The female force behind David’s Sling

For the last 3 years, Anat (no surname, no photo) has been Rafael’s head of the launch and interceptor system project for Israel’s David’s Sling. She also updates it for constantly evolving threats. Anat has been 20 years at Rafael; she has 3 children including an IDF combat unit daughter.

Israeli NGOs working in Africa

Israel21c’s latest article lists 30 Israeli-linked NGOs saving or improving lives in Africa. Nine of them are new to this newsletter, including GYE Nyame Mobile Clinics in Ghana, Bilu Uganda, CultivAid, Africa 2030, HelpUp, Shanita, HalevAfrica, Brit Olam, and CoCuD.

Christian parliamentarians visit Israel

More than 20 parliamentarians from around the world are gathering in Jerusalem in the largest political solidarity mission to Israel since Oct 7. They will be attending the annual Israel Allies Foundation Chairman’s Conference.

Safer trucking in South Carolina

Israel’s SaverOne (see previously) is to run a pilot program with South Carolina trucking company Motor Supply. SaverOne prevents drivers from accessing distracting apps such as instant messaging, while allowing others (such as those for navigation) to run without user intervention.

Giving voice to speechless Australians

Israeli speech recognition startup Voiceitt (see previously) has teamed up with Australia’s Superyou Tech, which helps people with disabilities access innovative assistive technologies. Voiceitt’s powerful AI addresses a diverse linguistic landscape, including accents and dialects.

Easier admissions policy

Students who serve in the IDF reserves may be able to study for a bachelor’s degree at Tel Aviv University (excluding medicine) without a psychometric exam. Only high school matriculation grades will be considered. The policy may be extended for other students adversely impacted by the war.

A place for Ethiopian Israelis at the hi-tech table

Haile means “within my power” in Amharic. Solomon Geveye recently established the Haile Venture Capital Fund to invest in pre-seed disruptive startups in which at least one founder is from Israel’s Ethiopian community. He also founded MetekuAI to combat fake news.

Arabs and Druze in the IDF

Eye-opening article for those who are unaware that minorities have equal rights in Israel.

Chassid ex-commando is head of security

Asaf Peleg walks to his Chassidic synagogue and to take his daily ritual bath wearing a long black coat and fur hat - an M16 over his shoulder and a pistol and walkie-talkie at his waist. The ex-IDF commando is head of the rapid response team in the southern Israeli city of Kiryat Malachi.

Digital pen pals connect during wartime

Over 4,000 Jewish high schoolers from Israel and around the world participate in the One2One initiative. They engage in a series of five weekly English conversations of at least 30 minutes each. One2One uses an algorithm to match up students by age, interests and background.