Israel Active

(Thanks to Janglo) Now there is a Nefesh b’Nefesh on-line dating site for Aliya-minded individuals.

George Lichter, who passed away on Aug 2nd aged 92, was a hero of Israel’s 1948 War of Independence when his skills as an ace pilot were crucial in testing and flying 50 modified Czech Messerschmitts to Israel. He then taught Israeli pilots, helping to establish the Israel Air Force.

Another Jewish biblical link to Israel’s capital city has been discovered in the City of David excavations. The pottery fragment from the first Temple period has an ancient Hebrew inscription possibly containing the name of the Biblical figure Zechariah son of Benaiah.

At the same time, Assyrian king Sargon II was destroying the Philistine army in the Ashdod area and an 8th Century wall has been unearthed by the harbor. The prophet Isaiah (ch.20) warned Judah’s king Hezekiah to stay out of the fight – advice, which Hezekiah heeded. (Is history repeating?)

A total of 331 new immigrants (Olim) from North America landed at Ben Gurion Airport on August 13, 2013. This flight marked the 50th Nefesh B’Nefesh charter flight since the group began mass Aliyah flights to Israel in August 2002.

The percentage of Israelis passing their school matriculation exams increased by 1.7% in the 2011-12 school year compared to the previous year. In the past five years, the rate has improved by 3.5% to an overall rate of 49.8%. Success for those actively studying improved last year by 2.6% to 62.4%.

Daniel Greyber won a Gold medal at the 1993 Maccabiah. It was his first trip to Israel, his first visit to the Western Wall and the first time he put on tefillin. Two decades later, he returned to Israel for the games - this time as the rabbi escorting the US’s delegation.

A hi-tech crossbow fires a piece of apple at a balloon filled with honey, high above Israel Technion’s campus. The apple, thus coated with honey, is then caught by Technion President, Professor Peretz Lavie. What is their New Year message? That the Technion aims higher!

Yitzhak Pundak fought in Israel’s War of Independence. He commanded the Nahal Brigade and the Armored Corps after the War. In 1971 Moshe Dayan appointed him Governor of Gaza, but a 1954 promise of promotion to Major General was not fulfilled. Now at 100-years-old, Yitzhak gets his rank.

In 2011 six children from one Jewish Yemenite family and four children of another were evacuated from Yemen to Argentina. Last week they were flown to Israel, whilst simultaneously their parents were brought to Israel from Yemen in a secret operation.