Issue #1 - United Synagogue Youth

1Volume 5, Issue 3February 2011What is Pop Knowledgy?Take a dose of Pop Culture, a cup of Knowledge, and a spoonful of technology, mix them all up…and you get Pop Knowledgy!While yes, this word is (a little) made up, it perfectly describes the theme of this Hechalutzon. Israel isa very diverse and modern country. It has a nightlife that rivals New York City’s, a high-tech industrysecond only to Silicon Valley, and a world-famous cuisine. There is so much happening in Israel, it ishard to know everything. But this Hechaluzon will give you a little glimpse into all of it.USYers, get ready!Oren FliegelmanHechalutzon EditorWhat comes to mind when youthink of the game show Jeopardy!?A few phrases probably popinto your head: “Alex Tribec,”“questions as answers,” or if you’rea somewhat avid viewer of Jeopardy!, maybe you’d think“Ken Jennings!” Although Jennings won a record 74consecutive games on the classic game show, when Ithink of Jeopardy! his name is not the name that runsacross my brain. I think of Watson.Who is Watson, you may ask? Watson is a newsupercomputer that can hear, understand, and answertrivia questions just like a human can. This February,Watson is scheduled to compete in a three-day Jeopardy!tournament against Jennings to see whether a computercan really be better than a human at this difficult triviashow. Kind of sounds like I, Robot, right?Behind Watson’s brilliant mechanical “brain”there are some very impressive and complicated technologies.One of the most significant of these technologieswas developed in Israel by IBM’s research anddevelopment scientists who are based in Haifa. Israeliscientists — ranging from chemists to physicists tocomputer scientists — have a long history of makingtruly remarkable discoveries in their respective fields,Continued on page 7...Sarah HoffmanUSY Israel Affairs VPIn February 2010, Better Place held thegrand opening of the company’s firstelectric vehicle demonstration center inIsrael. What is Better Place? BetterPlace is a company that manufactureselectric vehicles in hopes of making amore environmentally friendly world. As a leader in researchand technology Israel’s knowledge allows the countryto work with Better Place to increase awareness aboutthe decline of the environment’s stability.Better Place has partnered with Dor Alon, a leadinggas station operator in Israel, to install battery switch stationsat Dor Alon’s facilities. This new technology willhelp encourage Israelis to switch from fuel-operated vehiclesto battery-operated ones.The “cool” thing to do nowadays is to “go green.”Celebrities encourage it, schools teach it, and everywherewe turn there are new devices to help us seize the opportunityto make the world a healthier place. Pop culture istherefore, motivating us to move forward and save theworld, and in Israel, this is starting with Better Place.This year, I hope to use all of my knowledge tomaintain a strong connection between USY and Israel. AsBetter Place has taught me, the best way to start somethingnew is to take the initiative and jump right in. So, USY,dive with me into this new Hechalutzon: Knowledge,Technology, and Pop Culture, and learn all you can tomake Israel a Better Place.Although all articles are written by USYers, opinions that appear in The Hechalutzon do not necessarilyreflect the positions of United Synagogue Youth, or its parent body, the United Synagogue ofConservative Judaism.