Israel Active

The Academy of the Hebrew Language has published a list of 1,400 new words and phrases it recently approved. One unusual example, requested by environmentalists, is the waste product from extracting oil from olives. The new word is “mohal” and has its origins in Talmudic texts.

Marine archaeologists have found a 2,200-year-old maritime fortress off the coast at Tel Dor, south of Haifa. The site, mentioned in biblical texts, was built by a Hellenistic ruler during the period of the Hasmoneans. The fortress in underwater due to the sea level rising over the centuries.

Tens of thousands of flag-waving Israelis marched through Jerusalem to mark the unification of Jerusalem’s eastern and western sectors in the 1967 Six Day War. See Jacob Richman’s photos – click on the first link and then on the arrows. And worth watching the Six-Day-War video.

40,000 participated in the annual Celebrate Israel Parade in Manhattan. A delegation of diplomats from around the world took part, including UN ambassadors from Australia, Germany, Ukraine, Norway, Nigeria and several other countries. The theme of the event was “Rak B’Yisrael – Only in Israel”

A delegation of governors and congress members from Brazil were visiting the archaeological dig in Shiloh where the Jewish tabernacle was sited over 3,000 years ago. During the visit, a coin was discovered dating from the time of the Hasmoneans, some 2,000 years ago.

The city of Achziz in Northern Israel dates to the Israelite tribe of Asher in the Bible. It is also mentioned in the Book of Judges. Its beach has some breathtaking scenery.

Yishai Fleisher (JewishPress.com) takes us on a fascinating adventure in the famous Ir Davide (City of David) in Jerusalem. We see the connections between the Biblical history of the Jewish people in Israel and the modern-day discoveries of archeological evidence.

An injured brown turtle was discovered in distress, during a survey of dolphins, 3 miles off Israel’s Mediterranean coast. It was brought to Israel’s national Sea Turtle Rescue Center where an ultrasound scan revealed it urgently needed help to lay its eggs. The Israeli rescuers duly obliged.

I reported last week on the Bar and Bat Mitzvot in Jerusalem for hearing impaired children. Sharon has since written more about the event and includes many fabulous photos including that of Jewish Agency chair Isaac Herzog.

Yonatan Langer belonged to a neo-Nazi group but was questioning its aims and looking for spirituality. Then he had a strange dream which inspired him to learn about kabbalah. He has since converted to Judaism and made Aliya.