In the 2nd Nov 25 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
l Virtual Reality video, that hoped for hostages return, now has a happy sequel.
l Two Israeli medical programs to save lives in the UK.
l 2,700 New York City jobs created by Israeli companies.
l Nvidia unveils its Israeli-developed AI microprocessors.
l Israelis and tourists look forward to festivals of music, comedy and opera.
l Latest hostage release has triggered a national religious mini revival.
· Click here to see the 26th Oct newsletter on (TY Steve) IsraelSeen, (TY Ruth) Ruthfully Yours, and (TY Peloni) IsraPundit. Also (TY Barbara) for translating the 19th Oct newsletter into Spanish here and (TY Colin) for translating 19th Oct newsletter into French. (Please forward this newsletter to Spanish-speaking and French-speaking contacts. Also please visit my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/verygoodnewsIL.
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POSITIVE NEWS IN A WAR
VR video becomes reality. Israeli pop star Yoni Bloch created the music video “Sof Tov” (Happy Ending) in Jan 2025 using AI & Virtual Reality to depict the hostages returning from Gaza. 9 months later, Bloch remade the viral video with real-life scenes of the hostages returning, to mirror the previous scenes of hope.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/ai-becomes-reality-in-music-video-of-returning-gaza-hostages/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erLAgHIP6UM (Original AI VR Jan 2025)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnAfCwA7skY (New real-life Oct 2025)
Discharged from hospital. (TY Hazel) Crowds across Israel waved flags and sang as ex-hostages Evyatar David, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Eitan Mor, Segev Kalfon and Bar Kuperstein made triumphant return to their homes after being discharged from hospital treatment, following their more than two years in captivity.
Eden returns to IDF. US-Israeli Eden Alexander, who survived Hamas captivity in Gaza, has returned to IDF service in the Golani Brigade. He was promoted to Sergeant 1st class in a moving ceremony attended by the Head of the IDF Personnel Directorate.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/417018
Homecoming kits. The Kibbutz Movement Rehabilitation Fund is distributing homecoming kits to residents of southern Israel returning to kibbutzim. Their kits contain seeds for planting, symbolizing hope and renewal; calming herbal tea; a purification kit; and cards encouraging families to hold a homecoming ceremony.
Freed hostage reunites with his dog. Ex-hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal was finally reunited with his loyal dog, who had waited faithfully for two years while his master was held captive by Hamas.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/watch-freed-hostage-reunites-with-his-dog-after-two-years-in-captivity/
Toys for children of ex-hostage. Elkana Bohbot, released in the latest hostage exchange, saw his children receive dozens of Jurassic Park dinosaur toys from a philanthropist. A touching gesture of love and support.
Devastated kibbutz invests in renewable energy. (TY UWI) Kibbutz Be’eri, almost totally destroyed by Hamas, has recovered sufficiently to invest NIS 20 million in Israeli renewable energy company Arava Power. Kibbutz Hatzerim, where most of Be’eri’s members temporarily reside, has also invested NIS 20 million.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/k3carulwk
OneFamily event for bereaved families. A special Sukkot event organized by OneFamily and its US sponsors brought together bereaved families from across Israel for a day of connection, comfort, and community. Among the participants were orphans, widows, and children who lost siblings or parents to terror and war.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/417074
Former Syrian outpost. 58 years after Israel took control of the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War, mine clearance at the former Syrian army outpost of Ein Almin is complete. The public is invited to view 11 acres of trenches, underground bunkers and cool off in the “officers pool” of natural spring water.
https://www.jns.org/israel-to-open-former-syrian-military-outpost-to-public-during-sukkot/
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
A bio-adhesive for closing wounds. Scientists at Israel’s Technion Institute have developed biomimetic hydrogel bio-adhesives that can seal wounds quickly and effectively even under extreme conditions and environments. The scientists were inspired by how mollusks / molluscs adhere to wet surfaces.
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-871577
https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/adma.202502850
Brainwave helmet mends broken links. (TY Hazel) Detailed article about the magnetic field helmet invented by Yaron Segal and commercialized by Israel’s BrainQ (see here previously). It now has the CE mark – which means it’s safe to be sold and used across Europe – and has been approved by Israel’s ministry of health.
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/brainwave-pioneer-time-is-running-out-for-my-son/
Unlocking the secrets of aging. Researchers at Israel’s Ben-Gurion University and at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have discovered a new subset of T helper cells - CD4-Eomes cells – are prominent in people well over 100 years old. these T helper cells act to clean out the system of senescence cells that accelerate aging.
https://www.bgu.ac.il/en/news-and-articles/bgu-scientists-one-step-closer-to-understanding-aging/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-025-00953-8
Test for suicide risk. (TY Nevet) Researchers from University of Haifa’s Sagol Department of Neurobiology have combined genetics and AI to detect suicidal tendencies in bipolar patients with near-perfect precision, offering a new hope for early intervention. They identified distinctive molecular signatures in high-risk patients.
UK trials virus vs bacteria blood test. The UK’s National Health Service in Liverpool, London and Newcastle is using the BV test from Israel’s MeMed to decide whether a patient is suffering from a bacterial or viral infection. It speeds up treatment of sepsis, meningitis, etc., and prevents unnecessary use of antibiotics.
Addressing UK mental health. The UK Embassy in Israel has launched the 2nd cohort of the Dangoor Health-Tech Academy, a joint initiative by the UK-Israel Tech Hub and the Dangoor Foundation. The 8-week program connects Israeli health-tech start-ups with the UK healthcare ecosystem, focusing on mental-health innovation.
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/article-872003
100 medics at first Medex Australia. Nefesh B’Nefesh, in cooperation with The Jewish Agency for Israel, hosted the first-ever MedEx events in Australia, for over 100 Jewish doctors in Sydney and Melbourne. It is part of the International Medical Aliyah Program (IMAP), streamlining the process for doctors making Aliyah.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/416950 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/417076
80 ambu-cycles to celebrate Dr Miriam Adelson's 80th. Israel's national emergency volunteer organization, United Hatzalah, proudly announced the dedication of 80 new emergency motorcycles ("Ambu-cycles") to celebrate the 80th birthday of philanthropist and friend Dr. Miriam Adelson.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/article-871691
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Middle East minorities forge ties with Israel. Representatives of the Druze, Kurdish, Alawite, Assyrian and Yazidi communities gathered in Tel Aviv for the first-of-its-kind conference “The Future of Minorities in the Middle East,”. They discussed the future, following the end of the brutal Syrian regime and a weaker Iran.
600 companies, 2700 jobs in NYC. A US-Israel Business Alliance report highlights that nearly 600 Israeli companies have created 27,000 jobs in New York City, generating billions of dollars for the city’s economy. What a pity that the leading contender for the city’s mayor supports the Israel boycott movement.
Taiwan: Israel is a model for defense. Israel is a model for Taiwan to learn from in strengthening its defenses, President Lai Ching-te said at an AIPAC meeting, citing the Biblical story of David versus Goliath on the need to stand up to authoritarianism. Unfortunately, Taiwan is not allowed to join the United Nations.
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-871910
Medals of honor. (TY Sharon) The nine awardees of the Israeli President’s Medals of Honor included Israel Druzr leader Sheik Muwaffaq Tarif; US philanthropist Dr. Miriam Adelson; freed hostages Matan Angrest and Segev Kalfon; and non-Jewish Zionist Mathias Döpfner the “giant” CEO of Axel Springer SE media group.
https://rjstreets.com/2025/10/26/jerusalem-gets-back-to-normal-after-holidays/
Responding to Hurricane Melissa. IsraAID, Israel’s leading independent humanitarian organization, launched an emergency response after Category 5 Hurricane Melissa battered Jamaica. Its team will focus on providing support in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene, as well as Mental Health and Psychosocial Support.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/417057
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Using AI to translate into sign language. Israel’s Nagish has acquired sign.mt, a cutting-edge AI company specializing in real-time sign language translation. The deal marks a step forward in Nagish’s mission to empower deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals through innovative communication tools.
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/article-871685 https://sign.mt/
Batty discovery. (TY Nevet) Prof. Nachum Ulanovsky took his entire Weizmann Institute lab to “bat island” near Zanzibar to record the activity of fruit bats. His team discovered that bats brains have an internal “global compass”. Head-direction neurons consistently point in the same direction across the entire island,
https://zuckermanstem.org/spotlight/going-to-the-ends-of-the-earth-to-better-understand-the-brain/
https://www.weizmann.ac.il/lsc/lab/prof-nachum-ulanovsky
Autonomous AI defense startup. Israel’s Skyforce has developed AI software that transforms manually controlled defense platforms into fully autonomous multi-platform operations involving large numbers of low-cost, units. It also can be deployed in agriculture, healthcare, and other non-military areas.
https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-871876
Checking for suspicious behavior. Israeli cybersecurity Reflectiz is a behavioral analysis mechanism that simulates human user actions. This system continuously monitors all activities and behaviors of website components. By establishing what constitutes normal behavior, it can detect deviations that pose security risks.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/hj01cfjjbg
Nvidia’s new AI chips. Nvidia has unveiled two new chips developed in Israel, BlueField-4 and ConnectX-8 SuperNIC. The chips, six times more than previous chips, were developed at Nvidia’s R&D center in Tel Aviv. They are designed to accelerate data transmission of huge AI models, supporting speeds of up to 800 Gb/s.
New programs on I24News. The new program lineup on the English language Israeli TV station I24News includes “Innovation Nation” at 9pm (Israel time) on Tues eves (14:00 EST). It says it will highlight Israel’s renowned startup scene and the region’s most inspiring technological breakthroughs.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/417084
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Israeli companies come home. In 2021, seven of the ten largest Israeli companies were listed in New York, with only three traded in Tel Aviv. Now all seven are listed in Tel Aviv (two are listed in both).
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-for-israeli-companies-theres-now-no-place-like-home-1001524336
Gas prices fall. The maximum price of government price controlled 95 octane gasoline at self-service pumps in Israel fell by NIS 0.17 per liter to NIS 7.07 per liter, back to its price in August 2024, which is its lowest price in nearly two years. https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-gasoline-prices-in-israel-to-fall-saturday-night-1001525164
Startup employees become millionaires. More employees are becoming millionaires, even before the company is sold or goes public. In the past year, Armis, Island, Quantum Machines and Exodigo have allowed employees and founders to sell shares to new investors, and pocket the proceeds.
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-secondary-rounds-in-tech-sector-make-a-comeback-1001524831
$2 billion fund with Israeli emphasis. Viola Credit has announced the closing of the $2 billion Viola ABL Fund III asset-based lending strategy fund. The fund was $0.5 billion oversubscribed. The fund places a unique emphasis on the Israeli ecosystem and is expected to expand the financing of local fintech companies
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-viola-credit-closes-2b-asset-backed-credit-fund-1001524977
Nvidia employs 5,000 Israelis. In one year, Nvidia (at $5 trillion, the world’s most valuable company) has increased its Israeli workforce from 3,300 (see here previously) to 5,000 and it’s still hiring. Today, Israel is Nvidia’s second-largest R&D hub outside the United States.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/sjberli0eg
Replacing diesel generators. The Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers, a consortium of companies involved in data centers led by Google and Microsoft, has chosen the aluminum-air technology from Israel’s Phinergy (see here previously) as the main solution for replacing diesel-fueled data center generators.
A $1.5 billion solar project in Texas. Israel’s Doral Energy (see here previously) has won a NIS 1.5 billion deal for the construction of a large solar field (553 megawatt output) at Cold Creek in Texas. The project will include storage capacity of 340 megawatt-hours, and will be spread over more than 5,000 acres.
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-doral-to-build-nis-15b-solar-project-in-texas-1001524685
Exits, takeovers, and mergers to 2nd Nov 25. Israel’s Nagish has acquired sign.mt. US design software company Figma has acquired Israeli AI powered design workflows company Weavy for $200 million.
Startup investment – to 2nd Nov 25: Navan raised $923 million; Winvia Entertainment raised $40 million; Reflectiz raised $22 million; Onfire AI raised $20 million; CyberRidge raised $16 million; Impala AI raised $11 million; Spacial raised $10 million; Wild Moose raised $7 million;
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT,
Rare turtle rescued. A very rare softshell turtle was rescued from the Jordan River during Sukkot after his beak became entangled in abandoned fishing wire. The turtle was recovered by the Nature and Parks Authority and treated at the KKL-JNF Hula Valley Wildlife Acclimation Center. It had also swallowed fishing hooks.
https://www.jpost.com/environment-and-climate-change/article-871598
Here come the cranes. The first flock of migrating cranes have arrived at the KKL-JNF Hula Valley Nature Reserve, marking the start of the region’s annual spectacle as the birds leave their Russian breeding grounds (see kkl-jnf’s live cameras). Meanwhile, the first-ever sighting in Israel of Asia’s White’s thrush.
https://www.jns.org/first-migrating-cranes-arrive-at-israels-hula-valley-reserve/
https://www.kkl-jnf.org/tourism-and-recreation/forests-and-parks/hula-lake-park/live_broadcast/
https://www.jpost.com/environment-and-climate-change/article-872281
Abu Ghosh festival. This year’s Abu Ghosh fest featured 30 concerts and musical events, including the "Sinatra Meets New Orleans" show with Eli Preminger and The Chocolate Factory Band! Part of the festival was held in Tel Aviv due to the renovation work being carried out on the Kiryat Ya'arim Church.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/article-869106 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRQpku31BwA
Punch comedy festival. Tel Aviv’s first-ever stand-up and comedy “Punch” festival, takes place Dec 11-13. Based at the Zionist House, it features homegrown comedians, a special Russian-language stand-up night, and The Harry Potter Stand-Up Show for the whole family. bit.ly/3WrVOf9 for tickets.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/article-871931
Sderot blues festival. From Dec 1-3, the southern Israeli city of Sderot will pulse with the sound of Israeli blues, as top artists, local jams, and rare blues films take over the Music, Soul, Cinema and Resilience Festival at the Sderot Cinematheque. For a city that’s seen more than its share of blues, the festival is one of celebration.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/article-871684 https://www.sderot-cin.org.il/movies
Israel Opera at 40. The Israeli Opera turns 40 this year, featuring seven productions. Purcell's Dido & Aeneas (November - the company’s very first production in 1985), Tchaikovsky's Iolanthe (January), The Dybbuk, Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Strauss’s Salome, Verdi’s Nabucco, and finally, Puccini’s Tosca.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/article-871817
Kevin Spacey and Jazz concert. Actor Kevin Spacey will perform a show, “Songs & Stories,” accompanied by a jazz band on 19 Nov at Tel Aviv’s Hangar 11. Spacey visited Israel in Dec 2024 with British author Douglas Murray (see here previously).
https://www.timesofisrael.com/kevin-spacey-heads-to-israel-with-one-man-show/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ycXNuw5zQA https://www.eventim.co.il/en/artist/kevinspacey/
Tel Aviv Night Run. The annual Tel Aviv Night Run, featuring courses lined with DJ stands and illuminated art installations, on Oct 29 was organized by the Tel Aviv-Yafo municipality. It is described as a “celebration of sport, music, and urban energy”. It had three courses - 5km, 10km, or 15km - to attract various fitness levels.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/sports/article-871555
THE JEWISH STATE
Ex-hostage leads mass tefillin event. Hamas captivity survivor Bar Kuperstein called on the public at Tel Aviv’s Hostages’ Square to join a mass tefillin-laying event before Shabbat. He gave “a huge thanks to everyone for your prayers, your support, and everything you’ve done for me and for all the other hostages.”
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/416968 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/417072
Hostages became religious. Most of the ex-hostages were completely secular before being kidnapped, but conducted Jewish practices during their ordeals. Some kept Shabbat; some refused food on religious fast days. Bar Kuperstein simulated putting on tefillin; others prayed. And most have maintained those practices since.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/watch-freed-hostage-segev-kalfon-on-keeping-shabbat-in-gaza/
https://unitedwithisrael.org/watch-gali-and-ziv-berman-don-tefillin/
Ministers quoting the Torah? Interesting article – maybe inferring that Israel is becoming more “Jewish”?
https://www.jns.org/golden-age-of-israeli-ministers-quoting-scripture-experts-say/
From Ethiopia, to New York, to Jerusalem. Ethiopian-born scholar Dr. Shmuel Legasse has represented the Knesset abroad and worked with Jewish and interfaith communities across Africa, the US and Israel. “Our diversity is our greatest diplomatic asset,” he says. His mentor was Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (z”l).
https://www.jns.org/israel-should-lead-with-moral-diplomacy/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6jTAUizSSI
Aliyah Day. Officially the 10th of the Hebrew month of Nissan (when the Israelites entered the Land), Aliyah Day is celebrated at this time of year - on the 6th or 7th of the Hebrew month of Marcheshvan to coincide with the Torah reading of Lech Lecha, when Abraham was commanded to go to the Land of Israel.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-871928 https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-871918
https://anglo-list.com/israel-aliyah-day/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_HaAliyah
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-872014 (celebration at Tel Aviv’s ANU museum)
She said “Yes”. At his graduation ceremony, an IDF soldier stole the spotlight with a heartfelt proposal—dropping to one knee before his girlfriend as his fellow soldiers erupted in dance and cheers around them.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/watch-idf-soldier-proposes-during-his-graduation-ceremony/
How to help Israel. Here are some sites where newsletter readers can donate to Israeli organizations that provide vital help to Israelis at this difficult time. Many thanks to those who have already contributed and to those who are helping by donating their own valuable time and resources.
IDF Soldiers Fund in Israel: https://www.ufis.org.il/en/donation-en/ (Select the English speakers’ option)
American Friends of Magen David Adom (US donors): https://afmda.org/
or Magen David Adom (Israel): https://www.mdais.org/en/donation
Zaka (US donors): https://donate.zakatelaviv.org/give/525578/ or (Israeli donors): https://charidy.com/zaka
or (Canadian donors): https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/bellevue-foundation/
United Hatzalah: https://israelrescue.org/campaign/israel-at-war-2/ or Canada https://www.uhcanada.org/
Donate a medic bag, save a life https://israelrescue.org/campaign/medicbag/
Leket Food Israel: https://www.leket.org/en/
JNF USA - https://my.jnf.org/gaza-emergency/Donate or Canada https://jnf.ca/
Orthodox Union - https://www.charidy.com/ouisraelcrisis
Help rebuild Soroka: https://www.soroka.org/
And Weizmann: https://weizmann-usa.org/
Schneider Children’s Hospital: https://www.fos.org.il/en/donate (Israelis)
https://system.smartgiving.org.uk/charities/8530/make-donation (UK)
https://chaischneider.org/donate/ (USA)
Rambam Medical Center (Haifa) https://aforam.org/ways-to-give/ (US)
https://www.rambam.org.il/en/support_rambam/donate_now/ (Rest of the World)
Hadassah Hospital Israel: https://www.hadassah.org/
Laniado Hospital (Netanya) https://my.israelgives.org/en/fundme/EmergencyLaniado
Buy Israel Bonds to support the Jewish State. (TY Larry B)
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/state-of-israel-bonds
USA - https://www.israelbonds.com/
Europe - https://israelbondsintl.com/
Canada - https://www.israelbonds.ca/
