Grapevine: Serving up some Turkey

THE TURKISH resort of Antalya is on the menu for PR guru Rani Rahav who has recently added the local branch of the Turkish Tourism Office to his client list.

By GREER FAY CASHMAN
• PUBLIC RELATIONS guru Ran Rahav who also happens to be the Honorary Consul for the Marshall Islands, now has torn loyalties. One of his newest accounts is that of the Turkish Tourism Office in Israel. This week, he hosted a press conference for the Turkish Tourism Office in his own magnificent office complex in Tel Aviv’s Museum Tower. The entrance to Rahav’s office features the flag and coat of arms of the Marshall Islands, but when it comes to vacation time, he’s pushing Turkey. 
 • HOLON SEEMS all set to become Israel’s cultural capital. After establishing the impressive Mediatech complex, it went a step further and commissioned architect Ron Arad to create the Holon Design Museum which had its official, big splash opening a few weeks ago. This week, on Thursday in fact, the museum launched its inaugural exhibition “The State of Things – Design and the 21st Century” curated by Barbara J. Bloemink, Julie Lasky, Aric Chen, and Garth Walker. Comprising more than 100 objects, the exhibition collectively reflects issues related to the practice, consumption and cultural impact of contemporary international design, especially in the case of functional items whose design also contributes to the aesthetics of their environment. The exhibition remains on view till May 15.
• SHE’S TEL Aviv’s – maybe even Israel’s – most youthful nonagenarian. The seemingly ageless Ruth Dayan is celebrating her 93rd birthday, but isn’t showing any signs of her age. Last week was her Jewish birthday, this week her Gregorian calendar birthday – and she’s still driving herself all over the country, giving speeches in Hebrew and English, meeting with her Beduin and Palestinian friends – and oh yes, she’s looking after her son Assi, who moved in with her, not because she needed someone to care for her, but because he needed someone to care for him.
• THE RETURN of Ben and Jerry’s to Israel, along with plans to open 16 ice-cream parlors in different parts of the country, plus the sudden surge of other brand name stores selling gelataria, frozen yogurt and soft American ice cream have put veteran ice cream manufacturer Strauss on its toes. Added competition from local and foreign brands is giving Strauss the impetus to develop new flavors and to keep on improving the quality of its product. Strauss opened the summer 2010 Ice Cream Season at The Avenue in Airport City, and proved that just as the proof of the pudding is in the eating, the proof of the ice cream is in the licking. Strauss Group President Michael Strauss was on hand as were his daughters Ofra who chairs the Strauss Group and Irit and Strauss Ice Cream CEO Shmulik Goldberg who were seen sampling the products. Ofra Strauss screened a film she had produced to honor her grandmother Hilda Strauss who was the founder of the Strauss dairy empire.
• HI-TECH MILLIONAIRE Zachi Rahiv apparently loves to spend money. Long before shelling out $15 million this week for a 30 percent stake in Ma’ariv, Rahiv and his wife Vivian five years ago purchased a villa in Galei Techelet Street in Herzliya Pituah for $22 million. The seller was Austrian businessman Martin Schlaff who was one of the partners in the Jericho Casino, which in its heyday was a significant landmark in that it was a place for perfect coexistence between Jews and Palestinians, secular and haredi, Sephardi and Ashkenazi, and any other number of combinations.
Other residents of Galei Techelet Street include US Ambassador James Cunningham and Indian Ambassador Navtej Singh.
• BEING A fan of a sports team does not mean that you support it onlywhen it’s riding high, Minister for Minorities Avishay Braverman saidon Israel Radio this week. Being a proper fan means encouraging theteam when the chips are down so that it will be inspired to do better.Braverman, who is best known in Israel as the former and highlysuccessful president of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, was alsoresponsible for upgrading sports standards and public attitudes tosports in Beersheba. In his remarks, he was referring to HapoelBeersheba which is going through a run of bad luck, which has provokedreactions of unnecessary violence among fans with the result that theteam is losing both its trainer and its owner. Braverman called on allthe residents of Beersheba to stand as one behind the team.