Archive | 2012 | February | 01

Pictures from the Red Ribbon Ceremony – opening of eBay Israel Social Center. With Mayor Ron Huldai, Ex-Yahoo Exec- Don Bradfordand Ron Gura.

Click here to check out more pics

Taking a short break from her Hollywood auditions and having wrapped her shooting opposite Charlie Sheen for his upcoming motion picture a few weeks back, Israeli actress and model Bar Paly is visiting Israel and has took time to pose for a spread in “At” magazine, part of Ma’ariv publications.

Shot by one of Israel’s young leading fashion photographers, Dudi Hasson, Paly appears with casual, albeit minimal, wear, sporting multiple looks from t-shirts to lace stockings, all resonating with her youthfully sensual coyness.

Paly’s current visit to the holy land is apparently due to her being added to the cast of the upcoming drama series “Young in New York (working title)” which is in production and set to air on Yes, Israel’s satellite television provider. Bar Paly should feel right at home as an Israeli in the big apple.

Source: Abbanibi.com

Alber Elbaz is the creative director of Lanvin, one of the world’s most revered fashion houses. Since his take-over in 2001, Elbaz has made the label one of the most covetable in the industry, fusing its rich heritage with his own unique twist.

• Elbaz was born in Casablanca, Morocco, in 1961 and moved to Tel Aviv, Israel, when he was 10. He considers himself Israeli.

• His mother was a painter and his father, a hair colourist. Alber credits his mother for teaching him the importance of modesty and humbleness.

• Elbaz’s love of drawing developed at an early age. “When I was either seven or eight years old, I did a sketch every day of my teacher and what she wore,” he once said. “At the end of the year, I gave her the sketchbook. For me, the sketching of dresses was about fantasy and dreams. In my little room at home, I felt that I was somewhere else. In Paris, for instance.”

• Alber joined the Israeli Defence Force before choosing fashion design and taking up a course at Shenkar College of Textile Technology and Fashion.

• In 1987, he moved to New York and began working for Geoffrey Beene where he was influenced by Beene’s rejection of trends and masterful draping techniques.

• Elbaz was hired as creative director of French couture house Guy Laroche in 1996, adding his own contemporary take without alienating its clientele. “I didn’t forget that Guy Laroche’s customers can be, like, 75-years-old and they like pink, bouclé and gold buttons,” he said.

• In 1998, Alber was offered a job at Yves Saint Laurent designing womens ready-to-wear. “For me, this isn’t a career move, but the realisation of my life’s dream,” Elbaz said in a press release from YSL.

• The appointment was short lived and, after the Gucci Group bought YSL Rive Gauche in 2001, Tom Ford – then Gucci’s creative director – dismissed Elbaz to assume all design responsibilities himself.

• Alber went onto work for Krizia in Italy but left after three months after a reported dispute with the label’s founder, Mariuccia Mandelli.

• In 2001 he was made creative director at Lanvin and has since become known for designs that are timeless, feminine and made in the finest of fabrics.

• Elbaz adores women. “I love and respect women,” he has said. “I work mostly with women. And you know, our logo for Lanvin is a mother and a daughter. I’ve always said, ‘It’s not a lion, and it’s not a horse. It’s a mother and a daughter.’ I find the logo very emotional.”

• He believes it is important for designers to understand commercialism. “I think that for me commercial is not a bad word. Commercial is not the word that has to be said only by ceo’s. It has to be something that is maybe the essence of design, because design has some sort of art in it and creation, but it’s also some object that you have to use. There is also this pragmatic end to it.”

• He has won numerous accolades for his contributions to fashion design including the CFDA’s 2005 International Designer award and, in 2007, he was awarded the highly prestigious Legion of Honour in Paris.

• In November 2010, Elbaz designed one of the most covetable high street collaborations in fashion history – the H&M for Lanvin line (see it all here). Fans queued through the night for a chance to buy pieces from the range.

And if you missed Homer’s rendition of Alber CLICK HERE

Popular Israeli actor Oz Zehavi was in Los Angeles this past week filming a guest appearance for TNT’s cop drama “Southland”, starring Benjamin McKenzie (The OC) and Regina King (Jerry Maguire). The 28yo heart-throb has been one of the biggest names to stand out in Israel in recent years, having starred in his breakthrough TV role on “Asfur”, which has been sold to a US production company, and being chosen as 2010′s most promising talent by Pnai Plus entertainment magazine.

While no immediate details were made public regarding the Rishon Le’Zion born Zehavi’s character on “Southland”, it is known that he plays an American citizen. Zehavi’s representatives have confirmed to Israeli media outlets that his performance was indeed shot last week and his experience on set was heartwarming.

“Southland” premiered on NBC in spring 2009 as a mid-season replacement for “ER”, however despite being renewed for a second season, the peacock network has later opted to cancel the show. A month after, basic cable TV channel TNT has renewed the show, where it has been running ever since. Currently in its 4th season, “Southland” has garnered generally positive reviews from critics.

Zehavi’s star continues to shine in Israel as the second season of “Asfur” ended a few weeks ago, wrapping his fourth consecutive Festigal popular annual Hanukkah showcase, while also being the face of local fashion brand “Renuar” for their current collection.

Source: Abbanibi.com

According to OECD report, 78% of money invested in education is taken directly from public funds, while 45% of Israel’s population has completed post-secondary education.

Israel is the second most educated country in the world, says a report released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

According to the OECD’s Education at a Glance 2011 report, 78% of the money invested in education in Israel is taken directly from public funds, while 45% of Israel’s population has a university or college diploma.

Israel also had the largest increase in overall population, approximately 19.02% from 2000 to 2009.

The report shows that while education has improved across the board, it has not improved evenly, with some countries enjoying much greater rates of educational attainment than others.

According to 24/7 Wall St., which helped compile the data, the countries included in the list have had educated populations for a long time. While they have steadily increased the percentages of their populations with post-secondary educations, the increases are modest compared to developing countries.

According to the report, the ten most educated countries in the world are: Canada, Israel, Japan, US, New Zealand, South Korea, Norway, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Finland.

Source: Haaretz.com

Ministries reduce power, water and paper consumption as part of comprehensive government environmental project

Government ministries have been able to significantly cut down on overhead expenditures by adhering to the guidelines of an environmental efficiency project, Ynet learned Wednesday.

The Green Government project, which was formulated by the Environmental Protection Ministry and launched in 2009, defines various environmental efficiency goals for the government, including decreasing the consumption of various resources and switching to biodegradable resources when possible.

A recent meeting of the committee tasked with monitoring the ministries’ progress found that their efforts have resulted in a considerable decrease in power, water and paper consumption, saving them millions of shekels.

The Housing Ministry has been able to save NIS 500,000 (roughly $133,500) by reducing its power and water consumption and reported a 55% decrease in paper consumption.

The Internal Security Ministry has been able to cut its water consumption by 23% and use 27% less power; while the Transportation Ministry was able to save NIS 240,000 ($64,000) on its power expenditures and increase its use of recycled paper to 50%.

Alona Shefer-Karo, director-general of the Environmental Protection Ministry, said that while the ministries “still have a long way to go, the data proves that improving environmental efficiency leads to significant financial savings.

“The government should serve as a role model for the public when it comes to sustainable consumption and the responsible use of resource,” she said.

Source: Ynetnews.com

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