Israel Active

I reported previously when Shimrit Perkol-Finkel, CEO of Israeli startup ECOncrete, was nominated for the UN “We Empower” competition for female entrepreneurs. She has since become an EU “Outstanding Female Innovator” and a Fast Company “Most Creative Person of 2019”.   (The EU Award) (Amazing Nas daily video)

Israeli entrepreneur Ben Lang and his friend Miriam Young launched International Hummus Day on 13th May 2012. The idea was to increase global support for Israel by uniting around the chickpea-based food. On 13th May 2019, five million people celebrated by eating hummus.

The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences’ 23rd annual Webby Awards in New York recognized two Israeli videos. One “Webby” was given to “Throw in a Kind Word,” a campaign for Israel’s Metropoline bus company. It gives bus passengers an insight into the lives of some of their drivers.

A record number of visitors from Muslim countries (over 72,000) came to Israel in 2018, including nearly 55,000 from countries that have no diplomatic relations with Jerusalem. It represents a 15% increase on last year’s numbers.

Israeli-based SodaStream hosted a Ramadan fast-ending Iftar meal at its factory in the southern Israel town of Rahat. Nearly 3,000 Bedouins, Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs attended, along with U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman.

The Kitchen is the first FoodTech incubator in Israel, established by the Strauss-Group food company and backed by the Innovation Authority. Its goal is help Israeli FoodTech startups flourish and make the global food market more productive, affordable, sustainable, and healthier. (see Ourcrowd video)

Some 200 Israeli entrepreneurs will take part in the annual Spark Hackathon in Tel Aviv, producing workable solutions for challenges in education, remembrance, and quality of life for Holocaust survivors. They will be supported by mentors from Microsoft, EY and NICE Systems.

Watergen, the Israeli startup that produces clean water out of air, has donated a GEN-350 mobile generator to provide water for over 120 children at an orphanage in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. The city experiences serious water shortages and was recently without drinking water for almost two days.

Israel’s very “special” Shalva band were unable to represent Israel at Eurovision due to the competition’s requirement to rehearse on Shabbat. But their performance of “A million dreams” during a break in the semi-finals was inspirational. And two Israeli TV channels catered to visually impaired.

SignTalk Foundation, a U.S.-based non-profit that promotes, fosters and advances public awareness of the deaf community, launched its online social network, SignTalkers, in Israel. New York-based deaf performer Douglas Ridloffv presented workshops and performances around Israel.