Art & Culture

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Written by Silvia G. Golan

Published: 29 June 2022

News in the tourism industry: On July 12, the Renaissance Hotel in Tel Aviv will host an international important tourism event of the Visegrad countries, led by Slovakia, to promote tourism in Central Europe.

The Visegrad Group was established in 1991 and is an alliance of four Central European countries: Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Poland. These countries have joined a joint tourism project under the slogan "Discover Central Europe".

The international event in Tel Aviv will be attended by several dozen tourism wholesalers, tour operators and senior travel stakeholders from the tourism industries of the four-member states of the Visegrad Group,

as well as senior tour operators & travel agents and travel stakeholders from Israel's tourism industry. The member states of the Visegrad Group share historical roots and cultural traditions.

It has luxurious spas, historic sites and cities, museums, stunning natural beauty, and UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Treasures in the "heart of Europe", Slovakia is an ideal tourist destination thanks to its small area (about 49,000 square kilometers) and variety of tourist attractions. The High Tatras, spas, quality wineries, picturesque villages,

Sports & leisure, caves, ski resorts, hundreds of castles, towns where time stood still, museums, rich culture, and many UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Natural treasures and historical monuments to rich folk culture and modern entertainment in the busy city streets. Organized groups, families, couples, and travelers will greatly enjoy discovering a new,

inexpensive, lush destination that suits every desire and style. Excellent holiday villages and a variety of attractions. 41 percent of Slovakia's territory is covered by forests. Slovakia joined the EU in 2004.

Slovakia, due to its location, is very accessible for tourist arrivals. It can be reached from the capital, Bratislava, Vienna, Prague, and even Budapest.

You can tour Slovakia by car or through the convenient train service. Tourist entry is also very simple. Corona restrictions have been lifted; there is no need to present a vaccine certificate, recovery certificate, or PCR test.

www.discover-ce.eu

Photos courtesy: Slovakia travel

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Written by Silvia G. Golan

Published: 23 June 2022

Environmental Diplomacy:  Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael – Jewish National Fund (KKL – JNF) Hosted Ambassadors to Raise Awareness and to Deal with the Climate Crisis

KKL-JNF invited dozens of ambassadors for a Festive Tree Planting at Eshtaol as part of a one-day tour in the Jerusalem Area, aiming to raise awareness to the climate crisis.

KKL-JNF and Ambassadors in Israel are working together to raise awareness to the climate crisis.

Dozens of ambassadors from Spain, Zambia, Colombia, Thailand, Rwanda and other countries took part in a fascinating tour of the Jerusalem area.

The tour began with a visit to the Grove of Nations and a meeting with KKL-JNF World Chairman Avraham Duvdevani at The National Institutions House in Jerusalem. The Ambassadors received an overview of KKL-JNF's activities in the field of international relations and an overview of the activities that are taking place to battle against the effects of the climate change.

The day tour ended with a special tree planting ceremony at KKL-JNF's Eshtaol Nursery. As it is a Shmita year, all ambassadors planted trees in special pots and not in the ground. 

 Avraham Duvdevani, Chairman of KKL - JNF: "We are pleased to host Ambassadors at KKL-JNF's sites and to present our critical activities in protecting Israel and the planet from the destructive influence of the climate change." ."

Photo credit: Amos Luzon photographers 

In the photos: 

Deputy Embassy of Nigeria Mrs. Agatha Afoekelu amos (lady with sunglasses) 

Srilanka ambassador H.E Waruna Wilpatha (man with blue jacket)

ambassador of vietnam Mr. LY Duc Trung (man with white top)

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Written by Israel Antiquities Authority

Published: 27 June 2022

“Shelby White and  Leon Levy Lod Mosaic Archaeological Center” Inaugurated Today in Lod

New visitors’ center to display a breathtaking mosaic, some 1,700 years old and among the world’s most beautiful

 A dedication ceremony was held today, June 27, 2022, in the presence of Ms. Shelby White, Lod Mayor Adv. Yair Revivo, Israel Antiquities Authority Director-General Eli Eskozido, and numerous dignitaries.

After years on display in the world’s most important museums, including the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Louvre in Paris, the Altes Museum in Berlin, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, and others, the breathtaking Lod Mosaic – among the most beautiful discovered in Israel or anywhere in the world, and part of the floor of a late 3^rd-early 4^th-century mansion -- has returned to Lod and will be on public display, beginning this summer.

Today (Monday, June 27^th), the Lod Municipality and the Israel Antiquities Authority inaugurated the Shelby White & Leon Levy Lod Mosaic Archaeological Center in the presence of donor Ms. Shelby White and representatives of the Leon Levy Foundation. Also participating in the event were senior representatives of the Antiquities Authority, the Ministry of Tourism, the Lod Municipality, and other dignitaries.

The Donor, Ms. Shelby White: “From the moment Leon and I saw this historic mosaic, we knew how important it was for the town of Lod and the world, and what it would do to make Lod a cultural center. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be part of the restoration of the mosaic and the creation of this museum. Being here is a dream come true.”

Lod Mayor, Adv. Leon Revivo: “Some 26 years since it was discovered in 1996, we have reached this great day as we inaugurate the Shelby White & Leon Levy Lod Mosaic Archaeological Center, a source of local pride and a link to the timeless history of Lod – among the oldest cities in the world! Our dream for this city -- itself a mosaic of cultures -- is being realized today right before our eyes as we dedicate this most important museum, placing Lod on the world tourism map. We will enable people from around the country and the world to view this amazing treasure here in its original location, exactly where it was found. I want to thank Eli Eskozido, Director-General of the Antiquities Authority, his predecessors, Yehoshua (Shuka) Dorfman of Blessed Memory and Yisrael Hasson, and their staff for their tremendous dedication to this project, and for accompanying it throughout. And special thanks to our dear donor, Ms. Shelby White.”

Eli Eskozido, Director-General of the Israel Antiquities Authority: “Today, after years of effort, the final piece of the Lod Mosaic project has been put in place, with the dedication of this visitors’ center. This is a thrilling milestone for the Antiquities Authority, whose experts uncovered, preserved, and promoted the public display of this amazing mosaic. I wish to thank the Lod Municipality and the driving force behind this project – our donor Shelby White -- without whom the Lod Mosaic wouldn’t have returned home. There’s no place else in Israel that displays and tells the story of such a wonderful mosaic in such a special way!”

About the Mosaic

The Lod Mosaic was discovered in 1996 by Israel Antiquities archaeologist Miriam Avissar of Blessed Memory during an archaeological dig prior to the expansion of He’Chalutz Street. It stems from the Roman period – the end of the 3^rd century or the beginning of the 4^th century CE. Due to the lack of funds to preserve and develop the site for display, the mosaic was re-covered at the conclusion of the excavations. Then, in 2009, the Antiquities Authority, through the generosity of the Leon Levy Foundation and Shelby White, acquired funding for its renewed exposure and preservation and returned it to the site as an archaeological center open to the general public.

Unusual in its quality, construction, contents, and state of preservation, the mosaic once served as the foyer floor of a mansion in a wealthy Lod neighborhood from the Roman and Byzantine eras. It is about 17 meters long and about 9 meters wide and comprises colorful surfaces depicting fruits, mammals, birds, fish, flora, and even sailing vessels. Its design was influenced by that of North African mosaics. It’s interesting to note that, unlike other mosaics from that era, it includes no depictions of people. During the construction of the Mosaic Center, the Antiquities Authority discovered an additional colored mosaic that was part of the mansion’s courtyard. It was also included in the Center as part of the visitors’ experience.

The mosaic is located in northeastern Lod, adjacent to the Ginton Junction, making it easily accessible from Ben-Gurion airport and two major highways – Route 1 between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and Route 6, linking northern and southern Israel. Its proximity to national traffic arteries will make it a national attraction, placing it on the tourism map along with several of the city’s other historical sites.

The mosaic will be on display for the general public, enabling visitors to see and experience it from various angles while teaching them about Lod’s history, archaeology, and mosaic preservation as they enjoy its unique beauty. The new visitors’ center will strengthen the connection of Lod residents to their city’s important historical legacy. This is a unique project, a world-class exhibit of an important find in its original location within a modern structure that honors and recalls the mansion in which it once rested.

Credits:

Vision for the Visitors’ Center and mosaic preservation: Israel Antiquities Authority

Structural planning: Arch. Amit Nemlich – Nemlich Architects

Landscape planning: Arch. Orna Ben-Zioni, Arch. Idit Yisrael – Av Landscape Architecture

Content planning, execution, display and multimedia: Ha’Taasiya Content & Technological Design, Ltd.

Project management: Arch. Lilach Neumark – Ma’aseh Shimur

Supervision: Goni Engineering Ltd. 

www.lodmosaic.org/home.html

https://www.antiquities.org.il/article_eng.aspx?sec_id=25&subj_id=240&id=1574

 Photos Silvia G Golan

More Pics at Facebook  Diplomacy Israel / Israel Diplo  / Silvia g Golan

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Written by Technion Spokesperson

Published: 20 June 2022

Turning a Dream into Reality

The Technion inaugurates the "Mehoudar Center for Inventors" – a center for creative and engineering design dedicated to Raphael Mehoudar

The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology inaugurates the Mehoudar Center for Inventors – a center for creative and engineering design. The center will encourage inventors from all over the country, school children, university students, and faculty members to dream and imagine. Most importantly, the center will provide them with the necessary engineering tools for building and testing prototypes - with the assistance of a highly skilled technical team and the resources to plan and execute. The Mehoudar Center for Inventors will also be home for cross-faculty collaborations - for example, the development of multidisciplinary final projects.

The center is named in honor of Technion graduate Raphael (Rafi) Mehoudar, graduate of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Technion (1966) and the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from the Technion (2014). On Israel's 67th Independence Day (2015), Mehoudar was given the honor of lighting one of the torches in acknowledgement of his contribution as “a successful, world-renowned engineer and entrepreneur who developed the drip irrigation technology that became an international success.”

Technion President Professor Uri Sivan stated that "The Mehoudar Center for Inventors offers a new and innovative approach to the challenge of maintaining and fostering the spirit of ingenuity in our students, faculty, high school students, and anybody interested in building and testing a prototype. The center will allow its users to transform their creative ideas and innovations into models and prototypes using its advanced new facilities, as well as experienced mentors. A hands-on approach will provide them with access to a productive space to explore and test their ideas and research before taking them to scale. We are confident that this approach will greatly inspire current and future creators to turn their inventions into practical technologies and follow the example set by Rafi and others."

Prof. Peretz Lavie, Chairman of the Israel Friends of the Technion and former Technion president, noted that " Raphael (Rafi) Mehoudar will be remembered in history as the person who has made one of the most important contributions to modern agriculture and by that has changed the life of millions around the world. Mehoudar's drip technology enables farmers to achieve greater yield of quality crops with reduced use of water, soil and fertilizer resources, and with little impact on the environment. Millions of farmers currently use these systems in more than 110 countries around the world."

Prof. Ezri Tarazi, Head of t-hub – the Technion Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, said that "Hundreds of millions of people around the world owe Rafi Mehoudar the very food that is laid out on their table every day. The global climate crisis and the desertification process affecting large parts of the planet only reinforce the vital need for Mehoudar inventions, for the purposes of sustainability and survival."

At the age of 20, while still at the Technion, Raphael Mehoudar developed the dual flush toilet mechanism, currently in-use in almost every home in Israel. At the same time, he developed a unique sprinkler for watering square areas - as opposed to the standard 360° sprinkler. The Standards Institution of Israel was very enthusiastic about the young inventor and, after his release from the IDF, they recruited him for a part-time job within the institute. ‘Netafim’, which heard about the pressure regulator that he had developed, contacted him, and the rest is history: Mehoudar went on to invent and develop the drip irrigation technologies that changed the world of agriculture, and today he has about 400 patents registered to his name.

The new center will cover an area of about 1,000 square meters on the lower floor of Danziger Laboratories, which was built in 1966 and is located next to the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.

Photos: Sharon Tzur, Technion Spokesperson