Ron's World

Category: Reporter Packages

  • Ron Jacobsohn Meets Gospel Recording Artist, Paul Wilbur

    Ron Jacobsohn Meets Gospel Recording Artist, Paul Wilbur

    Multi platinum Gospel recording artist, Paul Wilbur, arrived in Israel to finalize his investment in an Israeli start-up, Face to Zion, which has taken upon itself to unite the around 500-million Israel-supporting evangelists around the world under one unique social network.

    Ron Jacobsohn, JN1 Correspondent:
    Multi platinum Gospel recording artist Paul Wilbur arrived in Israel to finalize his investment in local start-up company, Face to Zion, which has taken upon itself to unite the around 500-million Israel-supporting evangelists around the world under one unique social network.

    Paul Wilbur, Wilbur Ministries:
    We have now taken significant funds, tens of thousands of dollars, from our own cooperation to invest in this start-up company here in Tel-Aviv, because as I see it, it feels like an extension of who we are and helps us also to reach out in the nations where we spend a lot of our time. It’s very exciting for us.

    The start-up Wilbur has invested in was created by a group of Israeli entrepreneurs lead by Nir Arieli, who discovered the huge economic potential in the messianic evangelistic community.

    Nir Arieli, CEO, Face to Zion:
    Face to Zion is a tool, platform, that in three-clicks people can connect immediately and be part of a huge community and at the end will be also physically here with a physical presence. The monument is the mirror of the virtual world. Each one of the people who will upload their photo on the website will be able to see themselves on the wall in the real world at the monument made of glass in front of the Sea of Galilee and then when they will come to Israel, they will be able to see, to fell and to touch this beautiful monument. It will be 2-meters high and 10-meters length multiplied 10-times or 12-times.

    Paul Wilbur, who was born to a Christian mother and a Jewish father, has always felt a strong connection to his Jewish side, although it is his followers as a Messianic minister which made him a household name internationally with millions of records sold, hundreds of thousands of people following his every move on Facebook and twitter and tenth of thousand of people who come to see him sing live at concerts, which he has already performed on all five continents.

    Paul Wilbur, Wilbur Ministries:
    I’ve been now to over 60-nations, I have a message that makes war against certain things: anti-Semitism for one, anti-Israel for another. I think Israel would be very encouraged to know that there are passionate lovers of Zion all around the world. You would be surprised even in the Middle East, I have been to Dubai. 7000 came to hear me in a Muslim country and the Kuwait 5 acres of land covered with people standing should to shoulder and I am singing songs of Zion and in Hebrew. I stand on a platform in front of Muslin nation and sing “Hine Matov u Mana’aim Shevet Achim Gam Yachad” are you kidding!!! In English, in Hebrew we sing about Jerusalem and it’s an amazing time right now but this is our passion and we are finding lost of open ears.

    But before Wilbur left Israel he had to meet up with famous Israeli singer, David D’or, who has made an international name for himself performing six times at the Vatican in front of the pope, President Clinton, the King of Thailand and most recently President Obama. It has been Paul’s dream for some time to perform with D’Or.

    David D’or, Israeli Singer:
    We were in touch many years, but we never met each other actually, and this is the first time meet face-to-face and I am very much excited he is a great singer, great musician, as well, he writes beautiful melodies and today I had the honor to sing one of his beautiful melodies and I think the chemistry, you could see that we have, because I believe singing is something from the inside, from the heart, you know, so you can not fake it. If you are not there people will be able to recognize that. This is the first time I am learning this song, you know, I never heard it before and he just taught me but still I could feel that we speak the same language, the language of the heart.

    Ron Jacobsohn, JN1 Correspondent:
    Face to Zion is currently in its final beta stages and is hoping to launch officially by the end of the year.
    For JN1 I am Ron Jacobsohn in Tel-Aviv.

  • Ron Jacobsohn Meets IDF Commander Mona Lisa

    Ron Jacobsohn Meets IDF Commander Mona Lisa

    This is the true heartwarming story about a girl whose parents foresaw her becoming beautiful and called her Mona Lisa. But she grew up to be not only beautiful but also brave and courageous too. This is the story of Mona Lisa Abado, the first Arab-Israeli to enlist to the Israeli army who is now on her way to becoming a combat officer.

    Ron Jacobsohn, JN1 Correspondent:
    This is the true heartwarming story about a girl whose parents foresaw her becoming beautiful and called her Mona Lisa. But she grew up to be not only beautiful but also brave and courageous too. This is the story of Mona Lisa Abado, the first Arab-Israeli to enlist to the Israeli army who is now on her way to becoming a combat officer.

    It is not every day that you meet such an impressive young woman. A woman who had the courage, to go where no Arab Israeli woman has ever gone before. She did the unthinkable for most of her community and decided to enlist to service with the Israeli Defense Forces.

    IDF Commander Mona Lisa Abado:
    My name is Mona Lisa. I am from Haifa in Kiryat Haim neighborhood. I am 20-years old and I am a commander in the IDF. It was important to me to give back to my country, Israel.

    Only when you realize how rare in Israel is what Abado did you can grasp the big breakthrough she has made.

    Capt. Ethan Bachman, Head of the N. America Media Desk, IDF Spokesperson:
    Its interesting, both in Mona Lisa’s case and other cases around the IDF, when you meet the soldiers, particularly the soldiers who come from backgrounds that don’t generally get drafted into the IDF, you see a strong sense of motivation.
    And you got this with people who move to Israel to join and also from people like Mona Lisa where they realize that the cause they are fighting for is a higher cause and the soldiers that are around them all get influenced as well. It gives a boost to motivation because it’s kind of a reminder of ideology, and how ideology can push you to do the right things.

    Abado comes from an Arab-Christian Israeli family. She grew up in a suburb of Haifa. After graduating from elementary school she decided she wants to go to a Jewish school and with her mothers support both her and her sister got into a Jewish school. Upon graduating it was the most natural thing for her, to enlist to the army like all her Jewish high school friends.

    IDF Commander Mona Lisa Abado:
    When I enlisted to the army I hoped that something was going to change, that more people from my community will enlist. There are a lot of Arab Christian men that really want to enlist. There is of course the Bedouin battalion who are also Arabs and they enlist. I support that all the Arab Israelis should contribute and enlist to the army and will give back to their country because we live here. I can only say it is an amazing thing.

    Capt. Ethan Bachman, Head of the N. America Media Desk, IDF Spokesperson:
    We can’t get into specifics; I can say there are a couple of hundred Muslin and Bedouin men that are serving in the IDF and a couple of thousand Druses.
    Right now there is there is an existing mechanism to make sure they can serve. If you look at the Druze soldiers there are two major combat battalions that they serve in the Southern Command. What they call Herev Battalion. And in the scouting until in the southern border. So what you essentially have is a military combat unit that will stop three times a day for organized prayers. Its really taking steps to make sure that we can make maximize integration while still letting each persons individual beliefs, individual principals be manifested on a day to day basis.

    There is no doubt that Mona Lisa Abado wants her message to be heard loud and clear and isn’t afraid to speak her mind out to whoever will listen to her.

    IDF Commander Mona Lisa Abado:
    I really don’t think Israel is an occupying force. This is our home, according to the history books, we are supposed to be here, we won, we fought for this place and this country is ours there is nothing to do no matter what people will insist on claiming. I really have never felt any prejudice against me in Israel. I live amongst Jews, I study amongst Jews, I serve amongst Jews, My girlfriends are Jewish, I go out with them, I spend time at their houses and I really don’t feel any different at all. My message is that I want everyone to come and contribute to the army, and will feel part of this country. Just like they like to receive from the country benefits they should feel also obligated to give back too because if we won’t serve our country we eventually won’t have a country and we have no other home and if there will ever be a different regime here we won’t have an existence here. This is what I know. This is what I believe.

    Ron Jacobsohn, JN1 Correspondent:
    And as the question of the equality of the burden in Israeli society takes center stage, a story like Mona Lisa’s proves that it is possible to do the right thing even when not forced to do so by law.
    For JN1, I am Ron Jacobsohn in Jerusalem.

  • Ron Jacobsohn attends the Global Anti-Semitism Forum

    Ron Jacobsohn attends the Global Anti-Semitism Forum

    Over 500 participants traveled from 50 countries and 6 religions have gathered in Jerusalem to discuss a growing epidemic in way too many places: Antisemitism.

    This is the fourth consecutive year that the Israeli Foreign Ministry is organization this conference and from year to year it is growing as is also the problem of Antisemitism in the world.

     

  • Ron Jacobsohn Checks-Out Hotels Readiness for Passover

    Preparation for Passover for a big five star hotel is no easy task. We visited some of Israel’s popular hotels to see how they are getting ready for Passover. The king David hotel in Jerusalem who just last week hosted President Obama, everything will be ready to host no less than 30 Seder events simultaneously. Getting your hotel ready for Passover is quite the undertaking. The halachic rules ask for a complete elimination of the kitchen equipment and bringing in a new one for the hotels to receive the stamp of approval of being Kosher for Passover. The hotels go out of their way for the Jewish Spring Cleaning including bringing in specialty equipment to get the furniture clean and ready for Passover

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  • Ron Jacobsohn Visits the TLV Farmers Market

    We are at the Tel-Aviv Farmers market which once a week lets farmers from across Israel showcase and test their new brands and varieties to the public. Some of those original Israeli fruits and vegetable are now in their testing stages and once they’ll be bread commercially expect to find them at the grocery store near you.