Israel Active

(Thanks to Sharon – ) For centuries, Ethiopian Jews celebrated the festival of Sigd – 50 days after Yom Kippur.  On a mountaintop, they prayed to return to Jerusalem. Their prayers have been answered - they have come to the Promised Land and can see it themselves.

From Nov 18 1984 until Jan 5 1985, Israel rescued 7,000 Ethiopian Jews in Operation Moses.  It was the first time in mankind’s history, whereby non-blacks came to Africa to save blacks from oppression by bringing them out of Africa as free people.

The level of Israel’s largest reservoir, Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) rose by 3.5cm – the largest rise in a single day since the end of the summer.  Recent heavy rains are set to continue – just as well, as the Kinneret is only 16cm above the lower red line.

Internationally acclaimed Moscow-born pianist Oxana Yablonskaya has just become an Israeli citizen at the age of 76. Her son Dimitri, a famed cellist and conductor, made Aliya a few months ago. The musical family has scheduled its first concert in Jerusalem for Nov 20th.

Rabbi Yehuda Glick was shot 4 times at close range in the stomach, lungs, neck and arm by a terrorist on Oct 29.  Following multiple surgeries, Rabbi Glick is about to be released from hospital.

Students and young professionals thinking of moving to Israel from the US received plenty of advice at the “Impact Israel” conference in New York.  The message was – come to Israel for the economic and job opportunities, but stay for the lifestyle and chance to make your mark.

(Thanks to Sharon – ).  Life in Jerusalem goes on.  On Nov 12, the moat surrounding the Tower of David was opened to the public after 15 years of careful excavations.  It reveals Jewish history back to King Hezekiah in the 8th Century BCE. (Previous link archived - new link below)  

Allison Speiser traveled from the Merchav Am community in Israel’s Negev desert to tell the Perth community about fulfilling the wish of Israel’s founders - to “make the desert bloom”.  Allison is shown speaking here at the JNF event “Bringing Life to the Negev”.   

We started saying the winter version of the blessing for a good year on Oct 30th and the heavens opened.  The first rains began whilst we were praying for rain during the festival of Shemini Atzeret.  The level of the Kinneret has started rising, and a (harmless) waterspout appeared off Tel Aviv beach.

One of my local synagogues was featured in the Jerusalem Post Metro supplement.