Israel Active

The Jerusalem Municipality has approved part of the Kidmat Gonen Pinui Binui urban renewal plan in the Katamon neighborhood. It includes five high-rise apartment buildings, 998 affordable housing units, commercial areas, new public areas and upgraded public space.

Just before Rosh Hashana, Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin held a reception for the Ambassadors of all countries that have diplomatic relations with the Jewish State. Between the Ambassadors of Jordan and Egypt sat the President’s Military Secretary Brig General Alaa Abu-Rukan.

Simon Phippen (8) fled Romania when the Nazis invaded in WW2. He was smuggled to England. Meanwhile his cousin Morris Sneh (10) escaped to Italy and immigrated to Israel. 75 years later, Simon’s granddaughter found Morris’s daughter on Facebook and Simon and Morris were reunited in Israel.

And the freshest honey in the land of milk and honey.

Where did the song Hava Nagila originate?  Manuscripts from musician Abraham Zvi Idelsohn, written around 1920, have just been examined in Cincinnati. It sheds light on its origins from Ukraine to Jerusalem and its connection with Eliezer Ben Yehuda, father of Modern Hebrew.

Nefesh B’Nefesh awarded its Bonei (Builders of) Zion prize to Hadassah’s Dr. Ora Paltiel (Epidemiology), Leah Abramowitz of Melabev (aging), Michael Dickson (StandWithUs), Dr. Beverly Gribetz (religious girls’ education) and Danny Hakim (Budo for Peace and Kids Kicking Cancer).

.  Jerusalem U has released 42 of its 54 planned videos about the History of Israel and had some half a million views.  It has also launched its media lab “Unpacked for Educators” of videos and resources to help teachers ask the big questions and allow students to find their own unique answers.

The festivals (“chagim”) in the Jewish month of Tishri in Israel differ to the rest of the world. Everyone is on holiday; meals are celebrations; on Yom Kippur roads only have bicycles; and on Sukkot the national parks are full to capacity. And no-one makes a serious decision until “after the chagim”.

Includes the largest gefilte fish caught in the wild.

The religious community of Yitzhar in Samaria has the highest proportion of kidney donors in Israel. The ten Jewish donors didn’t know any of the recipients, who included secular left-wingers. Their only regret was that they could only donate once. Incredible video.