Twestival provided Tech-Career with increased exposure in Israel and raised money for our activities, training Ethiopian Israelis for professional careers in high tech. Just as Tech-Career graduates who have “made it” in the high tech world are an inspiration to their community, so are Twestival volunteers who worked hard to make sure the event was a success and to promote our cause. And we had a great time too!

Naomi Zimmerman
Resource Development Director
Tech-Career
Computer Programming Training Center For Ethiopian Israelis

While watching The Falashas by Meir Levin and Larry Frisch, Yehoshua Talhon and other Tech-Career graduates were commenting on what life was like for their families back in Ethiopia in the 1970’s.  Suddenly Yehoshua said “That’s my father!”  We all were a bit startled, as he continued watching the film.  Also in this film were his grandfather and mother.  His father, a doctor, was seen treating patients  at the dispensary.  His parents are later seen hosting the filmmakers, including Jerusalem resident Larry Frisch, in their home.  The film was made in 1974, approximately a year before Yehoshua was born.  He later made Aliyah (immigrated to Israel) in 1985, after Operation Moses.  Yehoshua had never seen this film before and was stunned to see his late father on the screen.  The Falashas is one of several films on Ethiopian Jewry held by the Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive, which also houses films of many other Aliyot and Jewish Communities.

Jerusalem Twestival Local 2009 raised over $1,000 to benefit Tech-Career.

We’re having a great time at Jerusalem Twestival - don’t miss your chance to learn a bit more about Twitter, enjoy a fab glass of wine from @decantingisrael, bagels from Holy Bagel, tasty pastries from Marzipan (try the rugelach!) and meet other Twitterati from the area.

And follow up with more tweets by tuning in to the hashtag #jlmtwestival.

Twestival in the Media

The Jerusalem Post:

Jerusalem.com

Jerusalem tweeters atwitter over Twestival

Twestival Local 2009 Comes to Jerusalem

Where else have you seen us mentioned? Please Comment:

We’d like to thank our most recent sponsor - the Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive - for joining their support of the Jerusalem Twestival. The archive is providing footage of Ethiopian aliyah for our event this Thursday.

It’s not too late to purchase your ticket and contribute to an amazing cause - Tech-Career. You can purchase your tickets here.

We’re so pleased to have Holy Bagel as the latest sponsor of the Jerusalem Twestival. Holy Bagel will be providing our wine glasses, platters and bagels this Thursday.

The food provided for the Twestival by Holy Bagel is kosher mehadrin dairy under the hashgacha Rabbanut Jerusalem.

Holy Bagel provides catering for events of all sizes. Contact them below to arrange caterting for your next event.

Holy Bagel has seven locations:

• Rehov Yaffo 220, Jerusalem, 02-538-5806
• Rehov Yaffo 34, Jerusalem, 02-625-5666
• Central Bus Station, Jerusalem, 02-624-0435
• Emek Refaim 42, Jerusalem, 02-567-0208
• Geulah, Rehov Hagi, 02-537-5516 (Badatz Eidah Hacharadit)
• Modiin, Rehov Avnei Choshen 15, 08-970-2606
• NEW: Raanana, Rehov Ahuza 158, 09-774-3211

Details:

• Jerusalem Twestival 2009 – Thursday, September 10th, 8-10pm, Bloomfield Science Museum
• Raising money for Israel-based Tech-Career which aims to help people in the Ethiopian-Israeli community succeed in high-tech careers in Israel.
• Program includes wine tasting, ‘tweetorials’, live tweeting and guided tours of the museum – as well as the chance to meet people and have fun while raising money for a good cause.
• Tickets are $15 and can be purchased in advance from http://www.amiando.com/twestivaljm.html

Following the success of the first global Twestival on February 12th 2009, in which 202 cities participated, Twestival returns in September with a local twist on “Twestival” – the volunteer-run, charity fundraising events for people who know each other through the micro-blogging service twitter.com. Jerusalem Twestival Local 2009 will take place on September 10th between 8-10pm at Bloomfield Science Museum raising funds for Israel-based Tech-Career which aims to help people in the Ethiopian-Israeli community succeed in high-tech careers in Israel.

Twitter users are at the forefront of using technology so Jerusalem Twestival organisers chose a cause which works to bridge the digital divide in Israeli society and helps others not to be left behind as technology plays an increasingly important role in our lives. Organisers were impressed with Tech-Career as a successful high-tech training program, but also because of its added dimension of immigrant absorption.

Additionally, Jerusalem Twestival organisers were keen to support this cause as Tech-Career was started by an Ethiopian Israeli and because alumni continue to give back to the charity and to their community once they are in management and leadership positions. Graduates are now in the position to hire other alumni, contribute financially, serve on the board and become social and political leaders in the community.

The first 24 hour “‘tweet-up’ with a social conscience” inspired thousands and raised $250,000 for clean water charity, charity: water, which amounted to 55 wells providing clean drinking water for more than 17,000 people in three countries - Uganda, Ethiopia and India. The next event, Twestival Local, looks to be even bigger. Twestival Local gives every city in the world the chance to hold their own Twestival, but this time they can run their events anytime, between the 10-13th September 2009, and choose their own local charity.

Volunteer teams in Jerusalem and cities across the world are now coming together to survey their communities, nominate causes, plan events, gather sponsors and raise funds. Jerusalem Twestival organiser Charlie Kalech said “We’re so excited about the next Twestival in Jerusalem and working with our great team of volunteers and sponsors to raise funds for Tech-Career. This is a chance not only for Twitter users to meet-up face-to-face and network, but for those who are curious about the value of Twitter to come and receive ‘tweetorials’ from some of Israel’s leading social media and Internet marketing professionals - and to have an amazing time while raising lots of cash and awareness!”

This event is open to anyone who wants to learn more about Twitter as well as people who are already using Twitter. The program will include wine tasting, ‘tweetorials’, live tweeting and a guided tour of the communication exhibition by the chief developer of the museum Dr. Amir Ben Shalom – as well as the chance to meet people and have fun while raising money for a good cause. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased in advance from http://www.amiando.com/twestivaljm.html

For further information about Jerusalem Twestival Local 2009 please visit: http://jerusalem.twestival.com/

Global partners across all countries for Twestival are Amiando, Citrix Online, Blurb and Causecast. For the full list of cities, go to www.twestival.com.

Wondering what a Twestival is and whether or not you’d like to attend? Learn a little more about Twestivals, both local and global.

What is a Twestival?

A Twestival or Twitter-Festival is a global series of events organized by volunteers around the world under short timescales, which bring people offline for a great cause.  Twestival is run 100% by volunteers and independently from any not-for-profit; although the organizing teams do work closely to outline an achievable and measurable fundraising target.  Twestival also sets out to identify key skills of volunteers and match these with the needs of the cause; particularly communications strategy, tech integration and social media training.  Twestival Local takes place in cities around the world : 10-13 September 2009.

A Short History of Twestival

In September 2008, a group of London Twitter users hosted an event called Harvest Twestival connecting people offline for a bit of fun and for a good cause.  Organizers held a raffle, collected donations and canned food for a local not-for-profit called The Connection in Trafalgar Square, which supports programs for the homeless.  The organizers planned the bulk of the event in under two weeks and pulled in sponsorship from people on Twitter. The event, which was originally intended for 30-40 people ended up with a waiting list and all 250 attendees wearing @name stickers to identify themselves to others they had met online.  After the enthusiasm of the Harvest Twestival, the team starting planning the next London event, while the idea of hosting simultaneous Twestival events around the world was quietly brewing…

The first Twestival Global was launched with a tweet on 8 January 2009 and barely a month later on 12 February, there were 202 cities around the world hosting events to benefit charity: water.  Over 1,000 volunteers, crowdsourced through Twitter, contributed their skills, over 10,000 people participated globally and countless others donated or used their creativity to ensure 100% of all proceeds went direct to charity: water projects.  The total raised in one day was over $250k through these events and online donations; resulting in 55 wells with more than 17,000 people served in Uganda, Ethiopia, and India.  Eight weeks later, Twestival architect @amanda accompanied @scottharrison and the @charitywater team to Ethiopia to drill the first well; providing daily videos, answering questions direct from the field and sharing the experience with supporters.  The momentum of Twestival created buzz and awareness around the world on national TV, radio, online and print publications including the Guardian, NY Times, Clarín, El Pais; with cnet even coining it ‘Twestival: Live Aid 2.0‘.  For additional background on the origins of Twestival Global : Reflection Interview and Twestival Case Study.

Twestival Local vs Twestival Global

Twestival was born out of the idea that if cities were able to collaborate on an international scale, but work from a local level, it could have a spectacular impact. While Twestival Global put the spotlight around one cause on a single day, Twestival Local is getting back to its roots and encouraging cities around the world to host events in support a local cause on one day during the weekend of 10-13 September 2009.

100% of the proceeds from these events will go direct to the local not-for-profit selected.  Everyone involved with Twestival is a volunteer.  Cities are asked to set a fundraising goal for their event, but it is much more than reaching a financial target.  Twestival Local is a fantastic opportunity to connect with people in your community.  The aim is to give people a chance to feel they are contributing to a larger social initiative, but bring the cause a little closer to home.

Follow @twestival for updates. Purchase your Twestival Jerusalem tickets here.

At Twestival, Decanting Israel will host a wine tasting table with several wines people can taste through. Come on over to the table, taste some wines, ask us some questions! Let’s taste through them and learn something throughout the night.

DecantingIsrael.com is going to be a whole new way of meeting wineries in Israel. At DecantingIsrael.com, everyone will get a chance to meet different wineries through videos. Is there a winery you wanted to know more about? Have you seen a bottle in the liquor store and never heard of that winery? DecantingIsrael.com will answer it all! We bring the winemakers and their wineries to you in a way that has never been done before.

DecantingIsrael.com is also involved in something we call an All Access Pass to the wineries. Any winery you see on our site, you can now visit them with us. We will take you to the winery and have a one on one meeting with the actual winemaker.

DecantingIsrael.com will be launching before Rosh Hashanah! Keep your eyes out for it and follow us on Twitter at @decantingisrael.

Purchase your Twestival tickets here.

Tweetorials will be given at Twestival by some of Israel’s most-respected social media experts.

We will have stations available for one-on-one instruction with guides available to instruct and answer all your questions.

Come Learn The Value of Twitter:

• A Viral Marketing Tool
• Topical Professional Networking
• Reputation Management
• Customer Relations
• Twitter Etiquette- Dos and Don’ts
• Promotion of Events, Brands, Blogs and More

We will be happy to hold your hand and guide you through the process of setting up an account and teach you how to get started.

Register Now!

Purchase your tickets here.