| |
'Get to Know Israel' new hit in Latin America
Trivia program for college students airs at prime time in 12 Spanish-speaking countries, winners receive week-long trip to Israel
Itamar Eichner
A show called "Get to Know Israel" has become the new Latin American hit, with over 6,000 young men and women from 12 different Spanish-speaking countries participating in the trivia program over the past few weeks.
| Meanwhile on Turkish TV |
|
| Immigrants attempt to rectify Israel-Turkey relations / Daniel Edelson |
|
Group writes letter to Turkish government demanding it halt TV show depicting IDF troops as child murderers, renew diplomatic ties with Israel |
| Full Story |
|
|
|
Winners from each country received a week-long retreat to Israel, courtesy of the Foreign Ministry, with guided tours throughout the country.
The program was the brainchild of the ministry's Latin American Department, in cooperation with ministries in Argentina, Mexico, Guatemala, El-Salvador, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, and Panama.
The various ministries gathered participants from student unions in different universities, and hundreds of students responded in each country.
"Some of (the participants) are Evangelical Christians who were friends of Israel from before," explains Yair Recanati of the Foreign Ministry, who headed the initiative.
"Some of them are studying International Relations and found a way to delve into a foreign country. And of course there are those who simply wanted a free vacation in Israel." He added that most of the participants were Jews, though none of those who won the final round were of the Jewish faith.
Each participant was asked 100 questions about Israel, which included the name of the sea to its west, the name of the state's southernmost city, and the name of the Israeli athlete who recently won a gold Olympic medal.
The show's final round, which included 10 participants from each country, was broadcast live, with foreign ministers acting as judges.
The 12 winners were awarded their prize this week, and traveled through Jerusalem, Masada, and the Dead Sea, and even visited the Knesset.
"They couldn't believe Israel was such a developed and lively state, and were especially impressed by the friendliness of Israelis," said Recanati. "The knowledge they displayed during the trivia game was extensive. These are youths who have read whole books about Israel. They know more about it than most Israelis."
|
RSS
