Photo: Wikimedia Commons

It’s been a rocky ride for Shahar Tsubari, but he finally made it to the medal podium in Beijing in mens RS:X Windsurfing. He had faced numerous challenges in his quest, including several poor finishes in premliminary races and an early deficit in the crucial final race. Nonetheless, Tsubari managed to overcome the obstacles, finishing third overall and with Israel’s first medal during these Olympic Games.
Expansive coverage can be found on Ynet and JPost. NRG has photos and the video from the medal ceremony (Hebrew only).

Photo: Israel Ministry of Tourism

Lately, the Hartford Courant and Chicago Tribune have been sharing tips from their foreign correspondents on how to have the best time in another country. This week, reporters check in from the Middle East, including Joel Greenberg reporting in from Israel. We won’t give away any of his secrets here; suffice it to say that we’ll be including some new and interesting sites on our itinerary. Either way, as Greenberg points out, there is so much to see and discover in this tiny country.
PS: Two illustrative photos can be found here (check out picture#2).

Hanoch Piven, self-portrait; used with permission

Well, actually, a lot of things (for example, party favors). Now, meet the man behind the whimsical and incisive illustrations when he returns to New York for a show at the Museum of American Illustration. He’ll be talking on Wednesday 10 September about how his career has developed from the School of Visual Arts to world-famous illustrator.
Ticket information about the evening’s program can be found here.
For more on Hanoch Piven, see Wikipedia and Illoz.

Photo: Getty Images

Using gel derived from common seaweed, researchers at Beer Sheva’s Ben-Gurion University believe they can help fix damaged hearts. The Telegraph reports that the gel allows heart muscle to regrow after a heart attack, thereby lessening the chances of a second attack or heart failure. While the process may not cure every type of broken heart, upcoming clinical trials will help gauge the true effectiveness of this revolutionary technique.

Jerusalem
Photo: Israel Ministry of Tourism

iExplore, the adventure travel website, listed Jerusalem in its top ten overall destinations for history and culture enthusiasts (listed today at #3!). While the short description suggests visiting religious sites, we recommend adding stops to the Israel Museum and The International Arts and Crafts Fair (which is going on now). Whatever you choose to see, you’ll find history and culture at every step. (Thanks to Israel21C for the scoop.)

Photo: Wikimedia Commons by Remi Jouan
Used under Creative Commons License v. 2.5

The New York Times this weekend highlighted Israel’s development of agricultural techniques to conserve water while building a vibrant agricultural sector. Unlike our previous post, which concentrated on inventions in the field of agriculture, the NY Times article focuses on the business side of growing crops. It also includes some pointed warnings, including the reminder that no one can really control how much it rains–and therefore how much water will be available for crops. Nonetheless, this is a great start on a project of vital importance to world health.
The article also contains a worthwhile movie with interviews and pictures.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

To honor the spirit of the Olympics, which bring together athletes from around the world, Israel’s President Shimon Peres has written a poem entitled “Ray of Hope” expressing his desire for peace and friendly competition at the Games. While we couldn’t find the full text, Reuters has published some excerpts. You can see some of the musicians who have collaborated to set the poem to music on Songweavers.com.

Photo:Getty Images

With all the news of hi-tech and green power that have been coming out of Israel, we haven’t gotten the chance to show you much of the world of fashion. This video from Infolive.tv addresses that situation with a good look at some of Tel Aviv’s trendiest designers. Caution: This film may stimulate a sudden urge to go shopping!

Photo: Getty Images

H2O is about the most important substance out there, but it’s increasingly hard to get water everywhere we need it and we’re realizing the importance of conserving as much of this resource as possible. Enter Israel’s water scientists. As an article in the Turkish Daily News points out, Israelis have made their own desert bloom and are now working to replicate their success around the world. Some fields of research include drip irrigation, water filtration, and desalination, but the article has the full story.

One of Israel’s biggest stars in this years Olympics is tennis player Shahar Peer. She’ll be playing in the singles and women’s doubles tennis matches running Sunday through Saturday (10-16 August).
Peer now has her own website where you can follow this rising star’s path, including webcasts of games (when available).
After the Olympics, Peer will be coming to New York to play in the US Open at the end of the month. She’ll also be giving a tennis clinic while she’s here, so watch for more details.