Rutgers Israel Letter
2013 Year in Review
שלום חברים!
Welcome to the second issue of the Rutgers Israel Newsletter! Here you will find the the latest and greatest of Israel's achievements in the realms of technology, medicine, culture, and more! Don't forget to check the bottom of the page for upcoming Israel events on campus! Thanks for reading.
From the Editors,
Aaron London, Talia Friedman, and Jordan Davis
Save A Child's Heart
Save A Child’s Heart is an Israeli-based humanitarian project dedicated to helping children with heart problems. Save A Child’s Heart treats every child for free, regardless of gender, religion, background, nationality or financial situation. They have treated over 3.300 children from over 48 different countries spanning six continents. From flying the child and a parent to Israel, to top quality healthcare and treatment programs-Save A Childs Heart cares for every child in need. Have a heart and please share to help those who are in need.
It cost $10,000 to save a child. To donate and help, please see http://www.saveachildsheart.org
Israel Helping Syrian Refugees
Israel is helping the over 2 million homeless Syrian refugees as they flee from Syria’s civil war. IsraAid is providing food, shelter, medicine and trauma assistance to meet the Syrian’s who are in dire need. While Syria refuses to recognize Israel and has forbidden Syrian’s from accepting Israeli aid, as one Israeli said “if I hand someone a can of tuna, do they really care where it’s coming from?”
Philippines Emergency Response:
The Israeli Defense Forces are committed to their principle of honoring human life, a principle that extends well beyond Israel’s borders. Learn about how the IDF responded to the tragedy in the Philippines by sending a multi-faceted emergency medical delegation to the city of Tacloban in order to contribute to the relief efforts.
http://www.idfblog.com/2013/11/12/idf-humanitarian-delegation-to-the-philippines-to-leave-tomorrow/
Israel NGO impacting the lives of 478,661 people in Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda and Malawi!
Learn more about Sivan Yaari-Borowich, founder and president of Innovation: Africa and her amazing humanitarian work that has been recognized by the United Nations!
"Peace for Israel means security, and we must stand with all our might to protect its right to exist, its territorial integrity" Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Apple buys Israeli-based PrimeSense
Forbes confirms that Apple, the technological empire of i-products - iphone, ipad, ipod, etc. - bought the Israeli pioneer, PrimseSense, for somewhere betwen $350-$360 million. PrimeSense is used in Microsoft technologies, mainly the Kinect for Xbox, to allow the device to see and respond to what is going on. PrimeSense gives companies the opportunity to make technology that will interact with it's owner, such as enhancing Siri on the iPhone by letting her "see" what the owner is doing and responding.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/shelisrael/2013/11/25/why-would-apple-buy-primesense/Google buys Israeli startup "Waze"
Google offers over $1 billion for Israeli startup "Waze", and keeps R&D department in Israel for the first 3 years. Waze is bringing new advancements to Google's pre-existing navigation system. Waze takes signals from members to populate its maps. It gives a personalized navigation to the user based on the current location and information in surrounding areas. Google bought the company after Facebook negotiations fell through, keeping the social networking website from attaining a competitive edge in navigation systems that Google typically dominates.
Facebook spends $100 million on Israeli startup Onavo
Onavo creates mobile applications for users to track data usage. Facebook gave $100 million to the Israeli startup and agreed to keep it based in Tel Aviv for the time being, creating a new precedent for tech companies in Israel.
Musical legend Arik Einstein Passes Away
Learn about the musical icon that inspired the nation of Israel throughout its development! Be sure to check out some of his music with this link.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/arik-einstein-the-soundtrack-of-israeli-life/
Snow in Jerusalem
Israel rarely sees snow yet on December 13, 2013, over two feet of snow fell in Israel during in a once-in-a-century storm. The snow crippled the country as the roads came to a halt and left thousands without power.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/ben-gurion-airport-shut-down-amid-unprecedented-winter-storm/
Netafim - Drip Irrigation Revolution
Netafim, an Israeli company that began as a kibbutz company experimenting ways to save water, is now a provider of drip irrigation systems in 150 countries, through 37 subsidiaries, and 13 factories around the world. What began as a small company on a kibbutz in the Negev, began a revolution.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/what-israeli-drips-did-for-the-world/Triumph of Human Spirit
Read about Aharon Karov, a former IDF officer who, after nearly losing his life in Operation Cast Lead, ran the New York City marathon to raise $40,000 for OneFamily Fund, an organization responsible for helping victims of terror and their families.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/five-years-after-near-death-israeli-runs-nyc-marathon/Rutgers University Statement Rejecting Academic Boycott
As we approach our 250th anniversary, Rutgers celebrates a long tradition of global intellectual and cultural exchange, and it deeply values academic collaboration with scholars and institutions around the world.
While Rutgers affirms the right of faculty, students, and associations to express their own political and intellectual viewpoints, we believe that academic boycotts fundamentally violate the principles of academic freedom and the free exchange of knowledge and ideas.
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, joins peer institutions -- including fellow members of the Association of American Universities (AAU) -- in rejecting the American Studies Association’s boycott of Israeli institutions of higher education.
http://news.rutgers.edu/statement/rutgers-university-statement-rejecting-academic-boycott/20131226
Prevent Iranian Nuclear Weapons Capability
The Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2013 (S. 1881), authored by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL), aims to strengthen American diplomatic efforts to prevent Iran from achieving a nuclear weapons capability. America must prevent an Iranian nuclear weapon capability, diplomacy must be backed by the threat of new sanctions, and America must stand with Israel.
America and Israel have shared values
The two countries have developed a resilient friendship, based in large part on an unshakable dedication to common values. Commitment to democracy, the rule of law, freedom of religion and speech and human rights are all core values shared between the United States and Israel. And both have evolved into democracies that respect the rule of law, the will of voters and the rights of minorities. Similarly, like the United States and in stark contrast to other Middle East nations, Israel has an independent judicial system, which protects the rights of individuals and operates under the principle of “innocent until proven guilty.” Israel also features regularly scheduled elections that are free and fair and open to all its citizens, regardless of religion, race or sex.
ReWalk
Israel technology company created "ReWalk", a device giving those with paralyzed limbs the chance to walk again and rehabilitate their body. Rewalk gives life back to those who have been trapped in wheelchairs, by giving them a chance to walk again, with the help of this amazing technology.