First snowfall on Mount Hermon
The first snow of the season fell on Mount Hermon in the Israeli Golan Heights, signaling the start of winter as storms swept across the country. It ended a record-setting heatwave, with the highest maximum temperatures ever for 1-10 Nov in the country’s hills and along the coastal plain.
The Sportiada returns to Eilat
After a 3-year gap, the 41st Eilat Sportiada, one of the world's largest grassroots sports events, was described as “the most successful ever.” 10,000 athletes from hundreds of workplaces across Israel participated in the 3-day Games, featuring competitions in a wide range of sports.
Ostrich takes flight
A male ostrich ran out of the entrance gate of Ramat Gan Safari Park as it was closing. It went for a stroll in the Tel Aviv area before being brought back to its home. The curious bird was filmed by local residents sprinting through the Ramat Chen neighborhood of Tel Aviv with a police escort.
Another gold for Raz Hershko
Just six days after winning a gold medal in the Lima Grand Prix (see previously) Israeli Judoka Raz Hershko won another at the Guadalajara, Mexico Grand Prix.
Gold at Jiu-jitsu
Israel’s Omri Haviv won a gold medal at the Jiu-jitsu World Championships in Bangkok.
Medals for Israeli martial artists
Israel’s Omri Haviv won the gold medal in the men’s 69kg No-Gi category at the Jiu-Jitsu World Championships in Bangkok. Meanwhile, at the Sambo World Championships in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Israel’s Shaked Nisimian won a silver medal in the women’s 72kg category.
Patriotic concert in MSG
Israeli-US singer Omer Adam opened his sold-out concert at the Madison Square Garden in New York City with a special tribute video to the IDF and a video of hostages returning from Gaza. Adam fuses Mizrahi music with Western pop and is one of Israel’s most famous and successful singers.
Israeli theater in London
Israel’s Gesher UK production of Oscar Wilde’s play “Salome” attracted huge audiences to the first ever performance in London’s West End by an Israeli theater company. Anti-Israel UK media panned it, but one unbiased review said it was “easily one of the best shows of the year”.
The earliest wine production
Archaeologists in northern Israel uncovered a 5,000-year-old rock-hewn wine press—one of the oldest ever found—alongside 3,300-year-old Canaanite ritual vessels, offering rare insight into early wine production and ancient religious practices near Megiddo (Armegeddon).
Jerusalem – a city for all seasons
Signs on the Jerusalem streets warn citizens and visitors to prepare for winter. But as Sharon describes, it feels more like summer or late spring. She attended a religious wedding in the desert with the sun setting, where the bride and groom rode away on a camel.