Israel Active

Twelve Holocaust survivors, five men and seven women, celebrated a joint bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah ceremony in Haifa, which they were unable to mark during their youth. “At the age of 13 I was in Auschwitz," one of them said. "There wasn't really anyone to talk to about celebrations."

(Thanks to Uri) I was initially concerned, but India’s National Power Index (NPI) 2012 states “Though a small nation in terms of area and population, Israel ranks highly on technological and scientific progress” “… also ranks a high fifteen on the UN Development index, reflecting the high quality of life this small but prosperous state has been able to provide to its people.”

Newly elected New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio made his first official comments on the Jewish state since taking the helm. “Part of my job description is to be a defender of Israel” he said, “There’s no greater ally on Earth, and that’s something we should say proudly.” Texas Congressman Steve Stockman made a similar statement on his return from visiting Egypt, Israel and Russia.

The International Young Israel Movement (IYIM) has dedicated a Torah scroll to the IDF's Iron Dome unit recently deployed in Haifa. IYIM’s project repairs scrolls that have fallen into disrepair. It has presented over 200 Torah scrolls to IDF bases and units in the last 18 years.

58 of the 120 members of Israel’s Parliament marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day at Auschwitz for the 69th anniversary of the camp’s liberation. They marched to the Birkenau death complex in formation, flanked by the Knesset guard and flying Israeli flags. Amid the snow-filled crematoria, they stopped to sing the Israeli national anthem before breaking into groups to pray or reflect.

36 years ago seven young families and a handful of yeshiva students came to the site of the Biblical Shiloh to renew Jewish Life in the very first capital city of the Biblical Jewish Nation. Today well over three hundred families of all ages and backgrounds live in Shiloh.

On 30th Dec, a record-breaking 1,600 Taglit-Birthright participants arrived in Israel in a single day. The 39 groups included from the US, Australia, Argentina, Canada, Germany and Russia. The free 10-day tour included a mega event in Jerusalem for the 2,500 participants currently in Israel.

UK Jewry has been pleasantly surprised by Israel’s announcement that it will fund programs to encourage links between the Jewish Diaspora and Israel. Ideas include summer camps and Birthright-style programs to younger age groups.

Excavations of an underground cave in southern Jerusalem are uncovering a complete castle and possibly an entire neighborhood from the Judean kings' period. It may be a breakthrough in the perception of the period of King David, his son Solomon and of the entire Judean kingdom

For the first time in the 65 years of Knesset history, 40 members of Israel’s parliament, plus many guests, held an official Tu Bishvat ceremony on the afternoon of Jan 15. They recited blessings over the seven biblical species of fruit, drank wine, and read Talmudic literature.