Israel Active

IDF reservist and industrial design graduate Oz Lotati, developed a portable blood bank fridge powered by standard military radio batteries, vehicle outlets, or solar, engineered to withstand combat conditions. Oz said, “I saw with my own eyes what it means to be in the field without blood available”.

IDF soldier Itamar, critically wounded in Gaza after Oct  7 2023, endured a long road of recovery. He was supported every step of the way by volunteer nurse Maya. When Itamar had fully recovered he proposed to Maya. The answer, of course, was “Yes”.

Mamlechet Kohanim runs a basic training course using life-sized replicas of Temple vessels - including an altar and menorah. Meanwhile, Beyadenu trains Levites to sing on Temple Mount (where members ascend to areas permitted under Jewish law), as per the Levites of old.

The IDF’s new 5-year plan includes groundbreaking advances in AI, robotics, and space defense, to revolutionize Israel’s military capabilities. The plan has been dubbed “Hoshen” in reference to the biblical breastplate that the Jewish High Priest consulted to interpret messages from above.

Nefesh B’Nefesh held its largest Israel Fair, “Here Next Year” with 600 gap-year participants, all interested in exploring pathways to Aliyah and long-term life in Israel. Some 32 booths focused on Aliyah, Israeli universities, Sherut Leumi national service and more.

Maj. (ret.) Andrew Fox served for 16 years in the British Army. He writes that the 2023-25 war in Gaza provides timely lessons for NATO forces, their governments and their allies for intense combat in densely populated cities. IDF medical experience can keep UK troops alive.

Israel’s newest public hospital, Assuta Ashdod, was never meant to be a primary destination for emergency helicopter evacuations from Gaza. But being only 16 miles from Gaza, it treated 60% of soldiers injured in the war’s most severe phases, with a 96% survival rate.

Over 65,000 people now live in Israel’s Gaza border region, surpassing pre-Oct 7 2023 figures, as communities rebuild and new residents arrive. 62,000 residents were evacuated from the region after the Hamas invasion.

US Ambassador Mike Huckabee was touring caves with his daughter, Sarah, and grandchildren, near Na’ale in Binyamin. The children had a metal detector and unearthed five ancient coins, possibly dating to the Bar Kokhba Revolt, or the Late Roman period.

A new survey by the Jewish People Policy Institute found 33% of Jewish Israelis ages 25 and under report observing more religious traditions since the war began. Among young Jews who identify as “traditional, somewhat religious,” 51% said they’ve increased religious practices.