·
Israeli
scientists have developed electrical fields to control single bacteria cells.
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Israel’s Olympic
cycling team includes a Moroccan Arab.
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Israeli scientists
extract Hydrogen from water using only sunlight.
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An Israeli
company brings old photos to life.
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As one Israeli
startup is valued at $1.1 billion, another exits for $1.9 billion.
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Tel Aviv
hosted a huge vegan culinary education event for chefs.
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A
2000-year-old entrance to Jerusalem’s Old City is re-opened.
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On the Jewish
New Year for Trees, Israel is blossoming.
·
Click here
to see the 9th February newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours and United With Israel. Also (TY Sandra) in German and
(TY Zachy) in Hebrew. Also,
Hebrew translation of articles in 9th Feb newsletter by students of Reali school in Haifa. Please pass on the following links
to German and Hebrew-reading contacts. Also (TY
Esty) please visit the www.facebook.com/VerygoodnewsIL Facebook page.
·
Please click
here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
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If someone
wishes to be added to the free email subscription list, they should either click
here or send a request (with their name) to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Breakthrough
in nanomedicine. Scientists at Israel’s Technion
Institute have developed a microbiological technique to generate electrical
fields that can manipulate individual bacteria cells. They can then introduce
chemicals or DNA into a single cell, either for speeding up treatment testing
or improving diagnostic tests.
Decoding your brain
signals. Israeli-founded startup Arctop is developing
AI-based software called Neuos, which algorithms to decode emotion, attention,
and memory from biosensor feeds of human brain signals. It opens a whole new world
of possibilities for communication, health, training, entertainment and much more.
Telemedicine to treat coronavirus
patients. (TY JNS) Israel’s
Sheba Medical Center can treat potential coronavirus patients without risking
the health of hospital staff and other patients. A remote-controlled robot enters
the infected patient’s room and monitors the patient’s vital signs using a telemedicine
app called Datos.
https://www.jpost.com/HEALTH-SCIENCE/Telemedicine-conference-at-Sheba-a-next-step-in-future-of-Israeli-medicine-581588 https://www.datos-health.com/
Joined-up cancer research
and treatment. Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center
and Hala - The Rachel Nash Jerusalem Comprehensive Breast Clinic have joined forces
in multinational research studies in the field of early detection of breast
cancer. Hadassah will also serve as the main hospital for the treatment of all
Hala patients.
Monitoring kidney damage
in hospital. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel's Serenno
Medical has launched Sentinel - a device for automatic continuous monitoring
and detection of kidney damage (AKI) in hospitalized patients. Monitoring of
kidney function in ICU is intermittent and injury is detected late, leading to life-threatening
conditions.
Bringing early detection
home. The amazing story of Yehudit Abrams, inventor
of the MonitHer device for home breast cancer monitoring. Yehudit was born a
Quaker, discovered Judaism and converted. She became a doctor, worked in Third World
countries and then NASA. She invented the MonitHer after her cousin died.
Jewish first responder saves
his Arab neighbor. (TY UWI) Josh,
a Jewish volunteer for emergency service United Hatzalah, saved the life of Munir
- his Muslim next-door neighbor. Munir had been stabbed during an argument with
other Arabs in Ma’ale Hazetim, a predominantly Moslem neighborhood in eastern
Jerusalem.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND
GLOBAL
Lior Suchard has all the right numbers. Having previously raised funds only in the
UK, the charity umbrella organization myIsrael (reported here previously) has now launched in the Jewish
State. Its opening event brought star Israeli mentalist Lior Suchard to amaze
the spellbound audience with his mind-reading act.
At risk kids run Miami marathon. Eleven members of the Emunah Bet Elazraki
Children’s Home in Netanya took part in the recent Miami marathon. They raised funds for various projects at the
Home, where more than 170 at-risk children live. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/275765
Helping parents fight their children’s cancer. Israeli Oded Grinstein’s struggle
to find information about his daughter’s cancer inspired him to found MyChild’sCancer
(MCC) It helps 40-50 families each year resolve issues from access to experts and
clinical trials to translations and negotiating bills and insurance claims.
https://www.jns.org/an-israeli-parents-medical-struggle-turns-into-his-tikkun-olam/ https://mychildscancer.org/
A woman wins Israel Prize for Talmud Studies. Tel Aviv University Professor
Vered Noam has become the first woman to be awarded the Israel Prize for
Talmudic Studies to be awarded on Independence Day. Talmud (Oral Law) study, traditionally
men only, has been more popular with women over the past several decades.
Head of MBA for AI and big data at IDC. Interesting article about Hagit Perry, the
first female to join the elite IDF 8200 cyber defense unit. Following a PhD
from Berkeley’s school of business, she now heads the MBA program for
artificial intelligence and big data at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC)
Herzliya.
Muslim Arab joins Israeli Olympic cycling team. Chokri Elmehdi, an Arab Muslim from
Morocco, has joined the Israel Start-Up Nation cycling team (see here) that will compete in the 2020 Tour
de France. Chokru joins seven Israelis and five others from Canada, Eritrea,
Australia, Colombia, and the Czech Republic.
Judoka friends for life. Israeli judoka Sagi embraced former Iranian
champion Saeid Mollaei, who fled to Berlin after the Iranian government ordered
him to lose bouts to avoid competing against Israelis. “Friend for life!!!”
reads the caption to Muki’s Instagram photo. “Tag Israel and Iran people for
peace!” he urged
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-judoka-makes-friend-for-life-with-iran-champ-who-fled-country/
Cyber security for Tokyo
Olympics. Israel Electric Corporation (IEC), has
signed an agreement with a leading (unnamed) energy utility in Japan to help it
secure infrastructure against cyberattacks during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. IEC
has developed software and hardware to protect the energy industry from cyberattacks.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Turning carbon waste into
gas for energy. Scientists at Israel’s Ben Gurion
University have developed a technology to turn carbon-containing waste into gas,
including hydrogen and methane that can be burnt to produce energy. The process
involves heated and pressurized water that decomposes organic matter.
https://www.jpost.com/HEALTH-SCIENCE/Israeli-researchers-find-method-to-convert-carbon-containing-waste-to-gas-617023 https://in.bgu.ac.il/en/pages/news/carbonwaste_gas.aspx
Hydrogen
from water and solar energy. Researchers at the
Technion – Israel Institute of Technology have developed the world’s first (prototype)
system for the efficient and safe production of hydrogen using only solar
energy. https://www.technion.ac.il/en/2020/01/water-sun-hydrogen/
The 4th industrial
revolution. Israel’s II4 (Israel Industry 4) Week
2020 at Expo Tel Aviv (Feb 24 – 27) is one of the world’s largest industrial innovation
technology conferences. Delegates from 15 countries will hear the latest advances
in automation, AI, IoT, cloud computing etc. that are revolutionizing industrial
production.
Giving AI power to memory. Scientists at Israel’s Technion Institute have partnered with
Israel’s TowerJazz to develop technology for adapting flash memory to the
artificial intelligence era. It transforms digital hardware into a platform resembling
the human brain - capable of performing millions of simultaneous processes.
Microgrids for more efficient
energy. Israel’s Brightmerge has developed
artificial intelligence algorithms to help countries and cities move to decentralized
“microgrids.” They are less expensive and more sustainable than a single electricity
supply grid. They also reduce carbon emissions and are more resilient to
power-outages.
A Global AI energy company. Israeli-founded Grid4C (reported here previously) has been selected as one of five leading AI companies in the Energy
Market among ABB, Siemens, GE, and IBM in "Global AI in Energy Market
Analysis and Forecast 2019-2025" report by CMFE Insights. It also raised
$6 million in funds.
https://www.grid4c.com/news-and-events/grid4c-selected-as-a-leading-ai-company-in-energy-market-2019-2025-by-cmfe-insights https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3783672,00.html
Making sensitive data
invisible. Researchers from Israel’s Ben-Gurion
University have developed the first all-optical “stealth” encryption technology.
It uses fiber-optic light transmissions to secure cloud computing and data
center network transmission. It works on the principle that if you can’t detect
it, you can’t steal it.
App turns
B&W photos into color. Israeli family tree software
company MyHeritage has launched a groundbreaking feature to automatically
colorize black and white photos. It brings family pictures to life and helps relate
more personally to events and people from times gone by. See the youtube to
watch the process.
https://www.jpost.com/Jpost-Tech/Israeli-company-launches-tool-to-turn-black-and-white-photo-to-color-617575 https://blog.myheritage.com/2020/02/colorize-your-black-and-white-photos-automatically-with-myheritage-in-color/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOqqMyvpG_A
Where is the bus stop? Israel’s Moovit has launched Way Finder, an augmented reality feature
that adds digital directions, icons, and notifications to live camera view to
help users locate correct bus stops and subway stations. It was in response to
a user who said he was waiting for the bus on the wrong side of the street.
Drone dome tests are 100%
successful. (TY WIN) Israeli
defense technology company Rafael’s Counter – Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS)
protects airports and critical infrastructure against malicious drones. Recent
testing has resulted in 100% success in all scenarios.
Seedless lemons. (TY UWI) At
Israel’s annual Citrus Conference, the Ministry of Agriculture presented seven
new citrus varieties including the seedless Ayelet lemon. Other varieties included
Einat (white pomelo / red grapefruit) and Aliza (mandarin / red pomelo) – both seedless.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
UK and Israel discuss free-trade zone. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and
his British counterpart Boris Johnson have agreed to begin talks on establishing
a free trade zone between Israel and the UK. Israel was the first country in
the world to sign a post-Brexit trade deal with the UK (see here).
Fifty startups head for Berlin. WeTech Berlin 2020 (Feb 26 – 27) is
an exclusive innovation conference hosted by CTech and Calcalist. Fifty Israeli
startups will showcase technologies and meet with local investors and strategic
partners in European and German corporations. (All 50 startups are listed in the
following link)
Axis Tel Aviv Conference. Conferences do not have to be big to be
successful. Axis Tel Aviv is limited to 250 decision makers and international
investors - many visiting Israel for the first time. Israeli startups pitching
to investors include in the fields of mobility, media and telecommunications,
fintech, insurtech, and commerce.
Israeli freelancers earn double the global average. A survey by Israeli-founded Payoneer
reveals that the $42 average hourly wage of Israeli freelance workers is nearly
double that of their counterparts in other countries. 7,000 freelance workers in
150 countries were surveyed.
Maryland delegation seeks Israeli entrepreneurs. Maryland Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford
recently visited Israel as the head of a delegation of state employees and
Maryland-based businesses. His aim was to encourage Israeli companies and entrepreneurs
looking to enter the US market, that Maryland is the ideal partner.
Sisense becomes a Unicorn. Israeli business intelligence company
Sisense (reported here previously) has just raised $100 million from US-based VC and private equity firm Insight
Partners. It gives Sisense a valuation of $1.1 billion dollars – joining the “club”
of over 20 other Israel companies with “Unicorn” financial status.
Forescout exits for $1.9 billion. Israeli-founded cybersecurity
company ForeScout was reported here in Nov 2018 when it paid $113 million for a US-Dutch company. Now Forescout
itself has been bought by US-based Advent International for $1.9 billion,
eclipsing the $1.1 billion (see here) that Insight paid for Israel’s Armis.
Milan Fashion Week for 21-year-old. Israel’s Maya Reik, fashion
designer and founder of Marei1998 is debuting her Faux Fur at Milan's fashion
week - at the age of 21. Maya left
school at 14 and studied fashion. Entrepreneurial skills run in her family. Her
father sold his shipping business to DHL for $100 million.
Brewing up a secure partnership. The world’s largest beer company
AB InBev has signed a partnership agreement with Israeli cybersecurity startup
foundry Team8, which will liaise between Israeli cyber companies and AB InBev. In
June, AB InBev established a cybersecurity-focused hub in Tel Aviv.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3792151,00.html https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-ab-inbev-israel-cyber/worlds-largest-brewer-opens-israeli-cybersecurity-unit-as-attacks-mount-idUKKCN1TE112
Innoviz partners Shaanxi for autonomous trucks. As part of the global expansion
of Israel’s Innoviz and its all-seeing LiDAR sensors (reported here
previously) , it has now partnered with China truck manufacturer Shaanxi to deploy up
to 600 autonomous trucks in Xi’an, one of the biggest ports in China.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT`
British synagogues on display in Tel Aviv. British artist Beverley-Jane
Stewart is currently exhibiting her collection of paintings at Tel Aviv
University’s Cimbalista Jewish Heritage Center until 20th Feb. “Halls of
Prayer, The Spirit of British Jews” includes synagogues in London’s East End,
Central London and elsewhere.
Lenny Ravich at Center Stage. Humor “expert” Lenny Ravich performs
“Dance Life…Don’t Drag It” on 25th Feb at Center Stage - the new theater for
English Speaking audiences in Raanana. Lenny’s
hilarious journey touches on relationships, family, education and health. Lenny is director of the Gestalt Institute of
Israel.
A thousand vegan chefs. Israel’s Vegan-Friendly and the nonprofit
Meatless Monday held a culinary innovation conference at Tel Aviv Port to
showcase vegetarian and vegan food trends and developments to over 1000 chefs,
catering companies, restaurateurs and food service professionals in Israel.
Enjoy the tastes of Israel. Here are just some of the food
and drink events and festivals in Israel that you may wish to partake of / in during
2020. They include Tel Aviv Eat, Vegan
Fest, Jerusalem Wine Festival, Jerusalem Beer Festival and Tel Aviv Cocktail
Week.
SodaStream at the Super Bowl. Israel’s SodaStream aired a
30-second ad during the Super Bowl. It featured US scientist Bill Nye and
18-year-old US astronaut-in-training Alyssa Carson. It portrays water being found
on Mars, but another astronaut mistakenly puts it in a SodaStream system and
drinks it.
Haredi woman wins Miami half-marathon. Haredi orthodox Israeli mother of
five, Beatie Deutsch (reported here previously) won the Miami women’s half-marathon race, beating over 20,000
other runners. She is training to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, but she will
not compete as the Marathon is scheduled for a Shabbat.
Longest journey on a scooter. (TY Nevet) Israel’s Yonatan Belik and his
American friend Mike Reid have just completed a tour of the 48 contiguous US states
on 50cc scooters. It earned them the title of Guinness World Record holders for
the “Longest journey on a 50cc scooter.”
THE JEWISH STATE
Ancient Old City gate re-opened
in Jerusalem. (TY Arutz Sheva & ILTV) After
2000 years, Israel has re-opened an entrance to Jerusalem’s Old City, previously
discovered in the 1930s. Buried underneath the Damascus Gate, the entrance and
plaza were used by the Romans when they ruled Judea.
Kirk Douglas – great supporter of Israel. (TY TPS)
Actor Kirk Douglas, who passed away last week at the age of 103, portrayed US
Colonel Mickey Marcus in the movie Cast a Giant Shadow.” His donations to
Israel included the Kirk Douglas Theater near the Western Wall and many Jerusalem
playgrounds.
World’s smartest child wants to study in
Israel. 9-year-old Belgian Laurent Simons has a
degree in electrical engineering and an IQ of 147. Although not Jewish, he and
his family have just asked Emmanual Nahshon, Israeli Ambassador in Brussels, for
help so he can study biotechnology, medicine, and bioengineering in Israel.
Hana reclaims her roots after 500 years. Portuguese Ana discovered her Jewish roots after meeting Israelis
in Nepal and then visiting Israel. She then understood the reason for her family’s
strange traditions as a descendant of Anusim – Jews forced to convert to Catholicism.
Now as Hannah Eyal, she shares her story all over Israel.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/watch-how-the-land-of-israel-helped-a-portuguese-woman-discover-her-jewish-roots/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nZ5VQvScec
https://www.hannaheyal.com/copy-of-home
Survivor returns to Kotel plaza he
helped clear in 1967. From 1948 - 67 the Jordanians
blocked access to the Kotel (Western Wall) and banned Jews. After the Six-Day War,
Shoah survivor Eliyahu helped turn the Kotel plaza into an open space for all.
52 years later, Israeli NGO Ezer Mizion fulfilled Eliyahu’s wish to see it
again.
Ukrainian Olim land on International
Holocaust Day. (TY Algemeiner)
184 new immigrants (Olim) made Aliyah from Ukraine on Jan. 27, International
Holocaust Remembrance Day. They landed in Israel on six separate flights financed
by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.
Four hundred more Ethiopian Israelis. (TY UWI)
The Israeli cabinet has approved the next wave of 400 Ethiopian Aliyah – immigration
to Israel. These Falash Mura (forced converts to Christianity) maintained their
connection to Judaism in Ethiopia and their hopes of coming to Israel. Many have
relatives in the Jewish State.
US Ambassador plants
tree at US embassy. On the Jewish festival of Tu BiShvat
(New Year for Trees), US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman planted an olive tree
(a symbol of peace) at the US Embassy in Jerusalem. And (TY Sharon) for photos and descriptions
of how Tu Bishvat was celebrated in Jerusalem.
