Final Videos

Well, it has been quite a while since my last post! That being said, it was definitely nice taking a well deserved break after the hectic - mile-a-minute - pace I'd kept while in Israel. One person who was still working however was trip videographer, Steve Kushner, who after taking a brief detour into Jordan, returned home and pulled together two final videos chronicling our program. These videos capture the essence of our last three weeks in Israel - both in terms of the activities we participated in and the places we visited. Enjoy!

Farewell Israel

After two months, our summer program in Israel has finally come to an end. The Smith team accomplished a lot - and for me personally - I believe this was a fantastic chance to participate in an internship unlike any other. It was challenging and rewarding in so many different ways. After I get a chance to decompress back in the States for a few days I'll provide a bit more post-game analysis. Until then, here is our final group photo - taken the second to last week - right before we drove south to Eilat from Rehovot.

Team Members, From Left to Right

Chris Rajashekar, Steve Kushner, Brad Husser, Don Mayer, Anne Bisso, Dan Branscome, Kelley Harris, Asher Epstein (Program Director), Sean Luke, Gil Sharon, Kristin Thompson

The Arava Institute

After finishing our class in Rehovot at Hebrew University on strategic water management, the team packed up and headed into the deep south of Israel and the Negev Desert.

Our destination for the night (and next day) was Kibbutz Ketura - home of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. Arriving in the early evening, the team quickly dropped our stuff off at our rooms before heading to a BBQ at the Kibbutz pool. There were all the essentials (i.e. hamburgers and hot dogs, as well as an enormous pool). The Kibbutz was also playing host to a bunch of British birthrighters, who we (actually Asher in particular) challenged to a game of football. We lost a close match - but it was still good times.

"Our living quarters for our one night at Kibbutz Ketura"
Photo by Jessica (at Israelity)

After getting back to our rooms everyone brought drinks to the roof of the lodge to watch the stars and talk. In the desert, the sky at night is really something to behold. Early the next morning, we were up and out of our rooms by 7am. After a breakfast and a quick tour of the kibbutz, we proceeded to the conference room at the institute, where we heard from from the first of a few speakers regarding Arava's mission and activities.

Each of our meetings lasted about an hour. Our first meeting of the day was with Dr. Tareq Abu-Hamed, who is the head of Arava's Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation. Following this meeting, we heard from Roy Kagan of the Arava Power Company. Our third visit was with Noam Ilan at the Regional Energy Commission. Each of these three visits highlighted a different aspect of the Arava mission and some of the pioneering research they are conducting on site at the kibbutz.

"Exploring the Aora Solar Energy Installation"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

In the afternoon we had a visit to the Aora Solar Energy Installation at Kibbutz Samar. The Aora installation is interesting in that it is an experiment in providing a modular point source solar power system - though at this point the power outputs are still negligible. Before returning to lunch at Kibbutz Ketura, we stopped for a small ice cream snack at the Yotvata. The ice cream was good - but for me the real highlight was their chocolate milk. So good!

Upon return to Arava we had a final afternoon meeting with Miriam Sharton the Associate Director of the institute. Altogether, our brief visit was a great experience. With this portion of the trip complete we left the kibbutz to head down to Eilat. As we entered into Israel's southernmost city, we said goodbye to our fearless leader, Asher, who boarded a plane to head back to the US via Tel Aviv. Goodbye Asher!

Better Place Ctd

As I'd mentioned previously (see here), last Tuesday the Smith team had the opportunity to visit Better Place, Israel's innovative electric car company. We departed Haifa around 9am for the drive to their facility in Tel Aviv. Located not far from the freeway (and ocean), Better Place was already humming from the moment we arrived - as tour groups passed through and saw, heard, and drove the Better Place solution.

"Brad investigating Better Place's futuristic showroom"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

As we'd arrived early, we helped ourselves to coffee and tea, while we waited for the tour to start. A little after 11am, the tour began. First we had a brief overview of the Better Place facility from our guide. Next, we were directed into an amphitheater to hear the spiel from a virtual "Shai Agassi".  To say that this was a flawless presentation - delivered in a futuristic and otherworldly location - would be an understatement. At the end, the bottom of the stage rotated and the model car was displayed for us to see. Really impressive!

"Virtual Shai Agassi talks to us about the Better Place vision"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

If that wasn't enough, third we were then directed outside to a test track so that each of us could experience the feel of driving a truly 100% electric car - as well as see examples of the charging stations. Among our group, Asher Epstein was able to test drive the single Tesla Roadster on site, while the rest of us were driving Renault's. Though jealous of Asher, I was still lucky enough to be the first in my group to get behind the wheel! 

"Better Place's electric cars getting recharged"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

To be honest, it wasn't what totally what I expected - though I don't mean this in a bad way. When I turned the car on for the first time, there wasn't the "normal" experience one expects when a car motor fires up. Instead it was completely silent. Additionally, as I drove out onto the track and increased speed - the car had "perfect" acceleration - as it had no gear box and hence no gears to shift between. All in all it was a very nice drive.

"The team talks with Mike Granoff overlooking the test track"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

After completing our test drives, we then were directed into a meeting with Mike Granoff (a friend of Asher) and the Head of Oil Independence Policies at Better Place. Mike was gracious enough to offer his time to discuss the Better Place model and field all of our questions regarding the company, the technology, and the business model. After a lively discussion (and one last look at the Tesla Roadster) we wrapped up our visit with a demonstration of the proprietary battery changing system that forms the core of the Better Place model.

"A full demonstration of the Better Place battery exchange system"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

Galilee To Golan, pt3

Sunday morning and we were off to another adventure! From our hotel, we drove to Nahal Yehudia off Highway 87. Nahal Yehudia is part of a reserve, which includes 11 trails, such as Nahal Zavitan, the Meshushim and the Gamla, which includes the remains of the Jewish town that fought against Vespasian during the Jewish Revolt in 66 CE. 

Photo by Stephen Kushner

The Nahal Yehudia hike was not extraordinarily difficult - but it definitely required some skill - as there was a place where we had to descend down a shear rock face next to a waterfall and swim across a deep pool before continuing on the trail. The flowers were in bloom and the water was cool. All in all, it was about a three hour trek, but well worth the effort!

Photo by Stephen Kushner

Some of the team had opted out of the hike. That being said, we had already coordinated to meet up that afternoon at Keshet Yonatan, a moshav in the Golan Heights. Keshet has a very interesting history. Established in 1974 shortly after the Yom Kippur War by Hapoel HaMizrachi near the Syrian city of Quneitra, the community is a thriving community in an otherwise uninhabited area.

Photo by Kristin Thompson

Asher and his friend (whose house we were now at) had coordinated over the previous months for a shochet - a religious Jew who is duly licensed and trained - to prepare and slaughter a sheep for a traditional kosher BBQ (shechita). The fire pit had been dug the preceeding day. Upon our arrival, the boy scouts on our team (me included) quickly went to work erecting a tent for the shochet to perform his duty.

Photo by Kristin Thompson

While we waited, our guide, Meni, took most of the team for a tour of the moshav and the surrounding area. I opted to stay back and call my dad - since it was Father's Day. Those that did go, said it was well worth the trip. Located nearby was an abandoned Syrian military outpost - a spooky reminder of the conflicts that have not to distantly plagued these lands. In the distance, the team could see smoke - which was apparently from army maneuvers by the IDF. Interestingly, the team also saw a UN truck while out - as the UN still administers a cease-fire boundary zone between Israel and Syria.

Photo by Kristin Thompson

Back at the moshav, once the shochet arrived he gave the assembled guests a brief overview of kosher laws and traditions. We then relocated to the outdoor tent. The killing itself was almost instaneous. The preperation took another 45 minutes - and quite a few on the team helped in this process.  After the shochet confirmed the animal as kosher, we put the carcass on a spit and began the BBQ. Sean Luke did an admirable job tending the fire.

Photo by Kristin Thompson

Four hours later, the meat was finally ready to eat. Don Mayer took over the carving duties and people started to chow down. We had fresh pita, potatoes, fried onions and other fixings. Everything was amazing! In an already busy and exciting weekend, this BBQ was the highlight for many in the group.

Photo by Kristin Thompson

That evening that team was back at the Ha'On guesthouse for our final night in the Galilee. The next morning, Monday, the team departed back to Haifa. Along the way we had a few final stops before our weekend trip concluded. The first stop was in Nazareth. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," Nazareth is extremely important to Christians, as it the childhood home of Jesus. In Nazareth we visited the Church of the Annunciation, which marks the site where the Archangel Gabriel announced the future birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary. We also visited The Church of St. Joseph's Carpentry, which occupies the traditional location for the workshop of Saint Joseph.

Photo by Kristin Thompson

Next we stopped in Daliat el-Carmel, which is one of the largest Druze settlements. Home to The Abu Ibrahim Shrine, this was definitely an interesting stop. Just on the outskirts of Haifa, our final visit was to the Morad Winery. Not to be confused with a traditional grape winery, Morad is unique in that it focuses on producing wine spirits from many other fruit sources - e.g. honey, pomegranates, apple, melons, dates, etc. It wasn't for everyone, but the free samples went a long way towards allaying people's concerns.

As we pulled back into our house in Haifa, everyone was happy to be home. That being said, we all felt that it had been an amazing weekend. Looking back, it's hard to believe everything we'd seen and done. Awesome, but exhausting.

Jerusalem Visit

After a day back in Haifa for our weekly class at the Technion, on Friday morning the Smith team was back on the road for a full weekend of touring and sightseeing. In the morning we were met by our guide, Israel, who gave us a preview of the days activities as we sped down the highway to our first stop of the day, Caesarea.

"Our guide Israel weaves a story about ancient Caesarea"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

Planted firmly against the coast, halfway between Haifa and Tel Aviv, Caesarea is an ancient port city that dates to the time of Herod the Great – about 22 BCE. The ancient city itself is no longer inhabited - as the last occupants, French crusaders under Louis IX - were forced to flee when the city was put to fire by Baybar invaders in 1251 CE. Literally lost to the sands, the city was rediscovered and its secrets uncovered in the 1940s due to the financial generosity of Baron Edmond Benjamin James de Rothschild.

"Modern concerts in Caesarea's ancient amphitheater"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

Our first stop in Caesarea was the Roman aqueduct that provided fresh water to the city for over a thousand years. From there we proceeded to the old city itself, where we visited the Roman theater, hippodrome, and palace (which was possibly the former residence of Pontius Pilate). As we walked back to the van, we passed through the city walls and across the moat, which were both constructed by the Crusaders. All in all, Caesarea was awesome!
 

"Driving through East Jerusalem"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

From Caesarea we drove directly on to Jerusalem. Since it was Friday, a lot of tourist sites were closing at sunset for Shabbat, so we were in quite a rush to get into town. We drove into the Old City and parked right next to the City of David – where the Biblical King built his palace and capital in 1000 BCE. The key attraction at this famous archaeological site is Hezekiah's Tunnel. This tunnel, which runs for a little under half a mile is filled with about three feet of water at all times. We walked (in my case barefoot) through the tunnel before emerging on the other side in East Jerusalem. Following our underground trek (which seemed to go on and on), we proceeded to the promenade overlooking the city.

"Looking out at Old Jerusalem from the Haas Promenade" 
Photo by Kelley Harris

We went next to our hotel for a brief rest before Shabbat dinner. Max and Sue Singer (parents of Saul Singer, the author of Start-up Nation) were kind enough to invite the entire Smith team into their home to participate in this weekly Jewish tradition. Dinner began with the serving of homemade challahs. Afterwords, this ritual was followed by Kiddush, the blessing of the wine. Max and Sue then led us through a number of other songs and readings before we finally began the meal in earnest. Altogether, everyone had a great time!
 

"Shabbat dinner with Max and Sue Singer"
 Photo by Stephen Kushner

In the preceding days, I had been coming down with a bit of a cold. A bug of some sort had been making its rounds around the team - and unfortunately my time arrived sometime late Friday night. I woke Saturday morning feeling pretty horrible - so somewhat reluctantly I opted to skip the tour that morning. I did get a pretty good report from the team later that evening though, when we all convened for dinner.
 

"Old Jerusalem near the Jaffa Gate" 
Photo by Kristin Thompson

On Saturday the group met our guide, Israel, at 9am in the hotel lobby. From there the group went to the Old City, this time for a more thorough tour of its many historical sites. The team walked the Via Dolorosa, visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and shopped (and ate) in the Muristan Souq. From there they climbed the ramparts and walked the city walls, emerging just next to the Western Wall. The last stop of the afternoon was a short drive to the Mount of Olives – a site significant to both Jewish and Christian traditions.

"Fresh food at the always busy, Muristan Souq"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

I was feeling a bit better that evening so I opted to join everyone for dinner at Asher Epstein’s place. Altogether, the group was feeling pretty fired up about everything we’d seen and done so far this weekend. Additionally, this evening was especially important to everyone, as it was the England vs. USA World Cup match. Americans (myself included) have a funny habit of completely ignoring the sport of soccer (nee football) for 4 years and then suddenly remembering when the Cup comes around again. It may be the world’s sport, but it certainly isn’t America's sport. Anyway, the game started at 9:30pm, so many in the group decided to head to the The Lion’s Den pub to watch.
 

"Everyone celebrates as the USA battles back against England in the World Cup" 
Photo by Kristin Thompson

Ninety minutes later the game was over and we (the USA) had forced England to a 1-1 tie. I’ve read that this was a fantastic result – as everyone had expected England to prevail. That being said, I have a hard time getting excited about a tie game. I mean, really? A tie? I think this fact alone is what makes it so hard for Americans to get behind this game. Someone has to win. Without a winner, what’s the point?  

Anyway, one other cool outcome from the game: our esteemed photographer, Kristin had the previous photo featured in the Washington Post. Congrats, Kristin! All in all, Jerusalem was a blast! We got to see some fantastic historical sites, eat wonderful food, and watch the USA beat up on our cousins across the pond. It would be hard to ask for much more – well maybe the USA could have won rather than tied - but I digress.

The Smith Team

Team Members, From Left to Right

Back: Kelley Harris, Kristin Thompson, Asher Epstein (Program Director), Sean Luke, Daniel Branscome, Anne Bisso, Brad Husser, Chris Rajashekar

Front: Donald Mayer, Stephen Kushner, Gil Sharon

Celebrating The Future

Last night, myself and my fellow program participants joined donors, faculty, program supporters, and other guests, for a reception at the home of Miles Gilburne and Nina Zolt. The event offered us a chance to honor and thank our gracious benefactors. It also gave us time to share, not only an overview of this amazing program, but also relate what we each of us hopes to take away from this tremendous opportunity.

After about an hour of mingling and small talk, we moved directly into the heart of the event. First, we had a brief introduction from our host, Miles Gilburne. This was followed in short order with some remarks by the Smith School's current Dean, G. “Anand” Anandalingam. Next, Asher Epstein - head of the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship and leader of this expedition - provided a window into his vision and strategy for the program.

After all of that, it was time for us - the students - to shine! Everyone spent a moment formally introducing themselves. Then myself, Chris Rajashekar, and Steve Kushner each made some broad comments on all the various aspects of the summer program.

The long and the short of it, is that the reception went off without a hitch! We met some fascinating people and made some fantastic connections. Altogether, it's clear that the enthusiasm we have is matched in intensity (and in a few cases, perhaps even exceeded!) by the many donors and supporters in the DC-Baltimore area.

After all the fun it's back to classes for another week, then finals, and then on to Israel! We're not there yet, but each day the anticipation builds. Only a very short time to go now ... t-minus 17 days and counting!

Hello! Shalom!

So the question I'm sure you're asking yourself is, "What is Smith in Israel?" and more generally, "What is this blog all about?" Here's the deal. This upcoming summer, myself, 9 fellow MBA students from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, and 1 PhD student from the University of Maryland's A. James Clark School of Engineering will be traveling to Haifa, Israel. Our shared purpose is a desire to immerse ourselves in the Israeli business and entrepreneurship culture.

For 10 weeks we will participate in an innovative and exciting new internship program spearheaded by Asher Epstein and the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at the Smith School; the Technion Entrepreneurship Center; the TechnionSeed incubator and T3, the Technion technology transfer office. We will pair into teams with counterparts from the Technion, working together to develop businesses around technology developed at the Technion. Our overarching goal will be to develop commercialization strategies as well as explore potential market opportunities in the United States.

Over the course of the summer, my task (assisted from time to time by my teammates) will be to create a written record of our trip, cataloging our daily activities and bringing some of our more interesting stories and adventures to life. To be sure, much of the anticipated audience for this blog will be those who - for a variety of reasons - are already aware of the program. However, I hope that by sharing our group's experiences we can create resonance outside this circle as well, bringing attention and recognition to our many amazing partners, both in the United States and Israel.