VCinJerusalem

Clean Sweep

A guest blog posting by my life partner Haviva...I play a cameo role. Happy Pesach!

Clean Sweep.

Clean Sweep

Thank you Facebook -- Tomorrow Mishael is Finally Formally a Ner-David

Thank goodness my kids allow me to be their "friend" on Facebook (in real life we are still working on it). This morning I experienced such a "gevalt" moment, I need to publicly thank Facebook. 

My 11 year old daughter posted on her profile that on Monday we are going to court to finalize the adoption of our son Mishael (who has been with us for two years already...Israeli bureaucracy moves slowly).  And then she added: "And I completely forgot he is adopted." 

Would Meira tell me that directly? Maybe, but perhaps the medium of Facebook allows us to show our true "face." I am sure it has the opposite effect at times, but in this instance I think Meira allowed herself to express her true feelings. 

Wow, I still have goose bumps. One of those moments when you realize the important things in life. 

Thank you Facebook, and may all go smoothly in court tomorrow. 

Should I blog? Tweet? Facebook status posting? or...write a column?

OK, so it's been some time since I have posted to my blog, but even that admission seems so archaic (in Internet time). These days one has the option of tweeting, Facebook status update, Facebook "note," good old email blast, etc. Of course, newspapers do still exist. And my wife, Rabbi Dr. Haviva Ner-David recently started a column in the Jerusalem Post weekend edition. But her articles also appear on-line. And she also writes a column in an on-line only publication called Zeek. 

Can all of these options enter the mainstream? I don't think so. What will need to happen is a form of leveling, with Twitter and similar services acting as notification engines, Facebook as a semi-closed circle of "friends," and blogs staying what they were intended to be: "my" voice out into public domain. Blogs are essentially a diary exposed to the world. Some tend to use the medium for more professional reasons, others more personal, and some (like me) a combination. 

In one of the companies I am involved in, AttracTV, we are starting to see this all come together. AttracTV developed a platform for "Vidgets," which are applications that run as overlay on video being streamed. Amongst the first vidgets we released were Twitter and Facebook applications. And we see the different usage patterns, around the same content, playing out in real time. We also operate our own proprietary chat application, which is a very closed community (only people watching that content). 

But as we know, 99% of the population reads, listens, and watches.  They do not create. Facebook has nudged those statistics a bit, and while FB have not released stats yet, I would guess less than 10% of FB users actually update their status on regular basis. Thus the key in moving forward is how do the 99% process the Tweets, FB status updates, blog postings, news flashes, etc. Jeff Pulver has over 350,000 followers to his tweets. How many read each one? (especially given at the rate that Jeff puts information/thoughts/opinions out there...). What does it mean to have 350,000 followers? I subscribe to Jeff's blog, but I couldn't deal with his never ending tweet stream, turned it off hours after I opened up my twitter account. 

If Twitter is smart and wants to continue to be the channel they are, they will need to give the 99% of us the tools to manage the avalanche of information. I assume they (and hundreds of third party developers) are hard at work at it right now. 

In the end, we will remain the same human beings we are right now. Most of us are passive, some of us are active. The active ones will seek out the best ways to make their voice heard. 

Twitter: Not A scientific survey, but these people share my thoughts...

Ok, so I was wrong [so far] about Facebook...they have turned it into a sustainable platform and profitable business. Will Twitter succeed as well? Based on random interviews below...doubtful. But as I say, I have been wrong before.

Back to Business: Facebook on path to $1 BILLION Annual Revenues (I was wrong)

Just before we start to shut down for the holiday season (here in Israel we started "early," as Hanukka started last week...) want to admit where I was wrong--looks like Facebook is well on the road to becoming a serious cash machine, like it's cousin Google.

According to recent reports, besides passing 350 million active users, Facebook is on a run rate to hit $1 billion in annual revenues. In 2009 it is reported they already will exceed $500 million. While we [at present] do not have info on how much Facebook is spending, should be safe to assume less that their revenues, and they are starting to not only be profitable but generating some serious cash reserves.

I need to admit that I was wrong. I did not think Zuckerberg and team had it together to translate massive usage into business, but I guess the usage was just to massive to get it completely wrong...slowly but surely they are monetizing that user base (again, little visibility into numbers, but seems to be from display ads, virtual goods, and very focused ad campaigns).

I still do not think Facebook is any kind of new operating system, and if a better FB comes along they could be left in the dust. While my 11 year old is a FB addict, my almost 9 year old doesn't use it at all [yet]. If a better FB comes along to capture her attention, FB is threatened. They have no intellectual property, no defensible technology advantage. "Just" massive momentum, which may make them too big too fall. But then again, where is Myspace today? My 11 year has never even tried it.

Bringing this back to our home court, the venture community in Israel, we need to think more about what it means to scale up, and monetizing success. Facebook, I still maintain, is the exception to the rule. Now lets see if Twitter can start to generate Google-like revenues....

Classic Sandler Hanuka fun, as retold by Neil Diamond.....

Can't let Hanuka go by without re-watching the Adam Sandler hanuka song, by now a classic. Here is a version with Neil Diamond set to animation. And while you are watching and listening, think about the questions of "Who is a Jew" and "What is a Jew." (hey, it's not all fun and games, this holiday is actually about some pretty deep themes and troubling history...but at least Sandler makes us laugh!).

The Wall: Davka on Hanuka It is Jews v. Jews Fighting Over What's Left

This Friday morning is the celebration of the new month ("Rosh Chodesh") of Tevet, which as usual makes it a special day, when the days of holiday of Hanuka are raised to even higher level with the double celebration of Hanuka and the New Month. As on every Rosh Chodesh a dedicated group of women will gather at the remnants of the Second Temple (known as the "Western Wall" or at times the "Wailing Wall") to usher in the new month together, as they have been doing for 21 years. These women come in rain or shine, no matter what else is happening in the world or around them.

For close to 13 years my wife, Rabbi Dr. Haviva Ner-David was a very active member of this group. After we moved to the Galil 6 months ago she has not attended in person. But she will there this Friday morning, as a celebration of the holiday and as an act of solidarity with all women (and men) who seek to express their spirituality in ways other than the official ultra-orthodox position.

Below is a letter from a friend of ours, Rena Magun, which I think says it all, inviting all who can to eb physcially present at the Wall this Friday morning. I will be here in Hanaton, with some of our kids and meeting together with our fellow pioneers in building a new community, but with deep feelings and connections to Jerusalem, our home for 13 years and the heart of the Jewish people.

I pray that this Hanuka our ultra-orthodox brethren will realize that the Wall represents the destruction of the Temple and the Second Jewish commonwealth largely because of senseless hatred ("Sina'at Hinam") and the last thing we should be doing on Hanuka is fighting amongst ourselves, but rather respecting all the wonderful ways to be Jewish today.

Hebrew is first, followed by English

 

חברים יקרים,

 

כפי שחלקכם יודעים, ב-18 בנובמבר, בראש חודש כסלו, נופרת פרנקל נעצרה (!) בכותל על לבישת טלית. נופרת התפללה בכותל עם נשות הכותל בהתאספות החודשית המתרחשת כל ראש חודש מזה 21 שנה. ניתן לקרוא מידע נוסף על ההיסטוריה של התאספות זו והמאבק המתמשך במערכת החוק הישראלית באתר http://womenofthewall.blogspot.com/ .

 

עבורי, בתור אישה שמתפללת עם טלית, מעצרה של נופרת הינו מאיים ומעורר דאגה. מצד אחד, כבר זמן רב אינני מתייחסת לכותל בצורה דתית כיוון שישנה תחושת ניכור כאישה כאשר אני מתפללת שם. מצד שני, איך יתכן שברוב העולם, אישה יכולה להרגיש חופשייה להתפלל עם טלית מלבד בכותל בירושלים, העיר הקדושה ביותר מבין כל הערים. הסיבה לקונפליקט היא שכיום הכותל מוגדר כבית כנסת אורתודוקסי, ובהתאם אנשים המתפללים בכותל צריכים לכבד את הנורמות של ההשקפה האורתודוקסית. אם בהתחלה היה מדובר במבוגרת אשר הביאה צעיף לכל אישה שלא התלבשה צנוע מספיק, עם הזמן המצב הסלים ונוצרו כניסות נפרדות לשני המינים (!), איסור מוחלט על תפילה  משותפת של גברים ונשים אפילו במקום מרוחק, בפלאזה ועכשיו אף מעצר אישה על לבישת טלית.

 

הכותל איננו שייך למוסד האורתודוקסי בארץ ישראל, אלא לכל היהודים.

 

ב-18 לדצמבר, ראש חודש טבת, היום השביעי של חנוכה, יום שישי ב-7 בבוקר, נשות הכותל יתאחדו לתפילה עם טליתות תחת מעיליהן. במידה ומספיק נשים יבואו, המעילים יפתחו והטליתות יחשפו. דמיינו, אם תוכלו, מה יקרה אם אלפי נשים עם טליתות יצטרפו לתפילה. זהו איננו מעשה בלתי אפשרי! אם כולנו נצטרף, מצב זה יכול להתרחש.

 

עבור אלו מכן אשר אינן מתפללות עם טלית בדרך כלל, אנא תשקלו לעשות זאת הפעם (ואולי גם לאחר מכן) כהצהרה של סולידריות במאבק לחופש דת עליו נשים אלו נלחמות מזה 21 שנה. ייתכן ויום אחד את או בתך תרצו ללבוש טלית בכותל. כיום זה בלתי אפשרי וללא עזרתכן זה יישאר בלתי אפשרי לנצח.

 

אנא העבירו הודעה זו לכל מי שאתם מכירים אשר ייתכן ויבוא או שיש לו חברים שייתכן ויבואו.

לצערי, נאלצתי להסיר את החתימה שלי עם המידע ליצירת קשר מהאימייל הזה מפחד מפעולת תגמול של קיצונים.

 

רינה מגן.

 

 

Dear friends,

 

As some of you know, on Nov 18^th a young woman named Nofrat Frankel was arrested (!) at the Kotel for wearing a tallit. She was praying as part of the monthly Rosh Chodesh gathering of Women at the Wall that has been going on for 21 years this month.  You can read more about their history and ongoing struggle with the Israeli legal system at http://womenofthewall.blogspot.com/.

 

For me, a woman who wears a tallit, Nofrat's arrest was frightening and deeply disturbing.  On the one hand, I long ago stopped relating to the Kotel religiously because I feel so alienated as a woman when I pray there.  On the other hand, how can it be that almost all over the world, a woman can feel free to wear a tallit, EXCEPT at the Kotel in Jerusalem, the holiest of cities.  The reason given is that the Kotel is considered an Orthodox synagogue, and that people praying there must respect those norms.  What was once the small annoyance of an old woman giving you a shawl to wrap around your shoulders or legs if you weren't modestly dressed, has evolved over time into gender segregated entranceways (!), a complete ban on groups of men and women praying together even way, way back in the Plaza, and now an arrest for wearing a tallit. 

 

THE KOTEL DOES NOT BELONG TO THE ORTHODOX ESTABLISHMENT IN THIS COUNTRY. IT BELONGS TO ALL JEWS. 

 

On Friday morning, Dec 18^th, Rosh Chodesh Tevet, the 7^th day of Chanukah, at 7:00 am, Women of the Wall will be gathering to daven with their tallitot under their coats. If enough women come, they will open their coats. Imagine if you will, what would happen if thousands of women with tallitot came to join the davening…it is not an impossible feat.  If we all come out, it could easily happen.

 

For those of you who don’t usually wear a tallit, consider doing so this once (and maybe afterwards as well) as a statement of solidarity for the struggle for religious freedom that these women have been waging for 21 years.  After all, one day you or your daughter might want to wear a tallit at the Kotel.  Right now that is impossible, and without your help it may remain impossible  forever.

 

PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW WHO MIGHT COME OR HAVE FRIENDS WHO MIGHT COME. 

I am sad to say I have removed my contact info from the signature of this e-mail for fear of reprisal from extremists.      

 

Rena Magun

 

 

Great short charge to the troops of the American Zionist Movement by Aharon Horowitz of Presentense. It's only 7 minutes video, nice summary of the need for a new zionist vision. Food for thought as we move into the festival of lights and think about what is worth fighting for these in this post-post day and age. Happy Hanuka to all.

Israel: Both High-Tech Wunderkind and Slave Economy, Go Figure

Two clashing stories flashed across my screen this past week.

The first was the launch buzz surrounding the new book by my friend Saul Singer and his brother-in-law Don Senor, entitled "Start Up Nation ." Essentially tackling the question many have asked over the past twenty years -- how did those guys living in a desert, with no natural resources, cut off from their region, turn their country into an economic power house? Well, part of the answer is most certainly the high-tech wave of the past twenty years, which I have been privileged to ride in and benefit from, and still am immersed in today.  The entrepreneurial  "can-do" spirit of the country, and several other factors, have led to the success of the high-tech sector in Israel and the economy in general.

For a pumped up interview session on CNBC with Dan Senor, see here. I think only living in the US can you remain as excited as Dan seems to be about life in Israel...which leads me to the next issue.

Second major news item is the fight of the Israeli farming community (here read mainly agri-business, not small farms, more on that below) to import more "foreign workers" from Thailand. The farming community is loose coalition of Kibbutzim (theoretically socialist leaning), Moshavim (diluted kibbutz) and some large private farmers. All of these are almost exclusively Jewish controlled. Most non-Jewish Arab (Muslim, Christian, Druze) farmers are small operations that do not import workers from abroad. What are the farmers demanding when they say "foreign workers?" Do they mean highly skilled labor that one cannot find in these parts? NO! They mean CHEAP LABOR, ready to work at wages far below Israeli minimum wage. In fact, so cheap it's worth flying them here, housing them, feeding them, etc., for years on end. Sounds like...yup, pretty close to slavery. Or at least indentured servitude. Certainly not very progressive. How did this happen, only a few short years after great waves of Israelis in the last century built up a major farming industry? Well, one is because there was a flight away from working the land to working the keyboard, or at least working in a room where there are keyboards...farming became seen as passe, low chance for upward social mobility. We drifted away from our roots as a modern society based on self-sustanaibility to one slammed by the wave of globalization. If the profitablity of the Israeli farming community is based on importing 5-10,000 Thai workers.  we have an emergency situation on our hands. Agriculture here, like in many places, is a completely government and God controlled enterprise. God supplies some water, the land, and then lets government mess it up from there. Government decides the price of water, land use, and controls the price of some of the output of the agriculture (milk, bread, vegetables). Perhaps instead of importing workers from Thailand, we should be paying livable wages to Israeli citizens to work in agriculture. Maybe the "profit" would be less, but it's an artificial industry to begin with (OK, so I don't believe any market is truly "free," but this one is very far from free...).

Most Israelis today do not see the agricultural economy first hand, so they really don't think about where their vegetables and milk comes from -- I have started to pay a bit more attention now that I am a member of an agricutural community (and yes, have started to be be physically active, we are in the midst of our olive harvest, if you want to come help out, will get some oil for your labor...). When we brough our first wave of olives into one of the neighboring olive presses a few weeks ago, I looked around, and did not see a single Thai worker. There were families from Kfar Manda, keeping alive an agricultural tradition going back centuries. And us proud few from Hanaton, who picked our olives and will eat our olives (and olive oil), the way it should be. In freedom. Without any "foreign workers."

No time for Blogging? Yes and No

As many of "you" might have noticed, I have not posted anything new in quite some time.

Is it because nothing is happening? Absolutely not. In fact at times too much is happening.

Is it because I don't have enough time? No. I could "make time." But making time is a question of prioritization. Do I spend ten more minutes with my kids on their homework or write a blog posting?  Do I focus on my life partner and talk to each other or write a blog posting? Do I go for a run or a bike ride or write a blog posting? 

As I have stated in the past, I am not the world's best organizer of time. But I can make time, and have set priorities in my life.

As the saying goes, noone goes to deathbed saying: "I wish I spent less time with my kids..."

Have a good day, use your time wisely.