israel goes on the virtual offensive

The Israeli government is deploying new tactics to deepen ties with American youth and evangelicals.

By Gregory Levey

March 23, 2007 | For the moment at least, the state of Israel has 553 friends. One of them is Leonardo DiCaprio.

The 20-something Israeli official who is showing me Israel’s new MySpace page, however, says she isn’t sure if the link to the Hollywood heartthrob really leads to him. We’re sitting in the offices of the Israeli Consulate in New York, where Israel’s official MySpace page was launched in January under the direction of officials from the Foreign Ministry. The 20-something official mentions that the Philippines also now has its own MySpace page, adding excitedly, “They’re one of our friends, too. Isn’t that nice?”

Continue reading Good Hair Day…