Israel Active

The Israel Premier–Tech Cycling Team won the 8-day “Tour of Rwanda” race with Israel’s Itamar Einhorn wining the second stage. It marked one year after the building of Rwanda’s “Field of Dreams” cycling center, with funds from supporters of the team. The team went on to win stage 1 of the Tour des Alpes.

At the European Women’s Weightlifting Championships in Sofia, Israel’s Celia Henna Gold won the silver medal for the Clean & Jerk in the 71kg category. In the 76kg category, Israel’s Nicole Rubanovich also won silver.

Israeli swimmer Anastasia Gorbenko finished runner-up in the women’s 400-meter individual medley at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar. She ignored boos from Hamas-supporting spectators and dedicated her medal to a childhood friend, Matan Angrest – held hostage in Gaza.

Israel’s recent wintery weather has included a mixture of heavy rain followed by beautiful sunny days. Jerusalem’s on-going Shaon Horef (Winter Noise) festival on Monday nights includes an unusual mixture of musical street events from DJs, and bands, plus food and “fun”.

If you are in Tel Aviv and are interested in nostalgia and memorabilia, stop, and have a coffee at the Ivri House, 8 Gedud HaIvri Street. Owner Guy Levy, an interior design graduate of Shenkar College, has amassed and displays Israeli memorabilia and secondhand furniture. Even the staff dress the part.

Original Israeli Opera production “Theodor,” about the founder of modern Zionism Theodor Herzl, was chosen as one of the world’s best opera productions of 2023, by the magazine “Opera Now.” Composed by Yonatan Cnaan and librettist and director Ido Ricklin, it was launched in May 2023.

Assaf Lowengart made history as the first Israeli-born position player to sign a pro baseball contract in the US. He is set to join the New York Boulders in the Frontier League, an independent league affiliated with Major League Baseball.

Unsporting behavior by the Irish women’s basketball team was rewarded with being convincingly beaten 87 – 57 by the Israeli team.  The Irish team had requested to boycott the match but were told that they would be hit with a massive fine and being barred from future EuroBasket qualifiers.

Nice article about Guy Sasson (see previously) who was runner-up in both the singles and doubles wheelchair tennis finals at the Australian Open.

Canadian-Israeli philanthropist Sylvan Adams has promised to build a sports infrastructure in the Gaza border area. He announced that a bicycle track will be built in memory of the fallen, as a donation on behalf of the cycling group he owns, Israel-Premier Tech Cycling Team.