'#' : location.hash;window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUQuery = location.search === '' && location.href.slice(0 location.href.length - window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash.length).indexOf('?') !== -1 '?' : location.search;if (window.history && window.history.replaceState) {var ogU = location.pathname + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUQuery + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash;history.replaceState(null "\/no-matzah-for-you\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=wcV.6AaTw5a0jcOpZ5c16e9MyW6VRE3kLIX4BCgyCBg-1746539356-1.0.1.1-ay1noKwGqJkhnAZU2QBCHDg1sGbuOMLx7wVFUF7XOZw" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null ogU);}}document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(cpo);}()); "\/liveblog_entry\/friends-of-omer-wenkert-prepare-to-meet-him-at-last-concerned-for-every-bit-of-him\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=sXYqdlJd1LTGHlB2oPSiX.ikPLtLsNjOhUA9IZ5XfMg-1746539405-1.0.1.1-3AV6KxeNaDctxFsjttfQenSgdurTsNe1hht0awuR1gk" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker "Open miracle": One of the 200 missiles fired by Iran's regime on Tuesday on Israel directly struck the Shalhavot Chabad school in Gedera, mere hours after a group of children had been there preparing for Rosh Hashana with a shofar factory. Full Story, Video the Islamic Republic of Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles targeting Israel resulting in explosions across the country no casualties were reported from the attack though two individuals suffered minor injuries from shrapnel in Tel Aviv and several others sustained minor injuries while rushing to shelters Numerous cases of severe anxiety were also reported across the nation One missile was especially close to causing a tragedy providing a quality Jewish education under the leadership of principal Mrs A photograph taken on Tuesday shows the children sitting outside the newly constructed school building participating in a “shofar factory” activity in preparation for Rosh Hashana a video captured by residents revealed a large crater where the children had gathered with the school’s façade shattered and the front gate broken from a direct hit by one of Iran’s missiles “It was an open miracle,” one Israeli resident commented on the event Help them rebuild! Click here to donate now Sign up for the COLlive Daily News Roundup and never miss a story Δdocument.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()) Δdocument.getElementById("ak_js_2").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()) Please post link for donating to rebuild bigger and better It will soon be needed when Moshiach is here b’galui PLEASE WRITE HOW WE HAVE JUST WITNESSED MIRACLES IN PROPORTION TO KRIAS YAM SUF NOW IN FRONT OF OUR EYES!! Defense Minister Benny Gantz | Photo: Oren Ben Hakoon and the demographic surge in the north and the south are now on the national agenda leading the defense minister of the State of Israel to deliver an apocalyptic message regarding the future of the Jewish state Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram In the closed portion of a Blue and White faction meeting last week Defense Minister Benny Gantz read a WhatsApp message that had gone viral across the country allegedly Arab elements to take control of the country Gantz didn't have any comforting news to share and the future of the Jewish state could ultimately end "between Gedera and Hadera." which said: "Keep cursing; you have no chance against allah [god Slowly but surely we are taking bites out of your state This is Palestinian territory in actuality and the moment one tractor comes – we will use the left-wing organizations such as 'Peace Now' and 'B'Tselem,' who will go to the country's true ruler (the High Court of Justice) to issue an injunction We will send children and teenagers to throw stones and barricade themselves in until you scatter away like mice." The defense minister continued reading: "The Galilee We are buying one dunam [0.2 acres] from the [Israel Land Authority] for 50,000 shekels [$14,677] while the Jew buys [one dunam] for 1,150,000 shekels [$337,577] Already today we are 85% of the Galilee population and are quickly seizing control building homes in every corner without permits The Jews who live in the Galilee – all flee to the center of the country because they suffer from harassment "The government tells you the Galilee and Negev are Jewish; I tell you that in reality Any new business in the Negev is paying us a protection tax every neighborhood that is built won't be built without paying protection," the message concluded While Gantz understood that it was unclear who the author of the message was its substance was disconcerting nonetheless the person or people who wrote the message were not wrong "This isn't far from the reality," Gantz said at the meeting "I believe that in a few more years we'll be in a situation where the Jewish state will be between Gedera and Hadera We are a few years away from this," he claimed A spokesman for the defense minister said in a statement: "Without getting into what was said in a closed-door meeting the defense minister has said many times that Israel must be looked at through the vision of decades forward and that a [special] authority must be established to help Israel must prepare for half of its population to live in the Negev and Galilee There's supreme importance in maintaining the law and order in the south and north developing all the populations in terms of employment opportunities At Sunday's weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem Gantz accused Prime Minister Naftali Bennett of not giving his ministers enough credit The defense minister said he was angry because most of Bennett's speech at the beginning of the meeting focused on security matters and yet the prime minister didn't mention Gantz at all responded that he regularly compliments his ministers "Many people deserve credit for the work the government is doing but when the cameras were on you only talk about 'me I'm in the room and you are treating me as if I'm the welfare minister Welfare and Social Affairs Minister Meir Cohen (Yesh Atid) meanwhile Disrespecting the job of the welfare minister is the same as disrespecting the citizens of Israel." Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories Publisher of Israel Hayom received the prestigious "Druze Community Honorary Award" for her significant contributions toward Israel's security and the.. A shoulder-fired LAW was launched a vacant residential apartment in Kiryat Ata in northern Israel The Nova massacre survivor Mia Schem gave an interview to Channel 12 revealing that she was the one who approached.. Analysis  Archaeology Blogpost Business & Finance Culture Exclusive Explainer Environment Features Health In Brief Jewish World Judea and Samaria Lifestyle Cyber & Internet Sports Diplomacy  Iran & The Gulf Gaza Strip Politics Shopping Terms of use Privacy Policy Submissions Contact Us The first issue of Israel Hayom appeared on July 30 Israel Hayom was founded on the belief that the Israeli public deserves better more balanced and more accurate journalism [contact-form-7 id=”508379″ html_id=”isrh_form_Newsletter_en” title=”newsletter_subscribe”] Sky's Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall explores the inside of an Israeli school in the town of Gedera which was hit after an Iranian missile potentially missed its target Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player "\/liveblog_entry\/school-in-gedera-severely-damaged-by-iranian-missile-impact\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=06..UuCZtSQLK61YWe4L0qWQyrgOu2JxkRzSXk3vWFk-1746539426-1.0.1.1-Y8.584GFcLn2ZPgThYYmMQVhJTaw9.h8wRttaLz_xBA" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null “a new banner that ‘a Taste of Italy’ is coming to 14th and Buchanan St NW next to Zeke’s 👀 🍝” Sky's Alistair Bunkall reports from a school south of Tel Aviv that was hit by at least one Iranian ballistic missile The building is not far from an Israeli air base a Religious Battle Shows Where National Politics Is HeadingAn increasingly fierce battle is being fought in Gedera between Orthodox and secular residents over stores opening on Shabbat – offering a microcosm of wider tensions in Israel 2023Get email notification for articles from Judy Maltz FollowFeb 16 2023Named after Israel’s first and only female prime minister the new Golda Meir neighborhood in Gedera was not specifically designated for Orthodox Jews most of the thousand or so families that have moved in over the past few years are secular "\/liveblog_entry\/i-didnt-stop-believing-ex-hostages-omer-wenkert-and-eliya-cohen-leave-hospital\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=9LX_7xcxMMNY5SeExbVo7qeTZRj0led1nxsb67t83_0-1746539520-1.0.1.1-B72Cypw8.7YJv2ees0qmgK50z31UwN0VODInO5Av9bw" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null In an unusual exchange on X, formerly Twitter, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Dutch politician Geert Wilders both tweeted in Hebrew further intensifying the rhetoric surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict.Khamenei threatened that "the blows of the resistance front will grow stronger and more painful against the worn and decaying body of the Zionist regime," signaling Iran’s increasing hostility toward Israel.בעזרת השם מכות חזית ההתקוממות יהפכו חזקות וכואבות יותר על הגוף השחוק והנרקב של המשטר הציוני Wilders responded with a sharp rebuke, calling Khamenei a "psychopath" and a "dangerous maniac," while affirming his unwavering support for Israel. "Reason, democracy, and freedom will prevail," Wilders declared.אתה פסיכופת, מניאק מסוכן, אדם חולה שיפסיד כי ההיגיון, הדמוקרטיה והחופש ינצחו ותמיד נתמוך בישראל. https://t.co/30nxGHzjPO This exchange comes amid a major escalation in the region. On Tuesday, Iran launched some 180 ballistic missiles at Israel leading to thousands of rocket sirens sounding across the country The Yuval congregation prays together inside a cramped school classroom With the holiest days in the Jewish year approaching synagogues are preparing to welcome their largest crowds of worshipers for the year all around the world But in Israel some congregations face challenges most people would find impossible to believe in a Jewish state: They will not be able to pray in a proper synagogue there is no separation between religion and state and the state is heavily involved in funding religious services including rabbis’ salaries and building synagogues But the funds are channeled almost exclusively to Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox rabbis and their institutions and congregations Reform and Conservative congregations are regularly shortchanged the 120 members of the Yuval congregation have been praying in the hallway of a local school without heating or air conditioning the government allocates land for places of worship all of the lands and budgets allocated to synagogues were given to 40 Orthodox synagogues This means there is no real egalitarian alternative for Gedera residents who wish to celebrate their religion outside of Orthodoxy Land allocation for a synagogue requires a congregation to go through a long and often frustrating process by the local municipality a political body that in most cities in Israel includes Orthodox representatives who almost always oppose the allocation of lands and budgets to non-Orthodox congregations at the Israel Religious Action Center — the legal and public advocacy arm of the Israeli Reform movement — must go to court and demand that the municipality grant us our rights The story of Gedera is unusual because of the intensity and longevity of the legal struggle We have submitted four petitions on behalf of the Yuval congregation against the municipality and the mayor in the last seven years the judge wrote that even if the mayor of Gedera does not support the Reform congregation the municipality must act in an equal manner The ruling stated that the mayor’s personal opinion could not justify the discrimination in allocating public resources to religious communities the district court judge ordered the municipality to find a plot of land for the Reform congregation the congregation chose one of them and submitted an allocation request declaring that this plot — which the municipality itself had offered as one suitable for a Reform synagogue — was not suitable because the surrounding neighborhood is Orthodox The court ordered the municipality to proceed with the allocation process nevertheless We were notified last week that the municipality refused to allocate the land to the Yuval congregation and decided instead to allocate it to an ultra-Orthodox Youth movement We are now preparing to go back to court for the fifth time The congregation still prays in the school’s hallway That’s where they will be marking the holiest days in the Jewish calendar this year the municipality keeps allocating lands and budgets for additional Orthodox synagogues We have had many victories in other Israeli cities like Netanya and Modi’in where we have changed the way local decision-makers think about the Reform congregation and made them understand — often through legal action – the need for equal allocation of public resources regardless of religious affiliation are forced to fight a war of attrition simply to be able to pray as millions of Jews in the diaspora pray Carrying on such a Sisyphean struggle is not easy for a congregation that is heavily based on volunteers Feeling that you and your needs are invisible in the eyes of the mayor is extremely difficult We will continue the struggle until the values of the Israeli Declaration of Independence To contact the author, email [email protected] Orly Erez Likhovski is the director of the Israel Religious Action Center the legal and public advocacy arm of the Israeli Reform movement The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Forward. Discover more perspectives in Opinion. To contact Opinion authors, email [email protected] I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward American Jews need independent news they can trust At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S rising antisemitism and polarized discourse This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up Copyright © 2025 The Forward Association A bill to double the punishment for nationalistically-motivated sexual assault passed its preliminary reading in the Knesset on Wednesday.The bill submitted by Otzma Yehudit MKs Limor Son Har-Melech and Yitzhak Kreuzer The article will return to the committee in preparation for further readings."Sexual terrorism is an existing and horrifying phenomenon." After being released from captivity on Feb Omer Wenkert gave a first detailed interview talking about his kidnapping and his time in the Hamas tunnels this week Wenkert revealed the horrific physical and psychological abuse he and his fellow hostages suffered at the hands of the terrorists According to his family, 22-year-old Wenkert is a joyful charismatic man with a large network of friends “Omer’s profound love for the culinary arts is where his heart truly belongs,” his family said spontaneously attended the Nova musical festival on Kibbutz Re’im They were among the dozens of partygoers who crammed inside a bomb shelter when Hamas terrorists began lobbing grenades inside Wenkert survived by hiding underneath a pile of bodies he lost hope that he would survive and made peace with death on my feet… I had a moment of what you would call ‘self-respect.’ I said I’m coming to terms with death I’m going out now toward what I consider a sure death where he was beaten again by a mob of civilians celebrating Hamas' attack sticks – with everything they could hit me with Three-year-old children on their father's shoulders beat me,” he said Hamas terrorists then brought him into a tunnel, where he was held captive together with Thai hostages and Liam Or who was released in the first hostage deal “Most of the time there was very little food Half a liter of water for two people for the whole day Sometimes a little more because the Thais asked but I was not ready to tell them that it was not enough Wenkert said that he almost got used to the routine “Suddenly two people come through the tunnel and simply beat you with everything they have… You lose consciousness from a punch and then another one wakes you up.” Wenkert also described how Liam Or received more food before being released and was forced to film a video claiming that he was treated well whom Wenkert described as his “bright spot,” he endured another 452 days almost entirely alone The beatings continued and Wenkert recounted how one day and the terrorist woke me with an absolute frenzy and insane aggression I had made up my mind that I wouldn’t show weakness in front of them.” I would congratulate myself for my birthday this is the lowest point I’ve ever experienced in my life.’ But still I told myself – this is the moment I want to congratulate myself.” Wenker said the terrorists who held him were especially harsh every time Hamas suffered a setback like a deal falling through or a commander being killed by the IDF Wenkert was joined in his tunnel by fellow hostages Tal Shoham I couldn't believe there were other people with me I told them: ‘I have to tell you something strange I didn’t stop talking for about three weeks.” When Wenkert was told he would be released, he immediately began fearing for the lives of David and Gilboa-Dalal. Hamas later revealed they were forced to watch the release of their friends before being returned to their dungeon I can't stop thinking about them because I know what's happening to them I don't think 'brothers' is a word that is sufficient to describe the bond between us There's not a moment that I don't think about them there's not a moment that I don't hope that they're really okay there,” Wenkert said “Omer Shem Tov or Eliya Cohen started singing "Shir Lema’alot," [the Song of Ascents it was the greatest relief there could be.” Wenkert emphasized that the humiliating release ceremony that followed did not affect him The first thing I said to my mother was that I had defeated the captivity love and gratitude,” his mother Niva told Ynet News I didn't trust whoever was holding him Rats don't live in such conditions,” she added Niva also said that since her son’s return “I find myself just looking at him non-stop and we know that there will come moments when he will fall Right now he's leaving the house a little There's also the rehabilitation in Beilinson [hospital] Wenkert said he “doesn’t bother” thinking about revenge “This is a sentence that Tal [Shoham] would often tell us: ‘Don't forget that The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel “The old Ethiopian grocery store at 4600 14th Street NW that burnt down (in 2022) will reopen as a cafe The lot is across the street from the old bus repair depot that is undergoing redevelopment and on the same block as the dance studio lot that will be redeveloped soon.” By 2021-09-23T15:42:26+01:00 then one of Israel’s leading seed companies Zeraim was one of the first in the seed sector to develop a vertically integrated approach addressing the needs of producers and fresh produce chain partners constantly looking for innovative I asked a range of European and American suppliers and retailers about the next summit to be conquered in the arena of fresh vegetables there being so many segments already on retail shelves there was little to be done concerning tomatoes More than one respondent suggested that a pepper without seeds was the item to look for on the condition that such a trait be 100 per cent reliable Back on the ranch (or Zeraim Gedera’s breeding farm) pepper breeder Benny Nir was looking at the seedless issue The breeding programme was small-scale – “Friday afternoon breeding” as it’s commonly called in the profession – with neither genetic modification nor fancy trickery just a classic breeding approach combined with Nir's excellent eye The seedless plant combined male sterility in the pepper plant with an excellent level of parthenocarpy It is defined as a natural fruit-setting without fertilisation and is also common in peppers it expresses itself only sporadically on the plant with deformed fruits The innovation has been to develop excellent parthenocarpy producing marketable fruits all up the plant the end-result would be achieved not by genetic manipulation but rather by intelligent selection building a feasible business model for this highly innovative product a model that would be eagerly adopted by partners in the fresh produce industry It was branded by Syngenta under the name of Angello the seedless mini-pepper that won the Innovation Award at Fruit Logistica in 2012 and reached some supermarket shelves in the UK and Netherlands Varietal breeding continued and Benny Nir moved to the stage of producing seeds that would produce plants with seedless fruits established in Israel in 2017 and with the license from Syngenta hired Benny Nir to continue the seedless pepper programme The focus of Breedx is on conventional breeding of specialised vegetables and the company has developed a highly innovative breeding programme for taste traits of tomatoes with unique shapes Breedx has recently entered the field of melon breeding tasty seedless peppers are still the leading and most advanced of Breedx’s activities seedless mini-pepper varieties are sold under the Pepperito brand and focus on two snack segments – 1Bite with a length of up to 6cm and a mini-Kapia type with a length of 8-15cm Additional snack segments are at an advanced breeding stage and are soon set to become commercial there are three varieties that can be reproduced by seeds there are also yellow and orange varieties in the portfolio “Our aim is to have the complete colour range for commercial production in each segment over the next two to three years from seeds.” Breedx seedless peppers are commercially grown in Spain for European markets in Mexico and Canada for North American markets and in both South Africa and Israel for local markets Site powered by Webvision Cloud Dilani Gedera works for and receives funding from Auckland University of Technology (AUT) Cheryl Brown receives funding from the Ministry of Business She is a Governance Group member for the Virtual Learning Network Community in Aotearoa Maggie Hartnett works for and receives funding from Massey University She has previously received funding from InternetNZ She is a member of the Digital Equity Coalition Aotearoa (DECA) own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment View all partners the pandemic has turned learning and teaching upside down So it’s important we understand what happens for students when their learning shifts online with little to no warning there’s been a growing body of important research into the impact of online learning for educators which is essential to informing good design and facilitation of online learning Our Student Online Learning Experiences (SOLE) research project aims to rectify this and give voice to those who are at the heart of the COVID-19 education crisis The study uses data from nearly 1000 survey responses from students across all eight New Zealand universities Through a combination of online questionnaires we explored their experiences of online learning during the pandemic in 2020 Students are not a homogeneous group and online learning is not the same for everyone such as access to technology and online resources family responsibilities and challenging study environments The pandemic has exacerbated these challenges A lot of my family members got [made] redundant Working more hours and trying to study on top of that was hard […] My house was always loud […] it was just hard for me More than half the students acknowledged not having to travel and having the flexibility to learn at their own pace and place was positive Being able to cut out travel time has given me pretty much three hours of extra study time in a day The flexibility has enabled me to fit [study] around my daily life I feel more in control of the work that I do I definitely work better when I feel like I have to take charge of my own learning They also appreciated “being able to access learning materials at any time and the ability to pause and continue” at their own pace Students also reported they were able to “balance the children household and study much more effectively” Though many students felt less motivated and less focused They discovered they could leverage the good aspects of remote learning when they had the right support or knew where to get help Some students found online learning took them a lot longer to process and engage with It’s like [a] mini assignment […] And then a tiny post might take forever for me to write most students also said regular updates and clear communication were key to helping them learn online by reducing the sense of isolation and distance It was good to see students/lecturers talking about their daily life before the online live lecture starts This gave a sense of “interaction” rather than being talked at in campus lectures where I usually felt a bit of distance from lecturers They preferred time-based assessments (in which students complete an open-book exam or another type of assessment task within a specified time frame) One respondent questioned whether universities were “assessing students in a way that’s actually effective and beneficial for their learning” Asked what they would like to see continued in future course design and teaching a majority preferred open-book exams “that assess the application of knowledge as opposed to a stressful closed-book memory test” Such an approach might also help minimise problems with cheating and academic integrity in the online environment we need to get to know and consult with the students we work with and understand their needs and circumstances We need to provide choice and negotiate learning possibilities design more flexible and inclusive learning experiences (for example allow students to choose from a selection of times to complete assessments) develop student skills and competency online give feedback and encouragement along the way establish opportunities for students to give and receive self foster social learning and social presence online by nurturing relationships and creating opportunities for group interaction provide opportunities to participate in class or online workshops (post-pandemic) maximising the benefits of blended learning inform students about the full range of support available and clearly communicate priorities for learning As pandemic conditions become the new normal, educators need to move beyond Zoom, Teams and video lectures to create inclusive learning environments. Using the Universal Design for Learning framework would be a good place to start Equity and diversity should be front of mind when we transition to blended […] recognise inequities and students who may have all kinds of difficulties accessing online learning who may have physical disabilities that make online learning difficult we must listen more closely to those whose lives and learning are most affected by these changes — students You can read the full SOLE report here By 2007-07-10T08:01:02+01:00 Syngenta has bought leading Israeli seed company Zeraim Gedera from Markstone Capital Partners Syngenta will buy all outstanding shares in the company from Markstone for a consideration of $95 million (£47.16m) The transaction is anticipated to close at some point before the end of 2007 Zeraim Gedera’s management will visit its business partners to inform them about the deal and the intended structure of the organisation in more detail The acquisition will reinforce the growth and quality of Syngenta’s vegetable seeds business chief operating officer Syngenta Seeds: “This acquisition further expands Syngenta’s position in high-value growth segments Zeraim Gedera’s portfolio and its strong presence in Mediterranean markets ideally complement our vegetable seeds business.” “The Zeraim brand will sit under the Syngenta umbrella Rogers® and Daehnfeldt® and will continue to stand for innovation high quality products and valued customer service,” said a statement Zeraim Gedera was originally founded in 1952 The business will continue to trade under the Zeraim brand said: “Thanks to our efforts to focus on few high value crops and market segments over the last years we have achieved strong growth and successfully established our Zeraim Gedera brand in many markets Our very close collaboration with Israeli research institutes and particularly our great personal and long-lasting relationships with leading Israeli scientists have been very instrumental to this growth “We will now pursue and even further accelerate this growth by accessing Syngenta’s capabilities and expertise We will also continue to invest in and extend our collaboration with Israeli research institutes.” • Zeraim Gedera is an Israeli seed company focused on “high end” products The company’s primary focus is both on breeding fruit with the characteristics required by consumers nutritional value and long shelf-life and the traits that most interest growers such as high yield and resistance to disease Zeraim is active mainly in the Mediterranean Basin North America and China and employs 215 people • Syngenta is a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology The company is a leader in crop protection and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market Sales in 2006 were approximately $8.1 billion Syngenta employs around 21,000 people in over 90 countries • Markstone Capital Partners is Israel’s biggest private equity fund Since its establishment in January 2004 by three partners it has already invested in seven leading Israeli companies The fund focuses on “traditional economy” Israeli companies and Markstone has two offices Thanks to Corinne for passing on the GoFundMe for Gedera Market: “Hi my name is wendim I am fundraising for Ethiopian family who has these business for a long time and on July 4th their business caught on fire by fireworks thrown by unknown persons and now they lost all their asset and goodwill they have been working with So I am asking anyone can do what ever you can to support and rebuild their business back..” For Cargills Group’s dynamic Deputy Chairman it was a chance encounter more than 10 years back with farmers in the central region town of Hanguranketha that triggered the events that have led to the supermarket chain becoming Sri Lanka’s single biggest buyer of farm produce – straight from the farmer Recalls the effervescent Mr Page: “In 1999 we were buying all our vegetables and fruits from the Manning market and at that time I was invited to Hanguranketha not knowing exactly what I was in for I assumed I was going to see some beautiful farms and ended up meeting some farmers who challenged me They blamed us for problems which were new to us They blamed us for not having a market for their produce and the lack of proper return for their hard work.” Mr Page says he realised that they had a huge social responsibility and convinced the management back in Colombo to start a collection centre After sometime Cargills built systems for the backroom operation and things started to pick up Today the company has thousands of farmers and entrepreneurs in this network enjoying a standard price a sure market and more importantly giving a better life to their families Mr Page stepped down from day-to-day operations a function now handled by his Deputy CEO Imtiaz Wahid who is also the new Managing Director of the company supermarket model has been discussed in the board rooms of the World Bank vision and of being a loyal son of Sri Lanka: I had absolutely no idea about a career as such or what I wanted to do with my life At the time (In the early 1980s)no one actually wanted to give me a job because my family was in business and assumed that I would eventually join them I first joined a little travel agency called Oceanic travels and used to ferry tourists up and down to and from the airport Then the travel office I worked for got into ticketing and I was sent to sell tickets to prominent people That’s how I got exposure to the supermarket trade as a salesman for Mr Perera when he opened up the first supermarkets in Sri Lanka I believe in looking at situations in a different manner Lal Jayasundara but I never met these gentlemen This passion for innovation is what drives me even today In 1982 I joined Cargills and we decided to start a supermarket in 1983 Incidentally Staple Street used to be a weekend playground for kids playing football and we did not have the eminent neighbours we have today We were able to secure a bank loan of Rs 1.8 million where Ms Rohini Nanayakkara of Bank of Ceylon approved the loan securing the property at Staple Street How hard was it to get this project off the ground and develop it to enjoy the success it does today We were going through a learning phase naturally making mistakes But unless you try you are not going to succeed At the time there was no proper organized training available for the industry neither did we have warehousing But I learnt from each mistake to keep building a stronger sustainable business In the early 90’s we just had three supermarkets and no profit We just kept investing and suffering losses In 1992 we got into meat processing by acquiring Goldi We got into that business because our supplier for meat products set up shop next to us at Staple Street Our meat department was the then destination department and we were depending on our supplier who became our competitor We decided to partner Goldi and ended up buying a business Three years ago we built a new facility for the plant spread over five acres of land It is the only meat processing plant in Sri Lanka with comprehensive ISO certification with local and expatriate management to develop the local industry In 1996 we were awarded the Kentucky Fried Chicken and in May there was a major strike in the CEB We did not have the back-power to run our refrigeration and air conditioning we just had generators for the lights and cash registers That financial year was a disaster year in the history of Cargills where the company suffered a loss of over Rs 60 million At the time I was even at the point of leaving the company Imtiaz Wahid who is now the Managing Director of the company took responsibility for this disaster and just kept learning from our mistakes Your first store opened in 1983 few months after the riots What gave you the confidence to start off in such a troubled business environment We always had confidence in Sri Lanka We believed in our nation and we continued to believe in the hardest of times Even recently in 2008 after the forces regained the East we were among the first to invest in any industry in the region We can easily touch thousands of lives in the peninsula Already we have 1500 farmers from Jaffna registered with us Our team is on the ground at this very moment Its simple to open a supermarket but its more complex to get the backup operation in terms of the agriculture But more importantly we need to touch the people emotionally and create opportunities as we have done elsewhere Our focus when we first started off in 1983 was the very top end clientele But in 2000 we began to see the future direction of Cargills We realized the potential by just looking at the population of Sri Lanka We were not even serving 2% of the total population in their food needs Imagine if the whole of Sri Lanka consumed food twice or thrice a day and the less fortunate once a day and then if we can feed 20-30% of this population Cargills would one day be the biggest revenue company of this country We were not aiming to be the biggest company but that was the opportunity we saw and the thinking that drove our strategy But first we had to get our house in order We had to change the mindset of our shareholders as well as our team So change took place in 2000 and we began to drive change You can’t tell someone else to change and unless you do So we did a total overhaul of our outlook in terms of our positioning as a company We changed our communication from English to Sinhala and Tamil We introduced the ‘Gedara Yana Gaman’ concept With this we were able to touch national production in agriculture Today we account for 1.7% of the national production in fruits and vegetables We never aimed for this but we just looked at our nation and asked ourselves how can we feed Sri Lanka Shift to a mass market retailer from a top-end retail marketer: We looked at three things Back in 2000 Sri Lankans spent more than 50-60% of their monthly income on food And we asked ourselves can we help to reduce that number To reduce that number we had to do many things We had to re-look at the wastage within our system from collection to distribution By reducing the wastage from 40% to 6% we were able to give a more competitive price to the consumer Through this we have set the benchmark for pricing in Sri Lanka So if someone wants to compete in the food industry they need to look at how best they can compete with us in terms of their internal systems You can cut a price for a promotion but how sustainable is that Ours is not a promotion but about creating sustainable value for all stakeholders through effective and efficient systems and processes The second thing we looked at is how to help the rural community How can we bridge this disparity between the urban and the rural So through our procurement from thousands of farmers and small scale entrepreneurs we have been able to create the market for them not only in our supermarkets but through our manufacturing companies to reach the general market Thirdly we looked at the development of youth We looked at our internal training programmes and developed them into certificate and diploma course so that our youth are recognized and remunerated better where ever they work in the world 70% of our youth brigade is from regional Sri Lanka and 80% are below the age of 25 We gave opportunities for local graduates to be positioned as our middle tier leadership recruiting them from disciplines like agriculture Over 150 graduates have been hired in the past three years Through all this we built a brand that was elite and made it a brand of the masses Today its recognized as the fourth most valuable brand in Sri Lankan as per the Brand Finance Index and has earned a AAA rating We have achieved this success through our focus on Sri Lanka the Sinhala and Tamil Avurudu Festival and ‘Kavili Kade’ at Mount Lavinia Hotel is scheduled to open today 7th April at 5.00pm at the Hotel courtyard Mount Lavinia Hotel announced their grand offerings for the Sinhala and Tamil Avurudu led by world renewed Chef Publis Silva with his culinary expertise and dedication to preserving and honouring local traditions Chef Publis together with his team at Mount Lavinia Hotel has lined up a spread of iconic allowing guests to make the most of a hassle-free Avurudu season Operating daily from 7th to 13th April from 10 .00am to 8.00 pm the ‘Kavili Kade’ invites guests to revel in traditional Avurudu games and indulge in a special drinks menu from 4.00 to 8.00 pm Whether it is sipping on refreshing herbal concoctions or participating in nostalgic games Kavili Kade offers an authentic taste of Avurudu festivities Chief Operating Officer of Mount Lavinia Hotel Group stated: ‘Mount Lavinia Hotel has long been considered the epitome of tradition and warmth and we are proud to continue to offer an atmosphere this Avurudu that echoes the familiarity of home making all our guests feel cherished and welcomed whether they are staying with us or just dropping in to sample the sweetmeat spread’ On the auspicious day of Avurudu – 14th April MLH will host a Grand National Buffet accompanied by live traditional music and dancing This extravagant spread caters to every Sri Lankan palate embodying the spirit of inclusivity and togetherness For those unable to join the celebrations in person Mount Lavinia Hotel offers the convenience of delivering Avurudu straight to doorstep guests can choose from a variety of traditional delights which include Orders should be placed by the 10th of April 2024 and delivery is available only within the Colombo city limit for a nominal fee Searching for that next furry family member but couldn’t find one in your area? Hitad.lk has the solution with our extensive listings of dogs for sale in Sri Lanka! Print Edition – The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka the well loved novel by Martin Wickremasinghe that looks into the life-style of a village in the south of Sri Lanka a few decades ago is now being telecast over ITN every Sunday at 8 pm starting from March 9 telecast would take viewers back to the time of Mathara Hamine to the tradition-rich social fabric of the southern part of the island to the changing patterns of life and culture of the villagers and to the beautiful nature of the southern coast including the Koggala Oya The screenplay for Karuvala Gedera is written by veteran filmmaker and script writer Tissa Abeysekera and directed by Sudath Rohana who has done a large number of teledramas including 'Avindu Andura' 'Ambu Daruwo' and 'Wikumsiha Kathandara' based on Martin Wickramasinghe's short stories art direction by Eheliyagoda Somathilake and music direction by Navarathna Gamage The star-studded cast includes Janak Premalal Amitha Weerasinghe and Nadee Chandrasekara Buddhadasa Withanarachchi and several other accomplished actors in support roles a village fisherman builds a new house in front of his small dark home 'Karuvala Gedera' with the money that his wife Rathu Hami has saved with great effort The transfer of their lives from 'Karuvala Gedara' to the newly built modern house brings much more changes than the building itself when Theethan decides to bring a new wife Podihamine to his new home to bear him a child Rathu Hami who does not have the luck of producing children however treats Podhhamine's two children with great care and Sirimal and Nimal grow up with the love and care of two mothers Sirimal studies well and moves to town to build his career as an attorney while Nimal who has a contrasting personality to his elder brother quits school but starts his own businesses and becomes popular in the village The story brings out the conflict between the simple folk lifestyle of the village and the urban lifestyle that is influenced by a colonial mentality It also illustrates the complications that a villager would go through with urbanization and feel abandoned and alone "This teledrama will shed new light on the lives of people who have lost the sense of their values and traditions due to the colonial influences" said director Sudath Rohana Speaking about his selection of 'Kaluwara Gedara' Sudath Rohana said by writing this novel Martin Wickremasinghe tried to analyse and exa mine the unique identity of our nation he foresaw present society which gives commercial value to everything and anything," the director said The teledrama was filmed in locations around Galle However director Sudath Rohana expressed his concern over the lack of support by the state for such a nationally important task "It was disheartening to see the lack support and cooperation by the Sri Lanka Railway Department despite necessary approval being obtained from the Ministry and other relevant authorities," said the well known director The teledrama is sponsored by Perlwite Laundry Soap one of the leading products of Swadeshi Industrial Works Ltd which had earlier sponsored teledramas like 'Mahathala Hatana' by Anura Madhawa Jayasekera 'Saradiel' by Sudath Rohana and 'Bopath Sakkiya' by Sathischandra Edirisinghe