The Big Felafel

116 useful updates about living in Israel you may have missed

Here are some useful updates about living in Israel that I’ve tweeted or put on Facebook in the last 2 months. And now that I’m posting the links here, I’m not limited by the Twitter 140 character limit and can sit in the peanut (Bamba?) gallery and offer additional commentary! For more Israel-related real-time updates, you can follow The Big Felafel on Twitter, Facebook, or by blog updates via email.

1. Watching Am Segula – Mah Kashur’s new comedy series. Verrry similar to their previous series, Yisraelim. Well, it is the same guys, so it makes sense.
2. Join the Koby Mandell Foundation FB page and double your chances of winning 2 free tix to @comedyforkoby.
3. Site-specific art installations by Bezalel students transform downtown Jerusalem’s bars Oh bars. I think those days are pretty much over for me or is it cool to bring a 7 month old with?
4. Festivals and More Festivals in Jerusalem (via @janglo) I think Israel has set a world record for most amount of festivals per capita or per season or however it is that we measure festival records.
5. Contest for Design of New Banknotes in Israel. Weird set of qualifications: graphic design AND certified bookkeeper. Good luck with that, State O’Israel.
6. Israeli family names their baby “Like” There was also an Egyptian family who named their baby Facebook. And they say we can’t get along with our neighbors. We have weird names in common. Isn’t that enough?
7. Fox pulls Israeli sitcom Traffic Light after 13 episodes Ramzor, the Hebrew version, was such an Israeli-type show, I was wondering how that would work out. I guess it didn’t.
8. ISRAEL21c invited to global cancer fellowship Impressive.
9. Intern in Israel program gets boost from U.S. firms I went to this Masa event and met some awesome recruiters from Urban Outfitters, Citibank and other big names. Great job Masa for really putting in lots of effort to run successful internship programs in Israel
10. Love the @benjilovitt 63 Reasons why I love Israel As usual, Benji outdoes himself with his Israel love.
11. Ayalim, a nonprofit in the Negev and Galil building sustainable student housing village. Inspiring for Yom Ha’atzmaut
12. New Yom Ha’atzmaut video by Aish. How many people do you recognize? I counted 2.
13. Huge Naked Art installation to be in the Dead Sea or Mea Shearim. Hope no one gets angry…
14. Way off track / Fast train to Jerusalem will have to wait Originally, the Tel Aviv – Jerusalem fast train was planned to be finished by 2017. But since that seems too close.. they’ve now postponed it until two thousand and never. Oh well. It’s the thought that counts, right?
15. Anglodeals Amazing! All the daily group deal sites in English!
16. J’lem haredim find gentile hametz buyer has taken it! Hilarious! Bet you never thought someone would actually come and get your chametz.
17. ‎@hebrewU and eTeacher Group Offer Aramaic Language via Online Program (via @religion_state) I totally think there should be Aramaic Ulpan. Sign me up.
18. New Noise Laws in Israel (via @ahoova) No more loud car alarms. Huh? Isn’t that the point of car alarms.
19. New Jerusalem Culture site launched (on Drupal.. in case you’re as nerdy as I am and wanted to check) Good source for upcoming cultural events like the Light Festival and Opera Festival and even the Festival Festival. Bet you never heard of that one.
20. Funny shorts about Pini, an Israeli living in London Really short episodes which is great for someone with a short attention span like me. I just watched all of them straight through. The series is in English and Hebrew and could be a good ulpan tool – just read the subtitles the whole time.
21. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to visit Rabbi Lau in Israel What a crazy story. Turns out that Kareem’s father was in the army during WWII and liberated Rabbi Lau. Why do I keep thinking about the movie Airplane?
22. Gevalt! Israel launches a cellphone in Yiddish Reminds me of my college days and my semester of Yiddish. Now I see where that knowledge could be useful again!
23. Oldie but a goodie Matzah Ball Rap A great Passover video that doesn’t get old. And it stars my old kitchen… and friends!
24. Answers.com being sold for $127 million Wow. Kol Hakavod. Answers.com is such a great part of the local Jerusalem community, sponsoring events, hiring Israelis, etc.
25. Hilarious report on the English spoken by service providers in Israel (thanks @felafelballs) Reads like a comedy script for a sketch by… hahafuch (Jerusalem’s comedy troupe)
26. Artists coming to perform in Israel 2011 featuring Megadeath, Bon Jovi, Enrique Iglesias via @igoogledisrael.com
27. Vanessa Mae is coming to perform in Israel via @igoogledisrael.com
28. In Latest Discovery, Have They Found the Nails Used to Crucify Jesus?
29. ‎50 things to do in Jerusalem this spring – GoJerusalem.com
30. ‘Amazing Israel Race’ Kicks Off in Boston. It’s not happening in Israel, but such a great idea, I wish they would do something like that in Israel.
31. In Israel, a check of supermarkets shows consumers should stick to stores they find most convenient, and leave paltry price differences behind.(via Haaretz)
32. Al Gore invests $10m. in Israeli solar energy projects Israeli solar on a roll! First Google then Al Gore!
33. Google invests $168m in Brightsource solar project – Globes
34. Bieber visits the Western Wall
35. iPhone app by @rustybrick gets rid of chametz (via @janglo)
36. Four Israeli divas serenade traffic from atop Jerusalem bridge via Haaretz
37. Justin Bieber performs tonight in Tel Aviv. Won’t get to meet Bibi.I was so hoping that Bibi would meet with Bieber. But what would they talk about?
38. Donald Trump sues Israeli co selling “Trump Vodka” – Globes I’m so surprised this is the only Israeli counterfeit being caught. What about stores in Israel that are called Best Buy and Versace that have no connection to the real brands?
39. Israeli App Testing Company Turns From Google And Microsoft To Startups (via @NoCamels)
40. New Glasses from $6.95! – Janglo (link no longer available)
41. Payless ShoeSource arrives in Israel Petach Tikva and Beer Sheva. avg price for shoes: 100 NIS (via @janglo)
42. ‎5 day program in Jerusalem this summer to help residents improve their neighborhoods and green the city
43. Tel Aviv University @telavivuniv Computer Project Funded By Google featured on @mashable!
44. Regional C’ttee approves Jerusalem’s Cinema City – Globes
45. Really? Tel Aviv ranked Israel’s greenest city – Globes
46. Ophir Tours offers $95,000 space trips – Globes
47. Such a nice video about Shir Hadash! Feat. Rabbi Pear
48. The Bezalel Art Fair now happening every Friday from 9am – 3pm
49. Mirs and Xfone win wireless tender (Source:Globes). New cellphone numbers will be 058 and 053 (Source: israel Hayom)
50. Cellular competition starts today for 2 new providers in Israel Reminds me to watch this video again
51. VIDEO: “Ya’alili” by 8th Day: The official music video (via @janglo)
    
52. Google Exodus – very cute Passover video from Aish.
53. Jon Stewart’s Hilarious Eruv Video
     
    http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:video:thedailyshow.com:378608 

    The Daily Show
    Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

    
    So funny! The Daily Show correspondent Wyatt Cenac goes to Long Island to investigate the Eruv controversy and finds a solution by creating the Eruv hat! Love!

54. Turning personal tragedy into a call to action Gabe Pransky helps Israelis understand the healthcare system.
55. Israel has the second highest Facebook penetration rate in the world, at 89.8% of unique online visitors.
56. Jerusalem seeks garbage recycling solutions including a large recycling plant – Globes
57. So that’s what happened to Sbarro. Sbarro bankruptcy threatens Israeli branches – Globes
58. NIS 2b project will build Israel’s tallest skyscrapers. Just what we need – a giant target. (Globes)
59. Demand booming for high-tech workers. NET and Java developers are most in demand (Globes)
60. Hospital doctors in Israel to strike. Yikes!
61. Israeli startup Conduit with more users than Twitter negotiating billion-dollar exit (Haaretz)
62. Route 1 to Jerusalem to get multi-billion shekel face-lift (Haaretz)
63. Is this an April fools joke? Talmud study is now a mandatory part of South Korea’s curriculum. Apparently this is for reals! Although I keep thinking about it and can’t convince myself it’s true.
64. Top 10 iPhone apps from Israel
65. Apple eyes giant store in Jerusalem
66. ‎@ladygaga coming to Israel this summer.
67. An Israeli’s e-book guide to decorating cars! Hilarious! @israel21c
68. The Jerusalem Marathon and You! (Next Year in Jerusalem Indeed!)
69. Netanyahu sues “Ma’ariv” and Channel 10 for NIS 2m
70. If you will pay it, it is no immigrant nightmare. A service to help olim through tough times – bureaucracy, cell phone companies, building a home, and more.
71. JAFI reforms may hurt Australian immigration to Israel, leader says
72. Coexistence in maternity ward. The realities of bumping into each other.
73. Urban Outfitters Catalog Photos from Israel
    
74. Sephora execs to visit Israel. Will they be delivering free samples to my door? That is the question
75. New olim seek work in public sector – Gvahim VIDEO
76. Hebrew University gets NIS 100 Million for Humanities Dept
77. ‎10 years later, the Light Rail in Jerusalem is going to start running in April 2011 for a shnekel. Shouldn’t they pay us?
78. Bob Dylan coming to play in Israel in June 2011
79. Guide to Childcare in Israel and 15 questions every parent should ask
80. ‎16 Israelis on Forbes rich list
81. Video: The Slain Fogel Family in Happier Times
82. Finally: Kinneret Tops Red Line
83. Running in Jerusalem or How to Make Buns of Steel!
84. Groupon is bringing on the group buying wars by not wanting to be listed on aggregate sites
85. Will there be real Sundays in Israel? Silvan Shalom thinks so.
86. Hilarious VIDEO about switching cellphone companies in IsraelThanks @habitza
    
87. Merkaz Hamagshimim closes its doors in capital after 14 years. Really sad. I loved that place.
88. Molly from The Big Felafel quoted in Haaretz about Merkaz Hamagshimim
89. Super-Sol launching Super Sol Deal Extra.
    Clever name.
90. ‎25+ Daily Deal and Group Deal websites in Israel
91. Flight’s very tardy? Bill would assure you of hotel and meals
92. Rami Levy inks cellular deal with Pelephone
93. ‎55 Israeli start-ups at Mobile World Congress. Can someone just give me an iphone already?
94. bTendo, STMicroelectronics to develop smallest smartphone projector. No more Barkos?
95. Valentine’s Day at the Tower of David?? Since when is Jerusalem so into Valentine’s Day?!
96. Jerusalem’s Cinema City receives building permit
97. New product seal highlights healthy food. What will the Bamba package reveal?
98. Electricity prices to rise 20% in Israel. Add it to the list: tin, tuna, bread, flour, dairy…
99. Bread prices to be increased, again. It doesn’t include the mini-pitas from Borekas Ima. Phew.
100. Hahafuch: In Your Face-book Hahafuch is Israel’s funniest English-speaking comedy troupe! To invite Hahafuch for a show, email us at hahafuch@gmail.com. Join our fan page: http://www.facebook.com/hahafuch
     
101. Gov’t set to add TV channels. who wants it?
     
     Can ya not? Can we start a protest against the TV tax? Who’s with me?
102. Thank goodness. Knesset panel passes land mine bill
103. Former Israel Tax Authority head sentenced to year in jail. Glad to know my tax dollars are getting put to good use
104. Carmit, near Beersheva looks to attract Anglo olim to build a new community
105. This is what’s really scary in the Middle East: Massive fire destroys Ikea store in Netanya
     
106. Rami Levy sues rival for slander Israeli supermarkets should be on Jerry Springer
107. Government changing channels on Israel’s TV duopoly. If only Israel would drop the TV tax, then the country would be headed in the right direction
108. ‎”Globes” compares Internet provider rates in Israel. Ministry of Communication trying to end exit fines
109. Price of canned goods to rise sharply in Israel.Awesome.
110. Asaf Banner is my new hero.
     
     Founder of Shachen Tov, Bmaaglei Tzedek and Teach FIrst Israel
111. What CAN’T you do at a post office in Israel? Hahafuch VIDEO. Love it!
112. Oil of Oleh to help olim navigate Israel. Hahafuch VIDEO. hilarious
113. Ikea’s third store coming to Haifa (Kiryat Ata)
114. Ma’ariv Daily to be distributed for free
115. I love that TimeOut Magazine is free at Aroma. Good incentive to read Hebrew.
116. Trying to understand Israel’s new transportation website Don’t see where the info is for trains. New service – send an sms to *8787 in hebrew for transportation info in Israel