Israel Active

This video gives a brief overview of some of the thoughtful films being produced by Jerusalem’s Maaleh School of Television, Film and the Arts.

Israel’s rhythmic gymnastics team won the silver medal in the clubs exercise at the World Championships in Izmir, Turkey - the country’s best showing ever in the sport.

Hundreds of unique Jerusalem sites were opened to the public as part of “Open House Jerusalem” week.  They included free tours of apartments, hotels, synagogues, churches, hospitals, museums, excavation sites, tunnels, gardens and much more.  Be sure to check out this event next year.

The Israeli Antiquities Authority said it "uncovered a large and impressive compound dating to the Byzantine period in Ramat Bet Shemesh." It included near-perfectly preserved artifacts offering a rare glimpse into the daily lives of the inhabitants some 1000 years ago.

A breathtaking stalactite cave has been discovered during construction work in the Jerusalem Hills.  Initial measurements indicated that the cavern is 200 meters (660 feet) long and its large rooms feature different types of stalactites.

Israel’s Baruch Shmailov won the gold medal in the under 66kg category at the under-21 European Judo Championship in Bucharest, Romania, beating Armenian Arsen Ghazaryan in the final. In the under 74 kg category, Israeli Tohar Butbul won the bronze medal. =

Israel’s Ma’ayan Davidovich claimed her second straight bronze medal at the ISAF Sailing World Championships’ windsurfing RS:X competition in Santander, Spain.  She secured a place for either herself or her Israeli rival Lee Korzits at the Rio Olympics in Brazil in 2016.

Violinist and conductor Maxim Vengerov is starring in the Vengerov Festival at the Tel Aviv Opera House.  Vengerov studied at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and now lives in St Petersburg.  Israel, however, “is in my genes,” said Vengerov. “My heart and soul belong to Israel.”

Another one of those “Only in Israel” events.  Lady Gaga put on a show at Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park in front of 23,000 fans.  In between her most famous hits, she performed “I can’t give you anything but love” with Tony Bennett – who had his own concert in Tel Aviv the next day.

The Utopia International Science Fiction Festival is set to infuse Tel Aviv with a variety of science, imagination and future vision events, conferences, micro-talk sessions, exhibits and performances.  In Israel, though, it seems that the impossible is only just ahead of reality.