The SpaceIL society has announced that Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams, known for adding Israel to the Giro d'Italia bicycle races circuit, would donate $5 million, thereby also assisting the project for landing the first Israeli spaceship on the moon.
Adams announced his donation during a tour in which he examined the stages in the process of assembling the spacecraft in Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) (TASE: ARSP.B1 ), accompanied by SpaceIL president Morris Kahn, CEO Dr. Ido Anteby, IAI MBT space division deputy general manager Inbal Kreiss, and the SpaceIL team. Adams declared, "This donation for strengthening the Israeli space program and encouraging education for excellence and innovation among the younger generation in Israel is the best gift I could ask for myself," and revealed that it was his 60th birthday.
Kahn thanked Adams, saying in his recent email, he had "joined an amazing group of donors with a common vision - landing the first Israeli spacecraft on the moon. We have reached the home stretch towards the launch, and I believe that his joining us will help us raise the rest of the money needed to complete our ambitious mission."
Last July, SpaceIL held a press conference announcing that target for the moon landing was February 13, 2019, after the organization recovered from a number of budgetary difficulties.
Last Friday, the Cameri Theater in Tel Aviv hosted the annual donation event of Beit Issie Shapiro, at which NIS 500,000 was raised to support development of an innovation center for children and adults with disabilities.
The artistic program at the event was a show in salute to Yossi Banai, "All Because of Love." At the beginning of the event representatives of Beit Issie Shapior hailed the recent selection of Ilana Nuriel as chairperson of the newly launched Friends of Beit Issie Shapiro Association.
Others in attendance included Beit Issie Shapiro founder Naomi Stuchiner; Israel resource development and public relations manager Sigal Winter; Minister of Social Equality Gila Gamliel; National Housing Committee head Zeev Bielski; Sigal Ozer and former HOT Telecommunication Systems Ltd. (TASE: HOT) CEOHerzl Ozer, who is now active in the cyber sphere; Jo Ziv and former Bank Hapoalim (TASE: POLI) CEO Zvi Ziv; Irit Kolber and Viola Growth general partner Jonathan Kolber; Menorah Mivtachim Holdings Ltd. (TASE: MORA) controlling shareholder and chairperson Eran Griffel; Genesis Partners chairperson and Trump Foundation chairperson Eddy Shalev; Electra Ltd. (TASE: ELTR) VP commercial and business development Moshe Litwak; Avi Zamir from Gindi Holdings; Hadassah Medical Center senior deputy director general Oren Levy; Liat Moliov and Adidas Israel managing director Shalom Moliov; The Phoenix Holdings Ltd. (TASE: PHOE1;PHOE5) CEO Eyal Lapidot; Flying Cargo co-owner and manager Daniel Reik; Schultz chairperson Daniel Palti; and Merav Mandelbaum from Getter Group.
Warming up the engines: Ishay Davidi and Gillon Beck inaugurate a training center for metal processing
A center for professional training in metal processing for aviation industry technology was inaugurated this week at Bet Shemesh Engines Ltd. (TASE: BSEN). The center was founded in response to demand for skilled workers in this area - a growing need in industry.
Present at the ceremony were newly elected Beit Shemesh Mayor Aliza Bloch; Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, and Social Services director general Avigdor Kaplan; First Mezzanine Investors Opportunity Funds (FIMI) founder and CEO Ishay Davidi; Davidi's partners and Bet Shemesh Engines chairperson Gillon Beck; and Bet Shemesh Engines CEO Ram Drori.
Bet Shemesh Engines will operate the new training center in cooperation with Atid Network Schools and Colleges, with support from the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, and Social Services. The company plans to train a total of 150 employees in the center.
Bet Shemesh Engines, controlled by FIMI, supplies jet engine parts to aviation manufacturers. Three weeks ago, the company reported that it would acquire Carmel Forge from Pratt & Whitney for $58.5 million.
What will Yossi Matias and Assaf Rappaport do in Silicon Valley?
A huge delegation formed for the purpose of promoting women and young entrepreneurs in high tech is just now returning from Silicon Valley. The companies and members of the delegation, initiated by the 8200 Alumni Association, were joined by Google Israel managing director Yossi Matias and Microsoft Israel R&D general manager Assaf Rappaport, who came to express their support in these matters.
Also accompanying the delegation were Woman2Woman, which seeks the promotion of women to senior executive positions in high tech, entrepreneurship, and venture capital, and the EISP 8200 program, which promotes the community of entrepreneurs in Israel and their connection to relevant customers and investors, led by Woman2Woman cofounder and managing director Keren Herscovici and EISP 8200 managing director Mor Chen.
The delegation returned with many impressions and full of energy and optimism, but also experienced the wave of first in California, which forced the cancelation of one meeting scheduled outdoors at Google X, after the authorities forbade gatherings in the region.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on November 20, 2018
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