VIVA SARAH PRESS

August 30, 2020

Over 5,000 hours of audiovisual material, from newsreels and home movies to blockbusters, have been digitized and will be available from the Israel Film Archive.

July 22, 2020

Before this pandemic, travelers could enjoy countless delicious experiences of local dishes in foreign countries every minute of every day the world over. With limited tourism available today, the hospitality, travel and culture sectors are suffering egregiously, and new online initiatives are popping up to try and put fresh dishes or bespoke cocktail experiences back on the table.

One such initiative is Delicious Experiences, an aptly named platform that connects foodies in one-on-one sessions with Michelin-starred restaurateurs, James Beard Award winners, bestselling cookbook authors, and other acclaimed culinary professionals. And it won’t break your budget.

March 24, 2020

With schools closed, routines lost and three kids suddenly my work-from-home (WFH) colleagues, surviving family isolation during the time of coronavirus is a challenge.

Pre-pandemic, my kids would set off to school in the morning and only return home after school, or after after-school activities. I had my workspace at home to myself.

On March 13, 2020, when Israel shuttered schools, I found myself with three “colleagues” under the age of 12.

March 18, 2020

“Nothing brings people together like a laugh,” Kandi Abelson, a comedian and writer who skewers life in Israel, tells NoCamels. “Coronavirus memes are super important. I’m always looking for ways to make people smile and laugh.” 

And while many of the jokes are universal, Israeli humor, specifically, is in full throttle — from satire television shows taking on the virus to meme-makers posting new puns and photos about our new surreal reality.

January 08, 2020

A-list athletes like Serena Williams, Steph Curry, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, and Andre Iguodala are among the best-known sports stars also playing the investment game in the tech field. The forecast for 2020 is growing teamwork between athletes and tech startups.

Indeed, news headlines rotate between startups boasting of professional athlete brand ambassadors and players who are reinventing themselves as investors and fund leaders. 

January 15, 2020

Healthy snacks-to-go is a trend in the food and beverage industry that will continue in 2020, according to market reports.  

People love snack foods, but consumers have become more health-conscious. 

Israeli food-tech startups and manufacturers continue to prove that they’ve got the innovation to keep snack foods healthy and yummy. 

Indeed, as a known innovation hub, Israel attracts the world’s top food manufacturers to collaborate and partner with its startups and food-and-beverage producers to whip up novel and tasty snack food products.  

Here are five healthy snack foods with an Israeli flavor:

December 11, 2019

Cool tech is at the top of gift-giving guides this holiday season.

From TIME Magazine to Mashable, Town and Country to Apple, trendy gadgets and must-have apps are topping pretty much every December gift list. And some of the most popular recommendations are Made in Israel.

NoCamels scanned the never-ending gift guides and found that global tech critics and reviewers are hyping blue-and-white robots, wellness gadgets, selfie improvement apps, and even something for Fido for Channukah and Christmas gift ideas.

Here are 9 must-have Israeli gadgets and apps getting love on international gift lists:

October 16, 2019

Whether you’ve come to Tel Aviv for its pristine beaches or thriving nightlife, for its art scene or because you heard it’s one of the world’s friendliest cities for vegans, to experience its start-up culture or because of its charming neighborhoods, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for.

Each neighborhood presents a different side of the city, be it historical Old Jaffa, with buildings dating back thousands of years; artsy Neve Tzedek, with beautifully restored 19th-century streets lined with jewelry and designer-clothing boutiques; or Kikar Hamedina, with its sophisticated cafes and stores.

Tel Aviv life is about adoring the beach, enjoying the outdoors, lingering with friends over coffee, rubbing shoulders with strangers at a market and being open to trying new foods. It is about watching the sunset, strolling along a boulevard or the beach promenade and, if you’re young at heart, going out until the early hours of tomorrow.

October 16, 2019

Israel’s museums attract 7.1 million visitors per year, 88.9 percent of Israelis are satisfied with their lives, and the average monthly wage in high-tech is on the rise. These and other fascinating facts about this country were part of the annual Israel in Figures: Statistical Abstract of Israel report put together annually by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).

The document provides a numerical snapshot of the country in areas like the state of the economy, the education system, population growth, fertility rates, transportation systems, and general attitudes – among others – according to data collected in 2018 and 2017.

October 16, 2019

Two Israeli players are taking part in the 2019 World English Scrabble Players Association Championship (WESPAC), now underway in Goa, India. The tournament began October 15 and will run through October 20.

“It’s a privilege to represent Israel at the World Scrabble Championship in Goa, India. It feels great to play amongst the best Scrabblers in the world while wearing our flag proudly,” Omri Rosenkrantz, a sociology lecturer at the Open University, tells NoCamels.

October 01, 2019

By Viva Sarah Press
 

Collecting vacation snow globes of favorite landmarks from popular cities and countries is a common pastime for kids and adults alike. But have a closer look at industrial designer Shaul Cohen’s snow globes and you’ll realize very quickly that something cheeky is going on.
 

A snow globe of a random lifeguard shack on a Tel Aviv beach. A snow globe of a cement bus shelter for soldiers. A snow globe of a building under construction. 

The snow globes are part of an ongoing project Cohen started as a graduate student in Industrial Design at Jerusalem’s Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design four years ago.

August 21, 2019

Foreign volunteers to kibbutz communities still come for an agriculture experience but Gather hopes to attract new participants toting laptops and drones instead of shovels and hoes. 

June 29, 2019

Mister Rogers would probably have jumped on the opportunity to live in a Venn neighborhood. The Israel-based social urban planning startup Venn is creating a “new way of neighboring” and rebuilding communities in the world’s biggest cities. 

“We’re trying to redesign the neighborhood experience,” Or Bokobza, Venn CEO, tells NoCamels. 

May 25, 2019

Ishay Shaer’s busy schedule has taken him to venues around the world including in England, Poland, Belgium, the U.S., Puerto Rico, Brazil and Uruguay. In fact, it is more common to hear the Israeli perform outside the Jewish state than on home turf.

“I mostly perform abroad,” the internationally renowned pianist says in an interview from his home in Givatayim, on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.

May 05, 2019

Israel is known as an innovation leader, an inspiration in research and development, a home for significant religious sites and landmarks, a center of a burgeoning foodie scene and a thriving arts and culture scene, and – of course – for its rich history.

In honor of Israel’s 71st Independence Day, we set out to find some of the country’s lesser-known, but equally fascinating, details. NoCamels chose to highlight 18 remarkable facts about Israel – the number 18, of course, is equal to the numerical value of the Hebrew word ‘chai’, which means life.

April 29, 2019

Folding is one of the most common techniques of design. For Bezalel graduate and industrial designer Ori Mishkal, his mastering skills at folding cardboard has put his company, POPIN playgrounds, in the toy market’s spotlight.

Mishkal’s Tel Aviv-based company is behind a foldable in-home playground that enables large play structures to pop-up for playtime and be easily stored away when not in use.

February 09, 2019

When you gotta go, you gotta go. For tourists and locals in Tel Aviv, a new early-stage initiative makes knowing where to go when nature calls just a click of a button away. It’s called P-pass and it makes finding where to pee when out and about so much easier.

Seinfeld’s George Costanza famously knew all the “magnificent facilities” in New York City. The P-pass bathroom-finding service helps its users find ‘magnificent’ businesses and eateries at which to relieve any full bladder worries.

January 23, 2019

Although it’s 2019 and many business collaborations are already underway (and thriving), the gap between how business is done in Israel and how it is done internationally is wide, says organizational consultant Osnat Lautman in her books on Israeli business culture.

Lautman’s book on Israeli business culture is an Amazon bestseller. It is also a popular choice in the duty-free bookstore at Ben Gurion International Airport outside Tel Aviv, according to its author.

“Non-Israeli business people buy it on their way home, after being here for a few days. They feel the need to buy this book to understand what just happened in their business meetings here,” Lautman tells NoCamels about her guide “Israeli Business Culture: Building Effective Business Relationship with Israelis.”

By Viva Sarah Press

It is summertime and that means there is oodles of time to enjoy the outdoors, get a hands-on feel of the environment, and learn about nature. And in Israel, getting a feel for the land is essential.

“Israel is rich with environmental organizations, local community groups committed to the environment, neighborhood and school efforts that involve opportunities for kids to literally get their hands dirty in the mud, in sand, with trees and with nature,” says Gidon Bromberg, Israeli Director of EcoPeace Middle East.

There is no shortage of environmental activities on offer. Field schools around the country, KKL-JNF, botanical gardens, Israel Nature and Parks Authority and others offer a host of outdoor activities year-round highlighting local nature and the environment.

May 01, 2018

The City of Tel Aviv is officially home to the Middle East’s first indoor cycling racetrack, after receiving formal certification this week from the world governing body for sports cycling, the Switzerland-based Union Cycliste Internationale, for its Olympic-standard velodrome (which is still under construction).

April 17, 2018

In the hipster world of Amit Shimoni, Queen Elizabeth II wears a sleeveless blouse and a flower crown in her hair, and Winston Churchill is imagined in a pork pie hat and V-neck sailor shirt.

Princess Diana is pictured in a choker necklace and shiny gold jacket, and Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher has gold chains and a leopard-print strapless top.

April 22, 2018

It doesn’t look like the headquarters of a style icon. The first building on the otherwise trendy Shabazi Street is dilapidated, with paint peeling from its light-turquoise walls and electric wires hanging in a mess from its rooftop.

But this is where jewellery worn by the likes of Carla Bruni and Gal Gadot comes from.

April 15, 2018

Sitting over coffee in Tel Aviv’s newest “it” café, Herzl 16, Galit Reismann, a fashion content expert and curator, enthuses over her leather handbag with metalwork made by Doraya. She also caresses her Tooshaaya eco-friendly scarf, made of soft bamboo and recycled cotton.

She’s not just a happy customer wearing local threads, she’s also a walking encyclopaedia of Israeli fashion. 

“The Israeli fashion scene is a collection of independent ideas, free of laws, order and history, cut off from rigid cultural rules,” says Reismann.

Whether a religious wedding or secular one, Israel is brimming with culture, archaeology, history, innovation and creativity, and the possibilities for wedding venues are truly endless.

Celebrate your own “night at the museum.” Those wanting to add a splash of culture to their wedding reception can choose from any of the Haifa museums or Jerusalem’s Bible Lands Museum and the Tower of David Museum for the ceremony and party.

If you’d prefer an archaeological twist, the Masada National Park offers a setting unlike any other in Israel, or even the world. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the greatest archaeological sites, a wedding on Masada packs in a fantastic view with a message of heroism and determination.

March 25, 2017

Tattoo artist Wassim Razzouk does not bother with trends in the ink business. People from around the world come to his studio in the Old City of Jerusalem in search of a classic Coptic tattoo. Said to be the only surviving pilgrimage tattoo business in the world, Razzouk Tattoo studio is a popular stop on the Christian tourist’s visit to Jerusalem.

November 30, 2015

The story of Israel has been told—and retold—through photographs by photojournalists, artists, bloggers and even tourists. Yet French photographer Frédéric Brenner was sure that he could convey the story of Israel in a new way, from an outsider’s perspective.

Back in 2012, when the Voca People were just starting out... their spaceship landed in Israel. It was an interesting interview.