Israel Active

In the Jewish calendar, the recent three sad weeks are now followed by seven weeks of comfort.  Jerusalem residents are taking the opportunity to enjoy the parks, malls, restaurants, food trucks, beer festival, free music, water fountains and Israeli ice cream.

A Palestinian Arab man saved the lives of three Jews who were shot by Arab terrorists on a road in Judea and Samaria in 2016. He has just been granted permanent residency in Israel. Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked said: "He who saves one life it's as if he saved the entire world.”

Jewish National Fund-USA’s Caravan for Democracy Student Leadership Mission to Israel has brought 40 young non-Jews to Israel to see the country with their own eyes. They explored the country through meetings with political, cultural and communal leaders from different backgrounds and faiths.

Due to the pandemic, this year’s “A Night to Honor Israel” had only 700 physical attendees, although many more watched the live stream. It didn’t impede Pastor John Hagee, whose message was “Israel is not a political issue. Israel is a biblical issue. If you believe the Bible, you will support the Jewish people.”

On the 100th anniversary of the birth of Hannah Szenes, eight IDF paratroopers joined a multinational re-enactment of Hannah’s parachute jump into Slovenia during WW2. Ceremonies were also held on Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl and the Hannah Szenes Museum in Kibbutz Sdot Yam.

Israel has seen a 137% jump in the number of new immigrants from France so far during 2021 compared to the same period last year. 160 new French immigrants to Israel arrived on a special flight from Paris. They included doctors, lawyers, teachers, engineers and 42 under-18s.

Within the space of six days, the Jewish calendar moves from the saddest day (9th Av – Tisha B’Av) to the most romantic day (15th Av – Tu b’Av) which this year coincided with Shabbat and 15 years to the day that Sharon made Aliya to the “Real Jerusalem Streets”.

United Hatzalah EMT Yaeir was desperately trying to locate a woman whose son had requested emergency help but had given an incomplete address. Thankfully, local residents spotted Yaeir running up and down stairs and within 10 minutes he was administering life-saving treatment.

First Lieutenant Shmuel Kirsch has been promoted to Company Commander in the Negev Battalion at the Nevatim Air Force Base. Kirsch is a member of the Chabad Hasidic movement and the first Haredi commander of the Negev Company.

Although the Jerusalem Temples have long been destroyed, some 49 underground cisterns and 42 channels beneath Temple Mount still exist. A new book by journalist and Temple Mount researcher Arnon Segal, “Habayit” (“The Home”), provides a near “virtual” visit to the cisterns.