Archive | 2012 | July | 16

Carly Rae Japsen’s hit song ‘Call Me Maybe’ caused a YouTube frenzy in America, having captured not only every teenage girl in the country who uploaded a lip-syncing- video of the song, but also celebrities like Justin Bieber and even the Harvard baseball team were caught in the act.

Now the ‘Call Me Maybe’ fever spreads around the world and lands in Israel, where pop singing sensation Roni “Superstar’ Duani , who currently serves as the head presenter on the Israel Children’s Channel, filmed herself with fellow channel hostess Dawn Lenny-Gabay. The starlets posted a video today, of themselves having fun at a pool with a little girl, lipsyncing the words of the famous song. The video also features Duani’s husband, Chen Moncaz.

Source: AbbaNibi.com

SHI 360 for Jonathan Pollard
Prod. By Shekel

Not SDM’s usual posts, but a pretty powerful piece!

learn more here

Jonathan Koplev started swimming at the Haifa beach when he was six, and was competing by the time he was 12.

His hard work is paying off now, as he will represent Israel in the backstroke at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

“I think that young people who start something in life just have to work hard and give all they’ve got to thing they chose,” he says, adding that “representing my country is a dream come true.”

Via Israel21c

We are very excited for Israeli actress Alona Tal, who’s been through so much since her break -out role in the children’s TV show ‘The Pajamas’ on the Children’s Channel (“Arutz Ha’Yeladim”) in Israel. After we had seen her in ‘Veronica Mars’ and ‘Supernatural’, Tal was cast as one of the lead roles in a new CW show ‘Cult,’ where she co-stars opposite Matthew Davis from the hit TV show ‘The Vampire Diaries.’

Last Friday Alona Tal attended Comic-Con, the annual “nerds” conference in San Diego, and was interviewed by anyone who just asked, playing it nice but also uncovering true glamorous star qualities, exposing her fluent accent-less English, not to mention looking great. If this show becomes a hit, Alona might well be transformed into the biggest TV actress ever to come from Israel, the “Bar Refaeli of television.”

Many interviews of Alona Tal were published by fans and reporters attending the conference. Most of them wanted to know about her recurring role in the hit TV show ‘Supernatural’ to which she gave credit for her success. “I used to go to a lot of the fan conventions for ‘Supernatural’,” Alona revealed. “I got the privilege to be in 10 episodes of that show and that was enough for me to get appreciation from fans and followers. I see the relationships that come out of these conventions. That to me is unbelieveable. This show touches on this new era where fans have such a direct line with the show’s creators and this world, because they used to be so disconnected.”

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by Ryan Kelly

One of Israel’s highlights… Its food!

Imri Ganiel gets opportunity denied to his father, Amir, by 1980 boycott.

Amir Ganiel was no doubt one of Israel’s greatest swimmers ever. An Israeli record holder and freestyle champion, he also did well on the international stage. He qualified for the 1980 Moscow Games but could not go because of the American-led boycott.

Thirty-two years later, Ganiel’s son, Imri, is due to live out his father’s thwarted dream when he competes in the London Games in the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke events.

“I appreciate this amazing opportunity,” says Ganiel, 20. “My father qualified and didn’t make it because of politics, and it’s just a shame. I hope that he is proud of me and what I am doing.”

Just like his father, Imri has had to go through a number of hardships. He got his ticket to London through the Israel Olympic Committee as a young athlete, although he did not reach the Olympic criterion. The committee noted his impressive showing in the European Championships when he reached the final of the 100-meter breaststroke while breaking the Israeli record with a time of 1:00.26 minutes. The committee also took into account the consensus that he is one of the country’s future swimming stars.

The road to the European Championships was also an ordeal. Fellow swimmer Jowan Qupty asserted that he should represent Israel at the tournament, and a tribunal of the swimming association ruled that both swimmers would go. Qupty was disqualified in his heat, and Ganiel went on to have the race of his life.

Ganiel says he has no bone to pick with Qupty but did not like the way the tribunal forced the association to take the other swimmer. “I tried to prove that I deserved to go and that I’ll be better than him,” he says. “I went there to prove I’m better and had a great championship, which I can’t complain about. Jowan is really a good swimmer. In the Israel Championship just now he beat me in the 200-meter breaststroke, but I still enjoyed the race. I already own the 100-meter. It wasn’t easy, though I’m the Israeli record holder. There were good competitors there like Gal Nevo, and I didn’t win by much, but it ended the way I wanted it to.”

The younger Ganiel was born in Be’er Sheva, grew up in Omer and has competed since age 12. He says the life of an Olympic athlete doesn’t allow him much free time, adding that he tries to see movies and watch television when he gets the chance, but has little time to himself. He’s in the pool twice a day and goes to the weight room daily, noting that every once in a while the swimmers do something together in the evening.

“I’m very excited about London,” he says. “It’s all that interests me.” Ganiel says he got a chance that few who haven’t made the Olympic entry standard receive, and is looking forward to being part of the celebration.

His goal is to reach the semifinal. “I only hope that Jonathan Kopelev will be fit,” says Ganiel, referring to his teammate who had an emergency appendectomy Saturday night ‏(see box‏).

“I just visited him in the hospital,” adds Ganiel. “He can walk already and says the pain has gone down. A lot can happen in two weeks. He’s one of our most dedicated swimmers, and I think he deserves to go. Don’t count him out yet. He’ll do everything he can to swim well. Just believe in him.”

Source: Haaretz.com

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