Israel Active

I never thought it possible, but kibbutznik Menachem (Mendy) Neeman uses simple but very effective arguments to change how Israel’s opponents view the Jewish State. If you run an organization supporting Israel, please email an invite to him to teach you how to do this. [email protected] A million New Yorkers celebrate Israel. More than a million Americans came out Sunday to show support for Israel by attending New York City’s annual Celebrate Israel Parade. Hundreds of thousands of spectators lined the route of the parade along Fifth Avenue, drowning the street in a sea of blue and white.

They couldn’t match New York for numbers, but thousands of UK’s true Blue & White supporters young and old made themselves heard in London’s Trafalgar Square at the “Closer to Israel 65” event.

A poor report in the UK Guardian newspaper led to me finding some positive news about the Druze of the Golan. The Mayor of Majdal Shams, who says living in the State of Israel “is a privilege”. And Shefaa Abu Jabal - the first Syrian Druze woman resident of Israel to graduate from an Israeli university.

In the last three months, Gilad Shalit - former prisoner of Hamas terrorists – has been promoting Israel in Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand and South America. He has raised millions of dollars for the Jewish State, telling the story of his captivity and thanking people for not forgetting him.

Israel’s annual Book Week is currently taking place in 45 cities. Israel's annual survey of libraries reveals that the People of the Book increased the number of books borrowed by 25% in the last 4 years to 12.6 million books last year. Israeli Scouts are collecting, repairing and donating used books to organizations that help children in need and long-term hospitalized children.

Daniel Pipes writes that Israelis have plenty of reasons to smile. GDP, birth rate, natural gas, low terror rate, US support, cultural excellence and good diplomatic relations with 156 countries. “Israel’s enemies should give up and find some other country to torment”.

For just NIS 120 (about $33) you can present your Bat/Bar Mitzvah celebrant with the gift of a four-session Magen David Adom lifesaving course. Jewish girls aged 12 and boys aged 13 are obligated to keep the commandments – saving life being the most important.

Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam, donated another $40 million to the Birthright Israel Foundation. Their overall donation to the program is now $180 million. Birthright brings Jews aged 18 to 26 to Israel to help broaden their awareness and deepen their cultural identity.

Thirteen years after discovering his Jewish roots, 64-year-old Moshe Lederman Cohen celebrated his bar mitzvah at Jerusalem’s Western Wall. Born Mariusz Robert Aoflko in Poland, his mother told him he was Jewish just before she died. Israeli organization Shavei Israel brought him to Israel. Moshe said, “This is the most important day in my life. I feel like I’ve come home”.

The family of Zehava Elias set out from Ethiopia in 1989 to walk to Israel, carrying only a little bit of food, money and their Torah scroll. Zehava was born on route. Lieutenant Zehava Elias is now an officer in the IDF who have awarded her with the citation of excellence.