Grapevine: A well-deserved tribute

Members of the Ohel Nechama synagogue will host a tribute to their outgoing spiritual leader Rabbi Dr. Aharon Adler on the publication of his new book, On Eagles’ Wings, and bid him farewell as he concludes his service to the congregation.

Adler has been a pulpit rabbi for four decades at congregations in Astoria, New York; Beersheba; Ramot; Zurich; and, most recently Ohel Nechama, which borders Talbiyeh and Old Katamon.

A sought-after public speaker, he has also authored several books, including Seventy Conversations in Transit, which details the edifying conversations that Adler, while a student at Yeshiva University, had with Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, while acting as his driver.

The tribute event, set for Sunday, December 31, at the synagogue (3 Chopin St.), will begin at 7:30 p.m. In addition to Adler’s address, there will be a lecture by Rabbi Dr. Meir Lichtenstein.

Medved and the start-up investment

■ WHEN VENTURE capitalist Jonathan Medved, founder and CEO of the Jerusalem-headquartered OurCrowd, launched the OurCrowd Israel Resilience Fund on November 6, he was confident that a large number of entrepreneurs would invest in Israel’s vital ecosystem start-up – not only in a display of solidarity but also because it was a worthwhile investment.

The resilience fund was launched together with former science, technology, and innovation minister and long-time venture capitalist Izhar Shai, and Bruce Taragin, managing director of Blumberg Capital. 

On the first day of the Israel-Hamas war, Shai lost his son Yaron, who was in a special unit of the Nahal Brigade and fell in battle while defending Kibbutz Kerem Shalom. Shai has proposed that the best tribute to all soldiers and civilians who lost their lives at the hands of Hamas would be to establish start-ups in memory of each.

“My mission is to honor those who lost their lives on October 7 and create more than a thousand new companies commemorating the victims of the war,” he says. “The Israel Resilience Fund is exactly the response we need to create opportunity and growth, and defeat those who only want to destroy.”

The fund is focused on the 50+ start-ups directly affected by the crisis or are developing critical solutions related to the security situation. This includes environmental impact, emergency medicine, food security, cybersecurity, media monitoring, and reconstruction. Its advisory board is composed of global tech and investment leaders.

Numerous companies have applied to the fund. Eight were selected to receive investments this month. Half of the companies selected in this first round are not currently included in OurCrowd’s portfolio but are delighted to receive the boost that will help both them and Israel.

 “Many venture-backed companies in Israel are already struggling due to the global venture slowdown and now face even more serious obstacles due to the war in Gaza, requiring immediate, focused investment,” Medved says. “The Israel Resilience Fund will seek to create outsized returns for investors by taking advantage of discounted valuations in the current market, while supporting numerous Israeli companies to survive the crisis and flourish in the long run. “

This year, OurCrowd celebrated its 10th anniversary.

The decade's best invention?

■ HERE’S A question that will make you put on your thinking caps. What was the best invention over the past century? Many will cite technological advances in medicine. Others might find joy in household appliances, where pushing a button relieves people of hours of manual labor. People in a hurry to get from one place to the next might cite improvements in air transportation. Writers might opt for the computer. Personally, I’m all for video cameras in cellphones that instantly film people for posterity. Zoom, which enables instant communication regardless of distance, allows us to participate in global events from the comfort of our homes.

Many women in the Playback Nana Theatre Dance Troupe (www.playbacknana.com) have been volunteering since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, either through live performances or Zoom workshops. On Sunday, December 31, at 8 p.m. the group will be performing, in Hebrew, for a women-only audience at the popular Tmol Shilshom Cafe, (5 Yoel Solomon St.). The café is named for one of the works by Shai Agnon that he wrote in 1945. From its very beginning, the café has been a cultural center where lectures, poetry readings, and plays have been held, as well as a hangout for writers who have found their inspiration at its tables. 

At this venue, the Nana Theater Dance Troupe will perform The Light and the Shadows in Our Lives. The dancers note: “During a period with more than a little darkness, we will bring light to meaningful moments in our lives.” The audience will be invited to share stories and feelings, and see them “played back” artistically on stage. 

The performance is being held with the support of the theater department of the Jerusalem Municipality, and is directed by Toby Klein Greenwald, who can be contacted for reservations at 052-382-2104. Tickets are NIS 35 and include a NIS 20 credit from the cafe’s mouth-watering menu. Space is limited, so it’s wise to reserve. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets can also be ordered at https://eventbuzz.co.il/eezjm.

A generous donor has earmarked 10 tickets for women with family members in the army. To reserve one of these, contact Klein Greenwald. 

Biblical discoveries of 2023

■ THE YEAR 2023 has been an amazing year of biblical discoveries in the Holy Land, pointing to the unbroken Jewish presence in Israel for more than 2,000 years. Ze’ev Ornstein, director of international affairs at the City of David, detailed the findings to former Jerusalem Post correspondent in Germany Benjamin Weinthal, who now works for Fox News

Among the findings that affirmed the scripture of the New Testament was the Pool of Siloam. American pastor John Hagee told Fox News Digital that it was at this site that Jesus healed the blind man mentioned in chapter nine of the New Testament’s Gospel of John. 

It was also at this site that Jewish pilgrims cleansed themselves before entering the Second Temple. Another important find was a half shekel coin from the period of the Jewish revolt against the Romans, some two millennia ago.

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