Rehovot Internet is a Responsibly Talk: or Court Orders Google to Expose Anonymous Israeli Blogger

A precedent: Magistrates' Court orders search engine giant to expose an anonymous blogger who slandered a municipal council candidate

An Israeli precedent: A court has ordered Google Israel to reveal the IP address of an Israeli blogger who posted slanderous comments about a municipality candidate on Google's blog-hosting site, Blogger.com.

The decision was made after the municipal council of Sha'arei Tikva demanded Google disclose the anonymous blogger's personal information, claiming the blogger posted libelous entries about Council Member Haim Bluemenfeld. Council members demanded that the identity of blogger be revealed so they could file a libel suit for the sum of $75,000 against him.

Initially, Google refused to provide the information, but the Rishon LeZion Magistrate's Court ordered it to do so.

Judge Oren Schwartz ruled that Google must inform the blogger of the proceeding and invite him to attend the hearing or file a countersuit. After doing so, Google will reveal the blogger's IP address to the court.

Since the anonymous blogger did not come forward despite Google's request, the plaintiffs will have to approach the internet provider to disclose the name behind the IP address.

Source: Court orders Google to expose anonymous Israeli blogger. Ynet News (27 November 2007) [FullText]

Rehovot Rabbi Simcha Hacohen Cook Asks Others To Sabbotage Annapolis, Government Unity

A delegation of rabbis arrived at the residence of Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Monday night in order to request that he instruct the religious party to quit the coalition because of its participation in the Annapolis Peace summit.

The meeting was attended by very prominent rabbis including the Rabbi of Jerusalem's Old City, Rabbi Avigdor Nibenzal, the rabbi of Rehovot, Simcha Hacohen Cook and the rabbi of the Temple Institute, Rabbi Israel Ariel.

...Rabbi Yosef sought to put the rabbis at ease and told them that "if there is a decision to split Jerusalem—I will instruct Shas to withdraw from the coalition".

Source: Yosef: Shas will quit government if J'lem divided. Ynet News (last viewed 28 November 2007) [FullText]

An Anti-Terror Robot Showcased Suspicious Bag Exploration Near Rehovot's Weizmann Institute (video)

An anti-terror robot showcased suspicious bag exploration and shooting (video) near one of Rehovot kindergarten, hundred meters away from the Weizmann Institute.

First, an unattended bag was explored by the robotic metal arms of the remote control operated anti-terror robot, while two adjacent streets remained closed for some 40 minutes.





After relocation robot took a position most convenient to attack the bag with the fire:




...Seems realistic, isn't it? Then, continue watching... and remember your video like those presented here and provided by MyRehovot reader, could feature online edition of the major three lingual Rehovot newspaper.




...yet, more exploration is needed by a military demolitions specialist...




Mission accomplished. Traffic re-opened. Rehovot peaceful life gets deserved continuation...




...yet, additional exploration of the bag is underway by an ordinary policeman. Credit cards... business cards... change... after fire remnants of a mobile phone...

Bag owner came in minutes after the operation. She would better come half an hour earlier. Those trapped in closed traffic would be in time somewhere, police and sapper efforts would be saved. Remember it... next time.

Rehovot life goes on...

My Rehovot welcomes video submissions by Rehovot residents. A video should be no more then 100 MB (preferably no more then 50 MB, that is about 2 min video using AVI or Quick Time file format), of 320 х 240 resolution, using any of the following file formats: AVI, MPEG, QuickTime, Real, or Windows Media. These formats are supported by vast majority of digital cameras, so, there is no need for a specialist hardware.

Rehovot Neighborhood Brief Fistory

The founders of Rehovot made their home in what is now the center of the city. Yaakov Street, named after the head of the "Menuha V'nahala" settlement society. Yaakov Broida, was the first street in Rehovot and it was there, at the top of the hill, next to the charming Dondikov House, that the town bell was located for forty years. The Municipality recently installed a reconstruction of it on the original site. Throughout the years Rehovot maintained its pastoral atmosphere, a moshava in spirit, even while constructing new neighborhoods. Until 1930 Rehovot mainly developed along the parallel streets Menuhah V'nahalah and Herzl and the area between them.

At the beginning of the 1950s nearby agricultural villages played a prominent role in Rehovot’s landscape, among them Kfar Marmorek. The built-up municipal area was consequently limited, allowing only for slight growth, mainly to the west. Al that time, when Rehovot’s population stood at approximately 18,200, the Weizmann Institute of Science began to expand in the north of the city. From 1950 to 1960 the population increased by 10,000, with development taking place almost exclusively in the western part of the city.

The years 1960-1970 witnessed the development of new residential areas, primarily on the outskirts, including the inauguration of the Kiryat Moshe, Havazelet, Kfar Gevirol and Oshiot neighborhoods. Massive public construction took place alongside private initiatives. In the 1970s the population grew even more substantially, almost doubling its number.

From 1980 to 2000 the built-up urban area expanded not only to the south, but also to the East, to the north - Neve Amit, and to the west - Kfar Gevirol. Today, Rehovot is essentially divided into five residential areas with 114,000 residents and has set 150,000 as its target population. Taking into account its growth rate in the past, this goal should be reached in about 20 years.

Source: New Neighborhoods. Rehovot Map Booklet. 2006 Edition. Digitized by MyRehovot. Any usage online is subjected to the condition of the quoting the source of the text, that is Rehovot Map booklet and www.MyRehovot.info

Cultural and Leisure Activities: Rehovot, the city of Poets, Artists and Writers

Even in the days when Rehovot was a mere moshava it was identified with writers, poets and artists, and this distinction as a center of culture has been preserved to this very day. Recently, the City of Rehovot has joined the international festivals' arena with the Nashim R'Tmoona –Women’s International Film Festival, an annual event that was held here lor the first time in 2004. Many other cultural activities are conducted in Rehovot, among them: sing-a-longs, city tours of historical sites, etc. The Nalional Citrus Growing Museum was inauguraled in Rehovol under the management of the Council for the Preservation of Buildings and Historic Sites. Other fascinating sites in the city include the Ayalon Institute (a pre-State clandestine munitions plant) and Weizmann House and Memorial, on the Weizmann Institute grounds.

The City of Rehovot offers many wonderful options for leisure time activities, including cafes and restaurants, cinemas and venues for the performing arts.
The Mayor is currently deeply involved in starting the construction of the municipal cultural center that is slated tu be built in the center of the city on an area of 25 dunam (approx. 8 acres). It will have an 850 seating capacity hall, cafes, restaurants and spacious parkland for the residents to enjoy.

Source: Cultural and Leisure Activities. Rehovot Map Booklet. 2006 Edition. Digitized by MyRehovot. Any usage online is subjected to the condition of the quoting the source of the text, that is Rehovot Map booklet and www.MyRehovot.info

"Folklore without boards" Festival To Held in Rehovot November 29

It is our great honor and pleasure to announce The Israeli Folk music Festival "Folklore without boards".

This forthcoming event will be held at the Wix Concert Hall (The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot), 29th of November, 2007.

The festival program will include great festival concert and contest of Israeli youth folk-dance group which will present tradition culture from different Diasporas and from all over the world.

The programme includes:

16:00 - 18:15- Folk-dance content
18:30 - Rewarding of winners
20:00 - 21:45 - Concert of Festival witch includes outstanding Israeli

Folk music group :

Israeli Ethnic Ensemble - Balcanian folk-music
Tam-Tam - African Rhythm Center - various colors of African music

Latin Music Orchestra - music form South America

Tapuach beDvash Folk music band - Klezmer music, Ukrainian and Russian folk music

We look forward to seeing you at this bright cultural event!

Additional details are available via phone: (054)548-6434

Organizing Committee

Second Holy Land Earthquake in One Week Shakes Rehovot

Jerusalem Post reports, that "a minor earthquake was felt throughout Israel early Saturday.

The quake, which occurred at approximately 12:15 a.m., lasted several seconds and was felt across various cities in central Israel (including Rehovot) as well as in some of its more northerly towns. The exact level of the quake's intensity was not yet clear

This is the second earthquake to hit Israel in the past week.

On Monday, two successive earthquakes were felt across most of the country: the first was measured at 3.0 on the Richter scale and the second at 4.2.

Tel Aviv University scientists recently said that a major earthquake in the region was long overdue.

The university's Dr. Shmuel Marco noted that the Syrian-African Rift is a high-risk location for earthquakes.

"We have not had any strong ones since 1033, which means another one is long due. It's impossible to know when it will strike, just like you can't predict road accidents."

Saturday Night Earthquake Felt In Rehovot: The Big One is Overdue, Experts Say

The quake was felt in Rehovot at around 00:20 AM, Saturday, 24 November 2007. MyRehovot received reports from a number of readers who confirmed that they had felt their houses shake for several seconds. Municipality Emergency Department (Moked service 106) confirmed the Earthquake took place ("as they were notified by the Police Department"), and asked us to call "in half an hour or so" for the update by Rehovot Officials. They had no additional information in 40 minutes, however. One and a half hour after the quake, Moked Rehovot reported its strength measured 4.2 Richter scale, and that they have no information of any damage or casualties.

Just few days earlier, on Tuesday, two earthquakes, measuring 3 and 4.2 on the Richter scale, were felt across Israel. The Geophysical Institute of Israel (GII) reported that the quakes shook the entire country and originated in the northern Dead Sea. According to the Magen David Adom rescue services, there were no reports of injuries or damage (Ynet, 20 Nov. 2007).

"Most Israelis can remember a day when their furniture started to shake, and can also take credit for surviving that day with little difficulty. But very few people are in a position to know firsthand the effects of a truly disastrous earthquake, on a magnitude of seven or higher on the Richter scale, as the last recorded such earthquake in Israel occurred in 1033," adds Jerusalem Post (The Big One Is Due, 18 Nov. 2007)

The strongest recent earthquake to strike Israel took place about three years ago, measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale. A number of people were injured and damage was caused. About a year ago, two moderate quakes were felt in central and southern Israel.

"Major earthquake in Israel – a matter of time," highlights Ynet (20 Nov 2007)

Note: This is original report by MyRehovot.info. When re-using online, make sure you provided a hyperlink to the source, that is www.myrehovot.info

Rehovot To Held Conference for Regional Development 2007

The Rehovot Conference for Regional Development 2007 will be held in Rehovot, Israel from November 25 until December 2, 2007. Globalization, regional development and local initiatives will be among the subjects discussed.

The conference is organized by the Weitz Center for Development Studies in cooperation with MASHAV, the Israel Foreign Ministry's Center for International Development, the Hebrew University's Faculty of Agriculture and the Rehovot municipality.

Regional development is today one of the central issues in international discussion regarding development and poverty obliteration. The is the core issue of the center's activities since its establishment, and is expressed in its research, education and project planning. Furthermore, the Weitz Center has unique access to a development known internationally as the "Rehovot Approach". Thousands of MASHAV trainees from around the world have studied this approach during their training.

The Rehovot Conference has two main goals:

To raise the subject of Israeli experience regarding regional development in general and that of the Weitz Center in particular, and to place it on the international agenda

To enable graduates of the Weitz Center/MASHAV to present their accomplishments in regional development in various countries

The following issues will be discussed at the conference:

Globalization and its influence on developing nations, adaptation processes of different countries to globalization, regional development and poverty obliteration policies of various countries, Israeli experience in regional development, development projects from different places around the world.

Regional development experts from Israel and abroad will participate in the conference.

Source: The Rehovot Conference for Regional Development 2007. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Press Release (20 Nov 2007) [FullText]

Rain Leaves Rehovot Flooded

With clouds opening up without mercy on Thursday morning, it was a continuation of the downpour which started early this week.

Rehovot.TV video 1:



People had problems accessing their vehicles because of the flooding.

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There was knee-deep water on some roads, making the movement of traffic at snail’s pace. Reckless drivers, however, apparently did not care of anyone except themselves. Domino pizza scooters were noticed violating the traffic regulations, using one-way streets for driving in the prohibited direction.

Rehovot.TV Video 3:



Flood waters seeped into the parked cars in the low lying areas, where the water flow was powerful enough to open Rehovot street manholes. The rain occasionally stopped at night, however, allowing water access to recede.

Rehovot.TV Video 4:

Reaching work place today morning was a difficult task because of the traffic delays. There were no major incidents of any damage reported in the rain on Wednesday or Thursday morning.

Rehovot.TV Video 5:

Thursday morning break gave enough time for the flood water to settle down, leaving a question of the city infrastructure readiness for the winter season of rain.

Rehovot's Objet Announces PolyJet Matrix for 3D Printing

Objet Geometries Ltd., the world leader in jetting ultra-thin layers of photopolymer, today announced its new PolyJet Matrix Technology, the first method that enables the simultaneous jetting of different types of model materials. This innovation opens up virtually unlimited opportunities for closely emulating the look, feel and function of final products, pioneering an entirely new direction in the 3D printing of models, prototypes and manufactured parts.

PolyJet Matrix Technology

Objet’s patent-pending PolyJet Matrix Technology works by jetting two distinct Objet FullCure model materials in preset combinations. The technology controls every nozzle in each print head, enabling combinations of model materials to be jetted from designated nozzles according to location and model type. The ability to manage the jetting matrix provides full control of the mechanical properties of the jetted materials, this allows the user to choose and fabricate the most suitable materials that most closely emulate the target design.

PolyJet Matrix Technology provides the foundation for cutting edge 3-D printing systems that can, in a single build process, print parts and assemblies made of several materials with different mechanical and physical properties. Furthermore, Objet has coined the term “Digital Material” to describe the result of producing a composite substance using PolyJet Matrix Technology. Digital Materials are formulated by simultaneously jetting two model materials to create new composite materials. The mechanical properties of Digital Materials are different from the two model materials that were used to create the composite. Printing parts and assemblies with multiple model materials eliminates the need to design, print and glue together separate model parts to make a complete model. The savings are evident in printing and post-processing time. Another inherent benefit of the process is the dramatic reduction in the cost of error when creating complex molds for double injection.

“This is an industry first,” stated Terry Wohlers of Wohlers Associates, Inc., after reviewing the capabilities of the new PolyJet Matrix Technology. “This opens up exciting new options that before were impossible with methods of additive fabrication. I anticipate strong interest in the technology and materials from a wide range of organizations worldwide.” Companies that design and manufacture consumer, industrial, and medical products, as well as sporting goods, are among those who are expected to benefit from PolyJet Matrix Technology and Digital Materials. Example products are toothbrushes and razors that typically require over-molding in the manufacturing process, and the grips on other handheld devices, such as communication devices and power tools.”

“PolyJet Matrix Technology presents a revolutionary approach to 3-D printing,” said Adina Shorr, CEO of Objet Geometries. “We are looking forward to exploiting the opportunities this technology presents.” We embarked on this project, pushing the technology envelope further and as a direct response to our customers’ needs. We can now offer manufacturers of consumer electronics, automobiles and other products a powerful way to reduce the costs and risks associated with creating double injection molds, which can be as much as five times more expensive than standard molds.” In tandem with the release of PolyJet Matrix Technology, Objet is also announcing the first PolyJet Matrix-based 3-D printing system, the Objet Connex500, the release of which is covered in a separate release.

Objet will debut its PolyJet Matrix Technology and the first 3-D system based on it at the EuroMold 2007 exhibition on December 5-8 in Frankfurt, Germany (Hall 8.0, Stand H-144).

About Objet Geometries

Objet Geometries, the photopolymer jetting pioneer, develops, manufactures and globally markets ultra-thin-layer, high-resolution 3-dimensional printing solutions for rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing. The market-proven Eden line of systems is based on Objet’s patented office-friendly PolyJet technology. Objet’s FullCure materials create accurate, clean, smooth and highly detailed 3-dimensional models, enabling even the most complex 3-D models to be printed with exceptionally high quality, accuracy and speed. ConneX500, Objet’s latest innovation, is based on Objet’s PolyJet Matrix technology, which offers jetting multiple model materials simultaneously. PolyJet Matrix jets Digital Materials creating composite materials which are fabricated on the fly.

Objet’s solutions enable manufactures and industrial designers to reduce cost of product development cycles and dramatically shorten time-to–market of new products. Objet systems are in use by world leaders in many industries, such as automotive, electronics, toy, consumer goods, and footwear industries in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Japan. Founded in 1998, Objet serves its growing worldwide customer base through offices in USA, Europe and Hong Kong, and a global network of distribution partners. Objet owns more than 50 patents and patent pending inventions.

Source: Objet Announces PolyJet Matrix for 3D Printing. TenLinks.com (19 November 2007) [FullText]

Bulldozer Used for Rehovot-wide "Circumcision" Action

Rehovot.tv video 1:

A week or two ago one could notice the usage of heavy bulldozer for cutting tree branches by Rehovot Municipality Garden workers, as presented (above and below) by www.Rehovot.tv .

Rehovot.tv video 2:

Essential other tools were ordinary gardener scissors. What a show! What an invention! Kudos to Rehovot Municipality! No question worth patenting... when the safety concern (for both vehicle operator and pedestrians) is addressed.

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Israel's female filmmakers get big boost with 'Women in the Picture' Rehovot Film Festival

Anat Shperling-Cohen: This is not high tech, you won't get rich. You can't do it unless it is in your blood.

"Old coding doesn't interest us," said Anat Shperling-Cohen, co-founder and director of the non-profit association Women in the Picture. "Women have a point of view you don't usually see in commercial films."

Still on a high from the success of this year's International Women's Film Festival in Rehovot in September, Shperling-Cohen took time out to talk to ISRAEL21c about the association, whose goal is to promote women's films and Israeli films and TV creators.

Established four years ago by Shperling-Cohen and Naama Prizant Orpaz, both passionate about redressing the lack of a women's voice and opportunity of expression on the screen, it is well on its way to opening new doors for talented Israeli women.

Through the Women's International Film Festival, Women in the Picture gives Israelis an opportunity to see quality films directed by women from other countries, as well as Israel. It also gives small monetary awards and recognition to the best films directed and produced by Israeli women.

"What we are trying to achieve is not what we see in our culture, which is male-dominated," said Shperling-Cohen, a curly-red head. She was a filmmaker, herself, before she decided to take on the challenging mission of founding WIP.

The International Women's Film Festival, the association's signature event, features films that deal with a variety of issues - among them, family, motherhood, violence.

"A film will not be selected for screening just because a woman is the director. The film has to have an obvious new authentic women's point-of-view," Shperling told ISRAEL21c. "We want to open the eyes of the audience to the situation of a woman, the world as women perceive it."

Thinking out of the box, the founders of Women in the Picture, looked for a locale for their activities. "We wanted it in the periphery, not in major cities like Haifa, Tel Aviv, or Jerusalem which already had film festivals," said Shperling-Cohen, who lives on a small moshav near Gedera.

"The first person I turned to was the mayor of Rehovot [Shuki Forer]. He liked the idea and offered support."

Already the home of the Weizmann Institute of Science, the Hebrew University Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Science, and a sprawling high tech science park, Rehovot was ripe to be also branded as the city of culture as well as science, and Forer jumped at the initiative to support women artists. Eventually, the Women's International Film Festival also got significant support from the Israel Ministry of Science, Culture and Sport, the National Lottery, and the European Union.

Sixty films were screened at this year's festival; 30 from abroad, and 30 from Israel.

"We are very serious about our work. We don't compromise on the quality of the films," said Shperling-Cohen. "The process of selecting films for screening takes months."

The program included riveting films by successful international women directors. An honored guest, Dorota Kedzierzawska, the leading Polish director, answered questions about the retrospective screening of her work, understated with hypnotic visual images.

Israelis had a chance to see her film Nothing, based on the true story of a young woman, trapped in a marriage of unrequited love and motherhood, who finds herself in court accused of the murder of her baby.

Complex, turbulent, exciting, and distressing, a potpourri of many cultures, Israel is a fascinating landscape for film creation. In Stone Flower, a humorous and poignant documentary, 30-year old director Sarit Haymian zooms in on two aging friends, Persian in background. One woman was married to an abusive man, and yet when he became ill, took two buses a day to be with him in a nursing home. The other woman's marriage was a shiduch (arranged match) that warmed into love and respect. The single director grapples with the undercurrent values in marriage, in an effort to see if she can avoid losing her "self" identity in the process.

A tough gal rules a Russian gang on the street, the focus of a 22-minute video by Alla Sheraeir called Stain. Gang leader, Olia, makes 15-year old Sasha, pay the price (rape) for falling in love with the wrong boy. The film tied for first prize in the Festival.

Bezalel Academy of Art and Design graduate, Osi Wald, was the other first-prize winner. Her creative animated film Pause uses Modigliani-like figures, and wonderful symbolic images. Granddaughter, Gil, is the only one who eats from a box of fancy chocolates she brings to her dying grandmother. Her monologue is too late.

In the Freiman's Kitchen, a documentary shot in Gush Katif in 2005 by Hadar Bashan shows the agonized disbelief of 68-year old Miriam who is threatened with expulsion after living there 40 years. "Anyone watching the film is deeply moved," said Shperling-Cohen.

Director Ibtisam Mara'ana's heart-rending documentary Three Times Divorced portrays a Palestinian woman from Gaza beaten, divorced, and thrown out of her house by her Israeli Arab husband. Her gutsy efforts to see her children, to fight the Islamic Sharia courts, to gain legal status, show the power of a determined woman against all odds.

Energized by the success of this year's five-day Festival - more than 10,000 people attended, twice as many as last year with close to half being men - Shperling-Cohen envisions adding days to the event, and maybe even running a festival twice a year. A few more projects are also on the front burner. Women in the Picture would like to expand its program for teenagers, showing them films (by women directors) that deal with violence in society, followed by discussion.

"We give Israeli women filmmakers exposure, not an income," said Shperling-Cohen, emphatically. "Most women also teach. This is not high tech, you won't get rich. You can't do it unless it is in your blood."

Source: Sharon Kanon. Israel's female filmmakers get big boost with 'Women in the Picture'. Israel21c (18 November 2007) [FullText]

Related Sites: International Women's Film Festival, Rehovot

Rehovot Boy is a US College Basketball Team Star

Bridgeport, CT - Sophomore Cornell Littlejohn (Oakland, CA) netted a team-high 17 points, and he was joined in double figures by four teammates as the University of Bridgeport men’s basketball team opened the 2007-08 season with a 70-49 victory over the Bryant University Bulldogs in Saturday afternoon’s opening game of the Purple Knight Classic played in Bridgeport, CT.

Joining Littlejohn in double figure scoring were senior Lex James (Brooklyn, NY) and junior Quinten Martin (White Plains, NY) each with 12 points. Martine led UB with seven rebounds, and James grabbed six boards. Senior Mantas Armonas (Lithuania) sparked UB with 11 points off the bench, and junior Teairez Stennis (St. Louis, MO) chipped in with 10 points. Bridgeport got off to a tough start as they trailed 9-0 to open the game, but the team battled back to take a 27-23 halftime lead.

Freshman point guard Omer Haim (Rehovot, Israel) led the Purple Knights defense with five of the team’s 10 steals, and he also had eight of the 17 UB assists.

The Purple Knights’ tough defense forced Bryant into 24 turnovers on the afternoon and shooting percentage of 31.4 in the second half.

UB capitalized on Bryant’s turnovers improving their shooting percentage to 62.1 percent in the second half, after connecting on only 22.6 percent of its shots in the first half.

The Purple Knights will host American International College, Sunday, November 18 at 4:00 p.m. in day two of the Purple Knight Classic. Bryant University will tip off the first game of the day at 2:00 p.m. against Post University who defeated AIC, 70-49, in Saturday’s second game.

Source: Men's Basketball Opens '07-08 Campaign With 70-49 Win Over Bryant. PurpleKnights.Bridgeport.edu (17 November 2007) [FullText]

Also see recently started Rehovot Amateur Sport Journal

Is Rehovot Market a Disaster? Shocking video

How hygienic is the Rehovot market food? Well. Watch Rehovot.tv video reporting below, decide yourself. The video was taken on Day 1 (of 3) of the operation of the substitution of the market asbestos roof and other construction parts early this week. Yesterday evening (Nov 15, 2007) the market resumed operation and looked respectable. What stays behind this respectability remains a big question.

Rehovot.tv video 1:

“It is very sad that this place where eatables are being sold is not maintained with a degree of a deserved cleanliness. While we use this place to buy vegetables, others can use this place as a food waste spot or toilet”, Rehovot pedestrian told My Rehovot, noting stacks of waste vegetables next to the market and blaming Municipality for not removing garbage in time. She added that though she and her friends come to purchase vegetables often, the place is very unclean. Many Rehovot residents stopped visiting Rehovot market because of the hygienics concerns.

Rehovot.tv video 2:

During the removal of the asbestos parts of the market construct, many vendors continued to sell vegetables and fruites at the parking lot located next to the "shuk" (Market, Hebrew), meters away from Rehovot City Mall and the Municipality premises.

Meanwhile, poorly covered vegetables and fruites remained on the market shelves, accumulating kilos of asbestos and other type dust (watch videos avove). These eatables apparently were consumed by Rehovot residents after re-opening of the Market.

Rehovot.tv video 3:

New Rehovot market construction, to be build at the spot of the ancient present one, was widely publicized during the municipality election campaign few years ago. Apparently it is not on the City Council agenda now.

Attention: This is original material by MyRehovot. Online usage is permitted in case the source is properly acknowledged and URL www.MyRehovot.info or www.Rehovot.tv is provided.

Rehovot.TV: Rehovot Central Park Opened

Presented below video clips by www.Rehovot.tv illustrate the opening ceremony for new centrally located Rehovot park.

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De Shalit School Principal Talks to Rehovot Public, Teachers At the Rehovot Protest March For Better Secondary Education in Israel

Rehovot Secondary Schools Outline Goals

Rehovot Secondary Schools officials have announced their call for the Education Reform in Israel at the end of the Herzl street march, held yesterday afternoon, and attracted the Public attention to the dramatic situation with the secondary education in Rehovot. The multi-page document presented by De Shalit School principal after the talk by Rehovot Mayor sets important issues of obvious importance to Rehovot and Israel at large.

Rehovot.tv video 1:



The educational reform is essential to academic progress, will create a school culture that helps students to find their voices and become leaders of the society of tomorrow.

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It is important to act now, untill it is too late!

Rehovot.tv video 3:



Rehovot mayor address (to those participating in the March on Wednesday afternoon) preceded the talk of De Shalit School Principal.

Rehovot.tv video 4:

Don't Bury Israel's Education, Rehovot Public, Teachers Cry

Many Rehovot residents joined teachers, students and parents in their today afternoon March for Better Education in Rehovot. The event held under the formal title "Don't bury Israel's education!" and was a natural extension of a number of other actions and personal addresses by Rehovot teachers.

Participants in black shirts brought whistles, pan covers/lids and a numbers of other items to makes a significant noise.

Rehovot.tv video 1:

They were admired by pedestrians and Herzl street vechicles traffic.

Rehovot.tv video 2:

Protest march (announcement earlier today by Teachers' Committees of Rehovot, Mazkeret Batiya and Gedera) began from bank Hapoalim Plaza (Corner of Hershinson and Herzl Streets) Rehovot at about 16:00 and finished two hours later near Stejmacky Book shop (at herzl Street, opposite to Rehovot Central Police station).

Rehovot.tv video 3:


This is where the march met Rehovot Mayor Shuki Forer. Mr. Forer address was followed by the speech of De Shalit School principal.

Rehovot.tv video 4:


The march did not rich the intended root end of Rehovot Central Train station, and therefore escaped bypassing Weizmann Institute and Hebrew University of jerusalem Faculty of Agriculture. These were the spots were many other admireres from Rehovot Higher Education communities could join the procession.

Teachers and Students Protest, Call for Better Education, Meet Rehovot Mayor

Mayor Shuki Forer talks to Rehovot Secondary School teachers and the public, at the end point of today afternoon march, calling for better Education in Rehovot, Israel.

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Rehovot Teachers, Students and Parents Cry for Better Secondary Education

Join teachers, students and parents in their today afternoon March for Better Education in Rehovot

Don't bury Israel's education!

Join teachers, students and parents in their today afternoon March for Better Education in Rehovot

Who: Teachers, Students, Parents
When: Wednesday 14.11.02 at 15:45
Dress code: Wear black shirts and bring whistles, pan covers/lids or anything else which makes a noise

Join today's protest march from bank Hapoalim Plaza (Corner of Hershinson and Herzl Streets) Rehovot and finishing at the Railway station

Announcement by Teachers' Committees of Rehovot, Mazkeret Batiya & Gedera

The Crisis in Rehovot's Classrooms: Teachers Call for Support

Rehovot Public supports De Shalit School Teachers-on-Strike call for Better Educational System, Rehovot Mayor Office Remains Silent

Rehovot.tv video 1:

"It sounds like a teenager's dream: Sleep late, hang out at the mall, and go to the beach. Yet 15-year-old Barak Rivkind is sick of that easy life. At noon on a school day, instead of sitting in class, Rivkind and his buddies are sipping milk shakes at the Aroma café in Jerusalem's Malha Mall. That's because Israel's high school teachers have been on strike since Oct. 9 seeking higher wages and improved working conditions. "I've had enough of loafing," says the 10th grader. "We're missing a lot of material, and it will be very difficult to make it up."

Israeli education is in crisis—and many fear the country's tech industry will suffer unless something is done to fix it. The technology sector represents 12% of Israel's gross domestic product and more than a third of all exports, and has been growing at a double-digit clip for most of the past two decades. Fueling that boom have been Israel's top-notch schools. "Unless the government wakes up, Israel will quickly lose its edge in high tech," says Giora Yaron, a serial entrepreneur who has sold two companies to Cisco Systems (CSCO) and is now involved in four other tech ventures.

Rehovot.tv video 2:

The teachers' strike and a parallel action by university professors are just symptoms of the malaise gripping the country's school system. In the 1960s, Israeli students topped international rankings of math and science skills. The last time Israel participated in such a survey, in 2002, it had slipped to 33rd out of 41 countries, behind the likes of Thailand and Romania. And just 30% of 18-year-old native-born conscripts to the Israel Defense Forces in 2005 passed a standard Hebrew reading comprehension test, down from 60% two decades ago. "Our most important resource is brain power, and if we don't foster this then our society is at risk," warns Aaron Ciechanover, the 2004 Nobel laureate in chemistry and a professor at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel's equivalent of MIT.

Rehovot.tv video 3:

Overdue funding

The government, though, has been slow to act. National spending on education dropped from 9.3% of GDP in 2002 to 8.3% last year. The 2008 budget includes a $400 million increase for education, to $10 billion—though that's barely enough to keep up with the economy's growth rate. The extra money will be used to increase teachers' salaries, and the government has committed to an additional $2 billion over the next five years to boost wages, renovate and repair schools, and keep them open longer each day."

Rehovot Public Agree the education system needs a complete overhaul

"Many Israelis say the education system needs a complete overhaul. Class sizes average 38 to 40 students, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development says teachers' wages in Israel are the lowest in the industrialized world, with starting educators earning just $600 per month—less than the rent on a modest one-bedroom apartment in Tel Aviv. That makes it tough to attract quality professionals. "The level of teaching at our school is lousy, and the principal has no authority to do anything about it," says Asaf Makover, a 10th grader at Jerusalem's Beit-Chinuch High School. Teachers grouse that it's nearly impossible to get anything done. "With 40 kids in a class, you spend most of your time just keeping order and very little time on actual teaching," says Meirav Cohen, a geography instructor at a suburban Jerusalem junior high.

Rehovot.tv video 4:

The crisis has parents scrambling to fill the gaps, hiring private tutors to help children after school. Bulletin boards in schools are crammed with ads from teachers and university students offering after-hours tutoring. "It's the only way to make ends meet on such a meager salary," says a teacher at a Jerusalem high school. Many parents in the mid-'90s banded together to create nonprofit programs to tutor kids. Now such classes have spread to 50 towns.

Brain drain

The biggest problems are in math, science, and English. In each of these subjects, potential teaching candidates can usually find high-paying alternatives in the tech sector. "After six years of teaching, the crowded classrooms and the discipline problems got to me," says Laly Bar-Ilan, an algorithm engineer at WhiteSmoke, a Tel Aviv startup that developed a software program for improving English grammar and writing style. She now makes four times what she did teaching computer science and English. "The only way to bring back teachers is to pay competitive salaries and improve work conditions," she says.

Rehovot.tv video 5:

With such a shortage of qualified candidates, Israel has dropped its standards. In the past, high school teachers needed a university degree in math or science to teach in those fields, but nowadays a degree from a less rigorous teachers' college will suffice. And budget cuts have led to shorter school days. In 1997 students were in school for 36 hours weekly, but today it's just 30. "With fewer hours and most kids finished by 1 p.m., some subjects have been dropped or are hardly taught at all," complains Dan Ben-David, a Tel Aviv University economist with three children in the school system. Even core subjects such as math and science have been cut back.

At Israel's seven universities, funding has dropped 20% in four years. So even as the student population has climbed 50% since 1997, the number of teachers has remained steady at about 5,000. And as many as 3,000 university lecturers have decamped for jobs overseas. "We're seeing a serious brain drain," says Zehev Tadmor, chairman of the Samuel Neaman Institute, a Haifa-based think tank, and former president of Technion. "Hundreds of professors [are] teaching at leading institutions abroad because we can't offer them jobs."

Source: Neal Sandler. The Crisis in Israel's Classrooms: A breakdown in the financially strapped school system is jeopardizing the country's high-tech edge. Business Week Education (8 November 2007) [FullText]

Original Video Reporting by http://www.myrehovot.info/ & http://www.rehovot.tv/

More Classrooms Needed, Rehovot's De Shalit High School Teachers, Public Say. Municipality keeps Silence

Monday morning (November 12) was marked by a peaceful protest of teachers of De Shalit High schoolt at a number of popular Rehovot locations, including major entrance to the City Hall/Mall, and the Herzl Street Pedestrians segment near Bank Discont. All those who talked to MyRehovot noted that higher wages is an important, but not a major issue. At stake is the integrity of the entire system of Israel K12 education. The parents of present De Shalit students, who studies in De Shalit some 20 years ago well now what teachers are talking about, as nothing changed over the past twenty years. Over packed classrooms means Rehovot needs a brand-new high school, that would meet the educational and architectural demands of the XXI century. Yet, Rehovot municipality, Mayor Office remain silent. No municipality official made his/her few-floors way down to meet Rehovot teachers and learn of their concerns. Oppositely, Rehovot Mall commercial management demanded teachers go away. They did not enforce the demand, however, so teachers remained and talked to us. Their vision of the problem is provided in the following four video reports:

Rehovot.tv video 1:

Rehovot.tv video 2:

Rehovot.tv video 3:

Rehovot.tv Video 4:

Quoting Wikipedia record for De Shalit High School

De Shalit High School is a high school and a junior high school located in the city Rehovot, in Israel. It is named after the physicist Amos De Shalit (1926-1969).

The school has around 2000 students. The pupils in the high school may choose two major subjects out of the following: chemistry, biology, physics, computer science, economics, psychology, geography, Bible, history, literature, music, drama, art, French and Arabic. Along with these subjects, all pupils have to learn mathematics, English and other core subjects.

Rehovot R&D Firm Chosen for Banknote Marking Project with a Central Bank

InkSure Technologies Inc. , a leading provider of covert machine-readable authentication solutions, announced today that it has been chosen by a central bank, for a banknote marking project. InkSure has been chosen to implement a machine readable feature into banknotes, to be used by the central bank, enabling counterfeiting detection and prevention.

As part of the project, the customer will start by marking a specific banknote denomination, with the intention of expanding the use of InkSure's innovative marking technology, to all existing and future banknotes to be issued by this central bank.

This innovative project is the first banknote marking transaction for the Company. The current stage of the project is expected to take place over the next two to three quarters.

"We are very pleased with our win, the first for the critical task of protecting banknotes," commented Yaron Meerfeld, Inksure's Chief Operations Officer. "The fact that a central bank is willing to put its trust in our technology, to protect their currency against counterfeiting, is a very strong validation of our secure solution. Not only does this win significantly increase our prominence in the anti-counterfeiting industry, it also provides us with a leading reference in a new and very important sector."

About InkSure Technologies Inc.

InkSure Technologies Inc., with its corporate headquarters in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and its research and development center in Science Park, Rehovot, Israel, specializes in comprehensive, covert security solutions designed to protect high profile brands and documents of value from counterfeiting, fraud and diversion. The Company's sales and marketing activities target a number of market opportunities, including financial, pharmaceutical, branded products, transportation, and government/institutional, on a global scale. The Company's R&D activities include the development of "chipless" RFID technology for affordable item-level secure logistics and track-and-trace applications.

The Company's common stock is listed on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol "INKS". Additional information on the Company is available on its website at http://www.inksure.com.

Source: InkSure Chosen for Banknote Marking Project with a Central Bank. PRNewswire-FirstCall (8 Nov 2007) [FullText]

Rehovot's Q&A: Restaurants in Mazkeret Batya

Question: Anyone have the address of the restaurant in Mazkeret Batya or the name? Thanks!

Answer: There are three "real" restaurants in Mazkeret Batya. I assume that you don't mean the pizzerias, falafel or shwarma places. The one kosher and nice one is located in the walkways behind the museum. There is one non-kosher one called Pri Mgadim, there are signs to it when you enter the moshava. There is also a non-kosher cafe called Kazerma. Please be warned that right now the main road, Rothschild in the process of being converted to a pedestrian walkway. The Kazerma will not be pleasant if you plan on being outside. If you drive as far as you can straight from the entrance and go right where they won't let you any further, that's the place to park for both of that and Shirain.

A Car Accident Near Rehovot Brings Israel's Road Casualty Toll to 376

"Six people were killed, four of them children, in collisions on Sunday that police blamed partially on roads made slippery by the rain...

...a 60-year-old woman was killed and three others seriously injured near Rehovot when a driver attempted to overtake the vehicle in front of him by crossing a solid white line and collided with another car coming from the opposite direction.

Sunday's deaths brought the annual casualty toll on Israel's roads to 376 - within three of the death toll at the same point last year and a serious slap in the face to traffic police, who had claimed that this year's death rate would be significantly lower than last year's."

Source: Rebecca Anna. Six killed in separate car accidents. JPost.com (11 Nov 2007) [FullText]

Rehovot Firm Gets US Distributor

Rehovot firm BioView Ltd. (TASE: BIOV) and Transgenomic, Inc. (OTCBulletinBoard: TBIO) of Omaha, Nebraska announced today that they have entered into an agreement allowing Transgenomic to distribute BioView's family of Scanning and Analysis Workstations in selected Western European countries and Scandinavia. Transgenomic's European sales and support organization will market, sell and service the instruments. BioView's products include the Duet, Allegro and Accord automated workstations for the scanning and classification of cells via fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) and brightlight microscopy. The results of the scan are reviewed on the BioView Solo offline workstation for the final report.

The BioView products are intended for in-vitro diagnostic use as an aiding tool to the pathologist in the detection, classification and counting of cells of interest based on color, intensity, size, pattern, and shape. The BioView products have applications for testing in hematological disorders, breast cancer studies for Her-2 neu gene amplification, bladder cancer screening and follow up using Vysis UroVysion(TM) Bladder Cancer Recurrence Kit and prenatal and postnatal genetic testing.

BioView's automated scanning microscope and image analysis systems help laboratories provide highly reliable test results to physicians and patients quickly and cost-effectively and also are used in advanced research.

Dr. Opher Shapira, President and CEO of BioView Ltd., views this agreement as an opportunity for BioView to expand its market penetration in Europe in an efficient manner. According to Shapira, "Transgenomic has a reputation amongst its European customer base for providing superior service and support. Following our success in the U.S. market, we believe that this agreement with Transgenomic will help establish us in a similar manner in the Western European and Scandinavian countries covered by this agreement."

Craig Tuttle, President and CEO of Transgenomic added, "We are very excited to add BioView's world-leading imaging platforms to our cytogenetics portfolio of products. These sophisticated imaging systems will complement our HANABI Metaphase Chromosome Harvester and spreader products and further expand our sales and service reach into cytogenetics and pathology laboratories across Europe."

About BioView Ltd.

Established in 2000, and led by an expert team of biologists, software engineers and physicists, BioView develops, manufactures and supplies cell imaging equipment, biological kits and software to medical institutes and universities. BioView is a publicly traded company on the Israeli Stock exchange, and currently has strategic collaborations underway with international scientific leaders and institutions. For more information about the BioView technology, and press related issues, please contact info@bioview.co.il or visit the firm website.

To learn more about Transgenomic, see the company web site

Source: BioView and Transgenomic Enter Into Distribution Agreement. PRNewswire-FirstCall (6 Nov 2007) [FullText]

Rehovot Talks on New Major Road Opening

Also see: Rehovot New Gate Opened (8 November 2007)

Preface: From the amount of balloons and the huge tent set-up on the central island one can be relatively assured that after the festivities, self back slapping, long winded speeches and much "fressing", the extension to the Kvish HaOkef road will be opening. The question is WHEN? The lights are blinking for the past 3 days so it should be soon. Can some kind "Lister" inform this list the moment this new marvelous technological engineering feat is open for use. Hopefully I can try it on the ride home today.

"Driving back from the airport last night, we saw the flashing orange lights there, and my mom commented to me that it was due to open today. Goodness knows if it actually has done, but apparently it was in the local newspaper that it was opening today."

"I am looking out my window now and see plenty of traffic driving on the new road!"

"It might be very interesting to see if now traveling by way of Tzomet Bilu will be faster than taking the new road - all the north bound traffic will be diverted to there, leaving Bilu open..."

"I actually used the new road today, to return from work in Kiryat Weizmann, Nes Ziona. What a pleasure!!!"

"I drove along there at 2pm today and the traffic lights are working and the extension to the road is open. Now the real test will be Sunday morning, when all the traffic that usually soars up Sderot Yerushalayim and flows easily onto the bypass (just near my home) will be sitting pretty at the red lights. Should be interesting. Rehovot Iria doesn't seem to understand about roundabouts (traffic circles to our American Cousins)."

"I've seen it from highway 40, but haven't been up it in a few weeks. I've been meaning to ask: Can someone tell me which street in Rehovot it connects to 40?"

"New Road enters Rehovot at the cross of Jerusalem Street and Menahem Begin Street"

Rehovot New Gateway Opened

Rehovot and Ayalon Highway officials, as well as Rehovot public participated earlier today in the Opening Ceremony of the new Rehovot boulevard, commuting Rehovot with Road No.40. As of today, travelling to Ramle (or any other north-bound destination of Road 40, including Ben-Gurion airport) should take minutes, because of bypassing heavy traffic Bilu junction next to Rehovot's major Bilu shopping mall and Kaplan hospital.

Rehovot.TV video 1: Official part of the ceremony of the opening new Rehovot Gateway Road begins:

Rehovot.TV video 2: Rehovot Mayor Shuki Forer talks at the official part of the ceremony

Rehovot.TV video 3: Rehovot Mayor Shuki Forer addresses the audience at the ceremony of opening of new Rehovot Road



Rehovot.TV Video 4: Shuki Forer speech continues



Rehovot. TV video 5: The official part of the ceremony was followed by the informal opening of the new junction by Mayor limousine in the presence of Vice-Mayor, Dr. Mara Knebel:



Rehovot TV video 6: The protocol part of the ceremony was preceded by an informal tasty banquet.



Rehovot TV video 7: The ceremony finished with the cortege of cars by organizations involved in the construction. They travelled along Road 40 in the direction of the Bilu junction.

Portraying Weizmann Institute Top Official, Board of Governors Member: Yoram Groner - One Man, Two Faces

According to the "Board of Governors and Institute Officers of the Weizmann Institute of Science" page, the Chair of the Board of Governors is Mandy Moross, UK. Deputy Chairs are H. Thomas Beck, Canada, Lester Crown, U.S.A., Robert J. Drake, The Netherlands, Dame Vivien Duffield, Switzerland, Prof. Yoram Groner, Israel, and S. Donald Sussman, USA.

Thus, one of the Deputy Chairs is an Institutional Professor, Dr. Yoram Groner. Beyond his research described at the Molecular Genetics web page, he is also described as follows.

Quoting Administering the Institute: The Leadership Team page devoted to Professor Yoram Groner:

"Since Prof. Yoram Groner joined the Weizmann Institute in 1975, he has held a number of positions. He headed the Institute's Biological Services (1985-1988), the Virology Department, later renamed Molecular Genetics and Virology (1987-1992), and the Harry Levine Center of Applied Research (1988-1992). In 1993 he was appointed Institute Vice President, and later Deputy President. He also heads the Kekst Family Center for Medical Genetics, and has received numerous awards for his research into the genetic and molecular basis of such disorders as Down's syndrome and Alzheimer's. He is a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization Council and of the Israeli National Council for Research and Development. Prof. Groner holds the Dr. Barnet Berris Chair of Cancer Research."

Excellent man-in-science story, isn't it? Well. One would say so, congratulating Weizmann Institute for a great leader. "The most disgusted man, I ever knew", argues Dr. Groner peer from the Institute (*).

He is also known for accepting gift authorship; for writing recommendation letter (addressed to a Nobel Prize Laureate Prof. David Baltimore) to a fellow scientist (of Biological Chemistry Prof. David Wallach group) who he never worked with; for submission of essentially the same project and receiving funding for it from two separate funding authorities (two funded proposals on a strain of transgenic mice and Alzheimer's disease, by Israel Science Foundation, and Alzheimer's Association, Chicago, IL); and for unjust kicking his junior colleague out of Alzheimer's Association grant application opportunity, assisted by Boaz Avron, presently acting Weizmann's Head of Directorate for Research and Academic Affairs, and Academic Secretary... You read it right. "A c a d e m i c S e c r e t a r y". Not a "Secretary for Weizmann Institute Corruption". Not sure?

Well, we are not sure either about both of them (MyRehovot, "Criminality or Irregularity? Israel State Comptroller Finds Weizmann Institute Fools Funding Bodies", 4 Feb 2007) . But The Weizmann Institute stance is different. Dr. Groner is ethical enough to be Weizmann leader, Board of Governors member, Deputy Chair...

Who to believe? You decide...

---------
*) MyRehovot used here more polite characteristics of Professor Groner, then the one actually heard from his Weizmann Institute colleague.

Weizmann Institute Honorary PhD 2007 Goes to a Dishonest Nobel Prize Laureate

To be updated. Check back



Rehovot, Israel (5 November 2007) - The featured event of the Day 2 of the 59th Annual General Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Weizmann Institute of Science is the ceremony for the Conferment of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy honoris causa (to begin today at 5 PM, Wix Auditorium).



This year recipients of the Weizmann's Honorary PhD are: Arie Lova Eliav of Israel, Professor Avram Hershko of Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel, Professor Eric R. Kandel, M.D. of Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, Professor Christiane Nusslein-Volhard of Max Planck Institute, Germany, and Professor Jehuda Reinharz, President, Brandeis University, USA.



As the press release by the Weizmann Institute Publications and Media Relations Department states, Eric Kandel is a "pioneer and leader in neurobiological studies of neuronal plasticity and memory. His achievements became the standard against which the cellular approach to memory is measured. In 2000, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (shared with Arvid Carlsson and Paul Greengard) for their discoveries concerning signal transduction in the nervous system... He has received honorary degrees from 15 universities, including the University of Vienna. Prof. Kandel is a member of the National Academies of Sciences of the USA, Germany, France and Austria, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the National Institute of Medicine, and Germany's Order of Merit for the Sciences and Arts."



What Weizmann Institute Press Release missed is the statement that Dr. Kandel is a person behind his company called Memory Phramaceuticals. Owing at least 10 % of the company shares (see US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing by Dr.Kandel. Ownership: Initial Statement of Beneficial Ownership of Securities, Form 3; Table 1: Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned ) he failed to report in scienticifc publications his competing financial interest associated with his research.



The disclosure of potential or real financial interests is the unique essence of scholar activity, any scientific publication. Such disclosure gives readers decide for themselves, whether a publication speaks for science, or for ones company.

This science ethics law reciprocally applies to editors of scientific publications, so, there is a transparency with an identification of ones non-scientific interest. Again, this is where Eric Kandel missed honesty, as Open Letter to President GW Bush by a Rehovot scientist illustrated previously:

"...one of those who signed Union of Concerned Scientists statement "Restoring Scientific Integrity in Policymaking", Nobel laureate and reviews editor of major neuroscience journal Neuron, Eric Kandel, also serves as Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board and principal scientific founder of Memory Pharmaceuticals. Because neither Neuron, nor UCS statement mentions Dr. Kandel commercial affiliation, [one may] wonder what is the reason for the non disclosure? Does Dr. Kandel utilize his post as Neuron review editor and UCS prominent signatory to build the value for his company?" letter to President George W Bush says.

One has little doubt that Memory Pharmaceuticals builds on the research and reputation by Kandel. In accord with this he is the first on the list of the company Scientific Advisory Board.

There are other indications that such instances of the dishonesty by a new Weizmann Honorary PhD is a sad pattern of his behavior. Thus, none of the seven abstracts co-authored by Eric Kandel, and to be presented this week at the American Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting disclose his commercial ties. While one can allow that in the majority of abstracts he got a gift authorship (another well loved by Weizmann scientists non accepted academic break practice), there is one abstract that he personally responsible for.



This is the abstract that he personally sponsored as an SFN member (denoted by an asterisk on the image above). Therefore, according to the Society rules, a non diclosure of his competing interest is Dr. Kandel personal responsibility. Such practice of non-disclosure for Professor Kandel Neuroscience abstracts happened in previous years and was noted by a leading medical organization in the USA.





Similar instances of non-disclosure by a number of Weizmann professors were reported by MyRehovot previously (see the footer of MyRehovot, 3 November 2007). The problem is that the Weizmann Institute science and graduate teaching is build on a non-disclosure (ex. Yosef Yarden, Feinberg Graduate School Dean; Professor Michal Schwartz of Neurobiology Department). A good lesson for young scientists, right?

Well, scientists' lure of profits and lie for sure is good for the corrupted Weizmann Institute administration. Remember how elegantly such interest was recalled in order to dismiss Ilan Chet, former President of the Institute. Conflicts by many others remain hidden. For a short while...

Quoting Weizmann Institute Press Release

Eric Kandel

Born in Vienna (1929), Eric Kandel emigrated with his family to the US in 1938 after Austria's annexation by Germany. As he later attested, his traumatic experiences as a child under the Nazi regime may have helped to
determine his later interests in the mind and in human behavior, the unpredictability of motivation, and the persistence of memory. Over the years, he has returned to these subjects repeatedly, as his professional interests evolved from a youthful interest in European intellectual history to psychoanalysis with its more systematic approach to mental processes, and, finally, to the biology of conscious and unconscious memory.

After graduation from Harvard College and the New York University School of Medicine, Kandel trained as a postdoctoral fellow with Wade Marshall in the Laboratory of Neurophysiology at NIH and later with Ladislav Tauc at the Institut Morey in Paris. He did his residency in psychiatry at the Massachusetts Mental Health
Center, Harvard Medical School.

Prof. Kandel held faculty positions at Harvard Medical School and the New York University School of Medicine before coming to Columbia (1974), where he was the founding director of the Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, and, in 1984, a Senior Investigator at the newly formed Howard Hughes Medical Research Institute at Columbia.

Prof. Kandel is a pioneer and leader in neurobiological studies of neuronal plasticity and memory. His achievements became the standard against which the cellular approach to memory is measured. In 2000, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (shared with Arvid Carlsson and Paul Greengard) for their discoveries concerning signal transduction in the nervous system. Additional honors include the Lasker Award (1983), the Rosenstiel Award of Brandeis University (1984), the Gairdner International Award of Canada (1987), the National Medal of Science (1988), the Bristol-Myers Squibb Award for Distinguished Achievement in Neuroscience Research (1991), the Harvey Prize of the Technion (1993), the Charles A. Dana Award (1997), and the Wolf Prize (1999). He has received honorary degrees from 15 universities, including the University of Vienna. Prof. Kandel is a member of the National Academies of Sciences of the USA, Germany, France and Austria, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the National Institute of Medicine, and Germany's Order of Merit for the Sciences and Arts.

Prof. Kandel's love of teaching culminated in a seminal textbook, Principles of Neural Science (1981), the first attempt to link cell and molecular biology to neural science, and neural science to behavior and clinical states. This textbook, in its multiple updated editions, became the standard textbook in neuroscience
worldwide.

In 2006, Kandel published In Search of Memory: the Emergence of a New Science of Mind, which chronicles his life and the intellectual trajectory of his research. The book was awarded the 2006 Los Angeles Times Book Award for Science and Technology.

Rehovots' HiTech: Striking a Deal

Israelis like to deal with people they know. Word of mouth travels fast in this tight-knit community, so often an introduction from one well-connected individual is all you'll need. Networks - not only from universities but also from childhood neighborhoods, schools, military corps, kibbutzim, and political groups - have a strong influence on deal making. Partner with a local firm. It can smooth your way into the business community. If your firm wants to invest in Israeli companies, one approach is to back a fund run by a venture capital firm. This will create instantaneous deal flow and give you a good listening post. Subscribe to the U.S. Commercial Service Gold Key Service. It is designed to provide U.S. companies with personalized business contacts in the Israeli market. California-based companies can receive direct business assistance from the California Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency Office of Global Economic Investment located in Jerusalem. This office in Jerusalem can assist you to develop and move your business deals to the next level. The TTCA's California and Jerusalem offices can help to identify and introduce potential clients to you. They can also provide you with letters of support to gain access to key decision makers, and schedule appointments for you when you are in the region.

Source: Andrea Zvonicek, Jim Miwa. Country Market Report Israel: Market Opportunities in Biotechnology 2003. California Technology, Trade & Commerce Agency Office of Export Development

Weizmann's Annual Assembly of the Board of Governors Has No Authority to Down the Corruption at the Major Israeli Science Institution

Rehovot, Israel (3 November 2007) - "A Duet between Science and Music" concert welcomed today night distinguished friends of the Weizmann Institute of Science...



...gathered in Rehovot for the 59th Annual General Meeting of the Board of Governors . The Opening Gala included preceding the concert cocktail dinner and the welcoming remarks by Professor Daniel Zajfman.



Event participants came to the Wix auditorium by taxis



...and bus using organized transportation from Tel Aviv hotels...



...while the Institute major entrance remained closed for visitors (including those who purchased an annual Institutuional Gardens pass)



...and had apparently limited traffic.



Weizmann Annual Assembly of Governors and their accompanying persons will stay at Weizmann campus for four days, through Wednesday, November 7, and will attend a number of scheduled events, as presented in the Meeting programme.



According to the programme, the first "members only" event of the Governors forum 2007 was "Appointments and Promotions Committee" gathering at the 4th Floor Ayala Conference Room, Stone Administration Building (Friday, 2 November 2007, 10:30AM). Academically speaking, this is the most mistyfying event, a non studied thus far decision making substance, that could well yield the appointment for WIS Professorship far from being outstanding former students or friends of the present top ranking institutional professors, and a discrimination of Women-scientists.

Sadly, the Programme of the Weizmann governing body does not address any corruption issue or academic ethics breach at the major Israeli Science Institute, or any hot international Science policy issues (such as Open Access to scholar/science literature, widely advocated for at Israeli arena by an independent Israel Scholar, based in Rehovot non-profit educational organization). Recent related publications by MyRehovot and others are listed below and provided at length of My Rehovot "Weizmann Institute" collection .

Weizmann Institute Breaks Its Own Rules To Preserve High Web Rating

Danial Zajfman of Rehovot's Weizmann Institute: New President or a Major Puppet?

Weizmann's Former President Trades Silence on the Corruption at Rehovot's Institute: New President to Be a Puppet in Hands of Corrupted Administration?

Criminality or Irregularity? Israel State Comptroller Finds Weizmann Institute Fools Funding Bodies

Rehovot's Shame: Weizmann Institute Corruption Begins at the Stone Administration Building

Rehovot Wants Weizmann Institute to Pay Local Taxes

MyRehovot Reader Responds to "Weizmann Institute Threatens Employee With a Dismissal for Bearing Magen David Patch"

Rehovot's Weizmann Institute Has Become A Luxury Housing Constructor

US National Academy of Sciences Member Rehovot's Michael Sela Says Weizmann Scientists Have Bad Ethics

Does Rehovot's Weizmann Institute Professor Lie in The Major Science Publication, PNAS USA?

Weizmann Institute Fools students and staff (in Russian, get robotic translation)

Police to question heads of Weizmann Institute about embezzlement affair (also available in Russian)

Rehovot's Cancer Scientist and Weizmann Institute Graduate School Dean Yosef Yarden Joins Israel Biotech Firm as Scientific Advisory Board Member

Visiting Scientist Affairs or Rehovot Bed Saga: Weizmann Wonder Wander

Note: This material is original content by MyRehovot.info. Its' universal usage permission is granted only in case the first place of publication - that is www.myrehovot.info - is duly identified and presented as a hyperlink. To request original photos and video files or links, please write us an email.

Weizmann Institute to held 59th Annual General Meeting of the Board of Governors

The schedule for the 59th Annual General Meeting of the Board of Governors (to held in Rehovot November 2-8, 2007) is publicly available (Acrobat .pdf imprint, as a result of a Google search with an appropriate key words) and presented below:

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2007

10:30 a.m. Appointments and Promotions Committee (members only) Location: Stone Administration Building, 4th Floor, Ayala Conference Room

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2007

6:45 p.m. Transportation from Tel Aviv hotels to the Institute
7:15 p.m. Transportation from all guest houses on campus to the Michael and Anna Wix Auditorium
7:30 p.m. A Duet between Science and Music - Concert welcoming the members of the Board of Governors including Cocktail Dinner preceding the concert

Welcoming Remarks: Prof. Daniel Zajfman, President Science: Prof. Yadin Dudai, Head, Department of Neurobiology Music: The Israel Camerata
Conductor: Prof. Avner Biron Location: Michael and Anna Wix Auditorium, on campus

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2007

7:15 a.m. Transportation from Tel Aviv hotels to the Institute
8:30 a.m. Governance Reform Committee (members only) Location: Stone Administration Building, 4th Floor, Ayala Conference Room
8:30 a.m. Audit Committee (members only) Location: Stone Administration Building, 4th Floor, Small Meeting Room

8:45 a.m. Transportation from Tel Aviv hotels to the Institute for Executive Council members, mission participants and accompanying persons
9:40 a.m. Arrival at the Weizmann Institute of Science for accompanying persons
Barbara & Morris Levinson Visitors Center and visit at the Jubilee Walk
(light refreshments will be served)
9:45 a.m. Transportation from all guest houses on campus to the Stone Building
10:00 a.m. Executive Council Meeting (members only) Location: Stone Administration Building, Mezzanine, Zacks Hall

10:15 a.m. Welcome and General Overview of the Weizmann Institute of Science for accompanying persons, followed by a scientific presentation
11:30 a.m. - Driven tour of campus for accompanying persons, followed by a visit to the Weizmann
12:25 p.m. House - the formal residence of the first President of the state of Israel and the founder of the Weizmann Institute
11:30 a.m. Transportation from Tel Aviv hotels to the Institute

12:30 p.m. Luncheon at which the Sir Charles Clore Prize will be awarded to Dr. Nir Friedman, Department of Immunology, and the Sir Charles Clore Postdoctoral Fellowships will be presented by Dame Vivien Duffield, DBE. Keynote Speaker: Prof. Jehuda Reinharz, President, Brandeis University, honorary Ph.D.
recipient for 2007 Topic: "Chaim Weizmann: Statesman Without a State (on the 90th Anniversary of the Balfour Declaration) Location: Edith and Abraham Wix Central Library, on Campus

3:10 p.m. Dedication of new inscriptions recognizing major gifts - Including coffee and dessert Location: International Plaza

3:30 p.m. Nominating Committee (members only) Location: Stone Administration Building, 4th Floor, Ayala Conference Room
(# For those who would like to rest or freshen up before the next event, day rooms are available at the Laub Youth Village. Keys can be picked up at the Youth Village entrance. Transportation will be available after each event. Please request to be taken to the Laub Youth Village. A lounge offering refreshments, newspapers and internet services will be available at the Barbara and Morris Levinson Visitor's Center Lobby

3:45 p.m. Alternative Energy Research Initiative Board (members only) Location: Perlman Institute of Chemical Sciences, 4th Floor, Room 402
5:00 p.m. Dedication of Kimmel Plaza Location: Helen and Milton A. Kimmelman Building entrance
5:45 p.m. Presentation of the Helen and Martin Kimmel Award for Innovative Investigation to Prof. Naama Barkai, Department of Molecular Genetics Remarks: Prof. Daniel Zajfman, President. Including a scientific presentation by the recipient of the award. Location: Dolfi and Lola Ebner Auditorium

6:30 p.m. Festive Dinner honoring Helen and Martin Kimmel. Greetings: Prof. Ada Yonath Location: Tent adjacent to the Ebner Auditorium, on campus
(* Transportation to all destinations available after dinner from the Ebner parking lot)

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2007

8:15 a.m. Transportation from Tel Aviv hotels to the Institute for Board Members
9:15 a.m. Transportation from Tel Aviv hotels to the Institute for mission participants and accompanying persons

9:30 a.m. Board of Governors Session I
Closed Session (members only) Location: Dolfi and Lola Ebner Auditorium
9:55 a.m. Transportation from all guest houses on campus to the Dolfi and Lola Ebner Auditorium
10:00 a.m. Coffee Break
10:15 a.m. Board of Governors Session II

Open Session of the 59th Annual General Meeting
Chair's Report: Mandy Moross, President's Report: Prof. Daniel Zajfman, Report of the Co-Chairs of the Scientific and Academic Advisory Committee: Prof. Sir Alan R. Fersht, FRS and Prof. Hans A. Weidenmuller Location: Dolfi and Lola Ebner Auditorium

11:30 a.m. Coffee Break

12:00 noon
Open Session
Special Session: Women in Science

Participants:
Prof. Daniel Zajfman, President
Prof. Hadassa Degani, President's Advisor for Advancing Women in Science
Dr. Maxine Singer, Board Member, President Emerita, Senior Scientific Advisor, CASE
Carnegie Institution of Washington
Keynote Speaker: Nobel Laureate, Prof. Christiane Nusslein-Volhard, Honorary Ph.D.
recipient for 2007. Followed by the Presentation of the Sara Lee Schupf Postdoctoral Awards funded by the Clore Foundation and S. Donald Sussman Location: Dolfi and Lola Ebner Auditorium

1:15 p.m. Luncheon Welcoming New Board Members Greetings: Mandy Moross, Chair of the Board of Governors Location: Tent adjacent to the Ebner Auditorium, on campus
2:00 p.m. W-GEM Audit Committee Location: Stone Administration Building, 4
th floor, Ayala Conference Room
2:30 p.m. Visit to the Clore Garden of Science - an outdoor, hands-on science museum (for the accompanying persons)
2:45 p.m. Investment Committee (members only) Location: Stone Administration Building, 4th Floor, Small Meeting Room
3:00 p.m. Dedication of the Rose and Leon Mitchell Laboratory for Cancer Research Location: Arnold R. Meyer Institute of Biological Sciences
3:45 p.m. Dedication of the Laboratory in honor of Sarah & Rolando Uziel
Location: Max and Lillian Candiotty Building

(# For those who would like to rest or freshen up before the next event, day rooms are available at the Laub Youth Village. Keys can be picked up at the Youth Village entrance. Transportation will be available after each event. Please request to be taken to the Laub Youth Village. A lounge offering refreshments, newspapers and internet services will be available at the Barbara and Morris Levinson Visitor’s Center Lobby.)

4:40 p.m. Transportation from the Laub Youth Village and all guest houses on campus to the Michael and Anna Wix Auditorium
5:00 p.m. Ceremony for the Conferment of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy honoris causa

Recipients:
Arie Lova Eliav - Israel
Prof. Avram Hershko - Technion-Israel Institute of Technology
Prof. Eric R. Kandel, M.D. - Columbia University, USA
Prof. Christiane Nusslein-Volhard - Max Planck Institute, Germany
Prof. Jehuda Reinharz - President, Brandeis University, USA

Keynote Speaker: Arie Lova Eliav. event cont'd.. Topic: "Endowed with Understanding and Discerning Knowledge". Followed by reception. Location: Michael and Anna Wix Auditorium

(* Transportation to dinner available after the ceremony in front of the Michael and Anna Wix Auditorium)

7:00 p.m. Dinner honoring the 2007 Recipients of Doctor of Philosophy honoris causa Degrees and Members of the Board of Governors (by invitation)

Hosted by Prof. Daniel Zajfman, President, and Mrs. Joelle Zajfman
Location: Tent adjacent to the Ebner Auditorium, on campus

(* Transportation to all destinations available after dinner from the Ebner parking lot)

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2007

7:45 a.m. Transportation from Tel Aviv hotels to the Institute
8:45 a.m. Transportation from all guest houses on campus to the Dolfi and Lola Ebner Auditorium
9:00 a.m. Board of Governors - Session III (members only) Location: Dolfi and Lola Ebner Auditorium
10:15 a.m. Transportation from Tel Aviv hotels to the Institute for mission participants and accompanying persons
11:00 a.m. Transportation from all guest houses on campus to the Michael and Anna Wix Auditorium

11:30 a.m. New Initiatives in the Life Sciences at the Weizmann Institute of Science:
Special Session in honor of Lorry I. Lokey, USA recognizing his dedication to advance the New Initiative in the Life Sciences at the Weizmann Institute of Science
Keynote Speaker: Prof. Eric R. Kandel, 2000 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine,
Honorary Ph.D. Recipient for 2007 Location: Michael and Anna Wix Auditorium

1:00 p.m. Luncheon in honor of Mr. Lorry I. Lokey, USA, marking the establishment of the Lorry I. Lokey Research School of Biochemical Sciences. Speaker: Prof. Ephraim Katzir, fourth President of the State of Israel Location: Edith and Abraham Wix Central Library, on campus
3:15 p.m. Dedication of the Mary and Tom Beck - Canadian Center for Alternative Energy Research Location: Perlman Building Plaza, on campus
3:45 p.m. W-GEM Oversight Board (members only) Location: Stone Administration Building, 4th Floor, Ayala Conference Room
3:45 p.m. Transportation to Tel Aviv hotels
5:00 p.m. Transportation for W-GEM Oversight Board members available upon request from the Stone Building parking lot

Afternoon - Evening: At Leisure

7:00 p.m. Canadian delegation dinner (by invitation) - all Canadian guests welcome
Location: 49th Floor of the Azrieli Towers, Tel Aviv

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2007

7:45 a.m. Transportation from Tel Aviv hotels to the Institute for Board members, mission participants and accompanying persons
9:00 a.m. Board of Governors - Session VI: Graduate Studies at the Weizmann Institute of Science Introductory Remarks: Prof. Israel Bar-Joseph, Vice President for Resource Development and Public Affairs Location: Dolfi and Lola Ebner Auditorium
9:30 a.m. Launching of the Ph.D. for MDs program in honor of Michael Jacobs, UK Participants: Prof. Daniel Zajfman, President Keynote speaker: to be determined Niv Pencovic, Ph.D. Student, Department of Molecular Genetics (TBC) Location: Dolfi and Lola Ebner Auditorium
9:45 a.m. Personalized Medicine: Tailor-made treatments and designer drugs Is there a drug matchmaker in your future?

Participants:
Prof. Eytan Domany, Department of Physics of Complex Systems
Prof. Doron Lancet, Department of Molecular Genetics
Prof. Zvi Livneh, Head, Department of Biological Chemistry
Dr. Ohad Birk, Head, Genetic Institute, Soroka University Medical Center and Alumni of the Weizmann Institute of Science
Location: Dolfi and Lola Ebner Auditorium

10:45 a.m. Coffee Break
11:10 a.m. What makes Chapagne bubble? The Economic Value of the Blue Energy...
Weizmann Institute students present "Science in Three Minutes" Led by: Prof. Varda Rotter, Head, Department of Molecular Cell Biology. Location: Dolfi and Lola Auditorium
12:15 p.m. Dedication of the Nissim Foundation for Life Science Research Location: Arnold R. Meyer Institute entrance

1:00 p.m. Luncheon in honor of Joseph and Jeanne Nissim Location: Tent adjacent to the Ebner Auditorium, on campus
3:00 p.m. Transportation to Tel Aviv hotels
5:45 p.m. Transportation from the Weizmann Institute (from all guest houses on campus) to the David Intercontinental Hotel, Tel Aviv

6:30 p.m. Transportation from Tel Aviv hotels to the David Intercontinental Hotel
(Those who are departing for the airport directly from dinner should bring their luggage along with them on the bus)
7:00 p.m. Gala Dinner concluding the 59th Annual General Meeting of the Board of Governors Location: David Intercontinental Hotel, Tel Aviv. Transportation to all destinations, including the Ben-Gurion Airport, available after dinner
from the David Intercontinental Hotel entrance

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2007

Board of Governors – Session V: Follow the Sun: a one-day excursion to the Negev
Meet the special people who cultivate zionistic dreams on the "Peace Border". Hear from Lova Eliav and the young Israelis who volunteer at the Nitzana Youth Aliyah Village he founded, where history, science, and education are brought together. For dessert, enjoy some well-deserved relaxation in the desert.

Accompanying Persons: In addition to the special activities arranged for you on November 4 and 5, you are warmly invited to take part in the events of the Board of Governors as indicated in this program.

(Updated October 19, 2007)