Israel Active

18 Pro Football Hall of Famers came to Israel on a weeklong goodwill visit sponsored by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. They attended the dedication of Kraft‘s sports complex in Jerusalem, with a regulation-size football field, and visited the Old City, Tel Aviv and the Dead Sea.

This Newsletter’s editor was interviewed on the Radio Rabbi (Barbara Aiello) program, broadcast in Florida USA on 9th July at 08:30 EST.  Please check the link below for the July 9th show later today, during the week or afterwards.

Nice video of Israeli 3-year-old Matan Shaulov doing trick shots with a soccer ball. He could be the next Ronaldo, Yossi Benayoun or Eyal Berkovic.

‘Interactive’ was the theme of this year’s Jerusalem Light Festival. There were 39 installations, some with live musicians. Highlights included the Hurva synagogue, Horizontal Interference, Impulse seesaws and Interactive Shadows where images changed when visitors moved.

To mark Jerusalem’s 50 years of reunification, a three-meter-high solar-powered Panasonic digital radio has been installed on Jerusalem’s Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall. Broadcasting from 10am until 10pm, one of its five channels features recordings from the 1967 six-day war.

Weizmann House in Rehovot, home of the first president of the State of Israel, has re-opened after extensive restoration and conservation. Due to its unique features, the international organization “Iconic Houses” has added Weizmann House to its ranks – the first Israeli building to be included.

Israel is adding and expanding five nature reserves. The new reserve is Katzir (in Wadi Ara). Makhtesh Ramon (the Ramon Crater), will become a national park. Lahav Darom, Har Giora, and Harei Yehuda are to be expanded.  All will be free to the public.

The legendary Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons (a.k.a. the Jersey Boys) are performing for the first time in Israel on 4th July at the Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv.  Famous for “Sherry” and Grease. “Oh what a night” – they’ll certainly help us “hang on to what we’ve got”!

Israel’s Alon Day won the NASCAR Whelen Euro race at UK’s Brands Hatch and got a call to compete at the Sonoma Raceway in California. Although he finished 32nd out of 40, he became the first Israeli to compete in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series - the sport’s top league.

Israeli soccer star Tal Ben Haim has signed for four seasons with Sparta Prague. The fee of 2.9 million euros ($3.2 million, NIS 11.5 million), makes his transfer the most expensive in the history of the Czech league. Last season, Ben Haim scored 19 goals for Maccabi Tel Aviv.