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Spring-Summer 2011

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Dear Friends,

While Jerusalem experienced a rather mild winter, we welcomed February and March’s rains which provided much needed ‘heavenly’

nourishment for our city’s colorful plants and trees to once again bloom. There is nothing like a walk through Liberty Bell Park, adjacent to the Inbal where you can indulge your senses, feasting on and breathing in the intoxicating ‘sights and smells’ of a Jerusalem spring.

During the past month, Jerusalem became a hotbed for a variety of "global tourism" activities. The Inbal played host to a number of internationally renowned experts in the fields of business, tourism and culture who participated in the International Tourism Conference at the Jerusalem Convention Center. One of the key participants was the internationally renowned Director of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, James Snyder. You can read an illuminating interview with him in this issue on the upgrade and reopening of Israel’s most prestigious museum.

Other articles included in this issue, highlight the scrumptious scope of Israel’s pastry industry, with tantalizing offerings from our own Executive Head Chef, Moti Buchbut. Having recently joined the Inbal, Moti brings to your ‘table’, a wealth of culinary experience and talent. If you have a ‘sweet tooth’, you would be wise to submit to temptation and indulge in his creative pastries and cakes.

Only an hour’s drive from your hotel is the lowest point on earth and with your on-line vote together with a billion others, it could be chosen later this year as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Yes, the Dead Sea is a strong contender and you can read all about it in this issue of our magazine on page 22.

As the upcoming Pesach/Spring holiday season provides a sense of physical and spiritual renewal, I invite you to visit our friendly concierge about the various religious and cultural attractions in our area.

I am looking forward to greeting you personally but for now, Chag Sameach.

Sincerely,

Bruno de Schuyter

General ManagerInbal Jerusalem Hotel

Letter from the GMInbal Jerusalem Magazine

Spring-Summer 2011

Ruth WaimanEDITOR IN CHIEF

Moshe AlonMANAGING EDITOR

David E. KaplanEDITOR

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On The CoverThe Dead Sea - a contender for the New Seven Wonders. (page 22)

Spring-Summer 2011www.inbalhotel.com

8Art

Following Facelift

16Community

Making a Difference

22Tourism

Is the Dead Sea a Dead Cert?

28Pastry

The Icing on the Cake

32Sport

Playing Ball the All American Way

38In at the Inbal

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Table of Contents

Inbal Jerusalem Magazine

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If you want to enjoy life at the very heart of a renewed Jerusalem, phone 02-624-1000. www.7kook.com

A first-time visit to New York, London or Paris would never be quite complete without exposure to its

premier museums that culturally articulate their nation’s journeys from the past to the present.So too should such first-timers to Israel visit the Israel Museum - the largest cultural institution in the country. “Not only first-timers,” expressed one American tourist from Chicago. “One should come over and over again to be culturally recharged and energized every time you visit this wonderful city.”Founded in 1965, the Museum houses encyclopedic collections, including works dating from prehistory to the present day, in its Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Jewish Art and Life Wings, and features

the most extensive holdings of biblical and Holy Land archaeology in the world.

Having this past summer, completed a comprehensive $100 million upgrade, Inbal Magazine went on a tour of the museum and spoke with its director James Snyder.American-born and a Harvard graduate, Snyder has served as director since 1997. This followed his position as Deputy Director of the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) from 1986-1996. Not surprising, he was last year included in a list of the 100 most influential people in the art world compiled annually by the Journal des Arts.

What is special about the recent upgrade of the Museum?I saw right away on my

ArtBy David E. Kaplan and Moshe Alon

Spring-Summer 20118

Following Facelift

Israel Museum Dazzles

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Even the tumult of major renovations over three years

failed to keep visitors away. People from all corners of

the world are irresistibly drawn to Israel’s illustrious

repository of Jewish culture. It’s a “must see” for any

visitor to Israel.

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Entering a visual dialogue between the past and the present. Tranquility and inspirational. A side view of the Shrine of the Book that houses the ancient Dead Sea Scrolls.

The Museum’s collection of Modern and Contemporary Art includes works that draw from all the major modernist movements and artists, reflecting a special interest in important Jewish artists.

Spring-Summer 20119

Mesmerizing Mosaic. From prehistory through to

the Ottoman Empire, the transformed wing of the

Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Archaeology Wing weaves a

chronology of pivotal historical events, cultural achievements,

and technological advances, while providing a glimpse

into the everyday lives of the ordinary peoples who lived

through these climatic epochs.

unfair to single out a few. Let me say this. I know of no other museum in the world that attracts as many world leaders as the Israel Museum. But if I decline to mention specific individuals, I’m happy to single out two groups that both resonated with me in a very personal and enriching way.Firstly, the recent visit of the Chilean miners was for me, particularly special.After their life-threatening ordeal, these remarkable survivors wanted to connect with the sources of inspiration that gave them the strength at the time to endure their frightening ordeal. This is what they were looking for and found in Israel. This country and Jerusalem does this, and I speak from experience. From my first visit here, I felt this inspiration and I have taken it and directed it towards everything I do for this museum. This is what I expressed to the miners at the beginning of their tour.Another group that always visits the Israel Museum is Taglit-Birthright. I believe that this program that provides every young Jew in the Diaspora a free 10-day trip to Israel as a ‘right-of-birth’ is one of the most remarkable

and farsighted joint projects between Jewish philanthropy and the Government of Israel. Whenever I address these groups, I tell them, that in my own way, I identify with them in the sense that this museum was my ‘Birthright’ to Israel.

A portal into Israel, from biblical times to the present.Our visit started at the Second Temple model, which covers nearly one acre. A recreation of ancient Jerusalem at its peak, it meticulously recreates the topography and architecture in 66 CE, the year in which the Great Revolt against the Romans broke out. One can spend hours walking around the model, marveling at its fine detail and imagining what life had been like. It provides a vivid context for the Shrine of the Book, a repository for the

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first visit to Israel to consider taking up the position of Director in 1996, that the Museum had exceptional potential. It already enjoyed immense international stature but I saw then that if we could tap into the resources already accumulated, it could be transformed into one of the great, encyclopedic, even universal museums in the world.

And you feel this has now been achieved?Yes, and no-one would be more proud, I believe, than Teddy Kollek - should he be looking down from his celestial perch.

Will you embellish on your encounters with Jerusalem’s former memorable mayor?He was inspirational; a personality and a visionary that literarily moved the giant boulders of this great city. I will always cherish my time that I got to know and work with Teddy. I like to refer to him as the ‘Thomas Jefferson of Jerusalem’. His mission from the late 1950s was for Israel to have a national museum of encyclopedic character that would be on par with the finest museums in the great Western nations. This I believe has now been achieved.

In broad brush strokes, how has the Museum been upgraded?The project reinforced the strengths of the museum’s character, namely its unique location, architecture, landscape and collections. The way we have restructured has allowed the Museum to double its collections on exhibit.I have to say that for a country as young as modern Israel, to have a museum of such depth, strength and power, is truly remarkable. There is not an overseas guest who leaves here not imbued by the power this institution exudes.

Will you share any impressions of some of your more familiar guests? Too many to name and

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The Israel Museum illustrious Director, James Snyder in front of the iconic Shrine of the Book.

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first seven scrolls discovered at Qumran in 1947. This symbolic building, with its eye-catching onion-shaped top, is considered an international landmark of modern architecture. Every line and contour of this structure resonates with special significance. The white dome symbolizes the lids of the jars in which the first scrolls were found while the contrast between the white dome and the black wall alongside it, alludes to the tension evident in the scrolls between the spiritual world of the “Sons of Light” (as the Judean Desert sectarians called themselves) and the “Sons of Darkness” (the sect’s enemies). Even the corridor leading into the Shrine resembles a cave, recalling the site where the ancient manuscripts were discovered. Certain texts stand out as transformative in a nation’s

history - the American Declaration of Independence of 1776 stands out as setting out constitutionally the destiny of a people on the path to nationhood and the English Magna Carta of 1215, limiting the rights of rulers leading to the rule of law. Far preceding these two textual giants in time, looms the Dead Sea Scrolls - one of the greatest archeological discoveries of the 20th century. To feast one’s eyes upon these ancient, sacred texts is to journey back two millennia, tracing the evolution of the Book of Books. The Dead Sea Scrolls is a collection of 972 texts from the Hebrew Bible dating between 150 BC and 70 CE.Irrespective of one’s religious beliefs, it’s hard to escape the sheer power of this ‘shrine’ with its ancient, inspiring texts.As it is written: “.....as long as people continue to inquire

about the nature of life and the world in which we live, the Bible will continue to inspire creativity, comfort the troubled, and provide hope for individuals wherever they may be.” The scrolls are some of the oldest surviving written documents in human history and contain original texts from the Bible as well as writings about the laws and society of Jewish culture. No less interesting for Christians, it offers a rare glimpse into what life was like around the time of Christ.Leaving the Shrine of the Book, the writer could not escape the thought of how some minor event could have such major impact. How poorer we would be had not Juma, a young Bedouin goatherd, not followed his wayward goats that were climbing too high up the

cliffs. Little did he know that January day in 1947 that his straying goats would lead him to a cave whose sacred 2000 years contents would fascinate people for all eternity.

Moving On

Imbued by the ‘discovery’ of what life was like during the period of the Second Temple, visitors can fast-forward to later periods of Jewish life in the Judaica Wing. On display are religious objects from Jewish communities throughout the world, including manuscripts from Iran, Italy, and Poland. In one room, there are dozens of Hanukkah lamps (Hannukkiot), silver Torah ornaments, serving trays, and shofars (a ram’s horn, used for Jewish religious purposes). Other rooms contain a vast exhibit

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History captured in Art - From Ancient Israel (l) to pre-Columbian Central America.

of costumes worn by Jews in the lands of the Diaspora and ritual articles connected with life events such as birth, circumcision and marriage.Visitors can also explore a reconstructed 17th-century Italian synagogue as well as a German one from the 18th century. The recently transferred interior of a synagogue from Cochin, India, is one of the museum’s newest treasures. The largest section of the museum is the Archeology Wing, containing the world’s largest collection of objects found in Israel. Presenting some 6,000 finds, mainly from archaeological excavations in Israel, the Bronfman Archaeology Wing illuminates the momentous historical events, cultural achievements, and technological advances as well as the everyday lives of the peoples of

the region from the Stone Age through to the Ottoman Period. Galleries devoted to the development of ancient Hebrew script, the story of coins and the revolutionary art of glassmaking – all enhance the narrative of civilizations in evolution, as do the displays presenting the neighboring cultures of Egypt, the Ancient Near East, Greece, Italy, and the Islamic Near East, each of which left huge cultural imprints on the region.

Exercise the legs;

let the mind wonder

There is so much to see from the Archeological Garden containing classical Greco-Roman sculptures, sarcophagi, and mosaics, most of which were discovered and excavated in Israel, to the Billy Rose Art Garden, on T

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a 20-acre plot that has been impressively landscaped by the renowned Japanese American artist, Isamu Noguchi. In the garden of semicircular earth-and-stone embankments is a 100-piece sculpture collection, which contains both classical and modern European, American, and Israeli works, such as Rodin, Zorach, Henry Moore, Picasso, Maillol, and Channa Orloff.Not to be missed is the Edmond and Lily Safra Fine Arts Wing which reflects a wide-range works of art from across the ages in Western and non-Western cultures, notably European art, modern and contemporary art, Israeli art, the art from Africa and the Americas as well as Asian art.

The wing presents a wide range of exhibitions annually. One that particularly attracted the writer was an exhibition by the South African and internationally acclaimed artist, William Kentridge. The exhibition of some 100 works by the Johannesburg artist, is running through to mid-June, explores five major themes that have engaged the artist over the past three decades such as colonial oppression and social conflict, loss and reconciliation, and the ephemeral nature of both personal and cultural memory. “The Israel Museum has been committed to the work of William Kentridge for a long time, sensing a strong

resonance between many of his dominant subjects and issues which are central to the ethos of Israel’s existence and to the social and cultural complexities that are pervasive in Israel today,” said director, James S. Snyder.

Center Stage

Positioning the Israel Museum in the centre of the art world was clearly in director Snyder’s mind when he invited some of the world’s leading museum directors as part of the international tourism conference in Jerusalem in March. They included the directors of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, the Van

Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Chicago Institute of Art and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.

With the intention of the conference to place Jerusalem at the center of the world tourism map, the high-profile attendance of some of the leading museum heads in the art world is an affirmation of no longer the growing but the established international stature of the Israel Museum. If you haven’t visited before, it’s a must. If you have been, than as the Chicago tourist advised, “visit again.”

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Anish Kapoor’s ‘Turning the World Upside Down Jerusalem’ and installed last year with the reopening of the renovated Museum, the hourglass-shaped reflective sculpture realizes Teddy Kollek’s vision of a Jerusalem which merges the heavenly with the earthly.

A former student and today a community leader Amy Sasson participated in the first Alumni chesed

Mission in 2009. All praise for the program’s spiritual and inspirational leader, she wrote at the time of Rabbi Besser as “exemplifying the true spirit and value of chesed. We were amazed by how he lives to give, and we feel honored to have him as a role model for our children. In addition, getting to meet the creators and directors of the many facilities we visited in Israel, helped us to understand not only what the organizations do, but also to realize the true greatness of the people who helped create these institutions. We were all inspired to give more in any way we can, and to believe that we, too, can make a difference.”

Mission of Discovery

“The program began during the second Intifada,”

explained Rabbi Besser to Inbal Magazine during his most recent student mission in February. “Israel was going through a traumatic period and there was an urge at the Yeshiva to show solidarity not from New York but in Israel. We needed to be amongst Israelis and what better format than to expose our students to how Israel cares for its less fortunate citizens. That we chose to initiate this program during the trying time of the Intifada only enhanced our commitment.” This first mission set the tone for what was to follow.“Visiting the various institutions, we realized that however much money people may donate from the USA – and they do most generously – it does not come close to personally coming to Israel, meeting the people and saying some words of chizuk. We send a clear message to the people we meet: “We in America, care about you’.”

CommunityBy Emanual Wright


Making

a Difference

Students from renowned

Brooklyn Yeshiva trade

beach for chesed

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Rabbi Naftali Besser has been running chesed missions to

Israel for Yeshiva of Flatbush High School students for

the past nine years. Two years ago he initiated similar

missions for the Yeshiva’s alumni. The impact of these

missions upon the participants has been life-changing.

Young students of the Flatbush Yeshiva of Brooklyn School in Israel.


All smiles for these young New Yorkers, mixing with their peers and volunteering their help.

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In many of the conversations the Yeshiva participants have with the heads of institutions, soldiers, the staff at hospitals and children, they are frequently asked:“Are you enjoying your stay in Israel? Have you been to Eilat?”They proudly reply, “No we have not gone to Eilat. We are not tourists; we’re only here to support you and show we care.”Rabbi Besser emphasizes that especially in these times, with Israel unjustly treated as the punching bag of the world, “it is important for ordinary Israelis to know it has friends; that the Jewish people are with her and that we care and we show our solidarity by coming to Israel.”And from the Flatbush Yeshiva of Brooklyn, the children and the parents are coming, and for many of them, they become so inspired that they return on further missions. Such has been the case of Amy Sasson. She was recently on her third mission with her husband, also a former graduate of the Yeshiva.So what places in Israel do these participants visit?Amy describes her first mission. Following “a spiritual sunset experience” at the Kotel soon after arrival in Israel, the next morning stated early at Nesach Yisrael, a school for learning-disabled children from poor backgrounds “where we handed out toys and candy and

enjoyed an hour of music and fun together.” Thereafter they continued to Hazon Yeshiva Soup Kitchen, which provides life-saving meals to thousands of Israeli families.” This was no idle observation. “We peeled and chopped potatoes, carrots and onions and served hot meals to the lines of hungry people.” Next they visited Tishma, “whose goal is to mainstream autistic children and other similar disabilities into regular schools. We were invited into the classrooms and distributed toys to the children. The love and patience of the directors, teachers and volunteers there, and their commitment to helping children was truly inspiring.” The last stop before dinner was Shalva, “an amazing

organization that provides after-school care for developmentally disabled children in a loving environment.” After a personal tour escorted by Shalva’s founder, “we were treated to a performance by the Shalva orchestra that left us crying and cheering.”Dinner followed at an army base. “As part of Project Standing Together, we brought barbeque, candy and gifts to the Israeli soldiers. Most important, we left the soldiers with the message that Jews in America care about them. Rabbi Besser read out load the special prayer we say every day for Israel’s soldiers and we sang Hatikva together - it was a beautiful ending to an amazing day.”

The missions may be short but “they are life-changing,” says Rabbi Beser , seen here flanked by two very happy participants.

Mrs. Susan Franco, one of the organizers of the mission over the past 10 years, photographed with some students and the principle of the school Rabbi Ronald Levy while visiting the Oncology ward in an Israeli hospital.

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And that was only Day One. Over the ensuing days they would visit inter alia, Emunah Ethiopian Day Care Center, Bikur Holim, Tel Hashomer Hospital, “where we heard soldiers tell their stories of how they were injured fighting for Israel and the extraordinary steps they take to save lives.” At Israel’s Blind Museum, “We learned what it was like to navigate through life without the blessing of sight,” and at Aleh, where severely disabled children receive top-quality medical, educational and rehabilitative care, “we interacted with the children in their classrooms and then got together to dance.” Before returning home to New York, they would visit more institutions and army bases and “apart from the presents we give out to children, patients and soldiers, we present a check to the organization or institution from our fundraising activities,” explains Rabbi Besser.One of the program’s most emotional encounters occurred in January 2010, where Rabbi Besser and Connections Israel sponsored a special cultural exchange “where we bussed teenagers from Sderot for a Yom Kef (fun day) at the Inbal Hotel. “The youngsters from Sderot came well prepared. They revealed to our kids what daily life was like in their town under fire from the terrifying rockets. They gave us a PowerPoint presentation and spoke of their experiences and anxieties.” Following this exchange, the Yeshiva of Flatbush has ‘twinned’ itself with a school in Sderot.

The Israel Connection

What impact do theses missions have on the students?“Life-changing,” say Rabbi Besser. “You know, these are teenagers across the entire spectrum, from youngsters who easily could have spent their vacation with their parents on a sunny beach in Cancun to kids who saved up every penny in order to come to Israel; not to party but to give and connect with people less fortunate than themselves.”

The word “connectivity” acquires fresh meaning with the young participants asserts Besser. “We speak today of the “I” generation. You just have to look at the current nomenclature of connecting gadgetry- iPhone and iPad and then you have iPod, iTunes. The “I” is emblematic of the society we live in. Come to Israel, and they discover the “we”. That “we” is the Jewish People and the epicenter is Israel.”The essence of the program “is to understand that Chesed, Torah and intense social experiences can be cool and are an essential part of our lives as religious Jews. Thus these kids come charged up and leave Israel completely inspired by their experiences.”Besser quotes from an Israeli song, which loosely translates, “that when you come to Israel and see its true beauty, you are blessed.” However, what is “true beauty”? Is it the

mountains, the sea, the lakes and the forests? Is it the antiquities of the past or the facades of modern Israel? “When a tourist visits Israel,” says Besser, “they invariably see the customary sights but may well miss its true beauty.” For Rabbi Besser, Israel’s “true beauty” is its caring people, who dedicate their lives to helping or safeguarding others. “When our students interact with these wonderful people, they discover Israel’s true beauty and are blessed.”Most instructive, says Rabbi Besser speaking as an educator, “the students see how dedicated and passionate people can make a difference to the lives of others. Our youngsters are enriched by these ‘close encounters’ and they want to be a part of it. I so often pick up from many children this feeling of inadequacy: “What can I do? I’m not rich enough, smart enough nor important enough.” These trips transform their mindset. They discover their abundant potential to be agents for change. It’s amazing how a small act of visiting a hospital, a child care center or an army base and engaging with the people there, will make such a difference to their own lives. They feel a sense of empowerment that they had not experienced

‘So you think you can dance.’ Rabbi Beser seems to know all the right moves.

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before.”Rabbi Besser stresses that contributing to the program’s monumental success “is our student’s fluency in Hebrew. There is no language barrier.” One of the Yeshiva of Flatbush’s fundamental tenets is its “Ivrit b’Ivrit” (literally, Hebrew in Hebrew”) philosophy of teaching Jewish studies entirely in Hebrew. “This makes the world of difference when visiting Israel.”Intriguing to the visiting Yeshiva students are the participants they meet on Sheirut Leumi. “This is a unique concept to Americans, where young people, as part of their military service, perform vitally important community service. This is about giving back to society and for those of the ‘I generation’ that I spoke about earlier, meeting these fellow youngsters, is both profoundly instructive and illuminating.”

Epilogue

So how “life-changing” are these missions to Israel? Rabbi Besser responds with a recent revelation at the debriefing of the last student mission in February before departing back to the USA.“A student related that the night before leaving for Israel a week earlier, he had a row with his mother and naturally been upset about it. Then, at one of the institutions they visited, he became close to 15 year-old orphan.They spoke; each learning something about the other.” This put everything in perspective for the youngster from New York. “There I was upset that I had an argument with my mother, and here is a Jewish boy, who has no parents. How happy he would be if only he had a mother or father to have an argument with! I now realize how we take so much for granted; how privileged I am to have parents to love and yes, to argue with. I’m looking so forward to seeing and hugging them.”

The army experience – the group always visits an army base to meet up with soldiers close to their age.

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It had not been easy sailing. The Dead Sea campaign was nearly dead in its tracks until Palestinian

President Mahmoud Abbas finally agreed to support the initiative. Contest rules required that all the countries in which a nominated site is located must form an Official Supporting Committee (OSC). Israel and Jordan had both done so for the Dead Sea, which they share, but the Palestinian Authority was holding out its support. Finally, realizing it was in their best interest, they agreed. This unique sea was one of the 77 sites nominated for the prestigious honor, along with such contenders as the Galapagos Islands, the Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef. Now the results of the final contenders are in the hands of the people of the world to vote on-line. To vote, visit the Ministry of Tourism Website at http://votedeadsea.pionet.com/The results will be announced on the 11th November 2011. It’s expected that over one billion people will vote.One local resident who has cast her vote is Heather Shamir from kibbutz Ein Gedi. For this former South African, who has lived on the edge of the Dead Sea

for the past 33 years, “This place is heaven on earth.” Irrespective of how the voting goes, “the Dead Sea for me is truly one of the natural wonders of the world. Having this great expanse of water before our eyes and being surrounded by majestic mountains that nearly each minute of the day seems to change color as the rays of the sun make contact, is a beauty to behold. I could think of living nowhere else.” She asserts as well the health aspect. “Our air is free of pollution, over 330 sunny days annually, dry, high oxygen levels, low UV rays all add up to a healthy way of life. This place gives me such energy. I don’t know if it’s the combination of its unique beauty and the special air we breathe but whatever - this place may be called the Dead Sea – but for me, it’s a cocktail of life.”

By popular vote

The commonly known Seven Ancient Wonders of the World were all man-made monuments, selected by Greek engineer, Philon of Byzantium in around 200 B.C. His choice of wonders was essentially a travel guide

TourismBy David e. Kaplan


Is the Dead Sea

a Dead Cert?

It’s up against some

stiff competition

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There was great excitement back in 2009 when

the Dead Sea made the list of candidates for the new

“Seven Natural Wonders of the World”.

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“Salt is born of the purest of parents: the sun and the sea.” Pythagoras (580 BC - 500 BC).


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Yesterday, today, tomorrow: the Dead Sea – A Timeless Beauty.

Its most recent famous visitors were the Chilean miners who so nearly lost their lives last year in a collapsed mine. No strangers to great depths, “at least here at the Dead Sea” the lowest spot on earth, “it’s good for our health,” bellowed one miner floating on his back upon the salty water.The Dead Sea’s surface and shores are 422 meters (1,385 ft) below sea level - the lowest elevation on the surface of the Earth. It is 378 m (1,240 ft) deep - the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. It is also one of the world’s saltiest bodies of water with 33.7% salinity.

The ‘beauty’ in voting for the worlds natural beauties is that it draws attention to the global concern that what is here today, could be gone tomorrow. The concept behind the project is to protect the natural wonders of the world. The mission is threefold:-To protect and promote the discovery, exploration and enjoyment of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. -To expand the recognition of other wonders of nature by continent, region, country and other unique classifications. -To foster a passion for these natural wonders that inspires a mindset and practice of conservation. So like some of the other prospective New Natural Wonders such as the Amazon, whose forests are threatened by industrial felling, the islands of the Maldives sinking assuredly into the Pacific due to the rising water caused by Global Warming or the Great Barrier Reef, endangered by rising sea temperature and acidification, Israel’s glistening natural treasure - the Dead Sea - is shrinking rapidly due to the siphoning off

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for fellow Athenians, and the stunning sites were all generally located around the Mediterranean basin, the then-known world.Today, only the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt remain. The others were the Colossus of Rhodes, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Statue of Zeus and the Temple of Artemis.Just as Pierre de Coubertin revived the Olympic Games in 1896 with his modern version of the competition, the New7Wonders of Nature founder, Swiss-born Canadian

filmmaker, author and adventurer Bernard Weber, has revived the concept of the Ancient Seven Wonders of the World. Only this time round, well over two millennia later, the new wonders are not of man’s making but God’s work.Of course, the other key difference is that the final selection will be decided democratically as millions of people - possibly up to a billion - of all ages, nationalities and religions will vote.

Global Interest

While the ‘election’ is drawing global interest to all the ‘wondrous’ candidates, the Dead Sea is no stranger to attention. It has attracted visitors for thousands of years from biblical times where it was a place of refuge for King David through to one of the world’s first health resorts for Herod the Great and finally to the modern era where thousands of tourists come from all over the world to bathe in its famed healing waters.

Halleluyah. Good for the body, good for the soul. Appreciating the water’s unique healing qualities.

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of its waters.The changing statistics are alarming.The Dead Sea is 50 kilometers long. Only forty years ago it stretched 80 kilometers in length.The Ein Gedi Spa, set in a magical spot at the foot of high cliffs which stretch from the Dead Sea up to the Judean Desert, was on the edge of the sea just 15 years ago. Now visitors to the Spa have to take a small train down to the sea, as the shoreline is several hundred meters away. This dramatic disappearance act is starkly evident when looking upon the mark made by British explorers on a stone in 1917 at the water’s edge. That marker is now more than 15 meters up a cliff and a road runs between the cliff and the new shoreline.So the Dead Sea shares with all its majestic and worthy competitors, not only its incomparable beauty but its fragility as it slowly succumbs to the appetitive nature of man.The slogan for the New7Wonders of Nature global Internet contest is: “If we want to save anything, we first need to truly appreciate it.” If the Dead Sea is chosen as a Wonder of the World, this will not only promote tourism to the region, but will

also raise awareness about the bleak reality facing the body of water, getting smaller every year.Some calculations show that the Dead Sea could dry up by 2050. “It might be confined into a small pond,” warned water expert Dureid Mahasneh, a former Jordan Valley Authority chief. “Saving the Dead Sea is a regional issue, and if you take the heritage, environmental and historical importance, or even the geographical importance, it is an international issue.”

The heat is on

And we are not talking about the souring temperatures that prevail in the desert region of the Dead Sea. Israel’s Tourism Ministry launched a website in eight languages inviting surfers to vote for the ‘Lowest Wonder in the World’. It provides information about the Dead Sea as well as about religious, historical and cultural sites in the area as well as health tourism, events and attractions. The campaign was also mounted via social media, namely Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube – to encourage internet surfers to vote.Besides the site and a range of marketing campaigns,

Biblical landscape - A time for reflection

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the Tourism Ministry also held a Dead Sea week at the Expo in China in July last year. Israel’s Consul General in Shanghai Jackie Eldan and Founder and President of New7Wonders Foundation, Mr. Bernard Weber, opened the photo exhibition.During the promotion week, visitors feasted their eyes on a photo exhibition themed “Unrevealed Beauty”. Photographed by Duby Tal, the exquisite collection of photos revealed to visitors the stunning geological diversity of the Dead Sea and its rich cultural and historical legacy. Another major event was the Ministry’s partnership with Israel’s Opera Company last year in the spectacular staging of Verdi’s Nabucco on the shores of the Dead Sea with the historic mountain of Masada as a backdrop. “Nabucco is probably the most Jewish of all Verdi’s operas and this area is so symbolic for Jewish history. So we thought that a combination of both would bring an added value to what we are doing,” expressed Israel Opera’s general director Hanna Munitz to Reuters after this major cultural event that attracted over 4000 tourists from abroad.

Keep the Dead Sea alive

Since the Dead Sea made it through to the finals, it has occupied a position within the top 14 of the 28 finalists, which include the Amazon, the Galapagos, the Grand Canyon and the Maldives. Some billion voters are expected to express their preference by the time the competition closes in November 2011, after which the seven winners will be announced – each of which will need 300-400 million votes. “The Dead Sea, offers visitors a unique experience, rich in history and archeology,” says Israel’s Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov. “We invite enthusiasts and veteran supporters of the Dead Sea as well as those discovering it for the first time, to visit and vote for it in the competition.” According to the Ministry of Tourism, the Dead Sea is considered one of Israel’s most popular attractions; some 45% of all tourists to Israel visit it. It is only an hour’s drive from Jerusalem. The tourist industry along its shores includes 15 hotels as well as 19 guesthouses in nearby kibbutzim and moshavim, plus various other businesses which provide employment to some 4,500 people. The Israeli campaign lists “7 reasons to vote for the Dead Sea as one of the New7Wonders of Nature. They are:-the lowest place on earth, -the saltiest lake in the world, -the largest natural spa in the world, -the clear bromide-rich air that leaves one feeling relaxed and calm, -the unique black mineral-rich mud for natural and healthy skincare, -the healthy, year-round, UVB-filtered sunlight and -a desert experience, rich in history, archaeology and natural beauty.

Every candidate is worthy of a vote. Voters, whether they be in Beijing, London, New York or Jerusalem are choosing not only those earthly gems dear to themselves but to show support for a campaign that draws attention to the environmental wonders of the world so that we can best preserve them for future generations. Vote today – your planet needs you!

Proudly parading - the Ibex of the Dead Sea

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To sweeten the melting pot, Israel has adopted

many types of desserts from other cultures, such as Danish pastry, French pastry, Polish babka, Turkish baklava, strudel and croissants.On the local front, rogelach are one of the most popular Israeli pastries. Shaped like miniature croissants, these doughy little chocolate or cinnamon spirals are a mainstay of cafes, family meals or larger gatherings. Another popular mini favorite are little rectangular pastries that are filled with cheese, apple or vanilla cream.

Very different in taste if not in texture is Burekas, a pastry that is literally gobbled up by the local population. Although burekas are savory rather than sweet, most bakeries sell them alongside their other pastries, cakes and cookies. Made of flaky dough, burekas are filled with salty cheese, spinach, potatoes or mushrooms. To distinguish among them, they come in a variety of shapes, such as triangular, round or rectangular, and are often topped with sesame seeds. Best served warm, they are frequently

PastryBy Ruth Beloff


The Icing

on the Cake

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Princely pastries at Inbal’s breakfast buffet Try a truffle at Inbal’s executive lounge

the middle. Bakeries vie to offer the tastiest and most original varieties of these round, deep-fried delights. The chilly air is infused with the warm aroma of freshly baked sufganiyot, which are filled with everything from the traditional strawberry jelly to chocolate cream, vanilla cream, butterscotch, Bavarian cream, dulce de leche, amaretto or cappuccino. In keeping with global health trends, many bakeries also offer mini versions, with more healthful fillings and toppings.In March, Purim brings with it another tradition and another special dessert. Not as diverse or indulgent as sufganiyot but just as plentiful, hamantaschen (Haman’s pockets), or

ozneihaman (Haman’s ears), are cookie dough triangles filled with poppy seed or prune puree. In the spring, Passover presents a challenging foray into the world of cakes and pastries, as according to Jewish religion it is forbidden to eat any form of wheat or grain during the eight-day holiday. Thus, using matza meal and potato starch, bakeries and patisseries work their magic to conjure up pastries, cakes, and cookies that stick to the strictures and please the palate. In years gone by, sponge cake, coconut macaroons and nut-based cookies were the all-too familiar Passover fare, but today’s bakers and pastry chefs have turned the corner and produce a plethora of

cakes and pastries that are rich and flavorful. Among the Sephardic community, the evening that Passover ends is celebrated by Mimouna, a tradition where people open their homes to their neighbors and serve a feast of pastries, fruit and confections. The first item of leaven to be eaten that night is a mofletta, a thin crepe that is drizzled with honey, syrup or jam.In June, cheesecake is the order of the day. On the holiday of Shavuot, it is traditional to eat only dairy, so any dessert made with milk, butter, cream and/or

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offered at public gatherings and family celebrations.

Something to celebrate

When it comes to celebrations, Israel’s calendar is filled with national holidays and Jewish festivals, many of which have a special type of dessert associated with them. The start of Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year), usually in September, is heralded with honey cake. To augur a sweet year, not only do celebrants dig into the honey cake, but they also dip apples into honey, as well as their ritual pieces of challah. October finds the country dotted with succas to honor the holiday of Succot, or the Feast of Tabernacles. Here, fruit plays a big role in the celebration, with fresh fruit hung from succa ceilings and served on large platters. In fact, more than forty types of fruit are grown in Israel. The citrus fruits grown here include oranges, grapefruit, tangerines and the pomelit, a hybrid of grapefruit and pomelo, developed in Israel. Other fruits grown locally include bananas, apples, cherries, plums, grapes, dates, strawberries, pomegranates, per-simmon, loquats, and of course, the prickly pear or sabra, from which native Israelis (Sabras) derive their name. Why? Because like the fruit, they’re tough on the outside but sweet on the inside. On average, Israelis consume an annual 350 pounds (160 kilos) of fruit per person, be it in its raw form or baked into a delicious dessert.In the realm of delicious desserts, Israeli bakeries and patisseries pull out all the stops in December when Chanukah comes around. The Festival of Lights becomes a festival of delights as the miracle of the oil of antiquity spills over to the modern-day miracle of sufganiyot (doughnuts) but without the hole in

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cheese is definitely on the menu.Overall, be it a holiday or not, any day in Israel is a celebration when it can be enjoyed in good health, with

good friends, good weather and a good helping of your favorite dessert.

When it comes to cakes and pastry, Inbal Executive Chef Moti Buchbut really knows his stuff. Literally. “When I taste a piece of pastry, I can tell you every ingredient that’s in it,” says the 42-year-old award-winning chef. In fact, he says, whenever he visits a new city, he goes to the best pastry shop, buys a sample of every item, takes them back to his hotel room and tastes each one to evaluate its content and quality. “A pastry chef should know all the ingredients in a cake and understand how each one will react with the other ingredients,” he says. “If I know how each ingredient behaves, I can create a new product,” he explains.And creativity is the name of the game for Buchbut. “In my kitchen, all the cooks learn to think. If they need to make something new, they have to know how to think in a different way,” he says. They have to learn to create, not just to follow a recipe,” he asserts. And if they make an error, so much the better, as he teaches them to turn a mistake into a cake. “You don’t just throw it out,” says Buchbut, “but you find a way to salvage it and, in so doing, you create something new.”In essence, experience gives one the expertise to experiment. “It is very exhilarating to make something new,” says Buchbut. “A chef needs to feel happy to create something new. He needs to find new things to make the change.” For Buchbut, the world around him is a constant source of inspiration, and the smallest thing can spark a new culinary concept. Before he develops a new cake or pastry, he first draws it on paper and then designs it on the computer to see how it will look. After that, the fun continues when he puts together the recipe and turns his daydream into a dessert.

Gluten Free

For guests of the Inbal who require or prefer to have their food gluten-free, the chef is adept at preparing dishes, from starters to dessert, that have no traces of gluten. “I prepare the same recipes as the rest of the menu, but I don’t use flour or any product that has any form of gluten in it.” Using ingredients such as potato starch, cornstarch, soy milk and brown rice, he creatively prepares gluten-free dishes that would delight any guest. In the creative process, Buchbut draws on another one of his talents as well. Having studied drawing for three years, the chef can draw any image on a cake. “I can just look at a picture and reproduce it freehand,” he says. Armed with a cone filled with icing and different sizes of nozzles, he can draw virtually anything on any size cake to decorate it or personalize it for a special event.

Born in Jerusalem, Buchbut has many years of experience studying his craft and working in some of the finest hotels in the country. The winner of many international competitions, the chef has garnered five gold medals, as well as a host of silver and bronze awards. He is also a judge at all the culinary schools in Israel. In that capacity, he tests the students, assesses their work and proudly presents them with their diplomas. Thanks to Buchbut, we can be assured that the next generation of chefs will be well versed and well trained in the fine art of haute cuisine.

Compliments of the chef

Inbal Executive Chef, Moti Buchbut presenting one of his confectionary creations

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American football which literally kicked off in Israel some 22 years ago can trace its impressive trajectory

to two American immigrants, Steve Leibowitz, President of the AFI and Danny Gerwirtz, the league’s former Commissioner. They established the first football league in 1988 and since then, the AFI has grown to some 90 teams with well over 1500 players, nationwide. In each league, teams play in colored jerseys displaying the team sponsor. There are the AFI men’s contact league,

the woman’s AFI league, national teams, the Yosef Goodman High School AFI league and youth activities. In February 2006, AFI hosted Israel’s first international flag tournament in Jerusalem.

Genesis

Today the Chief Editor of the IBA (Israel Broadcasting Association) News in English, Steve Leibowitz relates

SportBy David E. Kaplan


Playing Ball the

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As popular as the National Football League (NFL) is in

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an impressive following. New players are joining each

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Season kicks off. (l-r) AFI President Steve Leibowitz , New England Patriots owner and donor of Kraft Family Stadium Robert Kraft and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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Action man - like his father. Itay Ashkanazi, son of former Israeli Chief of Staff, Gabi Ashkanazi, is

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that when he emigrated from Queens, NY to Israel in 1974, “football was the one thing I missed here.” Fate intervened.When the newspaper he had been working for as a reporter folded in 1989, one of the relics remaining was a solitary satellite dish on the roof. It did not remain idle for long. Soon Leibowitz and Gerwitz were “pirating the signal from the American Armed Forces Television and showing games” for their many compatriots who too were craving to watch their favorite American sports. “We hung posters all around the city and the response

was amazing. Our gatherings blossomed into a social club that revealed that not only was the biggest draw the football but that the football fanatics amongst us, were missing playing the sport as well.” The next step the enterprising duo took was organizing a league of eight teams of what was then ‘touch football’. “It comprised mainly of American immigrants and students at Yeshivot in Israel.” Steve then approached his friend Ruby Rivlin, today the Speaker of the Knesset “who fixed us a field in Bayit Vegan.” Nine years later, “we had grown to 36 teams and our biggest problem, was finding sufficient fields to play on. It was like playing ‘musical fields’ - when Bayit Vegan wasn’t available, we moved to the YMCA stadium, and if that was unavailable we shot up to Hebrew University.” The challenges on the field were minor compared to their troubles off. “None of the fields had lights, which meant that the only time we could play was on Friday mornings.”

Fate would again intervene.“One day, one of our players spotted Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots in the lobby of a Jerusalem hotel. He walked up to him and told him about our nascent football league.” Kraft’s response was. “Get the guy in charge to be in touch with me.”Leibowitz moved quickly. He contacted Kraft, who is also CEO of The Kraft Group, a corporate behemoth conducting business in over 80 countries and whose philanthropy focuses on education, healthcare, women’s

issues and sport.They clicked. At their first meeting, “he invited me to Boston to submit a proposal.”

A Field of Dreams

Leibowitz ‘touched down’ in the Massachusetts capital, with a game plan. Most important, he had the basics - a field granted by the City of Jerusalem. In truth, it was very ‘basic’. It had been unused for over 20 years and overgrown with weeds. It was thought ‘unplayable’ but the mayor, Ehud Olmert at the time, said: “If you can raise the money to develop it, it’s yours to use.” It was a good start - without a field there could be no ‘kick-off’ - literally and figuratively. So the plan, explains Leibowitz , was simple and concise: “The Kraft family, (Robert and his wife, Myra) would sponsor the development of the grounds, while

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Gearing up for action in a pregame huddle.

Local game’s icon, Mordechai ‘Mordi’ Goodman

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our football association would manage the games and the Jerusalem Foundation - keen on promoting sport facilities - would be the conduit for donations.” Kraft liked the plan and “since 2005, Kraft Stadium in Jerusalem is the only state-of-the-art American football field in Israel.”Today there are some 95 teams playing on a regular basis at Kraft Stadium: 57 men’s teams, 16 women’s teams, (Israel’s national women’s team is regarded as one of the top teams in the world, taking first place in 2009 at Big Bowl III in Germany), 16 high school teams

and six teams in the coed league. And there are over 200 additional kids that come from Jerusalem and elsewhere to play at the stadium.” To be sure, “Kraft Stadium has been huge in developing football into a major sport in Israel.” It has emerged as the headquarters of the sport in Israel.“The future of the sport,” continues Leibowitz, “really lies with the development of tackle football. This is what attracts the native-born Israelis – they like the game’s aggression. Every Thursday night the tackle football matches are packed with spectators while our day matches on Fridays and Saturday nights, its flag football - a different crowd.”Popular worldwide, the rules of flag football are similar to those of the mainstream game (“tackle football”), but instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier to stop the action. “We have come a

long way from our humble beginnings and the big news is that Israel will become the host of the Flag Football World Championships for 2014.” Flag Football is played competitively in some 35 countries. “Most of the games,” says Leibowitz “will be played at the Wingate Institute, with the final at Kraft Stadium. We will be hosting teams from at least 30 countries; wonderful for Israel.”

Nurturing Coexistence

In a major tackle football match this past January

between the football team Judean Rebels, the eventual winners of the 2011 Israeli Football League and the Big Blue Jerusalem Lions, the star players lining up on opposite sides certainly added another dimension to the game. On the one side - in the Big Blue Jerusalem Lions - was Itai Ashkenazi, the son of the former Chief of Staff of the IDF, Gabi Ashkenazi and on the other - the Judean Rebels - were three Palestinians from Ramallah.“Ashkenazi’s son? That doesn’t really concern us,” expressed the one Palestinian. “We’re not into politics,” he said. For 31 year old Ashkenazi, “I separate football from everything else,” he told the Yedioth Ahronoth daily before the game. “On the field it doesn’t help that my father is the army chief; it’s not a big deal. I don’t care if the players on the opposing team are Christian, Muslim or Druze. I see them only as football players who are playing against me.”

The most anticipated first-round playoff this year for the AFI Holyland Bowl XXI was between Big Blue – eventual winners – and 1993 champions, Pizzeria Efrat.Pizzeria Efrat’s captain and quarterback and a Hall of Famer, was Mordechai Goodman who has been in the league since its inception in 1987. A New Yorker, who immigrated in 1986, ‘Mordi’, as he is affectionately known, attributes his successful absorption into Israeli society to his involvement in the football league. In 1993, as a result of a 12-0 undefeated championship season, Mordi was named that year’s The Jerusalem Post’s ‘In-Jerusalem Athlete of the Year’.Special for Mordi, was to play alongside his sons, when they were old enough to join the men’s league. However, in 2006, tragedy struck the Goodman family as well as the entire AFI community. Modi’s 21-year-old-son, Yosef, an IDF soldier in the elite Maglan unit and a gifted league player, was killed in a parachute training accident.

The young Goodman died a hero. When Yosef’s parachute entangled with that of his commander’s, he cut the ropes of his chute saving his commander’s life while plummeting to his death. Following the shiva (period of mourning) week for Yosef, Mordi returned to Kraft Family Stadium and before throwing out the first ball for that night’s playoff games, he addressed the players and the fans. He spoke of how Yosef loved playing football, especially teaching young children from his neighborhood the game.Not a single eye in the stadium was dry.That same night, AFI co-founders Steve Leibowitz and Danny Gewirtz named the newly-formed AFI High School League in Yosef’s memory, as it was Yosef, who almost single-handedly, organized the high school division as a preparatory league for the next generation of men’s players.Gone but never forgotten the legacy of Yosef lives on in the players of tomorrow.

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Being the quarterback, “naturally, they’ll be looking for my scalp because that’s the nature of the game. It’s sport and may the best team win.”The Palestinian Alian brothers, Ayoub, Muhammad and Mussa are the Judean Rebels star defensive players. Does playing for a team over the ‘Green Line’, with all its political connotations, bother them? “Not at all,” responded Ayoub, “as long as it helps me realize my dream of making a good college team in the US next year.”

“It’s good for the game,” Ashkenazi said. “They are massive players and it would be wise for me to avoid them during play.” But there is no avoiding the message it sends in how sport can transcend politics and help foster good relations. Ashkenazi likened the football league to the IDF: “It’s a social melting pot. Just like in the army, physical challenges bring diverse people together. The league has Filipinos, Muslims, Jews and Circassians. This is how real coexistence looks like.” So what is fueling the popularity of the game? Recently

inducted in the local game’s Hall of Fame is the sport’s former Commissioner, Danny Gerwitz, who holds the record as having scored the most touchdowns in the Israel league. “Firstly,” says, Gerwitz, “it’s the hottest sport at the moment in America and what’s hot there impacts here. It has certainly surpassed baseball in terms of overall earnings. Even though the US is going through a recession, this sport is proving to be recession-proof.It doesn’t matter how bad the state of the economy, the NFL revenues are sky-high.” This observation was borne

out at the record revenue of the Super Bowl XLV in March in Arlington, Texas. Ticket sales were in excess of $200 million, while advertisers were paying up to $100,000 a second for coveted slots during coast-to-coast television coverage of the final between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers. With companies paying $3 million for a 30 second spot, revenues from commercials toped some $210 million.“People just love this game,” says Gerwitz, who is the CEO of J Media Group in Israel.“No kidding,” says Yonah Mishaan, whose sports bar

The Clash of the Titans. A momentary ‘calm before the storm’ as Big Blue Jerusalem Lions are about to clash with arch rivals, Tel Aviv Sabres.

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in downtown Jerusalem is packed every time there is a major match in the States. Leibowitz’s right-hand man, Mishaan is Vice President of the AFI and coaches the American football tackle team Jerusalem Lions, as well as the Women’s National Flag Football team. “Football here has become something of a cult,” says Mishaan. “Sport fans pack in here to watch their favorite sports from soccer, rugby, cricket and of course American football.For the final at the Super Bowl, we were totally packed out.” Appropriately named the Lion’s Den after the

team he coaches, the bar, “which is also kosher” has become the ‘in place’ in Jerusalem for sport fans. “On Mondays, Israel Sports Radio broadcasts live from the bar, which regularly stays open past sunrise on Monday mornings.” With New York time being seven hours behind Israel, “this enables our die-hard American football fans to watch Sunday night’s N.F.L. games. They stay up all night – or morning - and then at 7.30 they’re off to work, bright and early; Well, maybe not so bright!”One of Mishaan’s co-owners in Lion’s Den is Barry Liben, a giant in the travel industry in the States. The current champions of the local flag football league is Big Blue, named after one of Liben’s subsidiaries - Big Blue Travel - the official travel provider for the New York Giants.

“Like the Kraft family, Barry is a great friend of the league in Israel,” says Leibowitz. “Big Blue is really an institution here - they were one of our first sponsors of our league going back over 20 years. They are frequently sponsoring matches and contributed greatly to the further development of our facilities at Kraft Stadium.” Having scored the most touchdowns in league history in Israel, has not stopped fellow players of Gerwitz tormenting him that he has never won a championship.

“Yes, this honor has eluded me. I have appeared twice in the finals at the Holyland Bowl, both times my team lost,”

laments Gerwitz. However, there are always twists in life.At the time of this interview, Gerwitz was especially looking forward to the final on the following Saturday night. His son Yair - playing for Big Blue - was in with a chance of taking the championship. “I can at least enjoy a win vicariously through my son.”This being Jerusalem, his prayers were answered. Big Blue triumphed with a long-awaited Gerwitz in the winning team. There may be no Israeli

American football candidates yet for the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame but for Danny Gerwitz, “my vote would go to Steve Leibowitz for his superlative contribution to the development of the sport in Israel.”T

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In their father’s footsteps. The founders of American Football in Israel, Steve Leibowitz (l) and Danny Gerwitz with their sons, all playing in top teams – (l-r) Amir Kronberg, (Leibowitz’s stepson), Yair Gerwitz and Micky Leibowitz.

A Pride of Lions. The 2011 champions - Big Blue Jerusalem Lions.

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Twitter Talk. Exchanging innovative ideas over breakfast was on the menu at the ‘Breakfast with Jeff Pulver’.American internet entrepreneur Jeff Pulver is seen here (3rd left) with (l-r) Inbal Executive Assistant Ruth Waiman, New Zealand-born British singer-songwriter Daniel Bedingfield and Inbal on-line Marketing Manager, Pinny Orzach. Both Pulver and Bedingfield are no strangers to being ‘number one’, Pulver in his social networking field and Bedingfield connecting with his fans having had three no. 1 hits in the UK since his debut hit ‘Gotta Get Thru This’.

Top left: Social Media Manager for the Jewish Agency for Israel, Florence Broder ‘connecting’ here with William Daroff, VP for Public Policy and Director of The Jewish Federations of North America in Washington (JFNA).

Top right: All smiles:Jeff Pulver and answers.com CEO, Bob Rosenschein. There was much ‘food for thought’ at this breakfast with hopefully as many answers as there were questions. Bob received the Prime Minister of Israel’s Award for Software Achievement in 1997.

Left: The author and Orwell Prize-winning British journalist Melanie Phillips seen here giving the keynote address at the Honest Reporting Conference at the Inbal in December.

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The Plane Truth. Since its inaugural flight in September 1948, Israel’s national carrier has grown to serve 48 destinations on five continents. El Al holds the world record for the most passengers on a commercial aircraft, a record set by Operation Solomon when Jewish refugees were transported from Ethiopia. El Al is widely acknowledged as the world’s most secure airline, so much to smile and celebrate about as seen here amongst El Al’s proud staff at the Inbal.

�� El Al sales personal flew in from all over the world to attend a special El Al event at the Inbal.

Left: Cutting the cake, which had etched in icing, logos of El Al and the Inbal:General Eliezer Shkedie, CEO of El Al (left) and Mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat. Looking on Inbal’s Executive Assistant Manager for Sales & Marketing, Ilan Brenner (left) and General Manager, Bruno de Schuyter..

Botton: Inbal chefs display the talents of aeronautical engineers in conjuring up a marzipan masterpiece with all the fine details of a Boeing 747.

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Enjoying Israel at the Inbal this past winter are Hollywood film folk brought out by American Voices for Israel. Organizer for American Voices for Israel, Irvin Katsof (3rd left) assisted in founding of HonestReporting.com, in 2001. He is seen here (l-r) with TV producer Tyler Besinger, PR manager Elizabeth Much, Minister of Information and Diaspora Yuli Edelstein, the American actor Greg German, who has played roles in the TV series Ally McBeal and the Disney film Bolt (among others), Joel David Moore from the blockbuster, Avatar, (front) Karen, Moore’s partner, Lori Louchlin of 90210 who rose to fame in Full House, and Mary, a friend of Greg Germann.

Actor Greg Germann with (l-r) Inbal Rooms Division Manager, Katerina Brokhes and Front House Manager, Nurit Silverwater.

TV star, Lori Louchlin with Revenue & Reservations Manager, Joanne Odes.


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TV Presenter, Emmy Award winning, Ileana Bravo and husband with Yaniv Shoshani, the Hotel’s concierge.

Botton: The music man. Orthodox Jewish American recording artist and musical entertainer Yaacov Shwekey, welcomed by Inbal’s Online Marketing Manager Pinny Orzach.

Right: Smiling and Shining. Better known by his stage name Shyne, is Belizean American rapper, Moshe Levi Ben-David who attended the ‘Breakfast with Jeff Pulver’.

American actor Omari Hardwick, known for his roles in TV series Saved and Dark Blue and movies like Spike Lee’s Miracle at St. Anna and 2010 movies, The A-Team & Kick-Ass with Inbal’s Executive Assistant Ruth Waiman.

Gossip Guy. American celebrity blogger and TV personality, Perez Hilton pictured here with Inbal’s Executive Assistant Ruth Waiman.

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The Inbal Jerusalem Hotel was delighted to once again, host the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (COP). Among many dignitaries that graced the hotel were, Israel’s President, Shimon Peres, Prime Minister and Benjamin Netanyahu.

Top left: Inbal’s GM, Bruno de Schuyter looks on as outgoing Chief of General Staff, Gabi Ashkenazi cuts his farewell celebratory cake. Tantalizing and delicious, no mouths at the Inbal had even a taste. At Gabi’s request, the cake was donated to the children’s department at Hadassah Hospital.

Top right: Bibi & Bruno. Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu is welcomed to the Conference by Inbal’s GM, Bruno de Schuyter.

Top: Vice President of Honduras Victor Hugo Barnica with wife and son is welcomed to the Inbal by George Sugar, the Assistant Front House Manager.

Left: So what’s your take? USA Ambassador to Israel, James Cunningham (right) sharing insights with Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents

Far left: Out of Africa. Botswana’s Foreign Minister Phandu Skelemani with Inbal’s Front House Manager, Nurit Silverwater.

You were inspired at the KotelYou were moved at Yad Vashem...

The Only SwissMeat Delicacy

Restaurant in the World

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BADATZ RABBANUT YERUSHALAYIM MEHADRIN

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Hesswww.hess-restaurants.com 9 Heleni Hamalka, Jerusalem Phone: [email protected]• •

Opening hours: Sun. – Thurs. 12:30 pm – pm11

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the HessRestaurantBistro Deli isnow beingmanaged bythe seventh

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of being the oldest koshereatery in the world, (established in Germany in1795) where you may dine on the best cuts offresh 100% pure meats including beef, veal orlamb, with the addition of all-natural spicesonly.

We are also renowned for our deliciouschicken matza-ball soup as well as ourHungarian goulash soup. And for a flavor ofthe Golan Heights, one must experience ouroven baked shoulder of lamb as a maincourse – delicious!

So, come visit and enjoy the oldest existingtradition in this field, in the world. Don’tmiss it on your stay in Jerusalem.

since 1795

right in the centerof Jerusalem!

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