A stranger walking into Jerusalem’s HaMiffal last Saturday night might be forgiven for thinking that he or she had stumbled into a communications industry convention.
There were journalists, broadcasters, spokespeople, and public relations executives – and all of them connected in one way or another to Avi Mayer who was celebrating his 40th birthday. Mayer, who is frequently seen speaking out on Israel’s behalf on international television, is a former editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post; a former director of global communications and public affairs at the American Jewish Committee; a former spokesman to the international media at the Jewish Agency for Israel and for its former chairman Natan Sharanky; and a former personal assistant to the national president of Hillel in the United States. While still a student, he worked for the Israel Embassy in Washington.
For his milestone birthday, he received yet another title, this one in jest: He was made a nobleman to be known henceforth as “Lord Avi Daniel Mayer.” The large, mostly English-speaking, crowd that had come to celebrate with him sang “Happy Birthday” in Hebrew as two large trays of cakes were brought out, one with twinkling candles and sparklers.
HaMiffal is work space for emerging artists and social and cultural activities, an ideal venue to shoot the breeze out on the balcony; network indoors around the bar; or dance to the tunes selected by a DJ. The tantalizingly presented repast comprised a range of colors that outdid the rainbow, set out around a cake frosted with an edible portrait of the birthday boy, a mixed fruit platter, and an elegant tray of bite-size sandwiches sitting on facsimiles of Le Figaro. The spread included cupcakes topped with multi-colored flowers. The number 40 figured on the table napkins, the beverage vouchers, the walls, and a poster at the entrance. There was even a sign stating “40 isn’t old if you’re a tree” and another that informed guests “My second f-word was 40.”
The feast of color began on the grounds of HaMiffal, where guests who had not been there before knew that they had arrived at the right place when they saw a large poster dominated by the figure 40 and a stand of tightly gathered balloons in colors of black, red, purple, apricot, and orange. Similar clusters of balloons were strategically placed inside. Mayer chose neutral hues for his outfit and was dressed in cream and beige.
Relating to the demise of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Mayer noted that it had been a very tough year for everyone, and it was important to have something to celebrate. But some of his guests, including those who had been dancing wildly to the music, felt uneasy celebrating while Israeli hostages were still in captivity.
Many of the guests left earlier than anticipated, presumably because they also wanted to attend pre-Rosh Hashanah slihot services which in some places began at 10 p.m.
■ EVEN IN this digital age, there are still people who like to read actual books rather than via Kindle or another digital platform. Israel’s sixth president, Chaim Herzog, and his wife Aura were avid readers and amassed an impressive collection of books in different languages on a variety of subjects. While this is admirable, it poses a problem for their offspring when the time comes to dispose of parents’ estate. A well-stocked library used to be a status symbol, and in some places it still is, but generally speaking, these days the walls of a home are either bare or covered with paintings or photographs.
While they had no room in their homes to house their parents’ library, the Herzog offspring did not want it to end up on the garbage heap and decided to donate it to an educational institution. They chose the Levinsky Wingate Academic Center which reflects their parents’ various interests. The presentation ceremony was attended by President Isaac Herzog and his wife Michal Herzog, his sister Dr. Ronit Herzog, other members of the Herzog family, and Levinsky Wingate Academic Center President Prof. Rony Lidor, Chairman of the Board of Directors Oved Yeheziel, and CEO Shlomo Ben-Gal.
The collection, which includes books gifted to the Herzogs by world leaders, politicians, diplomats, and other distinguished figures, with dedications in their handwriting, can now be perused by members of the public who will be able to gain an additional perspective of the late president and his wife.
Chaim Herzog was a lawyer, by profession, and a senior officer in the IDF, as well as a diplomat, businessman, author, and athlete with a keen sense of history and a deep knowledge of Judaism and Judaica.
Listening to his father while growing up, reading the books in his parents’ library, and meeting all the dignitaries who graced his parents’ table, influenced the perspective and sense of optimism of the current President Herzog in relation to the world around him. He recalled how he had often heard his father say that he remembered when all seemed lost and yet “today, there is a flourishing State of Israel.”
■ NEXT WEEK, Israelis will be inundated with books, films, plays, songs, artworks, and more commemorating October 7: the hostages, living and dead, and the soldiers and other security personnel who lost their lives while trying to fight off Hamas. And there will be more works in all the above categories as families seek to memorialize their loved ones who were murdered, died from their wounds, or fell in battle in the months after October 7. According to Rachel Neiman, the International Media and External Relations spokesperson for the National Library of Israel, to date, 170 books and publications have been published in Israel and abroad, including 23 volumes of poetry and prose, 30 non-fiction and philosophical tomes, and 29 testimonies and stories of heroism.
The survey is based, in part, on data about books received under The Books Law (Legal Deposit), which requires anyone publishing a book of more than 50 copies to deposit two copies with the National Library of Israel.
Aware that there are many more publications that have not yet been listed, the National Library has issued an appeal to self-published authors and/or non-Israeli publishers to send two copies of their work to the Library, so that these may be preserved for research and study by future generations.
■ JUST AS performers and composers in Israel’s entertainment industry have been lifting the spirits and boosting the morale of soldiers and of families of the hostages, they are also engaged in honoring the memories of murdered victims of Hamas and of fallen soldiers. Requests to write songs about the deceased or to compose music for poems they may have left behind are difficult to refuse – as in the case of Roee Idan, the YNet and Yediot Aharonot photographer murdered while trying to protect his three-year-old daughter Avigayil Idan. The murder of Idan’s wife Smadar in their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza was witnessed by their two older children who hid in a closet for 14 hours. Roee’s parents Lisa Idan and Carmel Idan wanted to memorialize him with an appealing song that people would want to sing, as a way of keeping Roee’s memory alive.
For starters, Carmel turned to Ronnie Kremer, a singer with Gevatron (the Israeli Kibbutz folk singers group), who wrote the lyrics. Next, Carmel got in touch with Moshe Kremer, who happens to be the husband of Israel Prize laureate Nurit Hirsh, a musician, conductor, and composer. Over the years, Hirsh, now 82, had composed many melodies for the army and for memorial ceremonies and had promised herself that she would not do so anymore. But she became aware of the Idan family’s terrible tragedy and of the special interest that US President Joe Biden had taken in Avigayil before and after her return from Gaza in November last year. In April this year, Avigayil and her family met President Biden at the White House.
The song requested by Lisa and Carmel Idan was recorded last month. The arrangement was by Gilad Efrat, the musical producer was Doron Plaskov, and the singer was Sassi Keshet.
■ DURING THE Hebrew month of Elul and part of Tishrei, Jews traditionally pray for forgiveness for their sins and ask to be inscribed in the Book of Life. But those Jews who have shockingly turned against the parents, siblings, and children of the hostages (many of whom are kibbutzniks and actively practiced coexistence with Palestinians in Gaza, some of whom then betrayed them on October 7), calling them dirty leftists and telling them that their loved ones deserved what they got, will have to more than double their prayers for the appalling sins of verbal and physical abuse, lack of empathy, and for want of a better expression, displays of Jewish antisemitism.
Last week, in addition to the disgusting verbal abuse, Eli Elbag whose daughter Liri Elbag is a hostage in Gaza, was pelted with eggs while demonstrating outside an event hosted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
■ NEWLY APPOINTED minister Gideon Sa’ar has given a completely new meaning to the expression to have your cake and eat it. After bad-mouthing the prime minister, declaring that he would never join a Netanyahu-led government, and plotting with leaders of opposition parties to overthrow the present administration, Sa’ar has back-tracked on almost everything in order to regain the influence he once had. He has not rejoined Likud and is currently a minister without portfolio, but he is now part of Netanyahu’s inner circle, and if he lasts the distance, has all but guaranteed that Likud will win the next Knesset election. But Sa’ar does not have a very good history with Netanyahu, and although the prime minister has stated that they have put all their mutual animosities aside, political pundits are predicting yet another fall-out, sooner rather than later. To some extent, it all depends on how long Sa’ar wants to remain relevant, and how much humiliation he can take when Netanyahu decides that he no longer needs him.
■ THE CELEBRATIONS of the achievements of Israel’s Olympic and Paralympic teams in Paris this year, are not yet over, Among the latest receptions in their honor is one hosted at the Dan Panorama in Tel Aviv by the Dan Hotels chain in which present and past medalists were among the invitees, along with other members of Israel’s athletic community. Dan Panorama general manager Yaniv Hiumo greeted the men and women who had brought pride and joy to the nation during moments of despair, while hotel chef Boaz Dror prepared a special gourmet meal for them. The evening ended with a presentation by ideationist Boaz Dror.
Among the medalists present were champions who had brought home gold, silver, and bronze medals from London, Tokyo, and Paris.
Several medalists did not discover their sporting abilities until after they were wounded during military service and sent to Beit Halohem for rehabilitation. Numerous IDF veterans who lost limbs and were learning to live with the new realities of their bodies were encouraged to take up sports, not only for physical exercise but also for psychological well-being. Competition is beneficial to mental health. The veterans compete not only against opponents, but against themselves proving that activities that they thought impossible can be mastered and even lead to victory at the Paralympic Games and other international sports competitions.
■ POPULAR ROCK singer, musician, and songwriter Aviv Geffen was due to stand under the bridal canopy for the third time last week, but he and his bride-to-be Sharon Kaufman decided to postpone their wedding due to the security situation, even though Kaufman is in an advanced stage of pregnancy. They had initially planned to marry before the baby’s birth but then decided that this was not the right time to bring all their guests together and have postponed the wedding for a future and as yet undetermined date, possibly later this month. Geffen was previously married to actress Ilana Berkowitz in a highly publicized affair in which the celebrity guest list included Shimon Peres. That marriage ended in divorce. The couple had no children, The second time around, Geffen married actress Shani Pridan, with whom he had two sons: Dylan, who has followed in his father’s musical footsteps, and Elliott. The couple split up in 2022 after 17 years of marriage, and a long relationship before tying hthe knot. They have remained friends and even go on double dates.
Geffen, who was born into a decidedly left-wing family, has undergone a transformation in recent years and has performed for audiences in the West Bank. Even though he was very anti-IDF in the early years of his career, he has also transformed in that respect, performing regularly at military bases. During the past year, he has undertaken concerts abroad, during which he states Israel’s case.
Even though he is a professed atheist, he arranged for Dylan to have a proper bar mitzvah four years ago.
Geffen’s numerous business partners include Adam Neumann, the Israeli-American who grew up on Kibbutz Nir-Am and was the founder and long-time CEO of WeWork. Geffen is the former global musical director for WeWork.
Neumann, who is frequently featured in the business pages of the world press, last month acquired a 30% stake in Israel’s Canada Global through his Flow real estate company. Now a 45-year-old billionaire, he had very little money when he arrived in the US after completing his service in the Israeli Navy. But he comes from – and then married into – a family of high achievers. His sister, Adi, was a supermodel and beauty queen in her younger years, and his wife Rebekah Neumann is a successful businesswoman in her own right. She is also a cousin to actress Gwyneth Paltrow, married to Brad Falchuk, whose mother Nancy Falchuk is a former National President of Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America.
■ THE CHINESE Embassy in Tel Aviv last week celebrated the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China with a reception at the Tel Aviv Hilton, hosted by China’s Charge d’Affaires Liu Song. The Israel government was represented by Deputy Transport Minister Uri Maklev who spoke of the cooperation between Israel and China and praised China’s achievements in many spheres.
China’s many innovations were shown on a large video screen and Liu Song gave a more detailed explanation of China’s aims and achievements, noting that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Israel over 30 years ago, ties between the two countries have continued to develop.
Among the 200 or so guests were entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and expert on communications and defense technologies Amir Gal-Or, chairman of innovation at the Infinity Group and president of the Israel-China Chamber of Commerce, as well as members of the Friends of China forum and Nobel Prize laureate Prof. Dan Shechtman.
Gal-Or, who lived in China for 13 years, has written a book titled The Chinese, due to be published at the end of this year. His son, Raz Gal-Or, a popular media figure in China who heads the influential Y-Platform Media Company which operates numerous Internet channels, appeared on the video screen at the reception and emphasized the importance of maintaining good relations with China.
■ THE ISEF Foundation for Education marked the 91st birthday of its co-founder, Nina Avidar Weiner, with a festive event at the convention center in Tel Aviv of the Council for a Beautiful Israel at which it launched the ISEF Alumni Association Abroad and Friends of ISEF, aimed at strengthening the role of Israeli academia through global support.
A special tribute was awarded to Eli Elazra, an alumnus and noted businessman, and Margalit Beracha Elazra, CEO of the Elazra Foundation. They were honored for their longstanding partnership with ISEF and their significant contributions to Israeli society, particularly in promoting excellence among youth.
In expressing appreciation, Margalit Beracha Elazra highlighted the couple’s joint initiatives such as the Bridge to Academia program which significantly boosts both the academic and emotional well-being of students in Ashkelon. Eli Elazra underscored the importance of the occasion and his respect and affection for Weiner by donating NIS 120,000 to ISEF for further youth development projects.
Weiner, reflecting on the foundation’s impact, underscored the potential of ISEF’s graduates in key positions in the drive for societal change, particularly in enhancing the Israeli periphery. The event not only celebrated individual achievements but also reinforced the foundation’s commitment to fostering academic and societal advancement through its alumni network.
“The launch of the ISEF Alumni Association Abroad is a significant milestone for us and for Israeli society,” said Galit Caspi Cohen, CEO of the ISEF Foundation. “The association will serve as a platform for connecting ISEF alumni in key positions in Israeli academia and will help them continue to influence the academic and social landscape in Israel. The diverse background of the association’s members will lead to innovative thinking and a significant contribution to research and development, as the members of the association are a testament to ISEF’s success in developing young and promising academic leadership.”
■ AMONG THE many events marking the one-year anniversary of the October 7 catastrophe and the outbreak of Operation Swords of Iron, the powerful exhibit Anemones Before the Rain has been erected at the heart of the Reichman University (RU) campus. The national flowers of Israel, anemones, or kalaniyot in Hebrew, are the red flowers that bloom in Israel’s South during the winter and attract thousands of nature lovers who come from all over Israel to pick them and take them home.
The installation is a national project led by artists Yaffe Solomon, Varda Har Zvi, Pnina Lachish, and Shlomit Hefer. The display, which will be viewed by attendees of the international conference, features a waterfall and a carpet of approximately 5,000 handcrafted red clay anemones, lovingly made by volunteers from across the country. In the framework of the Anemones Before the Rain project, over 100,000 clay anemones have been created and distributed nationwide. Of these, approximately 30,000 were implanted at the site of the Nova music festival, and the rest were placed in various locations across Israel, including on the kibbutzim in the Gaza border area and in major cities and hospitals; and in cemeteries where victims were laid to rest; on military bases; and more.
Hundreds of artists and volunteers from all over the country have joined the traveling project, which was initiated by artist Solomon during a meeting at her home in Meitar. The anemones symbolize the profound grief for the young lives, that, like delicate flowers, were plucked before their time, and the hope for a renewed bloom in the future.
A statement from RU reads: “The red anemones that stand resilient against the backdrop of destruction and devastation left by that terrible Saturday are chilling and painful on the one hand, but on the other symbolize optimism and hope for the renewal of the communities that will once again flourish.
The anemone display on the university campus coincides with RU’s annual Shabtai Shavit World Summit on Counter-Terrorism convened by the International Institute of Counter-Terorism (ICT), to take place between October 6-7. The annual summit, held by the ICT at Reichman University, is recognized as one of the world’s foremost on counter-terrorism and is attended by decision-makers and public figures from Israel and abroad, diplomats, current and former senior security officials, journalists, and other media figures.
Following the October 7 disaster, the institute decided, going forward, to hold the conference during the week of October 7 each year: “Placing the anemone exhibit at the heart of the university – a university that has lost 13 of its best sons since the war began – sends a message to the younger generation and the conference attendees to remember and honor the fallen, but at the same time to look forward with hope for a future of growth and renewal,” said RU President Prof. Boaz Ganot.