Archive | 2010 | March
Israeli to introduce Popeye in 3D
Hollywood producer Avi Arad working on new film about spinach-gulping sailor
The animated sailor was created in the United States by cartoonist Elzie Crisler Segar. Following his rise to fame in the 1930s, he began appearing in animated films and numerous TV shows and became an idolized hero.
In 1980, Robert Altman directed a box office flop in which Robin Williams played the role of Popeye. Arad’s animated film, however, is expected to have a better box office performance
After the huge success of “Avatar” and “Alice in Wonderland”, the next popular character to succumb to the three-dimensional technology trend will be Popeye the sailor.
Israeli producer Avi Arad, who is responsible for a number of Hollywood box office hits such as “Spider-Man”, “Blade”, “X-Men” and “Iron Man”, is working on a 3D animated movie about the spinach-gulping character.
“During my childhood in Israel I grew up on short films starring Popeye,” Arad says. “When I recently acquired the rights for ‘Popeye’, I simply burst into the famous ‘Popeye the Sailorman’ song.”
Arad’s goal is introduce the enchanting hero, his beloved Olive Oyl and his nemesis Bluto to a generation unfamiliar with Popeye.
Source: Ynetnews.com
Dell considering R&D center in Israel
Delegation from third-biggest computer company in world visits country, meets senior officials in Industry, Labor, and Trade Ministry and Finance Ministry. If plan come to fruition, center will be built in periphery, employing 100 workers, mostly engineers
Computer powerhouse, Dell, the third largest computer company in the world, is considering building a research and development center in Israel. Yedioth Ahronoth has learned that a delegation from Dell visited the country last week, led by Kim Thompson, a senior VP in the company.
The objective of the visit was to look into the option of receiving a grant from the State of Israel to establish the research center.
The delegation held meetings in the Finance Ministry and in the Industry, Labor, and Trade Ministry during which it expressed interest in the expected government tenders to be issued for the “cloud computing” project with the company’s entry into the server category.
The government cloud computing project is an information storage project at massive information centers accessible via internet. These information centers are intended to replace the servers located at organizations themselves.
While in Israel, Thompson and members of his team met with Israel’s Chief Scientist Dr. Eli Opper, Industry, Labor, and Trade Ministry Director General Sharon Kedmi, and Senior Deputy Accountant General Tal Haramati.
Estimates in the Industry, Labor, and Trade Ministry are that if Dell decides to move ahead with its R&D center in Israel, more than 100 employees will work there, including dozens of engineers.
Various grants and aid tracks offered to foreign companies for establishing research and development centers in Israel were presented to Thompson and his assistants.
Dell is traded on Wall Street and recently published its financial reports for the last quarter of 2009. The reports showed that the company surpassed analysts’ forecasts, earning $334 million in the fourth quarter of last year. The company’s income during this period was $14.9 billion, an 11% increase over the $13.9 billion income made in the last quarter of 2008.
The company was founded by Michael Dell, an American Jew from Texas who currently serves as the company’s CEO. Dell’s sales total more than $57 billion a year.
Source: Ynetnews.com
Omri Casspi ‘proud to be Israeli’
Israeli Consulate in Boston holds special reception for Sacramento Kings forward. ‘His success in basketball is an example of the State of Israel’s success,’ says Consul General Nadav Tamir
The Israeli Consulate in Boston on Thursday night held a special festive reception for Sacramento Kings forward Omri Casspi, a day before his team faced the Boston Celtics at TD Garden.
American Jews who attended the event received flags and shirts of Israel. Casspi handed out signatures to children and other fans and gave an interview to a local television station.
Casspi hands out signatures during Boston visit (Photo: Nir Landau)
“We are glad to host Omri in Boston,” said Israeli Consul General Nadav Tamir. “He is proud to be Israeli and we Israelis are proud of him. His big success in the field of basketball is an example of the State of Israel’s success in many fields, against all odds, thanks to a lot of creativity and courage.”
The Sacramento Kings were beaten 93-79 on Wednesday night by the New Jersey Nets. Sacramento played its third straight game without guard Tyreke Evans, who leads all rookies with 20.3 points per game.
Source: Ynetnews.com
Promod to open Israel stores
Jerusalem-based Maslamani Group slated to acquire concession to market French affordable clothing brand in Israel, to compete with Swedish H&M
Yet another European fashion chain is making a foothold in Israel . The Maslamani Group, one of the largest Israeli importers of kitchen wear products owned by the Maslamani family from Jerusalem is slated to sign a concession agreement with the French fashion chain Promod and market the brand in Israel, Yedioth Ahronoth learned.
Promod specializes in affordable clothing for women aged 20-30 and plans on competing with the Swedish H&M brand which caused a stir by opening stores in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem earlier this month.
A previous attempt to bring Promod to Israel was recorded in 2005 when the Hamashbir Lazarchan department store tried to acquire the concession and distribute the French retailer’s clothes in Israel.
The Maslamani Group is a privately-owned company which markets prominent kitchen wear brands from France, both in Israel and the Palestinian Authority. It is responsible for the availability in Israel of such brands as Pyrex, Tefal and Mikasa. In the Palestinian market, the group mainly sells electronic equipment.
Promod operates 262 French braches, as well as 787 stores around the world, including in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan and the Gulf states.
Source: Ynetnews.com
Two-for-One Admission to Israeli Ceramics at the Gardiner Museum
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VALID TILL MAY 9th
New project helps pregnant African migrants
‘Hagar & Miriam’ opens center to assist African women living illegally in Israel with birthing process
A new project by the Topaz organization and Brit Olam will assist female African refugees and migrant workers in giving birth to children in Israel.
Almost 20% of the African refugee, migrant worker, and asylum seeker population in Israel are women, mainly between the ages of 15-35. Many of these women arrive pregnant, some following rape they underwent on the way to Israel, and many others become pregnant in Israel.
At the ‘Hagar & Miriam’ center (Photo: Alex Livak)
Around 200 babies are born to these women each year, but because the mothers are not eligible for welfare or health services the births are often difficult. The language barrier and distance from home also contribute to the mothers’ difficulties.
The project, ‘Hagar & Miriam – African Israeli Women in Friendship and Motherhood’, aims to support and accompany the women throughout the pregnancy and birth.
V, a 23-year old Eritrean migrant and new mother to a three-month old baby, says she came to Israel illegally.
“It’s hard for me to say if all women feel comfortable with the things they teach at ‘Hagar & Miriam’, but I know that they are important – how to prevent diseases, birth control, hygiene lessons – all of these are things I didn’t know about where I came from,” she says.
Assistance with birth and beyond (Photo: Alex Livak)
But the activists working for the project stress that ‘Hagar & Miriam’ is not a medical center. “It is a support and assistance organization for the pregnancy and after it, providing explanations about birth and breastfeeding, explanations about prevention of pregnancy, and empowerment workshops,” says Debbie Harden, an obstetric nurse by profession who is responsible for the project’s medical side.
Harden says the organization cooperates with doctors, social workers, and psychologists who donate their time to help the women. “We mainly guide them,” she says, and adds that it was founded due to Israel’s lack of policy when it comes to illegal migrants and refugees.
A number of celebrities have also contributed to the organization, among them musician Ofer Eini, whose band produced a music video for its benefit.
“We took well-known faces and filmed them in situations from the lives of the refugees, in order to replace the ‘faceless’ we don’t notice on a daily basis,” Eini said, adding that all proceeds from the clip will go to ‘Hagar & Miriam’.
“I just want to say thanks,” says V, who does not know Hebrew and speaks little English. “I can’t know where I would be today without ‘Hagar & Miriam’. I tell as many women as possible to come to the center because it really helps.”
* The ‘Hagar and Miriam’ organization requires volunteers who can donate some of their time to accompany the women to visits and volunteer for other activities. Baby products, new or used, are also needed. For additional details: Avital Banai, 050-209-9968.
Source: Ynetnews