Israel Active

Tens of thousands of Israelis crowded into the Kotel (Western Wall) Plaza to watch the ceremony dedicating 75 new Torah scrolls – one for each Israeli that fell in last summer’s Operation Protective Edge. This event typifies Israelis’ positive response to tragedy - part of resilience that has kept Jewish people through so many difficult times. And please read about the 76th scroll.

Felix and Feige Bandos, 94 and 90 have just made Aliya. The two Holocaust survivors arrived in Israel to a warm welcome from their family. "I'm glad I'm here," Felix said upon arrival. "This is the right place to be.”

UK Member of Parliament Sir Eric Pickles writes that Israel has held on to its central ethics while embracing modernity. Israel is a country that boasts the history of Jerusalem’s Old City alongside its title as a world leader in biotech and cyber-security. This tiny spit of land along the Mediterranean is not just one of modern history’s most unlikely success stories, but a vital partner and ally to the United Kingdom. And its humanitarian heart also beats strong.

Kevan Green, a member of my local Netanya synagogue, cycled the 2,900 km from Romford, Essex to Laniado Hospital in Netanya, Israel in four weeks, beginning on his 30th wedding anniversary. He raised £17,000 for the hospital and was featured on Israel’s Channel 1 News.   

Thousands of Israelis stayed up all night to watch the skies and enjoy a magnificent, unobstructed view of the Aug 12th Perseids meteor shower. Six thousand gathered at the Mitzpe Ramon crater in the Negev where there was no interference from urban lights or pollution.

Israeli archaeologists at Bar-Ilan University have discovered an entrance gate and other remnants of the Philistine city of Gath, which was mentioned in the bible as the home of the giant Goliath, who fought and lost against the man who later became King David.

The death of the bride’s father led many invited guests to believe that the wedding was canceled and only 10 relatives turned up. One of them used Facebook to request strangers to fulfill the mitzvah of making the bride and groom happy. Over 1,000 people came out to celebrate.

Archeologists have excavated a ritual bath (mikve) dating to the time of the Second Temple (first century CE) inside an underground cave in Jerusalem. The walls were adorned with paintings and Aramaic inscriptions in cursive Hebrew script.

Israel365, an Israeli NGO that promotes the biblical significance of the Jewish state to Evangelical Christian Zionists, presented Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein with a “Jerusalem Covenant” proclamation signed by more than 50,000 people affirming the unity of Jerusalem.

I know it was 12 Mar 2014, but I missed British Prime Minister David Cameron’s speech to the Israeli Parliament then. He revealed that Israeli technology was protecting British troops in Afghanistan. I just wanted to make sure that you hadn’t missed the speech too.