Israel Active

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.

A huge 3rd-4th century CE ceramic oil-lamp workshop has been discovered during excavations by Israeli archaeologists in Beit Shemesh. Lamps and molds bore both Jewish and Christian symbols. The site was originally discovered in 1934 but the location was subsequently forgotten.

Morocco has agreed to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. At the Kotel Chanukah lighting, Israel’s PM said, “The light of peace has never shone brighter than today”. Each country will open diplomatic offices in each other’s country. There will also be direct flights between the two countries.

Just in time for Chanukah. A City of David archaeologist has discovered an intact oil lamp from the Second Temple Hasmonean period, over 2,000 years ago. It was found while excavating Jerusalem’s ancient Pilgrimage Road, adjacent to the Western Wall.