81-606: Eyal Ran (born 21 November 1972) is an Israeli former professional tennis player and former captain of the Israel Davis Cup team . His career high ATP ranking in singles was 138 (21 April 1997), and in doubles it was 71 (11 October 1999). Ran was born in Qiryat Ono , Israel, and is Jewish. His father emigrated to Israel from Romania . Ran trained at Israel Tennis Centers . He turned pro in 1992. In August 1993 he upset Jonas Svensson of Sweden, ranked # 37 in
162-576: A Davis Cup quarterfinal tie in July 2009, on indoor hard courts at the Nokia Arena in Tel Aviv. Israel was represented by Dudi Sela , Andy Ram , Jonathan Erlich , and Harel Levy . Russia's lineup consisted of Marat Safin (# 24 in the world; former world # 1), Igor Andreev (26), Igor Kunitsyn (35), and Mikhail Youzhny (44; former world # 8). The stage was set by Safin, who prior to the tie told
243-533: A boisterous crowd of over 10,000. "I started to cry like a little boy", said Ram. Even the Saudi Gazette described the doubles match as a "thrilling" win. Captain Ran was carried shoulder-high around the Tel Aviv stadium, as the 10,000-strong crowd applauded. With the tie clinched for Israel, the reverse singles rubbers were " dead ", and instead of best-of-five matches, best-of-three sets were played, with
324-685: A monarchy to rule over the previously decentralised Israelite tribal confederacy. Increasing pressure from the Philistines and other neighboring tribes is said by the Bible to have forced the Israelites to unite as a more singular state. The northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed in c. 720 BCE by the Neo-Assyrian Empire and its population was forcibly restructured through imperial policy. The southern Kingdom of Judah
405-648: A phenomenon known in Hebrew as yerida ("descent", in contrast to aliyah , which means "ascent"). Emigrants have various reasons for leaving, but there is generally a combination of economic and political concerns. The main Israeli ethnic and religious groups are as follows: Among the Israeli-born Jewish population, most are descended from Ashkenazi Jews , Mizrahi Jews , Sephardic Jews , Ethiopian Jews , and other Jewish ethnic divisions . Due to
486-607: A suit. In 2007, Ornan's suit was joined by former minister Shulamit Aloni and other activists. In the ruling, Justice Hanan Melcer noted Israel currently considers "citizenship and nationality [to be] separate." The term "Israelite" refers to members of the Jewish tribes and polities of the Iron Age known from the Hebrew Bible and extra-biblical historical and archaeological sources. The term "Israeli", by contrast, refers to
567-504: A younger sister. They moved to Jerusalem when he was five, which is when he began playing tennis. "It was tough at the beginning because I couldn't speak the language, and was fighting with people in the kindergarten who didn't understand me", said Ram. "My parents decided to send me to the tennis center not long after we arrived." He married his wife Shiri in September 2006, and they have 3 children. The family lives in Tel Aviv. Ram
648-402: Is a fan of the football team Beitar Jerusalem . "I really enjoyed playing tennis, because when I was six or seven years old and winning tournaments it felt good", said Ram. "From when I was 8 or 10 I knew it was going to be a career for me. It's a tennis life so it wasn't so easy. You have to give up many things. When all my friends were playing outside I had to practice. I didn't go to all
729-421: Is a retired Israeli professional tennis player. He was primarily a doubles player, and competed in three Olympics. He is the first Israeli tennis player to win a senior Grand Slam event. Ram first won the mixed doubles title at the 2006 Wimbledon Championships , together with Vera Zvonareva . He then won the mixed doubles title at the 2007 French Open with Nathalie Dechy , and the men's doubles title at
810-785: Is also a significant African population in the southern Israeli cities of Eilat, Arad and Beer Sheva. Approximately 100–200 refugees from Bosnia , Kosovo , and North Korea live in Israel as refugees, most of them with Israeli resident status. Through the years, the majority of Israelis who emigrated from Israel went to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. It is currently estimated that there are 330,000 native-born Israelis, including 230,000 Jews, living abroad, or even more. The number of immigrants to Israel who later returned to their home countries or moved elsewhere
891-679: Is also a significant population of Israeli Druze , estimated at 117,500 at the end of 2006. All Druze in British Mandate Palestine became Israeli citizens upon the foundation of the State of Israel. There are about 7,000 Maronite Christian Israelis, living mostly in the Galilee but also in Haifa , Nazareth , and Jerusalem . They are mostly pro-Israeli Lebanese former militia members and their families who fled Lebanon after
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#1732791680819972-511: Is disputed and controversial, but it is estimated that at least 16,000 refugees, mainly from Eritrea , Sudan , South Sudan , Ethiopia and the Ivory Coast , reside and work in Israel. A check in late 2011, published in Ynet reported that the number just in Tel Aviv is 40,000, which represents 10 percent of the city's population. The vast majority lives in the southern parts of the city. There
1053-750: Is estimated at 200–400. Most of them came to Israel between 1976 and 1979, after the Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin granted them political asylum. The Vietnamese people living in Israel are Israeli citizens who also serve in the Israel Defense Forces . Today, the majority of the community lives in the Gush Dan area in the center of Israel but also a few dozen Vietnamese-Israelis or Israelis of Vietnamese origin live in Haifa , Jerusalem and Ofakim . The number and status of African refugees in Israel
1134-667: Is estimated that almost 10 percent of the general Israeli population lives abroad, particularly in Russia (with Moscow housing the single largest Israeli community outside of Israel), India , Canada , the United Kingdom , the United States , and throughout Europe. As of 2013, Israel's population is 8 million, of which the Israeli civil government records 75.3% as Jews , 20.7% as non-Jewish Arabs , and 4.0% other. Israel's official census includes Israeli settlers in
1215-466: Is going to be your profession and that's what you are going to try to do for life. You practice twice a day and fit in school in between." He became a professional tennis player in 1996, at the age of 16, but did not compete in a Grand Slam tournament until 2001 when he appeared in the Wimbledon doubles with Erlich. It was at Wingate that he first met Jonathan Erlich , his future doubles partner who
1296-413: Is more difficult to calculate. For many years definitive data on Israeli emigration was unavailable. In The Israeli Diaspora sociologist Stephen J. Gold maintains that calculation of Jewish emigration has been a contentious issue, explaining, "Since Zionism, the philosophy that underlies the existence of the Jewish state, calls for return home of the world's Jews, the opposite movement – Israelis leaving
1377-583: The 2000 withdrawal of IDF from South Lebanon . Some, however, are from local Galilean communities such as Jish . There are about 1,000 Coptic Israeli citizens. In September 2014, Israel recognized the "Aramean" ethnic identity of hundreds of the Christian citizens of Israel. This recognition comes after about seven years of activity by the Aramean Christian Foundation in Israel – Aram, led by IDF Major Shadi Khalloul Risho and
1458-678: The 2010 French Open . They reached the semi-finals, which was the best result for either player at the French Open. In 2011, Ram and Erlich won both the 2011 Winston-Salem Open and the Eastbourne International tournament. In May 2012, Ram and Erlich won the Serbia Open in Belgrade. In May 2014, at age 34, he announced his retirement, to take effect after Israel's Davis Cup tie in September. Ram played on
1539-737: The Bedouin . Israeli Bedouin include those who live in the north of the country, for the most part in villages and towns, and the Bedouin in the Negev , who are semi-nomadic or live in towns or unrecognized Bedouin villages . In 1999, 110,000 Bedouin lived in the Negev, 50,000 in the Galilee and 10,000 in the central region of Israel. As of 2013, the Negev Bedouin number 200,000–210,000. There
1620-428: The Israel Davis Cup team in 2001–09, going 14–8 through July 2009. In 2007 he won two matches in Israel's 5–0 win over Luxembourg , and he won his doubles matches in Israel's 3–2 wins over Italy and over Chile (in which he and Erlich defeated Olympic gold medal winners González and Massú). In 2008, Ram and Erlich won their doubles match against Simon Aspelin and Robert Lindstedt in Israel's 3–2 loss to Sweden in
1701-728: The Israel Davis Cup team . In 2005, at the peak of a disagreement between the Israeli Davis Cup players and the Israel Tennis Association , Ran was made Israeli Davis Cup captain. Ran spoke to the players and the Association and settled the crisis. Israel (ranked 8th in the Davis Cup standings, with 5,394 points) hosted heavily favored Russia (which won in both 2002 and 2006, and was the top-ranked country in Davis Cup standings, with 27,897 points) in
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#17327916808191782-698: The Miami Masters tournament with Mirnyi after reaching finals in the Indian Wells Masters . Ram partnered Erlich once again at Israel Open ATP Challenger tournament in Ramat HaSharon in May, but after losing in the final he announced his decision to keep partnering with Mirnyi until the end of 2009 season (with the exception of a Davis Cup match against Russia, where he would partner with Erlich). He partnered with Julian Knowle for
1863-712: The Mixed doubles competition. Ram and Dechy teamed up together again to compete in the 2007 Wimbledon Championships , losing in the third round to 9th-ranked Marcin Matkowski and Cara Black 6–3, 6–4. At Cincinnati, at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 , in August he and Erlich won, upsetting the world # 1 Bryan brothers in the final 4–6, 6–3, 13–11. At the US Open, he played doubles with Erlich, losing in
1944-656: The Thailand Open in September and the Lyon tournament in October 2003. They also won first place in Indianapolis, Istanbul, India, Rotterdam, and Milan. Ram competed in the mixed doubles event at the 2004 French Open with partner Petra Mandula of Hungary, and made it as far as the quarterfinals where they lost to Daniela Hantuchová and doubles ace Todd Woodbridge . Ram and Erlich were triumphant yet again in
2025-541: The United Kingdom 2001 Census , as many as 11,892 Israelis lived in the United Kingdom in 2001. The majority live in London . In 2013 a three-judge panel of the Supreme Court of Israel 's headed by Court President Asher Grunis rejected an appeal requesting that state-issued identification cards state the nationality of citizens as "Israeli" rather than their religion of origin. In his opinion, Grunis stated that it
2106-497: The Wimbledon Championships in 2003 as unknown qualifiers. They defeated three seeded opponents en route to the semifinals. In the quarterfinals, in a match in which neither side broke service, Ram and Erlich defeated No. 2 seeded Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor in straight sets: 7–6, 7–6, 7–6. In the semis, Ram and Erlich – the first Israelis to ever advance to the semifinals in any Grand Slam event – lost to
2187-571: The citizens and nationals of the State of Israel . The country's populace is composed primarily of Jews and Arabs , who respectively account for 75 percent and 20 percent of the national figure, followed by other ethnic and religious minorities , who account for 5 percent. Early Israeli culture was largely defined by communities of the Jewish diaspora who had made aliyah to British Palestine from Europe , Western Asia , and North Africa in
2268-451: The former Soviet Union most of whom are Zera Yisrael (descendants of Jews) who are Russians , Ukrainians , Moldovans and Belarusians , who were eligible to immigrate due to having, or being married to somebody who has, at least one Jewish grandparent. In addition, a certain number of former Soviet citizens, primarily women of Russian and Ukrainian ethnicity, immigrated to Israel after marrying Arab citizens of Israel who went to study in
2349-643: The occupied territories (referred to as " disputed " by Israel). 280,000 Israeli settlers live in settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank , 190,000 in East Jerusalem , and 20,000 in the Golan Heights . Among Jews, 70.3% were born in Israel ( sabras ), mostly from the second or third generation of their family in the country, and the rest are Jewish immigrants . Of the Jewish immigrants, 20.5% were from Europe and
2430-533: The 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, and reached the quarterfinals. Ranked 8th overall, in the 1st round they defeated Thomas Enqvist and Robin Söderling of Sweden 7–5, 6–3, and then beat Russians Igor Andreev and Nikolay Davydenko in the 2nd round 6–4, 6–1. In the quarterfinals they were defeated by Germans Nicolas Kiefer and Rainer Schüttler in three sets, 6–2, 2–6, 2–6. They also represented Israel at
2511-557: The 2008 Australian Open with Jonathan Erlich . Ram attained his highest doubles ranking of World No. 5 in July 2008. He reached 36 doubles finals and won 20 of them through 2013, mostly with partner Jonathan Erlich; together, they are known in Israel as "AndiYoni". His Davis Cup doubles record, as of 2018, was 20–7. In May 2014 he announced his retirement, to take effect after Israel's Davis Cup tie in September. In April 2015, Ram, CEO of Pulse Play, announced his new startup – wearable technology and an app for amateur tennis players around
Eyal Ran - Misplaced Pages Continue
2592-616: The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, where they lost to the French team of Arnaud Clément and Michaël Llodra in the first round, and at the 2012 Summer Olympics , where they were beaten by the Bryan brothers in the quarter-final. They then represented Israel at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England, where they defeated Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka , before losing to
2673-541: The 2nd round at Wimbledon, but losing in the first round of the other three tournaments. In 2000 he won a clay court doubles tournament in Bucharest with Alberto Martin . In 2001, Ran reached the 2nd round at the Australian Open, but lost in the first round of the French Open and Wimbledon (with partner Noam Behr ). He often played Challengers and qualifying tournaments for major events. He also played on
2754-532: The Americas, and 9.2% were from Asia, Africa, and Middle Eastern countries . Nearly half of all Israeli Jews are descended from immigrants from the European Jewish diaspora. Approximately the same number are descended from immigrants from Arab countries, Iran, Turkey and Central Asia. Over 200,000 are of Ethiopian and Indian-Jewish descent. The official Israel Central Bureau of Statistics estimate of
2835-702: The Arab citizens of Israel are Sunni Muslim, while 9% of them are Christian , and 7.1% of them are Druze . As of 2013, the Arab population of Israel amounts to 1,658,000, about 20.7% of the population. This figure include 209,000 Arabs (14% of the Israeli Arab population) in East Jerusalem, also counted in the Palestinian statistics, although 98 percent of East Jerusalem Palestinians have either Israeli residency or Israeli citizenship. According to
2916-485: The Bryan brothers, who won the gold medal . Ram was awarded the inaugural Jerusalem Athlete of the Year award in 2006. In April 2015, Ram, co-founder and CEO of Pulse Play, announced his new startup – wearable technology and an app for amateur tennis players around the world. It is a smartwatch designed to handle intense and animated tennis, table tennis, badminton, and squash. It operates in real time and connects to
2997-472: The Davis Cup standings, with 5,394 points) hosted heavily favored Russia (which won in both 2002 and 2006, and was the top-ranked country in Davis Cup standings, with 27,897 points) in a Davis Cup quarterfinal tie in July 2009, on indoor hard courts at the Nokia Arena in Tel Aviv. Israel was represented by Ram, Erlich, Dudi Sela , and Harel Levy . Russia's lineup consisted of Marat Safin (# 24 in
3078-735: The Europe/Africa Group I in 2011. In 2017, after 12 years at the helm, he retired as captain. Ran said: "I’m happy I guided the team to the Davis Cup semifinals and for the privilege I had of coaching players like Andy Ram , Yoni Erlich , Noam Okun , Amir Hadad , Harel Levy , Amir Weintraub and Dudi Sela to great achievements... I’m also happy I had the privilege of coaching Israel’s future team: Yshai Oliel , Edan Leshem , Daniel Cukierman , Ben Patael and Mor Bulis ...." Israelis Israelis ( Hebrew : יִשְׂרְאֵלִים , romanized : Yīśreʾēlīm ; Arabic : إسرائيليون , romanized : Isrāʾīliyyūn ) are
3159-620: The Former Soviet Union such as Tatars , Armenians , and Georgians . In Israel, there are also a few thousand Circassians , living mostly in Kfar Kama (2,000) and Reyhaniye (1,000). These two villages were a part of a greater group of Circassian villages around the Golan Heights . The Circassians in Israel enjoy, like Druzes , a status aparte . Male Circassians (at their leader's request) are mandated for military service, while females are not. Non-Jewish immigrants from
3240-937: The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics census in 2010, the Arab population in Israel lives in 134 Arabic towns and villages ; around 44% of them live in towns, while 48% of them in villages with the status of Local council , and around 4% live in small villages that are part of Regional council . The Arab population in Israel is located in five main areas: Galilee (54.6% of total Israeli Arabs), Triangle (23.5% of total Israeli Arabs), Golan Heights , East Jerusalem , and Northern Negev (13.5% of total Israeli Arabs). Around 8.4% of Israeli Arabs live in officially mixed Jewish-Arab cities (excluding Arab residents in East Jerusalem), in Haifa , Lod , Ramle , Jaffa - Tel Aviv , Acre , Nof HaGalil , and Ma'alot Tarshiha . The Arab citizens of Israel also include
3321-917: The Israeli Christian Recruitment Forum, headed by Father Gabriel Naddaf of the Greek-Orthodox Church and Major Ihab Shlayan. The Aramean ethnic identity will now encompass all the Christian Eastern Syriac churches in Israel, including the Maronite Church , Greek Orthodox Church, Greek Catholic Church, Syriac Catholic Church and Syriac Orthodox Church. There are around 1,000 Assyrians living in Israel, mostly in Jerusalem and Nazareth . Assyrians are an Aramaic -speaking, Eastern Rite Christian minority who are descended from
Eyal Ran - Misplaced Pages Continue
3402-579: The Israeli Jewish population does not include those Israeli citizens, mostly descended from immigrants from the Soviet Union , who are registered as "others", or their immediate family members. Defined as non-Jews and non-Arabs, they make up about 3.5% of Israelis (350,000), and were eligible for Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return. Israel's official language is Hebrew , which serves as
3483-413: The Jewish state to reside elsewhere – clearly presents an ideological and demographic problem." Among the most common reasons for emigration of Israelis from Israel are most often due to Israel's ongoing security issues, economic constraints, economic characteristics, disappointment in the Israeli government, as well as the excessive role of religion in the lives of Israelis. Many Israelis immigrated to
3564-431: The Jews to develop autonomous institutions such as the Histadrut and the Knesset. The resulting influx of Jewish immigrants, as well as the creation of many new settlements, was crucial for the functioning of these new institutions in what would, on 14 May 1948, become the State of Israel . By 1960, 25% of Israelis were Holocaust survivors. The largest cities in the country Haifa , Tel Aviv , and Jerusalem are also
3645-408: The Lyon International Series tournament in October 2004. They defeated Jonas Björkman and Radek Štěpánek in the final with a 7–6, 6–2 victory. In the 2005 Australian Open Ram paired up with Conchita Martínez of Spain in the mixed doubles event. Martinez and Ram pulled off an impressive coup in the quarterfinals, beating top seeds Daniel Nestor and Rennae Stubbs 7–5, 6–7, 7–6. They fell in
3726-509: The Masters Series event at Indian Wells, California by defeating the team of Nestor and Zimonic in the finals. After Erlich's injury, Ram was playing with other partners and won indoor titles in Vienna (with Max Mirnyi ) and Lyon (with Llodra). At the 2009 Australian Open Ram and Nathalie Dechy, unseeded at the start of the tournament, defeated two seeded pairs and reached the finals, where they lost to another unseeded pair, Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi from India, 3–6, 1–6. Later Ram won
3807-404: The Memorial for the eight, was established in 1971 by a group of Finnish Christian Israelis, though today most members are Israeli, and predominantly Hebrew-speaking. The Samaritans are an ethnoreligious group of the Levant . Ancestrally, they are descended from a group of Israelite inhabitants who have connections to ancient Samaria from the beginning of the Babylonian captivity up to
3888-422: The New Haven International. Ram and Erlich played in the mixed doubles competition in Wimbledon 2005 . They faced Kevin Ullyett and Liezel Huber in the quarterfinals, and were eliminated 6–4, 3–6, 8–6. They reached 8th place in the doubles race ranking at the end of 2005, and served as alternates at the Masters Cup in Shanghai. At the 2007 French Open , Ram, along with his partner, Nathalie Dechy , won
3969-408: The United States throughout the period of the declaration of the state of Israel and until today. Today, the descendants of these people are known as Israeli-Americans. According to the 2000 United States Census , 106,839 Americans also hold Israeli citizenship, but the number of Americans of Israeli descent is around half a million. Moscow has the largest single Israeli expatriate community in
4050-430: The World group, and then Ram partnering Harel Levy defeated the Peruvian duo Mauricio Echazú/Matias Silva on the way to Israel's 4–1 victory, granting Israel a place in the World Group for the next season. In March 2009, partnering Amir Hadad , Ram lost in Malmö to the same Swedish pair he defeated a year earlier, but the Israeli team won 3–2 overall and proceeded to the World Group quarterfinal. Israel (ranked 8th in
4131-434: The ancient Mesopotamians . The old Syriac Orthodox monastery of Saint Mark lies in Jerusalem. Other than followers of the Syriac Orthodox Church, there are also followers of the Assyrian Church of the East and the Chaldean Catholic Church living in Israel. The African Hebrew Israelite Nation of Jerusalem is a small religious community whose members believe they are descended from the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. Most of
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#17327916808194212-405: The beginning of the Common Era . Population estimates made in 2007 show that of the 712 Samaritans, half live in Holon in Israel and half at Mount Gerizim in the West Bank. The Holon community holds Israeli citizenship, while the Gerizim community resides at an Israeli-controlled enclave ( Kiryat Luza ), holding dual Israeli-Palestinian citizenship. The number of Vietnamese people in Israel
4293-418: The citizens of the modern State of Israel, regardless of them being Jewish, Arabs, or of any other ethnicity. The modern State of Israel revived an old name known from the Hebrew Bible and from historical sources, that of the Iron Age Kingdom of Israel. The Bible differentiates between a period of tribal rule among the "children of Israel"; a Kingdom of Israel uniting all twelve biblical Israelite tribes, with
4374-433: The common capital known as the City of David (Jerusalem); and a period in which the northern tribes split away to form an independent Kingdom of Israel , while the southern tribes became part of the Kingdom of Judah . Archaeological research only partially agrees with the biblical narrative. According to the biblical account, the United Monarchy was formed when there was a large popular expression in favour of introducing
4455-632: The cultural heritage of many immigrant groups, is popular. There is also flourishing modern dance. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, at the end of 2014, 75% of Israelis were Jewish by religion (adherents of Judaism ), 17.5% were Muslims , 2% Christian , 1.6% Druze and the remaining 3.9% (including immigrants) were not classified by religion. Roughly 12% of Israeli Jews defined as haredim (ultra-orthodox religious); an additional 9% are "religious"; 35% consider themselves "traditionalists" (not strictly adhering to Jewish religious law ); and 43% are "secular" (termed " hiloni "). Among
4536-446: The defending Wimbledon champions, Jonas Björkman and Todd Woodbridge . Ram reached the 2003 Wimbledon mixed doubles final with Anastassia Rodionova of Russia. The couple lost to tennis legend Martina Navratilova and Leander Paes . Ram felt at that point that he had to choose whether to focus on doubles or singles, as he felt it would be tough to combine the two. He chose to concentrate on doubles. Ram and Erlich then won
4617-613: The early 1960s, moved to Liberia for a few years, and then immigrated to Israel. There are about 4,000–10,000 Armenian citizens of Israel (not including Armenian Jews). They live mostly in Jerusalem, including the Armenian Quarter , but also in Tel Aviv, Haifa and Jaffa. Their religious activities center around the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem as well as churches in Jerusalem, Haifa and Jaffa. Although Armenians of Old Jerusalem have Israeli identity cards, they are officially holders of Jordanian passports. A number of immigrants also belong to various non-Slavic ethnic groups from
4698-421: The first century CE. Two Jewish revolts, the second one ending in 135 CE, led to the large-scale decimation of the Jewish population in Judea and the end of any type of Jewish territorial self-rule in the southern Levant for many centuries to come. Palestine was part of the Ottoman Empire from 1516 until it was taken by British forces in 1918. The British establishment of colonial political boundaries allowed
4779-555: The former Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s. The total number of those primarily of Slavic ancestry among Israeli citizens is around 300,000. Although most Finns in Israel are either Finnish Jews or their descendants, a small number of Finnish Christians moved to Israel in the 1940s before the independence of the state and have since gained citizenship. For the most part the original Finnish settlers intermarried with other Israeli communities, and therefore remain very small in number. A moshav near Jerusalem named " Yad HaShmona ", meaning
4860-478: The historically large Mizrahi population and decades of ethnic intermixing, over 50% of Israel's current Jewish population is of at least partial Mizrahi descent. The CBS traces the paternal country of origin of Israeli Jews as of 2010 is as follows. A large part of Mandate -period Arab Palestinians remained within Israel's borders following the 1948 exodus and are the largest group of Arabic-speaking and culturally Arab citizens of Israel. The vast majority of
4941-467: The language of government and is spoken by the majority of the population. Arabic is spoken by the Arab minority and by some members of the Mizrahi Jewish community. English is studied in school and is spoken by the majority of the population as a second language. Other languages spoken in Israel include Russian, Yiddish , Spanish, Ladino , Amharic , Armenian, Romanian, and French. In recent decades, between 650,000 and 1,300,000 Israelis have emigrated,
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#17327916808195022-403: The largest crowd ever for a tennis match in Israel. The next day Ram and Erlich beat Safin and Kunitsyn 6–3, 6–4, 6–7, 4–6, 6–4 in front of a boisterous crowd of over 10,000. Even the Saudi Gazette described the doubles match as a "thrilling" win. With the tie clinched for Israel, the reverse singles rubbers were " dead ", and instead of best-of-five matches, best-of-three sets were played, with
5103-475: The late-19th and early-20th centuries. Later Jewish immigration from Ethiopia , the states of the former Soviet Union , and the Americas introduced new cultural elements to Israeli society and have had a profound impact on modern Israeli culture. Since Israel's independence in 1948, Israelis and people of Israeli descent have had a considerable diaspora , which largely overlaps with the Jewish diaspora but also with that of other ethnic and religious groups; it
5184-496: The major cultural centers, known for art museums, and many towns and kibbutzim have smaller high-quality museums. Israeli music is very versatile and combines elements of both western and eastern, religious and secular music. It tends to be very eclectic and contains a wide variety of influences from the Diaspora and more modern cultural importation: Hassidic songs, Asian and Arab pop, especially by Yemenite singers, and Israeli hip hop or heavy metal . Folk dancing, which draws upon
5265-425: The opening match. Sela (# 33) followed by beating Russian Youzhny 3–6, 6–1, 6–0, 7–5. Israeli captain Eyal Ran likened his players to two fighter jets on court, saying: "I felt as if I had two F-16s out there today, they played amazingly well." The 10,500 spectators were the largest crowd ever for a tennis match in Israel. The next day Ram and Erlich beat Safin and Kunitsyn 6–3, 6–4, 6–7, 4–6, 6–4 in front of
5346-440: The outcomes of little to no importance. Israel wrapped up a 4–1 victory over Russia, as Levy defeated Kunitsyn 6–4, 4–6, 7–6, while Sela retired with a wrist injury while down 3–4 in the first set against Andreev. Israel next faced the Spanish Davis Cup team in Marbella, Spain on September 18–20, in Israel's first appearance in the Davis Cup semifinals. Spain won a 4–1 victory over Israel. Erlich and Ram represented Israel at
5427-410: The outcomes of little to no importance. Israel wrapped up a 4–1 victory over Russia, as Levy defeated Kunitsyn 6–4, 4–6, 7–6, while Sela retired with a wrist injury while down 3–4 in the first set against Andreev. In the subsequent Spain defeated Israel in Israel's first appearance in the Davis Cup semifinals. In 2010, Israel lost to Chile in the first round, and to Austria in the playoffs, participated in
5508-435: The over 5,000 members live in Dimona, Israel although there are additional, smaller, groups in Arad , Mitzpe Ramon , and the Tiberias area. At least some of them consider themselves to be Jewish, but Israeli authorities do not accept them as such, nor are their religious practices consistent with "mainstream Jewish tradition." The group, which consists of African Americans and their descendants, originated in Chicago in
5589-443: The period of the declaration of the state of Israel and until today. Today, the descendants of these people are known as Israeli-Canadians. According to the Canada 2006 Census as many as 21,320 Israelis lived in Canada in 2006. Many Israelis immigrated to the United Kingdom throughout and since the period of the declaration of the state of Israel . Today, the descendants of these people are known as Israeli-British. According to
5670-544: The press: "With all due respect, Israel was lucky to get to the quarterfinals." The Israeli team's response was to beat the Russian team in each of their first three matches, thereby winning the tie. Levy, world # 210, beat Russia's top player, Andreev, world # 24, 6–4, 6–2, 4–6, 6–2 in the opening match. Sela (# 33) followed by beating Russian Youzhny 3–6, 6–1, 6–0, 7–5. Ran likened his players to two fighter jets on court, saying: "I felt as if I had two F-16s out there today, they played amazingly well." The 10,500 spectators were
5751-461: The round of 16 to the eventual winners Simon Aspelin and Julian Simon 5–7, 6–7. In mixed doubles with Nathalie Dechy he made it to the quarter-finals. At the 2008 Australian Open Ram and Erlich won the men's doubles Championship in straight sets over Arnaud Clément and Michaël Llodra 7–5, 7–6. This was the duo's first Grand Slam win after numerous ATP titles, and was also Israel's first ever Grand Slam trophy in men's doubles. The duo also won
5832-738: The school trips. But I was focused from a very young age. I grew up practicing at the Jerusalem tennis center. I spent most of my childhood there, practicing five days a week. I never regretted it and I enjoyed every moment. Now I am reaping the rewards." Ram was trained by Ronen Moralli at the Israel Tennis Centers in Jerusalem. When he was 15 he was sent to the Wingate Institute , where young Israeli athletes are groomed to become professionals. "It wasn't easy being far away from your family", Ram remembers, "but you know it
5913-765: The seculars, 53% believe in God. However, 78% of all Israelis (and virtually all Israeli Jews) participate in a Passover seder. Unlike North American Jews, Israelis tend not to align themselves with a movement of Judaism (such as Reform Judaism or Conservative Judaism ) but instead tend to define their religious affiliation by degree of their religious practice. Israeli religious life, unlike much of North American Jewish life, does not solely revolve around synagogues or religious community centers. Among Arab Israelis , 82.6% were Muslim (including Ahmadis ), 8.8% were Christian and 8.4% were Druze . Andy Ram Andreas " Andy " Ram ( Hebrew : אנדי רם ; born April 10, 1980)
5994-552: The semifinals to Aussie pair Scott Draper and Samantha Stosur 7–5, 6–3. Ram and Erlich won their fourth major tournament in Rotterdam in February 2005, beating Czechs Cyril Suk and Pavel Vízner for the honors. They missed the 2005 French Open grand slam tournament, as Ram's father had died as he was preparing to fly to France. In August 2005, playing singles he defeated world # 56 Ricardo Mello of Brazil 6–1, 6–4, at
6075-597: The world, in Long Island, New York , 6–1, 6–3. After playing at the Australian Open in 1996 and 1997 in the singles competition (he lost in the 2nd round both years), Ran played in his first doubles Grand Slam in 1999, reaching the 2nd round at the French Open (he lost in the first round at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open ). The following year, he played doubles in all four Grand Slam events, reaching
6156-462: The world, with 80,000 Israeli citizens living in the city as of 2014, almost all of them native Russian-speakers. Many Israeli cultural events are hosted for the community, and many live part of the year in Israel. (To cater to the Israeli community, Israeli cultural centres are located in Moscow , Saint Petersburg , Novosibirsk and Yekaterinburg .) Many Israelis immigrated to Canada throughout
6237-464: The world. Ram was born Andreas Ram in Montevideo , Uruguay, and is Jewish. His father Amiram, a former professional football player for Beitar Jerusalem in the 1950s, was Israeli. After his father was injured he was sent to Uruguay on " shlihut " ("outreach"), and it was there that he met Ram's mother, who is Uruguayan. She is a dental specialist for children. He has an older brother and
6318-523: The world; former world # 1), Igor Andreev (26), Igor Kunitsyn (35), and Mikhail Youzhny (44; former world # 8). The stage was set by Safin, who prior to the tie told the press: "With all due respect, Israel was lucky to get to the quarterfinals." The Israeli team's response was to beat the Russian team in each of their first three matches, thereby winning the tie. Levy, world # 210, beat Russia's top player, Andreev, world # 24, 6–4, 6–2, 4–6, 6–2 in
6399-530: Was also born in South America. In 2002 Ram was injured, and did not play because he had knee surgery and back surgery. He was on crutches for two months, could not walk, and considered giving up tennis. In 2003 Ram won the doubles title at the RCA Championship with Croatian Mario Ančić . With partner Jonathan Erlich , his groundbreaking achievement was their reaching the semifinals of
6480-784: Was conquered by the Neo-Babylonian Empire (586 BCE), inherited by the Achaemenid Empire , conquered by Alexander the Great (332 BCE), ruled by the resulting Hellenistic empires, from which it regained authonomy and eventually independence under the Hasmoneans , conquered by the Roman Republic in 63 BCE, ruled by the client kings of the Herodian dynasty , and finally transformed into a Roman province during
6561-475: Was not within the court's purview to determine new categories of ethnicity or nationhood. The court's decision responded to a petition by Uzzi Ornan, who refused to be identified as Jewish in 1948 at the foundation of the state of Israel, claiming instead that he was "Hebrew." This was permitted by Israeli authorities at the time. However, by 2000, Ornan wanted to register his nationality as "Israeli". The Interior Ministry refused to allow this, prompting Ornan to file
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