Israel Active

Tel Aviv start-up Gangly Sister is producing a cartoon web series to promote Science, Tech, Engineering and Math to girls. The English-language series, titled, “Purple and Nine,” has had 64,000 views since its debut on Jan 30. The plan is to release one new 5-minute episode every month.

Israel’s Education Ministry has launched a national program to encourage pre-school children in Arab communities to read. Maktabat al-Fanoos (“Lantern Library”) will deliver 4 free books to over 45,000 children in 1,750 kindergartens to bring home and read with their families.

A team of Israel scientists arrived in Bhubaneswar, Hubaneswar, India, to test a pilot program to use plants to remove pollutants from contaminated soil and water. The holistic wastewater management process is called “phyto-remediation”. (See Algemeiner article for more info on India)

Israel and Germany are launching a joint project for humanitarian relief in developing countries, specifically in Africa. “The Africa initiative" will see Israel pledge 24 million shekel ($6.8 million) toward humanitarian relief in developing countries from 2015-2020.

President Ollanta Humala of Peru arrived in Israel for a three-day visit designed to increase economic and security cooperation between the two countries. Humala was set to meet representatives of Israeli high-tech firms, and receive an honorary doctorate from the Hebrew University.

Leket Israel, the National Food Bank, hosted the founders of Bouroume (“We Can”), a virtual food bank in Athens for a two-day visit. The Greek charity saw Leket’s gleaning program in which 50,000 volunteers pick, rescue and distribute fresh produce to the needy.

170 countries nominated Israeli Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor to run the elections for the UN Human Rights Committee. “The central role Israel plays to advance human rights around the world is the real answer to anyone calling for boycotts against Israel,” Prosor said.

The Knesset (Israel’s parliament) unanimously passed a law to use a higher-education fund to prepare discharged soldiers for the Israeli market, focusing on engineering, science and technology.

At an Israeli hospital near the Golan Heights, a 9-year-old Syrian boy who lost his legs is among those getting the medical care they need. He has been here for a month, ever since a Syrian government warplane dropped a bomb that killed two of his cousins and blew apart his lower limbs.

Hebrew University of Jerusalem doctoral student Yossi Kabessa won the Singapore Challenge gold medallion and $100,000 at the Global Young Scientists Summit in Singapore. He designed a system to detect dangerous materials in large water supply systems.