Israel Active

Archaeologists at Tel Ashkelon National Park have found a magnificent 2,000-year-old Roman basilica - the largest of its kind in Israel. Herodian coins in the floor show it was built during the reign of Herod the Great, around the time he extended the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.

This week’s Real Jerusalem Streets features the rebuilding of the Schneller Compound (see previously) which will house a new interactive museum to feature historic and current Jewish communities from around the world.

After a gap of a year, the first Birthright Israel group has landed in Israel. The 10-day educational tour will take the vaccinated US students to Jerusalem, Masada, the Dead Sea, the Golan Heights, Safed, and Tel Aviv. Many more trips are planned from June to October.

Coins were minted by the Romans in CE 71 to celebrate their defeat of the Jews of Judea. Coins minted earlier by Jews were inscribed “For the freedom of Zion” (Jerusalem).  Coins of both type were found in Jerusalem and in 1958 Israel minted a medallion depicting both coins to signify that Zion is again free.

Masa Israel Teaching Fellows (MITF) is celebrating its 10-year milestone. MITF has brought some 1,700 college graduates from countries including the US, Canada and UK as volunteer English teachers at schools in 19 Israeli cities.

Over 30 communities in the US have teamed up with Israel’s Colel Chabad to provide gift packages to young children in Yavne, Ashdod and Sderot. The age-appropriate gifts included books and hand-written notes to help the Israeli children through a scary, confusing time.

IDF Paratrooper Liron and his IDF bride Yarona decided to help Israel defend against Hamas rather than embark on their honeymoon. They decided to gift their honeymoon B&B break in Israel to a couple in the South allowing them to get respite from the thousands of Hamas rockets.

Shavuot - The Jewish festival of Weeks, also known as Pentecost, celebrates the first time in history that the Jewish people were united. They were described in the singular when receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai. This year, Jews are again united in defending Israel against terrorists and antisemitism.

Hundreds of Jews and Arabs marched for coexistence near Jerusalem between the Arab town of Abu Ghosh and the Jewish community of Mevaseret Zion. Pro-unity demonstrations also took place in Haifa and the Jezreel Valley. At Israeli hospitals, Jewish and Arab medics sang together in favor of peace.

Last week, philanthropists Mark and Erica Gerson matched all donations to Israeli Emergency Medical NGO United Hatzalah up to $1 million.