Israel Active

40 years after the most daring rescue in the history of the Jewish State, former hostages and commandos recall the event that grabbed the attention and admiration of the world.

The Knesset officially enacted a national day to celebrate Aliyah (immigration).  Yom Ha’Aliyah will be celebrated on 7 Cheshvan (October-November), coinciding with the week of the Torah portion in which Abraham is commanded by God to migrate to the Land of Israel.

Herzog College in the Judean town of Alon Shvut has developed a website to access the Bible.  Google of the Bible offers a search engine, biblical-era maps linked to contemporary satellite pictures, thematic cross-references, terminology, idioms, commentary, videos, curriculums and artwork.

Israel is to introduce legislation exempting those over 80 from having to stand in line at post offices, banks, theaters, cinemas, supermarkets and more.  Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel quoted the biblical proverb from Leviticus, “Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly”.

Every summer the Jewish National Fund sends a herd of around 500 sheep to the fields surrounding the Israeli city of Modi’in.  The sheep help prevent fires by eating dried grass and thistles. They also lower the herbarium, giving smaller plant species the opportunity to develop and blossom.

Ronny W – an ex-Israeli tank commander, now music artist – recorded this tribute for the recent Jerusalem Day.  It combines “Jerusalem of Gold” with “If I forget you Jerusalem”.  It received over 100,000 hits on Ronny’s Facebook site in one day.

Israeli charity Yad Eliezer has set up a new Crowdfunding site where you can directly support campaigns to save individual lives.  Contributions are tax-deductible for US tax payers.

During the traumatic task of clearing up after a multi-vehicle accident, Yisroel Fischer saw one of the body bags move – a baby girl had come back to life.  Years later, Yisroel, a volunteer driver for Ezer Mizion, transported a mother and daughter.  He then realized that the baby he had saved was now the young girl in the back of his car.

Nadim is a Palestinian Arab. Ariel is an Israeli/American Jew.  Nadim speaks only Arabic.  Ariel speaks English and Hebrew.  These two boys communicate as only little kids can. Ariel and Nadim chase each other in their wheelchairs, play table basketball together, and just laugh.

Two religious Jewish boys in Jerusalem heard a blind Arab man say he didn’t have enough money to buy his medicine.  So they played their guitars and raised the required 70 shekels.  They then went to the pharmacy and bought him his medicine.