Dispatch from Jerusalem

Tel Aviv Free WiFi

{image_1}Tel Aviv has long called itself Israel’s “Startup City” for innovation and creativity. With more than 600 tech startups in its 20 square miles [52 sq km], the municipality is on a digital mission to keep the White City online and accessible all the time.

Israeli Technion—7th Best College for Tech CEOs

{image_1}A new ranking published by the American financial media company Bloomberg includes the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology among the world's top 10 academic institutions whose graduates lead companies with a market value of more than US $1 billion. The Technion made it to seventh place alongside the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Rice University and the University of Texas, Austin. Princeton, Stanford and Harvard universities top the list. The Technion is the only institution on the list located outside the United States.

A Heavenly Lookout!

{image_1}The Cliffs of Arbel

One of the advantages of being a Bridges for Peace volunteer in Israel is the opportunity to explore on your own. While Arbel National Park is not usually found on Israel tour itineraries, it is definitely worth a visit. The view from Mount Arbel is breathtaking, including the Golan Heights, Tsafat (Safed), Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee. The high cliffs reach an elevation of 181 meters (594 ft) above sea level at the peak for a total elevation of 380 meters (1,247 ft).

Divine Buzz

{image_1}Ethiopian Nun Emerges as Jerusalem’s Musical Treasure

At the recent four-day Sacred Music Festival in Jerusalem, hundreds of music lovers and performers crowded the city’s holy sites to hear the world’s spiritual and religious music traditions. With top talent from across the globe taking part, no one foresaw that the biggest attraction at the festival—part of the annual Jerusalem Season of Culture—would be a shy 90-year-old nun.

Refuge in the Storm

{image_1}Le Chambon-sur-Lignon—France

Pastor André Trocmé was the spiritual leader of the Protestant congregation in the village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon in southeastern France. His predecessor, Charles Guillon, had been elected mayor of the town in the early 1930s. When in June 1940 France was occupied and the Vichy regime was formed, Trocmé urged his congregants to shelter persecuted fugitives of “the people of the Bible.” In so doing, he followed in the footsteps of Guillon, who had educated the congregation in this spirit. This policy and the generosity of spirit of many congregants made Le Chambon and the surrounding villages a unique refuge in France where many Jews survived the war.

Eighty Hours of Terror

{image_1}Israel Responds in Kenyan Crisis

On September 21, 2013, the African nation of Kenya experienced one of the worst terror attacks in recent history. The death and destruction shocked the world and devastated the country as pictures of injured and dying hit the internet. After the four-day siege ended, the UK and the United States were quick to send aid to the reeling country, but first on the scene was Israel.

Up In the Air, a Bird’s-eye View of Israel

{image_1}Israel has a number of cable car systems that not only provide transportation but make for some memorable aerial adventures as well.

Green Lung in Dimona

{image_1}If Israel's first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion were to pop by the city of Dimona today, he'd be thrilled to see this Negev community bringing his vision to fruition. Construction of a new green oasis in the desert is now underway.

A High-Tech Pillbox

{image_1}Chronic diseases are expensive to manage, and one of the reasons is that patients forget to take their pills, says Gil Margalit. He’s the founder of a new Israeli company, Vaica, which is developing a solution to help young and old alike remember to take their medication.

Music on the Mind

{image_1}Musicologists and brain researchers, who don't usually attend the same conferences, recently attended a Jerusalem conference. They shared a common language: music. The conference, “Music and Brains: The Surprising Link,” was presented by the Interdisciplinary Center for Neural Computation (ICNC) at the Hebrew University [HU]. Prof. Naftali Tishby, director of the ICNC, was one of the conference organizers.