Israeli chef named Food&Wine's 'rising star'

World's leading culinary magazine ranks Yonatan Roshfeld of Herbert Samuel, Tapas Ahad Ha'am as world's most promising chef.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/user/ISRAEL21cdotcom#p/a/u/0/BophUjOkkQ4

The prestigious culinary magazine Food&Wine has ranked Israeli chef Yonatan Roshfeld first place in its list of rising star chefs.

The magazine, which is considered a leading publication in the culinary world, publishes a list of the 100 most important aspects in the field of food each year, including interesting trends, top-notch restaurants and innovative bars.

The most coveted category is that of promising chefs, the stars of the future. This year, Roshfeld, chef at the Tel Aviv restaurants Herbert Samuel and Tapas Ahad Ha'am, leads the list.

Roshfeld is followed by chefs from Australia, Scotland and Portugal.

The magazine lauded Roshfeld's "hit" restaurant, Herbert Samuel, saying it presents a new Middle East, and said his second success, Tapas Ahad Ha'am, combines the finest Spanish and Israeli ingredients.

Roshfeld said on Sunday, "We must remember that Israel is not on the critic's way, they have to come here especially, and the fact is, they did.

"You can't ignore the fact that, lately, Israel has been on the map of global gastronomy."

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3880761,00.html

Is Israel the new hot destination for Japanese tourists?

Guide on Israel has become one of Japan's most popular travel books.
By Haaretz Staff



Are Japanese tourists making Israel their destination of choice? If Japan sales of a "tourist bible" on Israel are anything to go by, then the answer is yes.

In recent years, Israel has seen a marked increase in tourism from East Asia, including Japan, China and Korea. In 2008, some 135,000 visitors from East Asia arrived in Israel, an increase of 20 percent from the year before.

Recognizing this trend, the publishers of Japan's largest travel guide added Israel to the popular Globetrotter series. The new guide book quickly climbed to second place on the company's best-seller list of guide books by country.

Most Japanese tourists traveling independently view the Globetrotter series as the "tourist Bible" - using it for hotel and restaurant recommendations, and even for shopping in recommended stores.

As a result of the book's success, a translation will be published in Korean by the end of the year.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/travel/is-israel-the-new-hot-destination-for-japanese-tourists-1.273036

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu kicking off UJA's Walk with Israel

May 18, 2010 at 10:48 AM

Participants urged to arrive early at Direct Energy Centre

By Daniel Horowitz—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is kicking off UJA's annual Walk with Israel on Sunday, May 30th. Prime Minister Netanyahu will be delivering a live address at the CNE Direct Energy Centre barring unforeseen circumstances.

The special kick-off event is limited to sponsored walkers and their immediate family members, and is a first-come, first-served event. While the Direct Energy Centre holds approximately 5,000 people, special rooms will be equipped with a live audio/video feed to ensure that thousands more can share in what promises to be an unforgettable experience.

Those hoping to see Prime Minister Netanyahu live are urged to arrive at the Direct Energy Centre early as registration and security checks begin at 8:00 am. Advanced on-line registration is urged prior to May 30th at walkwithisrael.com.

“Having the Prime Minister of Israel with us, in person, for our annual Walk with Israel, reinforces our connection with Israel,” said Lianne Leboff who, along with husband Bruce, is back at the helm of the Walk for the second consecutive year. “As Jews in the Diaspora, this is an extraordinary opportunity to show our support for the people of Israel, and to demonstrate that support in front of Prime Minister Netanyahu is incredible.”

“The presence of Benjamin Netanyahu in our community is both a privilege and an honour,” said Bruce. “I strongly encourage the entire community to participate in this year’s Walk with Israel, and show him just how supportive our community is of Israel and that we will stand against those who seek to demonize and marginalize Israel. This is an opportunity not to be missed.”

Funds raised by the 42nd annual Walk with Israel - the largest one-day Israel solidarity walk in the Diaspora - presented by Metropia - will help Bat Yam’s children, with proceeds being allocated by UJA to United Israel Appeal Canada for which authorized organizations will deliver services.

Located just south of Tel Aviv, Bat Yam has historically faced a number of challenges, including unemployment, housing conditions and the educational system. The city is also home to a large population of Ethiopian immigrants striving to integrate into Israeli society. UJA’s assistance is transforming Bat Yam’s educational and social situation.

The vice chairs of this year’s Walk with Israel are Jonny Cole and Laurie Sheff.

“There’s no better time or place than at the Walk with Israel to come out and make a statement to the world that we support the people of Israel,” said Sheff. “With thousands of us flooding the streets of Toronto and waving Israeli and Canadian flags, that message simply can’t be ignored.”

“We have learned in the past that we are truly stronger when we stand together for a cause, or against an injustice,” said Cole. “It’s imperative that we, as Jews, participate in this year’s Walk with Israel; a day when we, as a community, not only come together, but walk together, for and with our beloved Israel.”

The Walk with Israel, which will commence following Prime Minister Netanyahu’s address, ends with the RioCan Festival, at The Direct Energy Centre, and features carnival rides and games; the Spin Master Play Zone, a petting zoo; the Teen Zone with Guitar Hero; The IBI Group Israeli Art Centre; The Gluskin Sheff Kosher Barbecue, and much more.

For more information about the Walk with Israel, or to register and raise funds online visit: walkwithisrael.com or call 416.631.5700.

http://www.jewishtoronto.com/blog_post.aspx?id=1956

Netanyahu offers soldier free lift to Canada

By HERB KEINON

Lone soldier hasn't seen parents in a year.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu assumed the role of Santa Claus on Tuesday, giving a free trip to Canada on his airplane at the end of the month to a lone soldier he met while watching an army maneuver in the North.

At the end of the live-fire training exercise, which simulated fighting in a Hizbullah village in southern Lebanon, two soldiers with camouflage paint on their faces and fishnet on their helmets who were cast in the role of Hizbullah fighters, emerged from the boulders and were taken to meet the prime minister.

When Netanyahu asked where the soldiers were from, he was surprised to hear from Yonatan Feder – one of the soldiers – that he hailed from Vancouver.

Netanyahu told Feder he was going to Canada at the end of the month, and would send regards to his family. He then offered to take him along on his plane.

The prime minister wasn’t kidding, and as he was readying to go back to his helicopter a woman from his office approached Feder, who seemed pleasantly stunned by the whole turn of events, and asked for his name, phone number and army ID number. She then turned to his officer and instructed him to arrange a furlough for Feder at the end of the month.

Netanyahu is scheduled to travel to Toronto and Ottawa at the end of May, after going to a meeting of the OECD in Paris to formally accept its invitation to join the organization.

Feder, a Givati soldier who lives on Kibbutz Ein Hashofet with other lone soldiers as part of Garin Sabar, said he had not seen his parents in over a year. He joined the army in December, and said he was completely surprised, and obviously pleased, by the prime minister’s offer.

As Netanyahu walked toward his helicopter, another soldier – not a lone soldier – turned to his friend and said, “That’s a very nice gesture, now what about me?”

http://www.jpost.com/Home/Article.aspx?id=175322

Watch out now

By BEN HARTMAN
16/05/2010 00:01

NY hip hop group "The Beatnuts" hits TA.

Some sorely-needed mid-90s hip hop will grace South Tel Aviv when legendary New York group The Beatnuts, play Comfort 13 in Florentine, May 20.

The visit is the first stop on a European tour for the duo, JuJu and Psycho Les. Road manager Nestor Jimenez said last week that he sees the visit as a unique opportunity to bring the group’s sound to the region.

“The Beatnuts are looking forward to performing for the Israeli crowd, bringing our music into the Middle East is a unique opportunity,” Jimenez said. “We are hyped that Israel is included on our European tour, we are also excited to visit Israel and especially the holy city of Jerusalem.”

The Queens, NY-based duo have released 14 albums and are most well-known for their hits “Watch out Now,” “No Escapin’ This” and “Off the Books.” Veterans of New York’s scene, the group came up with the Native Tongues family (which included De La Soul, Afrika Bambaataa, and the Jungle Brothers) during the golden age of ’90s hip hop and have collaborated with the likes of Method Man, Fat Joe, Common, Mos Def and Naughty by Nature, to name only a few.

The duo’s Latino roots come through in their beat-heavy hip hop, which anybody who went to high school or college in the states knew as the background to many a house party or night out drinking.

Concert promoter Lukas Brenowitz told The Jerusalem Post that he sees the concert as part of his efforts to introduce more and more people to a different side of Israel, a sort of “hip-hop diplomacy,” if you will.

“I’m all about promoting Israel with a human face and so part of why I promote these shows is because of these motives – but also to bring more urban music to Israel”, the New York native said.

Brenowitz said bringing hip hop artists to Israel is more challenging than lining up shows by techno DJs, who find a fertile stomping ground and a crowd already well familiar with their work.

“The electronic scene definitely has its DJs who come every week, but hip hop doesn’t have this lineup of live acts here and we’re trying to increase that here. The problem is finding investors and somebody willing to bring somebody here who isn’t very well-known in Israel.”

Still, even though Israel isn’t the first stop on most hip hop tours, Brenowitz has faith that that could change soon.

“Israel is about 20 years behind on a lot of things, so maybe now they’ll get the golden age of hip hop.”

OECD entry shows Israel's prominence.

By SHARON WROBEL AND HERB KEINON

PM: We are on path to become one of the most advanced economies.

Beyond the considerable economic significance of Israel’s acceptance on Monday into the OECD, the move is diplomatically important because it shows that regardless of the political process, Israel has a “place among the nations due to its economic and technological prowess,” Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told The Jerusalem Post.



A clearly satisfied Netanyahu said in a telephone interview with the Post that while the acceptance into the organization did “not substitute [for] the need to advance toward peace,” it “certainly enhances Israel’s national prestige and begins to create a niche for Israel in the 21st century as a technological and economic force to be reckoned with.”

Asked whether, coming at the beginning of renewed talks with the Palestinians, there was a message here for the Palestinian Authority, Netanyahu slammed the PA, especially its Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, for lobbying the OECD member states against admitting Israel into the organization.

The PA’s efforts, Netanyahu said, were “a form of economic warfare not compatible with peace, and we view it very gravely. It is a very provocative action, but not something we used to stop the peace talks. We disapprove of it greatly, but it has not been a reason to curtail the talks.”

Netanyahu also said that this form of Palestinian “economic warfare” was incompatible with Israel’s attempts to build economic peace with the PA.

“This is not the idea of peace we have,” he said, “and should not be the idea of peace they have.”

Netanyahu, who was effusive in his praise of OECD secretary-general Jose Angel Gurria for ensuring that the decision to accept Israel would be made on the basis of economic, not political considerations, said he discussed the PA efforts with the Americans. He said the US also used its influence to help ensure Israel’s acceptance into the organization.

The PA’s efforts to block the move failed, Netanyahu said, because when an economic organization like the OECD is faced with “the very clear performance of the Israeli economy over the last decade, it became clear and apparent that this could not be discounted because of political interference.”

The acceptance of Israel as a full member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is expected to boost foreign investment and speed up socioeconomic reforms.

“For over 15 years, Israel has been advancing the process of joining the club of elites and being accepted as a member of the leading economies of the world,” Netanyahu said at a press conference in Jerusalem.

“Acceptance to the OECD was made possible thanks to Israel transforming into a developed country with a free market, while also strictly adhering to responsible and balanced economic policies in recent decades. These policies included reduction of Israel’s debt, maintaining fiscal and development policies, cutting taxes and making the capital market more sophisticated,” the former finance minister continued.

At a meeting in Paris on Monday, OECD countries unanimously agreed to invite Israel, Estonia and Slovenia to become members of the organization, paving the way for its membership to grow to 34 countries.

Netanyahu thanked the OECD’s secretary-general, saying Jose Angel Gurría had taken it as a personal goal to lead the process.

“Estonia, Israel and Slovenia, along with Chile [which] has just deposited its instrument to become a full member, will contribute to a more plural and open OECD that is playing an increasingly important role in the global economic architecture,” Gurría said. “This new chapter in the history of the organization confirms our global vocation as the group of countries that search for answers to the global challenges, and establish standards in many policy fields such as environment, trade, innovation or social issues.”

In a statement, the OECD lauded Israel’s scientific and technological policies for producing outstanding outcomes on a world scale.

“I want to thank the 31 member states for voting in favor of our joining the organization. Any one of them could have vetoed our inclusion. They chose not to do so,” Netanyahu said. “At a time when we keep hearing lamentations over Israel’s international isolation,” this was a particularly welcome sign of Israel’s firm international standing.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, currently in Japan, welcomed the OECD’s decision and said it was the product of years of diplomatic efforts. It was “a stamp of approval for the country’s economy and its achievements in technology,” he said in a statement.

Lieberman said Israel’s acceptance into the organization, despite efforts by “anti-Israel entities” to block the move, was proof of the country’s “solid standing” in the international community.

“The OECD decision to invite Israel to become a member of the organization is an important step toward Israel’s integration into the global economy, and is an expression of Israel’s commitment to meet the highest international standards,” Bank of Israel Governor Prof. Stanley Fischer said.

Fischer added that joining the OECD would strengthen investors’ confidence with regard to Israel’s economic standing, and would encourage investment in the economy.

“Becoming a member of the OECD, Israel will be recognized as a developed economy alongside the most developed economies in the world,” Netanyahu said. “There are certain funds abroad that have to invest a great portion of their money only in developed countries, so that Israel’s membership in the organization will extend the range of potential investors in Israeli bonds and in the Israeli economy.”

Fischer expressed the hope that working with the OECD would help advance several economic reforms in Israel, including improving the education system, raising the rate of participation in the labor force, reducing economic inequality, and protecting the environment.

Fischer also emphasized the importance of the OECD’s work in identifying bureaucratic obstacles via its index of marketing regulations.

At the press conference, Netanyahu said that although a number of major reforms implemented in recent years had already contributed to the development of a strong and open economy, there were a number of reforms that the government planned to advance over the coming year as part of conforming to the standards and norms of OECD member countries.

“This year we are planning to advance the reforms within the Israel Lands Administration and the construction sector to clear the bureaucratic bottlenecks involved in releasing land [for use], and we are going to implement a national infrastructure plan to connect citizens to all parts of the country,” the prime minister said. “Furthermore, over the next year, we are going to deal with the problem of the high concentration of power in the private business sector. I am not talking about the traditional monopolies, but rather the pyramid of controlling ownership structures and holdings of companies and financial institutions that is stifling competition.”

Netanyahu also promised to lead a reform within the education system with the aim of providing the tools, in particular to the weak populations such as haredim and Arabs, for joining the labor market.

“I have presented this plan to the OECD to show that Israel is working on a very clear path to become one of the most competitive and advanced economies,” Netanyahu said.

Israel, Estonia and Slovenia were invited to open accession talks in 2007, along with Chile and the Russian Federation. Chile became an OECD member earlier this year, and membership talks with Russia are progressing. In parallel, the OECD is strengthening its growing partnership with major emerging economies, including Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and South Africa.

http://www.jpost.com/Business/BusinessNews/Article.aspx?id=175208

1.8 million euro grant to fund Hebrew University study of Jerusalem-inspired structures throughout Europe.

The interior of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem (Photo: Flash 90)

In connection with Jerusalem Day (May 12), the European Forum at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem announced today the receipt of a grant of 1.8 million euros from the European Research Council (ERC) to conduct an extensive, unprecedented study of the many thousands of structures throughout Europe that are a reflection of sites in Jerusalem.

Through the ages, communities in Europe sought to bring to their inhabitants a feeling of being in Jerusalem through the building of local structures that would convey the atmosphere of being in the holy city.

Despite the widespread nature of this phenomenon, it has not until now been investigated and documented in the comprehensive manner that will mark the unique Hebrew University project, said Prof. Bianca Kuehnel, director of the European Forum and recipient of the ERC grant. Prof. Kuehnel noted that she is the only Israeli researcher who has been awarded an ERC advanced grant in the humanities this year.

The study, to begin in June and to last five years, will focus primarily on architectural features found in churches, monasteries and other monumental buildings that are meant to recall the style and atmosphere of Jerusalem.

“The building of replicas of Jerusalem sites, such as the Temple, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Dome of the Rock, is a recognized phenomenon in the Jewish, Christian and Moslem worlds,” said Prof. Kuehnel. These replicas, were built in various styles and at various levels of identification with the original structures, she said.

The Hebrew University project will map the location of the various Jerusalem-inspired sites in numerous European countries, will document who built them and for what purpose, and will compare them and seek common elements that can be found in them.

This identification with Israel through so many sites throughout Europe serves to strengthen Jerusalem’s image there and adds to Israel's ties with Europe, said Prof. Kuehnel.

http://www.huji.ac.il/cgi-bin/dovrut/dovrut_search_eng.pl?mesge127358769332688760

''Konnichiwa class'': Hebrew U. students bring Japan to Israel's high schools

Hebrew University student, Daniel Prag, teaching Jerusalem high school students about Japan

Japan is being introduced to Israeli high school students in a unique program run by Japanese Studies students at the Department of East Asian Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The program, which aims to introduce Japanese society and culture to new layers of Israeli society, was developed with the support of the Embassy of Japan in Israel and is being coordinated by third year student Hadas Kushelevich.

''We hope to invigorate the interest of high school students to learn more about Japan through interactive presentations given by outstanding university students from the Department of East Asian Studies,'' says Dr. Nissim Otzmazgin, director of the program.

''We in Israel tend to look only to the West as a source of learning. But there are some good things to learn from East Asia,'' says Dr. Otzmazgin, on the importance of teaching about Japan in Israel. ''Japan and China are, after all, the world's biggest economies following the U.S., and I think that in an age of globalization we will see more and more from them and increasingly feel their presence - not only their economic impact but also their cultural and political impacts.''

The program, which has been implemented in seven high schools in Jerusalem for more than 450 students, includes information about Japan's history, geography, traditional and popular culture, and Japanese language, and is taught using visual presentations and videos.

One of the student teachers in the program, Daniel Prag, believes it is important to teach high school students about Japan because it allows them a peek into a culture, about which their knowledge is usually superficial and stereotypical, and introduces the students to the academic world.

''I believe Israelis are very exposed to Asian culture. But most of their knowledge about Japan concerns sushi, martial arts, and auto-manufacturing companies. I couldn't help but notice that in many schools, students used the names 'China' and 'Japan' interchangeably,'' he says. ''This program is very important in promoting slightly deeper cultural understanding and exchange, deepening awareness of Asia among Israelis, and ultimately contributing to the betterment of Israeli-Asian relations.''

''The response I got from the students was very positive,'' says another of the student teachers,'' Alexandra Rabinovich. ''I hope with the younger generation's increasing knowledge of Japan and other countries in Asia, that a better and more fruitful relationship might be formed, since today's children are tomorrow's leaders.''

The coordinators hope to expand this program in the future to include more high schools and junior high schools in Jerusalem, as well as youth movements, youth organizations and community centers.

http://www.huji.ac.il/cgi-bin/dovrut/dovrut_search_eng.pl?mesge127373204532688760

Ilan Ramon - first Israeli astronaut

Ilan Ramon (June 20, 1954 - February 1, 2003; Hebrew: אילן רמון‎) was a fighter pilot in the Israeli Air Force, and later the first Israeli astronaut. Ramon was the space shuttle payload specialist of STS-107, the fatal mission of Columbia, where he and six other crew members were killed in a re-entry accident over southern Texas. Ilan Ramon is the only foreign recipient of the United States Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

Personal life

Ramon was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, and grew up in Beersheba. His mother and grandmother were survivors of the Auschwitz concentration camp. The name Ilan means "tree" in Hebrew.

Although considered a secular Jew, Ramon reportedly sought to follow Jewish observances while in orbit. In an interview he said, "I feel I am representing all Jews and all Israelis." He was the first spaceflight participant to request kosher food. He reportedly sought advice from a Chabad Lubavitch rabbi, Zvi Konikov, about how to observe the Jewish Sabbath in space, as the period between sunrises in orbit is approximately 90 minutes. This was referenced by the words "Jerusalem we have a problem" in Rabbi Konikov's speech at the Kennedy Space Center Memorial for Columbia on February 7, 2003.

Aboard STS-107, Ramon carried a pencil sketch, "Moon Landscape", drawn by 16-year-old Petr Ginz, who died in Auschwitz. Ramon also took with him a microfiche copy of the Torah (from the Holocaust) given to him by Israeli president Moshe Katsav. Ramon asked the 1939 Club, a Holocaust survivor organization in Los Angeles, for a symbol of the Holocaust to take into outer space with him. A barbed wire Mezuzah by the San Francisco artist Aimee Golant was selected. Ramon also took with him a dollar of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson. Ramon and the rest of the Columbia crew died over East Texas in the Southern United States during entry into Earth's atmosphere, 16 minutes prior to scheduled landing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilan_Ramon