Israel Active

120+ soldiers from 27 countries participated in the Givati Brigade Association’s Lone Soldiers Day at Metzudat Yoav near Kibbutz Sde Yoav. Personal meetings addressed individual needs. Group workshops explored housing subsidies, living expenses, Shabbat meals and family environments.

For Christian readers living in the UK.

I know it’s a long way off, but readers might wish to plan for the JNF-USA’s Global Conference for Israel Nov 30 – Dec 3 in Denver Colorado. See Israeli innovation up close and take part in one of the largest Shabbat dinners ever.

Ninety Ukrainian Jewish refugees have just arrived in Israel on a chartered flight made possible by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ). The refugees originally chose to stay behind in Ukraine but have since been forced out of their former homes by the fighting.

At the 11th Israel Space Week, Israeli astronaut Eytan Stibbe returned to President Herzog the glass cube that he carried to the International Space Station. It was inscribed with the Prayer for the Welfare of State of Israel instituted by Israel’s Chief Rabbi Herzog – The President’s grandfather.

Amit Erdan, son of Israel's Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan, put on tefillin for the first time as he celebrated his Bar Mitzvah in New York. They were both surprised and overjoyed when the Ambassador’s parents arrived from Israel to celebrate the occasion.

This recent article about the non-Jewish soil conservationist Walter Clay Lowdermilk graphically illustrates the transformation of the barren 19th century Land of Israel into one of the most lush, fruit-yielding areas in the world. An appropriate reminder for the Jewish New Year for Trees.

93-year-old Esther Cohen escaped to mandate Palestine in 1938. She and canine scientist Rudolphina Menzel established Haganah’s canine unit, the forerunner of the modern-day IDF Oketz Unit. The dogs were trained for guard duty, search & rescue, messengers and spying.

Hurry to register for these online series of classes provided by partners of the JNF-USA. “Israel Explained: Through the Lens of History”, by Laureen Lipsky, CEO & Founder, Taking Back the Narrative; and “Zionism Today”, by Rabbi Uri Pilichowski of Nefesh B’Nefesh.

3,000 delegates at the 8th Israeli-American Council (IAC) Summit in Austin, Texas, heard mega-bloggers give advice on how to advocate for Israel. They included Emily Austin (1 million on Instagram), London Lazerson (9.4 million on TikTok) and Nusair Yassin (21 million on Facebook).