Israel Active

The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews donated five new armored ambulances at a cost of nearly 6 million shekels to Israeli emergency services Magen David Adom. The ambulances will be assigned to communities still facing ongoing threats, including Gaza border and the north.

All that was left of the Rothstein family home were two sets of tefillin (phylacteries) and their family of 10. Kind strangers invited them home to bathe, launder and change their filthy clothes. Men on motorbikes went to get baby formula. “They were like angels”, said Mrs. Rotstein.

Rescued unscathed from Iranian missiles were Torah scrolls from a Holon synagogue, several babies, pets, and at least three sets of Tefillin (phylacteries).

This newsletter editor signed up to be a “champion” in the MyIsrael campaign to raise funds for desperate Israeli families adversely impacted by the war.  The campaign raised over £1.1 million, of which over £12,000 was thanks to generous VeryGoodNewsIsrael readers.  If you still wish to donate, see link below. (info about MyIsrael) (personal plea from MyIsrael CEO Danni Franks)

Secular Boaz Golan is the lead presenter on Israel’s Channel 14. Viewers were in for an unexpected surprise when on live TV, Golan announced that the Jewish nation must give thanks to the Lord for the miracles we are witnessing. Donning a big kippah, he recited the gratitude Psalm 100 - Mizmor L’Todah.

Not sure if this is good news, but it includes examples of how Israelis are accustomed to major changes of circumstances from one day to another.

A cybersecurity attack has disabled Iran’s Sepah Bank, closely tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Also, Iran’s cryptocurrency exchange, Nobitex, which reportedly has been used to bypass Iranian sanctions, has been hacked, with reported losses estimated at $80 million.

The Municipality of Sderot in southern Israel has launched a Resilience Accelerator to invest in resilience technologies and mental health. It comprises entrepreneurs working from within the crisis who are addressing trauma capacity issues, lack of accessibility, and waiting times.

El Al operated the first repatriation flight from Larnaca to Israel, led by the haredi captain Nechama Spiegel from Beit Shemesh. Spiegel, a mother of seven and the first haredi captain in El Al, made the flight as part of a series of flights approved by the government.

El Al, Arkia, Israir and Air Haifa are working to bring home thousands of Israelis each day who have been stranded abroad by the closure of Ben Gurion International airport. Israel is unique in that its citizens are desperate to travel from a relatively safe place to a country in the middle of a war.