Israel Active

Excellent lecture by Rabbi Dr Jonathan Lieberman. He suggests that Ezekiel’s prophecy of the return of the lost tribes of Israel is becoming a reality.

On 18th July 2010, the very first issue of the VeryGoodNewsIsrael newsletter was emailed only to some 30 family and friends.  Current editions now reach many thousands every week. For information in the newsletters, search by subject or keyword.

Last year, in his “Covenant and Conversation” essay on this week’s Torah portion (Masei), ex-UK Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks wrote “Only in Israel can the Jewish people construct a political system, an economy, and an environment on the template of Jewish values.”

Jerusalem has started building part of an $870 million major highway that will serve as a ring road around Israel’s capital city, with the goal of significantly alleviating traffic throughout the capital. It will complete the “American Road” which was planned in the 1960s but halted due to the Six-Day War.

Rabbanit Shira Sapir is the 9th woman to have completed the 5-year course of studies in Ohr Torah Stone's Susi Bradfield Women's Institute of Halakhic Leadership. Certified as Morat Hora'ah and Spiritual Leader, she is authorized to provide direction in matters of Jewish Law.

The renovations and replanting in Jerusalem’s Sacher Park have made a huge improvement to one of the largest public outside green spaces in Israel’s capital.

Imagine this conversation around 150,000 years ago, when several painted clam shells were strung together on wild flax to form the earliest necklace ever discovered. They were found during excavations in a cave in northern Israel. It is also the earliest known use of string.

Born on route to Israel during Operation Solomon, 29-year-old Ethiopian Israeli Ashagar Araro is founder of Battae, an Ethiopian Heritage center in the heart of Tel Aviv. Israeli and international visitors experience the joy of Ethiopian culture through food, dance and art.

Archaeologists have unearthed, just outside Jerusalem’s Old City, evidence of resettlement after the Babylonian exile of 586 BCE. A clay “official” seal impression, and a pottery sherd seal, indicate that Jews were rebuilding Jerusalem in the 6th century BCE.

Three videos of Israel's top jazz singer Elana Watson, who was born to Christian Zionists in June 1967 (during the six-day war); then moved to Israel and converted to Judaism. (Elana reading her story – 8 minutes)   (longer interview)   (Elana singing “Awake O Israel” composed by her mother)