State-to-State Cooperation: New York and Israel

New York Jewish History Trade & Population Statistics Binational Foundation Grants Bilateral Institutions Anti-Boycott Law Cooperative Agreements Government Missions to Israel The New York Unity Delegation Partners for Change Business/Industry Science/Technology Agriculture/Farming Other Cooperative Programs New York-Israel Education Partnerships Sister Cities & State Contacts

Trade and Population Statistics

Binational Foundation Grants

Grant Recipients in New York From U.S.-Israel Binational Foundations

Bilateral Institutions ^top

Israeli Business Forum of New York - The Israeli Business Forum of New York (IBF) is an apolitical, nonprofit organization established in October 2002. IBF’s mission is to facilitate quality business discussions among Israeli professionals in New York. Through our programs we enable a group of professional Israelis to interact on a regular basis and exchange ideas about Israeli related issues. The IBF encourages meaningful discussions and business interactions among our members in order to promote their contribution to Israeli society and economy.

America-Israel Chamber of Commerce and Industry, New York Office - The America-Israel Chamber of Commerce has fostered the expansion of economic relations between the United States and Israel for over 56 years. As the only organization totally devoted to bringing U.S. and Israeli businesses together, our goals are to advance and protect free trade, advocate for policies that encourage investment, increase the flow of trade, investment and transfer of technology and encourage the U.S. and Israeli governments to adopt innovative and progressive economic programs and policies. 

American-Israel Environmental Council/The Council for a Beautiful Israel - Originally established in 1973, the AIEC has changed its official name numerous times over the course of three decades yet its mission remains the same. In general it is a support group for Israel whose activities include education, town planning, lobbying for legislation to protect and enhance the environment, preservation of historical sites, the improvement and beautification of industrial and commercial areas and sponsoring the CBI Center for Environmental Studies located in Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv.

Anti-Boycott Law ^top

An anti-BDS resolution was passed with a near-unanimous vote in the New York State Assembly on June 22, 2015. The resolution denounced the BDS movement, stating, “this legislative body is concerned that the international Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement and its agenda are damaging to the causes of peace, justice, equality, democracy, and human rights for all peoples in the Middle East.” The legislation also reaffirmed the close ties that New York shares with Israel.

On June 5, 2016, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order requiring state agencies to divest from organizations and companies that participate in Israel boycotts. Cuomo described BDS as an “economic attack” on Israel during a speech at Manhattan’s Harvard Club, and stated that “If you boycott against Israel, New York will boycott you.” The Governor chose to issue an executive order instead of bringing the issue to the state legislature because passing legislation can be “a tedious affair,” and he wanted to take “immediate action,” against the BDS movement. Under the order, the Commissioner of the Office of General Services of New York was commanded to put together a list of businesses and groups involved in the BDS movement, based on “credible information available to the public.” The executive order was signed just before the Governor marched in New York City’s 2016 Celebrate Israel Parade.

Cooperative Agreements ^top

The New York Power Authority has been working with Petah Tikvah-based mPrest to integrate its mission-critical technology for the Iron Dome anti-missile system in the New York power grid. The Authority is also working with Purchase College and Tel Aviv-based Brenmiller Energy to research and develop thermal energy storage to lower electricity prices and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2018, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Israel Innovation Authority to support bilateral collaboration on clean energy projects.

In 2017, I Love NY, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, and El Al Airlines announced the Global Path through History Initiative to promote tourism between New York and Israel.

In September 2009, Governor David Patterson signed a memorandum of understanding with Israel’s Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer on industrial cooperation in the area of research & development. In addition the agreement seeks to assist companies in finding financing sources for R&D projects as well as initiate symposiums and seminars in the areas of nanotechnology, biotechnology, and public and internal security.

In 1989, Gov. Mario Cuomo created the International Partnership Program to promote exchanges with Israel in culture, tourism and economic development. The New York-Israel Economic Development Partnership was established specifically to promote trade and strategic alliances.

New York Government Missions to Israel ^top

June 2019 – Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo led a solidarity and economic development mission to Israel organized by the New York – Israel Business Alliance. His three daughters Mariah, Cara, and Michaela Kennedy Cuomo joined him. The delegation also included Eric Gertler, Chairman of U.S. News & World Report, Veronique Hakim, MTA Managing Director, Melissa DeRosa, Secretary to the Governor, Robert Mujica, State Budget Director, Jill DesRosiers, Chief of Staff, and David Yassky, Director of State Policy. The itinerary included a tour of Holy Sites in the Old City of Jerusalem, meetings with President Rivlin and Prime Minister Netanyahu, an evening tour of Machane Yehuda, an economic development roundtable, and a meeting with Mobileye co-founder and CEO Prof. Amnon Shashua. 

January 2018 - Hunter College President Jennifer Raab visited Israel in January 2018 to tour Israeli universities and learn from their curriculum, techniques, and procedures. She was joined by other University and College Presidents from California State University Northridge, Georgia State University, New College of Florida, San Jose State University, and Wake Forest University. The group held working meetings with administrators from Bar-Ilan University, Ono Academic College, Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art, the Technion Israel Institute of Technology, the University of Haifa, and Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art.

December 2017 – As a follow-up to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s March 2017 mission to Israel, Empire State Development Commissioner Howard Zemsky led a trade delegation comprised of NYS companies. Commissioner Zemsky’s trip included visits to the Technion campus in Haifa, industry leaders in Tel Aviv, and senior government officials in Jerusalem. 

March 2017 – Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo led a mission to explore economic development strategies and to demonstrate unwavering friendship and support in the wake of attacks on the Jewish Community. The delegation included Howard Zemsky, Empire State Development CEO and Commissioner, Maj. Michael J. Cerretto, Director of the Office of Counter Terrorism, and Letizia Tagliafierro, Special Counsel for Public Safety, and Aaron Kaplowitz, Director of Global NY. During the mission, Linda Mirels, former Chairman of the UJA-Federation of New York, Allen Fagin, Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union, Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and Zemsky were named co-chairs of the 22-member commission. 

January 2009 - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg visited Israel on an official government trip. During his visit to Sderot two rockets were fired at the town and, although they landed outside the urban areas and no one was injured, Mayor Bloomberg was “given” a first-hand account of both the physical and emotional toll that every citizen there goes through.

November 2005 - Hillary Clinton visited Israel for the first time as senator from New York. Clinton met with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and senior military commanders and spoke with military officials about disaster preparedness and other topics relevant to both Israel and New York. The Clintons also visited the site of where Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated ten years earlier and spoke to a large crowd about Rabin’s vision for peace.

March 2005 - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg accepted the request of President Bush to lead an American delegation to Israel to represent the United States at the official opening of the new Holocaust Museum at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. The mayor met with numerous Israeli officials and spoke about the relationship between Israel and New York and his desire to see it grow stronger.

May 1998 - Gov. George Pataki led a delegation to Israel and opened a new trade office in Jerusalem.

Partners For Change

The U.S.-Israel relationship is based on the twin pillars of shared values and mutual interests. Given this commonality of interests and beliefs, it should not be surprising that support for Israel is one of the most pronounced and consistent foreign policy values of the American people.

It is more difficult to devise programs that capitalize on the two nations’ shared values than their security interests; nevertheless, such programs do exist. In fact, these SHARED VALUE INITIATIVES cover a broad range of areas, including the environment, science and technology, education and health. States can benefit from Israeli innovations in these areas as well as through collaboration.

In addition, today’s interdependent global economy requires that trade policy be developed at the national and state level. Many states have recognized the opportunity for realizing significant benefits by seeking to increase trade with Israel. New York is one of 33 states that have cooperative agreements with Israel.

In 2020, New York exported more than $2.7 billion worth of manufacturing goods to Israel. Since 1996, New York exports to Israel have totaled nearly $94 billion and Israel now ranks as New York’s sixth leading trade partner.

Additionally, in 2015, New York companies received more than $74 million in foreign military financing (FMF) for contracts to provide materiel for the Israeli Defense Forces. Since 1986, the total is more than $1.3 billon.

Israel is certainly a place where potential business and trade partners can be found. It can also be a source, however, for innovative programs and ideas for addressing problems facing the citizens of New York.

Israel has developed a number of pioneering education programs. For example, AICE introduced an innovative Israeli peer tutoring program to North Carolina that educators adapted for use in the United States. Now known as Reading Together, the program is used in 28 states. The program is designed to help students achieve reading fluency and is mostly used for children in second grade. The hope is that with its implementation, increasing numbers of students will perform at grade level or above.

New York has also received more than $41 million worth of grants from binational U.S.-Israel foundations for joint research in science, agricultural and the promotion of commercial ventures.

A variety of other exciting approaches to social problems such as unemployment, environmental protection and drug abuse have been successfully implemented in Israel and could be imported for the benefit of Americans.

The potential for greater cooperation with Israel for the benefit of New York is limited only by the imagination.

New York Firms Profit From Business With Israel ^top

As the only country with free trade agreements with both the United States and the European community, Israel can act as a bridge for international trade between the U.S. and Europe. Moreover, because of its deep pool of talent, particularly in high-technology areas, Israel provides excellent investment opportunities. Some of America’s largest companies, such as IBM, Microsoft, Motorola, Intel and McDonald’s have found that it is indeed profitable to do business in Israel.

Approximately 1,300 New York companies have discovered the benefits of doing business in Israel, including Bell Atlantic, Eastman Kodak, Circle Seal Cooperation and Chase Manhattan Bank. A study by the New York-Israel Business Alliance found that there are 506 Israeli-founded companies operating in New York, directly employing 24,850 New Yorkers and indirectly creating an additional 27,502 jobs associated with servicing those companies. These Israeli-founded companies generated a total of $33.8 billion, accounting for 2.02% of the state’s GDP. In addition, from 2009-2018, 436 Israeli-founded companies established and maintained a presence in New York. The New York – Israel Business Alliance also identified six priority growth sectors: Agriculture, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Drones, Life Sciences, and Renewables. 

Israeli and New York-based companies also engage in a number of joint projects. For example, GE’s Corporate Research Center and Systel Development and Industries Ltd. are working on the development of a digital single chip power controller and PLC communications for dimmable ballasts. Systel Development and Industries Ltd. focuses on utilizing digital control techniques that provide innovative solutions to the power conversion and power management markets. GE Corporate Research and Development (GE-CRD) provides technical leadership to GE’s product centers. A corporate facility serving the entire company, it complements the work of many other GE laboratories associated with GE’s 12 global businesses. GE has lighting controls and ballast-fixture businesses that are primarily focused on commercial and industrial markets. The goal of this project is to develop the next-generation Integrated Digital Control: ASIC for Networked Lighting Applications. This ASIC will represent a ‘system on a chip’ for individually addressable dimmable electronic ballasts. This innovation will include both lamp dimming controls and bi-directional PLC networking functions at the lowest cost.

Eastman Kodak has been doing business with Israel “probably as long as there’s been an Israel,” according to Director of International Trade Relations Chris Padilla. Kodak’s main products in Israel are photographic film and paper, but it also sells x-ray film to hospitals. Kodak’s revenue from Israel has been steadily growing. Padilla explained, “American brand names do well in Israel and Kodak is well known.” He added that Israel is a good market since it has a “stable economy compared to other markets in the region.”

Hawthorne-based J. Jamner Surgical Instruments has been selling surgical instruments to Israeli hospitals for 18 years. The company considers Israel a “good and stable customer,” said Director of International Sales, Mark Sherrard. He observed, “Health care appears to be a high priority in Israel. The hospitals there buy only high quality products.”

The Circle Seal Corporation Aerodyne Control Division is based in Ronkonkoma and sells electromechanical motion switches to Israel. The company has been supplying the switches, which detect motion and are used for military purposes such as electronic circuits in bombs, to both the Israeli government and private Israeli companies for at least 15 years. Dick Graeb, Sales Manager, finds the Israelis to be “very confident and very ethical. I enjoy doing business with them.”

One company that took advantage of the FMF program is American Technical Ceramics in Huntington Station. The company sells electronic components called capacitators, which are used in radios, cellular systems, radar satellites and other high frequency communications devices. In the 15 years American Technical Ceramics has been doing business with Israel, it has found Israel to be “a strong market,” according to Steve Waldenburg, International Sales Manager. He added, “Israel has many hi-tech firms ideally suited to the products my company manufactures. Many design their own products and then choose my company’s components.”

One good way to break into the Israeli market is through a joint venture with an Israeli company. Funding for such projects is available from the Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD). BIRD funds projects in 36 states and the District of Columbia and hundreds of companies including AOL, GE, BP Solar, Texas Instruments and Johnson & Johnson have benefitted from BIRD grants.

The United States and Israel established BIRD in 1977 to fund joint U.S.-Israeli teams in the development and subsequent commercialization of innovative, nondefense technological products from which both the Israeli and American company can expect to derive benefits commensurate with the investments and risks. Most grant recipients are small businesses involved with software, instrumentation, communications, medical devices and semiconductors.

Since 1977, the Foundation has approved investments in more than 1,000 projects, which have yielded direct and indirect revenues of more than $10 billion. More than $125 million worth of grants have been approved for projects in 37 states and the District of Columbia.

Dr. Eli Opper, the former Israeli chair of BIRD, has said that BIRD is a strong pillar of U.S.-Israel industrial cooperation and that the extreme success of BIRD has led Israel to adopt similar models of R&D with other countries.

New York companies have received nearly $16 million in BIRD grants, making the state the second highest recipient after California.

Globecomm Systems designs and builds satellite ground systems and mobile terminals used for video, television and telephony transmission. Globecomm has received BIRD grants for two joint projects with the Israeli company Shiron in the past four years. In the first, they developed the ELBAN satellite terminal that takes data and converts it to a high radio frequency so it can be transmitted via antenna. The second project is Intersky, a high-speed, two-way Internet connection via satellite. Both BIRD products are being used and offered to customers. Dov Cydulkin, Senior Director of Asia-Pacific Business, commented, “We got together and came up with ideas for satellite communications. They have the know-how and we brought some money. It was a good opportunity.” Globecomm has sold products to Israeli phone and TV companies and is currently working on various projects in Israel, in addition to those sponsored by BIRD.

Delta 3, an Israeli company with an office in Monroe, is a web-based company that offers Internet telephony - the ability to hear voices and make telephone calls from the Internet. Director of Marketing and Communications Fara Hain finds an enormous advantage to having offices in both New York and Israel. “Israel is a center for technology and there’s an incredible talent pool there. New York is the center for public relations and promotions.” Delta 3 received a BIRD grant for a communications project with Internet Telecom Ltd.

Kobi Alexander set up Efrat, an Israeli company that used a BIRD grant to develop a product for multimedia communication processing. In 1983, Efrat started Long Island-based Comverse Technology and made that the parent company. Together, the companies now employ over 700 workers and develop products for voice mail, fax mail, integrated voice and fax messaging, and virtual telephone services targeted at developing countries. Alexander told Link magazine, “Contrary to what many people think, there’s little bureaucracy when it comes to doing business in Israel. It’s very easy.”

Decom (1994) Ltd. is an Israeli R&D company, specializing in expert knowledge, methodology, and technical solutions in enterprise-wide information systems, database and metadata management, geospatial data processing and industrial implementation of data processing. New York-based MapInfo Corporation is a worldwide leader in mapping solutions, particularly to the GIS community via the Internet. The goal of their MapInfo Metadata Administrator (MDA) project is to develop an Internet/Intranet family of products that delivers new information discovery, metadata management, and location-based technologies compliant with U.S. and industry standards. MDA is the first industrial implementation of the OGC (Open GIS Consortium) Catalog services, combining Decom’s unique metadata technology with MapInfo’s spatial competencies. With MDA, organizations holding a significant number of digital maps may provide their customers and employees with simple tools to rapidly find and use spatial data and accompanying documents without prior knowledge of where those resources may reside, how they are organized, or how they are usually accessed. The MapInfo Metadata Administrator is designed for spatial data consumers, clearinghouses, and spatial data providers. This is all being done through a BIRD grant.

The New York company Acoustiguide received a BIRD grant to join with Israel’s Espro to create an automated audio guide for museums that put voice-overs on chips, rather than tapes. The new guide does not need jacks and plugs and feels like a cellular phone. It is used by New York’s three leading museums - the Metropolitan, the Guggenheim and MOMA - among others. Acoustiguide’s Amos Melamed said in an interview with Link magazine that he worked with Espro because “they came up with some rather amazing new technology.”

General Microwave Corp. of Amityville, Long Island received two BIRD grants to work with a subsidiary in Israel. The first was spent on developing microwave oscillators used in telecommunications and radar. The second is financing a fiberoptics project. President Sherman Rinkel told Link magazine that BIRD “helped us judge the market and this gave us added confidence.”

Dor Chemicals Ltd. (Israel) and New York-based Turbulent Energy LLC received a BIRD grant to develop and commercialize diesel/methanol hybrid fuels.

Recent BIRD grants include:

• Tel Aviv-based Pill Tracker and Target Health of New York City for tracking medication and drug compliance.
• AIO ME of Tel Aviv and Finastra Financial Technology Corporation of New York City to jointly develop a next-generation Loan-Origination-System to automatically collect and verify customer data while maintaining regulatory compliance.
• HackerU Ltd. of Ramat Gan and JustCode Inc. of New York City to develop a cyber security and coding assessment platform for measuring and enhancing cyber readiness and tech talent competency.
• Leviticus-Cardio Ltd. of Petach Tikva and New York City-based Jarvik Heart Inc. to develop the Wireless Jarvik 2000® LVAD.
• HiRiseTech of Petach Tikva and Bronx-based Allstate Sprinkler Corp. to develop a first responders emergency radio repeater system for high-rise buildings.

In October 2018, New York’s economic development agency chose two Israeli companies to help transform Manhattan into a leader in cybersecurity innovation. SOSA will operate the 15,000 square foot Global Cyber Center co-working space and Jerusalem Venture Partners will manage HUB.NYC, a 50,000 square foot incubator for the next generation of cyber security start-ups.

Scientific Innovations ^top 

New York researchers are making scientific breakthroughs and developing cutting-edge technologies in joint projects with Israeli scientists thanks to support from the Binational Science Foundation (BSF). BSF was established in 1972 to promote scientific relations and cooperation between scientists from the United States and Israel. The fund supports collaborative research projects in a wide area of basic and applied scientific field for peaceful and non-profit purposes. 

Since its inception, and in today’s value, BSF has awarded over $700 million to more than 5,000 research projects involving thousands of scientists from more than 400 U.S. institutions located in 46 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. Many of these projects have led to important scientific, medical, and technological breakthroughs with wide-ranging practical applications.

BSF-sponsored studies are highly successful in achieving their two main goals: strengthening the U.S.-Israel partnership through science and promoting world-class scientific research for the benefit of the two countries and all mankind. The BSF grants help extend research resources to achieve milestones that might not otherwise be attainable; introduce novel approaches and techniques to lead American researchers in new directions; confirm, clarify and intensify research projects; and provide unmatched access to Israeli equipment, facilities and research results that help speed American scientific advances. BSF has documented no less than 75 new discoveries made possible by its research grants and counts 37 Nobel Prize and 19 Lasker Medical Award laureates among its joint partners.

Institutions in New York have received more than $10 million in BSF grants. Cornell, NYU, Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Columbia University and Mount Sinai Medical Center are among the recipients. New York ranks second to California in total BSF grants.

Mark Aronoff, professor of linguistics at SUNY Stony Brook, is using a grant to compare the structures of Israeli and American sign language. He has found that all sign languages are similar in that they are visual and “represent reality in a way you can’t with spoken language,” although they differ in grammatical structure. Due to his research, the Israeli deaf community “has become more aware of its language and its uniqueness.” Although Israeli sign language is a young language, “Educators have come to realize that it is a language of its own.” Aronoff found his Israeli colleagues to be “no-nonsense, and that makes them easier to work with.” He has since gotten involved in other work in Israel involving language disorders.

Using the intense x-ray produced at the National Synchrotron Light Source, Dr. Benjamin Ocko, a physicist at Brookhaven National Laboratory is studying ultra-thin organic films. Normally organic films are grown layer-by-layer, but using a novel “self-replicative” technique discovered by Israeli chemists Rivka Maoz and Jacob Sagiv films can now be grown much faster. The x-ray studies reveal that these films exhibit a very high degree of internal structure on atomic and molecular scales. This research could lead to future advances in microelectronics. Ocko added that “the new nanostructured materials being developed today often benefit from the cooperation of scientists with different backgrounds and our success illustrates this new paradigm.”

Professor of Neuroscience Robert Shapley of NYU received a grant to work with a Hebrew University scientist to study how neurons in the visual cortex respond to visual stimuli. They research how the circuits in the brain work, and how the cortex in the brain changes responses that come from the eye. Studying visual function in healthy people and characterizing how the eye and neural paths work can lead to finding how the functions are changed due to diseases such as those of the eye or nervous system. As a result of the research, the scientists have discovered how neurons change the selectivity of cells in the cortex. They better understand the function of the connections between the cells and the cortex and how the circuits change the signal seen in the eye to the signal seen in the cortex. “My Israeli partner is interested in modeling the cortex, its modifiability and plasticity. I’m more analytical. We complement each other quite a lot,” said Shapley. He called the joint effort “mutually beneficial,” adding that his Israeli colleague is “more analytical than the average collaborator. He’s a first-class scientist.”

Agriculture Benefits ^top

In 1978, the United States and Israel jointly created the Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD) to help fund programs between US and Israeli scientists for mutually beneficial, mission-oriented, strategic and applied research into agricultural problems. Since its inception, BARD has awarded more than $130 million to U.S. institutions for 1,352 joint projects. A 40-year review in 2019 involving 20 case studies estimated the foundation’s contribution to the U.S. economy at $2.7 billion. BARD research has resulted in the adoption of approximately 200 new agricultural practices, around 40 commercial engagements, and approximately 100 patents and breeding rights licenses.

Most BARD projects focus on either increasing agricultural productivity, plant and animal health or food quality and safety and have been influential in creating new technologies in drip irrigation, pesticides, fish farming, livestock, poultry, disease control and farm equipment. BARD funds projects in 45 states and the District of Columbia and at present is beginning to administer collaborative efforts between Australia, Canada and Israel as well. It is difficult to break down the impact on a state-by-state basis, but overall, BARD-sponsored research has generated sales of more than $500 million, tax revenues of more than $100 million and created more than 5,000 American jobs.

New York institutions have received grants worth more than $15.5 million.

Martin Schreibman, Distinguished Professor of Biology, and Director of Aquatic Research at Brooklyn College, has developed a way to control a species of fish thanks in large part to funding given to her research team through a BARD grant.

Professor Schreibman has received BARD grants for 12 years to research fish reproduction. Schreibman and his Israeli colleagues are working to accelerate the reproductive process, make fish reproduce outside of their natural spawning cycle and control the reproduction of valuable fish for farming. They are characterizing the hormones of striped bass, their gene expression and the timing of their release. They have cultivated a new species of fish and helped create a prosperous fish-farming industry in Israel. In the U.S., their research has led to the development of an evaluation kit to determine the optimal time for breeding striped bass. Schreibman called the collaboration a “valuable experience,” commenting that Israel has some “outstanding scientists who, besides being my colleagues, have become my friends.” He added that the Israelis he knows are “bright, hardworking and have goals in mind that they strive to achieve.”

Another BARD grant recipient is David Stern, a scientist at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research and adjunct professor of biology at Cornell. Stern and his Israeli colleagues try to discover how the chloroplast cells in plants use light as a signal to change their metabolism. They study how the genes function in chloroplast cells, knowledge that can be applied to engineering plants and giving them genes for new traits. Based on research done with funding from his two grants, Stern has published articles contributing to the general knowledge base in this field. He said that on an individual level, “There’s a real synergy in this project. [My Israeli colleague and I] are good friends.” More globally, “Scientific and cultural ties with Israel are important. The Israeli scientific community could be isolated because of its geographic location. This grant brings the countries together.”

Spanning more than two decades, another BARD-sponsored project put a group of scientists from the Boyce Thompson Institute that included Jim Giovanni together with a large group from both North Carolina State University and the Volcani Center in Israel to research ways in making melon taste sweeter. Through help from the BARD foundation, the group researched and found the complete characterization of the metabolic pathway responsible for the melon’s sweet taste. The scientists then showed that almost twenty enzymatic reactions are involved in this process, and have further identified the key enzymes that determine the level of sucrose in the fruit. The group published a number of articles in various academic and scientific journals, including Physiologia Plantarum.

Vitaly Citovsky of SUNY Stony Brook used a BARD grant to study the molecular aspects of how viruses and bacteria infect plants. This research can lead to finding new strains of plants that are resistant to diseases. Citovsky has already identified several key components of host cells that are important for infection. He recognizes that “international collaboration is an essential part of research,” particularly in Israel where “the science system is close to ours, unlike the European system.”

NYU professor Andrew Spielman received a grant to study bitter compounds with Israelis in Rehovot. The researchers successfully discovered the cell biology of how the bitter taste works in orange and lemon peels. This research can lead to finding simple ways of modifying or masking bitterness to improve food products. Spielman used the BARD grant to go to Israel for a week of seminars and interaction with Israeli scientists. He called his collaboration “culturally and scientifically wonderful. The quality of scientists [in Israel] is exceptional and the interaction within this group has been particularly good.”

Cornell Professor Gary Harman worked with Ilan Chet of Israel to control plant diseases without pesticides. They have invented, and registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a process that changes fungus cells to protect crops such as corn, beans and tomatoes. In trials done with beans, the yields are double with the new process, and the yield increased 70% with sweet corn. Harman and Chet have formed a new company called TGT Inc. to market their product.

One team of scientists from the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station and Hebrew University discovered that the Trichoderma fungus species in soil can prevent diseases in emerging seeds and young plants. They produced new “super-strains” that are effective on a wide range of crops. One has already been registered with the EPA.

Another successful BARD project concluded with the development of the Rift Valley Fever vaccine. The vaccine was created through collaboration between the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Plum Island (NY) Animal Diseases Center and Israel’s Kimron Veterinary Institute. It will protect cattle, sheep, and even humans in developing countries from the mosquito-borne virus.

Two Cornell University professors are collaborating with a colleague at the Technion to develop a method of early detection and identification of faults in greenhouse operation. They focus on detecting crop stress and other major faults in the categories of sensors, control, structure and crops. Early detection of problems could potentially increase production, improve quality and timing of crops, reduce required inputs per unit of production and protect the environment.

One Cornell University-Volcani Center team is researching which gene combinations are most effective at creating a fungus that will fight powdery mildew in grapevines. This can also lead to finding a cure for fruit rot in grapes. The research can improve the yields of the grape industries in both the U.S. and Israel.

Cornell University and BARD have established a framework for collaborative agricultural research between Cornell and Israeli scientists – the Cornell University/BARD Program (Cornell/BARD fund).

New York-Israel Education Partnerships ^top

On December 19, 2011, NYC Mayor Bloomberg, Cornell University President David J. Skorton, and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology President Peretz Lavie announced a historic partnership to build a two-million-square-foot applied science and engineering campus on Roosevelt Island in New York City. The NYCTech Campus project is expected to be completed by the fall of 2013, and groundbreaking on the first phase of the campus is expected by 2015. Before then, an off-site campus will be open in 2012.

“Thanks to this outstanding partnership and groundbreaking proposal from Cornell and the Technion, New York City’s goal of becoming the global leader in technological innovation is now within sight,” Mayor Bloomberg said. The campus will be structured around the three interdisciplinary hubs of Connective Media, Healthier Life, and the Built Environment. Cornell will immediately offer Master and Doctoral degrees in fields such as Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Information Science and Engineering. After the accreditation process is complete, the campus will also offer unique Technion-Cornell dual Master of Applied Sciences degrees.

Furthermore, the NYCTech campus will host entrepreneurs-in-residence, host business competitions, provide legal support for start-ups, form research partnerships with existing companies, sponsor research, and start a pre-seed financing program to support excellent research proposals. Cornell and the Technion are both global leaders of applied science, engineering, technology and research, and development and entrepreneurship. The Technion’s Electrical Engineering and Computer Science departments are considered among the best worldwide and its faculty members include a handful of Nobel laureates, the most recent of which is Professor Dan Shechtman for Chemistry.

Billionaire media tycoon Mortimer Zuckerman launched the $100 million Zuckerman STEM Leadership Program to promote scientific collaboration between the U.S. and Israel in New York on January 24, 2016. The program will begin in the 2016-2017 academic year, and will foster cooperation between Israeli experts and researchers, and American post-doctoral researchers and graduate students. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo issued a statement about the program, claiming “the Zuckerman Scholars Program is a prime example of how we can keep [the New York/Israel relationship] strong today and in the future.” Zuckerman has supported a number of Jewish medical and scientific institutions through his foundation, which has pledged to fund the Zuckerman STEM Leadership Program until 2036.

Other Cooperative Programs ^top

The United States-Israel Educational Foundation (USIEF), Syracuse University and the Union of Local Authorities in Israel (ULA) offer two joint grants to Israeli local authority officials, undertaking the executive education Master of Arts in Public Administration degree program of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs of Syracuse University.

In 2003, Cornell University and the U.S.-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development fund (BARD) established a new program for joint agricultural research.*

In September 2012, the New York Police Department (NYPD) opened its Israeli branch in the Sharon District Police headquarters in Kfar Saba, in order to work more closely and maintain daily contact with the Israeli police, whom NYPD recognizes as one of the major police forces in the world. Charlie Ben-Naim, an Israeli-born veteran NYPD detective, traveled to Israel to open the branch, which will not operate out of the U.S. Embassy.

Jerusalem and Tel Aviv received separate Bloomberg Philanthropy grants from former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg in December 2014. The Israeli cities were chosen along with twelve American cities to be recipients of the grants, which provide $400,000 to $1 million annually to projects formulating new approaches to poverty, hunger, public safety, and job growth. Over 30 cities of all sizes applied for the grants, from small cities in Colorado to large metropolitan areas like Los Angeles California. Other cities selected as recipients of these Bloomberg Philanthropy grants in 2014 were Albuquerque, New Mexico; Boston, Massachusetts; Centennial, Colorado; Jersey City, New Jersey; Long Beach, California; Los Angeles, California; Mobile, Alabama; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Peoria, Illinois; Rochester, New York; Seattle, Washington and Syracuse, New York.

New York’s Cornell University and Israel’s Technion Institute of Technology inaugurated their newly built high-tech learning and research center on New York’s Roosevelt Island in September 2017. The campus, to be known as the Cornell Tech campus, is a $2 billion project that will offer masters and doctoral programs in science and technology fields.

Sister Cities: ^top

UJA Partnership 2000 Communities:

State Contacts ^top

Hillel Campus Profiles

AIPAC
3 East 54th St., 9th Fl.
New York, NY 10022
Tel. 212-750-4110

American-Israel Chamber of Commerce
310 Madison Ave., #1103
New York, NY 10017-6009
Tel. 212-661-4106
Fax. 212-661-7930
Email. 76102.1355@compuserve.com

American Jewish Committee
165 E. 56th St.
New York, NY 10022
Tel. 212-751-4000

American Jewish Congress
15 East 84th Street
New York, NY 10028

American Jewish World Service
15 W. 26 St., 9th Fl.
New York, NY 10010

American Joint Distribution Committee
711 Third Ave.
New York, NY 10017-4014
Tel. 212-687-6200
Fax. 212-370-5467

Anti-Defamation League
823 United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-490-2525

American ORT
817 Broadway
New York, NY 10003

American Zionist Movement
110 East 59th St.
New York, NY 10022
Tel. 212-318-6100
Fax. 212-935-3578

Amit Women
817 Broadway
New York, NY 10003

ARZA
838 5th Ave.
New York, NY 10021

B'nai B'rith International
823 United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017

CLAL
99 Park Ave., #C-300a
New York, NY 10016
Tel. 212-867-8888
Fax. 212-867-8853

Conference of Presidents
110 East 59th St.
New York, NY 10022
Tel. 212-318-6111

Dept. of Economic Development
1515 Broadway
New York, NY 10036

Economic Mission of the Government of Israel
800 2nd Ave.
New York, NY 10018
Tel. 212-499-5628
Fax. 212-499-5615

Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York
130 E. 59th St.
New York, NY 10022
Tel. 212-980-1000
Fax. 212-888-7538

Government of Israel Trade Center
800 Second Ave.
New York, NY 10017

Hadassah
50 W. 58 St.
New York, NY 10019
Tel. 212-355-7900

HIAS
333 7th Ave.
New York, NY 10001-5004
Tel. 212-613-1304
Fax. 212-967-4483

Israeli Consulate
800 Second Ave.
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 213-697-5500

JCC of Rockaway Peninsula
10-11 Nameoke St.
Far Rockaway, NY 11691

JCPA
443 Park Ave. S., 11th Floor
New York, NY 10016-7322
Tel. 212-684-6950
Fax. 212-686-1353
Web. http://www.jcpany.org

The Jerusalem Foundation
60 East 42nd St., #1936
New York, NY 10165
Tel. 212-697-4188
Fax. 212-697-4022

Jewish Federation Broome County
500 Clubhouse Rd
Vestal, NY 13850-3735
Tel. 607-724-2332

Jewish Federation Dutchess County
110 S Grand Ave
Poughkeepsie, NY 12603-3009
Tel. 914-471-9811

Jewish Federation of Elmira-Corning
P.O. Box 3087
Elmira, NY 14905
Tel. 607-734-8122

Jewish Federation of Greater Buffalo
787 Delaware Ave.
Buffalo, NY 14209
Tel. 716-886-7750

Jewish Federation Greater Orange County
360 Powell Ave
Newburgh, NY 12550-3412
Tel. 914-562-7860

Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester
441 East Ave.
Rochester, NY 14607
Tel. 716-461-0490

Jewish Federation of Mohawk Valley
2310 Oneida St.
Utica, NY 13501
Tel. 315-733-2343

Jewish Federation Niagara Falls
Temple Beth Israel, Rm. #5
Niagara Falls, NY 14305
Tel. 716-284-4575

Jewish Federation of Syracuse
5700 Commons Park Dr., P.O. Box 510
De Witt, NY 13214-0510
Tel. 315-445-1559

Jewish Federation Ulster County
159 Green St
Kingston, NY 12401-3736
Tel. 914-338-8131

Jewish Labor Committee
25 East 21st Street
New York, NY 10010

Jewish National Fund
42 E. 69 St.
New York, NY 10021-5093
Tel. 212-879-9300
Fax. 212-517-3293
Email. jnfed@aol.com

Jewish National Fund
78 Randall Ave.
Rockville Centre, NY 11570
Tel. 516-561-9100
Fax. 516-678-3204
Email. jnfed@aol.com

Lights in Action
110 East 59th St.
New York, NY 10022
Tel. 800-539-7228
Web. http://www.lia.org

Na'amat USA
200 Madison Ave. #1808
New York, NY 10016

National Christian Leadership Conference for Israel
134 E. 39th St.
New York, NY 10016
Tel. 212-213-8636
Fax. 212-683-3475

National Conference on Soviet Jewry
10 E. 40th Street
New York, NY 10016-1704

National Council of Jewish Women
53 W. 23rd St.
New York, NY 10010
Tel. 212-645-4048
Fax. 212-645-7466

New York-Israel Economic Development Partnership
130 E. 59th St.
New York, NY 10022-1302
Tel. 212-836-1503
Fax. 212-888-7538

Gerry Stoch, Director
New York State Department of Economic Development
Empire State Development
217/11 Jaffa Rd.
POB 36325
Jerusalem 91363
Tel: 2-538-5330
Fax: 2-538-5313
E-mail: gerryyes@netvision.net.il, israel@empire.state.ny.us

New York State Trade office
P.O. Box 36325
Jerusalem, Israel 91363
Tel. 972-2-538-5330
Fax. 972-2-538-5313
Email. israel@empire.state.ny.us

Operation Independence
350 Fifth Ave., #1921
New York, NY 10118

United Jewish Communities (UJC)
111 Eighth Ave., #11E
New York, NY 10011
Tel. 212-284-6500
Web. http://www.ujc.org

UJA
99 Park Ave. #300
New York, NY 10016
Tel. 212-818-9100

UJA Young Leadership
99 Park Ave., #300
New York, NY 10016
Tel. 212-880-1299

Union of American Hebrew Congregations
838 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10021

United Israel Appeal
110 E. 59 St.
New York, NY 10022

United Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York
800 New Loudon Rd.
Latham, NY 12110
Tel. 518-783-7800
Fax. 518-783-1557

Women's American ORT
315 Park Ave. S.
New York, NY 10010
Tel. 212-505-7700
Fax. 212-674-3057
Email. waort@waort.org

World Jewish Congress
501 Madison Ave., 17th Fl.
New York, NY 10022

YIVO Institute
15 W. 16th St.
New York, NY 10011
Tel. 212-246-6080
Fax. 292-1892
Email. yivomail@yivo.cjh.org
Web: http://www.cjh.org