Writer: Brian Blum

Brian has been a journalist and high-tech entrepreneur for over 25 years. He combines this expertise for ISRAEL21c as he writes about hot new local startups, pharmaceutical advances, scientific discoveries, culture, the arts and daily life in Israel. He loves hiking the country with his family (and blogging about it). Originally from California, he lives in Jerusalem with his wife and three children.

Answers.com no longer has all the answers

Answers.com, one of Jerusalem’s largest employers of English-speaking immigrants and a long-time survivor of the first dot.com crash, has been effectively gutted by its new

A celebrity at the school play

It’s been a good week for comedy in Israel. First, the twice-a-year Comedy for Koby show has been traveling around the country to great acclaim

Laughing for a good cause

It’s not easy to write a review of a comedy show. Most of the jokes quickly blend into the background and you walk away with

The real light show

Ever since last year, I’ve been waiting excitedly for the now annual Jerusalem Light Festival. The event brings world-class international light artists to Israel’s capital

We’re number one…in Facebook use

I’ve always suspected it. My kids seem to be permanently attached to Facebook and other social media services. Now, new research proves I’m right. And

Target practice

When I made aliyah nearly 17 years ago, the army rejected me. I was 34, married with two kids and a job, and too old

Political puppy

We got a puppy last week. He’s probably the cutest little thing ever, but then I’m biased. Monty, as we’ve named him, kind of fell

Sarah Silverman at the park

Sarah Silverman is coming to town. Finally. The caustic comedienne – who, for those not yet familiar with her offbeat self-deprecating humor, was thrust onto

The evolution of the Abrams Brothers

When Yehudit and Menachem Vinegrad booked the Abrams Brothers to appear as the main act at this year’s Jacob’s Ladder festival, they probably thought they

Do you like Like?

Ah, that’s such a cute baby picture you’ve posted on Facebook. I’ll go ahead and “like” it. So, what’s her name? “Like.” Yes, I liked