Israel Active

Latest news about the exciting discoveries at the ancient Jewish village of Huqoq in the Galilee. One mosaic is of Samson and another may depict Alexander the Great.

Every morning, IDF volunteer Ritasue Charlestein takes her guitar and drives to one of Israel's hospitals, wherever there are wounded or sick soldiers. She sings to them and tells them how much we all love and appreciate them. Her message is, "I am here a few minutes for you as a tiny token of my appreciation to you for being here 24/7 for me and for all Am Yisrael".

For the first time ever, Hareidi religious boys are learning cyber defense in a four-year Beit Midrash program, whilst preparing for IDF service. After the first year at Beit Midrash Derech Chaim, 80% of the boys passed the cyber test in which 35% is considered a high achievement.

Nefesh b’Nefesh reports that 2,000 Jews from the USA and Canada are to begin new lives in the Jewish State this summer. Last week 221 (32 families and 53 singles) arrived on a charter flight. 25% are in the “Go North” and Go South” programs to settle in the periphery. In the Youtube, 90-year-old Olah Sue Friedman is coming home. (TY Jacob Richman for photos of the arrival flight)

Almost all Arabs living in Jerusalem used to opt for permanent resident status in order to identify with other Palestinian Arabs in Judea and Samaria. Now, hundreds apply for Israeli citizenship every year. They are abandoning politics for a better quality of life.

The Christian Empowerment Council, an Israeli Christian group headed by Father Gabriel Naddaf, has released a new guide entitled “Test the spirits: A Christian Guide to the Anti-Israel Boycott Movement”. The guide challenges Christian anti-Zionism at the ideological level. =

I highly recommend for an eye-opening tour of Eastern Jerusalem. Did you know that some 300,000 Jews and 250,000 Arabs now live in the area of Jerusalem that Jordan occupied from 1948 to 1967?

Good news for those needing to work after making Aliya. An OECD study shows that Israeli immigrants have a lower unemployment rate than native-born Israelis. This is the reverse of the situation in similar high immigrant countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

CNN reports that devout Jews are joining Israel’s next wave of hi-tech programmers. With no prior computer knowledge, just one year later they can build web and mobile apps. Years of strict religious study is also good training to help think outside of the box or deeper about a problem.

Archeologists have discovered at Megiddo the remains of the garrison of the Roman Sixth Legion that kept order following the Jewish Revolt of 66-70 CE and the Bar Kochba Revolt of 132 to 135 CE. The Jews then lost sovereignty until 1948 and the modern Jewish State.