Israel gives an inside view of Jewish spirit

Commemorating 20 years of bilateral relations, the Israeli embassy has been conducting a travelling show of the film Israel Inside across the country. Having travelled to Delhi, Bombay, Chennai and Chandigarh among other cities, the movie was screened in the city on Tuesday evening at the Prasad’s preview theatre to a largely selective crowd.Talking about the initiative, David Goldfarb, a spokesperson from the embassy said, “There are so many similarities between the two countries, especially the importance we place on family values and how our societies work, it seemed only natural to showcase our culture and what makes us Israel to the Indian audience as they would identify with it. The response has thus far been very heartwarming and receptive.”The movie Israel Inside is a 55-minute movie that is narrated by Dr Tal Ben Shahar, a former Harvard professor of Psychology whose courses on Positive Psychology and the Psychology of Leadership were considered the most popular classes in the university’s history. Currently on the faculty of the Inter-Disciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel, the professor talks about the core characteristicsa of a country that pushes against the odds to be where it is. Divided into six sub topics, the movie akins the country’s development to a tree growing. Starting at the bottom, Tal explains how “family” values form the soil of development and strength from which “adversity to advantage”- the characteristic to turn around any situation forms the roots of the community. “Chutzpah” is the spunk that helped create inventions like Re Walk, a robotic exo skeleton that helps a paraplegic walk on crutches. Invented by Amit Goffer, founder CEO of Argo Medical technologies, Goffer himself is a quadriplegic. “Education” helps them branch out as they get more innovative and creative with technologies like Time to Know that make the classroom more interactive. But, being intellectually advanced isn’t the point. Tal explains how “taking action” makes them pro-active and advanced, thus helping them reach their ultimate goal, “Tikkun Olam “ - a Jewish concept that literally means to repair the world.