Israel Active

The Oceania nation of Papua New Guinea will open its first embassy in Israel in Jerusalem this year. It will join the U.S., Guatemala, Honduras, and Kosovo in recognizing Israel’s capital.

Minutes before Shabbat, a 7-year-old Rehovot girl suffered cardiac arrest. Thanks to the fast response of United Hatzalah EMTs, CPR, and five shocks from their defibrillator, the girl’s pulse returned. When the EMTs visited her in hospital after Shabbat, she was watching TV, alive and well.

The SonShine Association donated 7,500 mishloach manot packages via El Al and Arkia flight attendants to passengers flying on Purim. They were asked to pass along their package to a fellow Jew at their destination. The project is in memory of 3 Israeli teens murdered in 2014.

The corneas of the two Israeli brothers shot by a terrorist were transplanted into the eyes of four Israelis at Beilinson Medical Center in Petach Tikvah. The brothers’ parents said, “The kind and beautiful eyes of Hallel and Yagel will continue to illuminate our world.”

UK Aliya Advisors is hosting two free on-line talks to help make a successful Aliyah (before & after the move). The first deals with taxation planning and the second will discuss mortgages for Anglos. Register quickly – it’s on Sun March 19th at 5 - 6:30pm UK time.

The Sulamot organization has been awarded the Jerusalem Prize for Education and Judaism. It has been conducting religious education initiatives for 15 years and prides itself on connecting “amazing Jewish youth” to “amazing Torah”. It teaches in a language that speaks to the young generation.

The Holon Adloyada Purim parade was back to its pre-pandemic grandeur. Thousands of marchers and dancers garbed in glittery costumes promenaded down the central Israeli city's streets accompanied by gigantic floats.

Israeli charity Beit Issie Shapiro and the Holon Institute of Technology have partnered to design adaptive costumes so that children with mobility issues can still celebrate the Jewish festival of Purim this coming week. Each design comes with a 3-min instruction video for parents.

Last week a 100-year-old Israeli man got married. This week 101-year-old Sandy Goldstein and his 97-year-old wife Rosalie made Aliyah to Netanya from New Jersey. They join their daughter Risa, five grandchildren and their spouses, and 12 great grandchildren, all of whom live in Israel.

Gvanim Ramon is designed for Israeli American women living in the US for several years, as well as for the second generation of Israeli immigrants to the US. It strengthens their connection to Israel and Jewish identity. It organizes delegations to Israel in Spring (15-23 May) and Fall.