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Kosher Highlights Is Up!
2008-01-28 06:12:00
Since I have not had enough time to post here this past week, I published the latest highlights about Israel over at Israpundit.Normal posting should resume on IsraGood later on this week (thanks mainly to Google Calendar) so hopefully I will be able to highlight even more great stories about the holy land.Also, if any readers would like to see their story/article mentioned in the next edition of Kosher Highlights over at Israpundit (whether yours or one that you stumbled across online), simply email me at IsraGood [at] Gmail [dot] com and I will link to it in the next round.Now stop reading this post and check out the latest highlights about the holy land. You won't regret it. ;-)Content Copyright 2006-2007 of IsraGood. All Rights Reserved. Violators (and hosts) can be prosecuted under national and international laws.

Kosher Highlights: Jewish Cowboys, Glowing Bacteria, And Israeli Doctors Re
2008-01-21 05:56:00
(Note: For some strange reason Israpundit seems to be down on my end. I'm publishing Kosher highlights here, and republish it on Israpundit when I can regain access to it.)Update: Israpundit is back up for me! You can visit the post over here.Perhaps I should consider publishing in a different browser (I may consider using Opera as Firefox eats up too much memory, and IE seems slow on Wordpress).With all that is going on in politics (in the US as well as Israel), sports (note: Go Patriots!!) and work, here are some of the stories that you might have missed while ranting at the TV for whatever reason.It looks as if Israel is offering Jewish doctors from the US, Canada and U.K. a $60,000 package deal if they choose to make Aliyah. I am not sure whether or not the doctors will consider moving (as many already make a fortune where they live) although their support would be very much appreciated in the holy land.Speaking of doctors, it looks like Israeli doctors were able to save a mans...
More About: Doctors , Cowboys , Bacteria , Highlights

Blogger.com Embraces Hebrew (Plus Others)
2008-01-19 06:00:00
(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 (...

Yahoo! To Purchase Israel's FoxyTunes
2008-01-19 05:21:00
After previously forming alliances with Walla!, it looks as if Yahoo ! is deciding whether or not to buy out FoxyTunes, a company based in Israel.(TechCrunch) Rumors popped up here in Silicon Valley that Yahoo is in negotiations to buy Israel-based FoxyTunes. The Foxytunes core service is a Firefox plugin that allows users to control their favorite media players from the browser. It has a small but loyal following, who also use their tangential services (an email/blog signature tool and FoxyTunes Planet, a site that aggregates music information).Since Yahoo! already is investing its resources into music, FoxyTunes makes a perfect purchase for the media/tech giant. While Google still holds the reigns as the champ in Israel, hopefully Yahoo!'s entrance can shake things up a bit in an already competitive market place.Content Copyright 2006-2007 of IsraGood. All Rights Reserved. Violators (and hosts) can be prosecuted under national and international laws.
More About: Purchase

Israel: Test Thy Water Using Glowing Bacteria?
2008-01-18 05:56:00
(Image Credit: CheckLight) Water , water everywhere, but is it safe to drink?That is the question citizens often ask their respective governments, especially if their is a water contamination crisis. Unfortunately it seems that in order to verify if the H2O is "good to go," one must spend some serious money, not to mention the lag time waiting for the lab results to come in.Fortunately it seems one Israel i company called CheckLight is setting out to change all of this by using some of the tiniest creatures to warn us whether or not the water from our facets is safe to drink.(Israel 21st Century) Luminescent bacteria glow at night on the beaches in Costa Rica and the Mediterranean Sea. Now an Israeli start-up has developed a novel and economical solution that uses these unusual micro organisms to help keep drinking water clean and safe. ...When the bacteria are placed in drinking water that contains harmful chemicals, they glow a warning signal, which can be read by a machine measur...
More About: Bacteria , Test

Video: Tel Aviv To Become Electric Car Heaven
2008-01-18 05:28:00
It looks as if Israel's largest city after Jerusalem is going to be embracing a cleaner future by helping to promote the use of electric cars.(Globes Online) The Tel Aviv Municipality is joining Shai Agassi's electric car venture, Project Better Place. Deputy Mayor Pe'er Wisner said today that municipality had undertaken to launch a pilot scheme with charging points for electric cars, whose production has not yet begun, to be set up across the city. Five charging points will be built initially, and once the project is completed there will be 150 points in city car parks, outside public buildings, and on city streets. Under the plan, battery replacement points will be located at the city's entrances. ...Wisner called city residents to close their eyes and imagine how quiet the bustling Ibn Gvirol Street would become once electric cars were on the city's streets.(Video : Project Better Place making its point via kids)Israel is already encouraging its citizens to use environmenta...
More About: Heaven , Electric , Electric Car

Israel's Trip Touch To Make Traveling Easier?
2008-01-18 04:36:00
For those of you who frequently travel the world, you may want to consider adding another site to your list.Trip Touch , a company based in Israel seeks to make it easier to travel to a foreign city (or discovering more of your own) by helping users plan out their trips, as well as discover friends along the way.(TripTouch) TripTouch is a website for independent travelers who want the best from their trip. Everything at TripTouch is centered around your location and your personalized travel needs. TripTouch has local information, services and community all in one easy to use website.TripTouch currently cover more than 3,000 destinations world-wide.The site comes off as a cross between a "local version" of Lonely Planet, and the Hospitality Club. You can use the site to find inexpensive hotels, as well as where to locate a tasty snack.TripTouch also allows users to find new friends throughout the site from different countries, which can be helpful if you want some local advice about th...
More About: Make , Traveling

Can Yahoo! And Walla! Challenge Google In Israel?
2008-01-18 03:59:00
It looks like one of Google 's biggest competitors will be entering Israel i cyberspace to challenge the search engine king on the holy land home front.But instead of challenging Google on its own strength, Yahoo ! has decided to partner with Walla! in a bid to take on the digital Goliath.(Globes Online) Walla! CEO Ilan Yeshua told "Globes", "We signed a long-term agreement with Yahoo! that enables us to use its innovative search technology. The agreement follows the launch of our search engine at the beginning of the year. The business has caught on, and succeeded, with a great many advertisers already signing up." ...When asked if he believed that Walla! could create genuine competition for Google, he replied, "We don’t expect to win half of the search market in Israel, but we expect to become a significant player in Israel, and we'll grab a substantial portion of the market." While it is good to see Yahoo! wisely partnering up with Walla!, what they need to do is seek (and buy...
More About: Challenge

Is Google Losing Its Footing In Israel?
2008-01-14 05:40:00
It looks as if the search engine giant may be losing some of its former mojo--at least in Israel i cyberspace.(Globes Online) Google 's status as the most viewed website in Israel weakened slightly in December, according to a TIM/Teleseker which measures weekly exposure rates among Israeli websites. Google had a weekly exposure rate of 87.8% in December, compared with 90.6% in October.According to Globes, Google's rivals (Walla! and to a degree Ynet News) have actually increased since last October (of 2007).While Israeli companies still have to go a long ways before Google is dethroned as the top Internet site (at least in the holy land), it is encouraging to see Israeli companies may actually give the search engine Goliath a run for its money.Content Copyright 2006-2007 of IsraGood. All Rights Reserved. Violators (and hosts) can be prosecuted under national and international laws.

Israeli Science: Noon Naptimes Good For The Brain?
2008-01-14 05:12:00
(Image Credit: Chief Happiness Officer) It looks like those afternoon naps in kindergarten had some benefit after all. Israeli scientists have discovered (or perhaps rediscovered) that those "noonish" naps we all took as kids may actually help improve our productivity during work.(Israel 21st Century) In a recent study, Prof. Avi Karni and Dr. Maria Korman of the Center for Brain and Behavior Research at the University of Haifa found that an afternoon nap changes the course of consolidation in the brain. "We still don't know the exact mechanism of the memory process that occurs during sleep, but the results of this research suggest the possibility that it is possible to speed up memory consolidation, and in the future, we may be able to do it artificially," said Karni. ...The researchers, who worked in cooperation with the Sleep Laboratory at the Sheba Medical Center and researchers from the Department of Psychology at the University of Montreal, found that the group that slept i...
More About: Science , Good , The Brain

TechCrunch Debate: What's The Fuss About Israel?
2008-01-14 04:47:00
With the Israel Web Tour gearing up for a California visit, Michael Arrington of the mighty TechCrunch (regarded by many as the unofficial web 2.0/startup blog) highlighted 15 Israeli startups that will be visiting the sunshine state.Unfortunately while this has caused some political debate in the comment section, others are beginning to wonder how such a tiny country the size of New Jersey is producing so many startups for the 21st Century.Hopefully these Israeli startups will get some decent exposure in America, as they have a lot to offer to the US (at least in cyberspace).Content Copyright 2006-2007 of IsraGood. All Rights Reserved. Violators (and hosts) can be prosecuted under national and international laws.
More About: Debate , Techcrunch , Fuss

Random: Picking Up Hebrew
2008-01-14 04:08:00
With all the busyness that life throws at you, I've decided to finally bite the bullet and seriously consider learning Hebrew .I'm signing up with Hebrew Online, although my class officially begins in March of this year (sigh).This is exciting as it will help me to understand Israel more in depth, as well as help me navigate the country later on this year when I visit (no official date posted, although it probably will be in the fall).I'll provide updates on how my classes go here, as this is my first second attempt at learning Hebrew, although this time I'll actually have someone who speaks it fluently to help me along.Note: If any of you are fluent in Hebrew (whether it is your mother tongue or not) let me know as I'll probably need all the practice I can get. :-)Content Copyright 2006-2007 of IsraGood. All Rights Reserved. Violators (and hosts) can be prosecuted under national and international laws.
More About: Random , Picking

Kosher Highlights: Healing Mushrooms, Aliyah 2.0 And Why Israeli Boycotts A
2008-01-07 19:11:00
Note: Since it looks as if Israpundit.com is down (for the moment, at least for me), Kosher Highlights will be published here and republished on Israpundit when the server comes back up.Update: Kosher Highlights has been republished over on Israpundit.It has been another interesting week (plus several days) for Israel, and despite all that is happening in the political arena (which is mostly saber rattling if you ask me), the sun keeps on shining brightly on the Jewish state.First off it looks as if Israel 21st Century (which provides highlights about Israel's tech, science and medicine) is sporting a whole new look.Speaking of highlights, it looks as if a majority of Palestinians living in Israel prefer to stay in Israel while Judaism may officially receive its own television channel.Also it seems that large Israeli families are on the rise while more Israeli's have made aliyah last December.Speaking of aliyah, it looks as if aliyah version 2.0 may in a "beta test" right now.In o...
More About: Mushrooms , Healing

Video: Why Boycotting Israel Is A Bad Idea (Humor)
2008-01-05 23:24:00
Ever wonder what life would be like if the Jews never existed? Here is a humorous video from Jewlarious highlighting the setbacks to civilization if Israel i's were removed from the picture. Note: For those of you interested in discovering how Israeli's have impacted our planet, you may want to consider purchasing Israel in the World: Changing Lives Through Innovation.This book may not only change your perspective regarding the Jewish state, but perhaps convince you to finally visit the nation for yourself. :-)Update: Google seems to be having trouble with uploading videos on Blogger. Fortunately I was able to locate a copy on YouTube.Content Copyright 2006-2007 of IsraGood. All Rights Reserved. Violators (and hosts) can be prosecuted under national and international laws.
More About: Video , Humor , Idea

Aliyah Version 2.0?
2008-01-05 22:55:00
Regardless of where you live, moving can be expensive--especially if one decides to move half way around the world to a "foreign country" where the language differs from your birth tongue.While this scenario barely describes what a Jewish individual has to consider when making Aliyah, it looks as if the Jewish Agency is considering a new way for Jews to make Aliyah, that is less risky and hopefully more appealing.(Israel National News) In six months time, the Jewish Agency will introduce a flexible new "trial immigration" program to Jews from abroad, making them eligible for financial benefits not available to tourists, and enabling the quasi-olim (immigrants) to search for jobs and explore living options before committing to citizenship.Jewish Agency officials say they hope to set up living quarters in Tel Aviv and Haifa for trial immigrants, and will assist with travel and living expenses.This is probably a smart way of convincing Jews living abroad (especially the US) that living...
More About: Version

Israeli Beaches: Keeping It Trash Free
2008-01-05 21:16:00
(Image: Zikim Beach, Credit: Itzhak Kudovitsky)One can not truly visit the holy land without experiencing the Mediterranean waters along the coast. Unfortunately where ever there are tourists, one can usually find liter (and trash) along the way.Fortunately it seems that Israel's push to clean up the coastlines has paid off, with a majority of beaches being declared "clean" or "very clean."(Israel Ministry of the Environment) The final Clean Coast Index for 2007 revealed clean or very clean coasts in more than 80% of Israel's undeclared beaches. Only 2% of the beaches scored dirty. ...The latest index showed that more than 50% of the country's beaches are very clean, 30% are clean and only 2% (beaches in the Palmachim National Park) are dirty. Mr. Ronen Alkalay, coordinator of the Clean Coast Project in the Ministry of Environmental Protection says:"The integration of coastal cleanups by local authorities, assisted by a northeasterly wind, which cleaned the coasts and resulted ...
More About: Beaches , Free , Trash , Israeli

Israeli Med Tech: Freeze Thy Cancer Lump?
2007-11-30 05:27:00
(Image Credit: Israel 21st Century) When it comes to the removal of a cancerous lump, many patients (rightly) envision being laid out on a table and being cut open like chopped liver.While using surgery to remove cancer can be somewhat successful, it is often expensive and time consuming for both the doctor and the patient. Now it looks as if some Israeli medical technology may not only make removing these lumps easier, but cheaper as well.(Israel 21st Century) IceSense provides that solution by offering the hope of efficient treatment in local clinics without the need for hospitalization, recuperation, or scarring. The IceSense mechanism enables the local application of super-cold temperatures and a fine control of the temperature itself. Liquid nitrogen is pumped to the end of a thin needle probe cooling the tip to the extreme cold required for cryotherapy. Utilizing ultrasound, surgeons can then guide the needle to the exact location of the lump and then freeze the unwanted tissu...
More About: Cancer , Tech , Freeze , Lump

Video: World's Largest Israeli Flag?
2007-11-30 04:50:00
A business woman from the Philippines has made Guinness history by creating the largest Israeli flag to date.When reporters asked what her inspiration was, her answers boiled down to two reasons--love of Israel and love of Hashem.(Israel Times) The flag, compared to the size of 2 football fields, is 100-meters long, 200-meters wide and weights 5,200 kilos. 6 tailors, 2 designers and 40 volunteers in Philippines worked on it for 3 weeks. This is a very significant present from Grace Gupana, Philippines business woman and nun, who has been working on the advancement of tourism between the two countries. It also represents 50 years of friendship between Israel and the Philippines. Despite being located thousands of miles away from Israel, the Filipino's (aka citizens of the Philipines) seem to have a very strong relationship with the Jewish state, which goes back more than a half a century.Note: For those interested in checking out some interesting images of the event, can check out M...
More About: Video , Flag , Largest , Large

Israel's eToro: A New Way To Play Forex?
2007-11-28 07:27:00
While a few geniuses often enjoy using complex software to understand even more complex scenarios, most of the population enjoys keeping it simple--especially when it deals with money.One Israeli company called eToro has decided to help novices understand how the Foreign Exchange (or Forex ) works by presenting a visual presentation that anyone can understand.(TechCrunch) Israeli eToro is taking a novel approach in simplifying Foreign Exchange (Forex) trading by packaging the complicated concepts involved in trading one currency against another, in fun non-threatening wrappers. ...I spoke to eToro's CEO, Johnathan Assia, who explained that the real challenge for eToro is finding ways to present Forex data in a simplified and user-friendly manner that makes it accessible to ordinary users. To appreciate the challenge, take a look at the screenshot on the right depicting a typical Forex trading app interface. Now take a look at the screenshots below of eToro's offering. Talk about ...
More About: Play

Instead Of Email, Why Not Video-Audio Mail?
2007-11-28 07:05:00
While sending a text message may be fun, sending a video message may be even better!It looks as if a new Israeli company called Voice Me has launched a service that allows users to send audio and video messages to their friends for free.(Globes Online) Israeli developer of IP voice and video messaging Voice-Me Ltd. is launching a new product. The company's beta website offers an alternative to e-mail. The site enables surfers to send voice and video messages to an e-mail address at no cost and with no need to download software. While other sites such as YouTube and Odeo allow users to record video and audio respectively, as well as email messages to their friends, neither provide a simple way of doing both.Voice Me may become a useful site, especially around the holidays, as it may be easier to express ones feeling on video than through text and images.Content Copyright 2006-2007 of IsraGood. All Rights Reserved. Violators (and hosts) can be prosecuted under national and internati...
More About: Video , Mail , Audio , Email

Jerusalem Lions To Enter Israeli Baseball!
2007-11-28 06:33:00
(Image Credit: Israel Baseball League) After nearly 4,000 years of waiting, it looks as if the spiritual capital of Israel will finally have its own Baseball team. The Petach Tikva Pioneers have recently decided to migrate to Jerusalem , and will be renamed the Jerusalem Lions .But the question remains, can they defeat the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox?(Israel Baseball League) This is about to change for the 2008 season, as the IBL announced that it is moving the Petach Tikva franchise to Jerusalem for the coming year. The team, to be known as the Jerusalem Lions, will play its maiden season in Gezer Field, about a 25 minute drive from the center of Jerusalem. By the 2010 season, the league expects the team to have a home field in Jerusalem itself. ..."Our problem was finding a site in Jerusalem that could accommodate pro baseball requirements," said Ami Baran, the IBL's Director of Israeli Operations. "However, we have been working under the leadership of the Jerusalem Foundation in gettin...
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Video: Jerry Seinfeld Promotes Bee Movie To Peres
2007-11-28 06:11:00
(Hat Tip: Isrealli.org)Jerry Seinfeld's arrival into Israel has received a lot of buzz (note: pun not intended) regarding his Bee Movie , which has been doing fairly well in the US.During his visit Seinfeld was able to meet privately with Peres, and exchange some jokes as well as some information of what Israel was all about.(Jerusalem Post) On Friday, Seinfeld toured Yad Vashem, Jerusalem's Old City and Masada. He also met with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Shimon Peres. He told Peres that he was very excited by the warm welcome that he had received in Israel, and amazed by how popular his sitcom Seinfeld is in this country. "You can imagine how much people like you here and respect you," Peres told Seinfeld as the two sat in suits and ties in front of Israeli flags at Beit Hanassi. Seinfeld explained his movie to the 84-year-old Nobel peace laureate. "It's about a bee who's not sure that he wants to go into honey," Seinfeld said, as Peres laughed. "They tell him he h...
More About: Video , Bee Movie , Jerry Seinfeld

AOL's MapQuest Parterns With Israel's Telmap
2007-11-28 05:46:00
After previously buying out two Israeli companies, AOL is partnering up with another Israeli company in order to help out MapQuest, a company fully owned by the American giant.(Israel Times) New MapQuest Navigator 5.0 includes Telmap’s mobile optimized navigation data, which permits users to be re-routed in the event of a missed turn without the need to contact the mapping server. The application is wireless, voice-guided and GPS-enabled. ..."We believe that making more local content available for the consumer through mobile navigation will increase the use of these services in day-to-day life activities," commented David Singer, Vice President and General Manager of Telmap.Telemap's partnership with MapQuest should help give AOL some much needed leverage against its biggest rivals (i.e. Google, Yahoo!, and Microsoft).Although AOL has not hinted at the possibility of purchasing any more Israeli companies in the future, I would not be surprised if they decided to scout out a few...

Can Israel's Fixya.com Save You Money At The Repair Shop?
2007-11-19 06:17:00
While it can not find the solution towards world peace, intergalactic travel or global warming, Fixya.com may be able to help you solve why your mp3 player, camera, TV stopped working, saving you money at the repair shop.(Israel Times) Fixya's motto is "Tech Support for the People by the People". Participative websites become the norm, and their success is growing. ...Fixya.com (formerly 2Techie.com) was founded by 2 entrepreneurs who decided to take advantage of the fact that consumer products manufacturers are not providing adequate support through their web sites.With technical manuals competing for the least user friendly award, geeks and non-geeks alike may find Fixya to be a breathe of fresh air.The site boasts over 700,000 products in its online catalogue and was previously featured on Inside Adsense, an official Google blog.Content Copyright 2006-2007 of IsraGood. All Rights Reserved. Violators (and hosts) can be prosecuted under national and international laws.
More About: Money , Shop , Save , Repair

Video: Israeli Cool Facts (Part Two)
2007-11-19 06:00:00
(Hat Tip: One Jerusalem)It looks as if another video has surface highlighting some of the accomplishments of the Jewish nation.The music is different from a previous video, although it may be familiar to those of you who speak Hebrew.Question: Does anybody know the group responsible for singing this?Content Copyright 2006-2007 of IsraGood. All Rights Reserved. Violators (and hosts) can be prosecuted under national and international laws.
More About: Video , Facts , Cool , Part , Israeli

Ryan Braun: Baseballs First Jewish Rookie Of The Year
2007-11-19 05:36:00
(Image: Ryan Braun , Credit: JS Online) It looks as if Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers has just made history by becoming the first Jewish player to become Rookie of the Year .(Jerusalem Post) Ryan Braun became baseball's first Jewish Rookie of the Year . Braun, the slugging third baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers, picked up the award Monday in the National League. In the voting by the Baseball Writers of America, Braun edged Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, 128-126. Although Braun was never raised Jewish by his Israeli dad, he seems to take an immense pride in his Jewish heritage.Note: While Braun will probably decide to remain in the US because of his career, hopefully he will consider signing up with the Israel Baseball League (if he has time during the off season).Content Copyright 2006-2007 of IsraGood. All Rights Reserved. Violators (and hosts) can be prosecuted under national and international laws.

Isaeli Minds Help Intel Create A "Greener" Computer Chip
2007-11-19 05:11:00
(Image Credit: Israel 21st Century) It looks as if Intel Israel may have played a unique role in helping their company develop one of the most environmentally friendly computer chips in the industry.(Israel 21st Century) On Saturday global computer company Intel unveiled its latest addition to its processor family: a new chipset provisionally named 'Penryn.' The innovative hafnium-based "Hi-k" processor, which reduces electricity loss, or "capacitance," through the use of third-generation silicon materials, also does away with the need to incorporate eco-unfriendly lead and halogen materials in the production process. ...The latest Penryn innovation drew upon expertise and experience garnered during the Israeli development of the Centrino processor, Bahar told ISRAEL21c. Such expertise has ensured that "Moore's Law", a high tech axiom which predicts that transistor counts double about every two years, thrives well into the next decade. Not only does the new chip more environmen...
More About: Computer , Minds , Create , Chip

Enlightened: Why Turks And Jews Love Each Other
2007-11-19 04:43:00
President Shimon Peres (of Israel) recently paid a visit to Turk ey in order to honor Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern day Turkey.While Atakturk may be unfamiliar to those in the US, his role in Jewish history help cement ties between the Jewish state long before the nation of Israel was reborn.(IsraCast.com) Ties between Turkey and the Jewish people go back a long way. Some five-hundred years ago, the Ottoman Empire gave shelter to tens of thousands of Spanish Jews who fled from the Inquisition. They settled in Turkey and many European countries which were under Ottoman rule. More recently, during the rise of the Nazis in the 1930's, Turkish president Mustafa Kemal Atatürk allowed many German Jewish refugees to enter Turkey, despite Ankara's alliance with Nazi Germany. During the Nazi era most of the Jewish communities in Turkish controlled countries of Europe survived the Holocaust. Many of these Jews went on to make their homes in the ancient Jewish homeland of Isra...
More About: Love , Enlightened , Turks

Kosher Food Becoming A Tasty Treat In India, China
2007-11-19 04:15:00
(Hat Tip: Israel National News)It looks as if two of the worlds largest nations (population wise) are finding themselves falling in love with Israeli kosher food.(AP Food Technology.com) "Our largest growth area for new business is China and India ," said Sichel. "And because of that we have offices there." ...Of the consumers buying kosher goods, it is estimated approximately 45 percent are Jewish, while Muslims make up the second largest market at 20 percent. The reason for this is that the market for Halal certification for Muslim consumers in the US is not as developed, and Muslims are permitted by their faith to consume kosher goods when Halal ones are not available.Sichel (in the article) goes on to further explain that the kosher market is growing almost four times faster than the general food market in the east (15% to 4% respectively), an amazing feat when one considers how small the Jewish community is in either country.While some people choose to "go kosher" due to healt...
More About: Treat , Kosher

Umbilical Stem Cells To The Rescue?
2007-11-14 08:16:00
(Image Credit: Gamida, via Israel 21st Century) Stem cells are often hailed as the "holy grail" that would enable scientists to help patients restore (or heal) sick organs critical for survival.Now it seems as if two Israeli companies (Teva and Gamida Cell) have partnered in order to help patients discover the benefits of stem cells by pulling them from an unlikely source--umbilical cords.(Israel 21st Century) For many patients suffering from blood-based cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma, the odds of survival have historically been poor. Bone marrow transplant treatment improves prospects for some - but suitable donors can generally be found for only 50 percent of patients. For the other half, no match can spell no hope.The StemEx technique, which involves a graft of expanded stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood, has been in clinical development by the Jerusalem-based Gamida Cell for the last five years. Gamida develops stem cell-based therapies to treat blood cancers an...
More About: Stem Cells , Rescue , Umbilical