Business Under Fire; Israel at 60

War has been a central part of life in Israel since the country became a nation 60 years ago. So it would seem counter-intuitive, then, that the country's economic growth has been just as steady, just as constant. check out this extensive feature from the Home of the Peacock.

Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem.

The American Red Cross spent $10. million to develop their web site; $2. million annually sustains it. While I do not know any organization in our communal world with an expenditure so large, I do suspect more than one are in the same ballpark as a percentage of their operating budgets. So, the question is, you've put all this time, effort and money into the site. Beta-tested new ideas; possibly even held focus groups. And you're still left with the nagging question,

will they come?

You can easily fall into a bottomless pit spending money to market your website. But, there are also many (and important) ways you should be building your brand for free.

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As a small country with limited natural resources, Israel depends on its most important natural resource -- her people. Her achievements are uniquely her own, a mixture of high idealism, ingenuity and self-reliance. In almost 60 short years, Israel has accomplished what many nations haven't been able to do in centuries. Israel's one natural resource is its brainpower; with a driving demand for survival and success against all odds, Israel developed an energetic and ambitious society. Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeVvMJdvEX8&feature=related[/youtube]

Social networking does come with drawbacks.

A lead story in today's Jewish Week begins... "Old-guard groups seen slow in recognizing viral threat from Facebook, YouTube. More than 35,000 people have joined the Facebook group “Israel is not a country! ... Delist it from Facebook as a country!” Two weeks ago in the JPost we have the President of Israel, Shimon Peres, urging young people to fight anti-Semitism using Facebook. And from today's JPost, "Israel loses Monopoly on capital as Hasboro makes Jerusalem stateless. The battle for Jerusalem took a new direction this week, when a reference to Israel was removed from an on-line poll to select the cities to be featured in the international version of the popular Monopoly board game." The ...

As the central hub in which most affiliated Jews express their sense of Jewish commitment and belonging, the synagogue is a natural place to deepen the relationship to Israel.

And so, a new endeavor began in Jerusalem yesterday as a group of American participants have come together to discuss, What does it mean to be an Israel-engaged synagogue. Their five day itinerary brings together key people, professionals and lay leaders, from throughout the Jewish community whose work and passion are committed to Jewish life and the synagogue.

Abraham Joshua Heschel writes that "The land is a text." Their journey begins with the belief that the Land of Israel embodies Judaism, and stands as a dynamic and living Jewish text. ...

Let's face it: Israel has a reputation for a less than stellar performance with Hasbara. This is not new; in fact it has existed for a couple of decades regardless of which political party controls the Israeli government. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the college campuses of North America; Montreal, New York, Philly and San Fransisco, in particular, have a well-deserved reputation for being particularly un-hospitable to pro-Israeli messages. Now come a few new endeavors hoping to change perceptions. In New York, we have Fuel for Truth, an organization whose mission is to disseminate accurate information about Israel and the Middle East. According to an article in the current issue of New ...

Taking a completely different approach, and utilizing the world of music and Israeli artists to promote Israel, we have Oleh!Records. With initial funding from The Pratt Foundation, The Bronfman Family Foundation and the Orion Fund, young Jeremy Hulsh launched the label thirteen months ago. A recent Oleh, Jeremy was inspired by what he perceived as shortcomings in the Israeli music scene. "I noticed that the entire music industry in Israel is based on white hype, and that there needs to be a credible institution that nurtures indie and alternative music if this scene is going to be taken seriously." And so was born Oleh!, a nonprofit with the goal of creating sustainable careers for all their artists. Now, in year two, ...

The Jewish, Muslim and Arab communities at the University of Pennsylvania made history Tuesday night. With the launch of a new collaborative initiative called Bridging the Gap, these communities took a step toward building long-lasting working relationships within the Penn community. Through dialogue and cultural events, this program hopes to foster a sense of mutual understanding that "is often lacking in the world today," said Mariam Ezz, Wharton senior and president of Penn Arab Student Society. "While there will always be a place for partisan events on campus, an initiative like Bridging the Gap will expose Jewish, Arab and Muslim students to a way of thinking that will foster compassion and mutual understanding," added Ezz. "I found it ironic that we hope ...

 

 

The rumors are true. Birthright Israel's newest innovation, the Israelity Tour is bringing the best of contemporary Israeli music to the West Coast in February for a concert tour.

Concerts and Mifgashim Featuring Subliminal and the T.A.C.T. Family With performances by Coolooloosh and Michelle Citrin February 6-17, 2008 [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-l6SkmNJbA&feature=user[/youtube]

 

Don't miss your chance to be part of the action! Remember, it's all about the music...

If you would like to stay current and enjoy all the behind-the-scenes stories and tales from the road, you can. Check in regularly with the Israelity Tour Blogger.

and Michelle Citrin? she is the infamous, Rosh Hashanah Girl.

 

 

We first met her at a special performance in Nashville during the GA. Now, Grammy Award-winning musician Miri Ben-Ari, the Israeli "hip hop violinist" who is best known for her collaborations with artists Kanye West and Jay Z, was awarded the first annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Israel Award for her work in bringing together African American and Jewish communities closer together through music. from the official press release... "This award seeks to bring attention, recognition and re­membrance of the dynamic relationship between African Americans and Jews, particularly highlighting the pinnacle of that friendship seen during the Civil Rights Movement in America under the leadership of Reverend King. It will be presented in honor ...