How life can change

Danielle graduated from Oxford University with a degree in Music. She started a bureaucratic job with the UK Government. Then she went to The UK Limmud Conference, and now she is executive director of Israel’s Volcani International Partnerships, repairing devastated farms in southern Israel.

Two Jewish Presidents complete Torah scroll

Israel’s President Herzog and Ukraine’s President Zelensky both wrote a letter in a new Torah scroll for Kyiv’s Great Synagogue, dedicated to peace and unity. Other writers include Israel’s Chief Rabbis, Ukrainian soldiers, relatives of Israeli hostages and bereaved families.

Police clown reduces tension at protests

“Hashoteret Az-Oolay” (Policewoman Then-Maybe) has been a regular fixture at Israeli street demonstrations for the last three or so years. In her big shoes, old-fashioned police uniform and red nose, she aims to connect with all the different kinds of communities in Jerusalem.

A 6-legged gazelle

Some very unusual animals have appeared in Israel recently. Red Heffers, and now this.

Ancient ivory jar reveals local trade & skills

Israeli archaeologists uncovered a 6,000-year-old “amphoriskos” (small oil jar with two handles). Made from an elephant tusk, it is the first of its kind to be found in the region, highlighting its skillful manufacture, plus its trade route location - Horbat Raqiq near Beer-Sheva.

“Garden of Eden” opens

Ubeidiya Jordan Valley national park has three features. First, a prehistoric site. Then adjacent, is Tel Ubeidiya where an inscription of the time of Pharaoh Merneptah (c.1210 BCE) was found mentioning Israel. And finally, Moshav Menahemia, an early Zionist village, was established here in 1901.

Christian support for Israelis

The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews is distributing over NIS 18 million to support 100,000 needy Israelis over Passover. It will focus on war-impacted families, especially the bereaved, families of hostages, wounded soldiers, and evacuees. IFCJ has already distributed NIS 25 million.

Egyptian tour of the Israel Museum

A captivating sTOURytelling and educational experience for adults in Jerusalem’s Israel Museum. Explore ancient and modern history, stories, artifacts, and concepts, and add another dimension to Pesach. Apr 24, 12:30pm – 2:30pm. See also site for free virtual tours and lectures.

Why Israelis are happy despite the war

Historian Gil Troy wrote in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal that the essence of Israeli happiness lies not in the absence of conflict, but in the deep social cohesion, enduring family ties, and a rich tapestry of tradition and history that bind its people, especially evident after Oct 7.

A positive BBC interview of 3 Israeli students

Has the perpetually anti-Israel BBC journalist Jeremy Bowen finally seen the light? There was little to complain about his five-minute interview of three students from Israel’s Ben Gurion University who fought against Hamas in Gaza. Apart from some unsympathetic questions.