Israel Active

The NGO Israel Resilience together with the OU-JLIC (Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus) has given US students volunteering in Israel the task of giving support to the wives of IDF reservists. They visit, hand them gift cards, and offer them thanks.

Over 150 young immigrants from the US, Canada, UK, and other countries are currently arriving in Israel as part of the Garin Tzabar Scouts program. After four months in an absorption program they will enlist in the IDF. Garin Tzabar has supported 7,000+ lone soldiers during its 33 years.

In the new budget, Israel’s Foreign Ministry will receive an extra $150 million for public diplomacy - more than 20 times that typically allotted in past years. One focus will be US college campuses, in cooperation with US Jewish groups and the Diaspora Affairs Ministry.

Peter Yarrow, the Jewish member of the 60’s folk group Peter, Paul & Mary, passed away last week at the age of 86. Remember “If I had a hammer”, “Where have all the flowers gone?” and “Puff the magic dragon”? Peter’s “Light one candle” recalls the Maccabees Chanukah fight to preserve Judaism.  (see awards)

Israel’s capital city was full of Chanukah, construction and color, to welcome 2025. Thanks, Sharon, for including a link to .

Israel’s Foreign Ministry is to fly a stone from the Western Wall to the upcoming 2025 World Expo to be held in Osaka (Apr to Oct). Israel Antiques Authority representatives will assist with its (temporary) removal. Five years ago a stone from the Kotel was transported to a US exposition.

ALYN Hospital and Sheba Medical Center have developed a device enabling amputees to put on tefillin independently.  It is already helping injured soldiers, restoring dignity and accessibility.  “It gave me back my independence,” said one user.

U.S.-supplied THAAD air defense system successfully intercepted its first ballistic missile, launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen. “18 years waiting for this” says one of the American soldiers operating the system.

20,000+ dunams of Galilee forest have been consumed by fires ignited by Hezbollah rocket strikes and interceptor fragments. But KKL-JNF’s chief forester Gilad Ostrovsky is sure that once burnt trees have been removed, the forest will regenerate naturally. Just as Israelis will return to the North.

I don’t know why this has not been widely reported (oh yes I do!). The Deir el-Balah desalination plant in central Gaza has resumed operations. Since being reconnected to Israel’s electricity grid last month, the plant has produced thousands of cubic meters of drinkable water per day.