Israel Active

Ronen Birvdaker, a Jewish Indian from Mumbai, was so moved by the deadly 2008 Islamic terrorist attack on the Chabad centre in his home city that he decided to immigrate to Israel last year. On Wednesday, he completed his training to become a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces’ Golani Brigade.

The Israeli song “Od Tireh” was chosen by six-year-old bone cancer victim Shachar when the charity Ezer Mizion fulfilled his dream of performing in a recording studio. He brought a few of his friends along – also cancer patients.

In the 1990s the marbled duck was in danger of extinction. A study conducted in the Jezreel valley showed only four of them to be in existence. But thanks to the successful clean up of the Kishon River, this year, 72 of these beautiful ducks were found living in one reservoir alone.

Nothing that the corrupt UN Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization does matters, but it was nice of Russia anyway. Syria had protested the treatment of Golan Druze, Jordan about Jews praying on Temple Mount and the PA about poor education in Gaza. The chutzpah!

Coincidences or Divine Providence, whatever you want to call it is a common occurrence in Israel. Just ask anyone that lives in Israel or has been here. They will tell you the most amazing stories. Listen to some of them on Aliya Fever on Israel National News Radio.

The White City has made it to the final of the “Most Innovative City of the Year” competition. Please vote for it every day until December 31st.

I wasn’t sure where to put this article. In a bid to reduce her carbon footprint, Lianna Etkind from Brixton, London, chose an unconventional summer holiday this year – a voyage to Israel over land and sea. The voyage aboard a Grimaldi line cargo ship took a week and cost around $520.

Promising teenage athlete Gilad Veturi collapsed and died during sprint practice last week. He donated nine organs, which were transplanted into six patients waiting for urgent operations. Gilad’s parents were praised due to their readiness to help others at a time of distress and terrible personal tragedy.

Among the hundreds of thousands of Jews who immigrated to Israel over the last 2.5 years were 22,470 Israelis previously living abroad. Most were aged 31 to 39, and included 4,837 academics and researchers, 2,720 engineers, programmers and hi-tech workers plus 681 business managers.

The government has declared Be'er Sheva, the capital of the Negev, to be a national priority community. It is investing in Be'er Sheva and in the rapid transportation routes to it, to link it with the centre of the country and also allow it to develop.