Israel Active

Israeli charity Shavei Israel has sponsored the purchase and shipment of nearly 2,000 boxes of matzah for the 4,000 Jews living openly in Poland. The matzah was used at communal Passover sederim across Poland and given out for free to needy, elderly and home-bound Jews.

Israeli citizens went to the polls to vote for their 21st Knesset in the 71-year history of the Modern State of Israel.  It was an exciting event without any hint of violence despite the closeness of the result.

During the Jewish festival of Passover, many museums and events will be free of charge.  Try Jerusalem’s Gazelle Valley Park or Botanical gardens or Pharaoh Mania at the Bible Lands Museum. 40 Israeli museums have free entrance thanks to sponsorship from Bank Hapoalim.

The Israel branch of the World Jewish Congress held a model Passover seder at the Carlton Hotel in Tel Aviv in honor of 30 foreign ambassadors and journalists stationed in Israel. The Ambassador of Honduras found the afikoman and was given a souvenir depicting Jerusalem as his prize.

In Israel’s Gush Etzion region, Beit Bracha Mitzvot Farm offers Jews visiting Israel the opportunity to fulfill Biblical commandments than can only be performed within the boundaries of the Land of Israel. They include planting wheat and olive trees, tending to vineyards, and taking the proper tithes.

Now that the winter rains have subsided, Israeli farmers on the Gaza border are starting their Spring Planting. Many are making the desert grow and thrive by planting new avocado trees. Despite the missiles from Gaza recently, they continue to develop the Negev.

Almost the first words that President Jair Bolsonaro spoke on arriving in the Jewish State were “I love Israel” (in Portuguese). He also made the first visit by a foreign leader to the Kotel (Western Wall) accompanied by an Israeli PM. He then opened a new Brazil-Israel trade mission in Jerusalem.

A bulla (seal impression) and a 2,600-year-old stamp dating back to the First Temple have been found during archaeological excavations in the City of David. The bulla has the words “Nathan-Melech, Servant of the King” - the name of an official of Judean King Josiah (Kings II 23:11)

Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of a Jewish settlement from the Second Temple period at the north entrance to Beer Sheva. They found part of an oil lamp decorated with a nine-branch menorah, vessels used by Jews for ritual purity and tunnels to evade the Romans.

Watch from 1hr 5 mins as the SpaceIL team celebrates Lunar Capture. Then keep watching as Morris Kahn and the Arutz 7 article below suggest some extra-terrestrial reasons for the good progress of the mission.