Israel Active

David Draiman, the lead singer of American hard rock group Disturbed, showed his Jewish and Israeli pride during a passionate performance at the Tel Aviv Expo. Draiman, who attended US Jewish day schools and trained as a cantor, often shouted “I can’t hear you!” in Hebrew to encourage the crowd.

The White City of Tel Aviv celebrated the 20th year of its White Night, all-night festival (Laila Lavan in Hebrew). The name also recognizes Tel Aviv’s light-colored Bauhaus architecture. Events include public performances, musical shows, open access to museums and yoga at sunrise.

The Tel Aviv Summer Opera program includes mostly daily ticketed performances at the city’s conservatory. Also, free outdoor performances at the Israeli Opera Performing Arts square and at Jaffa’s Kedumim Square. Plus, master classes and workshops. See details at second link.

Tourists have been flocking to the Jerusalem streets. Events included Reading Month; the 150th birthday of the poet Nachman Bialik; the first Pulse of Israel Conference; Design Week at the Hansen House; the Muslim festival of Eid al Adha; and Machane Yehuda market’s centenary.

Professional ballet dancer, Isaac Akiva embraced orthodox Judaism while recovering after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament at the Boston Opera House. He subsequently founded the American-Israeli Ballet Association “to put the Jewish State on the international ballet map”.

Israeli megastar Gal Gadot is to have her name etched in in a star on Los Angeles’ best-known sidewalk, known as the Walk of Fame. Hollywood Boulevard’s 1.3 miles of sidewalk currently has nearly 2,800 stars. The only other Israeli star is for media producer Haim Saban.

Israeli athletes won nine golds, eight silvers and eight bronze medals at the Special Olympics in Berlin. The 25 medals beat the 19 they won at the 2019 event. The second link is to an individual article about Israel’s Mir Segel who won the 100-meter freestyle swimming gold medal.

Israel’s under-21 soccer team drew 1-1 with reigning champions Germany in the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship final tournament in Georgia. They lost to England but then beat Czech Republic to knock out Germany and reach the quarterfinals.

Israel won its first-ever gold medal at the European Artistic Swimming Championships in the Team Free Routine Combination event in Krakow, Poland. (Hebrew site)

14-year-old Gili Kuritzky won a senior fencing bronze medal at the European Games in Krakow-Malopolska Poland. Ranked only 250th in the world senior ranking, she eliminated far more established fencers on her way to her first ever medal at the senior level.