April 29, 2012 | 12:10 pm

Israel and the world Pt. 4- weekly news from Israel

Posted by Noga Gur-Arieh

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• On April 22nd, Israel showed respect for our homeplanet by turning off the lights for one hour. Three weeks after most of the world, the state of Israel was shut down from the day-to-day activities and rush. For one hour, the lights in most Israeli houses were turned off, and public places were also darkened. In Tel-Aviv, Israeli musicians electrified the stage in a musical concert. The concert was possible thanks to special eco-friendly energy, generated by volunteers who peddled special bicycles.

• New subject for school: Thanks to a new initiative, students of the governmental schools in Gaza will study Hebrew as of next year. According to the education office in Gaza, Hebrew studies are a part of a new enrichment program that also includes Turkish language studies. Seventh and eighth grade students will learn the two foreign languages. Hebrew teachers will probably be people who have learned the language while spending time in Israeli prison, as well as those with academic studies in Hebrew.

• Israeli nomination for one of the biggest film festivals: The Israeli feature movie God’s Neighbors has been chosen to be screened in Cannes Film Fetsival’s “Critics Week”. The movie, directed by Mani Yaesh, tells the story of a group of Breslov Orthodox Jews, who attempt to force their beliefs on their surroundings, and who, “in the name of God”, uses violence against anyone who dares to think differently. The movie has also been nominated for the Came’ra D’or prize, for “Best First Feature Film”.

• Jerusalem like you’ve never seen it before: After a year of production, the Imax 3D film Jerusalem is finally ready to air, and is scheduled for a worldwide release in 2013. The purpose of the film is to bring Jerusalem to the viewer, while providing the feeling of actually being there. Jerusalem will take you on a spectacular aerial tour of Israel and its capital city, once believed to be the center of the world.
You can get a sneak peak here: