Israel Active

The Backstreet boys cancelled their planned Israel concert last summer due to the fighting in Gaza, but made good on their promise to return. They performed three shows at the Ra'anana Amphitheatre. All 20,000 tickets for each concert were sold out.

The annual Israel Day free concert takes place on May 31 in Central Park New York. It will feature British rocker Alex Clare, Israel’s Gad Elbaz, Lipa Schmeltzer, Mati Shrika, Avraham Rosenblum and the Shloime Dachs Orchestra and Singers.

After Israeli executive Sarit Fishbaine watched a TV medical soap, she decided to get a second opinion about a lump she was worried about. The decision saved her life. Coincidentally, Sarit is the daughter of Professor Sidney Engelberg – who appears in another article in this newsletter.

Another musical icon is coming to Israel: English alternative rock band Suede, which will perform at the Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv on July 30. This will be the group's fifth performance in Israel; their last performance in the country was in 2011.

In 2005, Israel’s Ofra Abramovich founded Mamanet , a sports league exclusively for mothers. It has since blossomed into a unique social-sports phenomenon with thousands of mothers and branches all over the world.

David Radzynski, 28, the new concertmaster for the Israel Philharmonic, is one of the youngest violinists to lead a major world orchestra today. Radzynski is an American-Israeli, born in New Haven, Connecticut. His father fought in Israel’s 1967 Six-Day War.

A team led by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel took first place in the World Series of Birding competition's Cape May category, identifying 157 species of birds in a 24-hour period. The competition in New Jersey raised $137,000 for conservation projects worldwide.

NIS 50 million of Jerusalem’s municipal budget has been invested over the past six years to develop a major film studio in Israel’s capital city. Mayor Barkat said that we will see Jerusalem on screens around the world and it would create hundreds of jobs.

Tel Aviv’s new hot air balloon rises to 120 meters to provide a spectacular panoramic view for tourists and locals alike. Each ride takes 30 people and has an onboard guide.

British pop star Robbie Williams arrived with his family on Thursday evening. Over 40,000 fans then enjoyed his very first concert in Israel.