Congratulations to the New Olim and 353 pictures posted online

Hi Everyone!

On Thursday, December 27, I was at Ben-Gurion airport to greet the new olim that made aliyah from North America to Israel.

Congratulations to the 191 olim that have returned to their homeland. The excitement was everywhere and you knew that Jewish history was unfolding before your very eyes.

This last flight of 2007 included 82 singles and 32 families with 25 children. The youngest oleh in the group is 3 months old and the oldest olah is 96 years old. The flight also included 6 dogs
and 2 cats.

I took 353 pictures of the exciting event and I posted them online at:
http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/israel/history/2007/a260.htm

When the first page appears, press the F11 key to view the full length of the pictures. To move from page to page, use the navigation buttons on the bottom of the screen.

If I receive other pictures from people that were at the airport, I will post them at:
http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/israel/history/usa-aliyah.htm

May the aliyah from all over of the world grow and bring more Jews back to their homeland, Eretz Yisrael.

Shabbat Shalom!
Jacob

62 Israel related YouTube videos

Hi Everyone!

I started a new section on my website related to good YouTube videos about Israel including specific sections for Israeli technology and a section for Israel music videos (oldies but goodies).

The address is:
http://www.jr.co.il/videos/israel-videos.htm

Enjoy!
Jacob

Jerusalem Hi-Tech Job Fair tomorrow (Monday, December 3, 2007)

Hi Everyone!

Tomorrow (Monday - December 3, 2007) there will be a Hi-Tech Job Fair in Jerusalem

It will take place at the Beck Science Center in Har-Hotzvim
Hours: 12:00 noon to 6:00pm

Jobs: Software/Hardware engineers, electrical engineers, programmers, industrial workers, machine technicians and more...

Companies: Intel, Teva, Ophir Optronics, Malam Group, RAD, Gamatronic, Biometrix, IDT and others.....

You can view an English advertisement for the job fair at:
http://www.cji.co.il/cji-n334.jpg

Please forward this message today (fair is tomorrow) to anyone looking for a job in Jerusalem.

Shavua Tov,
Jacob

136 new pictures of Ma'ale Adumim

Hi Everyone!

A friend of mine from the United States is visiting Israel and we decided to visit various neighborhoods in Ma'ale Adumim.

Today, I took 136 pictures of Ha'Metzadim, Derech Ha'Gai Park, and Nofei Ha'Selah.

I posted the pictures online at:
http://www.jr.co.il/ma/pic/ma211.htm

When the first page appears, press the F11 key to view the full length of the pictures. To move from page to page, use the navigation buttons on the bottom of the screen.

Enoy the pictures of our older and newer neighborhoods.

Have a good day,
Jacob

25 Cool YouTube Chanukah Videos

Hi Everyone!

I created a list of 25 cool Chanukah Youtube videos.
There is something for everyone.

The list includes:
Adam Sandler - The Chanukah Song
Kenny Ellis sings Swingin' Dreidel
Light Up the World
Hanukkah Bird
My Menorah
Hannukah Song Texas Style
Voices of Liberty singing O Hannukah
The Latke Song
The Eight Nights of Hanukkah, as told by Jewish celebrities
NBA stars Hanukkah greetings
and many more.....

The address is:
http://www.jr.co.il/videos/chanukah-videos.htm

Enjoy!
Happy Chanukah!
Jacob

77 Free Learn English Study Sheets

Hi Everyone!

Today I added a new feature to the website:
Learn English with Audio and Transliterations

I created 77 Learn English study sheets that you can use with the website or independently in the classroom, home, work or on the road. The study sheets include all 40 topics and 1,500 words and phrases from the audio site.

Both the study sheets and the audio site are free to all.

The direct address of the study sheets is:
http://www.learn-english.co.il/print/index.html

Feedback is welcome.

Please forward this message to anyone that may be interested in learning English. Thank you!

Have a good day,
Jacob

New Facebook Application: Jewish Wisdom

Hi Everyone!

Today I launched a new Facebook application called:
Jewish Wisdom

The application lets you search over 3,000 Jewish proverbs, sayings and quotations from the Jewish Wisdom database and display your favorite on your Facebook profile. The quotations in the database range from the serious to the humorous.

Authors include:

The Talmud, The Bible, Proverbs, Psalms, Maimonides, The Chofetz Chaim, Albert Einstein, Elie Wiesel, David Ben-Gurion, Arthur Miller, Sigmund Freud, Golda Meir, Achad Ha'am, Chaim Nachman Bialik, Henry Kissinger, Rodney Dangerfield, Groucho Marx, Milton Berle, Phyllis Diller, Mel Brooks, Ann Landers, George Burns, Fran Lebowitz, Henry Youngman, Gilda Radner, Jackie Mason, Jerry Seinfeld and many more.

The direct address of the application is:
http://apps.facebook.com/jewish-wisdom/

If you do not have a free Facebook account yet, you can still enjoy the large source of education / entertainment via the new website at:
http://www.jewish-wisdom.com/

Feedback is welcome!

Please forward this message to your friends, relatives, co-workers and anyone that would enjoy this rich source of Jewish knowledge.
Thanks!

Have a good day,
Jacob

Chanukah on the J Site and 136 holiday links

Hi Everyone!

Chanukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, is observed for eight days, beginning on the evening of the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev. This year Chanukah starts at sundown, Tuesday, December 4, 2007.

Chanukah is a wonderful holiday of renewed dedication, faith, hope and spiritual light. It's a holiday that says: "Never lose hope." Chanukah commemorates the victory of a small band of Maccabees over the pagan Syrian-Greeks who ruled over Israel.

The J Site - Jewish Education and Entertainment
http://www.j.co.il

has several entertaining features to celebrate Chanukah:

Jewish Trivia Quiz: Chanukah

What does the Hebrew word Chanukah mean ?
What type of foods do we specificaly eat on Chanukah ?
What activities are forbidden during Chanukah ?
Are woman obligated to light the menorah ?
How many candles do we need for all of Chanukah ?
Which family was Judah the Maccabee from ?
How many branches did the menorah in the temple have ?

The above questions are examples from the multiple choice Flash quiz. There are two levels of questions, two timer settings. Both kids and adults will find it enjoyable.

Additional Chanukah resources and games on the J site include:

Free Chanukah Clipart
The Multilingual Word Search Game (English / Hebrew / Russian)
The Hebrew Hangman Game
My Hebrew Songbook (Hebrew Song Lyrics)
My Jewish Coloring Book (online / offline)

The J site has something for everyone, but if that is not enough, I posted on my website 136 links about Chanukah, from laws and customs to games and recipes. Site languages include English, Hebrew, Russian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German and Italian.

All 136 links have been reviewed / checked this week.

The web address is:
http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/j-hdaych.htm

Please forward this message to relatives and friends, so they may benefit from these holiday resources.

Enjoy!
Jacob

An Israeli cultural icon passes away

Shalom Everyone!

Besides spiritual leaders, teachers and doctors, one of the professions that I look up to are entertainers and especially those that make you laugh. Comedians have a gift that they can bring a laugh or smile to your face even when the going gets tough. They make you forget your problems and worries for a few minutes or hours and just make you feel good.

Monday night Actor Yisrael (Poli) Poliakov z"l of the Israeli comedy trio "Hagashash Hahiver" died at the age of 67. He was a great Israeli entertainer.

During my tourist days back in the 70's, my uncle (who was an owner of the Klaim ticket agency) would get me tickets to Hagashash Hahiver performances. My parents and relatives had to explain some of the advanced Hebrew and slag used in the shows but I understood enough to get many of the jokes.

Before leaving Israel each time, I would get one of their new albums and play it over and over back in New York. I looked at my record (yes record) collection tonight and I see that I have six of their albums. Besides their albums my uncle gave me a copy of their "gold book" and after one of the performances in 1978, my uncle took me back stage and the three signed my book which I still have today on my bookshelf. I also have their movie "Givat Chalfon Einah Onah".

When I made aliyah in 1984 "Hagashash Hahiver" was still going strong. Many routines and slang that they created became part of Israeli culture. I remember going to a party during my first year in Israel and several Israelis where sitting outside near the entrance. One of them asked me what the password was to get in. I answered in Hebrew: "Hachupchik Shel Hakumkum".They laughed and I felt great that I knew I was able to get a laugh using some authentic Israeli humor. (part of a vocabulary routine done by Hagashash.)

My favorite skits include the Phone Call, Drafted Car, Cafe in Tiveria, Burning the Bank.
I (and probably most of the country) got a real kick from their costumed performance of Water for King David (Mayim Le David Hemelech)

I searched Youtube tonight and found some clips from their routines.

Job interview at the bank:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLh-s3Q55pc

Civil Guard Duty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiVonLPCRjo

What to do if the Egyptians get close (from the movie)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA36MrMS1F8

Rescuing Mar Chason (from the movie)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91Nrx97T_6U&NR=1

Poli will be missed.
Below is the article about his passing.

May his memory be a blessing.
Jacob
-------------------------------------------
An Israeli cultural icon dies
by Merav Yudilovitch
October 30, 2007
http://www.ynetnews.com
Actor Yisrael (Poli) Poliakov died Monday night at the Bielinson Hospital in Petah Tikva at the age of 66.

During his last hours, Poli's family members were by his side. Poli was hospitalized two weeks ago after suffering a heart attack. His funeral will be held Wednesday afternoon at the cemetery in Kibbutz Einat. Poli was survived by his wife and three children, one of whom is actress and screenwriter Yael Poliakov.

Poli, who is most known for his years with the Hagashash Hahiver (or "Hagashashim") comedy group, recently appeared in the hit TV series "All's Good," which was based on the Poliakovs' family life and written by his daughter Yael.

Poli was born in Jerusalem and grew up in Tel Aviv. His acting talent was evident early on and during one of the high school productions he participated in, he was noticed by members of the "Nachal Band" - the famous military music troupe. Poli enlisted to the IDF and joined he band where he met his longtime friend and colleague, Gavriel (Gavri) Banai.

After his discharge from the army, Poli and Gavri joined the Hatarnegolim ("the roosters") band, where they met Shaike Levi and the famous Hagashashim trio was established.
The trio put on many comedy shows, consisting of music and skits which became classics in their own right ("The Drafted Car", "The Judge and the Referee", "Kreker vs Kreker", etc.) and
contributed numerous quotes to modern spoken Hebrew.
They also starred in comedies which became major hits, such as Givat Halfon Eina Ona.

In 2000, Poli and his two "Gashashim" friends were awarded the Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts.

Updated List of Jewish and Israeli Groups on Facebook

Hi Everyone!

In August I created a list of Jewish and Israeli Facebook groups. The list started with 300 groups.

Since then, I have been updating the list and today it has 737 groups.

The address of the list is:

http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/facebook.htm

Feedback is welcome!

Have a good day,
Jacob

New Facebook Application: My Hebrew Name

Hi Everyone!

Today I launched a new Facebook application called:
My Hebrew Name

The application lets you lookup your Hebrew name and display it (in Hebrew with nikud and an English transliteration) on your Facebook profile.

The direct address of the application is:
http://apps.facebook.com/myhebrewname/

If you do not have a free Facebook account yet, you can lookup, view and print your name via the My Hebrew Name website at:
http://www.my-hebrew-name.com/

Feedback is welcome!

Please forward this message to anyone interested in their Hebrew name. Thanks!

Have a good day,
Jacob

291 pictures of Second Hakafot

Hi Everyone!

Tonight (Thursday night after chag in Israel) I took pictures of the second hakafot at S'deh Chemed in Ma'aleh Adumim.

I posted 291 pictures on my website at:
http://www.jr.co.il/ma/pic/ma186.htm

When the first page comes up, press the F11 key on the top of your keyboard for a full page view. Use the icon buttons on the bottom of each page to navigate.

Shabbat Shalom,
Jacob

163 Free Learn Hebrew Study Sheets

Hi Everyone!

Today I added a new feature to the website:
Learn Hebrew with Audio and Transliterations

I created 163 Learn Hebrew study sheets that you can use with the website or independently in the classroom, home, work or on the road.

The study sheets include all 46 topics and over 1,700 words and phrases from the audio site.

Both the study sheets and the audio site are free to all.

The direct address of the study sheets is:
http://www.learn-hebrew.co.il/print/index.html

Feedback is welcome.

Please forward this message to anyone that may be interested in learning Hebrew. Thank you!

Have a joyous Sukkot !
Chag Sameach !
Jacob

Sukkot on the J Site and 62 holiday links

Hi Everyone!

Sukkot is the Jewish holiday that commemorates how protective "Clouds of Glory" surrounded the Jewish people after leaving Egypt during the forty years of wandering in the desert. It also commemorates how the Jews lived in temporary dwellings during that same time.

Sukkot begins Wednesday evening, September 26, 2007.

The J Site - Jewish Education and Entertainment
http://www.j.co.il

has several entertaining features to celebrate Sukkot:

Jewish Trivia Quiz: Sukkot
What is the Hebrew date of the first day of Sukkot ?
What is another name for the Sukkot holiday ?
What does Sukkot commemorate ?
What is the minimum area of a Sukkah as defined in the Talmud ?
What is the maximum height of a Sukkah ?
What does the Aramaic word "Ushpizin" mean ?
Who gets called to the Torah reading on Simchat Torah ?

The above questions are examples from the multiple choice
Flash quiz. There are two levels of questions, two timer settings.
Both kids and adults will find it enjoyable.

Additional Sukkot resources and games on the J site include:

Free Sukkot Clipart
The Hebrew Hangman Game
The Multilingual Word Search Game (English / Hebrew / Russian)
My Hebrew Songbook (Hebrew Song Lyrics)
My Jewish Coloring Book (online / offline)

The J site has something for everyone, but if that is not
enough, I posted on my website 62 links about Sukkot,
from laws and customs to games and recipes.

Site languages include English, Hebrew, Russian, Spanish,
French, Portuguese, German and Italian.

All 62 links have been reviewed / checked this week.
The web address is:

http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/j-hdaysu.htm

Please forward this message to relatives and friends, so they may benefit from these holiday resources.

Enjoy!
Happy Sukkot!
Jacob

25 new topics added to Learning Vocabulary Can Be Fun

Hi Everyone!
25 new topics have been added to the free, educational website:

Learning Vocabulary Can Be Fun
http://www.vocabulary.co.il

The new topics include individual word lists for pre-kindergarten to 8th grade. Over 600 new words have been added to the database.

There are now 219 topics and 10,353 words in the vocabulary database. There are many suitable topics for both young and older students.

The vocabulary site was launched in October 2003 and I have developed and maintained it for the past 4 years. As of this month, Vkidz, a small family-owned company, now manages the site. As part of the switchover, various new features have been added to the site including a Vocabulary Blog.

I will continue to give my input to the site and as always,
feedback is welcome!

Have a good day,
Jacob

Congratulations to the New Olim and 493 pictures posted online

Hi Everyone!

On Tuesday, September 4, I was at Ben-Gurion airport to greet the new olim that made aliyah from North America to Israel.

Congratulations to the 210 olim that have returned to their homeland. The excitement was everywhere and you knew that Jewish history was unfolding before your very eyes.

This last flight of summer 2007 included 96 singles and 29 families with 46 children. The youngest oleh in the group is 5 weeks old and the oldest oleh is 93 years old. The flight also included 4 dogs and 2 cats.

I took 331 pictures of the exciting event and I posted them online at:
http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/israel/history/2007/a218.htm

Jonathan Stein was also at the airport and I posted (thanks Jonathan) 162 of his pictures at:
http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/israel/history/2007/a246.htm

When the first page appears, press the F11 key to view the full length of the pictures. To move from page to page, use the navigation buttons on the bottom of the screen.

May the aliyah from all over of the world grow and bring more Jews back to their homeland, Eretz Yisrael.

Shana Tova!
Jacob

List of Jewish and Israeli Groups on Facebook

Hi Everyone!

In the beginning of July, I joined the Facebook social network. Over the past two months I have been using it to make both social and business contacts. Registration is free and you can setup your profile and information to various levels of privacy.

One of the nice things about Facebook is that there are thousands of groups that you can join and participate in. There are also hundreds of Jewish and Israeli groups to review and join.

The problem is, that you can search on "Jewish" or "Israel" using the search box but the results will include very small groups (2-3 people) and many groups that may not be useful.

I decided to create my own list of Jewish and Israeli Facebook groups. This list has over 300 groups and I welcome suggestions of groups to add.

The address of the list is:
http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/facebook.htm

Feedback is welcome!

Have a good day,
Jacob

New Israeli Educational Stamps Posted Online

Hi Everyone!

I scanned and posted on my website the new Israeli stamps that were issued in August 2007.

I included the stamp itself, the first day cover, and an English and a Hebrew flyer about the stamp.

- Festivals 2007 - Women in the Bible

- Moroccan Jewry Salutes the Royal Family
Rabbi Chalom Messas

- Israel Reserve Force - Israel's Elite

- Hashomer

- Tel Aviv Centennial, Dizengoff Circle - Souvenir Sheet

- "My Own Stamp" - Blue and White

The new stamps are located at:

http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/stamps/index-2007.html

If you do not see the August 2007 section on the page, hold the control key and press the F5 key to refresh your browser.

Have a good day,

Jacob

Welcome Home to the New Olim

Hi Everyone!

Congratulations to the 225 new olim from North America who made aliyah today to their new homes in their ancient homeland - Israel.

Hundreds of guests were at Ben-Gurion airport this morning to greet the new olim.

I took pictures of this historic and exciting event and posted them online at:
http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/israel/history/2007/a189.htm

When the first page appears, press the F11 key to view the full length of the pictures. To move from page to page, use the navigation buttons on the bottom of the screen.

May the aliyah from all over of the world grow and bring more Jews back to their homeland, Eretz Yisrael.

Have a great day,
Jacob

Uploaded New Learn Hebrew Video to YouTube and TeacherTube

Hi Everyone!

I just uploaded a new Learn Hebrew video to YouTube and TeacherTube. The topic of the new video is Human Body Vocabulary

The YouTube address is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqSDL7eKxYw

The TeacherTube address is:
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=21d8e7f02e10ba4b35c1

The list of previous uploaded videos is located at:
http://www.jr.co.il/videos.htm

Enjoy the video and have a good day.
Jacob

303 pictures of the new olim from North America and England

Hi Everyone!

Congratulations to the 275 olim that made aliyah today from North America and England. The two aliyah flights included 49 families with 122 children and 25 singles. The youngest oleh in the group is 6 weeks old and the oldest oleh is 89 years old. The flight from the USA included 3 dogs and 2 cats.

I was at Ben-Gurion airport to greet the new olim.
Prior to the arrival of the flights, there was a Rosh Chodesh (Elul) morning prayer in the terminal one arrival building.

I took 303 pictures of the historic event and posted them online at:

http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/israel/history/2007/a163.htm

When the first page appears, press the F11 key to view the full length of the pictures. To move from page to page, use the navigation buttons on the bottom of the screen.

May the aliyah from all over of the world grow and bring more Jews back to their homeland, Eretz Yisrael.

Have a Good Month,
Chodesh Tov,
Jacob

302 pictures of the new Olim in Israel

Hi Everyone!

Today, August 7, I was at Ben-Gurion airport to greet the new olim that made aliyah from North America.

Congratulation to the 210 olim that have returned to their homeland. The excitement was everywhere and you knew that Jewish history was unfolding before your very eyes.

I took 254 pictures of the exciting event and I posted them online at:

http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/israel/history/2007/a141.htm

On Monday, August 6, I attended an AACI Aliyah / Klita fair in the Jerusalem office of Nefesh B'Nefesh. Olim from recent North America and England aliyah flights came to the fair.

I posted 48 pictures at:
http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/israel/history/2007/a137.htm

When the first page appears, press the F11 key to view the full length of the pictures. To move from page to page, use the navigation buttons on the bottom of the screen.

May the aliyah from all over of the world grow and bring more Jews back to their homeland, Eretz Yisrael.

Have a great day,
Jacob

Free educational resources for the Jewish New Year

Hi Everyone!

Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year 5768, begins
Wednesday night, September 12, 2007.

The J Site - Jewish Education and Entertainment

http://www.j.co.il/

has several entertaining features to celebrate the new year:

Jewish Trivia Quiz: Rosh Hashana

Which special prayer is said in the days before Rosh Hashana ?
Which group of foods is customary to eat on Rosh Hashana ?
What are the other three names of Rosh Hashana ?
How many times is the shofar sounded during Rosh Hashana ?
Which food is customary NOT to eat on Rosh Hashana ?

The above questions are examples from the multiple choice
Flash quiz. There are two levels of questions, two timer settings.
Both kids and adults will find it enjoyable.

Additional Rosh Hashana resources and games on the J site include:

Free Rosh Hashana Clipart
The Multilingual Word Search Game (English / Hebrew / Russian)
The Hebrew Hangman Game
My Hebrew Songbook (Hebrew Song Lyrics)
My Jewish Coloring Book (online / offline)

The J site has something for everyone, but if that is not enough, I posted on my website 86 links about Rosh Hashana, from laws and customs to games and recipes.
Site languages include English, Hebrew, French, German, Italian, Portugese, Russian and Spanish.

All 86 links have been reviewed / checked this week.

The web address is:
http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/j-hdayrh.htm

Please forward this message to relatives and friends, so they may benefit from these holiday resources.

Enjoy!
Shana Tova - Have a Good Year,
Jacob

Congratulations and 234 pictures of the new olim from North America

Hi Everyone!

Congratulations to the 200 new olim who made aliyah today from North America to Israel.

I was at the airport and took pictures of the exciting event.
I posted the pictures online at:

http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/israel/history/2007/a117.htm

When the first page appears, press the F11 key to view the full length of the pictures. To move from page to page, use the navigation buttons on the bottom of the screen.

May the aliyah from North America (and the rest of the world) grow and bring more Jews back to their homeland, Eretz Yisrael.

Have a great day,
Jacob

Israel solar energy company inks huge solar power deal in California

Hi Everyone!

As many of you know, I am a big fan / advocate for advancing the use of solar energy and other alternative energy resources. There are several Israeli companies that are making big advances in spreading the use of solar energy around the world.

The Israeli company Solel Solar Systems closed a deal to sell 553 megawatts of electricity to California's PG & E Corp. (Pacific Gas and Electric Company) from a solar power plant that the company will build in the Mojave Desert at an investment of some $2 billion. PG & E's nine-square mile Mojave Solar Park is due to begin operating in 2011. PG&E said that the power, enough for 400,000 homes, will go to customers in northern and central California. The Mojave Solar Park project is now the world's largest single solar commitment.

For the full article see:

http://www.jr.co.il/articles/solel-solar-inks-huge-solar-power-deal.txt

It would be super cool if Israel, which has brought many discoveries and inventions to the world, will be in the center of the new energy revolution and be a literal "light" unto the other nations.

Shabbat Shalom,
Jacob

Congratulations to the 600 new olim from France

Hi Everyone!

Congratulations to the 600 new olim who made aliyah to Israel today from France.
I posted on my website articles and pictures of this exciting, historic event.
The address is:

http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/israel/history/france-aliyah.htm

If you do not see July 25, 2007 on the top of the page, hold down the control key on your keyboard and press the F5 key. This should refresh your browser with the newest page.

May the aliyah from France (and the rest of the world) grow and bring more Jews back to their homeland, Eretz Yisrael.

Have a good day,
Jacob

Educational websites about Tisha B'Av

Shalom.

Tisha B'Av is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar because of the incredible series of tragedies which occurred on that date throughout Jewish History.

Tisha B'Av means "the ninth (day) of the Hebrew month of Av." Tisha B'Av primarily commemorates the destruction of the first and second Temples, both of which were destroyed on the ninth of Av (the first by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E.; the second by the Romans in 70 C.E.).

Although this day is primarily meant to commemorate the destruction of the Temple, it is appropriate to consider on this day the many other tragedies of the Jewish people, many of which occurred on this day, most notably the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492.

This year, the fast begins Monday night, July 23, 2007
and continues till after sundown on Tuesday, July 24, 2007.

I posted on my website links to 37 educational sites that describe practices, prohibitions, insights and explanations about this sad day in Jewish history.
All 37 links have been reviewed / checked this week.

http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/j-hdayav.htm

May we see the rebuilding of the Temple in our days and that Tisha B'Av becomes a day of celebration.

Jacob

Congratulations and pictures of the new olim

Hi Everyone!

Congratulations to the 220 new olim who made aliyah today from
North America to Israel.

I was at the airport and took pictures of the exciting event.
I posted the pictures online at:

http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/israel/history/2007/a97.htm

When the first page appears, press the F11 key
to view the full length of the pictures. To move from page to page,
use the navigation buttons on the bottom of the screen.

May the aliyah from North America (and the rest of the world)
grow and bring more Jews back to their homeland, Eretz Yisrael.

Have a great day,
Jacob

New Israeli Educational Stamps Posted Online

Hi Everyone!

I scanned and posted on my website the new Israeli stamps
that were issued in May and June 2007.

I included the stamp itself, the first day cover,
and an English and a Hebrew flyer about the stamp.

- Jerusalem - 40 Years of Reunification
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Israel
- Volunteer Organizations
- Israel Prison Service
- Dance in Israel

The new stamps are located at:
http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/stamps/index-2007.html

If you do not see July 5, 2007 on the top of the page,
hold the control key and press the F5 key to refresh
your browser.

Have a good day,
Jacob

Uploaded New Learn Hebrew Video to TeacherTube and YouTube

Hi Everyone!

I just uploaded a new Learn Hebrew video to TeacherTube
and YouTube.
The topic of the new video is Computer Vocabulary

The TeacherTube address is:
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=d76f19b396595c9c25b4

The YouTube address is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgmxSlwx1Y8

The list of previous uploaded videos is located at:
http://www.jr.co.il/videos.htm

Enjoy the videos and have a good summer.
Jacob

256 Pictures of Technology 2007 in Tel-Aviv

Hi Everyone!

On Tuesday afternoon, June 19, I went to the Technology 2007 Exhibition at the Tel-Aviv Fair Grounds.

For those that could not attend the exhibition, I posted
256 pictures of the show on my website at:
http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/israel/technology/tech01.htm

When the first page comes up, press the F11 key on the
top of your keyboard for a full page view.
Use the icon buttons on the bottom of each page to navigate.
To return to regular page view, press the F11 key again.

Have a good day,
Jacob

Pictures of Dekel Fair to Raise Money for IDF Soldiers in Need

Hi Everyone!

On Thursday afternoon, June 7, the Dekel Vilnai school in
Ma'aleh Adumim had a school fair to raise money for IDF
soldiers in need.

I took pictures at the fair and posted them online at:
http://www.jr.co.il/ma/pic/ma180.htm

When the first page comes up, press the F11 key on the
top of your keyboard for a full page view.
Use the icon buttons on the bottom of each page to navigate.

Kol Hakavod / Congratulations to all those who participated in
the fair.

Shabbat Shalom,
Jacob

46th Annual Hebrew Book Week

Hi Everyone!

Tonight begins the 46th annual Hebrew Book Week.Over the next 10 days there will be book related events in every major city in Israel. In Jerusalem, the main book fair will take place in the old train station.The events are free.

The Jewish National and University Library (JNUL) has collated data about books published in Israel during 2006. The JNUL is the legal deposit library of Israel, and receives, according to the "Book Act", two copies of each book, journal, cassette or disk published in Israel. The publications are catalogued in the JNUL catalogue, in the Israel national bibliography and in the Israel Union List.

From their website:
"During the previous year 8,608 new Israeli titles were registered by the Legal Deposit Department of the JNUL: 6,840 books, 915 new periodicals, and 650 non-print titles, such as CDs and cassettes. In addition, 12,874 issues of current periodicals were received in JNUL. The JNUL catalogue is the most comprehensive in Israel, and includes the vast majority of the titles published in Israel."

You can see additional information at their website at:
http://www.jnul.huji.ac.il/eng/lgd-statistics-2007.html

I plan to pay a visit to the Jerusalem book fair next week. I visited these fairs in the past and not only is it fun to leaf through new books and get discounts - it is also great to see Am Yisrael expressing themselves (both sellers and buyers) as the "people of the book".

Enjoy!
Jacob

Additional Information about the Technology 2007 Fair

Hi Everyone!

I found out that the Technology 2007 fair cost 50 shekels at the door.
It is free if you signup online in advance at:

http://www.2007.hinet.co.il/

I just added this info to:
http://www.cji.co.il/events.htm

Shabbat Shalom,
Jacob

Article about hi-tech salaries and Technology 2007 Fair

Hi Everyone!

The Jerusalem Post has an article today about hi-tech salaries and the upcomming Technology 2007 fair

The article is posted at:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1180527970774&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

If you can not reach the article I posted a copy at:
http://www.cji.co.il/news.htm

I posted info about the Technology 2007 fair at:
http://www.cji.co.il/events.htm

Shabbat Shalom,
Jacob

Language videos uploaded to TeacherTube

Hi Everyone!

Several teachers emailed me that their schools block access to YouTube and that I should upload the language videos to TeacherTube. Thanks to everyone for the suggestion.

I uploaded all my language videos today to Teacher Tube.

The address of each video is loacted at:
http://www.jr.co.il/videos.htm

Feedback is welcome!
Have a good day,
Jacob

Uploaded 2nd Learn Hebrew video to YouTube

Hi Everyone!

Feedback from my first Learn Hebrew video was very good and I received requests to develop additional ones.

I just uploaded my second Learn Hebrew video to YouTube.
The address is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFXxy3cw4wA

You can view a list of additional language videos I developed at:
http://www.jr.co.il/videos.htm

Feedback is welcome!
Have a good week,
Jacob

Sefer Torah Dedication and New Bet Midrash

Hi Everyone!

On Sunday afternoon, May 20, Ma'aleh Adumim celebrated the dedication of a new Bet Midrash located at the S'deh Chemed school and the dedication of a new Sefer Torah.

I took pictures of the celebration and posted them at:
http://www.jr.co.il/ma/pic/ma172.htm

When the first page comes up, press the F11 key on the
top of your keyboard for a full page view.
Use the icon buttons on the bottom of each page to navigate.

Enjoy the pictures and have a
Happy Shavuot!
Chag Sameach!
Jacob

Shavuot on the J Site and 65 Shavuot Hotsites

Hi Everyone!

Shavuot is the Jewish holiday that celebrates the giving of the Torah, the first harvest, and the ripening of the first fruits. The two day festival (1 day in Israel) begins on Tuesday night, May 22, 2007.

The J Site - Jewish Education and Entertainment
http://www.j.co.il

has several entertaining features to celebrate Shavuot:

Jewish Trivia Quiz: Shavuot

What are the five names of Shavuot ?
On what mountain did Moses receive the Ten Commandments ?
How many letters are there in the Torah ?
In the days of the Temple what did people do on Shavuot ?
Who married Ruth ?
Who was Ruth the great-grandmother of ?
What is the connection between the number 7 and Shavuot ?

The above questions are examples from the multiple choice
Flash quiz. There are two levels of questions, two timer settings.
Both kids and adults will find it enjoyable.

Additional Shavuot resources and games on the J site include:

Free Shavuot Clipart
The Multilingual Hangman Game (English / Hebrew)
The Multilingual Word Search Game (English / Hebrew / Russian)
My Jewish Coloring Book (online / offline)

The J site has something for everyone, but if that is not
enough, I posted on my website 65 links about Shavuot,
from laws and customs to games and recipes.
Site languages include English, Hebrew, Russian, Spanish,
French, Portuguese and German.

All 65 links have been reviewed / checked this week.

The web address is:
http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/j-hdaysh.htm

Please forward this message to relatives and friends,
so they can also benefit from these holiday resources.

Chag Sameach!
Jacob

585 pictures of the Jerusalem Parades

Hi Everyone!

This week there were two parades in Jerusalem in honor of the 40th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem.

The first parade was the Regional Councils Salute to Jerusalem Parade. This took place on Tuesday evening, May 15, on the eve of Jerusalem day. I took pictures of this parade on Yaffo Street starting around 6pm.

The second parade was the Jerusalem Flag march which started a little late due to rain. This took place on Wednesday, May 16, Jerusalem Day. I took pictures of the march on Yaffo Street, in the old city and at the Kotel (Western Wall).

I posted 585 (yes - 585) pictures of the festive events on my website at:
http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/israel/jerusalem/jer084.htm

When the first page comes up, press the F11 key on the top of your keyboard for a full page view. Use the icon buttons on the bottom of each page to navigate.

Enjoy the pictures and
Chodesh Tov - Have a Good Month (Hebrew month of Sivan),

Jacob

Jerusalem Day on the J Site and 140 Hotsites

Hi Everyone!

Jerusalem Day is celebrated on the 28th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar. This year (5767 / 2007) the day falls on Wednesday, May 16, 2007. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem.

The J Site - Jewish Education and Entertainment
http://www.j.co.il
has several entertaining features to celebrate Jerusalem Day:

Jewish Trivia Quiz: Jerusalem

Who built the first temple ?
How many people were involved in constructing the first temple ?
What are the colors of the Jerusalem Beitar soccer team ?
Which animal is on the emblem of the Municipality of Jerusalem ?
What three Jewish holidays is Jerusalem the focal point ?
How long ago was Jerusalem established ?
On what mountain was King David buried ?
How high is Jerusalem above sea level ?
What is the name of the famous art school in Jerusalem ?
What is the length of the wall surrounding the old city ?
When was Hebrew University established ?
Which group defended Jerusalem in 1948 ?
How many open gates does the old city of Jerusalem have ?
What is the name of the largest shopping mall in Jerusalem ?
Who was the first mayor of Jerusalem ?
What was Jerusalem called in the days of Abraham our patriarch ?

The above questions are examples from the multiple choice
Flash quiz. There are two levels of questions, two timer settings.
Both kids and adults will find it enjoyable.

Additional Jerusalem Day resources and games on the J site include:
Free Jerusalem Clipart
The Multilingual Hangman Game (English / Hebrew)
The Multilingual Word Search Game (English / Hebrew / Russian)
My Jewish Coloring Book (online / offline)
Jerusalem Hebrew Songs with Vowels (Nikud)

The J site has something for everyone, but if that is not
enough, I posted on my website 140 links about Jerusalem,
ranging from history and tourism to photographs and stamps.

All 140 links have been reviewed / checked this week.
The web address is:
http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/i-jer.htm

Please forward this message to relatives and friends,
so they can benefit from these holiday resources.

Enjoy!
Jacob

10 new topics added to Learning Vocabulary Can be Fun

Hi Everyone!

I added 10 new topics to the free, educational website:
Learning Vocabulary Can Be Fun
http://www.vocabulary.co.il

The new topics are:
desserts, dog breeds, Hebrew / Yiddish origin,
history, international relations, Italian origin,
radiotelephony spelling alphabet,
Q words, walk on, Z words

The new topics appear in the topic selections of
the Word Search game and Hangman game.

There are now 189 topics and 7,714 words in
the vocabulary database. There are many suitable
topics for both young and older students.

Feedback is welcome!

Have a good day,
Jacob

48 Pictures of the Salute to Israel Parade

Steven Posner (thanks!) sent me pictures of the New York City Salute to Israel Parade which took place on Sunday, May 6, 2007.

I posted the pictures on my website at:
http://www.jr.co.il/rally/world/r001.htm

When the first page comes up, press the F11 key on the top of your keyboard for a full page view. Use the icon buttons on the bottom of each page to navigate.

Enjoy the pictures!
Shavua Tov / Have a Good Week,
Jacob

186 pictures of the Lag Ba'Omer Parade and Celebration

Hi Everyone!

On Sunday, May 6, there was a Lag Ba'Omer parade / celebration
in Ma'aleh Adumim. The parade started at 16:30 from Kikar
Yahalom and proceeded to the Canion (mall). The celebration, sponsored by Chabad of Ma'aleh Adumim, included an acrobatics / juggling show.

In addition to taking pictures, I was "volunteered" to participate in three stunts including the "cut the carrot in the mouth / sword throw" and a balloon / fire torch stunt. I survived, but next year I will stay out of volunteer range :-)

I posted 186 pictures of the parade and celebration at:
http://www.jr.co.il/ma/pic/ma156.htm

When the first page comes up, press the F11 key on the top of your keyboard for a full page view. Use the icon buttons on the bottom of each page to navigate.

Enjoy the pictures!
Shavua Tov / Have a Good Week,
Jacob

Educational websites about Lag Ba'Omer

Hi Everyone!

The Jewish festival "Lag Ba'Omer" is Sunday, May 6, 2007.
If you are flying over Israel on Saturday night (5th) and you
look down out of your plane, you will see thousands of bonfires
dotting the landscape as far as the eye can see. There
are various customs and explanations for these celebrations.

I posted on my website 40 links to learn about "Lag Ba'Omer".
All 40 links have been reviewed / checked this week.

The web address is:

http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/j-hdayla.htm

Enjoy the bonfires!
Jacob

Pictures of Israel Independence Day in Jerusalem

Hi Everyone!

On Tuesday, April 24, 2007 - Israel Independence Day,
I celebrated the festive day in Jerusalem.

At the Russian compound there was an exhibit of police
and security forces emergency services. Next door in Safra
Square there were "Live Museum" performances recreating
historical events in Israel.
In the evening there was a music concert.

I posted on my website 108 pictures that I took at the events.
The address of the website is:
http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/israel/jerusalem/jer075.htm

When the first page comes up, press the F11 key on the
top of your keyboard for a full page view.
Use the icon buttons on the bottom of each page to navigate.

Happy Birthday Israel !

Enjoy the pictures.
Jacob

New Israeli Educational Stamps Posted Online

Shalom Everyone!

I scanned and posted on my website the new Israeli stamps
that were issued in April 2007.
I included the stamp itself, the first day cover,
and an English and a Hebrew flyer about the stamp.

- Memorial Day 2007
Memorial Site for the Fallen Soldiers of the Givati Brigade

- Development Towns in Israel

- 120 Years of Neve-Tzedek

- Centenary of World Scouting

The new stamps are located at:
http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/stamps/index-2007.html

If you do not see April 22, 2007 on the top of the page,
hold the control key and press the F5 key to refresh
your browser.

Happy Israel Independence Day!
Jacob

Israel Independence Day at the J Site + 100 Hotsites

Hi Everyone!

Israel Independence Day is celebrated on the 5th day of the
Hebrew month of Iyar. This year (5767/ 2007) the 59th birthday
of the establishment of the state of Israel is celebrated on
Tuesday, April 24, 2007.
(Israel's memorial day was moved from April 22 to April 23 to
avoid Shabbat conflict with the eve of memorial day).

The J Site - Jewish Education and Entertainment

http://www.j.co.il

has several entertaining features to celebrate Israel's 59th birthday:

Jewish Trivia Quiz: Israel

What is the national emblem of Israel ?
"Pehsek Zeman" and "Egozi" are what type of Israeli foods ?
Who was the first president of Israel ?
What was the 1917 British Balfour Declaration ?
How long is Israel's coastline ?
What is Israel's Internet country code ?
What was "Operation Babylon" ?
Who were the first two countries to recognize Israel ?
What are Amos and Offeq ?
How many languages are engraved on Israeli coins used today ?

The above questions are examples from over 200 multiple-choice
questions about Israel that may be randomly selected by the online quiz. There are two levels of questions, two timer settings. Both kids and adults will find it enjoyable.

The Israel Geography Game

This Flash game will help you learn about the history and geography of 101 locations in Israel. There is a learning mode and game mode. Find out if you know more about Israel than Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv and Haifa.

Israel Clipart

Whether you need a picture for your child's class project, a graphic for your synagogue, Hillel or JCC Independence Day announcement, the Jewish Clipart Database has the pictures for you. You can copy, save and print the graphics in three different sizes.

Israel Word Search Game

Enter the Multilingual Word Search game and choose the
language you would like to play in: English, Hebrew or
Russian. There is an easy mode for the kids and a harder
mode for us big kids. Each game is randomly generated.
Israel topics include:
Jerusalem, Biblical Cities, Kibbutzim, Presidents and Prime
Ministers, Writers, Singers and Israeli Foods.
You can even print out a blank game (and the solution page) for
offline playing.

My Jewish Coloring Book - Israel Pictures

Young kids love to draw and this online coloring book
is made just for them. Three different size "brushes"
and 24 colors to choose from. You can print the completed
color pictures or print black and white outlines to color offline.

My Hebrew Song Book
Over 200 Hebrew songs (with vowels) for viewing and printing.
All songs are in graphic format so you do not need Hebrew installed to view or print them. Your camp fires or sing-a-longs will never be the same.

The J site has something for everyone, but if that is not
enough, I posted on my website 100 links about Israel,
ranging from history and tourism to photographs and stamps.
All 100 links have been reviewed / checked this week.
The web address is:

http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/j-hdayil.htm

Happy Israel Independence Day!
Jacob

Yom Hashoa in Israel

Monday was Yom Hashoa - Holocaust Martyrs' and
Heroes' Remembrance Day.

Sunday night, all places of entertainment were closed in Israel.
Television entertainment channels were off the air for 24 hours.
At 8pm Sunday night, the three main channels broadcasted the memorial ceremony at Yad Vashem.

At 10am Monday morning, the sirens were sounded all over Israel and everyone stopped what they were doing and stood in memory of the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust.
Israel is the only place in the world were the whole population hears a siren to remind everyone not to forget. The programs on television and radio were devoted to the Holocaust.
The schools had special lessons for the students.
For my first 26 years I grew up in New York and the day would go by without people knowing.

In Israel it is different.
Everyone remembers.

We must not forget!

162 Educational Websites about the Holocaust

Holocaust Remembrance Day is Monday, April 16, 2007.
I posted on my website 162 links to learn about the Holocaust.
Site languages include English, Hebrew, French, German,
Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
All 162 links have been reviewed / checked this week.

The web address is:
http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/j-holoc.htm

The top of the page should be dated April 10, 2007.
If the page has an older date, hold the control key and press
the F5 key to refresh your browser with the updated page.

Please forward this message to relatives and friends,
so they can benefit from these educational resources.

We must not forget.
Jacob

Case History of a Jewish Website

Hi Everyone!

Recently I wrote an article about the development history of my J website - Jewish Education and Entertainment.
http://www.J.co.il
The article was published in CAJE's (The Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education) online magazine. The article is online at their site but only for registered users (in 1-2 weeks it will be accessible to the general public).

I posted a copy of the article on my site (in pdf format) at:
http://www.jr.co.il/articles/jacob/index.html

Feedback is welcome.

May everyone have a
Happy Passover!
Chag Sameach!
Jacob

Preparing for Passover in Israel

Yesterday I went to Jerusalem to get my pre-passover haircut. I got to the barbershop around 6:15 pm. My barber was tired but he took me and then another customer. He started work at 7am. He is very aware that Passover is just around the corner.

Here is a cool item about Passover in Israel: Thousands of children started their Passover vacation this week. I do not know many countries where the school system closes for Passover.

Later in the evening I went food shopping in a supermarket in Ma'aleh Adumim. The supermarket was packed and it was a Tuesday night. I usually do not like shopping in a crowded supermarket but today it was something special. Everyone was busy shopping for Pesach. I have lived in Israel for over 22 years (aliyah from New York in 1984) and it is still a thrill to watch Am Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael prepare for the holidays.

One last item - There were kids outside of the supermarket collecting food for the needy. Two girls were at the entrance of the supermarket asking people to buy extra items to donate on the way out (another group was outside the exit with shopping carts). Kol Hakavod to these girls (and others all over the country) that take time out to help the needy.
Let everyone remember that there are those that can not afford to buy food for the holidays and they need our help. If you do not see somebody collecting food or money for the needy outside your supermarket there are many organizations throughout Israel that you can donate to make the holiday special for those in need.

May your Passover preparations go easily and smoothly.
Have a good night,
Jacob

A Bit of Nostalgia: Internet in Israel in 1994

A friend of mine sent me an article about the 25th anniversary of the Smiley.
You know :-)

This brought back some memories. Back in 1994 when I started to give lectures about the Internet in Israel, I created a plastic card that on one side had explanations about the Internet and Internet tools (in English and Hebrew) and the other side it had dozens of Smilies with English and Hebrew titles. Everything from a "Mr. Bill" to a Turban wearing Smiley. I have a scan of this nostalgic card at:
http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/jrnet.htm

It is amazing that in 1994 there were very few people "surfing" the Internet. Back then, Internet was mostly used by computer people and access was through the school systems or research facilities. If you want to really find out who was active back then, ask a person what was Archie or Jughead or Veronica. (yes they are comic book characters BUT they also were names for something else).

I remember my first big lecture at the Dan Panorama hotel in Tel-Aviv. I gave the morning session and the afternoon consisted of 30 minute presentations by each of the new ISP's.
The presenters that I remember were Amir from Actcom and Avi from Netvision. Selling the concept of the Internet and what you can do with it was something new. Most of my lectures were diskette based because it was not easy getting connected to the Internet in a lecture hall.

Today the Internet is everywhere. According to a recent survey by comScore Networks, Israel ranked second only to Canada in the average amount of hours spent on-line. Israeli web users spend an average of 37.4 hours/month online. Most users in Israel have a high-speed Internet connection and I would say that the pricing is reasonable. My connection is a 2.5 meg and I am paying less than $25 a month for the ISP and Bezeq ADSL. This is much cheaper than my 33kb modem connection back in the early 90's.

Now if we really want to talk about nostalgia, I have a few stacks of Brooklyn College punchcards in one of the storage boxes in my home. Anyone out there remember what a punchcard looks like ?
:-)

Time to start cleaning for Peasch.
Shavua Tov and Chodesh Tov,
Jacob

My First Learn Hebrew Video

Today I decided to create an educational / promotional video. I spent all day re-doing it several times until I got it right.

I posted the video on YouTube at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuEuns-0hIo

Feedback is welcome!

Have a good night,
Jacob

Pictures of the Purim Parade in Ma'aleh Adumim

On Sunday, March 4, there was a Purim parade / carnival
in Ma'aleh Adumim. The parade (called "Adloyada") started
at 11:00am. The theme of the parade was bible stories.

I posted 314 pictures of the parade at:

http://www.jr.co.il/ma/pic/ma129.htm

When the first page comes up, press the F11 key on the
top of your keyboard for a full page view.
Use the icon buttons on the bottom of each page to navigate.

Enjoy the pictures!
Jacob

CJI Salary Survey Results Posted Online

Hi Everyone!

I just posted on the Computer Jobs in Israel (CJI) website the
results of the annual salary survey.
A record 865 readers took part in the salary survey this year.
Each person answered 24 questions about their salaries and
their work benefits.

The results are posted (in English and Hebrew) on the
resource page at:
http://www.cji.co.il/docs.htm

If you do not see March 1, 2007 on the top of the web page,
hold the control key and press the F5 key to refresh your browser.

Shabbat Shalom,
Happy Purim,
Jacob

Israeli Stamps

When I was growing up in New York, I used to collect stamps. I collected from all over the world but I had the most stamps from Israel. I stopped actively collecting over 25 years ago.
Several years ago I decided to join the Israel stamp service. 3-4 times a year the Israeli postal service sends me all the new stamps issued, together with the first day covers and an English and Hebrew flyer describing the stamp. The flyers are very educational and helps one understand the theme of the specific stamp.
Today I received the stamps issued in February and I scanned and posted the stamps, first day covers and flyers on my website at:
http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/stamps/index-2007.html

One of the "cool" things about Israeli stamps is that the postal authority has issued many stamps with Jewish themes. The stamps range from Jewish holidays (check out the Purim ones) to stamps honoring great Rabbis and leaders. On my website I setup different sections with these cool stamps. I especially like the stamps that relate current issues and places to their biblical roots. You can check out all the stamps sections at:
http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/stamps/index.html
Enjoy!
Jacob

Vounteers in Israel

One of the hidden treasures about Israelis and Israeli society is the number of people that do volunteer work to help others.

Why do I call it hidden ? Well, it is not the type of story that appears on the front page (or back) page of your daily newspaper.
Whether it is working in a hospital as a trained medical clown (think of how this affects the kids in the children's ward) or volunteering for the traffic police, the variety of volunteer programs in Israel is amazing.

For example:
Yad Sarah, the largest voluntary organization in Israel, provides a spectrum of free or nominal cost services designed to make life easier for sick, disabled and elderly people and their families.
They have 103 branches in Israel and over 6,000 volunteers. They also lend out medical equipment for free to anyone that needs it.

Another organization that has thousands of volunteers is Meir Panim. They are best know for proving thousands of meals each day to the needy.

These are just two examples from many.

By the way, you do not have to be a resident to volunteer in Israel. Besides the various Israeli programs, there are special ones that are tailored to people visiting Israel. Some even include touring the country and learning some Hebrew while working. There are even programs that will give you the opportunity to help the IDF (Israel Defense Forces). I know people that participated in the Sar-El program (doing work on army bases or hospitals) and had a great time.

If you are interesting in volunteering, I have a list of organizations with volunteer programs at:
http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/i-vol.htm
I also have a list of non-profits in Israel which I am sure would welcome help:
http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/i-nonpr.htm

Doing volunteer work helps everyone including yourself.
Give it a try. It will make a difference.
Shabbat Shalom,
Jacob

Purim in Israel

How do you know that Purim is on the way in Israel ?

The first sign is that supermarkets are beginning to sell packages of Hamantaschen (Purim pastries). Yesterday in the supermarket I saw the first packages. The range of flavors of this triangle shaped pastry (Haman the bad guy wore a triangle hat??) is very wide.
Poppy seed, dates, apricot, chocolate, strawberry, etc....
Angles' bakery in Jerusalem has non-sugar, chocolate filled Oznei Haman ("Haman's Ears") - this is what they are called in Israel. I have tasted these "dietetic" ones more than once. They taste very good but I am sure you are not supposed to eat the whole package in one day :-)

The second sign in Israel that Purim is approaching are the advertisements for Purim costumes that will soon appear in all the newspapers. I wonder what this year's costume fad will be ?
I think the present day Haman in Iran will be in fashion.
May his fate be the same as Haman of Purim.

Purim falls on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar.
This year Purim begins Saturday night March 3, 2007.
(In Jerusalem, it is celebrated one day later.)

In order to start preparing for this fun-filled, Jewish holiday, I updated my Purim hotsites list with 95 links to websites with everything ranging from laws and customs to games and recipes. Site languages include English, Hebrew, Russian, Spanish, French, Portuguese and German.
Today I reviewed / checked all 95 links. They all work.
The address is:
http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/j-hdaypu.htm
I also have a humor page with funny stuff related to Purim.
The address is:
http://www.jr.co.il/humor/purim.htm
Additional items are welcome!

Enjoy!

Shabbat Shalom,
Jacob

Tu B'Shvat - The New Year for Trees

This week many of the supermarkets in Israel have special food displays with packaged dried fruit. What is the occasion ?

This Saturday (Shabbat), February 3, is Tu B'Shvat - The New Year for Trees. This Jewish mini-holiday is of major importance to our appreciation of nature and our relationship to it. It is customary to plant trees and partake of the fruits of the land of Israel to mark the occasion. This year Tu B'Shvat falls on Shabbat - therefore many of the holiday activities this year will take place on Thursday, February 1.

When I was a kid back in the 60's in the USA, I remember going door to door collecting money for the Jewish National Fund to plant trees in Israel. Today I can travel all over Israel and see the actual trees. There is something very special about celebrating Jewish holidays in Israel.

For those that are interested in learning more, I have collected a list of 55 websites that have information and activities relating to Tu'Bshvat. The address is:
http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/j-hdaytu.htm

Have a Happy Jewish Arbor Day!
Jacob

Telecommunications in Israel

Today I am launching a new website called: Learn English
http://www.learn-english.co.il
Eight people living all over Israel (and myself) worked on the development of the website. The programmer lives in Haifa and the translators live in Rechovot, Bet Shemesh, Jerusalem and Ma'aleh Adumim. The reader lives in Jerusalem and the sound studio is in Jerusalem. I did not have to meet anyone during the whole project. All the work was done via telephone and email. Before the summer I launched two other sites (Learn Hebrew and Learn Spanish) and the development was also directed from my home in Ma'aleh Adumim. In fact, I never met the programmer and some of the translators in person. I paid them via check or direct transfer to their banks.

Over the past several years working from home in Israel has become an option for many people working in the computer field including programmers, technical writers, grahic artists and other IT positions. However, it is not just computers. Other professions like sales, marketing, customer support and even the medical fields are jumping into telecommuting. For example, there are licensed radiologists that work here for US hospitals that need extra help on the US night shift. All this could not be done without a good communications infrastructure connecting Israel to the world.

Israel has one of the highest Internet penetration rates in the world. Last year it was reported that 65% of households surf through fast Internet.There are two ways that most people hookup to fast Internet in Israel: via Bezeq's ADSL service or through the Hot cable company. All Internet providers in Israel support both of these types of connections. Based on feedback from friends, both types of services today are reliable. Most of the problems people sometimes have are usually centered around the Internet Service Provider they choose. I have had the good fortune to be a happy camper with the same ISP for several years now. I also maintain the same cellular company and overseas phone service for the past few years. Every few months I check out the prices of competing companies to see if the market is changing. I have changed plans more then once to get a better deal. Many people do not know about price reductions or specials - you have to ask. If you do not ask, you will not know. Some of the companies are offering package deals including Internet, local phone service and overseas calls. The advent of voice over IP is driving prices down. Israeli communication companies are constantly revising their deals due to competition. Competition is good!!

For those that have not yet visited Israel, you will be glad to know that there are many cities across the country where you can find wi-fi hotspots to surf the Internet from your notebook computer or PDA. I do not have a notebook but I am pretty sure that the wi-fi hookup instructions will be also in English. Now that you can stay connected while you are here, why not spend you next vacation in Israel ? Drop me an email when you get here.
Shavua Tov,
Have a good week,
Jacob

Israel and Solar Energy

Did you know that an Israeli company created the largest solar energy field in the world ?

Between 1984 and 1990, an Israeli company called Luz, built the world's largest solar energy fields in the Mojave Desert in California. The system created is based on a solar thermal system that heats liquid to very hot temperatures which is then used to make steam that drives a turbine to make electricity. The Luz solar fields continue to operate today and the Israeli company Solel will be upgrading the system with newer technology that will increase the efficiency of Luz's solar fields by up to 50%.

Did you know that back in 1980, Israel made a law requiring every new building to have solar water heaters ?

Today 95% of Israeli households have them, saving between 2% and 3% of the country's electricity needs each year. Israel is still number one in the world in use of solar power to heat its water.

There are several companies in Israel working on energy innovations using the sun as a power source. What is great about power from the sun is that it does not pollute and after the initial cost of the equipment, the ongoing costs are very low compared to fossil fuels. Some people may ask what do you do at night ? First, most of the heavy electric usage is during the day when the sun shines. Secondly, I believe that the recent advances in battery technology will eventually allow commercial and home users the abiliy to store the power generated during the day and use this power at night. In fact, when the battery technology improves, the chances are very good that electric vehicles (using batteries and electric motors instead of gas engines) will become more common and economical. Some people even say that besides running your car, the batteries will be able to be a backup for your home electricity use if there is a power outage. Sounds great does n't it ? If you would like to read more about adavnces in the energy fields, I have a website with links to all kinds of energy websites and articles at:
http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/edu-energy.htm

Today solar energy is subsidized by governments like Germany and Japan and in many states in the US. Israel has the technology and plenty of sun. As the demand for enery worldwide increases and the price of oil rises, alternative enery will become more popular. During the next few years I believe that it is quite possible that Israeli innovations in the field will bring about the reality of being literally a "light onto the nations". Would n't that be something to smile about ?

Have a good night,
Jacob

SanDisk's 32 Gigabyte Solid-State Drive Designed in Israel

Yesterday, the company SanDisk showcased its newly introduced 32 gigabyte solid-state drive at the Storage Visions conference in Las Vegas. The 1.8-in. drive is designed to replace the hard drive in devices that usually rely on that form factor. The full article on this device that may change the PC mobile market in a big way, is located at:
http://www.jr.co.il/articles/sandisk-shows-solid-state-drive.txt
So what does this have to do with Israel ?
Well, the SanDisk's SSD was engineered by the company's new Israel-based Computing Solutions Division (part of SanDisk's acquisition of M-Systems). This is just one example from hundreds of advanced technology wonders that have been developed in Israel.
When I worked at Intel Electronics in Jerusalem (84-90) I attended meetings (by phone and in person) with many Intel employees from the US. Based on these meetings I gathered that the Intel Israeli design centers and manufacturing centers have very good reputations within Intel and in the industry. Many people do not know that their computers have chips that were either designed or manufactured in Israel. There is no "made in Israel" or "designed in Israel" stamped on the chip. However, the industry knows and many other international companies have picked up on this and followed Intel's lead and setup shop in Israel. Another giant company that has thousands of hi-tech workers in Israel, and produces chips for cellular phones and communication systems, is Motorola. In fact, if I am not mistaken, Motorola was here before Intel. Again, you will probably not find "made in Israel" in the equipment, but people in the indutry know. Back in 2004, I went to a telcommunications show in Tel-Aviv. The Israel Export Institute had a booth and gave out a real cool poster called: Israel Silicon Valley 2004. What was so cool about it ? It showed a map of Israel with logos of large high-tech companies that have key facilities in Israel. Here are two pictures of the map:

http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/israel/telecom/tc134.htm

and

http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/israel/telecom/tc135.htm
I am sure that today you can add many more logos to the map.

Not only is Israel a magnet for attracting large international companies, Israel has the largest number of startups in the world per capita.

Besides computers and communications there are many other fields that Israeli companies have made big advances. One of them is the biomedical sciences. However, this entry is getting too long so that will have to wait for a future posting.

The bottom line is that people all over the world have a hard time finding Israel on the map (so small in physical size that the word "Israel" is usually bigger than the country drawing). However, even though we are small in size on the map, our ingenuity and innovation is spread all over the world. Something to be very proud of.

Have a good night,
Jacob

About this blog

Hi Everyone!

Thanks to everyone that emailed me with their encouraging comments. Most blogs start with an introduction message. My blog has it as the third posting. I am still learning the ropes.

I have been in Israel since 1984 and I have been actively using the Internet since the early 90's. In 1993 I launched the CJI (Computer Jobs in Israel) report in which I list computer job openings but also some tidbits about life in Israel. I have other lists that I run ranging from pre-holiday resource announcements to updates about my websites. I also get a lot of email. Hundreds a week and sometimes hundreds a day (including spam).

Over the past few months I have been getting and reading more negative things than positive ones. This is one of the reasons that I started this blog.

My plan (b"h) is to post 1-3 items a week that will bring a smile to your face or make you feel good at least for few minutes (and hopefully more). I am open to suggestions but please do not send me publicity or marketing items for this blog. All posting suggestions should include at least 1-2 valid sources that I can verify the information. When you send a suggestion please put: Blog Suggestion in the subject. My email is posted on my website (not posting it here to avoid spam).
I plan to be very selective in what I post so do not take offense if I do not use your suggestion. If it is something nice / interesting, but not for this blog, I may post it at:
http://www.jr.co.il/articles/index.html

I added a feedburner link (includes RSS and Atom) to the bottom right of the blog for those that would like to subscribe to this blog using a blog reader (ie: Google Reader, Yahoo Reader, etc..) . For those unfamiliar with blog readers, these free programs allow you to read updates from various blogs you like (and websites) all in one place. It beats visiting every blog and website to see if there are new postings.

I think that covers everything that I should have mentioned on day one. Until the next posting......
Have a great day,
Jacob

Great Book: Moving Up - An Aliyah Journal

Over the past two days, I started and finished a very good book called: Moving Up - An Aliyah Journal written by Laura Ben-David. The book is a collection of emails Laura sent to her relatives and friends describing the aliyah journey of her family.
The humorous stories and inspiring words make the reading very enjoyable and will put a smile on your face.
If you are considering aliyah or have made aliyah or just want to read how one family deals with a new life in a new country, I highly recommend the book.

Details on where you can get the book are available on her website at:
http://www.aliyahbook.com/

Enjoy!
Jacob

Pictures of the Aliyah - Klita Fair in Jerusalem

Hi Everyone!
This week I attended an aliyah - klita fair at the Nefesh B'Nefesh
offices in Jerusalem. During the fair, Teudat Zehut cards
(Israeli citizen id cards) were distributed to the olim that
came on the recent aliyah flights from North America and
England.
I posted 95 pictures of the klita fair at:
http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/israel/history/2007/a89.htm
When the first page appears, press the F11 key
to view the full length of the pictures. To move from page to page,
use the navigation buttons on the bottom of the screen.
Congratulations to the new citizens of Israel.
Have a great day,
Jacob