Israel Active

Bar-Ilan University has inaugurated a new Impact Center for Research on Judaism in Israel and North America (RJIN). Headed by Prof. Adam Ferziger, the new center aims to develop models to improve relations between Jews in Israel and America. It includes a think tank and an MA program.

Although it isn’t official yet, the Central American state of Guatemala has become the first country to physically relocate its embassy to Jerusalem.  The Guatemalan flag was seen flying high in the sky above the Malha Technology Park in the Israeli capital, its new location. The official opening is May 14.

Five young women from the ancient Chinese-Jewish community of Kaifeng underwent formal conversion in an emotional ceremony at the Jerusalem Rabbinical Court. The five made Aliyah in Feb 2016 via the nonprofit Shavei Israel, which supported them afterwards.

The Dead Sea Scrolls digitization project has used advanced imaging technology developed for NASA to reveal script invisible to the human eye. New fragments were discovered and identified from the books of Deuteronomy, Leviticus, Psalms, Jubilees and the Temple Scroll.

Evelyn Gordon’s pre-Independence Day article explains why 90% of Israelis classify themselves as Zionists. Also, despite “complaining” being almost “the national sport”, Israelis are among the world’s happiest people.

Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes told attendees at a special event marking Israel’s 70th anniversary that his country would relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. President Cartes said he hoped to perform the relocation before the end of his term in mid-August.

Great story on the BBC website about the Israeli scuba diving center on the Sudanese coast that was really a secret base from which Israel’s Mossad ran “Operation Moses” – flying thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Israel from their temporary camp in the Sudan desert.

The Beautiful Land Initiative (BLI) aims to clean up the litter in Israel through the help of volunteers and businesses. Israel is holy and needs to be kept clean and beautiful. Their Pesach video shows them cleaning up the Kinneret shore.

On the eve of Israel's 70th Independence Day, Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson surprised the 650 audience at the 18th annual Taglit-Birthright Israel gala by donating $70 million to the project. Since its inception in 2000, Taglit-Birthright has brought over 600,000 Jewish youths to Israel.

The Czech Republic is to start moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Czech President Miloš Zeman, ended his speech at a Prague Castle event to celebrate Israel’s 70th anniversary with “Next Year in Jerusalem”.