Israel Active

The Israeli film Lev Shaket (A Quiet Heart) won two top honors at the 20th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. Director Eitan Anner took home the Grand Prix honor and actress Ania Bukstein received the award for Best Actress.

10 Jewish American major league baseball players made their first tour of Israel as a preliminary to competing as “Team Israel” in the World Baseball Classic in South Korea in March.  Highlights of the tour will be included in a documentary called "Heading Home" by Ironbound Films.

Alon Day, the first Israeli to compete for America’s NASCAR racing circuit, was recognized by Israel’s Ministry of Culture and Sports as the Jewish state’s Athlete of the Year for 2016. Day competed full-time in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series and in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra and the Profeti della Quinta male vocal ensemble will perform Joseph and His Brothers, in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa on Jan 24, 25 and 28. The musical drama was written by Israeli composer, harpsichordist and bass singer Elam Rotem.

Chefs in Tel Aviv are fulfilling the Israeli demand for quality fresh food that they can just grab and go.

A 2.5 acre $50 million Jerusalem Arts Campus is planned to open in 2020. 650 students will attend one of four new schools – Nisan Nativ Acting Studio, Sam Spiegel Film and Television School, the School of Visual Theater and the Center for Middle Eastern Music.

Vibe Israel brings mega-bloggers to Israel to see how different the country is from that portrayed in the global media.  The latest tour brought four “healthy food” bloggers with over 4 million followers.  They were most impressed with Israelis, Israeli cooking ingredients and the Dead Sea.

Australian popstar Natalie Imbruglia is heading to the Mann Auditorium Tel Aviv for a concert on 1st March. Natalie became world-wide famous at the end of the ’90s with her hit “Torn”, followed by the album “Left of the middle” which sold over 7 million copies.

The City of Eilat had approved the building of a new 20-dunam water park on the site of the old Texas Ranch.  Luna Water Eilat is expected to have over 30 water attractions including a wave pool, 25-meter water slide and a shopping area. It will cater for around 3,500 people.

Israel’s Tourism ministry expects around 120,000 tourists to Israel in December, of whom half are Christian.  On Dec 24, the ministry will offer a free shuttle for pilgrims travelling between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Tourists and pilgrims at Rachel’s Crossing will be greeted with a small gift in the spirit of the holiday.