Israeli Entrepreneurs To Host Hackathon For Benefit Of Holocaust Survivors

April 8, 2018 | Israeli entrepreneurs are set to host a hackathon next month for the benefit of Holocaust survivors in Israel and across the world. The 36-hour event, slated for May 10 and 11, is hosted by TLV Starters, the organization behind the book “Startup Guide Tel Aviv.” The group said the event, dubbed “Spark Hackathon,” is aimed at harnessing “the power of [the] ‘Startup Nation’ to make an impact and create applicable and feasible solutions for the benefit of Holocaust-related issues.” Holocaust survivors, the group says, face a number of daily challenges, including financial, psychological, health, social, and others.” In Israel, some 50,000 Holocaust survivors live below the poverty line, relying on donations and aid organizations to survive. In the US, a third of the remaining 100,000 survivors live in poverty with a majority living on less than $23,000 a year. Noting a “very concerning wave of Holocaust and related denial of historical events,” TLV Starters says the Israeli high-tech sector “holds incredible resources of manpower and know-how” and “can do so much more to support this unique Israeli and Jewish challenge.” The hackathon will aim to “find and create feasible solutions for challenges in education, remembrance, and quality of life of Holocaust survivors,” as well as establish a platform that will enable collaboration and partnerships between companies and organizations.” TLV Starters, founded by Erez Gavish and Natan Leibzon, promises thousands of shekels in prizes for the winner. The initiative is led Gavish, Leibzon, Anat Greenland, Talia Savchenko, and Alon Rapaport and has the support of leading Israeli venture capitalists and entrepreneurs, as well as the Foundation for the Benefit of Holocaust Victims in Israel, Tel Aviv University, the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, and tech giant Microsoft. Israel marks Holocaust Memorial Day, or Yom Hashoah, on April 12 this year.