Israel Active

The Onya Collective is turning Tel Aviv’s massive concrete bus station into a blossoming center for urban ecology.  This includes hydroponics, growing plants without soil, under special LED lights. Gardens grow lettuce and strawberries using drip irrigation from the air-con system.

Israeli start-up Glide has developed video texting that is so fast, you be watching the video the other side of the world before your friend has finished recording it!  And now, Glide is putting that technology onto smart watches.  Remember Dick Tracey’s watch? It’s been superceded.  

Israeli Shalom Koresh has invented a new invisible kippa (skull cap) made from artificial hair called “Magic Kippa.” It is for Orthodox Jews in Europe where recent terrorist attacks against the Jewish communities have left many afraid to go out in public wearing a kippa.

(Thanks to Michelle) Jerusalem’s Tower of David Museum is introducing a new digital initiative. Position any mobile device over the view and an audiovisual guide, using IDF mapping technology, will identify and explain landmarks within the frame.  

Israeli water company Netafim has been selected to partake in a $60 million micro-irrigation project in the Indian state of Karnataka.  The project will span 12,000 hectares, help 6,700 farmers in 22 villages, increase crop production and save 50 percent of their water consumption.

Two surgeons from Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center - Omri Amudi and Zach Sharony - have just returned from participating in “Operation Smile” in Vietnam. They performed free reconstructive surgery on children for cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities.

(Thanks to Israelicool) Two photos aptly fit this “inclusive and global” section.  The first is of an Arab girl in hijab, a Jewish man in black hat and a female Israeli soldier waiting to cross a Jerusalem street.  Then Canada’s Foreign Minister John Baird took a lovely photo at Davos.

Israel’s Environment Ministry is to provide $1.6 million for local authorities to encourage commuters to use public transport or bicycles in congested Israeli cities.  It includes new bicycle rental stations, cycle paths and a subsidized station taxi service.  Jerusalem will get a “biker’s app”.

(Thanks to Janglo) Amendments to Israel’s Consumer Protection Law went into force on 1st Jan, strengthening consumer rights.  They enforce existing laws with short-timescale fines and add new laws to ban undue pressures to make purchases.  You can also now take your own food into cinemas!

For the first time in Israeli political history, a political party led by Haredi women is to run in the March 19th Israeli elections.  The party to be named “Bizchutan” (“in their merit”) will be led by Ruth Kuliak, a social activist who has worked to promote the advancement of women.