Dear friends!

Today, Jews around the world celebrate Rosh Hashanah and the advent of the year 5777 from the creation of the world. I heartily congratulate all with the upcoming holiday and wish your families, friends, relatives well-being!

Jews believe that on this day God judges the world by its deeds, and that next year will be as Rosh Hashanah. I wish that today and always in every house sounded laughter, joy and your hearts filled with happiness for every day!

Rosh Hashanah - is time to pay attention on actions committed in the past year, to realize mistakes, not to make them in the future. Today, in the synagogues you can hear the shofar (ram's horn hollow), calling on all to rethink their actions, referring not only to the ear, but also to the heart of everyone. Jews around the world will greet relatives and wish everyone good, pray for the well-being, giving gifts, dressed white clothes, symbolizing purity, and in the evening a family will gather for a rich feast.

The Jews say: "Le-Shana Tova tikatevu ve tihatemu", which means "Let it be written and sealed the decision that you will have a good year." Today in Jewish families’ women put on a festive table apples and honey, so that life will be sweet and happy, fish - a symbol of fertility, the head of a sheep or fish, to always be at the top, vegetables, cut into slices that resemble gold coins as a symbol of prosperity.

Once again I congratulate everyone on this holiday and wish you health, joy, peace and happiness!

Today, the world was paying last honors to Shimon Peres.

There is much say about how great this man was, but words cannot describe the value of his deeds and their importance to the world. But the founding father of Israel's greatness can be understood by looking at the list of those who came to honour him on his last journey.

At the funeral ceremony on Mount Herzl leaders from around the world has gathered. US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry, former US President Bill Clinton came to pay the tribute to the great son of Israel. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko was also at the farewell ceremony. To bid farewell to Shimon Peres a total of 80 delegations from different countries arrived, including presidents, heads of governments, parliament speakers, foreign ministry officials, representatives of royal families. To give him last goodbye as to friend, colleague, teacher.

President Obama, speaking at a farewell ceremony, said that Perez was a true Zionist and believed that "the Zionist idea will be protected only when the Palestinians will establish their own state." He also said that Peres was not destined to see the realization of his dream, and recognized that the Middle East region is now in a state of chaos.

Barack Obama completed his speech very touching, by saying in Hebrew: "Toda Raba, Haver Yakar" - "Thank you, dear friend."

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, who cut short his visit to Ukraine, to say goodbye to Peres, he said that Shimon Peres was a political leader who was able to realize their wildest dreams.

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that he did not always agree with the political views of Shimon Peres, but, over time, understood the correctness of his chosen path: "Israel must be a strong state, but at the same time able to establish peaceful relations with its neighbours" - said Perez .

Of course, Mr Netanyahu recalled the famous operation to free the hostages in Entebbe Uganda's airport in 1976: in this operation, which was insisted by Shimon Peres and which he directed, then SWAT commander Yonatan Netanyahu was killed - brother of current prime minister of Israel.

According to colleagues, Shimon Peres was very easy to communicate with others. "Perez came to my parliamentary residence even at the age of 90 years. He greeted by hand with all employees, was easy to communicate and was respected by people, "- the chairman of the Knesset Yuli Edelstein described the former president.

Former US President Bill Clinton said that Shimon Peres remained optimistic in any situation, always been faithful to his chosen path and never despaired in his quest to achieve peace in the Middle East.

Such recognition - is when your rightness is recognized not only by your friends, but also by opponents. At the funeral of Shimon Peres, among the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Austria and other European countries, was the leader of the Palestinian - President Mahmoud Abbas. Israel was not prepared to accept the Palestinians officially, so Abbas arrived in private, to pay tribute to his colleague.

Farewell to the great son of Israel, a patriot and a dreamer! Rest in peace.

Very often, word "childhood" is mentioned in conjunction with the word "happyness" Ideally, it should be.

But life can be very cruel.

These small children in the photo are not accidentally photographed from the back: HIV virus turned their childhood in a constant struggle for life. They are so young and already so adult. Each of us can help fill their lives with small pleasures, such as watching a cartoon.

At 8am September 29, 1941 in Kiev Jews - women with small children and the elderly, all those who could not go to the frontline - by the orders of the occupation authorities gathered on the street Melnikova with documents and valuable things.

For failure to comply with the order they were sentenced to death.

"All the Jews of the city of Kiev and its vicinity must gether on Monday September 29, 1941 at 8 o'clock in the morning on the corner of Melnikova and Dokterivskoy Streets (near the cemetery).

Take documents, money and valuables, as well as warm clothes, underwear and so on.

Jews that will not comply with this order or will be found elsewhere will be shot on sight.

Those who infiltrate into the Jews apartments and usurp things will be shot. "

During the first two days of the shootings at Babi Yar 33,771 people were killed, not including children up to three years. The mass executions continued at the beginning of October and lasted until the end of the occupation. According to various estimates only in Babi Yar during two years 200 thousand people were killed - Jews, Ukrainians, Russian, Roma, Karaites. The eldest, who met her death at Babi Yar, was 103-year-old woman, the youngest - a three-day girl.

There were killing of prisoners of war, partisans, sailors, athletes, writers, rabbis and priests. According to the testimony of the few who managed to escape death, naked people were beaten, shot and dumped into pits in 2-3 layers. After that, the pit was filled and prepared for the next group.

The scale of the crimes committed here, is very difficult to realize. For decades the brutal crimes committed here were suppressed. Today, we are little by little restoring the memory of the tens of thousands of innocent victims who were killed at Babi Yar.

Babi Yar is a symbol of the suffering, injustice and barbarism, which was brought by Holocaust. It is a place of memory for Jews and Ukrainians. Today Ukraine bowed its head to pay tribute to the victims of the bloody crimes committed in the name of one country.

The tragedy of Jews is very clear for Ukrainians and it is very scary that some people still divide others on ethnic grounds. There is still a division between "higher" and "inferior races", and still people are victims of insane killers who have decided that they can write history.

Ukraine remembers the terrible events of its history, and today hundreds of people come to Babi Yar to remind the world about the tragedy of people executed here. Their names will not be forgotten, they become a symbol of unity for all the peoples of our country.

Today, the great man is gone, the great dreamer, world-class politician, the ninth President of Israel Shimon Peres.

I want to express my sincere condolences to the family of Mr. Peres, his family and friends, as well as the entire nation of Israel in connection with this heavy loss.

With Shimon Peres leaves a whole era. Peres - one of the founder fathers of Israel, he was one of those who did not waste time on trifles, who lived according to the word, and his words matched his deeds. He was a great democrat and a humanist, an example for people around the world. Shimon Peres - the Nobel Peace Prize winner lived during Holocaust and many wars, but through all the tests he managed to keep inviolable moral principles, moral purity, and unrelenting optimism.

For me, Shimon Peres is the personification of Israel: such people as Perez, turned the desert into a garden, to realize the dream of freedom and create their own state. Patriarch of Israeli, Middle Eastern and international politics, Peres has always been able to go beyond, to see the future.

Largely thanks to his work today, Israel is a state with a strong army capable of defending its borders. He was the founder of Israel's nuclear program, organised the supply of arms for his country, from the ground up and created a military aircraft industry. It is thanks to him it was made possible for the legendary "Operation Entebbe" in 1976.

Shimon Peres - the initiator and participant during the peace negotiations in the Middle East. He said: "Every politician should be aware of relation forecasts and reality. I at claimed to be the author of the idea of ​​a new Middle East. I admit myself "guilty". I really dream of a new Middle East, where there is no enmity between Arabs and Jews ... Today, I do not really care what they say about me. I know my task and will fulfill it to the end. "

Last year, Shimon Peres visited Kiev, he spoke to politicians, diplomats and businessmen. During his visit, he said the words, stunning in their power, the words I want to quote.

"We dreamed of our land, but the land that we got was not a dream. It was a small piece of the Middle East. This land was not hospitable to us. There were swamps and mosquitoes, desert and stones. We had to choose between mosquitoes and stones. There were two lakes - one dead, the second was dying. There was a famous river - but there was no water in it. I mean, there was no water at all. No natural resources were there - or gold or oil. We say that in the Middle East, there are two types of countries - the country's with oil and holy countries. Ours was absolutely holy, because generally there was nothing.

We were alone. We did not have a brother in religion, or sister by language. All this happened after the Holocaust. We came back and did not know at all what to do. Really we did not know.

And we thought, the greatest wealth of nature is a man. People have enriched the earth, not the earth enriched people....

Why am I telling you this? Until now, I tell young boys or girls: friends, you have a lot more than you think. Do not be lazy. You have much more than the land can offer you. You can make things that are not given to you. This is a lesson for all.

Ukraine - one of the most important countries in the world in the field of agriculture. You deliver a lot, and you do not have to give up on agriculture - you can and should develop the pool of resources and talents of the people...

You need to go for science. Science has no boundaries, limitations, science has no reflection...

Your younger generation is great. But what makes me angry at them - they despise politicians. They say: politics is corrupt, it is not for us. I answer: you honest, you want honest politicians - so go do honest policy ...

It's all the lessons that I myself handed down from the past.

People ask me sometimes: if you look back, what were your biggest mistakes? I answer, we thought that we had great dreams. And now we realize that they were not so great. Dream big. The bigger your dream, the more you will achieve. "

Exactly these words could not better characterize Shimon Peres. Today the world has lost a truly one of the best people. But we will remember his deeds, his ideas, his hope for the best.

Blessed be his memory!

Yesterday there was a remarkable event for the history of both our nations, on Monday, September 26 a group of MPs of Israel for the first time ever, visited the National Museum "Memorial to Holodomor victims."

The meeting was held at the initiative and with the support of the Honorary Consulate of Israel in Western Ukraine.

This historic visit headed by Deputy Speaker of the Israeli parliament, the chairman of the parliamentary group of friendship Israel-Ukraine Mrs. Tali Ploskov. With their own eyes, Israeli MPs could see evidence of genocide against the Ukrainian nation. The highlight of the event was the presentation of evidence to members of the Israeli parliament that Holodomor of 1932-1933 was the genocide of Ukrainian people. MPs were handed a folder with SSU materials, declassified documents, excerpts from the criminal case "famine-genocide" that show evidence of crimes against the Ukrainian Soviet Republic.

I want to emphasize that the visit of an official Israeli delegation to review the facts of the Holodomor is the first time in history. I think that Israeli parliamentarians expressed their desire to learn more about these terrible events in the history of Ukraine, and clearly demonstrated a deep understanding of the tragedy of the Ukrainian people.

According to Mrs. Ploskov, delegates were amazed with what they saw: "It is difficult to find words after what we saw here. We can only regret the facts that we found particularly revealing book with thousands of names of people who are not with us today. "

Of course, the Israelis are well aware about such genocide: during the terrible years of the Holocaust, more than 6 million Jews were destroyed just because they were born Jewish. Similarly, during the terrible artificial famine on Ukrainian fertile land, a generation of Ukrainians was destroyed and tortured. That's why both of our nations as well can understand the value of freedom and independence of their own state and value of every human life. Like ten years ago, today the Israelis and Ukrainian again fighting for their independence and the right to decide their fate. But today we are not victims, we have weapons in our hands and we are able to resist the enemy.

I want to thank Israeli Knesset delegation for their initiative and willingness to dialogue on these important topics. I want to make such terrible words as the Holocaust, the Holodomor to be visible only in the history books, and over Israel and Ukraine there will always be a peaceful sky.

Last week, reputable British magazine - Times Higher Education published a global ranking survey of the best universities: I have an honor to inform that four Ukrainian and six Israeli universities is deservedly are among them.

Lviv Polytechnic is top ranked among all Ukrainian universities, which ranked higher than its serious competitors such Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University, Kharkov National University of Vasyl Karazin and NTUU Kyiv Polytechnic Institute of Igor Sikorsky.

Among the best Israeli universities The Hebrew University in Jerusalem has the highest position -186, after it Tel Aviv University, Technion University, Bar Ilan University, Ben-Gurion University and Haifa University also.

I would like to note that Israeli universities ranks much higher than Ukrainian ones, beating them for 100-600 positions.

As expected, University of Oxford, California Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard and Princeton become the best universities in the world.

I must note that not only common indicators as level of scientific research, contribution to innovation, scientific articles citation were evaluated. An important factor in university ranking became an international student and faculty mobility, the number of international scholarship programs, the level of educational services and so on. Despite the fact that nowadays Ukrainian students are actively trying to communicate with their colleagues from other countries, they cannot be involved in scientific work on the same level as their Israeli counterparts because of visa regulations with EU and poor financing of education systems.

"Ukrainian specialists have created new supercomputer", “Kiev “Silicon Valley” made a breakthrough in the field of high technologies”.

These could be today’s headlines of the world press, if history would go in a different direction.

It all started many years ago. Few people know that the first computer in continental Europe was created over 65 years ago, in 1951, in Ukraine. This machine was called the Small electronic computing machine - SECM

Despite the modest word "Small", it consisted of 6,000 vacuum lamps and barely fit into the left wing of The Computer lab at Institute of Electrical Sciences (former USSR) headed by Sergei Lebedev.

Project started after the war, in 1948, and by 1950 the machine was installed in the building of former monastery, near Kiev. By 25 December 1951, the Academy of Science commission approved SECM and officially put it into operation. At that time, only UK and US had similar machines. The machine was operated until 1957, and used in creation of hydrogen bomb. Because of the war, works on the first computer could not be completed earlier.

SECM worked with unprecedented speed for those days - 3000 operations per minute, producing subtraction, addition, multiplication, division, shift, comparison, including comparison in absolute values, transfer control, transfer of numbers from magnetic drum and adding the commands.

In 1952, the SECM was practically the only computer in the country which could solved various scientific and technical tasks in the field of thermonuclear processes, space flight and rocketry, long-distance power lines, mechanics, statistical quality control. During machine construction engineers used 6000 vacuum lamps with a total capacity of 25 kW: when all the lamps were switched on simultaneously, the laboratory turned into tropics. Technicians had to dismantle the ceiling of the room urgently to divert at least part of the heat.

Almost at the same time, in 1955, Israeli computer WEIZAC created in Weizmann Institute conducted its first calculations.

Computer was created by three Jews: John von Neumann, Albert Einstein and Chaim Leib Pekeris. When it was decided to create Israeli computer, Einstein skeptically wondered why you need a computer in such small country. He was objected by brilliant mathematician von Neumann, who developed his computer in Princeton, USA. At the same institute Pekeris Haim worked - scientist in the field of geophysics and mathematics. He held a Head of Department position of Mathematics at the Research Institute in Rehovot.

For eight years WEIZAC calculated the ebbs and flows, atomic spectroscopy, earthquakes probabilities, X-ray crystallography, and more.

At that moment several major research projects were developed in Israel, and WEIZAC was the only computer in whole country, so there were many scantiest who wanted to use it, and they had to wait. So a classic situation of "demand creates supply" has become an impulse for the rapid development of information technologies, which in a few decades later led Israel to the top position in the global IT market.

Have you ever sent a letter directly to God?

I believe many would like, but the address is unknown. Israel post provides such service for everyone. Annually Israel post receives thousands of letters from around the world, which are signed simply, "Jerusalem. Western Wall. God”. And believe me, all these letters are delivered to where they should be.

Believe me, I have seen how the postman comes to the Wall with full bag of letters, and forward them to administration and the rabbinate of the Wall with my own eyes. After that chief rabbi puts them in the gaps between the stones.

Especially during pre-holiday days, like now, huge amount of letters is delivered. Every day hundreds of letters from around the world are delivered to the central post office in Jerusalem and then forwarded to the Western Wall - the wall of the destroyed Temple. People ask for everything: for new car, health, repose of a soul, or a new dress.

This year, during Jewish New Year eve, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Israeli post again delivers letters to God to the Western Wall. Israeli Post CEO Danny Goldstein forwards letters to the Head of administration of Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch. Letters are sent not only from Israel, but also from Russia, France, Spain, Netherlands, China, Nigeria, US, UK and several other countries.

If you have not written a letter to God yet, you can do it right now: Israeli post guarantees delivery directly to the recipient.

Сегодня я хочу рассказать одну историю, произошедшую 120 лет назад, участником которой стал наш с вами земляк.

120 лет назад аферы были более изысканными и экстравагантными, а к их осуществлению прикладывали руку по-настоящему великие мастера.

Итак, весной 1896 года парижский Лувр объявил о приобретении настоящего шедевра ювелирного искусства – древней тиары скифского царя Сайтаферна. По легенде, она была дарована царю мастерами из Ольвии в качестве дара. Лувр заплатил за тиару сумасшедшие по тем временам деньги – 200 тысяч франков и с гордостью выставил ее на показ. На самой тиаре выла высечена надпись - «Великого и непобедимого Сайтаферна почитает совет и народ Ольвии», что по мнению французских археологов очевидно доказывало древнее происхождение произведения искусства.

Однако, очень быстро выяснилось, что «тиара Сайтаферна» - это произведение современного мастера и Одессы, гениального ювелира Израиля Рухомовского. Но сам Рухомовский даже не подозревал, что создал тиару древнего царя. Его разыскали газетчики и для того, чтобы подтвердить его авторство, привезли мастера в Париж.

Израиль Рухомовский родился в 1860 году в религиозной еврейской семье и был долгожданным поздним ребенком. Он учился в хедере и родители рассчитывали, что сын станет раввином. Но однажды мальчик получил в подарок карандаши и перочинный нож и с тех пор постоянно рисовал и вырезал всевозможные фигурки. Израиль Рухомовский был гением-самоучкой: он самостоятельно изучил ювелирное и гравёрное дело, работал в лучших мастерских Киева. К примеру, Иосиф Маршак, крупнейший конкурент Фаберже, постоянно заказывал у Рухомовского предметы. А потом Рухомовский переехал в Одессу и открыл собственную лавку. Работал он без вывески: чтобы обзавестись ею, нужно было приобрести патент купца третьей гильдии, а на это денег у него не было.

Что касается тиары, то в Париже не смолкали споры, но вскоре спорить стало не о чем: Рухомовский привёз в Париж целый чемодан рисунков, по которым создавал тиару, а потом в присутствии экспертов просто воспроизвел несколько ее фрагментов. Удивительнее всего то, что мастера не арестовали и не обвинили в мошенничестве: как я уже сказал, он даже не подозревал о назначении своего изделия. Тиару заказали ему два шустрых делка из Одессы – братья Гохманы, которые торговали фальшивыми древностями. За истинно царскую тиару, которую Рухомовский сделал всего за 8 месяцев, мошенники заплатили мастеру 2 тысячи рублей.

Надо сказать, что скандал с тиарой пошел самому Рухомовскому на пользу: он превратился в настоящую знаменитость, получил золотую медаль парижского Салона, а тиару все же выставили в Лувре с надписью «Сделал Рухомовский». Позже, после начала еврейских погромов, в 1905 году он с семьей окончательно переехал в Париж и стал работать в реставрационных мастерских Лувра, с лучшими мастерами своего времени. А вскоре его клиентом стал банкир Эдмон де Ротшильд.

Сегодня на стене скромного дома по улице Осипова в Одессе висит табличка, которая рассказывает о том, какой необыкновенный человек здесь работал. На мой взгляд эта история примечательна тем, что ярко демонстрирует судьбу многих известных мастеров своего дела нашей страны: чтобы стать известными и приобрести заслуженную славу у себя на родине, им надо сначала быть признанными всем миром. Давайте больше обращать внимание на тех, кто рядом сейчас и ценить то, что имеем. У нас все есть, надо только понять это самим.

Today I would like to talk about a real example of the Ukrainian-Israeli friendship.

One of the soldiers has recently contacted me, he defends Ukrainian land in the East of our country. His name is Gregory, and he is the soldier of the Israeli army, who served in the legendary "Golani" brigade. He asked me to show what Ukrainian-Israeli friendship is, how Israelis actually support Ukrainians and relationship between Ukrainians and Jews in Ukraine.

By the will of fate, Gregory appeared in Ukraine during the Revolution of Dignity and could not stay away. From the first days of the war, he went to the East, to help Ukrainian soldiers with his experience. Gregory is a patriot of his country; he knows how a small country can be defended from the aggressive neighbor.

In February 2016, there was heavy fighting near Gorlovka town and Gregory was there.

"I raised the flag of "Golani " brigade - said Gregory. Then battalion deputy commander asked me to raise the flag of Israel also.

It has been done in order to show to everyone around the world, that there is no anti-Semitism in Ukraine and in Armed Forces of Ukraine. We are different soldiers, we are all different, but we defend Ukrainians.We are brotherly nations, are we not? »

Politicians, provokers, the media can say anything, try to embroil us for imaginary far-fetched problems, but such actions speak for themselves.

Let me explain what is on the photo: first is Ukrainian flag, under it American flag. American flag has been raised to annoy the enemy. After it the flag of The State of Israel and the flag of "Golani " brigade.

The first infantry "Golani" brigade - is one of the very first six brigades, which fought for the independence of Israel.

Soldiers of the brigade took part in all Israel independence wars, and brigade become famous for participation in special operations (for example "Entebbe" special operation).Flag of "Golani" brigade is a tree on a yellow background. Yellow background - is a reminder of the outstanding role of the brigade in the war of 1948 and Eilat assault.

The first soldiers in the "Golani" were simple peasants and recent immigrants, so brown here symbolizes the land of Israel. Soldiers of "Golani» brigade wear brown berets, not like in the other infantry brigades (such as red, purple or bright green).

I absolutely agree with Gregory that any attempt to embroil Israel and Ukraine are doomed. Moreover, if someone try to that it will be enough to show him these photos.

I want to tell you a wonderful story about a Jewish boy who was born in Zolochev in Lviv region.

Shortly before the outbreak of war, July 18, 1937, in the family of a graduate of the Lviv Polytechnic University Hillel Safran and teacher Clara Safran had a son, who was named in honor of the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen.

In 1941, with the beginning of the occupation, Safran family was in a Nazi camp, from where Roald fled with his mother two years later. His father was accused of organizing the mass escape and was shot. Roald and his mother were waiting for the same fate, if not a simple village teacher Mykola Juku from Univ: in 1943-1944 he hid six year old boy and his family in a local school.

After the arrival of Soviet troops, Safrans moved to Krakow, where Clara was married to Paul Hoffman. Realizing that nothing good from the Soviet will happen from occupation in Poland, Hoffman resettled in the United States in 1949. Already 25 years old Roald Hoffmann - now called Rual - defended his doctoral thesis in chemistry from Harvard.

His work on chemical kinetics and chemical reactions are widely distributed, and Professor Hoffman began working with leading universities and scientists of the world, its name is called chemical laws. In 1981, when Roald Hoffmann was only 44 years old, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry.

In 2006, Mr. Hoffman visited Ukraine and met with relatives, who helped him to survive during the Holocaust. He introduced them to his children and grandchildren. Last year, the Nobel Prize winner honored Lviv University with his presence, where he gave a lecture, talked with students and professors. By the way, Mr. Hoffman urges the active support of young Ukrainian scientists around the world. In his opinion, they should make the future of our country.

Today, Roald Hoffman works at Cornell University New York State, is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences, the American Association of Basic Sciences, the American Physical Society, the International Academy of Quantum-molecular research, an honorary doctor of the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, Lviv University and so on. He is fluent in English, German, French, Russian and Swedish languages, is well as Ukrainian and Polish. Roald Hoffmann - the only Nobel Prize winner, who was born on the territory of Ukraine. In 2014 he was one of those who signed a petition in support of the academic community and euromaidan Revolution Benefits.

Just think: war, Holocaust, totalitarian regimes did not become an obstacle to reach up to the Nobel Prize! These stories can definitely inspire and provide a good example for all those who have ceased to believe in their own strength.

"There is no silver lining" - as optimistic Ukrainians say about the hopeless situation.

War is no exception: in the last couple of years military medicine, the army in the Ukraine, the volunteer movement, intensified support of Ukraine in the international arena started actively growing. As for the experience of Israel, which for many decades has been at war, such difficult historical periods can be a good impetus for the development of science, technology, help to structure the army and bring a new level of intelligence work.

An example of such development is the special unit of the Israeli army, which is called "Flying Cats". Soldiers of the Special Forces unit perform a special missions: soldiers operate in deeply behind enemy lines, but their purpose is not to cause damage to the enemy but saving the lives of soldiers. A feature of the Israeli army is that soldiers are not left on the battlefield, no matter where it is. And it’s applied not only to wounded, and even killed: to leave the body for IDF is a real force majeure. Unit 669 - such is its official name - is provides search and rescue of pilots whose planes were shot down deep in the enemy rear. They recruit top military physicians, the best pilots of helicopters and the best trackers. According to some aspects (for example, the health factor) requirements for Unit 669 is even higher than in any other Israeli commandos.

Units history began in 1974, after the Yom Kippur War: when the Israeli air force suffered heavy losses, and the infantry could not evacuate the pilots. It was then when Israel formed a special unit of rescue aviation including paratroopers and military medics. The unit received a number of 669: according to one version, two sixes symbolize the two eyes that see excellent, nine - the number of the cat lives. In Hebrew, the cat - "Hatul" and a call sign of division 669 fighters - "Hatul" and emblem is the green-eyed cat with black wings.

At the beginning the unit included a total of 12 soldiers and officers who have been given an unlimited right to create and experience a completely new methods and technologies to save lives in situations where it would seem there is no chance of escape. Now, as in the 75th year, the fighters of the unit undertake intensified training with parachutes, climbing, scuba diving, medical assistance, and combat operations in the enemy rear.

Throughout its history, division of 669 participated in numerous wars. Most units 669 combat operations remain classified.

Throughout the period of existence of unit 669 their purpose remains unchanged: fly to the rear of the enemy and rescue the wounded soldiers there. Any mistake can cost the lives of both the injured and the soldiers themselves, so men make decisions instantly. Unit 669 by the right belongs to the elite special forces of the IDF: the selection of fighters requires a high physical and mental preparation. The main criteria for the selection of candidates is the ability to act calmly in an emergency situation.

After 18 years of fighting (1982- 2000), until the full release of Israel from Lebanon, the unit lost 669 just two fighters in Lebanon, six people from the flight crew (including doctors) and two helicopters. But the number of lives saved - military and civilian - during that time counts thousands.

Two days ago, the Israeli technology saved nearly million lives: at night on September 17 off the coast of Chile there was the strong earthquake with the magnitude of 8.3-8.4 points.

All the coastal cities – with around million of people - were under threat of tsunami. As a result of the disaster only 10 people fall victims, despite considerable damage. It was possible to keep the casualties so low due to the Israeli system eVigilo of early warning, without it a number of victims would be higher for several orders.

Early warning system works in Chile since 2011: it was installed after the devastating earthquake in 2010. Then over 800 people died, 1200 were missing, and nearly 2 million people homeless. No, there was an early warning system in Chile at that time, it sent the only notification after the tsunami covered the coast. Then, the Chilean government decided to buy the Israelites eVigilo system from a small company that has managed to bypass the large international companies.

Israeli technology has proved to be excellent: April 1, 2014, when Chile was a similar earthquake, she received a "baptism by fire", and sent a warning millions of Chileans about 8.2-magnitude earthquake and tsunami approaching in time. People have had enough time to evacuate to a safe area, so no significant casualties were faced that time.

Early warning system eVigilo sends instant messages using CellBroadcast technology that allows transmitting of the necessary information to cell (mobile) phones for 12-20 seconds, and without the participation of mobile operators. Distribution is done without reference to the numbers, the message is getting all mobile phones in a certain area. Moreover, it can automatically capture and broadcast television signal, to warn of danger. Warning system activates the outdoor sirens and reports of imminent danger and the need for emergency evacuation. Its alarm informs about the impending danger and spreads through the Internet.

At a press conference of the Chilean Government for foreign journalists representatives, government thanked the Israeli company, specifying that without eVigilo system, the number of victims would be in many times greater.

eVigilo Technologies acquired by many countries. Among eVigilo customers - Israeli rescue service and several European countries. By the way, Israel has more than 3,100 sirens and most of them are located in urban areas. The sirens are used, as a rule, to warn of air raids and missile strikes, if they endanger the civilian population, and saved more than one hundred lives.

"Warned - forearmed" - this principle is followed in Israel, they do not rely on the fact that the war border is far and missiles need time before they reach the city. As for Ukraine, we have the civilian population to rely on the speed of their own reactions and fortune.

I want to tell you what's inside an Israeli kibbutz.

In my opinion, this is the direct embodiment of the socialist dream of a "bright future", which we were building, but never finnished, but has successfully embodied on the land of Israel.

So, the kibbutz - is not just a common land or a common household. It is equality in all things, when every vote has equal weight and value. You can work on the position of the General Director of a large company, but you will be the same rights as that of the farm worker. And income, often, too. However, in recent decades, about 70% of Israeli kibbutzim resumed private property rights for members of the community.

Mostly kibbutz is a fenced private territory, which is home to one municipality (almost family). Today, in Israel there are around 220 kibbutzes (agricultural or urban) and many of them have much more than those first mud houses as they were 50-60 years ago. Life in the kibbutz is built around public participation principle: until recently, all members of kibbutz invested earned money to their common treasury, but now more and more often, this principle is changing. From the outset, kibbutzim were established as a kind of a new society, where everything is different, but all equal.

Often all trucks and cars are common. If you need a car, you can easily take it. Most of the kibbutz residents use small electric cars or bikes for transportation on the territory. It has everything: schools, kindergartens, nursery, homes, shops, laundry, dining rooms. Kibbutz residents cook themselves. However, what if a person eats a small portion, and the other eats like the last time? Kibbutzniks solved this problem in a quite simple way: each family is allocated the same amount from the general budget. If you want, you can spend all of it for food, or you could use it to save money.

The total income of the kibbutz encourages all members of the community for working constantly to increase production. But in addition to the general joy, they share common goals: Kibbutz helps young people to pay for their studies in either the selected high school, the school can hire the best teachers for children. For returnees, there are language and traditions courses, and they are given a fully furnished house. From the age of 18 years children are considered to be equal members of the community. They are entitled to 10 years to do everything, anything: to serve in the military or alternative service, study, travel, or do nothing. But at the age of 28 years they have to consciously make an important decision - to stay in the kibbutz and build their lives here or leave. I must say that even those who have decided to leave, often come back.

If a member of the kibbutz has legal problems or health problems - the kibbutz will pay the cost of treatment.

In the kibbutz people have special attitude to elder generation: if necessary, kibbutz pays for care and a nurse, who will take care of an elderly person. Also in the kibbutz there are nursing homes for those who are no longer able to live at home. And it's all free too. The level of this type of care - one of the highest.

We you can endlessly talk about the economic benefits of the community, where every member of the is interested in increasing of profits: for a long time of agricultural kibbutzim communities become a places of birth for many start-ups and innovative solutions.

All this happened and is still happening in Israel according to the will and desire of its people, who rely on their own strength, and thus helped whole state.

Friends, what is, in your opinion, the progress in medicine?

In the opinion of the majority of Ukrainian officials, it is to buy one unit for the Department "no worse than in the leading clinics", or just paint the walls, put new windows.

How is progress understood in Israel? Very simple: it is a state program of development of health centers, institutes, methodological centers and millions invested in the development of new medical technologies, drugs and equipment. As a result Israel has one of the best healthcare systems in the world and a real progress in the form of improvements, new developments, instead of wasting time.

For example, Israeli scientists recently announced the creation of a drug that combats Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Amit Goffer, who was for many years conducting research in the field of physiology, presented his new development - a robotic exoskeleton. This device allows paralyzed people to move around in a fully upright position.

20 years ago, Dr. Goffer was the victim of a car accident, since then he uses a wheelchair. He did not accept the selection, that was offered at the market and he started to work on their own device that would be able to help him. As a result, after years of work, he invented his first mechanical design - Robotic leg - which helps paralyzed man to walk. Unit energy charge is enough for five hours; it understands commands such as "sit", "stand", "forward". In fact, the principle of operation of the device is not complicated, and learning how to use it can be the same as driving a car.



The problem was that Goffer couldn’t control the robot with his hands. Then hes invented an entire exoskeleton that helps the patient to move, not only indoors but also outdoors. The device automatically balances and stabilizes the person. From a sitting to standing position of the chair goes by one click of a button. In the near future the device will be tested in Israel and New York. And sales will start, according to the creators plans during the next year: the price will be approximately 30-35 thousand dollars.

Today in Lviv for the 23rd time "Publishers Forum" started its work.

For three days of the forum organizers will hold more than a thousand different events. Forum as always will gather the cream of Ukrainian and European cultural elite to discuss the current problems of culture, literature and geopolitics.

One of the central events of the forum this year will be the festival "Lem’s City" dedicated to a citizen of Lviv, a Jew, a science fiction writer Stanislaw Lem. The festival will consist of presentations, film screenings, discussion clubs, virtual and real tours through the Lem places.

The idea of this festival belongs to the Polish intellectual and dissident, former Director of the Institute of Books of Grzegorz Gaudi and cultural manager, the director of the literary part of the program "Wroclaw - European Capital of Culture 2016" Irek Green.

Stanislaw Lem was born in 1921 in Lviv. Great science fiction writer, philosopher, critic, satirist, and futurist, he literally foresee the future of our civilization, anticipated the development of modern science. Lem’s books have been translated into 41 languages; his works were filmed dozens of times. How many of you have not seen the amazing "Solaris"?

This year in Lviv "Lem’s City" brought together participants from different cities of Ukraine, Poland, Serbia, Canada, Russia and Belarus. The main aim of the festival organizers to highlight the Places of Lem on the map of modern Lviv and Lem’s dissemination of ideas among Ukrainian readers. In the future, the Festival will be held regularly - every two years.

In general, the Jewish theme this year will be fairly well represented at the Forum. The program includes the presentation of the "Babi Yar" book edited by Dr. Vladislav Grinevich and Professor Robert Magosci (Canada), the presentation of the "On the cross-roads: Ivan Franco and the Jewish question in Galychyna" book, presentation of Ruben Felshman diaries about the Warsaw ghetto, the presentation of the book by Dr. Robert Magosci and Yohanan Petrovsky-Shtern "Jews and Ukrainians: common life over the millennia", presentation of the book of poems for children by Gregory Falkovich "Shalahmonesi" with illustrations by the artist Paul Fishel and more. The program is more than rich.

If you have not found a reason to visit the beautiful Lviv, it's time to do it right now.

What is the difference between the Israeli society and Ukrainian one?

In our country innovations are introduced “from below”, to the people and the elite often lives same as before. In Israel, on the contrary, they try everything on themselves, and show an example to the conservative part of society.

Do you remember I’ve told you about the Knesset - the greenest parliament of the world? A new initiative of the Israeli parliament has stricken me: yesterday the Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein announced job opening to work in the Parliament for people with cognitive disabilities. The Knesset is increasing a number of positions for these people by 25%! This is a world precedent, there is nothing like that in the world. Yes, people with disabilities work in public institutions of other countries, but only in Israel people with cognitive disabilities were invited to work. The speaker expressed the hope – did not order or make - that other agencies and authorities would follow the example of the Israeli parliament.

20 employees with different disabilities, such as Down syndrome, autism, as well as employees with a high percentage of disability, undergoing rehabilitation under the program of the Ministry of Defence, work at the Knesset at present. Previously, they were considered volunteers, but a few years ago, all of them were officially taken on to the staff. These employees work in the printing office of the Knesset, in the post office, as operators of the central telephonic communication in the Knesset and assistants of secretaries.

5 new and special vacancies were approved for the positions of assistants to administrative workers. Even the application forms were made unusual in the Knesset: they were made in such a way that they were more “humanized”. For example, instead of the standard column “second citizenship” it is said in the form: “If you are a citizen of another country, write the name of this country.” Instead of the “father’s name” it is written “what is the name of your dad”, and in the “special form application” it is said: “You have to write a phone number where you can be reached. Please, enter at least one number.” As they say – everything is for people.

Working instructions are written in simple and clear language: in the form it is described in details, how to send the necessary documents in the Knesset, what to do if the response is not got within two weeks, etc.

Such an example of decent attitude and respect for people with disabilities is admired, and certainly worthy of emulation.

The big football is coming back to Ukraine: today UEFA has accepted a decision according to which the Champions League Final will be held in Kyiv in 2018!

I congratulate all sports fans on this event!

We must understand that such events as the European Championship, Eurovision or Champions League promote enhancing of Ukraine's reputation as an independent, secure and developed state. One would think how we can be glad when there is a war in the East, but these bright events of peaceful life will help to attract attention of the international community to the situation in our country. I remind that Israel has been at war for almost 70 years, but sports competitions, world forums, conferences and festivals are regularly held there. Every year the country is visited by millions of tourists and pilgrims, bringing a lot of money to the budget.

So once again I congratulate everyone on this outstanding event! I am sure Ukraine will host the guests of the championship properly.

I would like to tell you about the connection between generations in multicultural Israel.

There was a problem from the very beginning of large aliyahs in Israel: how is it possible to unite people of different ages, cultural backgrounds and simple habits, living in one state? Outside there are neighbors all around who want to destroy it, inside there is a number of new immigrants, and the history of the people was interrupted for 2000 years.

Israelis have decided that it is necessary to start with the place where their predecessors have stopped – from AD and revive ancient traditions, make them common. One of such symbols was the fortress of Masada, built on the shores of the Dead Sea by King Herod in the 30s AD. King Herod built an unassailable fortress: with two palaces, fortifications, Roman baths (and this is on a rock in the desert), filled with supplies. In 66 AD the fortress was taken by the rebels opposed to the authorities of Rome. There were 960 people together with children and women. When Romans laid siege to Masada, they pitched 8 camps and began a long siege, which lasted 5 months. Romans did not go to the assault, because they knew that they did not take the city on a rock, and that the loss would not be comparable with the win. Thus they prepared, if necessary, to wait just below for years, when the spirit of Jews collapse, and they descend from the mountain. The rebels just had no chance: they knew that Romans did not forgive the rebels and would execute all those involved, and the women and children would be sold into slavery.

Then they found the only way out, which they saw in this situation: they did not deliver the fortress, did not betray their views and did not accept their defeat. They decided on their own to dispose that what they still had - their lives and to kill themselves. The problem is that Judaism prohibits suicides. Then the decision was made, according to which ten best warriors would kill the rest of the camp, and then, according to a lot, one of them would kill nine comrades. Thus, only one soul would remain sinful, instead of 960.

The incredible story of the incredible people! But the surprising thing is that today Masada takes the Israeli soldiers: the recruits of elite units of the Israeli army take oath in the territory of the fortress. They oath: “Masada shall not fall again!” Today, Masada has become a symbol of the Jewish survival, no matter what. Families come here to talk about the moral courage of their ancestors, so that everyone can feel their involvement. For 2000 years after the destruction of the Temple, Jews have been obedient; no one has fought and seemingly has forgotten how to defend themselves. But as soon as they returned home, everything was back in its place: today the Israel Defense Forces are one of the strongest in the world, and its soldiers, united by a common idea, show the same fortitude, bravery and courage as the defenders of Masada.

Today I would like to tell you about the success of the Ukrainians, who do not much care about the crisis, political situation and dollar rate.

So, first, the Ukrainian programmers have entered into the top of the best in the world. Ukraine occupies the 11th place in the rating of countries with the most talented programmers. The rating was created by the HackerRank company that specializes in competitive software engineering: developers are offered programming tasks of different difficulty levels, and companies are offered to find the best IT professionals quickly. The top three were China, Russia and Poland.

The Ukrainian experts have been rated on the basis of statistics of execution on tasks on a number of subjects, in particular, algorithms, analysis of large data and security. As a result, the Ukrainian programmers were among the best in such disciplines as mathematics, safety, distributing systems. I have already said that every 6th dollar from the export of the Ukrainian services is brought by programmers. In 2015, the sphere of IT technologies was third on export volumes. Do you remember that Israel is called the country of start-ups: here the state supports the development of high technologies, creates institutions, research centers, enables young professionals to do the things they like even during the first years of studying in high schools. Imagine what prospects will be opened to Ukrainians, if the state starts supporting the development of the industry? At least for the army use, as it was first in Israel. There is something to think about.

The second event I would like to tell you about is completely unique: less than a week has passed since the opening of the Paralympic Games in Rio, and the Ukrainian national team already occupies the second place in the team ranking! In general, our team has won 61 medals, 22 of them are gold. I admire the great strength of spirit of our Olympians: they are the ones we have to take lessons from. Do you think that everything is that bad and your life is over? Then watch how people whose life is really complicated, occupy the winners’ podium, becoming the best in the world. The Ukrainian national team has been taking part in the Summer Paralympic Games for the sixth time: if at the beginning Ukrainians were in the fourth or fifth dozen of the ranking, already at the third Games in Athens Ukraine occupied the 6th place. After that it was not lower than the 4th place. Well, the Olympics are not over yet, so we wish our athletes success and will be cheering for them!

In 2005, in Israel there was a terrible drought that has brought multi-million economic losses for farmers and for the state as a whole.

The situation was so deplorable that at any moment water coming out of the tap could just disappear. It makes no sense to argue with nature, but Israelis have decided that if laws of nature do not want to change to meet their needs, then there is a need to find a way out in the laws of man.

Then the prompt measures aimed at water recourses conservation were adopted, and campaign developed at the state level. Government, local authorities, all the media started informational work with the population. First of all, hefty fines for the excess expenditure of water were introduced, Israelis were banned to water lawns, wash cars with a hose, it was recommended to take a shower for no more than 2 minutes, and if someone had leaking pipes, they did not want to fix – they would be fined.

However, the amount of fresh water is not enough to provide everyone freely in Israel. Therefore, Israelis had to find new ways to increase the amount of water supply and reduce the amount of consumption. This process was controlled by the Agency on Water Resources Issues, found in 2007.

Particular emphasis was put on the desalination of sea water. As a result, over the past 10 years five powerful desalination plants started to function. Together they will provide the country with 113 billion liters of fresh water – there will be 757 billion liters by 2020. In addition, Israelis began using water from all the possible sources.

The figures are clear, now let me explain what this means in practice. For example, a school buys the equipment for collecting rainwater, which covers 90% of its needs: the remaining 10% are purchased from the city. In this case the purchase of the equipment pays for itself pretty quickly, because the water in Israel is very expensive. The very same school teaches children of rational use of water resources, and children - paradoxically - apply these skills at home and teach their parents to take care of water.

As for the use of seawater, then, as I have already said, it enters from the sea to cranes in less than an hour. About a third of all the water, which is used by the Israelis - from sea, and experts predict that the usage will reach at least 70%. This water is used for watering fields, and in the hygiene needs. Question: seaside cities of Ukraine would have prevented such a system?

Another source of water, which is used by Israelites, is re-purified water. Today, Israel is a leader in recycling and reuse of wastewater: it uses more than 80% of all wastewater in Israel. For example Spain uses only 17%.

Today, the drought does not threaten Israel. Or rather, Israel is not so dependent on what weather is outside. Here is another example of a rational approach to the problem.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Regional Development has announced that it wishes to create a solar power station near Chernobyl.

The Chernobyl Solar project involves the construction in an area of ​​2.5 thousand hectares to the south of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. It is expected that the solar power station will allow producing 1.5 GW hours of energy per year, and this is tens of millions of dollars. Developers have chosen Chernobyl because lease of land is cheap there, plus necessary infrastructure is already there. The project is certainly interesting, if only because it is unusual. Everything unusual can have a good effect. An example of Israel illustrates this.

Let’s take the solar power plant, located in the Negev desert, as an example. This building is amazing from all points of view: imagine that there are hundreds and hundreds of perfectly smooth mirrors, filling all visible space, right in the dessert. One million square meters - about 400 pitches - is an area of ​​the object. This power station is one of the most advanced in the world. It is like poetry: Israelis use the ancient sun, using cutting-edge technologies.

55 thousand mirrors have already been put there. They reflect the light on the solar tower, which is, by the way, the highest in the world. The mirrors are controlled by computers, and the tower will produce 320 GWh of energy, providing about 120 thousand homes with electricity. The entire project is created under the government program, which involves the transfer of 10% of energy consumed by Israel on the renewable sources.

Israel has already proven the effectiveness of these projects and the government has made them part of a government program. Israelis use only that what is profitable and will bring benefit: why would not we learn such a rational management approach?

Today, I would like to dispel a myth: one of the stereotypes which are associated with Jews is that Jews do not like to work the land.

It is connected with the fact that for centuries the Jews, who lived in Europe, were forbidden to own land, forbidden to settle in the city from time to time.

But history has placed everything in its place: more than a hundred years ago, the first settlers started settling Palestine, first by buying land from local Arabs. Those sold willingly, considering that they make an excellent deal, selling infertile soil, and Jews will move out in a few years, and land will return in possession of the former owners.

For a short time, even before the formal foundation of the State of Israel, in the desert, on stony land, in the swamps gardens, canals, vineyards were created by migrants’ hands, life was revived. In fact, the existence itself of Israel was made possible only because Jews started actively working on the land. Israel began with kibbutzim.

Kibbutz is a group, a community. One hundred years ago, enthusiasts came to the desert and began to fight for their lives from nature. It was decided not to have children in the first kibbutz, because it was impossible to take care of them, not to marry. But these people had a sense of unity, a great family and a common cause. People went to Eretz Yisrael fleeing from persecution, with a desire to create a new, just society.

Just imagine: for 2 thousand years no one cared for this land. In the south of the country there were wetlands, in the north – a desert and rocks. Despite the difficulties, Israel was reborn in kibbutzim, and most of the first innovations and discoveries arose there.

In the first decades of the 20th century, Israel was a breeding ground for malarial mosquitoes: lands in the Jordan Valley, which Jews bought from Arabs, were uninhabitable. People were massively ill and went to work, knowing that no one else would help them. They drained swamps, irrigated dry land, built irrigation canals to stop the spread of disease. Their work was so successful that the commission of the League of Nations came to Palestine to learn from their experience. For 20 years Israelis completely overcame malaria and began to plant plants.

Forests were planted in the desert, wheat started to be grown on former swamps, vineyards were planted on the slopes of the mountains and vegetables began to be grown in the Arava desert. And all this was achieved for the first 20 years of existence of the State of Israel.

Not to be short of products Israelis bred new plant varieties resistant to drought, different kinds of diseases, which can be watered with salt water. At the same time, Israel willingly shares its experience and now all of these products are grown in the neighboring countries.

Over time, kibbutzim began to develop their own successful business, there were companies that sell new products in agriculture: for example, insects and animals that fight blasts and pollinate plants in greenhouses, drip irrigation system, sea water desalination, etc. Do you know that sea water can flow out of the ocean in a tap for less than 1.5 hour? It is possible if there is no other choice. And it is possible to water a garden or vegetable garden with water collected from the air: in Israel such traps for dew are used extensively. They collect and direct moisture straightly to plant roots. Also Israelis came up with the purification of already used water using ultraviolet light. Today, Israel uses more than 80% of waste water.

Today, Israel is selling vegetables, fruit, and fish, grown in the desert, where it seems nothing can grow. And it was made by people themselves, enthusiasts, who believed in their own strength. I believe that with the help of advanced technologies and Ukrainian industriousness we will reach the same heights and be able to get out of the hole and overcome all difficulties.

For decades, Israel has to defend its territory and citizens from the constant terrorist attacks, and I have to say that it copes with this task very well. Israel's ballistic missile defence system - Iron Dome, David's Sling, Arrow - defend the country at all levels.

By the way, Ukraine is able to do the analogue of Iron Dome - we have almost all resources for it, and Israelis are always ready to share their experience and teach. The Israeli army is constantly improving protection systems, uses the most modern technologies and well-proven tactics.

But lone terrorists intensified in Israel last year. They infiltrate the territory of the country under the guise of civilians to penetrate and carry out attacks. Due to the increase of terrorist attacks, the Israeli government has decided to build an underground wall between Israel and the Gaza Strip. Since the terrorists could not openly enter the territory of Israel, they began to build underground tunnels to cross the border as rats. As a rule, these self-made tunnels were quickly destroyed, often burying the builders themselves. Still some of them managed to get into Israel. And since in Israel each life is appreciated, the state allocates $ 2.2 billions for the construction of underground fortification.

The new building will go tens of meters under the ground, so that the enemy could not dig the tunnel for sure. In addition, the sensors, fixing any unnatural movement, will be installed in the new wall. In addition to the underground part, the wall will grow a few meters above the ground - the protection is never too much.

At the first stage 10 km of the wall will be built, then 55 km more. It sounds like science fiction, but if Israelis intend to do something, they just do it.

As for the Ukrainian “wall”, we should only hope that sooner or later the Ukrainian authorities will also understand the importance of this fortification and start working for the benefit and protection of our country.

Photo of Roman Sinitsyn

Today I am going to tell you about the Israeli experience in one of the desperate situations.

Although almost everything, Israelis do has been created in an environment when all that remained was to die or find a way out.

You know, about 80% of Israel's territory is arid desert, the rest of the land is not better. From this point of view, Israel has really nothing to boast of: there are actually no mineral resources. When the neighbors successfully pump oil and gas out of the earth interior, Israel has got stones, rocks, sand, and the Dead Sea. “There are no resources in the desert, we will find them in the sea,” apparently that was the Israeli engineers’ decision and they found several large gas fields in the Mediterranean Sea.

It should be noted that the adverse environmental conditions do not stop Israelis at all; they are becoming a kind of a challenge for them. Here is an example of such cooperation: in the Negev desert, the Israeli scientists have learned how to grow fish. To do this, they have literally drilled through the desert: it is 300 km to the nearest beach from here, so water had to be produced from a kilometer depth. The most interesting thing is that not river fish but sea fish lives here, and it needs the sea to survive.

If there is a need we’ll do it, Israelis decided so and dug up the sea in the middle of the desert. There are even two of them: one for fish and one for water filtration. Water from the depths of the desert, which filled them in, is very salty like the sea one, fish lives in it perfectly.

Of course, it is not without the Israeli technology: computers control water condition, amount of feed and oxygen in water. Water quality is analyzed all the time. If water does not meet standards, it is run into a special pool where it is cleaned without reagents by using specific types of bacteria.

The Israeli scientists claim that such fish production is profitable not only from an economic point of view: this method of fish cultivation makes it possible for seas to recreate from human interaction and restore its natural resources. Furthermore, using this method one can grow a larger number of fish species than it is provided by nature. Well, it is obvious that the development of this method will allow breeding fish in those places where it is needed and where it is difficult or unprofitable to deliver it.

To feed the hungry, create jobs and perform another miracle is the daily life of Israel.

Today I am going to continue to promote the Jewish culture, and I invite everyone to attend the events, which will be held in the capital and other cities of Ukraine in the near future.

First, today in Ukraine a new Israeli Film Week starts: in Kyiv, Odessa, Lviv, Vinnytsa and Kharkiv a series of films of the Israeli filmmakers will be screened from September 8 until September 22. The program will start with the debut director’s work of Natalie Portman: Story of love and darkness will be presented by actress Neta Riskin. Also, the audience will be able to see the works which have already been appreciated at such film festivals as the Cannes Film Festival, the Berlinale, the Golden Globes, and the Jerusalem Film Festival. The Israeli films will be screened in the original with the English and Ukrainian subtitles. More information can be found on the event page. (https://www.facebook.com/events/1765383267073766/)

The second significant event of the week is XIX International Theatre Festival Wandering Stars, which is dedicated to the works of the classic of the Jewish literature, great Sholom Aleichem. The festival begins in Kyiv today, September 7 and will end September 12. During this festival of theatrical arts performances of troupes from Ukraine and Israel can be seen. Actors will show performances, based on the works of Sholem Aleichem, Mikhail Evshin, Neda Nezhdana, Hava-Yzel Valaamova, Grigoriy Gorin and others. Let me remind you that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Sholem Aleichem, so there will be many events dedicated to this date.

And the final event I would like to tell you about is again the cultural one, which will be presented to the audience in the capital Mariinsky park. On Saturday, September 17, JEWISH OPEN SPACE will be held in the framework of the Third International Festival of the Jewish Music and Dance. In various locations, the audience will be able to see the Jewish theater, art platforms, to participate in quests, master classes, and competitions, learn the Jewish dances and traditions of Shabbat. Also at the event two concerts of the Jewish music will be held on the “Rakushka” (“Shell”) stage. The cultural week promises to be more than eventful and I am very happy.

Ukraine is a multiethnic, multicultural country. If it comes into one’s head to claim that individual nations are oppressed on a national basis, I advise them to walk along the center of the capital to proof the contrary. Here the cultural traditions of different peoples living in this land are cherished and respected, and that's fine.

I invite everyone to plunge into the world of the Jewish culture and visit the events brought to your notice.

I offer for your attention a video of my speech on the grand opening of the "Synagogues Space" project , Lviv, September 4, 2016.

Israel is an unusual country with wonderful people, each of whom has brought their contribution to the formation of this multicultural state.

Such mix of traditions provides fertile ground for unique ideas. What remains in the country where there is little soil, there are no natural resources and there is little water?

Jews would not be Jews, if they did not find a way out of any critical situation: in such conditions, when others would simply exist in their waterless desert, Israelites made a bet on the greatest wealth they possess - on people. In Israel they have long understood that the main resource of the country is people with their ideas. Extreme conditions require the same offers and Israelis offer. No water? We will water each tree by dribs. No electricity? But in the dessert there is a lot of sunshine, which will give it all year round. No food? We will construct greenhouses and reap a harvest 4 times a year.

Sometimes these ideas seem quite strange, but they really work. So recently the SuperMeat Israeli startup has developed a technology of producing cultured meat from chicken cells. In a safe and controlled environment outside the body of a bird, the inventors plan to grow chicken breasts. And this is only the beginning: in time the start-up is going to make cultured meat a full replacement of animal meat. Moreover, the developers assure that facilities to grow meat will be available for ordinary customers.

Even now scientists have learned to grow animal cells, but this is extremely expensive. And the Israeli startup offers to grow organic meat in the environment that imitates the physiology of an animal which will reduce the cost of the process. Apart from the obvious economic benefits, such meat can be enriched in protein, omega-3, vitamins, calcium and iron.

Now developers raise finances to start production. It is interesting what vegans will say about the meat, which is produced without animal abuse.

I offer for your attention a full video of the grand opening of the project "Synagogues Space", Lviv, September 4, 2016.

Yesterday, September 4, an outstanding event was held, that was awaited not only by the Jewish community and the inhabitants of the city, but by the world Jewry.

On Sunday the Space of Synagogues memorial public project was opened in Lviv. As Honorary Consul of the State of Israel in Western region I was invited to participate in the opening ceremony of this remarkable place.

I am talking about improvement and renewal of the Jewry in Lviv, where there were the Golden Rose synagogue, the Great City Synagogue and the Beth Hamidrash house of learning. All these buildings were destroyed during the Holocaust and for a long time, they just continued to deteriorate. For more than a year they managed to preserve the surviving remnants of the Golden Rose synagogue, to equip a drainage system on its territory, authentic foundation of Beth Hamidrash was cleared from concrete and marked with white stone. The Perpetuation memorial installation with quotations of Lviv residents and people associated with the city, who were Jews, was fixed, a patio of an adjacent restaurant was demounted and new trees were planted. In 2017 it is planned to start work on the site of the Great City Synagogue. I should note that this is the first case in Ukraine when honoring of the sites of the local Jewish history was initiated and implemented not by public organizations or foundations, but by the City Council in collaboration with the partners.

The opening ceremony was attended by Mayor Andriy Sadovyi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany Ernst Reichel, Counsellor of the Embassy of the State of Israel in Ukraine Gennady Polishchuk, representatives of the deputy corps, partner organizations and research environments, people who survived the Holocaust and their descendants.

Lviv has always been a multicultural city: many different communities have coexisted there. From the very beginning, Lviv has become native for Jewish. This complex is an opportunity not only to learn more about the history of Lviv and to touch part of the Jewish soul. For years, many people have forgotten their own history, but now they are coming back to it. Today the descendants of Galician Jews come here to dive into this amazing atmosphere and listen to unity. But it's not just the Jewish history, it is also the history of Ukrainians who have lived together for centuries.

I am grateful to all those who has put in efforts to create this wonderful complex. I would like to thank Lviv city administration and personally Mr. Andriy Sadovyi for such support of the Jewish community and participation in this project. If all cities of Ukraine treated the monuments of the Jewish culture this way, at least for 50%, I would be very happy.

Now Ukraine is going through difficult times, but these projects demonstrate invincibility of our spirit. I believe that our task is to transmit our cultural heritage to successors for young people to understand who they are and where they are from. I think this place should become one of the favorite places for rest of the residents and guests of the city. I do not know whether Golden Rose is going to be rebuilt or will remain as it is, but I'm sure this place will encourage everyone to reflect on themselves, their own history. Once again I would like to congratulate all on the opening of the Space of Synagogues and wish inspiration in good deeds. I am sure that this is not the last project and in the future we will see a lot of interesting and useful projects.

Every modern city faces the problem of recycling of waste.

On average, a modern person produces 2 kg of waste per day, and recycling plants in many Ukrainian cities are of Soviet manufacturing. How is this problem “being solved” in Ukraine? That's right - they create huge waste deposits, which burn and poison water, air and soil later.

In Israel, recycling of waste is also a costly and problematic process, but here they try to solve problems, not create new ones. Everyone is well aware that food scraps are a valuable source of gas and fertilizer. So Israelis have invented a special biogas system for home use, which turns food scraps into gas for cooking, as well as into liquid fertilizer. The Israeli startup HomeBiogas is adapted for private homes. This system is a simple airproof tank in size of 1.5 by 1.5 meters. From 3 kg of scraps it evolves gas, sufficient for 3 hours of cooking. They know how to make money from waste in Israel and that's it. Taking into account today's cost of utility tariffs, I think that such know-how would be very relevant for Ukrainians.

Moreover, a by-product of the device functioning is a high-quality liquid fertilizer, which doubles a yield of a garden and save water for wetting. This device doesn’t need to be connected to operate, it does not require an external power supply source - everything works on mechanical and biological processes.

The cost of such device is 1000 USD. Today HomeBiogas sells its product in 35 countries of the world. Interestingly, the main buyers of the startup are developing countries, where people have a lack of energy and have to cook on wood or charcoal, and super developed countries, where people care about the environment and are engaged in separate recycling.

While Ukrainians are growing and emitting tons of food scraps, Israelis are making money on them and build a business. I am sure that such a product would also be extremely useful and high-demand in Ukraine.