Israel Active

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.

Here are links to several of Jacob Richman’s websites containing videos, songs and useful information about Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) - the anniversary of the unification of Israel’s capital city during the 1967 Six-Day War.  This year, Jerusalem Day falls on 2nd June.

Sir Frank Lowy, a Holocaust survivor who fought in Israel’s War of Independence and went on to become a billionaire shopping magnate in Australia, has made Aliyah. Lowy was knighted in 2017 for his contribution to the UK economy through his company Westfield.

Staff at Dan Hotel’s King David Jerusalem help pack and deliver food for Ezer Mizion’s Lottie’s Kitchen – the organization that provides meals for families visiting seriously ill patients in Israeli hospitals.  The Dan hotel chain encourages staff to volunteer for charities that help the needy.