Israel Active

US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and his wife Tammy have donated $50,000 to Leket Israel, the country’s largest food aid organization. It isn’t the first time the ambassador has helped an Israeli food bank

The Helmsley Charitable Trust announced an emergency grant of $11 million. It will be used to set up COVID-19 wards in 7 Israeli hospitals and to transform Hasharon Hospital into a dedicated COVID-19 facility.

Jews globally prayed virtually on Zoom to end the spread of COVID-19. The gathering, led by Israel’s Chief Rabbis David Lau and Yitzchak Yosef, is believed to be the largest joint prayer ever held. Meanwhile Jewish, Moslem and Christian leaders came together to pray in Jerusalem.

In a historic first, El Al flew a commercial flight directly from Israel to Australia to evacuate Israelis stranded due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 17-hour flight landed in Perth and took off several hours later. It carried 230 Israelis, including 80 who went to Perth from New Zealand.

Prayers for rain have worked. The Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) is at a 16-year high - just short of the upper red line. At that level, the Dganya Dam should be opened to prevent flooding. A little more rain is forecast, plus the melting snow from Mount Hermon should push it over the line.

Immigration to Israel continues despite the coronavirus pandemic. 961 immigrants have arrived in Israel since the beginning of March., They included 72 Ethiopian immigrants from the Falash Mura community.  All new immigrants have to spend their first 2 weeks in self-isolation.

Israel showed again that it doesn’t abandon its citizens. El Al planes have brought back 40 from Ghana, 600 from Ukraine (on 4 flights), including 160 mostly Arab-Israeli students from Odessa. Other missions include from Italy, Ethiopia, Thailand and Croatia.

Itzik Garber piloted one of 4 El Al planes that flew 16 hours and over 12,000km to Peru to rescue 1,000 Israelis stranded by the coronavirus outbreak. After a 4-hour break on the ground, Captain Garber flew his Boeing 787 Dreamliner with hundreds of Israelis for another 15 hours back home to Israel.

Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin went on-line to give parents a break. He said, “Read along with me, the whole family or just the children (and take the time for a coffee, without your phone).” He then read the children’s book “A Room for Rent,” by Leah Goldberg.

Barkai Center for Practical Rabbinics and Community Development has set-up a food-distribution system using WhatsApp groups, for homebound Israelis. Over 250 volunteers deliver cooked meals three times a week to vulnerable, elderly residents in each of Modi’in’s 13 neighborhoods.