Israel Innovations

yom haatzmaut

Administrator

-

April 24, 2019

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Israel innovations. Looking at Israeli’s top hi-tech companies and their achievements.

As we celebrate another year of Israel’s independence we look back on Israel’s hi-tech industry. In 2018 Bloomberg ranked Israel as the 10th most innovative country. Up by five positions in January 2019, the Bloomberg Index ranked Israel as the 5th most innovative country in the world overtaking Sweden, Singapore and Japan. South Korea remains in the number one position and Germany is up there too.

There are currently more than 6,600 start-ups in Israel – 14 times more than Europe. Israeli tech saw 128 financial deals during the first quarter of 2019 (January – March) totaling $1.55 billion, with two large deals, each over $100 million.

Calcalist (Israel financial newspaper), recently published an article of 50 of Israel’s most promising start-ups.

We’ve chosen Calcalist’s top 10 and report back on the progress they have made in 2018.

1. Cybereason Inc.

Sector: Enterprise cybersecurity

Achievements: Recently awarded the Cybersecurity Company of the Year and Best Product Award.

2. Vayyar (Vayyar Imaging Ltd.)

Sector: 3D imaging

Achievements: Received awards by Computerworld, ESPN, Popular Mechanics, Maiker Fare, Tech 50+, House Top 100, Cable Labs, New York Times, Edison and the prestigious CES International Award.

3. Next Insurance Inc.

Sector: Insurtech

Achievements: Recently raised $83 million in funding, bringing its total raised in two years to $131 million. This funding will enable Next Insurance to continue its expansion in the United States as a full service insurance carrier, offer coverage to more classes of business and grow internal operations in the United States and Israel,

4. BlueVine (BlueVine Capital Inc.)

Sector: Fintech

Achievements: July 2018 – BlueVine raised another $12 million from new investors, M12, Microsoft’s venture fund, and the venture arm of insurance and financial services provider, Nationwide.

5. Yotpo Ltd.

Sector: Online marketing

An incentive marketing platform whose highly customizable software has helped thousands of merchants build beautifully on-brand rewards, referral, and influencer marketing programs.

6. MyHeritage Ltd.

Sector: Genealogy, genetic testing

Now offering a DNA Ethnicity Estimate which provides users with a percentage-based estimate of their ethnic origins covering 42 ethnic regions, more than any other major DNA company

7. SimilarWeb Ltd.

Sector: Data tracking

Achievements: Offices in 4 continents and over $112 million raised by investors Similarweb’s analytics services provides their customers with information on their clients’ and competitors’ website traffic volumes; referral sources, including keyword analysis; and website “stickiness” – must-know information for any serious ecommerce site.

8. Lightricks Ltd.

Sector: Photo editing apps

Achievements: Lightricks have a number of awards under their belt including Apple and Google design awards in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017

9. JFrog Ltd.

Sector: Software – Automatic software updates

Achievements: Some of their clients include Cisco, Spotify, Nextflix, Facebook and Instagram. Also recipients of Forbes 2018 award for Best Private Cloud Companies and the Firestarter award for exceptional innovation.

10. Drivenets Ltd.

Sector: Telecommunication, software

Achievements: Until now Drivenets has been self-funded but in February 2019 Drivenets announced a first round of financing of $110M. The round was led by Bessemer Venture Partners and Pitango Growth, with the participation of a number of private investors.

Favorite Matzah Toppings

Pesach

Administrator

-

April 23, 2019

0

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Favorite, top-voted matzah toppings.

One of the challenges of Pesach is finding a way to make matzah palatable especially for kids and picky eaters. Sweet or savory, vegan, pescatarian, inspired by the Italian, French, Hawaiian or Eastern European kitchen, we wanted to know what the favorite matzah topping is for local Israelis and if the latest trends for sandwich-fillings like Italian meatballs, Piri Piri chicken, cucumber and watercress spill over onto matzah.

Results of a fun poll in our Facebook group, show the favorite matzah toppings of all times. Respondents were invited to add to the list and no distinction between kitniyot or kitniyot-free was made.

What we know about our respondents

This was a fun poll – nothing scientific but we do have some information and demographics on the respondents.

The average age of respondents is 45 and we can safely say that they have eaten a fair amount of Matzah in their lifetimes.
Approximately 30 per cent of respondents are male.
About 70 per cent of respondents come from Israel’s English speaking Oleh community and currently live in Israel.
Although close to 70 per cent of respondents live in Israel not one single person voted for Hummus (which is kitniyot), an Israeli staple, as a favorite matzah topping.

A total of 240 votes were collected – one was for ham-and-cheese which we felt had no place in a Pesach survey and so the results listed here are based on 239 votes instead.

Butter is the number one matzah topping. Gratefully, imported spreadable butters ensure that this snack is ready to eat within seconds and also prevents broken pieces of matzah and matzah crumbs everywhere.

If you are interested in the Halacha regarding Vegemite or Marmite (yeast extract) we suggest you ask your Rabbi or religious authority.

Israel Train Schedule to Ben Gurion Airport

Israel Information

Administrator

-

April 23, 2019

0

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Israel Train Schedule to Ben Gurion Airport.

Need to get to Ben Gurion Airport on Fridays? Note the updates to the schedule.

Tel Aviv Hashalom Station will be closed on Fridays – every Friday. Projected reopening is in September 2019.

If you need to get to Ben Gurion Airport you can take the train, in both directions to Tel Aviv Savidor Central station and then take advantage of the free shuttle bus service which will go via Tel Aviv HaHaganah Station to Ben Gurion Airport

Shuttle times

From the Tel Aviv Savidor Central Station to Ben Gurion Airport, via Tel Aviv Hahagan Station

Times: 01:00, 02:00, 03:00, 04:00, 05:00, 05:50, and every 30 minutes from 06:40 until 17:30 (xx:10, xx:40)

From Ben Gurion Airport to the Tel Aviv Savidor Central Station, via Tel Aviv Hahagan Station

Times: 00:53, 01:53, 04:53, 05:28, and every 30 minutes from 06:15 until 17:15 (xx:15, xx:45)

{module [397]}

Candle-lighting blessings for Passover

Pesach

Administrator

-

April 14, 2019

0

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Candle-lighting blessings for Pesach (Passover).

Jewish women are obligated to perform 3 mitzvot (special deeds); 1) Hafrashat Challah – separating the Challah bread for Shabbat 2) Exercising the laws of Family Purity and 3) Blessing the Shabbat and Festival candles.

Blessings on Passover Candles

The standard blessing for festival candles – when Passover falls on a regular weekday

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אַדֹנָ-י אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל יום טוב

English Translation: Blessed are you, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the light of the holiday

Transliteration: Baruch a-ta A-do-nay Elo-hei-nu me-lech ha-o-lam a-sher ki-di-sha-nu bi-mitz-vo-tav vi-tzi-va-noo li-had-leek ner shel Yom Tov.

Shabbat & Passover

When Shabbat and the first night of Passover coincide we say the following candle blessing

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אַדֹנָ-י אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל שבת ויום טוב

English Translation: Blessed are you, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the light of the Sabbath and the holiday

Transliteration: Baruch a-ta A-do-nay Elo-hei-nu me-lech ha-o-lam a-sher ki-di-sha-nu bi-mitz-vo-tav vi-tzi-va-noo li-had-leek ner shel Shabbat Ve Yom Tov.

Shehechiyanu

On the first night of a festival it is customary to recite the Shehechiyanu blessing, after the blessing for the candles, as follows:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה

English Translation: Blessed are You, L-rd our G‑d, King of the Universe, who has granted us life, sustained us and enabled us to reach this occasion.

Transliteration: Baruch Atah Adonay E-loi-hei-nu Me-lech ha-o-lam she-he-chee-ya-nu v’ki-yi-ma-nu vi-hi-gi-ya-nu liz-man ha-zeh.

2nd night of Passover

On the second night of Passover (only in the Diaspora) candles are lit for a second time, from an existing flame, and this is the blessing:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אַדֹנָ-י אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל יום טוב

English Translation: Blessed are you, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the light of the holiday

Transliteration: Baruch a-ta A-do-nay Elo-hei-nu me-lech ha-o-lam a-sher ki-di-sha-nu bi-mitz-vo-tav vi-tzi-va-noo li-had-leek ner shel Yom Tov.

Shehechiyanu is not recited on the 2nd night.

Candle lighting times for Passover

Employment Rights for Israel Elections

Administrator

-

April 14, 2019

0

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The rights of salaried employees for Israel’s elections.

Know your employment rights. Don’t get conned out of your cash. Salaried workers are entitled to a paid vacation day.

Image credit: Screenshot Kolzchut

Election day in Israel is classified as a Shabbaton – a day of no work and working on election day is not compulsory
Salaried employees are entitled to full pay from their employers
According to Israel labor laws, if you are required to work on election day you are entitled to a special overtime rate of 200 percent. Another alternative is receiving your regular daily wage plus an additional vacation day at full pay.
If you have just started a new job and have been employed for a minimum of 14 days, you are entitled to a vacation day at full pay or remuneration according to the law.
What is open and what is not on election day?

If you would like to find out more about this, call the Israel Elections Committee on 1-800-222-290

No oleh alone for Pesach.

Pesach

Administrator

-

April 14, 2019

0

Reading Time: < 1 minute

No oleh alone for Pesach 2019

Host or be hosted with Keep Olim in Israel ‘s ‘No Olen Alone for Pesach’ program.

Israel Zip Postal Area Codes

Israel Information

Administrator

-

April 11, 2019

2

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The Israel zip postal area codes directory – an English translation.

If you are searching for a local Israel zip postal area code, the IsraelPost website offers a postal code directory service. You can determine the zip postal area code based on the street address or post-office box number (POB#). You can also do a reverse search and determine the address by entering the zip postal code.

The Israel postal area code search is offered in Hebrew only. Here is an English translation:

Here is the translation for a reverse search.

Beresheet Moon Landing

Older Posts

Administrator

-

April 10, 2019

0

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Watch the Beresheet moon landing live!

Contact Global Broadcasting Services is hosting the landing page for the video feed. SpaceIL is eyeing a touchdown time around noon PT on Thursday, which would put the landing late in the evening Israeli time.

Other notable Israeli inventions and amazing innovations
Beresheet of another kind… The weekly Torah portion

2019 Israel Election Results

Older Posts

Administrator

-

April 10, 2019

0

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Official 2019 Israel election results.

64 percent of Israel’s eligible voters went to the polls on 9 April, 2019. According to the Central Elections Committee, 4,303,415 Israeli citizens voted in these elections.

As at 04:00 on Friday, 12.4.2019, these are the official election results.

Election Facts

Sixty four percent of eligible voters voted in Tuesday’s 21st general Knesset elections.
The election cost the tax payer around NIS 300 million
The paid vacation day for most of Israel’s workers and loss in working hours costs the country many, many, many millions more.
Final election results as at April 17th, 2019
150,000 Israelis spent an enjoyable day in one of Israel’s national parks
The right-wing government is expected to hold 65 seats/mandates in the Knesset and the left-wing parties are expected to hold 55 seats in the Knesset.
The winning candidate has a maximum of 42 days to form a coalition – 28 days plus a 14 day extension that the incumbent President of Israel (Reuven Rivlin) is permitted to grant.
Bennett’s, Feiglin’s and Levy’s parties did not reach the minimum requirement of votes and are out of the running.
Nearly nine percent of all eligible votes – 366,049 – went to parties that didn’t make it past the electoral threshold.

Prime Ministers of Israel

How to vote in Israel elections

Elections

Administrator

-

April 7, 2019

0

Reading Time: 3 minutes

How do I vote in the upcoming Israel elections? A step-by-step guide for first-time and rusty voters.

You should have received a pink slip in the mail, that tells you where your polling station is. If you have not received the pink slip, don’t worry – Israel post isn’t always 100 percent reliable. You can also verify your designated polling station online via the Ministry of Interior online information center.

On voting day (a Shabbaton for many), take the pink slip together with one of these four officially acceptable identity documents to your polling station

Teudat Zehut
Valid passport
A valid driver’s license
If you are serving in the IDF – your ‘Hoger’ is the acceptable form of identification

Upon arrival at the voting station, you will be directed to the appropriate room by one of the election workers (Hebrew: Sadran) on duty.

Wait your turn, only one person is allowed into the room at a time.

When you enter the room, present your pink slip (if you have it) with your identity document to the Sadranim. A RavKav, Kupat Holim membership card, your office ID or a club card do not count as official forms of identity.

The Sadranim will take your identity document and verify that your name appears on the voter’s roll.

You will then be given a blue envelope. In Israel, there are no ballot papers with boxes to tick or holes to punch through.

Make your way to the polling both.

In the polling booth, in front of you, on the table, you will find a tray of white ballot slips with party identification details on them – the authorized representative letters or party identification. The party identification includes a one, two, three or four letter sequence for each political party participating in the election round. Make sure you familiarize yourself with your chosen party’s authorized representative letters. Each ballot slip also has the full name of the party printed below the authorized representative letters.

Choose the relevant slip for the party you wish to vote for, put the slip the envelope, seal it and place the envelope into the official blue ballot box. Go back to the main table where the Sadranim are sitting and get your Teudat Zehut or other ID document back.

What if there is no ballot slip for the party I want to vote for?

Cannot find your slip? Tell the Sadranim and they will bring more slips. Over 8.5 million ballot slips for each and every party have been printed for the elections.

The blank ballot slip

There are also plain white, blank ballot slips that you can use. If you want to voice your personal protest or abstention, insert one of the blank slips into the blue envelope.

Spoiled votes

Any ballot slip that has been defaced in any way, will not be counted; tears, marks, scribbles etc.

Check that both sides of the ballot slip have not been defaced. This is something often forgotten and any defacement on the underside of the ballot slip (intentional or not) will render your vote invalid.

If there is more than one ballot slip in the envelope, none of them will be counted.

More about Israel’s elections and electoral system

Anglo List

Anglo List

AL