Archive | 2012 | January

Actress/model Sarai Givaty, who did really well in the US until one day she decided she wanted to go back to Israel and focus on being a musician, has this week released in Israel a new single off of her debut album, a song called ‘Into Your Heart.’

The song was written and composed by Sarai herself back in her LA days, with Jonah Johnson, frontman of the LA based rock band Black Cowboys. Givaty and Johnson met during a show on the same stage and this song is their first collaboration. The track is produced by ‘Revelday,’ Guy Mantch and Yahel Doron.

Though she currently resides in Israel, Los Angelenos can still see Sarai on billboards around town, as she is still the front face of clothing brand Gypsy 05. “I hope it’s gonna keep you warm this winter!” Sarai twitted excitingly about her new song. Well, here it is. Judge for yourselves:

Source: Abbanibi.com

First-of-its-kind cooperation will see West Bank city of Jenin, Gilboa Regional Council join forces to save Kishon River

Common ground: Israel and the Palestinian Authority have launched a unique, joint ecological venture – a first-of-its-kind eco-park.

The park will be the product of collaboration between the West Bank city of Jenin and the Gilboa Regional Council, which have joined forces to rehabilitate the Kishon River.

The Kishon River is a 70km-long perennial stream, flowing down from the Gilboa Mountains. It is considered to be one of the most polluted rivers in Israel and has been the subject of controversy regarding the struggle to improve the water quality.

Israeli and Palestinian teams, headed by Gilboa Council Head Daniel Atar and Jenin Governor Moussa Qadoura, have already begun work on the future Kishon eco-park.

The initiative stemmed from the two communities’ recognition of joint environmental problems and should it prove successful, it stands to be the first in a series of joint Israeli-Palestinian environmental ventures between the two.

The rehabilitation project will span three kilometers on each side of the security fence.

The Gilboa Council and Jenin enjoy good neighborly relations, enabling both to promote various projects to boost the local economy.

“This project brings together two of the Council’s main values – regional peace and the environment,” Atar explained. “We are planning public parks on both sides of the fence in hopes that one day they will become one.”

Nader al-Khateeb, general director of the Palestinian Water and Environmental Development Organization (WEDO) added: “The environment and water do not recognize borders, militaries and fences. They should be a bridge for peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.”

Source: Ynetnews.com

Bilal and Ami show how two different religions and culture can come together over a symbolic tattoo.

Israel would ban strange names under a bill that was just debated by Israel’s Ministerial Committee for Legislation. It seeks to outlaw parents from giving their newborns highly unusual names.

Current law already authorizes the Interior Minister to refuse to register a name if “it could mislead or offend the public.” The newly proposed law, however, would establish a “Public Names Committee” that would judge whether a name could also be possibly damaging to a child him or herself.

MKs Zevulun Orlev (Habayit Hayehudi) and Miri Regev (Likud), who co-sponsored the proposal, have suggested that the committee would consist of an educator, a social worker and a psychologist. The idea would be that these people would be able to provide guidance to the Interior Ministry and parents in such cases when a births registry clerk was confronted with a questionable name. “Giving a hurtful and insulting name to a minor, or names of curses or negative figures, could make him an object of mockery in the eyes of his peers and damage his self-image and self-confidence,” the lawmakers were quoted as saying.

Whether or not this proposed law actually passes the Knesset, it’s unclear whether it might be applied to Natalie Portman’s baby, who is named after the Hebrew letter, Aleph. In any case, the 6-month old with the unusual moniker would probably have been grandfathered in.

Read more: http://blogs.forward.com/the-shmooze/148967/#ixzz1iVT6ChUR

Omer, Sela Nevo from Tel Aviv University crowned debating world champions in English as Second Language category

Brothers Omer and Sela Nevo from the Tel Aviv University won the World Universities Debating Championships in the English as Second Language category which was held in Manila on Tuesday. More than 3,000 teams from around the world participated in the competition.

Six months ago, the two won first place at the European championship held in Ireland. Also, this is the second time in the past three years that an Israeli team has won the world championship.

As part of the competition the various teams hold oral debates on a pre-agreed topic with each side either arguing for or against it.

Yoni Idov, the team’s trainer and himself a past winner said: “This is a very important achievement for the Tel Aviv University and the State Israel.

“This is the second time we have won a competition whose sole purpose is to hold a cultural dialogue and we’re showing the world the cultured Israeli who knows how to express himself in an eloquent and determined manner.”

Chairman of the Tel Aviv Student Union Ori Reshtik said: “We are proud of Omer and Sela for this massive achievement and are confident we will see similar achievements in the future.”

Source: Ynetnews.com

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