Stamps for centenary of NILI
Two of the new stamps issued in December commemorate the founding of NILI – the Jewish organization that helped the British in World War 1 to defeat the Turks in pre-State Israel.
It’s never too late to laugh
I missed sending out this link to amusing Chanukah videos during the Festival of Light. But hopefully you will still be able to appreciate them, during these long (Northern hemisphere) nights.
Israel’s Jewish pedigree is rock solid
Excellent analysis of the major discoveries of Biblical proportions, during excavations in the Land of Israel.
Paralyzed groom walks down the aisle
Dudu Shevy was paralyzed in a car accident 12 years ago. Thanks to Amit Goffer, founder of Israel’s ReWalk, Dudu surprised his family by walking down the aisle to his bride wearing a ReWalk exoskeleton loaned to him for his wedding day.
Israel celebrates Accessibility Shabbat
An “Accessibility Shabbat” was held in communities across Israel on 5 Dec 2015, to highlight the need for greater respect for the handicapped and disabled within the religious community, and in Israeli society in general. Events were led by the Tzohar Committee on Jewish Ethics.
More Biblical wines are brought back to life
A previous newsletter featured a wine (Marawi 2014) produced from indigenous Israeli grapes. You should also look out for Dabouki 2014 and 2015. And at Ariel University, Eliyashiv Drori has made tiny batches from about 30 different grape varieties.
Mayor Barkat to the rescue again
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat always seems to be at the right place at the right time. When the wife of Interior Minister Silvan Shalom fainted in Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda market, Barkat was on the scene to revive her. See the mayor’s previous “superhero” activities and .
Rebuilding Jewish life in Tel Aviv
The Am Yisrael Foundation aims to bring Jewish education and Jewish faith to the center of Tel Aviv. Together with the North Central Synagogue of Tel Aviv it is dedicating a brand new Sefer Torah in honor of the 72 soldiers killed during Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014.
10,000-year-old beans found in Israel
Further evidence that the Land of Israel was the birthplace of agriculture. Researchers at the Weizmann Institute and the Israel Antiquities Authority recently discovered the oldest known domesticated fava beans - about 10,200 years old - in the Galilee.
Jewish great-grandmother returns from Syria
Rachel Elkayam last saw her family 68 years ago when she left Haifa for Syria with the Arab family that she had married into. She always wanted to return but it wasn’t until her grandson contacted the Israeli embassy in London that she was able to leave Syria.