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March 2013 • Volume 7 • Issue 10 • Adar / Nisan 5773

Israel and the Philippines look to triple trade opportunities was held in March 2012.

By Philip Jay, Editor

More than 80 individuals from various industries and government agencies attended. The forum highlighted the potentials of both nations in terms of products, import-export accessibility, and investment incentives.

Headed by Ran Cohen, a former Israeli industry and trade minister and current President of the Israel-Asia Chamber of Commerce, the delegation is looking at investment prospects in major industries. These include: machinery, security, real estate, water treatment and technology, agriculture, food production, aviation, businessprocess outsourcing, shipping, tourism and diamonds. “Two-way trade between us and Israel is unfortunately just between US$200 million to US$250 million last year. We intend to triple that,” said Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) President Miguel Varela, during his meeting with the delegation at a business matching session and forum. “These numbers can grow at an unprecedented pace in the next few years,” Varela added, citing growing interest from both sides to boost trade and investment relations. He also

Ran Cohen

ICCP

A senior Israeli business delegation consisting of 15 executives representing diverse sectors of key industries visited the Philippines in February.

noted that much of the trade between Israel and the Philippines is mostly in favour of Israel. Also accompanying the delegation was Doron Hemo, Israel’s Trade Attache for Taiwan, Singapore and Philippines. “We don’t have a commercial attaché in the Philippines and we would like to have one. Right now, we want to expand our trade considering that we have reached US$2 billion in twoway trade with areas like Taiwan,” commented Hemo. Israel’s two-way trade with the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) has reached US$28 billion.

This area will serve as a vital link once the ASEAN integration is realised over the next few years, according to local economic experts. Members of the delegation were very positive and upbeat about what they saw and highlighted investment opportunities in Zamboanga, areas around Manila, the country’s capital, Cebu and Palawan as the key areas for further discussions. The delegation also met with the Philippine Vice President Jejomar Binay, who recently visited Israel in October 2012.

One of the Philippine provinces that welcomed the delegation was Zamboanga city. President of the local business chamber, Pocholo Soliven, met with the delegation and government officials and discussed trade opportunities in Taguig City. Cohen was accompanied by Israel’s Ambassador to the Philippines, Menashe Bar-On, and Generoso Calonge, the Philippine Ambassador to Israel.

“We came here as a friend of the Philippines. We would like to succeed and innovate together with you, collaborate with you,” concluded Cohen.

Soliven, a well-respected business leader in Mindanao, underscored the strategic location of Zamboanga as the “Front Door” to the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore economic growth corridor.

More recently, the first official Philippine- Israel Business Forum in collaboration with the Bureau of Trade Promotion of the Department of Trade and Industry, the embassy of Israel and the ICCP

Israel and the Philippines established the Israel Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ICCP) in 2009, which maintains close liaison with other foreign chambers as well as business organisations such as PCCI.

The Philippines and Israel have had active trade ties since 1947. The Philippines was the only Asian nation to vote in favour of UN partition resolution that created the State of Israel and that formed the links between the two nations. Philippine trade activities with Israel rank at 37.

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In this issue Regional News A statue unveiled to honour Tsunami aid

3-8

Business News Tvinci wins contract with Singapore’s MediaCorp

10-12

Feature The Maccabiah Games building Jewish pride through sports

Art and Culture Trojan Women performed at the Cameri Theater

22-24

JTA Classifieds

28-29

Festival Passover

Jewish communities in Asia Candle-lighting and the month’s Parshas

Jewish Times Asia March 2013

Jewish Times Asia

A statue unveiled to honour Tsunami aid

Netanyahu re-elected as Israel’s prime minister

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Publisher & Founder Philip Jay Sub Editors Tony Henderson, Nina Soloway Contributors Nina Soloway Design & Layout The Green Pagoda Press Ltd Chairman Robert L Meyer We welcome editorial enquiries and advertising requests. Please contact our email: info@jewishtimesasia.org Printer DG3 Asia Limited 6-9/F, Haking Industrial Bldg, 34 Lee Chung Street, Chai Wan, Hong Kong Distribution PP&D Company Ltd. Jewish Times Asia is published by Jewish Times Asia Ltd © Copyright 2013 Jewish Times Asia Limited Suite 2207-2209, Tower 2, Lippo Centre, Admiralty, Hong Kong General Line: Tel: (852) 2530 8177 Fax: (852) 2530 8100 Representative Singapore: Andrew Lim Mobile Tel: (65) 9631 7112 Email: eliyahu.avraham@gmail.com Jewish Times Asia is registered as a Hong Kong newspaper with the Government of the HKSAR. Material in the newspaper may not be used or reproduced in any form or in any way without permission from the editor. While every effort has been made that the content is true and accurate, the publisher is not responsible for any errors or omissions in the printed text. Jewish Times Asia is distributed on a controlled circulation, complimentary to resident addresses and business’s in the region. In addition extra copies are available at synagogues, Jewish community centres, kosher restaurants, clubs and associations. The newspaper is also on EL AL flights between Israel & Asia.

Two years after a massive Tsunami ravaged the eastern seaboard of Japan, the people of one of the hardest hit towns, Yanmei-Sanriku, have inaugurated a statue honouring the assistance that Israel provided in their darkest hour. The statue entitled, Rebirth and Resurrection, was produced by Israeli artist David Susanna, and was installed in front of the municipal offices and temporary Israeli hospitals established in the town.

region. The new sculpture symbolises Israeli solidarity with the suffering of the Japanese people.

Immediately after the Tsunami hit in 2011, an Israeli medical delegation was dispatched and worked tirelessly to aid the people of the entire Tohoku

Attendees were treated to a short concert by famed Japanese violinist Nimura, but the highlight of the ceremony was an emotional meeting between

In a closely run election, Benjamin Netanyahu, Head of the Likkud Party was declared the winner of Israel’s election which was recently held in January. Netanyahu will seek to build a broad governing coalition to tackle a range of challenges especially security. Netanyahu was quoted saying he wants to “build a broad governing coalition to face serious security threats to Israel, including Syria’s chemical weapons and Iran’s nuclear programme and that Israel must be ready for any development in the turbulent region.”

The inauguration was attended by the mayor of YanmeiSanriku, numerous other municipal officials, the mayor of a nearby town who initiated contact with the Israelis in the aftermath of the Tsunami, representatives of various aid organisations and a large number of school children. The statue: Rebirth and Resurrection

Israeli doctors and a Japanese woman whose baby they delivered amidst the devastation two years ago.

Netanyahu’s ticket won the most seats in the parliamentary election, but with his traditional hardline and religious allies, holding only a slim majority in parliament, Netanyahu has reached out to centrist parties in hopes of building a broad coalition.

Postdoctoral scholarships granted to India As part of educational ties between Israel and India, as many as 66 Indian postdoctoral scholars will travel to Israel in the coming months to pursue research at top universities. The researchers will benefit from three-year scholarships granted by the Israeli government. In the framework of the scholarship programme, fellows from IIT Delhi, Osmania University, universities in Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata, Mumbai and other leading academic institutions in India will conduct research in a wide variety of fields, including immunology, genetics, neurobiology, bio-

informatics, computer sciences, law and economics. The research will be undertaken at leading universities in Israel, including the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Technion, Tel Aviv University, Haifa University, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Open University. “The annual amount per scholar is 100,000 shekel (NIS). That is equivalent to about R14.7 lakh a year, for three years. Of this sum, two thirds is given directly by the government and one third by the university (which is also

government supported). The criteria for selection are academic excellence of the candidate, academic value of the research proposal and interest of the concerned university department in the subject matter,” officials from the Israeli Embassy said. This postdoctoral scholarship initiative was conceived during the visit of Israel’s Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz to India in December 2011. Steinitz had met then Minister for Human Resources, Kapil Sibal and the two pledged their support to bolster Indo-Israel academic cooperation. A call for research propos-

als for yet another round of this postdoctoral scholarship programme has already been announced. Applications can be submitted through Israeli universities. “The second round means that in addition to those who have already received the scholarships, Indian researchers can apply for another round of scholarships (potentially up to 100 in number),” the officials said.

President Peres Chinese New Year Greeting In his annual Chinese New Year Greeting, Israel’s President Shimon Peres wished the Chinese community Xin Nian Kuai Le! Shana Tova! In the Chinese horoscope, this year is the Snake Years, which are sixth in the cycle, following the Dragon Years, and recur every twelfth year. This year the Year of the Snake fell on 11 -13 February 2013.

Here is a summary of his message greeting: “The coming 12 Snake years may be the most significant time for the future of all of us, for the world, for China and for the Jewish people. I am sure, these 12 years will be a great period for China. I’m telling our friends here - if you want to know how to bring an end to your poverty, go to China and learn. China is the greatest lesson in history, to start at the lowest point and to arrive at the highest point. The highest point in my judgment is respecting the old culture of thousands and thousands of years, and keep them fresh to this day, and at the same time on the line to climb at the highest degree of modern science and technology. It’s the rare combination to see greatness of age and promise of youth. I think the world will change too. You should see many changes in science and technology. I think in those two domains China and Israel can cooperate deeply, profoundly and friendly. We have an instant understanding of China because we carry the greatest respect for China. And since we have the same age, but not same numbers, we can cooperate fully and freely, in the most important domains of our life, which is science, technology, agriculture, medicine, and the latest core for research, the human brain. If you should know more about human brain, you should know about ourselves and how to become a better person. We pray in Jerusalem for China for a greatest achievement for the hope she spreads.”

Shimon Peres

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Jewish Times Asia March 2013

Regional News

It was that time of the year when Jewish communities around the world dress up in fancy dress to attend the festival of Purim and listen to reading of the Megilah. This year, the festival commenced on 24 February on Shabbat evening. Spotted amongst the Hong Kong Ohel Leah Synagogue members was Philip Jay, Publisher, Jewish Times Asia, disguised as a dog! Not sure if this is one way of becoming more affectionate or what publishers get up to in their free time impersonating animals. Judging by the outfit, an aggressive one!

Clean-tech seminar held in Taiwan The Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei held a seminar in January to promote bilateral exchanges in the area of clean technology. Participants included three Israeli companies in the clean tech industry who shared their experiences with their Taiwanese counterparts at

the seminar. The agenda included discussions on environmental protection, green projects, renewable energy and sea water desalination. Alona Sheafer Karo, Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Environmental Protection, was also in attendance at the seminar.

Chief of India’s Air Force visits Israel The Chief of Air Staff and Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Indian Armed Forces, Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne, arrived in Israel on 19 January for his first visit to the country in his current position. The visit lasted four days. Air Marshal Browne was hosted by the Commander of the Israel Air Force, Major General Amir Eshel. The marshal, previously served as India’s first Defense Attaché to Israel between 1997 to 2000, where he set up the defense wing in the Indian embassy. Marshal Browne was received at Camp Rabin (Kirya) Base by an IDF honour guard consisting of soldiers from the ground, air and naval forces, to the sounds of the national anthems of Israel and India. During the course of his visit, Browne also conducted meetings with Chief of the General Staff Lt. General Benny Gantz, and with Israel’s Minister of Defense, Ehud

IDF

It’s a dogs life!

Anil Kumar Browne, right greeted by Amir Eshel

Barak. The meetings focused on cooperation between the two nations’ militaries. According to local Indian media, Air Chief Browne was looking to upgrade the country’s fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and the status of a joint venture air defence system. Officials from India’s ministry confirmed the two main projects between India and Israel are the upgrade of all its UAV’s with the medium

range-surface to air missile system being co-developed. The Air Marshal also visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum, where he laid a wreath in memory of those who perished in the Holocaust. Lastly, he also visited the Memorial of Indian Soldiers in Jerusalem at the Indian War Cemetery, in commemoration of the sacrifice of Indian fallen soldiers who helped liberate Haifa in 1918, in WWI.

Jewish Times Asia March 2013

Regional News

Chabad opens first Mikvah in Tokyo

lubavitch.com

First ever Hebrew language and culture conference at JNU

Chabad in Tokyo completed a construction of a new mikvah in January, a much welcome development for Tokyo’s Jewish women who previously had no choice but to make the 325 mile trip to Kobe, for the nearest mikvah. With construction in Japan at three times the cost of a similar project elsewhere and endless delays, it took several years until Rabbi Mendi and Chana Sudakevich, Chabad representatives to Tokyo since 2000, finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel, or the water at the bottom of the pool. Israel’s Ambassador to Japan, Nissim Ben Shitrit, was also in attendance to join a grand opening. He described the Mikvah’s completion as nothing short of a “miracle.” The Sudakevichs credit Yair

Levy, a Kobe resident, whose generosity got the cement trucks rolling. Levy, an Israeli living in Japan for many years, was inspired to support the new mikvah because he appreciates how integral it is to Jewish life. The mikvah is named Mikvah Mordechai after Mr. Levy’s father. Chabad representatives from China and Hong Kong joined the celebration. Mrs. Dini Greenberg, Chabad representative to Shanghai where the first mikvah opened seven years ago, offered the women Jewish perspectives on marriage and family life. Chana Sudakevich expects the new mikvah will pique the curiosity of Jewish women in Tokyo, and more will incorporate the mitzvah in their lives.

City University delegation head to Tel Aviv University

Raanan Rein holding a gift plate with Roderick Wong

At the Tel Aviv University, senior representatives from the campus warmly welcomed a delegation from City University of Hong Kong headed by Professor Roderick Wong, Vice President, accompanied by Dr. David Cheng, Associate Vice President. The main focus of the group was on joint academic cooperation and both parties found major areas of interest to explore for collaboration.

The group met with Vice President Professor Raanan Rein and Professor Danny Leviatan, pro-Rector, as well as Ms Orly Fromer, Advisor to the President for Resource Development. Further individual meetings were held with the Deans of both the Faculty of Management and Faculty of Engineering as well as the head of Tel Aviv University’s International programmes.

A three day conference on Hebrew Language and Culture: Reception, Self-Conception and Intercultural Relations, took place between 28-30 January, 2013 at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), in New Delhi. The event, organised by the School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies in JNU’s Centre of Arabic and African Studies, hosted dozens of leading Hebrew and Judaism scholars from Israel and India. The conference aimed at exploring the different aspects of Hebrew; the language, the people, the culture, the old and the new. Amongst the subjects discussed in the conference were: The Revival of the Hebrew Language, India in the Rabbinic Literature, Comparisons between Judaic Thought and Gandhi’s Philosophy,

From left to right: Dean of JNU School of Languages Prof. M.A. Islahi, Ambassador of Israel Alon Ushpiz, Rector of JNU Prof. Sudha Pai, Chairperson of the Centre for Arabic & African Studies Prof. A. Basheer Ahmad and Rector of Ashkelon Academic College

Hebrew and Jewish Literature and Culture in India as well as various studies of India’s Jewish communities.

image of the academic passion found in Israel for Indian culture, heritage, history and languages.”

Israel’s Ambassador to India, Alon Ushpiz, was amongst senior delegates that attended. In his inauguration address, he thanked the organisers from JNU and said that “the impressive depth of the discussions in the conference is a mirror

“The key to our mutual academic fascination is the fact that both Israel and India have managed to preserve their ancient heritage while constantly moving forward with the rapidly changing world,” Ushpiz added.

Jewish Times Asia March 2013

Regional News

An opening address was given by Israel’s Ambassador to Vietnam Mrs. Meirav Eilon Shahar. “The scale and destroyment of massacre was extremely devasting,” Shahar said.

Israel Embassy Vietnam

“The event was not only for remembrance, but also today for warning and protection of eternal memory of the Holocaust and renew our commitment to human rights and mutual understanding” Shahar added.

Meirav Eilon Shahar

In Bangkok, on 4 February, Bangkok’s UN Conference Center filled to the brim with members of the diplomatic corps, Thai and expat dignitaries, elderly people from countries worldwide and a choir of children from the Mechai Pattana Bamboo School. The theme was The Courage To Care and the event was jointly organised by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and the Embassy of Israel.

Israel Embassy Bangkok

Simon Roded, Israel’s Ambassador to Thailand, spoke of the need for humankind to fight

Simon Rode lighting the memorial candles

Mechai Pattana Bamboo School

the impulse of switching channels and shrouding itself in false comfort when seeing disturbing images and the suffering of others, and urged to resist injustice, intolerance and indifference to prevent and end atrocities such as those that took place in Cambodia and Rwanda or those taking place in Syria today. “Hitler was able to carry out his plans because too many good men decided to turn their heads, to look the other way, to distance themselves from the pain and suffering of their neighbours,” he said.

Israel Embassy Bangkok

As all communities around the world observed International Holocaust Remembrance Day, to remember the six million victims of the Holocaust during WWII, Israel’s Embassy in Vietnam held its first official ceremony in the country. In coordination with the representative office of the UN in Vietnam, Africa-Middle East Research Institute and University of Social Sciences and Humanities, a solemn and meaningful event took place in Hanoi on 24 January.

Israel Embassy Bangkok

Holocaust Remembrance Day commemorated in Vietnam and Thailand

Holocaust Exhibition in English and Thai

Bearing witness to his nation’s past, the German Ambassador to Thailand Mr. Rolf Peter Gottfried Schulze, expressed his government’s obligation that racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism will never again take hold in his country or in Europe. A moving rendition of Imagine by John Lennon was sung by the young students from the Mechai Pattana Bam-

boo School, and violinist, Jonathan Glonek and pianist Usa Napawan played an evocative and eerie piece entitled Vidui by Ernest Bloch followed by Hebrew Melody by Josef Achron. An accompanying exhibition entitled The Courage to Remember from the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, was also translated into Thai, and the sequence of the horrors that took place during the Nazi

A screening of a personalised video message sent by Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the UN, lent the occasion a sense of eminent stateliness. Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, came especially to Thailand to give his keynote address entitled: Lessons from the Holocaust for Asia. He spoke of the ignorant use of Nazi symbols by Catholic school children in Chiang Mai, T-shirts and jeans adorned with Nazi swastikas worn by the young in newly democratised Myanmar, and India where young businessmen purchase the book Mein Kampf, as they have been told it is the product of a highly organised mind. Embracing these symbols and the horrors they represent will ultimately inspire intimidation of minorities and hate crimes, he said. Quoting the late Simon Wiesenthal from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, when asked if the Holocaust could happen again, his reply was yes, if three conditions exist: hate, technology and government crisis. Dr. Sombat Suwanpitak, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Thai Ministry of Education, spoke, noting that it was important to look back at history to make the future a better place. Thailand may consider including Holocaust education in the Thai school curriculum.

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era was clearly conveyed to all. The event ended with attendees from all nations silently lining up, each in turn reading out a single name, place of birth, age and place of death of one person who perished during that dark era. Eleven candles, representing 11 million victims, were lit in their memory. Additional material for Bangkok supplied by Ines Ehrlich.

Jewish Times Asia March 2013

Regional News

Chabad celebrates the Jewish Journey in Eastern Asia To celebrate the collective ‘Journeys of Jews’ throughout Eastern Asia and the monumental contribution and growth of Chabad, over 200 people joined ‘Journeys’, the Annual Dinner of Chabad of China on 24 January. The evening included a specially choreographed performance of Chassidic and Asian dancers, a sumptuous dinner buffet catered by the Aberdeen Marina Club and an inspiring address by the guest speaker. “Wherever you are in life, physically, spiritually and emotionally, Chabad is there to assist you on your journey,” stated Head Shliach Rabbi Mordechai Avtzon.

attend the event. “Without a doubt, meeting Chabad has been a turning point for me, my children and, please G-d one day, my grandchildren.”

Chassidic dance performance

Attended by Shluchim and Shluchot from throughout China and Eastern Asia, the evening celebrated the “home away from home” Chabad offers in China, Vietnam, Japan and Korea and the services that the fifteen plus centres provide

in a myriad of ways. A testimony to Chabad’s open door policy was the keynote address by Monique Sara Levy, who met Chabad while working as a project manager on one of the biggest developments on the Cotai Strip in Macau. The Italian born Levy told of her upbringing “in a very watered-down” Jewish home, losing her husband and then relocating to China with her two sons, Gillo and Jonathan.

Left to Right: Isaac Kamhin (Hineni Award), Rabbi Mordechai Avtzon and Andre Rofe (Etz Chaim Award)

“Chabad inspired us during our two short years in Hong Kong and will inspire us for the rest of our lives,” said Levy who flew in from Tel Aviv to

The event also provided an opportunity for the community to pay tribute to this year’s honorees for their significant involvement and contribution to Jewish life in China and beyond. A unique challah board made of rice and custom-crafted in Vietnam was presented to the two honorees Andre Rofe (Etz Chaim Award) and Isaac Kamhin (Hineni Award). Chabad of Shenzhen, directed by Rabbi Sholem Ber Chazan, also made a presentation to its supporter Serge Choukroun, who is the key sponsor of the

soon-to-be-dedicated Chabad House there. Each guest received a newly published Chabad of Asia Travel Guide that contains over 100 pages of important information for the Jewish traveller. Extra copies of this guide are available upon request.

Rabbi Avtzon dancing with Shluchim

Attendees at the dinner

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Jewish Times Asia March 2013

Regional News

Korean delegation to boost tourism

Israeli Ambassador to Japan Nissim Ben-Shitrit recently visited a book store at a Tokyo Metro station and was shocked to discover a Japanese Manga comic book with a drawing of Adolf Hitler on its cover. An inquiry revealed that the book, which had been distributed in many book stands in Japan, was a Japanese translation of the Nazi leader’s autobiography, Mein Kampf.

A delegation of senior representatives of South Korea’s tourism industry visited Israel in February in a bid to increase public awareness of the country as an enticing tourist destination. The trip coincided with the annual International Mediterranean Tourism Market Fair, represented by 30 different countries at the Israel Trade Fairs and Convention Center in Tel Aviv. South Korea’s Ambassador to Israel Kim Il-soo, hosted an event for senior embassy staff and representatives of the Israeli and Korean tourism industries. The meeting focused on ways to increase the flow of tourists between the two countries.The ambassador stressed that while there is very close Israeli-Korean cooperation in trade, in terms of tourism “Korea is at the very bottom of public awareness.” He also noted that the majority of Koreans are pro-Israel. The

Following the inquiry, the ambassador scheduled a meeting with the comic book’s publisher, which was also attended by two of the book’s illustrators. Ben-Shitrit expressed his discontent with the publication and explained why it was so problematic. The publisher apologised, saying he did not think the book would offend anyone’s feelings. The publisher told the ambassador that the Mein Kampf comic book had sold tens of thousands of copies and was already sold out. As he could

Israel Embassy Japan

Israel’s ambassador to Japan replaces Hitler with Moses

The Manga comic book

not repair what was done, BenShitrit tried to come up with an idea to tilt the balance. After contemplating several solutions, the publisher accepted the ambassador’s offer to issue a Manga version of the Bible stories. During the meeting, the parties agreed to publish three different books. The Bible stories comic books are now offered for sale in Japan’s book stores both in Japanese and in English. “When I saw the drawing of Hitler with swastikas and Japanese captions, I was shocked,” says Ben-Shitrit. “It’s unthink-

Burns Night , Hong Kong style Celebrating Burns Night has become an annual event at Ohel Leah Synagogue in Hong Kong. This year, as it fell on a Friday evening, this much anticipated festivity, hosted by Richard Winston, became an ‘Apres Burns’ Night on Tuesday 5 February. Twenty guests joined in the ‘spirit’ of the occasion and were piped into the King David Room by a piper in full Scots regalia. During the evening a special dinner was served including the inevitable and inestimable kosher haggis. This gourmet delight was accompanied by five special malt whiskies– Cragganmore, Clynelish, Glenlivet, Glenfarclas and Lagavulin. As a further tribute to the life of the distinguished Scottish poet, a number of his works were read by the assembled guests whose significant contribution to the success of the eve-

The Scottish piper opening the evenings festivities

ning should be acknowledged as their brave attempts at a Scots accent were almost successful! The evening ended with a toast to the Scottish Bard and a vow to continue celebrating this unique occasion.

Paying tribute to Scottish poet Robert Burns

able that an enlightened person would read Hitler’s book. Luckily, the book has exhausted itself and is no longer on the shelves. “Now I’m hoping that young people in Japan will be exposed to the heroes of the Bible. I don’t think that they maliciously intended to publish something anti-Semitic. It’s a small company that publishes Manga books, and they thought their readers would be interested in it.”

number of tourists that visit Israel from South Korea is larger than from any other Asian country. In 2012, some 40,000 tourists visited Israel, while just over 12,000 Israeli tourists vacationed in South Korea. An embassy spokesman emphasised that many South Koreans identify with the history of Israel and the bookshelves of numerous family homes hold a translation of the Talmud. “It is not only a country that produces sophisticated cellphones and cars, but also a country that offers a rich culture, that combines old and new, traditional and modern, alongside nature reserves, peaceful islands, exotic cuisine and a rich history,” Il-soo said. This year marks the 51st anniversary of diplomatic relations between Israel and South Korea, which share the same 1948 birth year.

Jewish Times Asia March 2013

Business News

Tvinci wins contract with Singapore’s MediaCorp Tvinci Limited, a leading POTT (Pay Over The Top) platform provider, announced that it has been selected by MediaCorp, Singapore’s leading media company, to power its new cross device lifestyle service, Toggle. Toggle will be available on PC, iPhone, iPad and connected TV. The service is available to consumers as a subscriptions service or as a pay per view service, and offers both linear and video-on-demand, content, and access to a library of programming. The service will initially offer 11 live channels and thousands of hours of content, including both local and Hollywood content. The service is expected to go on air from February. “Consumers are increasingly using connected devices both as companion devices and as second screens, and so we made a strategic decision to make Toggle not only a direct way for them to watch MediaCorp content anytime and anywhere, but also a gateway to a brand new TV experience,” said Philip Koh, Managing Director, Convergent Media Divi-

sion, MediaCorp. “We’re happy to have Toggle powered by Tvinci’s OTT 2.0 backend, and confident in the way that our users’ devices and content are managed and delivered. Tvinci’s team demonstrated great technical acumen through the quality and speed at which Toggle has been developed and launched,” added Koh. “Toggle is the perfect example of a leading media company setting the standard in its local market,” said Ofer Shayo, CEO of Tvinci. “The amount of content consumed via connected devices is increasing steadily every month. Leading operators and media companies such as MediaCorp understand the need to introduce an over the top offering,” added Shayo. “We are excited to have launched Toggle with MediaCorp as our first project in the pan-Asian region, and we are looking forward to deploying our platform in other territories in 2013,” Shayo concluded. Tvinci linked up with Me-

Helping Israeli companies set up in China A professional seminar entitled: New Models for Setting up & Managing Operations in China was held on 2 January in Tel-Aviv, Israel. The seminar focused on industrial management and legal aspects, as well as trends and strategies for setting up and operating a successful business in China. The Consul General of Israel in Shanghai, Jackie Eldan and Amir Hayek, the managing director of the Manufacturers Association of Israel, together with lawyers, experts of the Chinese business sector and leading Israeli CEO’s who work in China, were among the speakers.

In order to facilitate greater strategic business cooperation between the two countries, a Chinese delegation from the city of Chang-Zhou (next to Shanghai) gave a special presentation of the business opportunities the city has to offer for Israeli companies seeking to work with China. The seminar, which was concluded by a Q&A panel honored by the participation of the Consul General, contributed to an exchange of knowledge, experience and ideas as well as to strengthen personal and business ties between Israeli and Chinese key leaders in the business community.

Jackie Eldan (4th on right) with business delegates

diaCorp following a strategic visit by MediaCorp executives in Israel in 2011 arranged by the Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute. Tvinci was founded in 2007 by Shayo and Business Development Director Ido Wiesenberg. Last year, it tripled its revenue, with contracts including Finland’s largest telecommunications company Elisa, and Dutch company Chellomeida.

Ofer Shayo

Israeli diamond industry returns to India for show The Israeli diamond industry is heading back to Mumbai for the IIJS Signature Show on 22-25 February 2013, for the third year in a row. The Israeli Diamond Institute Group of Companies (IDI) will once again have a national pavilion, featuring some of Israel’s leading diamond companies. India is a key market for Israeli diamonds, and as such has become a major marketing destination for Israeli companies. IDI organises Israel Diamond Pavilions in three major Indian trade shows during the year – UBM Jewellery & Gem Fair in January, IIJS Signature in February and IIJS in August. Based on the Israeli exhibitors’ experience at the January show, it is clear that the Indian diamond market is back on track and is keen

on Israeli diamonds. The IDI Pavilion, will include major booths by several of Israel’s largest exporters, including the Dalumi Group, Julius Klein-Eliaz Diamonds, Leo Schachter Diamonds, Lili Diamonds, S. Juwal Diamonds, Shlomo Bichachi Diamonds and Vision International Diamonds. IDI Chairman Moti Ganz said that the reawakening of the Indian market bodes well for the Israeli diamond industry and its counterparts abroad. “The global diamond industry has had a very challenging year. The positive signs we see in India since the beginning of 2013 are very encouraging. We are optimistic that 2013 will be a much better year for our local industry and for our colleagues around the world,” Ganz said.

Jewish Times Asia March 2013

Business News

AmeriCraft Imports quenches Hong Kong’s thirst for craft beers

Can-Fite transfers drug production to China

Have you noticed new and interesting beers appearing on menus across Hong Kong? Tired of finding the same mass-produced lagers at every bar and restaurant, beer enthusiasts Laurie and Adam Goldberg founded AmeriCraft Imports in April 2012 to import their favourite craft beers from the US. “I love drinking beer and was disappointed when I couldn’t find any favorites here,” Ms. Goldberg said. “People appreciate good food and wine in Hong Kong. I thought it just a matter of time before craft beer became popular also.”

Can-Fite BioPharma, an Israeli biopharmaceutical company announced it has transfered its drug production to China. The company has an advanced pipeline of proprietary compounds in phase II and III clinical development stage, which address autoimmuneinflammatory and cancer diseases. The company estimates that production in China will save millions of dollars and also enable the company to supply active pharmaceuticals ingredients to its current and future strategic partners.

While the term “craft beer” is not well-defined, it generally refers to beer made by small, independent breweries using traditional ingredients rather than the cheaper adjuncts (e.g., rice and corn) favoured by industrial breweries. The past decade has seen a craft beer

explosion in the US, and craft beer is finally starting to catch on in Hong Kong. AmeriCraft offers beers and ciders from many renowned and up-and-coming US breweries, including Anchor Brewing Company, Lost Coast Brewery, Kona Brewing Company, The Lost Abbey, Aztec Brewing Company, Iron Fist Brewing Company, Julian Hard Cider and Shmaltz Brewing Company. Shmaltz is famous for its popular He’Brew beers, which AmeriCraft proudly sponsored for the 2012 Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival. “When choosing beers to import,” Mr. Goldberg said, “we look for products that display a creative, thoughtful approach to brewing. And, we only bring in beers that we love to drink.”

AmeriCraft sells craft beer wholesale to bars, restaurants and hotels. It also offers home delivery through an online retail shop. The Goldbergs also spend much of their time hosting beer dinners, tastings, and other events meant to spur craft beer awareness. One such event is ‘Beertopia’, Hong Kong’s only craft beer festival, which will take place on 13 April at the West Kowloon Waterfront. “When people get to know these beers, they love them,” Ms. Goldberg said. “My job, and it’s a great one, is to lead Jewish consumers to better beer.”

CMY

Can-Fite was established in 2000 by Pnina Fishman, Ph.D., researcher in the Rabin Medical Center. The company was founded on the basis of Fishman’s scientific findings. The company’s lead drug, CF101, is in clinical development for the treatment of autoimmune inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis. The CF102 drug candidate is being developed for the treatTime Asia.pdf 1 3/6/13 10:17 AM ment of liver diseases.

Pnina Fishman

Can-Fite has a wealth of clinical experience. To date more than 700 patients have participated in clinical trials conducted by the company. “Can-Fite is preparing for the completion of phase III clinical trials, and the progress of other drugs to more advanced clinical trials. As part of this effort, the company requires much greater production capacity to support the hundreds of patients in the studies, and a production line to provide the regular supply needed for extensive studies,” commented Professor Pnina Fishman, Founder, CanFite.

Jewish Times Asia March 2013

Business News

PrimeSense and TechFaith sign agreement to promote 3D motion technology

Israel is one of the regions for new Samsung fund

China TechFaith Wireless Technology Limited announced its game business unit 17FOX and PrimeSense Limited, a leading Israel-based, 3D motion sensing technology leader, have signed a cooperation agreement to jointly promote 3D motion sensing technology, delivery platforms and games in China. Under the terms of the agreement, 17FOX will cooperate with PrimeSense on the development, marketing and merchandising of 3D motion sensing games and applications in China based on PrimeSense’s 3D motion sensing technologies. The games and applications will allow gamers to play and control games using video camera cap-

Samsung Electronics announced the launch of a new company-owned seed investment fund that will focus on three geographic areas: California’s Silicon Valley, Massachusetts and Israel. The New Samsung Catalyst Fund will announce a start-up competition later this year that will distribute US$100 million in seed investments to winners.

Aviad Maizels

tured body movements. PrimeSense is a leader in ‘Natural Interaction’ and 3D sensing, enabling devices to “see” environments and allowing interaction between people and devices in a simple and intuitive way. The company offers affordable solutions for consumer and commercial markets including: home computing, interactive entertainment, consumer electronics, robotics, industrial, digital signage and healthcare. “This agreement will give TechFaith’s 17FOX gaming unit access to critical, proven 3D motion sensing technology, which will give gamers new, immersive feelings when playing games as they will no

longer need to hold hardware in their hands to control games,” said Defu Dong, Chairman and CEO of TechFaith. Founded in 2005 by Aviad Maizels, Alexander Shpunt, Ophir Sharon, Tamir Berliner and Dima Rais, PrimeSense is a privately held company headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, It has offices in North America, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, China and Taiwan. Maizel, President & CoFounder, Prime Sense has years of experience in technology and leadership. He served as head of a technical R&D section in the Israeli Ministry of Defense, and has a BSc in computer science from the Technion and an MSc in mathematics from the Weizmann Institute.

The fund will operate out of Samsung’s R&D centres in Israel, US and South Korea. “The new fund will nurture early stage start-ups to create new businesses, form strategic partnerships make strategic investments and acquisitions,” a Samsung spokesperson said.

interview. “We are going to be bringing expertise to these companies.” Young also serves chief strategy officer of Samsung’s device solutions unit, and will be leading the new seed fund. Samsung intends to provide early stage companies with access to the corporations organisational resources by way of its seed fund, including its R&D, marketing and branding muscle. Last summer, Samsung opened an innovation centre in Silicon Valley’s Menlo Park for the scientists and entrepreneurs it funds. The company is also expected to launch a start-up accelerator programme that will operate in close proximity to the centre.

The fund will focus its investments on companies in the fields of cloud computing infrastructure, human-machine interface technology, and cybersecurity and will work alongside the US$1 billion Samsung Ventures America Fund, Samsung’s principal investment fund. “Our role is not to be an incubator,” Samsung President Young Sohn told Reuters in an

Young Sohn

Jewish Times Asia March 2013

The Maccabiah Games building Jewish pride through sports

he Third delegation from Hong KongChina will be participating at the upcoming Maccabiah in Israel this year. From 18-30 July, approximately 9000 athletes, delegations from more than sixty countries, will partake in the 19th Maccabiah Games. The opening ceremony will take place in Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem. The closing ceremony will be held on 31 July, in a brand new stadium in Haifa.

nadian Paralympic Swim Team for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio.

The Games are now the third largest sporting event in the world, after the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games. The Games takes place every four years in Israel. It also ranks among the five largest sports gatherings in the world (in number of participants), and are considered Regional Games by the International Olympic Committee.

Bernie represented Hong Kong in 2005 when the first delegation from this region took part in the games, in his words: “Being born in a rehabilitation camp in Germany to holocaust survivors, then shipped out to Israel, with empty suitcases, and no idea of the Hebrew language or the country and from there moving to Canada and later to the US and China, the Maccabiah games were a remarkable experience which is hard to express in words. My son’s Bar Mitzvah was celebrated at the games and seeing him celebrating this unique occasion with Jews from all over the world and being carried by Israeli soldiers around the stadium was an unforgettable memory. The Games provides every Jewish child or adult an experience that is guaranteed to be remarkable”.

History of the Maccabiah The original Maccabiah was first held from 28 March to 6 April, 1932. Its overwhelming success guaranteed its permanent future. Originally conceived as an event to take place every four years. Maccabiah II was moved down a year to 1935 because of the rising threat of Nazism in Europe. WWII forced the postponement of Maccabiah III, and it was 15 years later that the next Games were held, reborn in 1950 in the new State of Israel. Maccabiah IV was held in 1953, thereafter, the Maccabiah established its current quadrennial formula, held the year following the Summer Olympic Games.

For Bernie Pomeranc the Maccabiah games have been part of his life for many years. Thirty years ago Bernie played tennis for the US delegation at the Maccabiah games. Later on his son took part in the delegation, playing rugby, and this year not only will Bernie play tennis for the Hong KongChina delegation, but also his grandson will be there as a delegate from the US. Aaron Zweig preparing for the Maccabiah

Mark Spitz and Marilyn Ramenofsky (swimming); Debbie Lipman (diving); Mitch Gaylord, Abie Grossfeld, and Agnes Keleti (gymnastics); Larry Brown, Ernie Grunfeld, Danny Schayes, (coaches) Nat Holman and Dolph Schayes (basketball); Carina Benninga (field hockey); Lillian Copeland, Gerald Ashworth, and Gary Gubner (track and field); Angela Buxton, Julie Heldman, Allen Fox, and Dick Savitt (tennis); Angelica Rosenau (table tennis); Isaac Berger and Frank Spellman (weightlifting); and Fred Oberlander and Henry Wittenberg (wrestling). The Maccabiah these days

Ariella Levy, our youngest delegate swimming for Hong Kong

The Maccabiah is the world’s largest Jewish athletic competition, and are often called “The Jewish Olympics”. The Maccabiah differs from the Olympics in that all of the athletes are Jewish and the games are always held in Israel. More

to compete in the games. The Paralympics category was recently introduced into the games and is gradually expanding, with Paralympic swimming being added for the first time this year.

This unique and spectacular sport and cultural extravaganza unites Jewish athletes from all over the world in Israel every four years symbolically recognising Zionist history. There are many Olympic gold medalists, world champions, and world record holders who have competed in the Maccabiah. Most notably,

than forty different sporting competitions are offered. The games are divided into four separate competitions, Juniors, Open, Masters and Paralympics. Every Israeli citizen and every Jew worldwide is eligible

Adam Kleinberg

Bernie Pomeranc (right), and his friends representing Hong Kong and China at the 2005 Maccabiah

The Hong Kong Athletes

Maccabi World Union (MWU) opened a branch in Hong Kong and China in 2004. Raphael Aharoni, Chairman, MWU, remembers the first delegation which was sent out from the region for the 2005 games, and included 12 athletes. Under the chairmanship of Rafael Aharoni and the leadership of Neil Hyman and Daniel Gordon, Maccabi has grown significantly in Hong Kong over the last five years.

Hong Kong Delegation Swimming Aaron Zweig, Paralympics Anna Scherer, Masters Ariella Levy, Juniors Tennis Bernie Pomeranc, Masters Dan Aubach, Masters Squash Zack Bitan, Juniors Eli Bitan, Masters Fencing Adam Kleinberg, Masters Futsal (Masters) Dima Applebaum, Daniel Suissa, Andrew Hyams, Neil Hyman, Avi Machlin, Daniel Gordon, Ben Tiaeb

Daniel Gordon

skills. Maccabi’s adults soccer team fields 2 teams in the city league and has around 30 players. There is also basketball coaching at Elsa for children. The increased participation in the Hong Kong delegation at the Maccabiah 2013 could not have happened without the foundations of the Maccabi Hong Kong weekly sports programme. This year Hong Kong will be sending the largest delegation ever comprising of 15 athletes. “The delegation is still looking and hopefully more additional athletes from Hong Kong, China and Macau to join. There is still time to apply,” said Daniel Gordon, Head of the Hong Kong Delegation.

Aaron Zweig will be our representative in the Paralympics swimming races. Aaron, who lost his leg due to a heart disease, was encourage to swim by his dad as a form of excercise. “This is my first time competing in the Maccabiah Games”, says Aaron, “It is a particular honour for me to participate in the 19th Maccabiah Games because this is the first year for paralympic swimming.”

Each Sunday over 80 children, both boys and girls play soccer at Elsa High School with some of the best professional coaches in Hong Kong teaching them

It is also an honour to be a part of the Hong Kong delegation. For sure, this experience is something I will remember my whole life. However, I am not going merely to win. “Winning would just be a bonus!” Aaron just received his official Paralympic certification from Canada in February. He is now preparing to compete in several regional and international Paralympic swim meets after the Maccabiah Games with the hope of qualifying for the Ca-

Eli and Zach Bitan, playing Squash at the Macabbiah 2013

For further details please contact Daniel Gordon. Registration for athletes is open until 31 March. Anyone interested in joining email: Daniel Gordon, danielgordon1@live.com.

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Jewish Times Asia March 2013

Special Israel Supplement – Luxury Homes

Jewish Times Asia

Investment in Israel For further information visit our site www.investinisrael.com

Dazzling Israeli Real Estate Properties Attract Growing Numbers of Buyers from Abroad

Hasid Brothers Jerusalem Theatre Project

By Steve K. Walz A select group of reputable real estate builders and developers continue to erect a variety of projects in hot property markets such as Jerusalem, metro Tel Aviv and Netanya, where English- speaking buyers are avidly seeking a unique residence that accentuates a highstandard of living.

Though real estate prices in many European and American cities are still suffering from the after effects of the global economic slowdown, real estate prices in Israel have continued to rise at a steady clip, turning almost any investment in property into a valuable asset. According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics home prices have risen in

Hasid Brothers Zion Towers in Arnona, Jerusalem

value by 20% since 2010 and 50% during the past decade! Many buyers and investors from abroad are taking large mortgages simply because the Israeli banking system offers low interest rates. During the past few years, several builders concentrated their efforts on constructing high-end real estate projects

geared toward the English and French speaking communities along a corridor near the entrance to the Old City in Jerusalem. As those projects are nearing completion, one of the city’s most renowned real estate developers is about to transform several other “in demand” neighbourhoods into spectacular residential, cultural and tourist attractions that are

destined to change the complexion of Jerusalem. Exclusive Sneak Preview The A. Hasid (Achim Hasid/ Hasid Brothers) real estate development company, led by Zion Hasid, highlights a 35 year stellar track record in planning, developing and erecting projects in Jerusalem and other Israeli cities.

Jewish Times Asia March 2013

Welcome Home

Mizrahi Tefahot, established 90 years ago, recognized as Israel's fastest growing bank, provides a full range of banking services for olim hadashim and foreign residents. We have achieved this status, in part, due to our commitment to deliver a world class proposition to all our clients. Whether International Private Banking or our market leading mortgages to purchase property in Israel, allow our multi-lingual relationship managers in Israel or London to show you why so many new customers choose to join Mizrahi Tefahot.

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Jewish Times Asia March 2013

Jewish Times Asia

Mr. Hasid is also the current Deputy Chairman of the Organisation of Contractors and Builders in Jerusalem. According to Arie Shmilowitch, A. Hasid’s, Marketing Director, “This traditional Jerusalem family has built its reputation on creating projects in unique places in Jerusalem, where potential buyers can actually feel and experience their connection to the Holy City. In addition, the company engages top notch architects and designers, where the accent is on quality. Combined with our personal devotion to each and every client, we are able to offer a kind of service that is almost unprecedented. We know this, because the children and even the grand-children of some of our original buyers have come to us to buy their own properties in recent years. This is the ultimate compliment!”

Special Israel Supplement – Luxury Homes designer or using an outside person.” Less than a five minute drive away, A. Hasid is developing another grandiose real estate project in the trendy German Colony/Emek Refaim

Bayit B’Gan in Har Homa are aimed at families with children, as well as young couples and retirees. Zion Towers, will feature 200 impeccably designed apartments in two 24 storey buildings, the tallest in all of Jerusalem. The towers will be

prime Mediterranean beachfront real estate in Israel, while also benefiting from all of the amenities associated with a world-class hotel. Welcome to The Residences at the Ritz-Carlton in Herzliya, Israel (RCR).

According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics home prices have risen in value by 20% since 2010 and 50% during the past decade!

The apartments within the Jerusalem Theatre project, which will be completed in 2017, will accentuate the essence of “exclusive living.” Mr. Shmilowitch added, “Each apartment will be quite large 160x320sq. meters, where the buyer can purchase either a half-floor or full floor. You are essentially purchasing open space. The buyer has the option to design the property any way they want, either using our

What is a vacation residence? Ms. Azouri revealed, “It is NOT a timeshare. Clients purchase a vacation residence that they can use as they wish for up to 6 months at any time during the year, while the RitzCarlton company, which manages high-end vacation residences all over the world, maintains your property and offers it to guests during the rest of the year. Up until now, there weren’t any real options available to foreign tourists with an interest in investing. They either had to buy an apartment without any ongoing maintenance services or they had to go to a hotel several times a year, which represents an expensive alternative if you wish to enjoy luxury services. The Residences at the RitzCarlton allows you to enjoy an elite lifestyle when you are in town and earn income while you are abroad. Why leave it empty when you can benefit from it?”

At the present time, A. Hasid is engaged in developing four very different projects across Israel’s capital, several of which are bound to set a new standard in residential and commercial real estate enterprises. Mr. Shmilowitch revealed that the company’s “Jerusalem Theatre” project, which will be built adjacent to the city’s prestigious Jerusalem Theatre in the upscale Talbieh neighborhood, will highlight “one of the most exclusive real estate ventures in all of Israel.” The complex will feature three 5-story buildings that will house 22 apartments. Within the same complex, A. Hasid will erect a super-premium 80 room boutique hotel and residential complex, where the first four floors will comprise the hotel, while the upper four floors will feature 22 exclusive apartment suites, where residents will also be entitled to the hotel’s planned pampering amenities. The residential and hotel complex is being designed by Feigin Architects. These distinguished architects have designed some of the country’s most prominent hotels including the new Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Jerusalem.

Israeli and foreign connoisseurs of upscale living.

The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, Herzliya

neighborhood that will resemble some of the same elements found along the trendy Sheinkin St. area in Tel Aviv. According to Mr. Shmilowitch, Ada Carmi, another elite Israeli architect who has designed some of the most architecturally compelling buildings in the country, will be charged with meshing old Jerusalem with the modern city within the context of transforming two preserved houses into a 40 room boutique hotel. In addition, the surrounding land space will feature a row of high-end stores on the ground floor with chic apartments above them. “The German Colony-Emek Refaim neighborhood is considered to be a very dynamic, hip place,” said Mr. Shmilowitch. “Like our Jerusalem Theatre project, this high-end residential and hotel complex is aimed at young, affluent couples or financially well-off retirees, who wish to enjoy the upscale lifestyle.” The German Colony/Emek Refaim project is also scheduled to be completed in 2017. The company’s two other projects, Zion Towers in the Arnona neighborhood and

completed and ready for occupancy at the end of 2016. Bayit B’Gan will also become the first private residential complex within the Har Homa neighborhood, with 77 garden apartments and penthouses spread out over 7 buildings. Bayit B’Gan will mimic A. Hasid’s impressive Ganei Zion apartment complex in Jerusalem’s Katamon neighborhood, where a significant number of English-speaking couples and families purchased apartments. Like Ganei Zion, Bayit B’Gan residents will enter their building via a beautifully designed two dunam park, which is featured in the middle of the complex. Residents will receive their keys to the new apartments during 2015. World-Class Beachfront Lifestyle While there are a variety of real estate investment opportunities and vacation experiences available in Israel for foreign tourists, there is only one income producing property, which allows discerning foreign clients to invest in a prestigious vacation residence located on one of the last parcels of

“There is nothing like this available in the Israeli marketplace today. For Diaspora Jews, The Residences at the Ritz-Carlton in Herzliya represents the fulfillment of a dream, as it offers incredible value for the money. And, when they are not vacationing in Israel, investors can rent out their Ritz-Carlton residence and receive income,” said Miri Azouri, Director of Marketing & Sales at RCR. Scheduled to open in June 2013, The Residences at the Ritz-Carlton, Herzliya is the brainchild of the Tidhar Group and Adi’s Investments, which worked with the world-renowned RitzCarlton Hotel Corporation to create and maximise the unique property’s potential. “The Tidhar Group is recognized as a top developer of high-end commercial and residential properties across Israel,”said Dalia Mandelman, General Manager of Tidhar Investments. Adi’s Investments, led by the dynamic team of Adi and Irit Strauss, are deeply involved in devising a variety of unique concepts for both

For further information visit our site www.investinisrael.com

The majestic 12-storey building, which is located above the ritzy Herzliya Pituach mall and looks down upon the colourful marina below, highlights impressive studio vacation apartments, impeccably designed one & two-bedroom units, chic duplexes, as well as breathtaking penthouses. The modern interior and exterior design of the vacation residences and hotel were initiated by a first-class architectural team, who’ve worked on various upscale projects in Israel and abroad, including the famous Plaza Hotel in Manhattan. The 82 vacation residences are spread out over 6 floors above the plush hotel below. The residents have full access to the hotel’s luxury amenities including the magnificent rooftop pool, pampering multi-level spa and state-ofthe-art fitness room, business center, event rooms, on the premises synagogue and the first-ever upscale Kosher Chef’s Restaurant in Israel, with gastronomic delights prepared by Jonathan Roshfeld, who appears on the Israeli TV version of “Master Chef”. “Nothing has been left to the imagination, “boasted Ms. Azouri. “If you have ever dreamed of having a beautiful vacation solution to enjoy, as well as to entertain family and friends, the Residences at the Ritz-Carlton, Herzliya represents a smart investment and incredible value for the money”.

Jewish Times Asia Jewish March Times 2013 Asia 17

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Jewish Times AsiaJewish March Times 2013 Asia 19

Israeli Banks Special Israel Supplement – Banking

Israeli Banks Highlight a Myriad of Personalised Banking & Mortgage Services in English By Steve K. Walz

Recognising the steady growth in the numbers of prosperous English-speaking Jews who are either in the process of making aliyah or wish to make short and long-term investments in the State of Israel, a select group of renowned Israeli financial institutions are offering a myriad of private banking and mortgage services via native Englishspeaking banking professionals. “What’s important is that the bank offers foreign customers a mortgage in the currency that they are living with (such as U.S. dollars, Euros, British Sterling etc.), as well as documents in their native language, so they know what they are signing even if many customers who live abroad hire a local Israeli attorney or broker to handle their transactions. This allows the customer to feel at ease with what they are doing,” added Menachem Levinsky, Manager of Mizrahi-Tefahot Bank’s Mortgage Centre for International Clientele. Mizrahi-Tefahot Bank, which is controlled by two of Israel’s strongest economic entities, has acquired a stellar international reputation for its widerange of banking, mortgage and financial services in the Jewish State and abroad (USA, UK, Switzerland etc.) According to informed real estate sources, foreign investors (including potential new olim) are responsible for 25% of all real estate transactions in Israel on an annual basis, which means that hundreds of foreign buyers are actively involved in seeking out the best mortgage deals and other financial services from Israeli banks. “Many of our customers are new olim (immigrants) who are looking for a wide array of services but usually start with a mortgage, as they look to purchase real estate in Jerusalem or other cities around the country,” said Roni Rachmian, Manager of International Private Banking at the Bank of Jerusalem’s special private banking branch on Keren Hayesod St. in the heart of the Holy City.

aspire too.”

Bank of Jerusalem’s private banking branch on Keren Hayesod St.

Roni Rachmian

Mizrahi-Tefahot international private banking & mortgage facilities.

Bank of Jerusalem, a public corporation that is traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange is a renowned commercial bank with a substantial number of local and international clients that specialises and excels in the real estate, capital market and international banking arenas. Valuable Advice… At Mizrahi-Tefahot Bank, the client will receive his/her loan from Mr. Levinsky’s department and then he personally refers the client to a branch close to where there property is located and where the bank’s mortgage experts speak their native language. “I’ve had many calls from olim and investors who took mortgage loans from other banks and then called us because the other banks had no one who could speak their language,” he recalled. “I personally refer them to a banker who will take care of all of their banking needs, throughout the life of the mortgage without worrying about a language barrier. Many of my clients also communicate with me by email. We don’t make suggestions as to where olim or investors should buy properties, though we are quite aware of the fact that many olim and investors purchase apartments or homes in Jerusalem, Herzliya, Tel Aviv, Netanya etc. Some will buy properties a few years in advance of their aliyah,

so they can feel secure in the fact that they’ve also invested in the State of Israel before they make aliyah. If a client comes to us and mentions the price of a property in the city they want to invest in, we share with the client our experience and views, based on visible trends and this will help the client decide if the price of the property is reasonable, based on market conditions.” Mr. Rachmian revealed that Bank of Jerusalem will assist clients in finding the right property to invest in and metaphorically “hold their hands” all the way through the mortgage process. “We can finance properties throughout Israel, especially in cities that are quite popular amongst English-speaking olim or investors including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Ra’anana,” he claimed. “Some investors actively seek out small properties in places where there is substantial business from local residents who want to rent the property. This is how investors are able to realise a return on their investment. Some of our clients are in the real estate business themselves in their home countries. For other clients, like new and future olim who are looking to buy in a certain area, we could refer to a reliable broker or real estate attorney who knows where the hot properties are located. Some clients actu-

ally hire mortgage brokers and attorneys in advance who scout the banks to see where they can get the best deal. It’s like putting together a business triumviratereal estate broker, attorney and mortgage bank, as in many cases the customers is still living abroad. We work together to provide the customer with the best mortgage rates.” Private Banking & Financial Services First-class private banking and financial services for foreign and local investors have also played integral roles in the success of both banks. “Mizrahi-Tefahot operates four branches dedicated to serving our international clientele and foreign language speakers in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Netanya and Ashdod, and offers what I call a ‘one-stop shop’ for all of their private banking and financial needs,” said Marc Reiss, Mizrahi-Tefahot’s, Deputy Managing Director for International Activities & Private Banking. “What makes us so innovative is that we offer ease of access, convenience, a wide range of financial opportunities and boast a strong name amongst Jewish people living around the globe, including expatriate Israelis. It is important for us that our clients feel like it’s a home away from home. This is the level of service we

For further information visit our site www.investinisrael.com

Mr. Reiss maintained that his division works with many English, French and Spanish-speaking clients who are wealthy but economically conservative when managing their money in Israel. He explained,” Many of them are successful business people who are living abroad and are keeping a conservative nest-egg in Israel for a rainy day. We are offer them sophisticated deposits in many different currencies with a wide range of tenures and linkages. We are very proactive, and in constant contact with our clients to offer new and relevant products on a regular basis. The range of clients we deal with are wide, from those who are already retired to those still in the peak of their careers, both young and old. Some tend to be more conservative and invest in less risky instruments. Some clients are more aggressive and inclined to taking more risks with their money, and may want to invest in more aggressive financial products. Either way, we make sure that we understand what it is they are looking for in terms of returns and explain the up and down side to each investment. It is critical to match a client’s needs and expectations and we do so using our process of risk profiling and a resulting suitable asset allocation.” Mr, Rachmian also added that most of his English-speaking clients work closely with the bank’s financial advisors. “We have respected investment and financial advisors in our branch who closely monitor their accounts, including clients who have significant financial portfolios that they have set aside for a rainy day. We make it easy for our clients to manage their money and deal with our financial professionals,” he said. Plain and simple, Englishspeaking investors and future new immigrants all over the globe never have to leave home in order to reap the financial benefits associated with working with likewise English-speaking banking professionals in Israel.

Times Asia March 2013 20 Jewish Jewish Times Asia

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Jewish Times Asia March 2013

Luxury Homes in Jerusalem n o o s g in m com

The TheatreTalbiya

n oo s ng i m m o c

Zion TowersArnona

al s n

Ganei ZionKatamon

*photos for i l l u s t r a t i o n o n l y.

Arie Shmilowitch, mobile: +972.52.888.3336 arie@a-hasid.co.il office: +972.2.5617117 , 22A Hatsfira st. Jerusalem www.a-hasid.co.il hasid@a-hasid.co.il

Jewish Times Asia March 2013

Art and Culture

Trojan Women performed at the Cameri Theater

David Stein art exhibition

Israel’s Cameri Theater, in conjunction with the Metropolitan Theater of Tokyo, presented the Greek drama Trojan Women Euripides’ timeless masterpiece. The performance was on 29 December.

An exhibition of oil paintings by Hong Kong-based Swiss artist David Stein will be on show at the Voxfire Gallery in Sheung Wan throughout March 2013.

Trojan Women is Euripides’ third tragedy in a cycle. The ancient Greek play follows the fate of the women of Troy after their city has been ransacked, their husbands killed and, as their remaining families are about to be taken away as slaves, they are to be married to the enemy. Taking part in this unique co-production were Japanese and Israeli (Jewish and Arab) actors. The Japanese premiere of this production took place last year and was a great success. Ninagawa, together with a team of his colleagues, came to Israel for a brief visit, during which he held auditions. Ninagawa, who is famous for his productions of Japanese drama and mostly for his ren-

Aviram Shahino

The production was staged by prominent Japanese theatre and film director Yukio Ninagawa.

A scene from Trojan Women

ditions of Shakespearean and Greek tragedies, started his theatre career as an actor.

despite the difficulty of staging a play in three languages, he has made such an effort.

Ninagawa says that this production is a direct result of watching the news, specifically as regards the seemingly neverending dispute between Israel and Palestine. “It is a sad fact that this is a Greek play from before the time of Christ, and today nothing is different,” he said. Adding that we all have to do our part to understand the situation, as well as to try to make others understand. This is why

Cameri Theater’s Artistic Director Omri Nitzan, was hopeful that with same lines spoken three times in different languages, the audience will have a recollection of them and take them to heart because of the tediousness of listening to them. “The same words, the same feelings in a different language. The message was ‘listen, absolutely everything is alike. That is the irony.”

Festival & Season Opening Concert

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Music Director/Conductor

Yip Wing-sie

Harp

Xavier de Maistre Programme

Mozart Symphony No 23 in D, K181 Mozart Piano Concerto No 19 in F, K459 (arranged for harp)

Poulenc

Sinfonietta

Tickets NOW available at all URBTIX outlets Ticketing Enquiries & Bookings 2111 5999 | www.URBTIX.hk Programme Enquiries 2836 3336 | info@hksinfonietta.org Hong Kong Sinfonietta reserves the right to change the programme and artists Hong Kong Sinfonietta is financially supported by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Hong Kong Sinfonietta is the Venue Partner of the Hong Kong City Hall

Co-presenter

Venue and ticketing services sponsored by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department

Stein’s debut exhibition in Hong Kong features 12 abstract painting on canvases with the theme of Life, Hope and Love, which painted in striking colours titled such as; Life Journey – We choose Joy or Abyss, Monty, Birth, Life, Death, Circle of Life, Ecstasy, Life is a Mystery and Step outside Yourself. Born in Switzerland, Stein

Monty

started searching for the meaning of life through his abstracts on canvas since he was very young. His paintings are powerful, with a variety of colours he chooses at his will and whim depending on his mood to express his philosophy of Life, Hope and Love.

Photo exhibition held in Shanghai

On 1 Jan, 2013, the Shanghai Photographers Association held an opening ceremony for the photo exhibition Focus On The Israeli People. Oren Rozenblat, Deputy Consul-General of Israel in Shanghai was invited to cut the ribbon and give an opening speech. This exhibition was open to the public during the month of January, at the cultural centre of Xuhui District Shanghai.

Jewish Times Asia March 2013

Art and Culture

Second Jerusalem International Ice Festival brings Asian Culture After the huge success of the first International Ice Festival in Israel last year, the festival is returning for a second, extended run, from 20 February to 30 April 2013 and will take place in the old Jerusalem Train Station compound in a unique 1500 square metre complex brought especially from Belgium.

ing Arena. The festival will showcase tens of artistic and colourful ice sculptures that will take visitors on a thrilling journey to far away views and experience some unique Asian culture. This year’s festival will feature a variety of exciting activities for visitors: huge slides, mazes, rainforests, snowstorms, bridges and more.

The entire train compound will be decorated in a Far East style, and will include three central arenas: Ice City, Performance Arena and the Ice Skat-

The “Ice City” journey begins upon entering an airplane made of ice, where you can see the view of ice-sculpted Jerusalem. The visitors land in a magi-

Hong Kong’s tribute to Jewish artists and composers A musical event entitled: Tribute to Jewish Theater and Musicals was performed at the Hong Kong Jewish Community Centre on 2 February. Guests arrived for cocktails to be greeted by a solo violinist perched atop the Ohel Leah Synagogue. The fiddler entertained with light classical favorites based on the repertoire of Yehudi Menuhin, whilst guests mingled in the courtyard.

The Garden Room was transformed into a candlelit haven where guests made their way to tables decorated with swathes of sparkling fabric and ostrich feathers. In keeping with the show theme, the tables were named after famous Jewish performers, writers and composers. Filled to capacity, one hundred guests waited in trepidation as the house lights dimmed and sweeping blue spotlights lit the stage. The opening strains from Fiddler on the Roof filled the room as a spotlight centre stage lit the same violinist who had now come down from the synagogue roof. As he exited the stage, five performers walked out to kick off the show. The evenings event paid

The cast of Jewish Tribute show

tribute to the talented Jewish artist’s, writers and composers of the last century. The musical numbers Tradition and Sunrise, Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof opened and closed the evening. A medley of songs made famous by Barbra Streisand and Bette Midler entertained diners – from a mesmorising performance of Some People from Gypsy by Sandra Leung Waters, to a breathtaking version of Don’t Rain on my Parade from Funny Girl by Michael Sharmon. Other crowd pleasers included The Way We Were, Happy Days are Here Again and The Wind Beneath My Wings. A comedy skit from the great Woody Allen had the crowd in stitches. Perhaps one of the highlights of the evening was a tribute to Stephen Sondheim’s Company with a performance of his very wordy Not Getting Married by Sheri Dorfman. C

The show cast featured Sheri Dorfman, Howard Paley (as MC), Michael Sharmon, Mike Brooks and Sandra Leung Waters.The event was produced by Golden Voice Entertainment. MY

CMY

Around 60 Chinese artists have been flown to Israel to assist in the preparations: sculptors, designers and builders who have experience in constructing ice exhibits around the world as well as the show dancers. This festival is a joint initiative of the Jerusalem Municipality and Ariel Development Company, sponsored by the Isracard Company.

cal world of ice starting with the ters. At the end of their journey, magnificent views of India, the visitors will arrive at a sushi bar unique animals and one of the made entirely of ice – but the suseven wonders of the world- the shi will be edible and delicious! Taj Mahal. The course of the Visitors will also be able to journey includes forests, tunnels, view a spectacular ice skating rivers, bridges and mazes, as well performance, showcasing over as famous sites such as the Great 20 artists, acrobats and Chinese Wall of China and the Pagoda dancers dressed in costumes, as in Japan, and even bears, Times well as complex Brooklyn Riderpanda in Recital-Jewish Asia-04.pdf 1 5/3/13dance 5:17 PMand acrocheetahs and authentic charac- batics shows.

Jewish Times Asia March 2013

Art and Culture

The film Shoah to be screened at 37th Hong Kong International Film Festival With eleven years in the making, 350 hours of raw footage, and shot in 14 different countries, Shoah (1985) is, in the words of world-famous film critic Roger Ebert, “an extraordinary film... one of the noblest ever made”, justifying every minute of its epic nine and a half hour runtime.

Concentrating on the heartrending accounts from survivors, witnesses and even perpetrators, director Claude Lanzmann travelled around the globe in order to conduct these interviews. However this documentary is hardly a succession of talking heads; its most emotional scenes occur when some of his subjects return to the death camps and the ghettos and relive their agonising past.

“While the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (HKIFFS) is known for introducing new films to the local audience, we value the preservation and appreciation of cinematic heritage with equal importance,” said Li Cheuk-to, Artistic Director of the HKIFFS. “Even today the cultural legacy of these landmark films continues to inspire and enrich the imagination of filmmakers over the world.” HKIFFS is a non-profit and non-governmental organisation. This year it will screen well over 300 titles from 68 countries and regions. The lineup is as eclectic as ever, boasting 56 world, international and Asian premieres. “In recent years, Hong Kong has seen a proliferation of film festivals with distinct themes

inspiring films from around the world, enriching the cultural life of Hong Kong. The society organises three annual flagship events in March and April: The Hong Kong International Film Festival, the Asian Film Awards and the Hong Kong - Asia Film Financing Forum. Shoah

and styles, offering audiences countless choices beyond mainstream productions,” said Wilfred Wong, Chairman of the HKIFFS. “Indeed we love cinema for its very diversity, and as one of the most established and largest film festivals in Asia, the Hong Kong festival has dedicated itself to presenting quality works from all over the world,

while drawing luminaries and young talents from the industry to engage with the public through seminars, exhibitions, parties, and much more.” Through its year-round programmes, the mission of the society is to strengthen global appreciation of Asian and Chinese film culture and to promote

Shoah will be screened in two programmes over the weekend. Shoah part 1 on 23 March, at the Grand Cinema, Elements, TST: 7.45pm – 12.18am. Introduced by Jeremy Amias, Director, Hong Kong Holocaust and Tolerance Centre (HKHTC). Shoah part 2 on 24 March, at the Grand Cinema, Elements TST: 12:20 pm – 5.22 pm followed by a discussion led by Glenn Timmermans of the HKHTC.

8th Eilat Chamber Music Festival 2013 The 8th Eilat Chamber Music Festival, an annual tradition that brings top tier international musicians from the classical music world for thirteen chamber, orchestral and world music concerts in the Red Sea resort of Eilat, will take place this year in the Dan Eilat Hotel from 28 April – 4 May. To add to the richness of this cultural vacation experience, Hollywood star John Malkovich will play the lead role in the successful musicaldrama, Confessions of a Serial Killer, accompanied by the Wiener Akademie Baroque Orchestra and two sopranos: Claire Meghnagi (Israel/Italy) and Barbara Bobro (Slovenia). A cross between chilling crime drama and Baroque opera, Jack Unterweger (played by Malkovich), mysteriously returns back from the grave for an autobiographical book tour. Un-

terweger oozes disconcerting charm, as he narrates his sordid and shocking history. Each chapter concludes with an aria from Gluck, Mozart, Haydn, Vivaldi, Beethoven, Boccherini and Weber, sung live by stunning sopranos all too tempting prospects for Unterweger’s bloodlust. The production was first raised in 2009 in Vienna and has since been performed on the most important stages and festivals in the world. Other additional highlights of the festival will include the Baroque orchestra, in an orchestral concert including music by Mozart, as well as a cello concerto by CPE Bach, performed by the renowned Japanese cellist Hidemi Suzuki, who specialises in period performances. The violinist Valeriy Sokolov, will return to the Eilat Festival, after last year’s great success, and will play chamber music by Bach,

music, Jewish prayers, traditional African tunes, Middle Eastern rhythms, American Funk and futuristic space music. The Russian pianist Igor Tchetuev, who enjoys a successful career worldwide, both as a soloist with orchestras and as a chamber musician, will give a recital with the finest piano repertoire of Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt.

John Malkovich in Confessions of a Serial Killer

Beethoven and Chausson. The Doric String Quartet from London will join pianist Alexander Melnikov for the performance of the piano quintet by Brahms. The quartet will collaborate with violinist Valeriy Sokolov and pianist Igor Tchetuev and will also give a solo recital with music by Haydn, Schumann and Schubert. Homage to Gueseppe Verdi, the Festival will celebrate the 200 year anniversary of the birth

of Verdi in a special concert featuring the solo oboe player of the Rome Opera House, Gianfranco Bortolato and soprano Claire Meghnagi (Israel/Italy), who will perform chamber arrangements for arias from Verdi’s operas as well as other pieces. Salamandrum percussion duo, Tomer Yariv (formerly PercaDu) and Gilad Dobrecky, will give the premiere of their new programme Voyages, a music project of rhythms, musical colours and melodies from different cultures, draws its inspiration from medieval Moroccan music, Persian

The Perfect Setting London’s first Kosher Boutique Hotel The Pillar Hotel London is an English Heritage Grade II-listed building. It exquisitely merges the history and charm of a traditional Victorian estate with contemporary design and style that the modern traveller expects. Lavish Kosher Breakfast. Located near to Brent Cross Shopping Centre and 20 minutes to the West End in the heart of Jewish London.

www.thepillarhotel.com +44 (0) 20 8457 4000 info@thepillar.co.uk

19 Brent Street, Hendon, London NW4 2EU

Boutique hotel as featur ed on British TV A home away from home experience Doric String Quartet

The Eilat Chamber Music Festival, under the musical direction of its founder Leonid Rozenberg, is one in a long list of cultural events and festivals that offer tourists and visitors to Israel’s premier vacation resort an added dimension to their vacation experience.

Gianfranco Bortolato

Jewish Times Asia March 2013

Medical Insurance

Professional Indemnity InsuranceWho needs it? Supplied by Primila Lalwani, Senior Partner Abacare Group Ltd

We would class anyone who provides advice and/or services of a skillful character as a ‘professional’ in a legal sense. So ‘professionals’ include not only those who are traditionally viewed as professionals, such as doctors and lawyers, but also IT consultants, advertising agents, accountants, architects, contractors, traders and so forth. Most professionals carry Professional Indemnity Insurance. No matter what professional capacity of business or trade you are in, client expectations of service and quality of advice continue to grow. As these expectations grow, the number of claims for alleged negligence also increases. Professionals are only human and mistakes do happen.

What is Professional Indemnity Insurance The need for Professional Indemnity Insurance has never been greater. It is a must have. Without the right insurance, you are putting your business and personal assets at risk. If you are in the business of selling your knowledge or skills, Professional Indemnity Insurance is probably the most important coverage you should consider. In today’s competitive, fast moving commercial environment the potential for errors in the performance of services is all too real. This insurance protects your business against compensation sought by a client if you have made mistakes or are found to have been negligent in some or all of the services that you provide for them. Dissatisfied customers increasingly sue when things go wrong. No professional can ignore the real possibility that a

claim may be brought against them by a disappointed client during the course of their career. Professional Indemnity Insurance provides protection against the financial consequences of making errors and omissions. This will also cover any legal costs which can be so expensive that they may lead to the company or business shutting down. Of the hundreds of thousands of patients seen and treated by doctors every day, the vast majority are satisfied with the care they receive. However, with the pressures faced by medical professionals, it is inevitable that mistakes will happen. When these mistakes harm patients it is important that they are able to seek compensation knowing that the doctor’s professional indemnity organisation is financially sound. This indemnity for doctors further protects from claims arising from bodily injury and/or

death of any patient alleged to have been caused by error or negligence which should have been rendered by the insured doctor. Claims like these could potentially run into millions of dollars. Without Professional Indemnity Insurance, companies run the risk of being exposed to many liabilities such as: • Libel & Slander • Downloading of viruses to third parties • Malicious falsehood • False attribution of authorship • Passing off copyright or trademarks • Intellectual property rights • Breach of confidentiality • Breach of normal rights • Negligent statements Ensure you are properly covered One important aspect to bear in mind when considering Pro-

fessional Indemnity Insurance is that you need to be covered both at the time of the event and when the claim is made. This is because there can often be a long delay between an event and a subsequent claim. So, if you plan to cancel your policy when you close your business or retire, you may need to arrange “run-off” coverage for a period of time afterwards. Keep everything well documented One way to minimise such claims is to make sure projects are well documented. Ensure that you set out specific responsibilities in your contracts beforehand and deal with complaints promptly. How much cover do you need? No two businesses are the same and there is no single amount of coverage that suits all. Nobody knows your business and the exposure it faces better than you. As this is a specialist area of insurance you should take advice from a suitably experienced insurance broker. For more details, contact: Primila Lalwani, AlnstAM (Dip) Senior Partner. Abacare Group Mobile: +852 9053 4358 Email: primila.lalwani@abacaregroup.com

Jewish Times Asia March 2013

Education Planning

Effective Parenting for school achievement or how do I help my kids? Part 1 Supplied by

By Danny Harrington M.A. (Oxon) Founder and Director ITS Education Asia

Perhaps one question that holds universal appeal in communities around the globe is that of how to support our children’s academic lives. In Hong Kong, as I am sure happens in many other places as well, we see it raised in the press when people question the amount of after-school tuition students take. As parents we find ourselves confronting it when our little ones suddenly go off to school and we have gotten over wondering where the first five years went. As someone who has worked in educational support for sixteen years, I see it all the time in the queries we get and the problems parents bring to us when academic attainment is perceived to be “going wrong” and there is a feeling of help-

lessness. But beyond the experiences and the anecdotes, there is actually a huge amount of excellent, high quality research that has gone into this area and is freely available. The first area we need to address I think is to establish that parental support does actually impact on academic performance. The answer is an unequivocal yes. Study after study [e.g. work by E. Parikaku or J.L. Epstein or S. Catsambis] has shown not only a strong positive correlation, but clear causal links, between level of parental support and academic achievement. This is universal even when adjusted for social denominators such as income levels, ethnic groupings, national systems, cultural background and so on. What is interesting though is that as students progress through their academic life towards the most crucial years

in attainment and accreditation terms, the amount of parental involvement tends to drop off. In simple terms, we intervene and get involved very heavily in the early years and through primary education, begin to disengage in early adolescence and effectively leave them to it when it comes to completing high school. Arguably at the time they need us most. Explanations for this cite both the increasingly complex nature of schools and schooling, the decline in competence that parents feel around curricula, knowledge & skills, and the possible decline in school outreach [the ‘we know best’ attitude] on the one hand, and simply the change in parent to child relationships that often occur through adolescence on the other. Research findings show, however, that if appropriate parental involvement is

student expectations of themselves, more positive learning behaviours in the classroom and with homework, and thus into overall levels of achievement.

maintained into higher grades, achievement is much higher. This seems to be manifest through two very powerful parental inputs – goal setting and expectations – so that effective involvement has a contextual basis in the atmosphere of the home that is fundamental to student achievement. A nurturing home environment in which clear goals are agreed and set and in which parental expectations are clearly communicated – and here I mean expectation in the sense of communicating confidence in your child rather than imposing requirements – are absolutely necessary before other interventions such as homework support and extra-school tuition can be effective. Children are very perceptive and if they feel they have their parents’ support and they feel their parents believe in them, then this translates into higher

So while we tend to be very good at providing this platform for our children in early years, we can better serve them by maintaining it as late as possible. What does have to happen though is a change in the character and nature of our support. One of the key relationship developments through adolescence is the desire for more autonomy. Teenagers have communicated to researchers that parents tend to interpret the desire for more autonomy as a message to disengage from their lives but actually what teenagers want is more of a say in the type of involvement their parents maintain. A sobering and useful lesson I think. Effective learning is a two way process and we mustn’t stop listening to our kids. Next time I will write more on appropriate interventions. For more information email: info@tuition.com.hk Find us at: www.tuition.com.hk

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Jewish Times Asia March 2013

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Jewish Times Asia March 2013

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Jewish Times Asia March 2013

Passover

Skipping over regular order of things

h e H e b re w n a m e for the festival o f P a s s o v e r, Pesach, comes from the Hebrew root ‘PSH’ which means to skip over, to pass over. This name appears in the Torah in the context of the Ten Plagues, in which God skipped over the homes of the Israelites while the rest of Egypt suffered. However, on a deeper, more fundamental level, the entire festival of Passover is based on this idea of passing or skipping over the regular order of things.

The redemption of the Israelites from Egypt was not a gradual, evolutionary process but rather a leap from one state of things to another, seemingly unconnected, state. It was a transition, not just from slavery to freedom in the practical, political sphere. Mainly it was a spiritual transition, from external and internal oppression to redemption. Thus the redemption from Egypt was a leap over an extended, orderly and consistent historical course into a new, different

and better state of things, into a much higher level of existence. Beyond the forced labor that the Israelites were required to do for the Egyptian rulers, this oppression had a much deeper and significant effect on their lives: they were also slaves in their personality and worldview. Furthermore, the sons of Jacob and their families surely had a spiritual and religious tradition of their own, but it was not organised in any kind of religious structure. During the years of oppression the tradition was forgotten. Possibly, the Israelites in Egypt did retain some elements of their past, but on the whole they became more and more assimilated into the Egyptian atmosphere and culture. Therefore the exodus from Egypt required a very profound change of the entire human and social makeup of the Jewish people. For a person born into slavery whose entire life was spent obeying other people’s orders, the transition into a state of freedom called for a thoroughgoing personality change. So

During the 8-days of Pesach we eat symbolic food such as Matzah, which is unleavened bread, made simply from flour and water and cooked very quickly. This is the bread that the Jews made for their flight from Egypt.

much more so for an entire nation that identified with the lowest levels of Egyptian culture, and had to detach itself completely from that culture, while acquiring a new set of totally foreign concepts that required an infinitely higher degree of abstraction. All of the Israelites’ blunders and failures during their wanderings in the desert are therefore totally understandable. The greatest wonder is that despite these personal, social and cultural impediments, this broken, naked nation succeeded in transforming into a new na-

tional entity and in taking a new path. The prophet Ezekiel expresses this in his poetic style, as follows (Ezekiel 16:6-7): “I passed by you, and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said unto you: In your blood, live; yea, I said unto you: In your blood, live … yet you were naked and bare.” Over and above all the miracles of the Exodus that occurred in the sky, on earth and in the water, the most profound miracle of all is the fact that Jewish people could indeed come out of Egypt and become a nation.

Today we, too, expect miracles to happen to us, as it says (Micah 7:15): “As in the days of your coming forth out of the land of Egypt will I show unto him marvelous things.” But beyond the expectations, pleas and prayers there is a great lesson here for every individual in every generation: everyone can “pass over,” make a leap. Not only slow, painful and indecisive changes are possible; we all also have an inborn ability to make quantum jumps. People can decide to make transitions that are not gradual but rather revolutionary, into a different kind of existence. This message of Passover not only teaches us that such a jump is possible, but also stimulates us to make that jump, and promises us that we will indeed, in actual fact, be able to leap over the multitude of small and big obstacles on our path and reach a better, more perfect state of things, both physically and spiritually. With best Wishes for a Happy and Kosher Pesach 5773 Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz

Maccabi World Union (HK Chapter) Ltd. Hong Kong – Macau - China

Hon. Chairman

Hon. Judge Michael Hartmann

Chairman

Rafael Aharoni

Vice-chairman & Treasurer Jeremy Levy

Vice-chairman Yariv Yaakobi

Secretary

Dr. Naomi Rodrig

Board of Directors Rafael Aharoni Yair Berrebi Gil Inbar Kobi Itzchaki Yaron Gil Lamy Jeremy Levy Dr. Naomi Rodrig Erez Weiss Yariv Yaakobi

Supporters

Dr. Judith Diestel Edwin Epstein Rabbi Shimon Freundlich - Beijing Yaron Geiger Dan Hoffmann Michel Jospe Moty Kafry Isaac Kamhin Eitan Livne Mark C. Michelson Daniel Moldovan Robert L. Meyer Avraham Nagar Elan Oved – Shanghai Bernie Pomeranc - Shengzhen Caterina Rajchenberg Shay Razon Andre Rofe Joe Teichmann

Two years ago, we celebrated the 18th World Maccabiah Games *World’s 3rd Largest International Sports Event* The Maccabi spirit is working wonders all over the Jewish world. MWU has enjoyed a year of excellent mass events infused with Jewish and Zionist motivation, all working towards the Maccabi answer to the difficult times that we live in. Six years ago, the 17th Maccabiah Games took place on 11th July 2005 in Israel was absolute success, especially when China, Hong Kong and Macedonia participated in the games for the first time since 1932. We, Hong Kong brought some medals back. With 8,500 athletes competing, including 5,000 from abroad, the Maccabiah Games was a celebration of sports and Zionism. Competitors from 55 countries gathered to celebrate solidarity between our people. Today, we are looking forward to the 19th Maccabiah Games in 2013. With the larger team from Hong Kong, Macau, China which will participate in the games. Hope you can all join in July 2013. Please start saving your money for the trip to Israel. I promise you will have the best time of your life. On behalf of the Macabi World Union, Macabi Hong Kong – the Board of Directors and myself, I wish you all a splendid evening. Enjoy yourself and God Bless! Yours truly

Rafael Aharoni Chairman Macabi Hong Kong Thank you. We couldn’t have come this far without you.

Room 712 East Ocean Centre, 98 Granville Road, TST East, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel. (852) 23121111 E-mail : rafaelco@netvigator.com Fax. (852) 23116999

Jewish Times Asia March 2013

March Parashas 2 March 2013 / 20 Adar 5773: KI TISA SHABBAT PARAH

A census was conducted by every male over the age of 20 to give half a shekel. This was collected annually during the month of Adar for the communal daily sacrifices. The Parasha also includes instructions to make the washstand, anointing oil, and the incense for the Mishkan. And the appointing of Betzalel and Oholiab to head up the architects and craftsmen for the Mishkan. The portion continues with the infamous story of the Golden Calf. The people wrongly calculated that Moses was late in coming down from Mount Sinai and the people were already seeking a replacement for him by making the Golden Calf Moses sees them dancing around the calf and in anger breaks the Two Tablets; he then punishes the 3,000 wrongdoers (less than 0.1% of the 3 million people), pleads to God not to wipe out the people, requests to see the Divine Glory, and receives the second set of Tablets of the Ten Commandments. There is an additional special portion read for Shabbat Parah from a second sefer torah. It deals with the Perah Adumath, the Red Cow. It gives the procedure through which people can purify themselves from the contamination caused by a human corpse. Shabbat Parah normaly falls on the week after Purim. The special reading coincides with the requirement to purify themselves before coming to Jerusalem for the pilgrimage of Passover.

9 March 2013 / 27 Adar 5773: VAYAKHEL / PEKUDEI PARSHAT HACHODESH SHABBAT MEVARECHIM

The Parasha Vayakhel deals with the construction of the Tabernacle. The craftsmen selected for the various types of works involved. An explanation in detail of the specific parts of the construction including the curtains, the cover for the Tent, the colours selected, the making of the Table, the Menorah and the Coutyard.

HOLIDAYS/ FASTS/ ROSH CHODESH Rosh Chodesh: 12 March 2013 (1 Nisan 5773) Fast of the First Born: 25 March 2013 (14 Nisan 5773)

Pesach (First Night Seder 25 March): 25 March 2013 (14 Nisan 5773) 2 April 2013 (21 Nisan 5773)

Parasha Pekudei, details the amounts of silver, gold and cooper contributed to the construction of the Temple. Explanation of the vestments, breastplates, tunics, head plate to be worn by the High Priest. And the commandment to set up a tabernacle to make it holy for the glory of G-d to dwell amongst us.

16 March 2013 / 5 Nisan 5773: VAYIKRA

The Parasha deals in details with the various offerings known as Korbon, to be bought to the Temple, such as animal offerings to during the time of the Temple. The types include; animals notably birds, sheep and goats, fire offerings, meal offerings, peace offerings, sin offering and the variable offering. The Parasha also deals with contamination of the sanctuary when delivering an offering.

23 March 2013 / 12 Nisan 5773: TZAV SHABBAT HAGADOL The Parasha primarily also describes the offerings and teaches additional laws of the offerings to Aaron the High Priest Kohen Gadol. And the various descriptions of the types of offerings. The Parasha covers instructions regarding the Olah - ascent offering, and the Mincha - The special meal offering of the Kohen Gadol and the special inaugural meal offering of the regular Kohain is described. Additional laws of the sin offering, and the guilt offering are detailed. The Shabbat before Pesach is called Shabbat Hagadol, the Great Shabbath, because in Egypt it was the day when the Jewish people took the sheep they would bring as their pesach offering. Each family tied their sheep to its bedpost, this infuriated the Egyptians as it was there dietary food and the sheep was to become a sacrifice to G-d.

30 March 2013 / 19 Nisan 5773: SHABBAT CHOL HAMOED PASSOVER

The Torah reading for Shabbat Chol Hamoed Pesach is taken from the Book of Exodus, chapter 33:12-34:26, Parasha Ki Tisa. Moses pleads for G-ds nearness. Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai praying to G-d that G-d would restore Israel to its previous state of eminence. G-d responsed to Moses that there were limits to what even Moses could perceive of G-dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ways.

Candle Lighting Times for March Countries Bangkok Beijing Guangzhou Hong Kong Katmandu Kobe Manila Mumbai Perth Shanghai Singapore Seoul Taipei Tokyo

1 March

8 March

15 March

22 March

29 March

6:08 5:47 6:12 6:09 5:46 5:36 5:46 6:26 6:35 5:33 7:02 6:07 5:37 5:17

6:09 5:55 6:15 6:12 5:50 5:42 5:47 6:28 6:27 5:38 7:01 6:14 5:41 5:23

6:10 6:02 6:18 6:14 5:54 5:48 5:48 6:30 6:18 5:43 6:59 6:20 5:44 5:29

6:11 6:09 6:20 6:17 5:58 5:54 5:49 6:32 6:09 5:48 6:57 6:27 5:47 5:35

6:12 6:16 6:23 6:19 6:01 5:59 5:50 6:34 6:00 5:53 6:55 6:29 5:50 5:41

Candlelighting times are taken from Chabad.org.

JEWISH COMMUNITIES IN ASIA Cambodia

Chabad Jewish Center House # 32, Street 228, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Tel: (855) 85 807 205 www.jewishcambodia.com

China

Chabad of Hong Kong: 1/F Hoover Court, 7-9 Macdonell Road, Mid-Levels, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2523 9770 www.chabadhk.org

Singapore

Ohel Leah Synagogue: 70 Robinson Road, Mid-Levels, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2589 2621 www.ohelleah.org

Jacob Ballas Community Centre & Maghain Aboth Synagogue: 24-26 Waterloo Street, Singapore 187950 Tel: (65) 6337 2189 www.singaporejews.org

Chesed-El Synagogue: 2 Oxley Rise, Singapore 238693

Beijing Chabad House and Community centre: Fang Yuan Xi Lu, next to the south gate of Si De Park, Beijing, PR China Tel: (8610) 8470 8238 ext. 210, (86) 13910740109 www.chabadbeijing.com

United Jewish Congregation (Reform): Jewish Community Centre, One Robinson Place, 70 Robinson Road, Mid-Levels, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2523 2985 www.ujc.org.hk Shuva Israel (Orthodox): 2/F Fortune House, 61 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2851 6300 www.shuva-israel.com

Chabad: 744-18 Hannam-Dong, Yongsan-Gu, Seoul 140-893, South Korea Tel: (82) 107 730 3770 www.jewishkorea.com

Chabad of Ya Bao Lu: Jian Guo Men Diplomatic Bldg, Building 3, 2/F, 223 Chaoyangmennei Street, Beijing, PR China TeL: (86) 1352 2016 427 Email: rabbaimendy08@gmail.com

Kowloon Kehilat Zion (Orthodox): Unit 105, 1/F, Wing on Plaza, 62 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon Tel: (852) 2368 0061 www.kehilat-zion.org

Taiwan

Kehillat Beijing (Reform): Capital Club Athletic Center, 3/F., Ballroom, Capital Mansion, 6 Xinyuan Nanlu Chaoyang District, Beijing, PR China Tel: (86) 10 6467 2225 www.sinogogue.org

Chabad of Kowloon: 11 Hart Avenue, 2/F, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon Tel: (852) 2366 5770 Email: kowloon@chabadhk.org

Taipei Jewish Community: 16 Min Tsu East Road, Second Floor, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC Tel: (886) 2 2591 3565 email:einhorn912@xuite.net

Guangzhou Guangzhou Chabad: 31 He Ping Lu, Overseas Village, Guangzhou, China Tel: (86) 137 1050 5049 www.chabadgz.org

India (Mumbai)

Magen David Synagogue: 340 Sir J.J. Rd, Byculla, Mumbai Tel: (91) 22 23006675

Taipei Jewish Services: Sheraton Taipei Hotel, 12, Zhang Xiao East Road, Section 1, Taipei, Taiwan Tel: (886) 2 2321 5511, (886) 2 2394 4240

Kenesseth Eliyahoo Synagogue, 43 Dr V.B. Gandhi Marg, Fort, Mumbai Tel: (91) 22 22831502 / 22839617

Thailand

Shanghai Shanghai Chabad (Shanghai Jewish Center): Shang-Mira Garden Villa #1, 1720 Hong Qiao Road, Shanghai, 200336, PR China Tel: (86) 21 6278 0225 www.chinajewish.org Chabad of Pudong: Vila # 69, 2255 Luoshan Road, Shanghai, 200135, PR China Tel: (86) 21 5878 2008 www.chinajewish.org Sephardi Shanghai Center: Building B. Apt. 3 (Room 103), 1000 Gubei Road, Shanghai, PR China 201103 Tel: (86) 21 6208 8327 Mobile: (86) 15900808733 Email: sscshanghai10@gmail.com, ssc_shanghai@walla.com Shenzhen Shenzhen Chabad: No.4, Block A, Guishan Xiaozhu Yanshan Road, Industrial Area, Shekou Nanshan District, Shenzhen, PR China Tel: (86) 755 8207 0712 www.chabadshenzhen.org

Hong Kong

Jewish Community Centre: One Robinson Place, 70 Robinson Road, Mid-Levels, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2801 5440 www.jcc.org.hk

Kurla Bene Israel: 275 C.S.T. Rd, Jewish Colony, Kurla (W) Mumbai, India Tel: (91) 22 511-2132

Japan

Kobe Ohel Shelomoh Synagogue and Community Center: 4-12-12, Kitano-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650, Japan Tel: (81) 78 221 7236 www.jcckobe.org Tokyo Tokyo Chabad: 1-5-23 Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo Japan 108-0073 Tel: (813) 5789 2846 www.chabad.jp

United Hebrew Congregation (Reform): email:uhcsingapore@hotmail.com

South Korea

Taipei Jewish Center: 2/F No. 8, Lane 180, Songde Rd, Xinyi District, Taipei City 110, Taiwan Tel: (886) 9 2392 3770

Jewish Association of Thailand: 121 Soi Sai Nam Thip 2, Sukhumvit Soi 22, Bangkok, Thailand Tel: (662) 663 0244 www.jewishthailand.com Chabad of Thailand: 96 Rambutttri St. Banglamphu, 102000 Bangkok, Thailand Tel: (662) 629 2770 www.chabadthailand.com Bet Sefer Chabad: 221 Sukhumvit Soi 20, Bangkok, 10110 Thailand Tel: (662) 258 3434 Chabad of Phuket 52/32 Ratch U-thit Song Roy Pee Rd. (opposite Patong Post Office), Second row of town houses, Patong, Katu District, Phuket 83150

JCC Japan: Tokyo Jewish Community Centre, 8-8 Hiroo 3-Chome, Shibuya-Ku, Tokyo 150 0012, Japan Tel: (813) 3400 2559 www.jccjapan.or.jp

Chiang Mai 189/15 Chang-Clan Road, Chiang Mai, Thailand, On street of Night Bazaar, 100 Meters before The Empress hotel Tel: (66) 81 870 2249

Nepal

Vietnam

Chabad House: GHA-2-516-4 Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: (977) 980 324 1294 chabadnepal@hotmail.com

Philippines

Beth Yaacov Synagogue: 110 H.V. de la Costa cnr, Tordesillas West, Salcedo Village, Makati City, Metro Manila 1227, The Philippines Tel: (632) 815 0265 www.jewishphilippines.org

Chabad: 5A (villa) Nguyen Dinh Chieu St., Dakao ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam Tel: (84) 90 9166770 www.JewishVietnam.com

Jewish Times Asia March 2013