Israel Active

Israel will admit organized groups of 5 to 30 vaccinated and tested tourists from “green, yellow and orange” countries, including the US and UK, starting on Sep 19. Birthright is to resume its tours and Masa’s Israel Journey already has. Masa is also bringing 165 English teachers to Israel.

Tel Rechov in Northern Israel is mentioned in Egyptian manuscripts. Archaeologists have unearthed artifacts related to honey production and beeswax that was used by the Egyptians. Byzantine-period inscriptions show that Jews lived there during the 3rd to 6th centuries CE.

The year 5782 on the Jewish calendar, starting Sep 6, is a sabbatical year for the Land of Israel. This article describes how religious Israeli farmers follow the Biblical commandment not to farm their fields in the seventh year.  There is even an Israeli Ministry of Agriculture Unit for Agriculture According to the Torah.

Michael, a United Hatzalah volunteer EMT, received a surprise invitation – to the wedding of Dikla, who he had saved after she had been stabbed by a terrorist six years previously. Michael had used his own fingers as a makeshift tourniquet until help arrived, otherwise Dikla would have had only minutes to live.

Nefesh b’Nefesh (NbN) brought 1,000 North American Olim (immigrants) to Israel during August - surpassing any other month in the organization's history. NbN has brought more than 3,000 olim to the country this summer - well on the way to its target of 4,500-5,000 Olim by the end of 2021.

Hannah, one of the Judean date palms at Kibbutz Ketura that was grown from a 2,000-year-old seed (see previously), has produced a huge crop of dates this year. It dwarfs the 111 dates produced last year and visitors to the kibbutz’s research center might even be able to buy some.   (video shows last year’s crop being harvested) (video explaining the history of the project)

Some 6,200 elderly Israelis at Amigour sheltered housing sites across the country will receive care packages for Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year). Worth around 120 NIS, they include wine, honey, honey cake, jam and other goods like pasta, rice, tuna, couscous and oil.

President Isaac Herzog hosted their first annual New Year reception for some 100 foreign diplomats stationed in Israel. President Herzog thanked the foreign diplomats for their work strengthening the ties of peace and friendship between Israel and their nations.

Israel is distributing grants to every medical and health-system employee involved in treating COVID-19 patients. Each will receive a multi-use debit card containing NIS 1,000, distributed via hospitals and Israel’s four Health Management Organizations.

Israel’s postal service reports a 3-fold increase in the number of letters it has received in 2021 addressed to the Kotel (Western Wall) in Jerusalem compared with last year. Rabbi of the Wall Shmuel Rabinovitch, placed hundreds of notes between the stones ahead of the Jewish New Year holiday.