Israel Active

Seven times Grammy award-winning singer Alanis Morissette refused to be bullied by anti-Israel hate mail. For those familiar with her signature song “Ironic” you may be amused that the Canadian-American’s concert at Tel Aviv’s Nokia Arena was sold-out and that the very next day - it rained!

(Thanks to Israel21c) Denver’s Mizel Museum of Jewish Art, Culture & History sponsored a special Keshet tour called “Israel, Art and the Jewish People”. It included Ein Hod artists village, the Holon Design museum and dance workshops and performances in Tel Aviv and Mitzpeh Ramon.

(Thanks to Israel Seen) The Sheinkin Street Party was an appropriately hip way to celebrate the completion of the renovations to the trendiest area of Tel Aviv.

Israel’s Funtactix won this year’s Variety Entertainment App Award for “The Hunger Games Adventures”. Funtactix won in the category Best Entertainment IP-based Mobile Game: Award recognizing the overall best mobile game tied to a TV or film franchise.

12 Israeli pilots flying six aircraft 422 meters below sea level have set a new Guinness World Record for a low formation flight. The record setting flight is unlikely ever to be broken, due to the unusually difficult conditions that go along with flying at low altitudes over the Dead Sea.

The Michelin Guide awarded two stars to Moshik Roth’s new restaurant, named “&samhoud Places”. Roth was the first Israeli chef to ever receive a Michelin ranking, when his previous venture won a star in 2005 and a second star in 2009. (The video is in Dutch)

Humour is the theme of the Hamshushalayim 2012 festival in Jerusalem. Every weekend in December is filled with stand-up shows, satire, storytelling, cabaret, literature, poetry, laugh yoga, humour in art, pantomime and special theatrical tours for the whole family. All events are free. http://hamshush.itraveljerusalem.com/

I could be watching Israel playing England at my local brand new Netanya stadium. In June’s European U21 Soccer Championship, hosts Israel were placed in Group A with England, Italy and Norway. There are four venues: Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Netanya and Petah Tikva.

‘I’m the American Middle Eastern dream,’ says Sameh Zakout, aka SAZ, a Ramle boy who dreams about making it big in Los Angeles after his stint on an Israeli reality show. Zakout has an American professional coach, an Israeli manager, an Arab booking agent, and high hopes.

For those tourists who realise that Israel is as safe as ever, here are 10 top recommended events. Highights include two jazz concerts; an Ethiopian photo exhibition in Netanya; Israel Museum’s “Modern Judaica” exhibition; and a Negev tour “In the footsteps of Ben Gurion”.