Israel Active

A 132 CE “Freedom of Israel” coin dating back to the Bar Kochba revolt, was discovered between the Temple Mount and the City of David in Jerusalem. Of over 22,000 coins found in the area of the Old City in Jerusalem, only four are dated to the period of the Bar Kochba revolt.

The coronavirus pandemic has had an enormous impact on the 18 charities that Myisrael supports. The elderly need virtual support, poor families need food, Ethiopian Israeli students need computers, cancer patients need transport and therapy horses need stabling. Please help if you can.

During the first ever visit by the Vizhnitzer Rebbe to the Israeli Prime Minister’s residence, the Rebbe praised the PM for his handling of the coronavirus crisis. “We see that in Eretz Yisrael we have a special siyata Dishamaya (protection from Above),” the Rebbe said.

A second rescue flight this month brought Israeli civilians from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Israel. Of the 89 passengers, there were 25 Olim (new immigrants). Meanwhile, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews worked for months to bring in 53 Olim from Ukraine and 44 from Uzbekistan and Georgia.

All-star Rose Bowl NFL running back Yosef (Calvin) Murray and his wife Emunah (Jeri) were both born Christian. They were youth pastors at a Messianic church but “got too Jewish”. They converted to Judaism through the Chabad, made Aliya and now live in Ma’aleh Adumin.

Israel saluted the diaspora by projecting the flags of countries that are home to Jewish communities hard hit by COVID-19 on the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. Minister of Diaspora Affairs Tzipi Hotovely said, “Israel sends a big hug to our brothers throughout the world”

Aliya organization Nefesh b’Nefesh received 455 Aliya applications from the US in April. Another 642 have downloaded and are working on their applications. Both numbers are 50% higher than in April 2019. Meanwhile, 18 American new Olim have just arrived in Israel, on a NbN group flight.

Micha'el Derek Tanju was born in Darfur. At the age of 3 his parents were murdered by terrorists. He escaped to Israel in 2008. After graduating and National Service, he converted to Judaism and is currently studying computer science at the Jerusalem College of Technology.

The Western Wall (Kotel) Plaza in Jerusalem has re-opened to worshippers living outside the Old City. Up to 300 worshippers are allowed to pray in the Plaza simultaneously All must wear masks and stay in marked areas to maintain social distances.

An orthodox Jew from Jerusalem found a wallet with over 40,000 shekels ($11,000). He wouldn’t rest until he found the owner - a Palestinian Arab from Bethlehem - and returned the money to him.