An estimated 235,600 people drown every year, and drowning is among the 10 leading causes of death for children ages five through 14. More than 90% of drowning deaths occur in rivers, lakes, wells, domestic water storage vessels and swimming pools in low- and middle-income countries, with children and adolescents in rural areas disproportionately affected. Several children in Israel have this year met their deaths by drowning. Very often, it is because they have not been taught how to swim. Even a shallow, inflatable pool can be dangerous if a toddler falls while playing in it.
Griffiths sees himself not only as Australia’s ambassador to Israel per se, but also as the ambassador to Australian citizens living in Israel.
Having seen an announcement that Australian expats Rachael Rizby Raz and Andy Michelson had organized a get-together at a Jerusalem beer bar, Griffiths sent an apology to Rizby Raz saying he could not attend, even though he had not been formally invited. The invitation was by way of a notice on Facebook and a mention in The Jerusalem Post. Nonetheless, Griffiths, who doesn’t stand on ceremony, felt that he should be there, which was the reason for the apology.
People drifted in and out at the get-together, some staying for only a few minutes to say hello, and to join briefly in a conversation. Others stayed long into the night. Rizby Raz made sure to speak individually to everyone, and said she was looking forward to another event of this kind.
Not everyone who came was Australian. There were Israelis, Brits and Americans who had either lived in Australia or were married to Australians or both. One such person, an Israeli of British and American parentage, had lived for a couple of years in Australia. While there he developed a taste for the Australian national spread known as Vegemite. The spread is not available in Israeli supermarkets, but can be purchased at a certain store in Tel Aviv’s Central Bus Station at NIS 50 a jar, which is far in excess of what it costs in Australia.
Nonetheless, there are some people who would be prepared to pay this exorbitant price, including the young Israeli man who had once lived in Australia. He caused quite a stir when he produced a jar of the much-loved spread from his backpack. The jar passed from hand to hand and was nostalgically caressed before it was returned to its owner.
■ WHILE ALL presidents of Israel make a point of promoting national unity, each has his own agenda and preferences. One of the things that President Isaac Herzog has in common with his predecessor Reuven Rivlin, is a love of books. Like Rivlin, it would appear that by the end of his seven-year tenure, Herzog will return home with many more volumes than were on the presidential bookshelf when he started.
Yediot Aharonot publishing makes a habit of presenting new books and their authors to the incumbent president. Although Herzog has been in office only since July 7, he has already been presented with a book The Third Israel, and has been photographed with author and former education minister and one of the founders of Tzohar – an Orthodox rabbinical movement that fosters inclusiveness – Rabbi Shai Piron together with publisher Dov Eichenwald. The photograph has of course been published in Yediot, as were so many photos of Rivlin with Eichenwald and a series of authors whose books were displayed in Rivlin’s hands. This pattern followed through with Herzog holding Piron’s book, with the cover well in evidence.
■ EARLY THIS month, FoodTruck, the annual Jerusalem culinary fair, was launched for the third time at Hinnom Valley Park with the participation of leading Jerusalem restaurants as well as chefs who do not own restaurants but who have suffered financially during the pandemic.
“COVID 19 taught us all how to be flexible and think outside the box,” says Marcus Gershkowitz, the culinary director of the food festival. Several of the guest chefs who were invited to participate had their own businesses, but were forced to close down. The idea behind the fair is to give the public the opportunity to taste a wide range of gourmet dishes at prices way below what they would pay in a restaurant. Prices at the fair range from NIS 25 – NIS35.
Participants include GG (from the Machneyuda Group), Luciana, Creperie, The Greek, and Café Michaela; Chakra, Rachel Ben Elul, a former contestant on Master Chef and owner of “Rachel baSdera,” Hamotzi restaurant owned by Avi Levy and more. There will also be children’s culinary themed plays (free of charge), and arts and crafts workshops (for a fee), woodworking, balloons and many other activities.
Cooking workshops will be conducted by chefs Shaul Ben Aderet, Avi Biton, Tom Frantz, Jackie Azoulay, and other well-known culinary masters.
Among the guest chefs will be Lior Hafzadi, Aviram Dotan, Shay Kapoya and Shmulik Ben Hemo.
The FoodTruck fair is supported by the Jerusalem Affairs Ministry and the Jerusalem Development Authority, in collaboration with the Municipality of Jerusalem and Kapaim Productions. It will be open every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m through September 2.
There is a tendency on the part of some people to believe that all food in Israel is kosher. It isn’t. Some of the restaurants participating in the fair are not kosher, so for those who observe the dietary laws, it’s important to ask before you buy.
■ ARABS HAVE been active in Israeli politics since the first Knesset, and they are even more prominent in local politics. But never has so much attention been paid to Arab citizens of Israel as since the advent of Mansour Abbas, the leader of the United Arab List (Ra’am Party) and deputy minister of Arab affairs in the Prime Minister’s Office.
Although numerous Arab politicians and academics have tried to establish better conditions and rights for the Arab population of Israel, no one has come as close to Abbas in doing so. Mainstream Israel is finally recognizing the contributions that Arab citizens can make to the state if given the opportunity. It doesn’t mean that they will change their political outlook and stop believing in a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but they will be able to find work in accordance with their talents and qualifications. There’s quite a progressive hi-tech industry in and around Nazareth, staffed and managed largely by Arabs.
Hundreds of Arab students this year completed academic studies in hi-tech professions. Thirty of these students will be eligible to participate in a specialized course run by Tsofen, the not-for-profit organization founded by Arab and Jewish hi-tech professionals in collaboration with the Labor Ministry, which will prepare them for employment in the industry. Najma Badarna, an engineer at Dell, says, “Working for an international hi-tech company is a dream come true for me. We are in the midst of a revolution. Now we need more companies that will provide the opportunity.”
The number of Arab students studying hi-tech subjects has increased in recent years by 75%. But their path to the labor market is still fraught with challenges, despite a growing demand from employers for engineers. According to the Israel Innovation Authority, there are currently 13,000 hi-tech jobs slots available – most of them for engineers in R&D.
In mid-July, Tsofen inaugurated its 50th course, attended by 30 young men and women from Arab society who want to integrate into the Israeli hi-tech industry. Tsofen, as part of its various activities to integrate Arab society into Israeli hi-tech and hi-tech into Arab Society, has been holding training courses for Arab graduates of hi-tech disciplines since its inception in 2008.
The course will give participants practical experience in the field, and will contribute to their integration into hi-tech companies and leading start-ups. It is part of the Tech Bridges project to promote understanding between Jews and Arabs in hi-tech, by the American Agency for International Development (USAID), as part of the Labor and Welfare Ministry’s ongoing initiative in placing Arab university graduates in hi-tech industries (Forsatek), and in collaboration with Bank Hapoalim.
Over the past decade, Tsofen has directly assisted more than 3,000 Arab engineers to integrate into hi-tech companies. A large proportion of these employees are graduates of Tsofen courses. The current course partners with the Dell Technologies Development Center which, as part of Dell’s volunteer activities, has 32 members of its staff including Development Center CEO Dan Inbar, engaged in Tsofen’s mentoring program. They are accompanying Arab university graduates on their first steps into the hi-tech world. Inbar mentored Badarneh last year. After passing the interviews and the admissions process, she started working at Dell a few months ago.
Sami Saadi, co-CEO and co-founder of Tsofen, says, “Corona has given us all a lesson, and hi-tech companies have also begun to rely less on outsourcing and more on local talents working the same hours and language. Israeli Arab engineers are the obvious answer to the needs of the Industry.”
Mansour Abbas, Sami Saadi and various other Arab political, hi-tech, banking, academic and legal figures will be participating in an Arab economics, innovation and hi-tech conference at the Golden Crown Hotel in Nazareth on Tuesday, July 27.
Also participating will be Innovation, Science and Technology Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen, Social Equality Ministry Director-General Yael Mevorach and Nazareth Mayor Ali Salam.
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