Israel Active

One of the Jewish families escaping rising anti-Semitism in France is that of Amy and George Camara and their four children. Originally from the Ivory Coast, they heard much more anti-Semitic abusive remarks from friends who didn’t realize they were Jewish.

The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) has brought another 250 Ukrainian Jews to Israel. Many of them had spent months in shelters or forced to live on the streets.

Israel’s immigrant absorption minister, Sofa Landver, wrote on Nov 8 - Israel’s first Aliya Day – about the new national holiday to celebrate those who have moved from the Lands of Dispersion, to live in the Startup Nation where Aliya is the ultimate personal startup.

12,000 18-30-year-olds are in Israel to participate in long-term Masa (journey) Israel programs, including gap years, study abroad, internships, teaching English to young students, and other post-college initiatives. Many attended a celebratory welcome event in Jerusalem.

AlmaLinks, a group focused on promoting ties between the global Jewish business community and Israel, has started sponsoring its own Birthright-style trip, bringing business executives to Israel to meet their local counterparts. Its first Diaspora delegation visited Israel in September.

Israeli Rabbi Adin Steinsalz established the Global Day of Jewish Learning in 2010 to mark the completion of his 45-year project to produce his commentary on the Talmud. This year, on Nov 20, he invites everyone to join in on-line.

The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) is sponsoring the first wave of renewed Ethiopian Aliya. It has given $500,000 for flying in 523 Ethiopian Jews, plus another 104 Jewish immigrants due to make Aliya soon from France and the Ukraine. Please see video.

The 144-year-old Tiferet Yisrael Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City was destroyed by the Jordanian army in the 1948 War of Independence. Now the Israeli government has approved funds to restore it to its former splendor.

Leonard Cohen, who passed away last week aged 82, was a firm supporter of Israel and visited several times.  Arab Christian Lina Mahoul won the “Voice of Israel” in 2013 with his song “Hallelujah”.  The videos are from concerts in London and in front of 50,000 fans at the Ramat Gan stadium in Tel Aviv in 2009.

On the eve of Yom Kippur, some 1,500 Israelis gathered in Beersheba, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, the Golan Heights and other places, to pray for the people of war-torn Syria.