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Noa Tishby filming new campaign for Tourism Ministry

The Tourism Ministry is utilizing new media and the power of the masses to promote incoming tourism to Israel. Israeli actress Noa Tishby participated in a film shoot yesterday (Thursday) in Jerusalem for the Tourism Ministry’s new campaign to promote incoming tourism which will air on 23 October for 9 weeks. The campaign, entitled “Invite a friend” will encourage Israeli residents and Israelis overseas to encourage friends, family and colleagues from around the world to visit Israel. Those taking part in the campaign will send out invitations to visit Israel via a dedicated website launched by the Tourism Ministry. The website includes video clips and postcards specially created for the campaign, complete with interesting information about Israel. Everyone sending a postcard via the website is eligible for a lottery, with prizes of vacations in Israel.

"This is a national campaign that combines Zionism with the tourism industry’s economic value to the economy and employment, without cynicism," said Stas Misezhnikov in a press release, "We are expecting widespread participation and believe that everyone can leverage the power of influence on their surroundings in order to bring more tourists to Israel. Incoming tourism contributes about NIS 18 billion annually, creates thousands of new jobs mainly in the periphery and serves to improve Israel’s image.”

In the picture: Israeli actresses Noa Tishby (right) and Gilat Ankori during filming of the new Tourism Ministry's "Invite a friend" promotion. Credit Jonathan Zindel

Maksim Won’t Quit DWTS at Least Until 2015!

Although the New York Post reported that Maksim Chmerkovskiy, 32, is exiting the ballroom after next season of Dancing with the Stars, the pro says he’s riding out his contract for three additional years. “As soon as I’m up, I’m out of there,” he told US Weekly this week. “No hard feelings!”

The Ukraine native’s next move won’t be on the dance floor, though. “I want to pursue acting,” he told the magazine, and added that he was inspired by Julianne Hough. “She’s had an amazing career.”

In the meantime, aside from being dance pros on Dancing With the Stars Season 15 All-Stars, Maksim and brother Val Chmerkovskiy are developing one other very large, sexy, and strong thing in common — their chiseled biceps.

Noa Tishby for Israel’s Tourism

Actress/producer Noa Tishby landed in Israel over the weekend, after she was signed up for a new campaign for the Israel Ministry of Tourism, to encourage tourists to visit Israel in 2013.

Tishby, who's also signed an endorsement deal with Israeli jewelry designer Michal Nagrin, won the Ministry of Tourism campaign fair and square, after her in depth involvement with Israel issues in Los Angeles, where she currently resides. Tishby comments regularly on her Twitter account to support Israel, writes articles on her personal blog, and also famously took part in Jewish journal's Bring Woody Allen to Work in Israel campaign earlier this year.

The Tourism Ministry announces the launch for a new NIS 6 million campaign to promote incoming tourism. The campaign, entitled “Invite a friend” will encourage Israeli residents and Israelis overseas to encourage friends, family and colleagues from around the world to visit Israel. Those taking part in the campaign will send out invitations to visit Israel via a dedicated website launched by the Tourism Ministry. The website includes video clips and postcards specially created for the campaign, complete with interesting information about Israel. Everyone sending a postcard via the website is eligible for a lottery, with prizes of vacations in Israel.

The 9 week campaign, in cooperation with Keshet Broadcasting and the Mako website, is expected to go live on 23 October at www.kol1mevi1.org.il . The more invitations issued via Facebook, Twitter or email, the more chance of winning one of the 200 vacation packages offered by the Mako website in the lottery.

The Tourism Ministry believes that Israelis will take advantage of this opportunity to help promote incoming tourism and will rise to the challenge, out of an understanding of the importance to the economy: for every 36 tourists, one new job is created and NIS 225,000 injected into the economy. A record number of tourists arrived in Israel in the months January – August 2012: 2.3 million, 7% more than the same period last year.

The Tourism Ministry selected Israeli actress Noa Tishby to lead the campaign, because of her activities to promote Israel’s image overseas and her work in bringing opinion-formers to visit Israel. Tishby volunteers her time to promote Israel’s image and writes about the country on her official blog, social media and appears at conferences in the United States.

Israel’s Music Royalty ex-Couple Tour America within 1 Month of each other!

Rami Kleinstein and Rita have been considered for decades as Israel's royal music couple, until their divorce in 2007. But now, Teev Events, a company that brings Israeli artists for US tours, is almost reuiniting them, as they bring Rami and Rita on stages in America- two weeks apart.

Rami Kleinstein, one of Israel's most renowned pop superstars and still one of the country's greatest composers, Rami has often been compared to Elton John and Billy Joel due to his beautiful love songs, soothing voice and delicate piano playing. Keshet Chaim dance group will host Rami Kleinstein in Los Angeles for an unforgettable evening at the American Jewish University on Tuesday, October 23, 2012 at 8:00pm as a part of his US tour in October.

Rami & The Piano is an intimate performance featuring a selection of original songs from Rami's enormous personal repertoire. A New York native, aptly and cleverly Rami weaves his songs together with rich anecdotes laced with a poignant, delicate humor, that give the audience insight into Rami's life as well as tidbits of Israeli history. Rami's piano playing is stellar, as is his soulful and captivating voice. This is a one-of-a-kind performance not to be missed!

Rita, who was turned into a world-music phenomenon after the release of her last album in Persian, 'My Joys' talked to us earlier this year about her success worldwide, 30 years after her career began in Israel. Now, after she received tremendous recognition from The Huffington Post, The New York Times and CNN, Rita comes back to tour the US and Mexico with her new album and a stunning live program, starting November 2012.

"I wanted our versions to be completely different and not traditional in their sound, to hit hard and keep the energy up," notes Rita in the official press release of the tour, sponsored by the Iranian American Jewish Federation. "We started to have so much fun in the studio. We were smiling and dancing, feeling like we're really going through a remarkable journey together."

These good times translate into riveting live shows, and, slowly and softly, have begun to address the great divide between two countries, getting Iranian music fans to search out and thank the Israeli singer.

"Don't send bombs," Rita smiles, when thinking about the impact of her music in her former homeland. "Send me!"

Rami Kleinstein US Tour- Full Schedule

Denver, Colorado - Saturday, October 20, 2012
Mizel Arts and Culture Center

San Diego, CA – Monday, October 22, 2012
Garfield Theater, JCC San Diego – Martha (619) 862-1106

Los Angeles, CA – Tuesday, October 23, 2012
American Jewish University

Rockville, Maryland – Thursday, October 25, 2012
JCC of Greater Washington

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Saturday, October 27, 2012
Main Line Reform Temple

Boston, Massachusets – Sunday, October 28, 2012
Pine Manor College

Rita 'My Joys' Tour- Full Schedule

Los Angeles, CA – Thursday, November 1, 2012
Royce Hall, UCLA

Palo Alto, CA – Saturday, November 3
Dinkelspiel Auditorium, Stanford

Mexico City – Monday, November 5
Teatro Nextel

Miami, Florida – Thursday, November 8
North Miami Beach Theatre (Littman Theater) – Tickets and info: Fouad Ovedia 305-362-4310

Bethesda, Maryland – Tuesday, November 13
The Music Center @Strathmore

David Gomez: More Israeli than Brazilian

David Gomez was brought from San Paulo, Brazil to play in an Israeli soccer team 4 years ago, and fell in love with Israel. Gomez, who celebrated his 24th birthday earlier this month, got married last year to his Israeli girlfriend, Inbar, and they live happily in Netanya, 30 minutes north of Tel Aviv, with their first born child. "I may not fast on Yom Kippur," the Acco team player tells Israeli website Ynet today, "but I celebrate all of the holidays with my wife's family, and come Sukkot I sit in the Sukkah. Next dream: Israel's national soccer team."

Last year, Gomez became the most important player of his former team, Hapoel Rishon L'Zion, after scoring 14 goals in the season, and that's a key reason why the team made it to the major league. Now he's using his stardom to try and become an official citizen of Israel. "I want to become a citizen because it's my wife's and my daughter's country, and it's been good to me," he says.

Gomez sees a lot of potential for Israel in soccer in the years to come. "I watch games of youth teams, and there are so many excellent players that I can see the Israeli soccer field developing in the future."

Sarai Givaty Releases First EP

Sarai Givaty took a break from her acting career to pursue a career as a musician, and yesterday her debut EP, entitled The Monkeys Are Here, was finally released in Israel. The album contains 6 songs performed in English, and also includes an acoustic English version of her debut hit in Hebrew- Paris.

The EP also includes Givaty's past singles, Darling, and Grenade, her famous cover of Bruno Mars' 2010 hit. A surprise choice for the album-cover photo shows Sarai playing the piano at an early age, instead of a current sexy photo. It clearly shows that Sarai wants everyone to give her a chance in the Israeli music business, and that singing and playing music is something that was always there in her life, even before she became a famous model and actress.

It looks like the steps Sarai's taking in the American music business are not going too bad as well, after a song she's singing was selected for the famous Sims 3 video game. Now another song, titled When You're Dreaming, was selected to be the theme song of the new horror movie, The Haunting in Georgia, which is due for release next year, and starring Chad Michael Murray ('Dawson's Creek,' 'Gilmore Girls') and Katee Sackhoff ('24,'). Sarai also is scheduled to appear in a new movie in Mexico, called Words with Gods, where she co-stars with another well-known Israeli actress, Yael Abecassis.

Check out the new single off of the EP, Losing.

Alanis Morisette is Coming to Israel

Rock chick Alanis Morisette is scheduled to come to perform in Israel on December 3rd, it was announced. The concert will be part of her tour to promote her new album Havoc & Bright Light that was released in August.

This will be the second time Alanis is visiting the Holy Land. Her first performance was in Tel Aviv back in 2000. "I'm so happy to come back to Israel and can't wait to go on stage there," she told Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronot, "it was great to be there last time, for professional reasons and also for spiritual and emotional reasons."

"It's taken the philosopher in me to a whole different level," Morisette recently told Rolling Stone of her new album, "So answering questions about this record, I feel like I'm in my ideal, dream-come-true seat, because I get to have a little bit of social commentary, and I'm doing it in real-time."

"I think it speaks to how much braver I am to delve into a deeper intimacy in my relationships, the one with my son, with my husband, even to the point where I'd be ready to get married," she added, "Intimacy was always terrifying for me, so intimacy with spirit, other people, friends, even professional colleagues. So it's a relationship record even more so than ever before."

Mila Brener’s New Campaign Ads for Gypsy05

While making her baby steps in Hollywood as an actress, 7 year old Mila Brener continues with her modeling career, with a new campaign for the kids' collection of the LA-based clothing brand Gypsy05.

Here's a glimpse at the new campaign that was shot on Malibu Beach two weeks ago and is about to hit the billboards in the area. The Gypsy05 campaign follows Mila's past modeling jobs for WalMart, Esprit, Disney and Honda. Impressive.

Mila, daughter of Israeli actress and producer Shirly Brener, is not the only Israeli connection for this hip clothing brand, whose famous fans include Halle Berry, Denise Richards, Heidi Klum and hot teen sensation Ashley Benson ("Pretty Little Liars"). The brand is owned by Israeli brother and sister Ossi and Dotan Shoham, and previously featured another Israeli celebrity as their model, Sarai Givaty.

Mila's latest movie, 'The Time Being,' recently opened at the Toronto Film Festival, and features the 7-year-old alongside former Oscar nominee Frank Langella and actor Wes Bentley from the hit movie 'The Hanger Games.'

LMFAO’s Red Foo Invites Fans to His Tel Aviv Show

Despite the sad announcement of LMFAO, the biggest dance act of the year, that they won't be continuing to make music together, the lead character of the band, RedFoo is coming to perform in Israel next week, and in a new candid video that was released yesterday, he promises to rock Tel Aviv's Nokia Theater.

watch the video message here

The spectacular Party Rock show will include, besides RedFoo, 30 performers and band members, which he refers to as 'The Party Crew'. The Israeli producers of the show have announced that the famous Israeli DJ Tomer G will perform as the opening act for the concert, an announcement that was immediately followed by tremendous support from peace activists.

Check out LMFAO's biggest hits, Party Rock Anthem and Sexy and I Know It

Israeli Producer Raz Olsher Tops the British Music Chart

Producer Raz Olsher,33, is a resident of the UK for over a decade now, and over the years he produced tracks as a part of the underground electronic scene, but one song, titled Bom Bom, which he produced with Sam and the Wrop, became a #1 hit on the British chart and brought Raz to the heart of the mainstream. The #1 hit is the first single from a whole album that was produced by Olsher, and he'll also be going on tour with the band later in the year.

"The genre that I come from is called 'UK Base Music,' which is mostly ruled by the base lines. It's a style of music that was developed from the 90's Grind-Dub-Step and Jungle," Olsher explained in an interview with Ynet.

Raz Olsher moved to London because of the music. "It's not for the weather or the food," he laughs. "This is the place from which all my influences come, and a place that if you succeed there- you've succeeded everywhere. This is where it happens."

When he was asked about working with Israeli artists, Raz replies "I like Kutiman and Boom-Pam, but I'm interested in all genres, because what matters to me is whether the song is good or not. It doesn't matter which language the song is."