iBlessing: Keeping You Kosher Via iPhone (Free)

While scrolling through the Apple App store (on iTunes), I came across a really cool iPhone app called iBlessing that helps beginners in Hebrew learn to recite the correct prayer over their meal (as praying over bread is apparently different then praying over meat).

Once the screen loads up, all a user has to do is touch one of the food items on the table and iBlessing will not only say the correct prayer in Hebrew, but offer an English translation for those not yet fluent in the kosher tongue (note: this author included).

iBlessing is the product of the Jewish Learning Group, who some readers may recognize as the creater of the famous Say-a-Blessing electronic keychain.

While there are other similar iPhone apps available (like KosherMe from Fill My Head), this app is provided free of charge--a price I admit is hard to beat! ;-)

Note: More Kosher iPhone Apps seem to be filtering there way through the iPhone App store, so hopefully this is a good sign that the iPhone will eventually make its way towards Israel (perhaps by the time iDigital finishes constructing their Mac store).

Update (9/15): It looks like they have officially bumped up the price to $1 USD (or NIS 3.6). It still is cheaper than its kosher competitors though...

Video: Remembering The Holocaust

(Hat Tip: Israelity)

Even though different countries hold this on different days, Holocaust Remembrance Day was held today in Israel.

Upon hearing the siren, citizens stop whatever they are doing in order to honor those who were killed without mercy during World War Two.

Never again.

Wedding Bells Ring For Shanghai Jews

It looks as if China's Jewish community was able to finally celebrate a wedding in an ancient synagogue that had been closed since the days of World War Two.

(Haaretz.com) A glass was smashed, and a cheer went up. After months of careful negotiations with the Chinese government, Shanghai's Jewish community celebrated a revival last month as a historic synagogue opened for its first wedding in about 60 years.

Shanghai has special meaning for the global Jewish population after it took in tens of thousands of Jewish refugees during World War II. The city's Jewish community and the foreign community at large soon faded away, however, after the communists took over in 1949 and heavily restricted both business and culture. [...]

But China's largest city is regaining its cosmopolitan reputation as the country continues its dramatic rise, and the Jewish community of foreigners now numbers more than 2,000.

Even though China and Israel are officially friends (at least culture wise), the country still does not truly recognize freedom of religion, a liberty many in the west take for granted.

Either way, this is a good step for China, who has found a way to maintain strong ties with the Jewish community ever since providing a safe haven for them during the days when Jewish persecution was rampant throughout the globe.

(Image Credit: My Dream Wedding)

Happy Passover! (From IsraGood)

Whether you reside in the holy land or elsewhere, I would like to wish everyone a happy and safe Passover over the next week.

In the meantime, here is a questionnaire from Aish.com to test your depth of this holy festival.



Note: For those of you still looking for some kosher news regarding Israel, I'll be posting some more stories throughout the week.

Of course you could always subscribe to Kosher Highlights, which displays even more news (although I would recommend using a site feed as you may receive multiple updates within a day).

So, How Diverse Is Israel?

(Hat Tip: IsRealli.org)



(Image Credit: IsRealli.org)

In the US, Jews are often perceived to be mostly religious, Caucasian and wearing black hats with curls hanging from the side of their head.

But when it comes to reality, Americans may find Israel to be a place of diversity that rivals (if not surpasses) New York City itself.

(Haaretz.com) But there is a fairly significant paradox involved in defining the Jewish people as an ethnic group. The Zionist view of a people that includes all Jewish communities around the world (an outlook that merits trendy opposition from the left) is certainly one of the most multiethnic and multicultural national attitudes in history. When you see the Jews of Poland and the Jews of Yemen, the Jews of Germany and the Jews of Morocco as members of one people, and establish a country based on this national view, that is essentially a multiethnic and multicultural enterprise, whether or not the participants think in those terms.

After being fortunate enough to visit the holy land years ago, the item that struck me most about the Jewish state was how diverse it was.

While I did encounter Jewish citizens who wore both the hats and the curls, they were often a rarity, unless of course one was able to visit the Old City of Jerusalem.

In Jerusalem I met Ethiopian Jews, European Jews, and yes, even Chinese Jews! This encounter helped break down my previous perception of Israel, as I noticed how friendly the people were, regardless of their national, religious and/or ethnic background.

Hopefully more Americans will be able to visit Israel in the future, as it is a multicultural testament on how people from different backgrounds can live together in relative peace.

Blogger.com Embraces Hebrew (Plus Others)

(Image Credit: Google/Blogger)

It looks as if the Google boys and girls at Blogger have finally embraced Hebrew--or more correctly making the site friendly towards Hebrew, whether it be template layout or coding.

But instead of just making it an Israeli thing, they have also included the languages of some of Israel's neighbors as well.

(Blogger Buzz) We are excited to announce that Blogger is now available in three more languages: Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian! [...]

Besides localizing the Blogger interface into these three languages, we have right-to-left templates and have added new toolbar buttons for bi-directional text editing in the post editor.

The effort was worth it, however, and we’re tremendously happy to be a part of the growing Arabic-, Hebrew-, and Persian-language blogging communities.

This should help make it easier for Israeli bloggers (not to mention Arabian and our Persian friends) to post their thoughts online, as well as show off their template designs via Blogger (aka blog*spot).

Video: JTN Launches Jewish Television Network Online

It looks as if users around the world will now have the ability to access quality "kosher" content from the comfort of their home thanks in part to the Jewish Television Network.

(Jerusalem Post) Jewish Television Network Productions, an independent production and distribution company, launched the first broadband network of its kind last week, featuring a wide range of Jewish life-related programming. [...]

Last year, JTN recognized that with the emergence of audio and video on the Web, the Internet could make the initiative viable. "It's good for the Jewish people and for the world for there to be a Jewish network, and that's why we launched," said Sanderson from his office in LA. The annual budget will be between $500,000 and $1 million.

With JTN launching an online version (broadband only), users will be able to view their favorite Jewish programs online without having to pay extra on their DirectTV bill. You can visit the site over at JewishTVnetwork.com or click on the image below.





Note: Since this is the second video Israel News site that I have discovered, I am going to make a separate list on the sidebar.

Update (6/26): Changed image link to video.

China To Set Up Confucius Institute In Tel Aviv

With over 40,000 Israeli's visiting China every year, the Chinese government has decided to establish a Confucius Institute in Israel's most modernized city.

(Xinhua-China View) The institute, which is expected to open in November, will be the first of its kind in the Jewish nation.

Jointly established by Office of Chinese Language Council International of China and TAU, the Confucius Institute is a non-profit educational organization, and will provide non-degree Chinese language study programs to Israelis. Teachers are from the TAU.

Addressing the signing ceremony, TAU President Itamar Rabinovich said "the Israeli public are eagerly hoping that they could have the chance to know more about the captivating Chinese culture."

Israel is one of the few western nations that has very friendly ties with the Asian superpower, something many people in America may find surprising.

With trade between the two nations expected to increase dramatically within the next several years, it may not be surprising to see many Israeli business students picking up Chinese as a second (or third) language.

Camera d'Or Prize Awarded To Israeli Film

A film by Shira Geffen and Etgar Keret has won an award for best debut feature.

(Ynet News) "Meduzot," the young authors' first film, is based on a script written by Geffen and directed by her and her husband, author Etgar Keret, and tells the story of three women in Tel Aviv. [...]

The movie's producer, Amir Harel, told Ynet he was thrilled by the news. "The award is an extremely important accomplishment. The financial award (of about $200,000) will help us with the distribution and is an incentive to create another film. There's no doubt this has been a very good year for Israeli cinema."

I was unable to locate a video preview of the film, although the reviews of the film are quite impressive. If I find a video preview online (or at least a place where one can order the film) I'll post an update over here.

BusinessWeek Getting Kosher

One of the worlds most influential business magazines has decided to make it easier for Israeli's to keep up to date with the latest corporate news happening around the globe.

(Globes Online) Hirsch Media is going to publish a Hebrew-language "Businessweek". Sources inform "Globes" that the company and the publisher of "Businessweek" recently signed an agreement for this purpose. Hirsch Media confirmed the report

The first issue of "Businessweek Israel" will be published in September. Sources said that "Businessweek Israel" will be published every two weeks and sold by both subscription and at newsstands.

This is probably a smart move for BusinessWeek, as Israel is quickly rising as an attractive place to work, with companies like Google, AOL, Microsoft and Intel actively recruiting the best minds (or buying them) in an attempt to stay on step ahead of the competition.

According to Globes, the Hebrew version of the magazine will be launching in September, although no specific date has been mentioned.

Note: I wonder if the magazine will either be a translation of what BusinessWeek publishes in English, or a spin off with an Israeli twist?

Poll: Most Israeli Arabs Support Jewish State

(Hat Tip: Stand for Israel)

It seems that according to the Haaretz, most Israeli Arabs support having Israel refer to itself as a Jewish state--so long as there are protections for minorities (which is a given in Israel).

(Haaretz) A vast majority of Israeli Arabs would support a constitution that maintained Israel's status as a Jewish and democratic state while guaranteeing equal rights for minorities, according to a poll whose results were published on Sunday.

Among the 507 people who participated in the poll, some 75 percent said they would agree with such a definition while 23 percent said they would oppose it.

The Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), a non-partisan research institute who commissioned the poll, said the results were proof that a constitution that maintained Israel's status as a Jewish and democratic state could win the support of the Israeli Arab public.

I am not too surprised by this poll, as any minority group living in a foreign nation would not mind a constitution reflecting the culture of the majority so long as they are guaranteed protection.

In Israel, non-Jews can vote, buy and sell property and even hold office (which to my knowledge can not be said of her neighbors). It should come to no surprise to find Arabs enjoying their status in Israel. Now if only we can convince their neighbors of the same thing...

Words Of Advice For Those Seeking Aliyah

Aish.com has an awesome article for those of you (whether Jewish or Gentile) seeking to make Aliyah to Israel. There are ten tips total, but here are a listing of the first three:

1. Keep an Open Mind
   Elad Gefen, 27, who works in film and journalism and currently lives in Tel Aviv, highlights open-mindedness and lack of expectations as the number one ingredient for Aliyah success. He cautions against regarding the move to Israel as a "cure-all" or as a "flip of the switch" which will automatically change a person's life. "You've got to work at it," he says.



2. Keep the Kids Happy
   [...] "We figured if our children are happy, we'll be happy and our aliyah will be successful," points out Yehuda Saar. He was right. After touring schools and neighborhoods, the Saars decided to settle down in Ra'anana, where their children are thriving. Yehuda works as a commodities trader and is enthusiastic about his family's relocation to Israel.



3. Keep the Connection Alive
   One of the most difficult challenges new immigrants encounter is the loneliness of leaving loved ones behind. Keeping up with family and friends is critical for a successful aliyah. Too much loneliness and homesickness are definite success-busters, and it's important to make the effort. Immigrants would do well to consider getting an all-you-can-talk phone line which can be used to make international calls for a set fee each month.

Reading these tips made me realize just how expensive (and difficult) life can be while moving towards Israel. I know of a few bloggers who have made the move (like this one) and their stories of transition are an eye opener, if not humorous to say the least.

Be sure to check out the other seven tips, as the first three here are merely the frosting on the cake regarding this issue.

Happy Birthday Israel! (59 And Going)

Today (or rather tonight) is Israel's 59th birthday, and although it is often a solemn holiday, it is good to see Israel last another year on planet earth.

(Jewish Exponent) For much of the world, the name Israel is synonymous with conflict. But even though the nation must continue to fend off terrorism and fight for its rights, the true face of the Jewish state can be found in the hustle and bustle of ordinary people going about their lives. At work and at play, Israel remains a country of contrasts and stark beauty.

Another reason that Israel has to celebrate is the fact that its population has surpassed 7 million, with the largest increase coming naturally. (I think Ynet means via children instead of Aliyah).

Congrats Israel for enjoying another year of existence! I am looking forward to the next 50 million years. ;-)

(Image Credit: Jewish Exponent)

Oleh Records Seeking Jewish Rockers

It's one thing for an Israeli band to be huge inside the holy land. It's quite another to crossover "the Atlantic pond" and attempt to make it big in the states. One organization trying to bridge the gap (and provide direction) for Jewish rockers touring in America is Oleh! Records.

(Israel 21^st Century) [...] Hulsh's Oleh! Records is reaching out to a very specific segment of the music industry in Israel: bands who perform in English. At the same time as striving to help the musicians he signs to book tours and land record deals in the US, as well as the UK, Canada, and Australia. Hulsh's parallel goal is to facilitate face-to-face 'encounters' and dialogue [sic] between Israelis and Americans.

Oleh! will take on traditional recording label responsibilities such as promoting and marketing its acts. But musicians will not be required to sign exclusive contracts. "If your band receives an offer from a major label, you're free to take it at any time," Hulsh told the appreciative crowd in Tel Aviv at the official launch of the label.

This is probably an ingenious way to reach out to the American youth culture, as music is pretty much the language of communication (if not the universal one for our planet). Props to Hulsh for launching this program, although he may want to consider launching an English version of his site (other than MySpace) if he wants to attract viewers from the states.

Spiritual Rock And Roll, Anyone?

His name is Ovadia Hamama, and although I have heard similar things done by American artists, (with Christian songs) it's not everyday that you hear someone taking Jewish prayers and putting them to a modern beat.

(Ynet News) It is Israeli rock in the deep meaning of dealing with spiritual issues relevant to Israeli reality. It is Jewish rock because of the ancient prayers sung in a modern way that only accentuates their beauty, and because of the creation of new prayers, including some that would be gladly embraced by the godless, and because of the encouragement to fulfill the Jewish calling to "get up and change the world." [...]

Hamama sings about the connection between heaven and earth, thought and feeling, melody and lyrics in the fascinating song "Isaac Wasn't Blind". Another song is titled "The World Is Beautiful". This is not a new-age type of admiration. Hamama is not blind to the hardships, but he insists on the beauty.

His music sounds fairly good, although I think Sabbah sounds a lot better (just my opinion). You can listen to a sample of Hamama's music over here, and if you enjoy his music, I would recommend buying it as it would help support Israel.

Judaic Law Environmentally Friendly?

Here is an interesting article showing a side of Judaism within the religion that many people may not be aware about.

(Aish.com) [I]t is interesting to note how pervasive environmental legislation is in Jewish law with the consequence that one who follows halacha to the fullest, would, if only from repeated exposure, develop a highly refined environmental consciousness. [...]

Ancient wars were fought using different raw materials than those we use today. For us rubber, plastic, and various metals are the crucial elements. In ancient times it was wood. Fuel, siege engines, arrows and spears, all needed this critical element to function. While not all types of wood were good for all purposes, all wood could be helpful to the war effort in some ways. War is, undeniably, a time of great need, and great danger. Nonetheless, biblical law prohibits use of wood from fruit trees even under battlefield conditions.

The article quotes Deuteronomy 20:19-20 which probably could be applied to the wars of today, as modern warfare can have evil side effects on environment (let alone the people involved in them).

Perhaps this explains why Israel often tries to be environmentally friendly, regardless of the impact on the shekel (or dollar, yen, pound, etc.).

Cheb I Sabbah Making Arabians Dance

If Madonna can bring the people together in the west, Cheb i Sabbah is definitely doing this in the east.

And the best part about this is he does it with style.

(Foward) For many people, the idea of a Jewish DJ being named a featured artist at venues like the Arab Film Festival or the Arab American National Museum would be a head-scratcher. For global electronica DJ Cheb i Sabbah, however, it's standard fare.

In the four decades of his accomplished career, Sabbah - born Haim Serge El Baaz - has specialized in crossing barriers between nationalities and working with artists of all religions and ethnicities. [...]

"It wasn't something we were conscious of - bringing a Jewish artist into the museum - but we wouldn't not bring a Jewish artist into the museum," she said. "We invite all people to be together, as performing arts, music and dance are ways for all of us to heal and learn about each other.

Sabbah really has some great music as you can tell by visiting his site (geek warning: heavy in flash).

I think I'm tempted to even buy some of his stuff as it would help set a great mood for a party. Unfortunately I have no clue what they are saying...perhaps I can Google a translation somewhere as it sounds like the song is done in several different languages.

Update: Reposted on IsraPundit.

Where Spiritual Jewish Girls Go Wild

(Hat Tip: Israelity)

Who ever said that one could not be religious and have a good time?

(Ynet News) "Dance as if no one is looking at you," reads a sign posted at the entrance of a hall where religious women meet to dance.

Once a month, dance-loving religious women from across the country meet at the Ramat Beit Shemesh Cultural Center for a treat of groove provided by the courtesy of DJ Lea Sardes.

Disco, hip hop, salsa, samba, and belly dancing are on the menu. [...]

Nurit, a regular dancer at the center spoke of her experience: "After evenings like this I feel that I am making dance steps on the street. My husband says that it fills me with enough energy for a whole week."

According to Ynet, these women seem to get a kick out of clubbin' for hours on end. They hold these dance fests once a month at the Ramat Beit Shemesh Cultural Center with Lea Sardes hosting as DJ.

I wouldn't be surprised if they hold more of these events in the future, although these dance parties may help explain this phenomena.

Unrelated Note: Dancing Rabbi's? Now that's a first!





I wish I was there. :-(

Video: Some Cool Israeli Facts

(Hat Tip: Isrealii)

Here is a video highlighting some of the technological impacts this tiny Jewish state has had on our world.

You can find the video on YouTube (and I encourage everyone around to post it on their sites as well).

Israeli Couple Gets Married In Bomb Shelter

Not exactly the best place to celebrate the special occasion with the one you love, but these are interesting times in Israel, so any place will do.

(JTA.org) Shlomi Boskila and Maya Lugasi wed July 20 in northern Israel in the shelter because of ongoing Hezbollah rocket attacks, The Associated Press reported.

"This shows Hezbollah and Nasrallah that not even 20,000 missiles can destroy the happiness of the bride and groom," said Boskila, referring to HezbollahÂ’s leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah.

Best wishes for the bride and groom, although I wonder where they are going to spend the honey moon?