Loser? There Was No Loser

February 26, 2008 at 9:36 am | In Pop Culture, Art & Cinema | Send to a friend |  No comments yet

Israel’s candidate for the ‘08 Academy Awards — Joseph Cedar’s Beaufort — was trumped by an Austrian film about the Holocaust. Too bad, right? But the Jersualem Post’s Miriam Shaviv has an insightful take on why the staunch moral message of The Counterfeiters is anything but a loss for us Jewish types, and how Beaufort’s nomination was a win for Israel no matter how you slice it.

From the JPOST:

Crushing high hopes that Israel might take home its first Academy Award, The Counterfeiters, an Austrian film about a master forger forced to work for Nazis in a concentration camp, won the foreign-language Oscar on Sunday.

Though disappointing to many here, the result was not entirely surprising. Jerusalem Post film critic Hannah Brown had predicted a win for Counterfeiters, citing the long history of Holocaust-themed films that have done well in the foreign language film category. Even Joseph Cedar, director of Israel’s entry, Beaufort, seemed to keep his hopes in check at a symposium prior to the ceremony, saying he was “happy just to have been nominated. I’m not even thinking about winning.”

Continue reading Loser? There Was No Loser…

Lights Out (for Global Warming)

February 25, 2008 at 2:06 pm | In Environment | Send to a friend |  No comments yet

Think what would happen if all the lights in the photo went out. Next month, they will.
Tel Aviv municipality has joined a growing list of cities involved in Earth Hour, a one hour citywide blackout designed to call attention to the dangers of global warming. The blackout is set to begin at 8:00 P.M. on 29 March. The idea started last year in Sydney, Australia and now includes 12 cities and many corporations and individuals.
Kudos to JTA for bringing this to our attention.

WSJ Loving Israeli Wine

February 22, 2008 at 9:34 am | In Food & Drink | Send to a friend |  No comments yet

The Wall Street Journal brings us a compelling piece today about Israel’s booming boutique wine industry. Enjoy, and of course, drink responsibly.

Israel’s New Revolution in QualityBy WILLIAM ECHIKSON
SPECIAL TO THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
February 22, 2008

It started as a hobby. Eli-Gilbert Ben-Zaken, an Israeli restaurateur and poultry farmer, planted a few grape vines on a hilltop next to his house in the Judean hills in 1988. He chose the name Domaine du Castel after a nearby crusader fortress and, starting with a mere 600 bottles, attempted to make high-quality, French-inspired wines.

In the beginning, Mr. Ben-Zaken’s quest looked quixotic. Wine was produced in ancient times in Israel — archaeologists have found antique wine presses in the Galilee and Judean Hills — and the Rothschild banking family reintroduced grape cultivation at the end of the 19th century. But for most of the country’s history, the Israeli industry was dominated by sweet wines of poor quality that taste like alcohol-tainted grape juice — tired red wines with cooked, herbaceous flavors.

Today, Mr. Ben-Zaken and a small group of other Israeli pioneers are creating world-class reds and whites that are gaining increasing recognition from critics both at home and abroad. Ever more-prosperous Israelis are demanding better drinking choices, while connoisseurs in the U.S. and Europe in search of something different are intrigued enough to taste these “new” world wines from an ancient land.

“We were real pioneers — the Israeli market used to be a prisoner market for poor-quality kosher wine,” Mr. Ben-Zaken, 63 years old, recalls. “It’s different these days. Everybody is trying to make something good.”

Continue reading WSJ Loving Israeli Wine…

Tennis Star Buys Israeli

February 21, 2008 at 9:14 am | In Sports | Send to a friend |  3 Comments

Despite getting a cool reception earlier this month during Fed Cup competition, Maria Sharapova, among the top women’s tennis players, just bought a house in Netanya. We don’t see her joining the Israeli team any time soon, but hey, one never knows.
Here’s the Haaretz take on the situation.

Don’t Mess with the Zohan Theme Song

February 20, 2008 at 11:33 am | In Music, Art & Cinema | Send to a friend |  2 Comments

Click the pic and select the live performance of Hadag Nachash to see the Isrealli hip-hop band perform the theme song for the new Adam Sandler movie about the kick-butt commando turned hair stylist on Chicago TV.

Israel Breathes a Little Freer

February 19, 2008 at 1:31 pm | In Lifestyle | Send to a friend |  No comments yet

Having already enacted a remarkably effective ban on smoking in public places, the Knesset has now moved to [ban smoking at security establishments] in Israel, including police stations and military bases.

Considering the number of young Israelis who start smoking during their mandatory military service, this latest move stands to make a big difference.

Israel on the World Monopoly Map

February 14, 2008 at 10:12 am | In Pop Culture, Advertising & Media | Send to a friend |  1 Comment

Hasbro, the toy company, is currently developing World Monopoly. To select which cities will on the game board, the company has asked the public to vote on its website from a list of 68 cities. The top 20 cities will appear in the game, with the decision to be made at the end of February—in another 16 days!

Presently, “Jerusalem, Israel” is in seventh place (!). The Israeli Consulate in New York and the Foreign Ministry are promoting a campaign among supporters of Israel in the United States and around the world to visit Hasbro’s website, register, and vote every day. As more people vote for Jerusalem, Israel’s place on the World Monopoly will be ensured.

After the current contest ends, a second contest will begin on March 1 to select two cities to appear as “Wild Cards” in the game. The Consulate hopes to add Tel Aviv to this list and promote her selection as well.

Continue reading Israel on the World Monopoly Map…

Israel’s MASHAV Helps Save the World

February 13, 2008 at 2:37 pm | In Lifestyle, Sciences, Environment | Send to a friend |  1 Comment

Thought Angelina and Oprah were the only ones saving the world?

Check out our latest video about MASHAV - Israel’s Centre for International Cooperation, which has trained more than 200,000 people from 140 countries in agriculture, public health and medical programs, community development, integrated rural regional development and other areas.

Way to go!