Culture

Israeli musician Miri Ben-Ari is taking the R&B and hip-hop world by storm, but not how you'd imagine. Ben-Ari is a classical violin prodigy, who blurs all musical boundaries by using her instrument to mix classical music with modern sounds.

As tensions between Israel and Turkey rise, Israeli band Orphaned Land welcomed 5,000 Turkish, Lebanese, Egyptian and Iranian fans. "It was an emotionally moving experience," says the lead singer.

Israeli organization HAMA is employing abandoned and abused cats and dogs as 'assistant therapists' in helping at-risk youth, holocaust survivors and survivors of abuse. Their success proves their philosophy - that humans and animals are meant to help and heal each other.

Bus running late and you're looking for a way to pass the time? Now you can borrow a book at the bus stop and return it when you get off or even take it home with you. The Israeli city Kfar Saba has set up the first bus stop libraries.

Have a sarcastic colleague at your workplace? Take heart, as he/she may be helping (though unknowingly) to bring the best out in you. A new study has found that employees who have to put up with a sarcastic colleague or boss are more creative than those who don’t, reports the Daily Mail.

In schools around the world, history is primarily presented through the eyes of great male historical leaders to whom boys can look up. But where are the female role models to inspire generations of young women? An American organization, called "Strong Women, Strong Girls" (SWSG) has created an innovative program that tries to fill this gap.

A historic collaboration? Israeli and Iranian websites will broadcast a live performance by musicians of both countries with an interesting twist: The Israeli singers will sing in Persian and the Iranian singers will sing in Hebrew.

"Bene Yechalal" means "anything is possible" in Amharic, the language of the Ethiopian people. The fitting words were chosen as the name for an Ethiopian soccer team which is attempting to give young Ethiopian Jews in one of Israel's harshest neighborhoods hope for a better future.

Walking through Israel's city Holon is a little like walking into a fairytale: In recent years the city has turned many of its gardens into live storybooks, with giant statues based on characters from famous children's books. The latest storybook garden on a children's tale that explains the sometimes difficult subject of organ donations to children.

An Israeli musician and circus acrobat is trying to recreate the live concert by incorporating visual art into the music and showing the stories behind the music. According to Yuval Oz, music should not only be listened to, but also seen and felt.

With Israel's famous Gay Pride Parade taking place in a few days, on June 10th in Tel Aviv, the country's gay youth is once again looking at ways to increase tolerance and equal rights for its members. Israel's gay leaders say they have decided to take the future into their own hands - by shaping it themselves.

Israel's Hearing Day is gaining prominence across the country and this year the vice-mayor of one of Israel's cities announced all his city schools would start teaching sign language.

Liliyot restaurant and bakery café in Tel Aviv don't just offer culinary excellence, but also help high-school dropouts find a place for themselves in society.

An Israeli psychologist, Gil Winch, has founded a call-center staffed mostly with disabled Israeli and Arab adults. Winch says the business-model has attracted interest from people all around the world.

Many Israelis are turning their homes into restaurants for one night by organizing dinners with friends, with proceeds going to a charity which feeds thousands of poor families every day.