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Michigan Israel
Connect Program

M

ichigan Israel Business
Bridge (MIBB) has partnered
with the Michigan Economic
Development Corporation (MEDC) and
its Pure Michigan Business Connect
program to launch a pilot program called
Michigan Israel Connect.
Michigan Israel Connect will create
an international platform to provide
Michigan companies with access to
technologies and products developed by
Israeli companies and research institutes.
The site can be accessed at www.
michiganisraelconnect.com.
Under the pilot program, Michigan
and Israeli companies can sign up to
access this free business-to-business
(B2B) network and be introduced to
opportunities to expand their businesses.
The MIBB website will host a new
platform to allow companies to review
opportunities. MIBB also will reach out
to its members to enlist pro-bono ser-
vices for companies working together.
“Michigan offers tremendous opportu-
nities to Israel’s many companies, espe-
cially tech startups interested in bringing
their products to
market,” said MEDC
Chief Executive
Officer Steve Arwood.
“We commend MIBB
for launching this
pilot program with
MEDC to create new
Steve Arwood
opportunities that are
mutually beneficial to
our respective businesses.”
The pilot program is a result of a long-
standing partnership between MIBB and
MEDC aimed at bringing more busi-
nesses and jobs to Michigan.
“MIBB is the perfect vehicle to con-
nect Michigan and Israeli businesses,
create better products to compete in the
marketplace and keep connected the
companies with feet in both Michigan
and Israel,” said Beth Gotthelf, MIBB
president and a Butzel Long attorney.
“MIBB’s collaboration with the MEDC’s
Pure Michigan Business Connect pro-
gram is a win-win for all.”
Michigan Israel Connect portal will
list incubators and accelerators as well as
independent companies.
Most Israeli companies in these
groups are technology-related and can

22 June 23 • 2016

provide solutions that match the needs of
Michigan companies. The online search
portal will display available technologies
as well as other products and will be
marketed across Michigan industries to
senior technology and R&D executives.
“This program is a natural extension
of our long-standing relationship with
MEDC,” said Mike Dergis, chair of the
Michigan Israel Connect implementation
committee and a partner at the Hunter
Group. “It allows us to further our mis-
sion of expanding business between
Michigan and Israel and growing
Michigan businesses.
“Bringing companies in Michigan
and Israel together will create technolo-
gies and solutions that will raise the bar
in areas such as agriculture, automo-
tive, cyber security, water technologies,
life sciences and defense. That will
ultimately expand the opportunities
of Michigan and Israel companies,
increase economic impact in communi-
ties and add jobs.”
The platform also will encourage
searches for partnerships to apply
for Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial
Research and Development (BIRD)
Foundation grants to stimulate, pro-
mote and support industrial R&D, the
Michigan Israel Technology Connect
Program (MITCP) and other binational
funding opportunities. In addition,
the platform will help MIBB promote
research collaborations between institu-
tions of higher learning.
In June 2014, Gov. Rick Snyder and
Consul General of Israel to the Midwest
Roey Gilad signed a
bilateral cooperation
agreement to pro-
mote joint industrial
research and develop-
ment projects. The
pact is intended to
promote and enhance
the economic part-
Pamela Lippitt
nership between
Michigan and Israel.
“We look at this partnership as a
tremendous opportunity to bring Israeli
technologies to Michigan, leading to
economic growth,” said MIBB Executive
Director Pamela Lippitt.

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For information, visit www.michiganisrael.com.

Ex-Detroiter honored
for role in Israel.

Deborah M. Lauter of the national
ADL and Judge Bernard Friedman

D

Carrying The Torch

ADL honors Judge
Bernard Friedman.

Esther Allweiss Ingber
Contributing Writer

A

t its recent Business Leaders
Lunch, the Anti-Defamation
League (ADL) Michigan
Region presented its Torch of Liberty
Award to Bernard A. Friedman, senior
judge of the U.S. District Court for the
Eastern District of Michigan.
One of Judge Friedman’s most signifi-
cant decisions was his ruling in March
2014 that Michigan’s gay marriage ban
was unconstitutional. That decision
paved the way for the Supreme Court
last year making same-sex marriage
legal in all 50 states.
The ADL “outreach and update”
event, as described by Michigan
Region Director Heidi Budaj, attracted
a predominately Jewish gathering of
96 influential community leaders of
all ages May 23 at Local Kitchen in
Ferndale.
Deborah M. Lauter, senior vice presi-
dent for policy and programs at the
national ADL in New York, provided an
update on the organization. Founded in
1913 “to stop the defamation of Jews,”
ADL also works “to secure justice and
rights for all.”
Among those concerns is the worsen-
ing refugee crisis, with 60 million indi-
viduals currently homeless worldwide.
Fighting mass incarceration is another
ADL challenge. Lauter noted that the
U.S. has 2.7 million of its people incar-
cerated — “the most in the world.”
As for its core issue, ADL is closely
monitoring the rise of anti-Semitism
in Europe and also has seen an uptick
here.
Why the rise? “Internet hate is infect-
ing,” Lauter said. ADL’s initiative helped
to get hate crime laws passed in 45
states — “and we’re trying to get the
last five states.”
Budaj said the luncheon provided “an
opportunity to tell communities about
the wonderful work of ADL and also
honor Judge Friedman, who earned his
award through his many years of ser-
vice to our community.”

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Shahar Azran

Program will provide new opportunities for
Israeli, Michigan companies to expand business.

Top Educator

etroit-native Barbara
Levin was awarded the
2016 Sylvan Adams
Nefesh B’Nefesh Bonei Zion Prize at
a ceremony in Jerusalem at Israel’s
government office (Knesset). The
award recognizes immigrants from
English-speaking countries who
have made a major impact on the
State of Israel.
Levin began
in Israel as head
principal of the
First Traditional
School, where
pluralistic Jewish
subjects were
included in the
Barbara Levin
curriculum for
children from
both secular and religious families.
Under her guidance, the school
grew from a group of 33 to 300
pupils almost instantly and served
as the prototype for schools that
wanted to adopt its unique, plural-
istic curriculum.
Today, there are 96 schools, 134
nursery classes and some 35,000
pupils in the TALI educational
system. Levin also managed to
successfully institute a wide range
of innovative projects, including
community theater, a twinning
program, the Frankel Center for
Jewish Family Education, an ini-
tiative to begin teaching English
from first grade and a program that
integrated pupils with autism into
the school’s classes. Retired in 2005,
Levin continues to consult schools
and volunteers teaching prayer
skills for youth as well as with
seniors in her local community.
“This award means so much to
me; it is really an honor,” Levin
said. “When I left my family in
Detroit and made aliyah, there was
always a bit of guilt doing it. But to
be recognized with this award for
all those years of work and to have
done something that I feel changed
the education system in Israel for-
ever is very gratifying and almost
justifies my decision in a way.”
Levin was one of six recipients,
outstanding Anglo immigrants who
have helped Israel in a meaningful
way by encapsulating the spirit of
modern-day Zionism and contrib-
uting in significant ways toward the
State of Israel.

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