By Michael Ordman, VGNI
In the 11th Sep 22 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
- Israeli scientists have found how to make brain tumors self-destruct.
- A charity is ensuring that all Israeli children are equipped for school.
- An Israeli delegation to Chad brought back children for heart surgery.
- Israeli tech navigated the first unmanned commercial ship.
- Israeli scientists have developed a food that could end global hunger.
- An Israeli supermarket has begun deliveries by drone.
- An Israeli is the oldest player to win a World Championship badminton match.
- Ancient ivories discovered during excavations of a Judean palace in Jerusalem.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Starving brain tumors. (TY UWI & TPS) Tel Aviv University scientists have discovered that brain cells called astrocytes, which normally support brain function, are highjacked by tumors to block the immune system and feed the tumors. The scientists eliminated the astrocytes in the lab, and within days the brain tumors died.
https://en-lifesci.tau.ac.il/
Proteins in the lungs can fight cancer. Scientists from Israel’s Technion Institute and Sheba Medical Center have discovered that proteins in lung fluid, known as HLA peptides, store information that can detect types of lung cancer. The HLA molecules contain antigens that can stimulate the immune system to destroy tumors.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
https://jitc.bmj.com/content/
Two antibodies kill nearly all coronavirus strains. Tel Aviv University researchers have identified two antibodies, TAU-1109 and TAU-2310, from recovered coronavirus patients that are 95% effective in neutralizing Covid-19 variants. When concentrated, they can be the basis for a one-time booster for all.
https://www.i24news.tv/en/
“My Cholesterol”. Israel’s Hello Heart (see here previously) has launched a new cholesterol management feature. ‘My Cholesterol’ allows users to easily track and understand their cholesterol levels, and provides personalized recommendations, to encourage positive lifestyle changes to improve health.
https://www.helloheart.com/
Regenerating gums. Israel’s BioChange has developed CellFoam™ technology – a bio-adhesive 3D foam structure that forms a scaffold to stimulate repair of damaged cells. BioChange’s first product is ReGum™ – a regenerative implant, for the treatment of periodontitis in animals. A human version is also in development.
https://biochange.life/regum-
Stay sharp. A solution that delays cognitive decline and reduces the risk for dementia can have a huge benefit to society. Israel’s CogniShape sends users three scientifically based 5-minute brain-exercises each day to strengthen the mind and sharpen memory. Thousands of US users are signed up (for free) including this editor.
https://www.cognishape.com/ https://www.calcalistech.com/
Ukrainian refugees become EMTs. Israeli NGO United Hatzalah in Jerusalem has trained 10 members of the Breslev community from Uman Ukraine, to be Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). The new graduates hope to return to Uman and use their acquired skills in the region.
https://www.jns.org/10-
18-year-old saves sister’s life. 18-year-old Moriah had just completed a first-aid course with emergency NGO United Hatzalah, when she saw her 6-year-old sister Miriam choking on a candy. Moriah remembered the Heimlich maneuver. Within a few seconds the candy came out and Miriam started breathing once again.
https://israelrescue.org/blog/
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Back to school vouchers. Thanks to 600,000 The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) is spearheading a program to distribute 11,500 vouchers worth NIS 300 each, to impoverished Israeli families. They can be used to purchase supplies for schoolchildren in Kravitz office and school supply stores.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-
Fashion for people with disabilities. Israeli startup Palta operates the world’s first certification program for inclusive clothing for people who have difficulty dressing due to cerebral palsy, arthritis, etc. Palta’s own designs includes Braille tags, smart fabrics, and the official Israeli uniform for the 2020 Paralympics.
https://nocamels.com/2022/08/
https://www.wraptmagazine.com/
Israeli startup adopts 130 endangered wolves. Israel’s Overwolf (see here previously) surprised its 130 employees by presenting each one with an adoption certificate for an endangered European wolf. To mark International Wolf Day on Aug 13, Overwolf donated to the Born Free Foundation’s preservation program.
https://www.israel21c.org/
Lifesaving is on the crest of a wave. Surf lifesaving was included in this summer’s Maccabiah Games for the first time – there were even Israeli Arab contestants. It led to the International Life-Saving Federation welcoming Israel as a member and the Royal Moroccan Life-Saving Federation coming to Israel.
https://www.israel21c.org/on-
Israeli appointed to cabinet of new UN President. Israel’s Sarah Weiss Ma’udi, has been appointed to the Cabinet of Ambassador Csaba K?rösi of Hungary, who becomes President of the UN General Assembly on Sep 13. Sarah becomes Senior Adviser and Deputy Team Leader for the Legal, Budget and Reform Team.
https://www.
Spotting shady maritime vessels. (TY Roberta) The New York Times recently published a lengthy article featuring Israel’s Windward (see here previously). Windward identifies vessels on the high seas, transmitting fake location coordinates to circumvent international laws and sanctions.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/
Israel to build embassy in Morocco. Israel has signed a contract to build a $4 million embassy in Morocco. It will be on the same site as the previous Israeli embassy which was closed and abandoned in 2000. when diplomatic relations were severed. https://www.jns.org/israel-
Heart surgery for children from Chad. (TY Nevet) Following the first Israeli delegation to Chad in 50 years, Israeli NGOs Menomadin Foundation, and Israeli Flying Aid, together with Israel’s MASHAV program, brought back 3 Chad children to receive heart surgery from Israel’s Save a Child’s Heart.
https://www.ynetnews.com/
Israel since 1967. Excellent video from Ambassador Yoram Ettinger highlighting the transformation of Israel from a burden to the US, to a major benefit and ally. And hear what Israel has provided to the US since.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://theettingerreport.com/
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Health messages from your car. Israel’s Uveye (see here previously) has partnered with multinational Tekion Corp to improve vehicle servicing. When customers drive through UVeye scanning units at dealerships, they, and service engineers, will instantaneously receive comprehensive vehicle-condition reports.
https://nocamels.com/2022/08/
Monitoring vehicle passengers. Israel’s Caaresys is developing a passenger-monitoring system based on RF (radiofrequency), camera-free technology to make cars safer. It utilizes vital signs to detect the location, health condition, and state of each occupant. Caaresys has just been acquired by Harman, a subsidiary of Samsung.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
https://finder.
The first autonomous voyage. In February, Israel’s Orca AI (see here previously) performed the world’s first autonomous navigation for a commercial ship. Orca provided the 749-ton Suzaku with a 360-degree observation system using 18 cameras, integrated ship’s sensors, and transmitted the data to a control center.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Making smart machines even smarter. Israel’s Elmo Motion Control has been making advanced servo drives and motion controllers for decades. Now German giant Bosch has recognized Elmo’s value and has moved it into the Bosch empire in a super-fast $700 million acquisition. See what this smart company has been doing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Wearable science. (TY Hazel) Israel’s Tropx is developing high-tech clothing designed to maximize athletic performance and minimize injuries. It contains sensors that analyze athletes in real time and create personalized gym training programs for them. Tropx gives feedback on movements and any mistakes the athletes make.
https://www.israelhayom.com/
Look like a celebrity. The artificial intelligence of Israel’s Mistrix lets you instantly see yourself wearing the same makeup as a celebrity. Upload a selfie, plus a picture of the celebrity wearing makeup. Mistrix transposes the makeup onto the selfie and then uniquely displays multiple online cosmetic brands of that same makeup.
https://nocamels.com/2022/08/
Pool safety device is upgraded. Coral Smart Pool (see here previously) has launched “Mylo” – its upgraded virtual lifeguard device, for residential swimming pools. It can not only detect risk of drowning, but also control water temperature, monitor filters and water quality, produce swimming statistics, and even take selfies.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Phone charger blocks radiation. (TY Hazel) Millions of Americans sleep within reaching distance of their charging phone every night. To reduce the fear from Radio Frequency (RF) radiation, Israel’s Elvy.ai has developed a wireless phone charger with a shield that blocks 95 per cent of electromagnetic radiation.
https://nocamels.com/2022/08/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Israeli solar tower visible from space. Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti tweeted from the International Space Station, “Intriguing sight! A bright dot in the Negev desert… so unusual to see human-made lights in day passes.” She was referring to Israel’s solar tower, nicknamed “The Eye of Sauron” from Lord of the Rings.
https://worldisraelnews.com/
Enriched seaweed can feed the world. Researchers at Tel Aviv University and Haifa’s Israel Oceanographic Institute have developed a method to grow huge amounts of seaweed containing all the nutrients to sustain both humans and animals. It utilizes fish wastewater and environmental stress factors to stimulate algae growth.
https://www.jpost.com/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/
Turning trash into treasure. A detailed article about Israel’s TripleW (see here) which converts commercial and industrial organic food waste into lactic acid – a key industrial raw material. Lactic acid is also the basis for PLA (polylactic acid), a bioplastic which can replace fossil-based plastics in nearly 80% of plastic applications.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Milk from lettuce. Israel’s Pigmentum has developed a variety of lettuce that produces casein – the key ingredient of cows’ milk. Lettuce contains over 90% liquid and when squeezed out, the milky casein plus some natural ingredients, forms a product that is ready to drink, pour on your breakfast cereal or add to your coffee.
https://nocamels.com/2022/09/
Roast your own coffee beans. (TY UWI) Israel’s ans? (“the answer” in Japanese) has created a fully automatic micro-roaster that provides on-demand roasting of raw “green” beans just before the cup of coffee is made. It reduces transportation and wastage of resources, to produce a fresh cup of coffee “from farm to cup”.
https://www.israel21c.org/now-
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
From food rationing to the Startup Nation. A fascinating recent brief article summarizing the three eras that define the 74-year history of Israel’s economy: 1948-1973, 1973-1985, and 1985-present.
https://honestreporting.com/
Removing bureaucracy. Israel has removed the need for imported household electrical appliances to comply with Israeli standards in addition to EU standards. Relying only on EU regulations should bring down the cost of these products, reduce import delays, increase competition, and save energy. More goods
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Up for awards. Two Israeli organizations have been nominated for a 2022 Prix Galien USA award in the new “Incubators, Accelerators and Equity – Foundational Support for Health Innovation 2022” category. They are the AION Labs accelerator (see here previously), and the aMoon investment fund (see here previously).
https://www.jpost.com/health-
Israeli supermarket to deliver by drone. From Sep 18, selected employees of Israeli supermarket Rami Levi will be able to order their shopping for aerial delivery. The supermarket is using drones from Israel’s Cando, which plans 60 flights a day during the five-day trial. A full drone delivery service is targeted for 2024.
https://nocamels.com/2022/08/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Gilat wins multi-million-dollar orders. Gilat Satellite Networks (see here previously) has won multimillion-dollar orders from SES – the Luxembourg-headquartered Satellite operator. SES, with its 70 orbiting satellites, is expanding its SATCOM business reach utilizing Gilat’s SkyEdge IV multi-orbit, multi-service capabilities.
https://www.gilat.com/
Laser imaging at Chinese ports. Israel’s Innoviz has deployed its InnovizOne LiDAR sensors at ports across China. Working with its strategic partner HiRain Technologies, Innoviz plans to expand the project to additional Chinese ports, plus installation on HiRain’s autonomous trucks and AGVs.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Fast charging batteries on the move. Israel’s StoreDot (see here previously) has begun intensive real-world testing of its extreme fast charging batteries for electric vehicles. It has now delivered them to strategic electric vehicle OEM partners and potential customers. The batteries deliver 100 miles of range in 5 mins of charging.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Cutting edge solutions. Israel’s Pronat is a specialist supplier of components for high value electronics including medical equipment and UAVs (drones). A recent Pronat project is for eco-friendly medical digital skin patches. In November, Pronat will be exhibiting at two shows in Dusseldorf and another in Munich.
https://pronatindustries.com/ https://pronatindustries.com/
Investment in Israeli startups to 11/9/22: Cymulate raised $70 million; Mesh Payments raised $60 million; Carbyne raised $56 million; Taranis raised $40 million; Upwind.io (in stealth) raised $28 million; Olive Diagnostics raised $7.3 million; Raftt raised $5 million;
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT`
A new guy came to the neighborhood. Yahala Lahmish and Eyal Habib recently performed this traditional Moroccan song with the Israeli Chamber Orchestra. Yahala is the daughter of our friend Leonie and the whole show is available to order. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Another Woodstock festival. The Jerusalem community Woodstock festival takes place on 15 Sept at the Silo café in the Baka neighborhood of Jerusalem. It features Libi and the Flashback, Jon Hock, Pine Hills, and Abilene; with a tribute to Santana, the Grateful Dead and other Woodstock era songs.
https://www.nbn.org.il/events/
Nick Cave is out of this world. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds alternated between Heaven and Hell during his 2.5-hour performance to a sold-out audience of 15,000 Israeli fans in Rishon Lezion. His non-earthly songs included “From Her to Eternity”, “Ghosteen Speaks”, “Into My Arms”, and “Higgs Boson Blues”.
https://www.jpost.com/j-spot/
World badminton record. (TY Nevet) Israel’s mother-and-son badminton mixed doubles pair Svetlana and Misha Zilberman broke a World record in winning their first-round match at the World Badminton Championships in Japan. Svetlana (age 64) became the oldest player to win a world championship match.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Wrestling for Peace. (TY Nevet) In a historic first, the Moroccan Wrestling Team have competed in Israel. The tournament in Beersheba is the first time a wrestling team from a Muslim country has competed in Israel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
THE JEWISH STATE
Ivories from the Kings of Judah. Israel Antiquities Authority and Tel Aviv University archeologists have discovered a collection of First Temple period ivory plaques during excavations of a lavish palace at the site of the Givati Parking Lot in the City of David. They are the first of their kind to be found in Jerusalem.
https://www.
1st Temple document fragment returns. A rare late 7th or early 6th century BCE document fragment, originally from the Dead Sea area, has been repatriated to Israel from a private US collection. The 4-line papyrus document, written in paleo hebrew (ancient Hebrew script), is a message to a man called Ishmael.
https://www.
Fly under Jerusalem’s streets. (TY Sharon). Enjoy this 5-minute 4.7km drive along the new Highway 16 (Ariel Sharon Boulevard) that connects Highway 1 to Highway 50, avoiding central Jerusalem. The tunnels speed you deep under Har Nof and Mount Herzl. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
700 future Jewish leaders. 700 Jewish teens from 32 communities in seven countries completed a life-changing seminar in Israel as part of a year-long Diller Teen Fellowship (see here previously), an immersive leadership program for teenagers from across the world.
https://www.israelhayom.com/
The inclusive orthodox IDF new Chief of Staff. Incoming IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi is an orthodox Jew who lives in a secular town in Samaria. A proponent of the Hesder program (Jewish study combined with IDF service) he believes the IDF can accommodate every soldier in the Jewish army in Israel.
https://www.
I’m (still) a Zionist. (TY Hazel) To mark the 125th anniversary of the first Zionist Congress, this classic 2010 video of our friend Antithesis, the Zionist Rapper, is still very appropriate for today’s youths. 12 years since this video was made, Antithesis is now working in hi-tech and as a specialist tour guide, here in Israel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
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