Israel Active

Herut North America presented its Ari Fuld Z”L Zionist Activist Of the Year Award to Ben Goldstein. Ben made Aliya in 1996 as a lone soldier; his Goldstein Experience website shows the beauty and history of Israel; his security expertise, videos and Unity Warriors website help protect the Jewish State.

There are currently 7,500 Masa Israel Journey participants from over 60 countries on programs to learn, teach, volunteer and intern in the Jewish state. In its 16th programming year, despite the pandemic, Masa has seen a 36% increase in applications for its programs.

Some special guests attended the Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony at the Kotel (Western Wall) in Jerusalem on Monday. Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch said, “It is a Hanukkah miracle to see a delegation from the Emirates and Bahrain that is taking part in the candle-lighting.”

252 members of the Bnei Menashe community from India, who retain their tradition of being a “lost tribe” of Israel, landed at Ben Gurion Airport during Chanukah. It follows months of preparation by the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration and the Shavei Israel organization.

Mark Halawa lights his Chanukiah in Jerusalem and recalls his unique journey as a Kuwaiti Muslim to Orthodox Judaism. Mark’s Jewish maternal grandmother married a Jordanian Muslim. The family moved to Kuwait and then Canada where Mark approached a Chabad Rabbi.

These words were said by the first Bahraini woman to make an official visit to the Jewish State. Mashael Al-Shemeri is a member of an Emirati and Bahraini delegation visiting Israel. “I won’t say Al-Quds or Jerusalem, but Yerushalayim. Thank God this dream has become a reality,” she said.

Despite the pandemic, Jerusalem was illuminated by Chanukiot (Chanukah candelabras) everywhere – in public areas, shopping malls, parks, outdoor cafes and on gates to private houses.  The festival may now be over, but its light remains with us.

Israel hosted (virtually) the fourth International Jewish Media Summit. Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin said, “The role of the Jewish media is so important, not only for helping us all stay connected to our communities but for being the voice of the communities ….”

The project to build the first World Zionist Village (reported previously) was launched virtually on 2nd Dec. with over 500 JNF-USA donors attending. A competition was also initiated to design key elements including dormitories, classrooms, conference center and gardens.

Daniel Ackerman from Boca Raton has won a competition sponsored by the Israeli-American Council to design a specialty vehicle license plate saying that “Florida Stands with Israel.”  The competition’s judges included Florida lawmakers from both the Democrat and Republican parties.