Israel Active

I reported previously on the Birthright Israel Excel program that brings Jewish students from top universities in the US and Canada to internships in Israeli companies. Since 2010, nearly 800 students have been mentored to become business leaders with strong ties to the Jewish State.

Onward Israel is a subsidized program for students and recent graduates interested in exploring areas of work in the Jewish State. Largely supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, participants experience unique, practical internships with Israeli companies and educational institutions.

Immigration to Israel by Jews and their relatives rose to just over 16,000 in the first half of 2019 – an increase of nearly 30% compared to the corresponding period last year. Some three-quarters came from countries formerly part of the Soviet Union.

Newsletter supporter and blogger Sharon visited the Sifting Project in Jerusalem’s Zurim Valley and experienced the excitement of discovering artifacts and remains from over 3,000 years of Jewish settlement in Jerusalem. She also photographed many of the city’s excavations.

Moshav Naama is one of 21 communities in the Jordan Valley that produces Medjoul dates. 35 years ago, the whole area was desert. Then Jewish farmers used drip irrigation and purified wastewater to turn the valley into an oasis of date orchards, reviving a crop that thrived there in biblical times.

Following on from a similar event in Feb 2018 , over 10,000 Hindus united in a major rally in Kolkata, India to denounce terrorism and show support for Israel. Flooded roads and bumper-to-bumper traffic prevented many more from attending the rally.

Happy ending to an amazing and traumatic 30-year journey for Suzi Makoriel and her 3 children. They finally arrived in Israel after being kidnapped in Sudan on the way from Ethiopia to Israel. After a 10-year separation, Suzy was re-united with her own mother.

University students Eliav Marland and Etti Davidov will marry this coming week. They met thanks to cancer charity Zichron Menachem having both recovered from cancer treatment. A lovely story to celebrate Tu b’Av (15th of Av) - the Jewish traditional day of romance.

Holocaust survivor Shoshana Ovitz celebrated her celebrated her 104th birthday at the Western Wall in Jerusalem together with 90% of her descendants - over 400 children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren.

The Jerusalem municipality has instigated several sanitation reforms in order to improve the environment and quality of life in the capital. These include garbage disposal on Saturday night, additional cleaning companies, removing abandoned vehicles and cleaning historic buildings.