Life On Mars (Israel nature photography)

Life On Mars, a photo by Dave Bender on Flickr.

Hotels along the edge of the the Dead Sea on the Israel - Jordanian border - the lowest point on Earth.

The water, sky and stark mountain backdrop prompted me to try for an alien, otherworldly mood on P'shop post-editing. All Rights Reserved.

'Flying Through A Dream' (original Israel nature photography)

Remnants of a salt-encrusted art installation along the edge of the the Dead Sea on the Israeli-Jordanian border, the lowest point on Earth. The water, sky and stark mountain backdrop prompted me to try for an alien, otherworldly mood in P'shop post-editing. Click the image or link for more photos.

Flying Through A Dream, a photo by Dave Bender on Flickr. All Rights Reserved.

The underwater salt reminded me of a cirrus-like cloudy sky, and the art installation object itself looked like a raft or a bed in a dream, rising off utterly still waters. So, flipping the photo helped give it a dreamlike unreality.

Click the image or link for more photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/davebender/5641066504/

Jerusalem: Old City (Photo)

Jerusalem Alleyway: Old City
(Dave Bender: All Rights Reserved)

Hamas Now Using Dead 'Human Shields'

An Israeli Air Force drone filmed Hamas rocket crews firing missiles at Israeli territory from a graveyard somewhere in Gaza over the weekend.


Israeli Air Force pilots may actually appreciate this helpful gesture, which, a) simplifies heat-signature targeting (since the terrorists and rocket launcher are the only things there that are above ambient temperature - temporarily), and, b) greatly expedites the burial procedure of said rocketeers.

A tad militant of me, I know. Deal.

Exodus: The Social Network Version (video)

Aish.com brings the funny with a spoof on The Biblical Exodus from Egypt by the Children of Israel:

''A View With A Room' Along The Ancient 'Spice Trail' (photo)

'A View With A Room' (Dave Bender, All Rights Reserved)

I shot this recently at the ancient Avdat archaeology site, south of Beersheba, Israel where archaeologists believe thousands of Nabateans operated and lived in a thriving community that served as a winery for nearby vinyards, and a "caravanseri" waystation for traders along the ancient "Spice Trail," route from Saudi Arabia and Yemen to ports along the Mediterranean coastline, among them Gaza. I tweaked the image with a Photoshop action called "Pop Ice." (Google it)

'More Koreans Than Israelis Own a Talmud'

A fascinating, almost unbelievable story.

In South Korea there are close to 49 million residents, and they all learnGemara in school (www.ynet.co.il). “We tried to understand why the Jews are such geniuses and we concluded that (it is because) they study Talmud,” explained South Korea’s ambassador to Israel.

Korean Talmud (Photo courtesy of the Embassy of South Korea to Israel)

In a week of renewed terror including a bomb in Jerusalem (with 1 dead, 39 wounded, some still in critical condition) and the returning shelling to the south of Israel (with rockets now reaching the outskirts of Be’er Sheva and Ashdod), as well as a joyous announcement about the Elitzur Ramle basketball team taking the women’s EuroCup final, what’s the big deal about learning Talmud in South Korea?

“We were curious how come the Jews are so successful academically and have a much higher percentage of Nobel Prize winners in all fields… what is their secret?… one of your secrets is studying Talmud,” continued ambassador Young-Sam-Ma. There might be now more (translated) Talmud volumes in South Korean homes than in Israel! In his appearance on Israeli TV he spoke about shared values between the Jewish people and the Koreans such as the place of the family, respect for elders, education and culture. He was impressed with the fact that even in a small kibbutz there is a cultural center with on-going cultural activities.

Read the rest.

American - Israeli Blooz-Rocker Rocks Israeli Army Radio

Lazer Lloyd, a veteran blues-rock guitarist and American immigrant to Israel was recently featured in a live segment aired in Israel Army Radio, "Galatz" (Army Waves).

He and the midday live music show host, Yoav Kutner (himself a veteran local radio host and music maven), are chatting in Hebrew about Lloyd's background, musical influences and the fact that he's a devout Jew, succeeding in what secular Israelis often view that their own "cultural turf."

A bit ragged and out of tune, but what. ever. In any case, good stuff. (Thanks Sandy)

Here's Lloyd from a show at a local venue:


Added bonus: the commercial for a local bank's online services is fun, too...

Israel First to Set Up Field Hospital in Japan

Israeli Defense Forces performing Haiti II? Well, let's hope that whatever they can do will succeed in providing a measure of aid and relief to the Japanese people, enduring such horrible, cataclysmic disasters.

“I don’t know how or why it is that our field hospital is the first,” the ambassador said. “Maybe we moved faster. Maybe it’s because of our experience.”

Read the rest.

Interest Free Loan Funds: A Tale Of Two Families, Two Countries

Collection boxes in a Jerusalem neighborhood for canned good the be distributed to the needy. (Dave Bender: All Rights Reserved)

"While, on the face of it, Atlanta, Ga. and Jerusalem, Israel may not seem to have much in common, one thing both cities unfortunately do share is the growing burden of a tough economy since the onset of the international monetary free-fall in 2007.

"In both countries, hundreds of thousands of people have lost jobs and businesses, with many falling through the cracks in a daily struggle to pay for food, rent, bills, and then the interest on credit cards and bank overdrafts.

“'I had a company, and I grew and grew and grew, but eventually the economy slapped me in the face,'" one Jewish Atlanta-area businesswoman, who requested anonymity, told AJN.

"After seeing her firm lose client after client as the hospitality industry her business served laid off thousands of employees, she finally had no choice but to close down more than a year ago."

Read the rest.