As a young new state, Israel faced daunting challenges, including building a viable economy in a small country
poor in natural resources. This unit focuses on Israel’s achievements–innovations, inventions and humanitarian
programs—and the contributions it has made to the world. The specific goals are:
• To demonstrate that despite the fact that it has been forced to defend itself since its birth, Israel has focused on
life; innovations in the biomedical, technological, and scientific fields; and sharing them with the world in a wide variety of humanitarian programs.
• To show the facets of Israel that are often ignored because the media focuses so much on the conflict.
• To focus on Israel’s remarkable achievements and contributions to the world.
• To describe Israel’s humanitarian programs.
Note to teachers: We recommend introducing this unit with the DVD Israel: Small Country, Big Ideas!,
which will be donated free to your library. You can order the DVD at www.learnisrael.org/libraryproject.
asp#powerpoint. The Learn Israel Web site also includes a variety of lesson plans. Many are geared specifically
for science, English, and social studies classes, and many present more focused, detailed activities. Go to
www.learnisrael.org and click on the subject area that interests you. |
1. What are some extraordinary inventions from or facts about Israel that are meaningful in your own life, in the lives of your family, or in modern society?
2. What social and educational conditions, government policies, and cultural attitudes do you think are necessary for a country to be as innovative and establish as many cutting-edge companies as Israel?
In addressing this question, consider the facts on pp. 36 and 37 of Israel 101, and consider the following quote from Yossi Vardi, considered one of the Israel’s top hi-tech entrepreneurs. (As an example of his success, one of his companies, Mirabilis, created an instant-messaging system called ICQ that was sold to American Online for $400 million.)
“It seems that the Internet and Israel have waited for each other for 2,000 years. Because the Internet is insensitive to location, it’s a product that is not sensitive to boundaries. There are no customs, no protections. You need to be innovative, creative, have a quick response.”
3. How much did you know about Israel’s trailblazing innovations and humanitarian programs before covering
this unit? How much do you think the public knows? How do you think awareness of these aspects of Israeli society would affect perceptions of Israel?
4. How do you think Israel’s example—how it addressed its economic disabilities, its government policies, and its innovations—could be used to help other developing countries?
5. It is often said that “Zionists made the desert bloom.” How true do you think this is for the early years of settlement? Do you think this expression could be a metaphor to describe the development of Israel’s economy? |
Activity 1
Activity 2
Activity 3
Activity 4
Complete PDF
Resources
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Internet
“Five years of Israeli innovation and excellence” by Nicky Blackburn.
Israel 21c.com October 29, 2006
http://israel21c.com/bin/en.jsp?enDispWho=Articles%5El1459&enSearchQueryID=48&enPage=BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enDis
pWhat=object&enVersion=0&enZone=Technology&
Israel21c.org: Extensive array of articles that profile various aspects of life in Israel, including technology, medicine, and culture.
http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?enPage=HomePage
List of articles about Israeli contributions to the field of medicine.
http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?enDispWho=Health&enSearchQueryID=97&enPage=BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enInfolet=moreArt
icle.jsp&enDispWhat=Zone&enZone=Health&
List of articles about Israeli innovations in technology.
http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?enDispWho=Technology&enSearchQueryID=97&enPage=BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enInfolet=mo
reArticle.jsp&enDispWhat=Zone&enZone=Technology&
List of articles about Israeli efforts to promote democratic cooperation worldwide.
http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?enDispWho=Democracy&enSearchQueryID=97&enPage=BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enInfolet=mo
reArticle.jsp&enDispWhat=Zone&enZone=Democracy&
List of articles about culture in Israel.
http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?enDispWho=Culture&enSearchQueryID=97&enPage=BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enInfolet=moreA
rticle.jsp&enDispWhat=Zone&enZone=Culture&
Profiles of some outstanding Israeli achievers and innovators.
http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?enSearchQueryID=97&enPage=ArticlePage&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=Zone&enZone=Profiles&
Stories about Israel in the press; links to key Israeli media sources.
http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?enSearchQueryID=97&enPage=BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=Zone&enZone=Press&
Articles about Israelis who have provided humanitarian aid to other cultures and countries around the world.
(1) General list: http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp
(2) Save a Child’s Heart: http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?enDispWho=Articles%5El1641&enSearchQueryID=97&enPage=BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enDisp
What=object&enVersion=0&enZone=Democracy&
Israeli innovations in agriculture – http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp
Israeli contributions to counterterrorism – http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp
Articles on Israeli contributions to the field of biomedicine – http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp
Origins of Israeli Hi-Tech – http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Economy/hitech.html
Center for Strategic Futurist Thinking (See reference to Tsvi Bisk’s book, The Optimistic Jew, below.)
http://www.futurist-thinking.co.il
Videos
Israel Up Close: http://www.israelupclose.com
Books
Tsvi Bisk (2007). The Optimistic Jew: A Positive Vision for the Jewish People in the 21st Century. Maxana Press.
Helen Davis & Douglas Davis (2004). Israel and the World: Changing Lives Through Innovation. UK: Weidenfield & Nicolson.
Donna Rosenthal (2003). The Israelis: Ordinary People in an Extraordinary Land. New York: Free Press.
Video & DVD
Heritage: Civilization and the Jews. Volume 3: Into the Future (DVD).
(Also sections from HERITAGE Interactive (DVD-ROM.) (NY: WNET thirteen http://www.thirteen.org/heritagedvd)
Each of the following videos is available at no charge (except for shipping) from:
http://www.israelupclose.org/stories.html
Volume 3: Israel Reinvents the Wheel–Israeli inventors design wheelchair that can climb stairs.
Volume 4: Desert Agriculture–Successful flower and crop farming in one of the hottest places on earth.
Volume 4: Healing by Horseback Riding
Pioneering research, conducted in Israel, in animal-assisted therapy, designed to help injured war veterans and children born with
congenital problems.
Volume 4: Boutique Wineries in Israel–Hi-tech winemaking in the Judean Hills.
Volume 6: Israel Education Aid to the World
Focuses on a course in Jerusalem that is one of many Israeli efforts designed to share successes in health, education and democracy
with the developing world.
Volume 10: World’s Largest Desalination Plant
Israel’s desalination plant, located near Ashkelon, now supplies roughly 15 percent of all household water used in Israel.
Volume 10: Cinematrix High-Tech Cinema
Provides viewers a multi-sensory film-viewing experience, including aromas, sound, moving seats, etc.
Volume 11: The 2,000 Year Old Judean Date
Agricultural revival of the Judean date palm, which has been extinct for nearly 2,000 years.
Volume 16: Combating Global Warming
Scientists from five continents come to Israel to learn how to deal with desertification.
Volume 17: Hi-Tech Convention in Tel Aviv
Annual “Telecomm” Israel convention, which brings together companies specializing in the latest in communication and information
technology. |
