Last week, the Reut Group’s socio-economic initiative, TOM (Tikkun Olam Makers), announced the Israel Innovation Challenge contest, with the goal of documenting Israeli inventions and developments that provide solutions for soldiers, police, and civilians wounded during the Gaza war, including victims of the October 7 attacks.
“Israel faces an enormous challenge of rehabilitating the communities surrounding the Gaza Strip and in northern Israel, and of course the personal rehabilitation of many wounded soldiers and civilians,” says Gidi Grinstein, who initiated the project. “A long period of prosperity has ended, and the national challenge is to develop inexpensive and accessible products and services.”
The project was launched last Tuesday at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Any open-source product, hardware or software (without a registered patent) that can benefit anyone who was evacuated or injured since October 7 can participate in the competition, including manufacturers or inventors of paramedical products, textile products, home adaptations, or solutions for making protected spaces accessible. Cash prizes totaling around NIS 30,000 will be awarded to the winners, who will be announced in May.
The Israeli competition is part of TOM’s global product development competition, which will be launched soon. The Global Innovation Challenge is a competition to develop products that aid people living with disabilities, the elderly, and the poor, and is being held for the fifth time. Last year, 225 teams from 27 countries participated; this year’s competition is expected to include approximately 500 developers from 30 countries.
The TOM Project for the year has concluded, and the teams of volunteers that have worked in recent months presented the products that have been developed. These included, among others: an accessible baby cot for parents using wheelchairs, a harness designed to push baby strollers for parents using crutches, who do not have their hands free to push the carriage.
The flagship product, in advanced stages of development and testing, is a hand brace (prosthesis) weighing 500 gr. that can be adapted to the size of the residual limb and used for a variety of needs including cooking, playing ball, playing a musical instrument, and using a touch screen. The brace weighs 500 gr., will cost NIS 500, and can be delivered within three days.
■ ALSO LAST week, the Galiladies community, numbering some 2,000 women entrepreneurs from the Galilee and Golan Heights, convened at Margalit Startup City in Tel Aviv, in an event aimed at spearheading innovation and economic growth in northern Israel. The gathering highlighted the importance of supporting small business owners in the North amid the challenges faced by the war.
Established two years ago at the Foodtech Center of Margalit Startup City Galil, the Galiladies community represents a diverse group of women aged 28 to 65 hailing from various backgrounds, including cities, kibbutzim, moshavim, and Druze, and Arab villages. United in their vision for a thriving northern Israel, these women have become catalysts for change in their respective communities.
Those who attended the event last week had the opportunity to network and engage with prominent business figures such as Erel Margalit, chairman and founder of Margalit Startup City and JVP, and Yael Vinar, CEO of Overot VeShavot (Working and Equal), who provided mentorship talks.
A highlight of the event was a special sale showcasing Galilean products developed by these entrepreneurial women, offering a glimpse into the creativity and diversity of their enterprises. Products ranged from cheese from Kibbutz Ortal to wine from Harei Galil Winery, and hand-painted scarves from Moshav Ma’aleh, among others.
“For nearly 10 years, we have been operating in the Galilee,” said Margalit. “Together with our partners and these amazing women, we have made a great revolution. Israel must mark the return to the North. Every passing month, we lose 10% of the Galilee’s population. At this rate, in another three months, the Galilee may simply collapse.
“Israel needs a new leadership chapter, a new security chapter, a wise state hand, and an economic chief of staff. We need a New Deal for the South. We need a New Deal for the North, for small businesses, and for Israeli hi-tech.
“These women of Galiladies give us great inspiration. They work together, help each other, continue to be entrepreneurs even when they are not in their homes in the Galilee, and are determined to return as a community to the Galilee and mark the North as the next big thing even after the toughest period in recent years.
“The images of victory belong to the State of Israel, which seeks life and not death. We are committed to them, and with them, we will bring the vision to the Galilee on ‘the day after.’”
At their gathering in Tel Aviv the entrepreneurs reflected on how their businesses have dwindled since October 7, and continue to do so because there has been zero assistance from the government. The women also expressed fears of returning to the North while the area is still under attack.
Adi Bar Golan, founder of Ma’aleh, said: “For years, I have been dealing with tourism. Everything came to a halt on October 7. You sit at home and think, okay, what now? And you realize you need to reinvent yourself.
“The big difficulty is loneliness, it’s lack of income, it’s going from a hundred to zero! What holds me is the people I talk to. That’s what keeps me alive and helps me. Until today, I haven’t received anything from the government. I’m an optimistic person, and I say it’s forbidden to give up. My friends who are in the same situation as I am suffered a shock, and since then, they haven’t been able to recover.”
European Jewish Congress
■ THE EUROPEAN Jewish Congress (EJC) has presented Wolfgang Sobotka, president of the Austrian National Council, with its 2024 Golden Vision Award in recognition of his long-standing support for the Austrian Jewish community and his commitment to combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life.
As president of the Austrian National Council, the principal legislative chamber of the Austrian Parliament, Sobotka has exhibited extraordinary dedication to the well-being of Austrian Jews. He has actively engaged in initiatives to commemorate the Holocaust, tirelessly advocating for the fight against antisemitism, and promotes and protects Jewish culture and traditions.
His work has not only strengthened the bond between the Austrian government and the Jewish community but has also contributed to fostering a more diverse and welcoming society.
The award was presented to him by Dr. Ariel Muzicant, president of the EJC, on behalf of EJC’s affiliated Jewish communities, during a ceremony held in the Austrian Parliament in the presence of Jewish leaders from more than 30 countries across Europe and beyond.
Muzicant lauded Sobotka, who he said “has always been on our side, especially during these difficult times for Jews all over the world. As antisemitism rises in Europe and in Austria alike, we are proud to have Mr. Sobotka as a true friend.
“In the last 54 years since I have had the privilege of representing the Jewish people in various positions, the Jewish-Austrian relationship has resembled a roller-coaster ride,” Muzicant continued. “I cannot remember any time where the situation of Austrian Jewry was as good as in the last five years. President Sobotka has greatly contributed to this development and that is why he deserves this recognition.”
In response, Sobotka said: “This recognition touches my heart deeply. It is not just an acknowledgment of the Republic of Austria’s critical efforts, but a symbol of the collective dedication to a society without hate and where diversity thrives.
“Antisemitism is not only an affront to the Jewish community but a direct threat to the very core of our democracy and values of the free world. This award reinforces our shared commitment to combating antisemitism from all sides, preserving the richness of Jewish heritage, and nurturing a democratic spirit that embraces every citizen, irrespective of their background.”
The Golden Vision Award is the highest honor bestowed by the European Jewish Congress. It is conferred on individuals in recognition of their outstanding intellectual contribution to a more inclusive world.
Previous recipients have included: Pope Francis at a ceremony in the Vatican in 2020, in recognition of his message of brotherhood between Christians and Jews; World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder, and the Lithuanian writer Ruta Vanagaite for her courage in shedding light upon the Holocaust in Lithuania.
■ REPORTS IN the US media that Michelle Obama, wife of former president Barack Obama, may replace Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate in the upcoming presidential elections in November has fueled speculation in Israel that Michal Herzog is being groomed to succeed her husband Isaac Herzog in the 2028 Israeli presidential elections.
No previous presidential wife in Israel, including Herzog’s late mother-in-law Aura, has been so involved in her husband’s affairs. Michal not only accompanies Herzog on his trips abroad and sits in on many of his meetings, but is also an activist in her own right on the diplomatic front, in legal and military affairs, mental health issues, and more. She also attends many meetings that were taboo to her predecessors.
Thus, it would not be a surprise if she became the third member of the Herzog family, and the first woman, to be voted president of Israel.