Israel Active

A new study from Tel Aviv University identified the earliest appearance worldwide of special stone tools, used 400,000 years ago to cut fallow deer meat. The study also named Mounts Ebal and Gerizim (see Books of Deuteronomy & Joshua) as sacred places where fallow deer were plentiful.

Israel’s Ran Kraus has climbed to the summit of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak. He dedicated the achievement to his friend Matan Mordechai Lior, an Oct 7 victim. Krauss has also successfully climbed Kilimanjaro (Africa), Elbrus (Russia), and Aconcagua (Argentina).

Israeli doctors have revived Amina al-Hassouni, the seven-year-old Israeli Bedouin Arab Muslim girl who was critically wounded in Iran's massive missile and drone attack on Israel in April. She had been put into an induced coma whilst surgeons fought to save her life. She is conscious and speaking again.

Archaeologists discovered a 2,300-year-old child’s ring at an excavation in Jerusalem’s City of David archaeological park. The gold and gemstone ring upgrades the previous historical view of the nature and stature of Jerusalem’s inhabitants in the Early Hellenistic Period.

Rabbi Meir Peretz from Ashdod has written a 56 cm (22-inch) mezuzah - roughly a third of the size of an average person. Rabbi Peretz is a certified Sofer (scribe) of the Mishmeret Stam Institute, but admitted it was a very complex task. The mezuzah cost the customer NIS 1500 (approx. $400)

Jacob Richman has updated his Jerusalem pages to include new links for Yom Yerushalayim on June 4th – the anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967 during the 6-day war.

Afeka Academic College of Engineering in Tel Aviv (see previously) has launched the “AsOne” student-support fund. It has allocated NIS 5 million and is raising another NIS 10 million to help the 42% of its students called to active military duty since Oct. 7.

The IDF has commissioned Israel’s Epsilor (see previously) to develop multi-charger racks (MCRs) for batteries in the launchers of its Spike SR and LR precision missiles. Epsilor manufactures millions of batteries and chargers for scores of customers around the world.

Gilad Segev’s Project Heroes is an immersive multimedia show that weaves together recorded and live music, music videos and documentary scenes - in English or in Hebrew with English subtitles - to honor the unexpected heroes of Oct 7 and its aftermath. All profits go to those impacted by Oct 7 events.

Cafe Otef in Tel Aviv’s Sarona complex supports survivors from Gaza envelope communities. Seven of the hardest-hit communities will each have their own rent-free cafe run by their own residents, where they can gather, work, and chat with locals who come in to support them.