ISRAEL BEYOND POLITICS: March 2004

International Spring Festival Rishon LeZion 2004

The coming Festival is The 5th International Spring Festival in Rishon LeZion.

This year’s gravity center is Art from Hungary, The Festival, will host some 70 artist form Hungary, members of 3 different artistic bodies. The “Rajko” Gypsy Orchestra and Dancers, bring to Israel the original sound of the Gypsy orchestra, with its large stress on the high register violin and the unique sound of the Cymbalom. The sound that influenced so many of the 20the century composers, will be heard by many, who will also attend the folk dancing that goes so well with this music in the famous Cardasz dance and many more. From the Hungarian Capital come also the Budapest Saxophone Quartet, and their soprano singer, in a mixture of musical styles arranged for this unique sound. The Hungarian Festival Ballet is the third group, and they will dance two of Ivan Marko’s works:  “Cain and Ebal”, with a contemporary look on the Biblical famous story and a new interpretation to the famous Bolero.

From Taiwan, we shall host the artists of the “Taipei Dance Circle” of Liou Shaw-Lu Artistic Director, in their internationally acclaimed work “FLOW”, an outstanding choreography, which puts in center-stage the fragility of man vis-a-vis nature in its different aspects. The Taiwanese dancers use baby oil on their bodies and on their dancing floor which adds another layer of fragility on the concept of man.

From the UK two music ensembles arrive: The Magnets, an outstanding a capella rock sextet, which does not need real instruments thanks to the rich musical abilities, they have in their vocal chords. The Festival will open the gates of Israel for one of the most successful contemporary rock ensembles. The other sound to come form the British Isles is that of Alex Wilson’ s Cuban music group which has already won the public appreciation in Europe and South America, and charms its audience everywhere.
 
Constantina, a leading singer from Greece, comes to Israel with her band and welcomes on her stage the local Greek Music group “Sounds of Piraeus”. Separately and together, the musicians will voice here the unique sound of Greek music, loved and appreciated in this country for years.

From the neighboring Croatia, the Klapa ISKON male sextet will bring an a-capella sung tradition of hundreds of years from the folk ballads and serenades to classical Croatian music.
 
The Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion, will salute the Armenian music and mark the 100th anniversary of the famous composer Aram Khatchaturyan, with works like his Violin Concerto, his Ballet music “Spartacus”, Arutinian’s Trumpet Concerto and more surprises. All under the baton of maestro Vag  Papian. Another international cooperation will happen on the same stage in the “Golden Age of George Fredric Handel” special concert. German conductor and lute and theorbo player Wolfgang Katschner , Polish Counter-tenor Artur Srefanovich, Israeli leading soprano Sharon Rostorf Zamir, will be joined by Harpsichord player Yocheved Schwartz, and The Israeli Baroque Orchestra to a rare chance to get  glimpse at some highlights of Handel’s greatest operas which are almost never performed here. Two Israeli singers Luban Salame and Zehava Ben will join the Nazareth Orchestra and conductor Nizhar Radwan in a tribute to Egyptian music.

Two special Jazz programmes will feature in the Festival Elizet  the Brazilian singer will join Uri Bracha’ quintet in music by Jobim, and more great Brazilian artists as well as some Bossa Nova created for this show. The Folk Orchestra is a new jazz ensemble in which 9 secular and extreme religious musicians share the music and create a new musical dialect, which speaks straight to the hearts of the listeners. Israel leading Rock group “Chapel of Reason” (Knessiyat Hasechel) joins the festival in a new show, which marks their new Album to be released immediately after the festival. Another famous Rock group “Tractor’s Revenge” will host the Tel-Aviv String Quartet in music written especially by Avi Baleli, leader of the Rock group.

All the performances will take place at the Meir Nitzan Performing Arts Center, in its two halls: big hall 900 seats, and a 250 seats auditorium. The festival will open daily with a carnival in its court yard, open to the public, and end in the Performing Arts Coffee shop in late night music shows.

This year for the first time visiting artists will appear in 10 more locations in Israel. The map of this springs Festival starts in the Northern corner of the Country in Kiriyat Shmona, goes to the Galilee, to Carmiel, home of the famous International Summer Dance Festival, and to the Northern Theatre in Kiryat Haim, catering to the Haifa region public including the "House of Grace" Church in Haifa. On the way back to the Rishon LeZion base, next to the famous Roman site of Caesarea; in the small township of Kfar Shmaryahu, in the city of Herzlyia, in the famous arts center of Kfar Saba, Petach Tikwa and in the capital, Jerusalem.  

The Festival budget this year is US$ 415,000 and its resources are the Rishon LeZion Municipality, the Municipal Company for Culture, Sports and Recreation Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, Foreign Ministry,  the embassies of  Hungary, Taiwan, Council for Cultural Affairs, Executive Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China, the British Council, as well as private donors.

The Festival was founded through the initiative of Mayor Meir Nitzan and Doron Milberg, former General Director of the Municipal Company for Culture.
Eli Pollack Acting General Director of the Municipal Company for Culture, Ehud Gross, Director General and founder of the Festival, Yossi Schiffmann, Artistic Consulter, Miri Shamir, Producer, Gil Blat, Deputy Director Performing Arts Centre, Mali Dor, Public Relation, Ruth Gindi, coordinator of special  events and Orly Ben Azar, coordinator of the late night events.
 
International Spring Festival Rishon LeZion,16 Jabotinski St., Rishon LeZion 
tel 03-9484842  fax 03-9484843 for festival tickets: 03-9488688     
website: www.heichal-rishon.co.il
Miri Shamir – Tel 972-52-884981 shamiri@shani.net  

News Briefs

Israeli 'Madonna Lily' to grace Pope's table 
Mar. 08 -   A 'Madonna lily' from the Negev in Israel is expected to land on the Pope's table on Easter this year, March 25, Ma'ariv reported. The Madonna lily, lilium candilum, is also called in Hebrew the 'lily of the annunciation.' The Christian world believes that this flower was handed to the Virgin Mary by the angel Gabriel, when he came to inform her of the immaculate conception. Dr. Michelle Zakai, the director of the Institute for Agriculture and Applied Biology in Ben-Gurion University, said that "this beautiful flower grows in other places in the world, but it is important for the faithful in the Christian world to know that the origin of the flower is the Holy Land. The combination of that fact with the timing of the flower's bloom holds exceptional commercial potential for the Israeli farmers." 

Israel, Jordan break ground on science center 
Mar. 10 -  Israel and Jordan broke ground Tuesday on a joint science center that will straddle their border. The project is most ambitious educational venture since they signed a peace deal 10 years ago. Organizers from the Bridging the Rift Foundation said the 150-acre campus is a way of building peace from the ground up. The project has the backing of Israeli, Jordanian and American business people, as well as Cornell and Stanford universities in the United States. 

Israeli company SLP wins international competition for innovative sleep disorder product 
Mar. 15 -  SLP, an Israeli company affiliated with the Technion that deals with development and export of electronic sensors for diagnosing sleep disturbances, has won a Medical Design Excellence Award in an international competition organized by Canon Communications. SLP's product, called BiteStrip, is a disposable sensor that electronically checks for the widespread syndrome known as Bruxism. This syndrome is characterized by grinding and clenching of the teeth during sleep. The sensor, the only one of its kind in the world, monitors the electrical activities of the jaw muscles, analyzing it in real time and displaying a diagnosis shortly after waking. In 2002, SLP won the Golden Excellence Award for the SleepStrip, a disposable sensor for home diagnosis of sleep apnea. 

Israel Science Museum to launch education program in presence of Columbia shuttle families 
Mar. 16 -  S.T.A.R.S. (Space Technology and Astrophysics Research for Students), an innovative science education program, at the Israel National Museum of Science, Technology & Space - Haifa, named after Col. Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut, and the Columbia Space Shuttle crew, will be officially launched this week on the occasion of the visit to Israel, of the Columbia Space Shuttle crew families. "The S.T.A.R.S. Program will allow all of Israel's children to explore and research the universe, and reach out to the stars," explains Ilan's widow, Rona Ramon, who is actively promoting this important enterprise. "Support for the S.T.A.R.S. Program will perpetuate Ilan's legacy for a better future in Israel and worldwide."

Through space exploration, S.T.A.R.S. will attract thousands of Israeli youngsters, of all ages and backgrounds, to an interest in science. The program, developed and run by the Museum's Center for Education in Science and Technology, encourages youngsters to develop a positive approach to science and technology; instills scientific values and behavior patterns characteristic of the scientific community; and catalyzes awareness and sensitivity to societal concerns. S.T.A.R.S. will operate out of a S.T.A.R.S. Center. When completed, the $12 million Center will comprise a Visionarium/Planetarium, equipped with extraordinary Israeli technological innovations; state-of-the-art S.T.A.R.S. Laboratory Complex; Challenger Center for Space Science Education, a simulated space station; Space Science Exhibition Arena; a Roof Observatory; and Mobile Facilities: Portable Planetariums & Mobile S.T.A.R.S.

India to adopt Israeli cotton growing methods  
Mar. 17 -   India's textile commissioner has asked the Cotton Advisory Board (CAB) to prepare a report on Israeli cotton growing methods and take the necessary steps towards its implementation in the country, The Financial Express reported. The technique are expected to propel the yield per hectare to as high as 97 per cent, according to industry experts. At present, India's cotton yield stands at just 45 per cent per hectare, which is far below the international standard whereas Israel has seen per hectare yield jump to the highest in the world at 97 per cent, thanks to the novel technique.

The rate of cotton production depends mainly on conversion of cotton flower into bowl, and in Israel this conversion ratio is the highest, because farmers take care of 'micro nutrients' deficiencies of cotton plants at growing stage itself. They conduct periodical laboratory test of the growing plants to detect deficiencies at early stage and compensate them, resulting in higher productivity. "This technique minimises the risk of crop failure, increases crop yield, and hence farmers in Israel have higher success rate than those in any other country. We have asked members of CAB to provide the necessary in-depth information about the techniques and other related issues. Accordingly, action will be taken on this technique," said textile commissioner Subodh Kumar. 

Israeli medical devices exports up 72% in 2003 to $1b 
Mar. 25 -   Israeli export of medical equipment rose by a record 72% in 2003, compared with 2002, to $1 billion, according Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute director Yechiel Assia. Medical equipment grew by an average of 11% a year in previous years, Globes reported. Exports of medical and surgical equipment rose by 80% in 2003 to $936 million and exports of orthopedic equipment rose by 25% to $45.8 million. On the other hand exports of disposable medical equipment fell by 4% to $28.7 million. Most of the growth was thanks to higher exports to Asia, Eastern Europe, and the EU. Export growth rate for sophisticated instruments, where Israel still has a competitive edge over similar products from China, India and other countries, were especially high. 

Madonna to perform in Israel this summer  
Mar. 22 -  Madonna is expected to perform in Israel in August or September as part of her world tour, according to an Israeli promoter. "The artist has promised to perform in Israel and this is certainly going to be a bigger show than she has ever done," Shuki Weiss told Ha'aretz. "The performance will be set for August or September, but details have not yet been finalized. A number of ideas regarding the location of the show as well as Madonna's other activities in Israel have been put on the table," Weiss said. This would be Madonna's second appearance in Israel. Her first was in October 1993. "The Re-Invention Tour" is slated to kick off in Los Angeles on May 24 and will include shows in San Francisco, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta and Miami. Madonna will then head to London for an August 18 performance followed by shows in Paris, Israel and Ireland. 

EU includes Israel in Galileo space project 
Mar. 21 -   An agreement for Israeli participation in the $16 billion Galileo European satellite navigation system project has been signed in Jerusalem. The agreement was signed by European Commission director-general for Energy and Transport Francois Lamoureux and Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor director-general Raanan Dinur. The agreement establishes joint activity in satellite navigation and satellite-based timing in a wide variety of fields, chiefly science and technology, industrial production, development of services and markets, standardization, and accreditation agencies, and frequencies. The agreement also paves the way for Israel's financial participation in Galileo Joint Undertaking, the agency administering the project. In addition, the European Parliament has approved Israel's participation in the Sixth Framework Programme of the EU for R&D.  

Schwarzenegger to lead business delegation to Israel 
Mar. 21 -  California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will visit Israel at the head of a delegation of Jewish Californian businesspeople. Former Packard Bell president Beny Alagem and Saban Entertainment president Haim Saban will also participate, according to Globes. Schwarzenegger will alslo attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Jerusalem, the governor's office said. Schwarzenegger, whose father was a member of the Nazi Party in Austria, is a longtime supporter of the Wiesenthal center, which is devoted to fighting intolerance and is named for the famed Nazi hunter. Schwarzenegger will meet representatives of the Israeli companies at a business reception upon his arrival. Mercury Interactive Corporation and Zoran are the most prominent high-tech Israeli companies operating in California. Schwarzenegger will also meet representatives of Ormat Industries and Solel Solar Systems, which builds power stations, and agricultural equipment manufacturers Netafim, Dorot Automatic Control Valves, and Amiad Filtration Systems. 

Courtesy http://www.israel21c.org/