Israel Active

Padila Sohila from the Arab town of Tira has driven buses for seven years. Passengers and fellow drivers are most respectful to her. Her aunt was the first woman in Tila to own and drive a car. Now, most Muslim women in Tira can drive, work and choose whom to marry.

Bizmax is a relatively new business center for ultra-Orthodox Jerusalem residents. Its shared workspace supports 100 Haredi yeshiva students wanting to become entrepreneurs in Israel’s hi-tech industry. Bizmax partners with Achim Global - a similar but larger organization in Bnei Brak.

Israel’s National Insurance Institute (NII) report on poverty in Israel in 2017 states that the number of children living in poverty declined by 23,700 - the first decrease in many years. The incidence of poverty among haredim (ultra-Orthodox Jews) and Arabs also fell.

The charity Nevet (“Sprout”) provides 8,000 students at 130 schools throughout Israel with a daily nutritious sandwich that helps the kids concentrate on their schoolwork instead of on their empty stomachs. That adds up to a whopping 1.3 million breakfasts every year for disadvantaged youth

IsraAID Philippines has deployed an emergency response team to the Sagnay municipality in the Philippines following Tropical Storm Usman. It is assessing needs and will provide urgent relief items as well as psychological support to those affected.

Israeli disaster relief NGO IsraAID is training doctors, dentists, nurses, engineers and mental-health professionals to respond to disasters. The Humanitarian Professionals Network launched on Jan. 10, 2019, in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area.

In Tanzania, 29,000 people die from cancer every year. To help tackle this challenge, Tanzanian cancer care professionals have completed advanced radiotherapy training at Assuta Ramat Hachayal and Sheba Medical Centre (Tel Hashomer).

According to Israel’s Hadashot TV news, three delegations, totaling 15 local Iraqi leaders, made unofficial trips to Israel in recent months.  They held meetings with Israeli academics, visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, and, most significantly, met with Israeli government officials.

Israeli Christian Arabs don’t have to join the military but Jennifer Jozin volunteered to serve her country. Jozin says, “Just as the state serves me, provides for me, and I live in it, I want to give back in return. She is a Non-Commissioned Officer serving at the Jordanian border.

Rami Levy’s latest venture is a shopping mall in the northern Jerusalem suburb of Atarot. It will serve both Israeli citizens (Jews, Arabs etc.) and Palestinian Arabs. The mall contains 50 stores, including some Palestinian Arab-run businesses.