Notable Israelis - 8th-12th G

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IDENTIFY THE notable israeliS and where they are from

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Explore Israel's geography and discover where the Israeli notables are from by clicking the question mark next to their names on the map.

01

Who is an Israeli singer-songwriter and actor, known for his role in Fauda, and was seriously wounded during the Iron Swords war?

North?

ELIEZER BEN YEHUDA

Center?

IDAN AMEDI

Star singer and Fauda's actor(R) with IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi

South?

YITZHAK RABIN

‘Fauda’ actors

IDAN AMEDI

right!

Idan Amedi was born to a Kurdish Jewish family and raised in Jerusalem. During his mandatory service in the Israel Defense Forces, Amedi was in the combat engineering corps. Amedi specializes in various martial arts, such as taekwondo and Thai boxing. Prior to his military service in 2005, he was the runner-up in the national taekwondo championship. Idan Amedi (Hebrew: עידן עמדי; born February 19, 1988) is an Israeli singer-songwriter and actor who rose to fame on the reality show Kochav Nolad in 2010. He has released 5 studio albums, with hit singles like "Pain of Warriors" and "Finished." Amedi began acting in 2017, joining the cast of the TV action series Fauda, where he plays Sagi Tzur. In his personal life, Amedi married Miriam Benyaminov in 2018 and they have two children. He was called up as an IDF reservist during "Iron"swords" war, and was seriously injured in January 2024 while demolishing Hamas tunnels in Gaza.

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02

North?

Who created Fauda?

BAR BRIMER

Center?

LIOR RAZ AND AVI ISSACHAROFF

South?

ALON ABUTBUL AND GAVRI BANAI

LIOR RAZ AND AVI ISSACHAROFF

right!

FAUDA tells the story of Doron, a commander in the MISTA'ARVIM Unit and his team. LIOR RAZ AND AVI ISSACHAROFF developed the Israeli TV Series FAUDA and drew on their experiences in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). Lior Raz (Hebrew: ליאור רז; born 24 November 1971) is an Israeli actor and screenwriter.He portrays Doron Kabilio in the political thriller television series Fauda. Avi Issacharoff (Hebrew: אבי יששכרוף; born 1973) is an Israeli journalist, known for his focus on Palestinian affairs. Fauda is the Arabic word for "chaos" .

LIOR RAZ AVI ISSACHAROFF

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Who won the gold medal in the men’s IQFoil windsurfing and the silver in the women windsurfing final at the Paris 2024 Olympics and silver in gymnastics?

03

North?

Matan Roditi

Center?

Tom Reuveny, Sharon Kantor and Artem Dolgopyat

Swing,

South?

Maru Teferi

TOM REUVENY, SHARON KANTOR AND ARTEM DOLGOPYAT

right!

Israel’s Tom Reuveny celebrates with the national flag after winning the gold medal in the men’s IQFoil windsurfing final at the Paris 2024 Olympics, at the Roucas-Blanc Marina in Marseille, August 3, 2024. “It’s much bigger than me to win this event and it feels amazing,” Reuveny said after the race, noting that his brother was an IDF soldier fighting in the war and “it was so hard to go training while everyone else was crying over lost people, dead people. It’s been so hard and I still had to put my head down and keep training and that's all for this moment.”Israel windsurfer Sharon Kantor poses for a photo with her silver Olympic medal in Paris on August 4, 2024. In the women’s windsurfing event, Sharon Kantor, who had been a heavy medal favorite heading into the Games, took home the silver medal, bringing Israel’s total Olympic sailing medals to five. Israeli gymnast Artem Dolgopyat won silver medal in Paris on August 4, 2024. Artem Olegovich Dolgopyat is an Israeli artistic gymnast who specializes in the floor exercise.

Tom Reuveny, Sharon Kantor and Artem Dolgopyat

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04

Who won the gold medal in the women’s single sculls at the 2024 Paris Paralympics olympic, and who won a gold medal for Israel at the Paralympics in taekwondo?

North?

Matan Roditi and Maru Teferi

Center?

Moran Samuel and Asaf Yasur

Swing,

South?

Inbar Lanir and Peter Paltchik

MORAN SAMUEL AND ASAF YASUR

right!

Israeli rower Moran Samuel wins a gold medal in the women’s single sculls at the 2024 Paris Paralympics,.The Paris Games are the fourth Paralympic appearance for Samuel, 42, and her third medal, after she won bronze in Rio 2016 and silver in Tokyo 2020.Samuel, who was a promising basketball player in her youth, suffered a spinal stroke at age 24 that left her in a wheelchair. She first began training in wheelchair basketball before switching to para-rowing due to the lack of a high-level women’s team in Israel. Asaf Yasur born 17 April 2002) is an Israeli Paralympic champion and world champion taekwondo athlete. He was world champion in both 2021 and 2023. He represented Israel at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, and won the gold medal in the Men's 58 kg. He won a gold medal for Israel at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, competing at 22 years of age. He beat Turkey’s Ali Can Özcan 19-12 in the final of the men’s -58kg weight class. He said: "With everything my country is going through… this is the least I could do for my country," and that he hoped for the return of the hostages from Gaza, an end to the war, and for "all the soldiers to return home healthy and whole."

Moran Samuel and Asaf Yasur

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05

Who was the first prime minister woman to head a government in Israel and the only one so far?

North

ADA YONATH

ADA YONATH

Center?

GOLDA MEIR

South?

GAL GADOT

GOLDA MEIR

right!

Born in 1898, Golda Meir’s family fled from anti-Semitism in the Ukraine and settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She moved to pre-State Israel in 1921, becoming one of two women to sign the Declaration of Independence, and to date the only woman to serve as Prime Minister of Israel. In early 1948, she was sent to the US to raise funds for the nascent State, returning home with $50 million, making it possible to achieve statehood. She addressed audiences with her ever-present cigarette in hand—but no notes—and urged American Jews to open their wallets and “not be too late.” She served as ambassador to the Soviet Union and Foreign Minister before becoming PM during a period that included the 1972 Munich Olympic Massacre and the 1973 Yom Kippur War. She died in 1978 and is remembered for how she gathered advisors and ministers around her green formica kitchen table, which came to be known as Golda’s Kitchen Cabinet.

ISRAEL PM GOLDA MEIR AND STATE SECRETARY OF UNITED STATES HENRY KISSINGER

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06

Who courageously said "Next Year in Jerusalem" in a Soviet courtroom before being sentenced in 1977?

North

SHIMON PERES

Center?

NATAN SHARANSKY

South?

President George W. Bush presenting the 2006 Presidential Medal of Freedom

MOSHE DAYAN

NATAN SHARANSKY

right!

Natan Sharansky is greeted by then Prime Minister of Israel Simon Peres as he steps off the plane in Ben Gurion following his release from Soviet prison on February 11, 1986. Photo: Nati Harnik/Israel

As a young man in the Soviet Union, Natan Sharansky’sonly crime was that he wanted to live a Jewish life. When he requested permission to emigrate to Israel in 1973, the authorities refused; four years later, he was accused of spying for the CIA and sentenced to 13 years in prison. His wife, Avital, who had been allowed to emigrate, drew attention to his case, and Sharansky became the face of the refusenik movement as Jews and other activists around the world demanded that they be allowed to emigrate. Released in 1986 as part of a prisoner exchange, he immediately moved to Israel, where he became a voice for other Soviet immigrants and later, a fierce advocate for strong ties binding Israel and world Jewry. After working as a Member of Knesset and a government minister, he served as chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel from 2009-2018.

With his wife Avital by his side, Natan Sharansky calls then US President Ronald Reagan from Ben Gurion Airport to thank the President for his part in the international pressure that led to Natan’s release. Photo: Nati Harnik/Israel

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07

What medal did Israel's rhythmic gymnastics team win in the group all-around event at the 2024 Summer Olympics?

North

GOLD MEDAL

Center?

SILVER MEDAL

South?

The five members of Israel’s rhythmic gymnastics team are pictured during the group all-around event at La Chapelle Arena on Saturday, August 9, 2024, at the Summer Olympics in Paris, France.(AP Photo/Dar Yasin)

BRONZE MEDAL

SILVER MEDAL

right!

The Israeli rhythmic gymnastics team, consisting of Shani Bakanov (18), Adar Friedmann (18), Romi Paritzki (20), Ofir Shaham (19), and Diana Svertsov (19), scored an impressive 68.850 points in the final round, which secured a silver medal in the women’s all-around group final, at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Israel performs during the Rhythmic Gymnastics final in the Arena Porte de La Chapelle during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in La Chapelle on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham,)

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Who made history in 2009 as the first Israeli woman professor to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, marking the first time in 45 years that a woman received this honor for her research on the structure of ribosomes?

08

North

DAHLIA GREIDINGER

Center?

ADA YONATH

South?

VARDA ROTTER

ADA YONATH

right!

When Ada Yonath received the Nobel Prize in 2009 for her research in the field of ribosomal crystallography, she became the first Israeli woman to win a Nobel—and the first woman to win in chemistry in 45 years. Despite the wall of awards that adorns her office at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot. Yonath was born in Jerusalem in 1939 to a family that she says was so poor that they couldn’t even afford to buy books, but her parents found the means to send her to good schools to encourage her love of science. She withstood years of criticism from colleagues who said her work had little value. All one needs to do is look at the wall of awards to see that her perseverance paid off.

An earlier styrofoam model of a ribosome. The red string represents mRNA, while the blue string represents the protein that is being produced. © Nobel Prize Museum. Photo: Karl Anderson

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Who is an Israeli activist who wrote the books: "Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth", and co - authors with Emmanuel Acho "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew"?

09

North

SARIT YISHAI-LEVI

The author of the book: "Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth" presents a compelling and accessible portrait of Israel.Through bite-sized chunks of history and deeply personal stories. She chronicles her homeland’s evolution, beginning in Biblical times and moving forward to cover everything from WWI to Israel’s creation to the disputes dividing the country today. Tackling popular misconceptions with an abundance of facts, The author provides critical context around headline-generating controversies and offers a clear, intimate account of the richly cultured country of Israel. The book "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew" will enable anyone to explain—and identify—what Jewish hatred looks like. It is a much-needed lexicon for this fraught moment in Jewish history. As Acho says, “Proximity breeds care and distance breeds fear.”

On October 23, 2023, she said in the most challenging speech she had ever delivered: "We stand shoulder to shoulder with the families of Israelis and Americans held hostage by the Hamas terrorists and demand they return the hostages now!"

Center?

NOA TISHBY

South?

GAL GADOT

NOA TISHBY

right!

A Tel Aviv native, Noa Tishby served in the Israeli army before landing a starring role on the nation’s highest-rated prime time drama. After becoming a household name in Israel and appearing in numerous TV shows, films, theater productions and fashion campaigns, Tishby moved to Los Angeles, where she sold the Israeli TV show “In Treatment” to HBO, which made history as the first Israeli TV show to become an American series. “In Treatment” was nominated for fourteen Emmy and Golden Globes and won a Peabody Award. Noa Tishby has been a leader in pro-Israel activism for over a decade, co-founding and initiating several organizations and projects, including Act for Israel, Reality Israel and Eighteen: an institute to combat antisemitism and inspire Jewish pride. Noa Tishby is the New York Times bestselling author of" Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth" and co - authors with Emmanuel Acho "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew". Noa has been a guest on Real Time with Bill Maher and appeared on networks such as CNN, MSNBC, Fox and PBS.

NOA TISHBY

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10

Which individual's life and legacy related to agriculture and land defense inspired Jewish communities?

North?

JOSEPH TRUMPELDOR

Center?

HAIM NACHMAN BIALIK

South?

He organized the "Zion Mule Corps," the first Jewish military unit formed since the exile of the Jewish people, establishing a distinct Jewish military presence, with the Star of David as its symbol and military orders in the Hebrew language.

ELIEZER BEN YEHUDA

JOSEPH TRUMPELDOR

right!

Known for his famous last words, “ it's good to die for our country,”Joseph Trumpeldor lost his arm in a battle fighting in the Russisan --Japanese War. Born in Russia in 1880, after moving to pre-State Israel,he made his home in Kibbutz Degania. The Ottoman authorities expelled him for his refusal to accept Ottoman citizenship. He returned in 1918 and founded Hechalutz, which helped young people plan to move to pre-State Israel. In 1920, he was part of a team defending Tel Hai in the Upper Galilee, and he was killed in battle. He and the others who fell at Tel Hai are buried in a communal grave in Kibbutz Kfar Giladi, where a statue of a lionguards over them.

A memorial for Yosef Trumpeldor in Tel-Hai, Israel

Tel-Hai, Israel

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Which Israeli young forward, kmown for his versatile playing style, was drafted by the Washington Wizards in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft?

11

North?

OMRI CASSPI

Center?

DENI AVDIJA

South?

GAL MEKEL

DENI AVDIJA

right!

Deni Avdija דֶנִי אָבְדִיָה, born on January 3rd, 2001 is an Israeli professional basketball player for the NBA Portland Trail Blazers. He plays the small forward position.The son of Serbian-Gorani former basketball player Zufer Avdija, he started playing basketball in the fourth grade for his hometown club Bnei Herzliya Basket, and then in 2013 for Maccabi Tel Aviv. He excelled as a youth player. He debuted for their senior team in 2017, at age 16, becoming the youngest player in club history. Two years later, he became the youngest player to ever win the Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP award, and led his team to the Israeli Basketball Premier League championship. In 2020, Avdija declared for the NBA draft and was drafted by the Washington Wizards. He is also a member of the Israeli senior national basketball team. He has won two gold medals for Israel at the youth level, including at the 2019 FIBA U20 European Championship, where he was named tournament's most valuable player.

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THE NORTH OF ISRAEL

RIGHT!

The northern part of Israel, called the Galil (Galilee in English), is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, and Jordan to the east. After the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Romans, the ancient rabbis settled largely in the Galil and created a form of community in which Jewish law (halacha) and study of Torah infused all aspects of daily life. In many ways, Jewish text became the new “land,” and because it was portable, Jews brought this rabbinic paradigm with them to all the countries of the Jewish diaspora. In the 16th century, Jews who were expelled from the thriving Jewish center of Spain settled on the Galil mountaintop of Tzfat and developed a new form of Jewish mysticism. The kabbalists (Jewish mystics) believed that every mitzvah (commandment) a Jew performs helps to heal the cosmos. Many Jewish rituals that have become mainstream today, including the traditional Friday night prayer service (Kabbalat Shabbat) and the Tu B’Shevat seder, have their origins in the communal vision of the Tzfat kabbalists. At the beginning of the 20th century, groups of young people who mostly rejected rabbinic Judaism (yet still sought some form of Jewish collective living) immigrated from Europe to the Galil to found the first kibbutzim. These people are known as the pioneers (in Hebrew, halutzim), and the Jewish community they formed was built on radical equality and a belief that the land can be redeemed and the Jewish spirit reclaimed through physical labor.

Cities in the Galil include:

• Haifa, a mixed Jewish-Arab city built on a mountain overlooking the Mediterranean.
• Tiberias, built on the shore of Lake Kinneret, the largest Jewish city in the time of the Mishnah and Talmud (2nd-6thcenturies C.E.), adjacent to Christian holy sites where Jesus lived and taught.
• Tzfat or Safed, a small mountaintop city that has served as a center of kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) since the 16th century.

The Galil features many Jewish collective settlements. Kibbutzim, Moshavim, and Yishuvim — and Arab villages. The majestic Mount Hermon rises in the northeast corner of the Galil, and extending southward from the mountain to the base of Lake Kinneret is the Golan Heights.

Mount Hermon

THE CENTRAL PART OF ISRAEL

RIGHT!

The central region of Israel, known as the Merkaz (Center), encompasses Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and surrounding cities like Netanya, Herzliya, and Rishon LeTzion, home to 80% of the population.Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, just 45 minutes apart, represent two contrasting aspects of Israeli identity. Jerusalem is ancient, the “eternal city” and the spiritual heart of Judaism. It is home to the Kotel, where Jews gather to pray, and the city’s stone buildings, religious sites, and Jewish institutions reflect its role as Israel’s religious and political capital. In contrast, Tel Aviv is modern and cosmopolitan, founded in 1909 on the Mediterranean coast. A hub of business, culture, and innovation, it is known for its vibrant arts scene, culinary and progressive values. Tel Aviv represents a more secular, independent Jewish identity, where individuals are free to explore new cultural and social expressions.

TEL AVIV

JERUSALEM

JERUSALEM

RIGHT!

Jerusalem is ancient — in the words of the poets, the “eternal city.” The biblical King David, in roughly 1000 B.C.E., built it as Israel’s capital, and his son Solomon constructed the Holy Temple as a site of pilgrimage for all Jews. It is a city made of stone, with distinctive Jerusalem stone covering many of the houses and apartments that rise on its rolling hills. As Israel’s national capital, the Knesset (parliament) and other government buildings greet visitors near the entrance to the city. As Israel’s religious capital, the multifaith Old City (with its Jewish, Christian, Moslem, and Armenian quarters, each with its own holy sites) stands to the east of the city, overlooking the desert. Jerusalem is Judaism’s sacred center. Even though the Holy Temple no longer stands, the Kotel (outer wall of the Temple) remains, and Jews from all over the world come to pray at its base. In Jerusalem, there’s a synagogue on almost every block, and Jewish centers of learning of every variety abound. It’s a place where, for many residents and visitors, Judaism offers a source of transcendent meaning. As a Jew, one is responsible for bringing the ethical truths and cultural norms of the Torah to bear in one’s community and within the broader world.

JERUSALEM

Mahane Yehuda Market

Israel Museum

THE KOTEL

TEL AVIV

RIGHT!

Tel Aviv, Israel's bustling cosmopolitan hub, is known for its vibrant mix of modernity and history. Situated along the Mediterranean coastline, the city boasts stunning beaches, a thriving nightlife, and a dynamic arts scene. Tel Aviv is also a center of innovation and technology, often referred to as the "Silicon Wadi" due to its high concentration of startups and tech companies. The city's architecture is a blend of contemporary skyscrapers and Bauhaus-style buildings, especially in the UNESCO-listed White City district. Tel Aviv is also famous for its cultural diversity, offering a wide range of culinary experiences, lively markets like Carmel Market, and a rich history visible in sites like The Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, The Anu Museum of the Jewish People, and many more museums.

TEL AVIV

Tel Aviv Museum of Art

Tel Aviv Beaches

Azrieli Center

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