Israel Active

Israel’s National Library is to launch a project to digitize dozens of sacred texts of Beta Israel - the Ethiopian Jewish community. High-resolution digital scans of the documents (written in Ge’ez, the ancient language used in Ethiopia) will be generated and made accessible on the NLI website.

Israel’s Daniel Boaron, 13, won the 2024 Ju-Jitsu World Championship (under-14, under-48 kg) in Crete after his final opponent from the UAE was disqualified for an offensive gesture at the end of the match.

Outgoing US Ambassador to Israel, Jack Lew, has filled his Jerusalem home and office with the works of artists who have been affected by the Oct 7 Hamas terrorist invasion. “This artwork shows that dreams come true if people work hard at it,'” said Lew.

169 books and publications have been printed about the war since Oct 7. The most topics are research studies (42 books); testimonies and stories of heroism (29); the effects of attacks, the hostages, the IDF & politics (30); religious (18), poetry (14); art (11); prose (9); and for children’s (3).

Thousands of spectators watched Israel’s first-ever state-sanctioned camel race. The event, held near Ashalim some 22 miles south of Beersheva, was organized by the Bedouin community, in conjunction with the ministries of the Diaspora, Agriculture the Development of the Negev and the Galilee.

150+ runners in the New York City Marathon dedicated their race to raising awareness for the 101 Israeli and foreign hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Dubbed the “Run for their Lives” team, the runners wore t-shirts depicting the five hostages who were avid marathon and triathlon competitors.

Israeli female judoka Yuli Alma Mishiner (age 19) won the silver medal at the Zagreb Grand Prix (13 Sep 2024).

Israel’s Eurovision singer Eden Golan was called up for IDF service (see previously) but was rejected on medical grounds. Despite this, she has requested to serve in the military on a voluntary basis and is expected to continue her enlistment process soon.

A short video showing highlights of United With Israel’s “United for Life” Jerusalem concert during the festival of Sukkot. It featured Israeli stars Ishay Ribo, Gad Elbaz, and Shmuel, and 3,000 attendees, raising vital funds for protective gear for first responders. Book now for the Dec 19 Miami gala.

As Israel turned its clocks back, Jerusalem’s events included an academic symposium at the Bible Lands Museum; the closing of the Kuma art exhibition, the Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem Academic Symposium, and the first award ceremony for Civilian Heroes of Oct 7 2023.