Nicky Blackburn
May 8, 2019

For this year’s Israel Independence Day, we asked some of our favorite Instagram influencers what inspires them about Israel and how they plan to spend this year’s 71st birthday.

Whether it’s handing out band-aid flags, celebrating with friends or family, or just hiding from the noise and balagan, each of them has a special way to honor the Yom Ha’atzmaut (Independence Day) holiday, and much to say about what makes Israel unique.

Let’s find out what they think.

Maor Buzaglo

Maor doesn’t need much introduction. He’s a popular footballer who’s been playing for the Israel national football team since he was 16, and has played for several of Israel’s major football teams, including Maccabi Haifa, Maccabi Tel Aviv, as well as Belgium’s Standard Liège. He’s now with Beitar Jerusalem.

In March last year he made headlines when he posted a photo on his Facebook page smiling together with fellow midfielder Ashkan Dejagah – an Iranian – in London. “In soccer there are different rules and there is one language without prejudice and without wars,” Maor wrote. “The captain of the Iranian national team and I show it can be different.”

Maor’s Instagram is a fab mix of shots of his family and wife, and his professional life. He has 214k followers on Instagram, and more than 92k on Facebook.

  1. How do you plan on celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut?

Like every year, barbecuing with friends and family. 

  1. If you were coming to Israel’s birthday party, what would you bring as a gift ?

The ball from the first game of the Israel national team signed by the players.

  1. What’s one word that you think describes Israel best? 

Revolutionary

Renny Grinshpan

Renny, a Canadian living in Tel Aviv, burst onto the Israeli scene two years ago and has been keeping us amused and entertained ever since. Singer, comedian, actress, model, video content maker… you name it, she does it. She’s also hosted a few of our own 21see videos.

The lovely thing about Renny is that while she is constantly poking fun at Israel – its obsession with weddings, winter and dogs, for instance – she does it in the most inclusive way with sometimes dodgy Hebrew, a whole lot of charm and a clear passion for the country.

Renny immigrated to Israel in June 2014, worked as a video producer and model for two years, and first began making Facebook videos with an all-female comedy group called The Israeli Girls.

You can currently catch her as the star of “HaIsraeliot,” a web series run by Keshet Media Group, and also see her in acting roles on Keshet’s hit prime-time TV shows “She’s Got It” and “Mashiach.”  Renny has 30.3k followers on Instagram, and nearly 11k on Facebook.

  1. How are you going to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut?

Hide in my house until it blows over.

  1. What about Israel fuels your creativity?

The yelling – it forces your inner demons out. 

  1. What exciting trends do you see coming to Israel’s street art/art community next year?

Comedy music (provided by my husband and me ;)).

  1. If you were coming to Israel’s birthday party, what would you bring as a gift?

Basic PR. 

  1. What’s one word that you think describes Israel?

(Mizrahi singing voice) lay, lay, lay, lay, lay, lay, lay! 

Dede

Think Dede and you’re probably going to think about band-aids because they appear so much in his work. Dede is the pseudonym of a Tel Aviv graffiti artist who has been adorning the streets of the city since around 2006.

Dede started at age 13 when he spray-painted a picture of the Milky Way on the walls of his school, and has been going strong ever since. Who can forget the time he transformed the ugly, abandoned Dolphinarium in Tel Aviv into chattering teeth? Or when he turned an empty parking lot into a missile target during the 2014 conflict with Gaza? Brilliant.

You can still see Dede’s work on city walls, but this graduate of Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design also displays his work in galleries and museums in Israel and all over the world. Dede has 13.2k followers on Instagram and 9.3k on Facebook.

1. How are you going to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut?

This Yom Ha’atzmaut, I plan to do what I have done every Yom Ha’atzmaut for the past few years. There is a local custom of young kids standing at main crossroads around the cities selling car flags. Instead, I move between main crossroads and give away band-aid car flags. People’s reactions to this new flag are priceless. They love it and love to talk about it. Everyone has something to say about the country or about something that needs to be fixed. For me it’s an amazing way to share free interactive art with the public and put a smile on people’s faces.

2. What about Israel fuels your creativity?

Many things. But to name a few: The character of the people who make the most of each day because tomorrow is always unclear. This country being so fast and dynamic, it keeps moving and chasing the next thing, but on the other hand nothing changes and all problems remain. The visuality of the city, being built like patches from different times and styles.

3. What exciting trends do you see coming to Israel’s street art/art community next year?

Trends are always the hardest to predict for me. I usually follow my own ideas and visions. I think of what I feel like doing first and then how to make it happen. But if I had to guess, I would say that as a late-bloomer country, the trends will follow the leading countries of the field. And street art will be even more creative, more popular and more impressive.

4. If you were coming to Israel’s birthday party, what would you bring as a gift?

That’s a good one. I would definitely bring a huge band-aid because I think it fits the Israeli way of fixing things and also because it’s become my trademark by now. I’m sure Israel would appreciate it and it would remind her of me because it’s both useful and conceptual. She will know I thought about her and that I care.

5. What’s one word that you think describes Israel?

Mix

Funny, cute and original — the chattering teeth by Dede. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Oferxl

Ofer Hajayov lives in Holon and specializes in portrait photography. He started his career in advertising at the age of 21 doing computer graphics and held various roles in the advertising industry.

For 11 years he was COO and head of production at Yehoshua TBWA Israel producing TV ads for many major clients in Israel.

Eight years ago he bought his first digital camera, and the rest was history.

“I realized more and more that I love to shoot people, especially headshots and portraits,” he told ISRAEL21c. Six months ago he took the leap and became a full-time portrait photographer. “I’m loving every moment,” he said.

Today, Ofer has 35.5k followers on Instagram.

  1. How are you going to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut?

With friends and family, good food, music and great vibes.

  1. What about Israel fuels your creativity?

My passion as you can see from my feed is people, ordinary and not ordinary. I just love to watch and observe new faces when I’m travelling across the country or just wandering around Tel Aviv.

  1. What exciting trends do you see coming to Israel’s photography/art community next year?

More and more platforms to exhibit work, and many more workshops. I believe that street photography will be the next big trend in 2020 in Israel.

  1. If you were coming to Israel’s birthday party, what would you bring as a gift?

That’s very personal to the person who will celebrate, but I believe we all love to read a good book.

  1. What’s one word that you think describes Israel?

You will find great people here.

Tair Lissauer

Tair Lissauer is an instructor and trainer whose Instagram feed is full of pictures of her in difficult and sometimes unthinkable yoga and exercise poses.

She’s a master trainer at Nike, providing inspiration and coaching to people all over the world, sharing best practices in sport, and exploring and initiating new fitness trends. Tair has 12.9k followers on Instagram.

  1. How are you going to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut?

As I see it, Yom Ha’atzmaut is both national and personal. This is why I celebrate this day with my family and close friends, going out together in the evening to see the fireworks and enjoy the live shows of our very talented Israeli artists. I also do an outdoor morning “fun run” with my friends around Tel Aviv which feels extra magical on this very special day which makes me feel extremely grateful for my city and for my country.

  1. What about Israel fuels your creativity?

The first thing is the people here. I love the fact that we are a mixture of so many nationalities. There is a great seed in Israel of inspiring minds of the fitness industry and every lecture, workshop and convention brings new, innovative ideas. I also love working with my PE undergraduate students as I learn from the way they think and act during our classes. Also, I get fueled up from the sites of this beautiful country especially the sea. I love sitting by the beach, meditate and get inspired.

  1. What exciting trends do you see coming to Israel’s yoga community next year?

There are a few interesting yoga trends that I think will take place in the yoga community. First, the aerial yoga which starts to sprout around the city and I believe will continue to trend upwards. I had the chance to participate in an aerial yoga practice a couple of months ago in Taipei, Taiwan and I believe it has a good chance of catching ground in Tel Aviv. It means you are being suspended in mid-air with a hammock hanging from the ceiling. That way your joints get a break, and you can improve your strength and balance without compressing your vertebrae.

The next trend is Chroma Yoga. This special high-tech yoga therapy is based on different light colors during the practice, blankets, calming music and relaxing scents to activate all your senses and direct your body and mind to cocoon-like experience. Due to the blue and red lighting the hormones that our brain produces during the session are supposed to improve our sleeping patterns, reduce stress levels and basically encourage a healthier lifestyle.

One more trend that I personally love and I think is here to stay is the Yoga Wheel. It is a plastic wheel that I use to help me with various poses when practicing my routine. It helps me deepen my backbends which is important for my spine mobility. It also improves stability because it acts as a counterweight to steady myself when my legs are up in the air for inverted positions or any other balance challenging asanas.

  1. If you were coming to Israel’s birthday party, what would you bring as a gift?

I would bring a meditation pillow so we will all be able to sit comfortably for a mindfulness practice every morning and set our mind on positive thinking and grateful attitude.

  1. What’s one word that you think describes Israel?

Heart.

Aaron Schoenfeld

Aaron Schoenfeld joined Maccabi Tel Aviv and signed a three-and-a-half-year deal at the club. The 1.93 meter tall Knoxville-born striker began his playing career for East Tennessee State University, scoring 20 goals in 72 appearances. One season with Portland Phoenix attracted the attention of MLS side Columbus Crew when he scored five goals in 51 appearances and 12 goals in 18 matches while on loan with Dayton Dutch Lions.

He scored 10 goals in the last two seasons, and one of them was the championship goal this season against Maccabi Haifa. Aaron has 10.5k followers on Instagram.

  1. How do you plan on celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut?

With my friends. A barbecue most likely.  

2. What about Israel fuels your creativity?

Israel is known for being a melting pot of cultures from around the world. It’s hard to not have creative drive when you’re around so many unique people.

  1. What exciting trends do you see coming to Israel’s sports world next year?

I play soccer for a living, and you can see the growth of the game every year.

4. If you were coming to Israel’s birthday party, what would you bring as a gift?

I would probably bring a bottle of Arak.

5. What’s one word that you think describes Israel?

Fun

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