Israel Active

In 1957, Israel launched the Foreign Ministry’s MASHAV (the Hebrew acronym for Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation). Since then, 270,000 in 132 countries have received training in agriculture, public health, education, women’s empowerment and more. And an article about MASHAV’s project in Uganda for Youth at Risk.

U.S. female war veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are receiving healing in Israel. Heroes to Heroes, a New Jersey-based nonprofit, organizes trips to Israel that provide emotional and spiritual healing for groups of 10 vets. They meet former IDF women who have been through rehabilitation.

Pakistani 'Muslim Zionist' Noor Dahri launched the Pakistan Israel Alliance (PIA) at the Glasgow Friends of Israel Conference in Scotland. The PIA seeks to build bridges between Pakistanis and Israelis, and between Muslims and Jews. Also a recent interesting article from Noor.

Israel has donated 117 tables that provide shelter during earthquakes to schools in the Taiwanese city of Tainan that was struck by an earthquake earlier this year. The tables were designed by an Israeli student and his teacher at Jerusalem’s Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design.

Israel has signed a cooperation agreement with United Nations Women - the world body’s institution for the empowerment of women. Ambassador Danny Danon said Israel will, “now receive the international recognition we deserve for our leadership in gender equality”.

Up to now, Israeli hospitals have treated thousands of Syrians who have been wounded in their civil war. Israel has now decided to extend treatment to internally-displaced Syrians who need basic medical care.  42 Syrian children from Quneitra arrived at hospitals in northern Israel.

Surgeons managed to re-attach the finger of a little boy who suffered an accident in Northern Israel.  But they needed a medical instrument that was not available in Israel to finish the procedure.  Via Israeli charity Ezer Mizion a volunteer brought the device from New York and the boy’s hand was saved.

"Utopia by Design” is the theme of the first London Design Biennale. “AIDrop” from Yaniv Kadosh of Israel’s Shenkar College employs self-rotating units to drop cartons of supplies over disaster zones. Sharona Merlin’s “Louder” comprises speakers for the deaf that translate sound into visual textures and floor vibrations. (Click on Israel in second link)

Israel’s socializing, fundraising concept “Wine Wednesday” has raised over $21,000 in Israel for women’s empowerment, at-risk youth, the disabled and other social causes. Now it’s gone global with 15 cities hosting Wine Wednesday events – all donating the $10 entrance fee to the specific charity.

Israel is the most vegan country on Earth, with a full five percent of its population eschewing all animal products - more than double that in 2010. There are over 400 “vegan-friendly” restaurants. Even the IDF offers animal-free food, boots, and berets to vegan soldiers.