Israel Active

Nir Barkat, Mayor of Jerusalem, used his hands-on approach once again to restore peace in the capital when he broke up a traffic-related street fight while pedaling on his bicycle to work. He separated two men who were hitting each other, and then waited until police arrived. In Feb, Mayor Barkat tackled an Arab terrorist who had stabbed a bystander near Jerusalem’s City Hall.

The Polish Parliamentary Israel Allies Caucus was launched at the Polish parliament (Sejm) in Warsaw. An Israeli delegation from the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus and the World Jewish Congress met senior Sejm members to build on shared Judeo-Christian values.

At least 100,000 people lined both sides of Fifth Avenue to watch 40,000 Israel Day Parade marchers make their way up the famous avenue from 57th Street to 74th Street.

National Hebrew Book Week takes place 11-21 June, with large outdoor book fairs, special Book Week sales at bookstores all around the country, and a variety of accompanying events such as music, performances, children's events, workshops, and storytelling.

Freja Berggren studies at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya. She writes her reflections as a non-Jewish Swedish student in Israel. It is certainly not what she expected from International media coverage.

A record 1500 young French Jews will be arriving to Israel this summer on the Taglit-Birthright Israel program to learn about the Jewish state and their Jewish heritage. This compares to only 83 in 2013 and 940 in 2014.

The Friends of Zion Museum has opened in Jerusalem. It uniquely portrays the story of the support for the Jewish people and Israel by non-Jews; from the first Christian Zionists of the 19th century who encouraged Theodor Herzl, to those who helped to establish the State of Israel in 1948.

Rivka Ravitz, 39, is Israeli President Reuven Rivlin’s Chief of Staff and has been Reuven’s aid for 16 years. She holds degrees in Computer Science and Politics and a PhD in Public Policy. She also challenges stereotypes, as she is an ultra-orthodox Jew and a mother of eleven children.

The Western Wall (Kotel) was full of worshippers for a festive prayer service to honor Jerusalem Day. It was attended by several Chief Rabbis and featured singer Yitzhak Meir. Thousands of revelers later danced at the Kotel, celebrating the re-unification of the city in the 1967 Six Day War. And (TY Michelle) Jerusalem’s emergence as a Tech Hub has made the city into a link between history and destiny.

Yitzik Crombie and Racheli Ganot have launched a first of its kind tech incubator as part of their Haredi Hi-Tech Forum. The incubator specifically targets the Haredi community - much of which lives below the poverty line - and its goal is to bring the high-tech to Bnei Brak.