Israel Active

United Hatzalah volunteers respond to an average of 1,800 calls every 24 hours. On 1st Nov the NGO launched its 24 by 24 campaign to raise two months’ worth of lifesaving by 24th Nov. Each $1800 dollars will fund 24 hours of lifesaving.

The JNF is celebrating Veterans Day on 11th Nov with a virtual tour of Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem, the historic site of the battle for the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967. The Wall of Honor at the site bears the names of more than 500 Jewish veterans who have served their countries.

The Israeli government is co-sponsoring a $2.5 million project Limmud Labs. It aims to enlist former Soviet Jews to bolster Jewish community life in the FSU. Celebrities like Sergey Brin (Google) Jan Koum (WhatsApp) and Max Levchin (PayPal) can forge bridges between the FSU and Israel.

US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman presented the first-ever US passport to list Jerusalem as part of Israel. He gave the new travel document to an 18-year-old US citizen, who had fought twice in the US Supreme Court to have his place of birth shown as Jerusalem, Israel.

On the week of Yom Ha’Aliyah, Israel welcomed its 16,000th immigrant of 2020. The second article describes some of the Anglo-Israelis who were key to the founding of the State. They include Chaim Weizmann, David (Mickey) Marcus, Gold Meir, Abba Eban and Henrietta Szold.

A 70-year-old former immigrant from Moldova, remarried his wife at a ceremony in their hometown of Nof Hagalil. It was his 3rd ceremony in a month following conversion to Judaism and Bar Mitzvah. They had a civil marriage 47 years ago, but now decided to have a Jewish wedding.

A montage from Yom Kippur to Sukkot. It includes street prayers, colorful clouds, building, harvest moon, clean streets, the 4 species, small porch sukkahs, President Rivlin’s virtual sukkah and a mobile sukkah pulled by a bicycle.

Fascinating archival 1955 recording of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik ("The Rav") describing the miraculous events leading to the founding of the modern Jewish State. He stated that “were one to document (the history of) the United Nations, they accomplished nothing else.”

This article describes many of the acts of kindness that Israelis perform to help other members of the Startup community. They include rent-free offices, networking, brainstorming, training, sharing data and referrals to investors. Although competition is fierce, Israeli entrepreneurs want others to succeed too.

A bridegroom’s father was in Hadassah hospital’s Covid-19 ward. So the Yad Avraham organization arranged for the young couple to be married under the father’s hospital window so he could watch. The number of celebrants was restricted, and all wore facemasks, but tears of joy were visible.