Israel Active

Lior and Michael didn’t let a war and cancelled venue stop their wedding. They relocated to a public bomb shelter, 4 floors beneath Tel Aviv’s Dizengoff Center. Among the concrete columns friends and family celebrated, including the groom’s parents who had traveled from Argentina. Great scenes.

A late 8th century BCE gemstone seal was discovered during excavations in northern Israel. It is believed to have been used by a high-ranking administrative official during the time of the Kingdom of Judah. It is inscribed, “Belonging to Makhach (son of) Amihai,”

A family in Modi’in Illit recently celebrated the birth of their 21st child. All 21 children were born as singletons, with no multiples among them. The eldest child is only 22 years old. This means that over just more than two decades, the family has welcomed nearly one child every year.

Israel’s Religious Services Ministry has published a centralized list of women’s mikvaot (religious bathhouses) equipped with accessible protected spaces. Women’s mikvaot were permitted to remain open only if the facility included a nearby protected space. Men’s mikvaot, by contrast, were closed.  

A special flight carrying about 50 Jewish immigrants from France and Britain arrived at Ben-Gurion Airport during the ongoing war. The Jewish Agency and the Aliyah Ministry said thousands of new immigrants have arrived since the conflict escalated and 20,000 since last Passover.

The Great Isaiah Scroll (see previously), the oldest near-complete biblical book ever found, is on show in its entirety for 1st time since 1968. The 7-meter, 2,100-year-old artifact, can be seen at Jerusalem’s Israel Museum. Only 25 people at a time are allowed into the climate-controlled room.

Former hostage Nimrod Cohen announced his return to the IDF. "I didn't really do my service, the way I see it. I served for ten months until I was kidnapped."

You can rely on the Startup Nation to develop smartphone apps that make it safer for Israelis during wartime. Warnings to move near to a shelter; where the nearest shelter is; register if you need help getting to a shelter; or safe to have a shower. There’s even one for speed-dating in a shelter;

More than $500 million has been raised for Israeli civilians since Oct 7 2023 through the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. It has helped evacuees from north & south, wounded soldiers, former hostages and their families, bereaved families, and civilians whose homes were damaged or destroyed.

Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael–Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) has launched programs for residents whose homes were damaged by Iranian missile attacks during the ongoing war. They include activities at hotels where evacuees are temporarily staying, offering families some respite.