Israel Active

The National Library of Israel has unveiled a set of photographs of Jewish paratrooper Hannah Senesh (Szenes) to mark 80 years after her execution by the Nazis. In 1944, Senesh was deployed into Nazi-occupied Europe to rescue Hungarian Jews from death camps. She became a Zionist icon.

The National Library of Israel now houses the late U.K. Chief Rabbi's personal archives. It was Jonathan Sacks who said visiting foreign dignitaries should be taken to the National Library before the Holocaust museum. “Let us show the world not only how Jews died but how Jews live,” he wrote.

In 2020 the Marcus Foundation donated $20 million for the RootOne initiative that subsidizes trips to Israel organized by BBYO, NCSY, NFTY, USY and Ramah (see previously). This month the foundation donated a further $60 million, making a total of $140 million in grants since 2020.

Dead Sea Scrolls manuscripts are on view in the United States in a travelling exhibit of artifacts from the Israel Antiquities Authority. They include a 1st century sheet of the Great Psalms Scroll, from Qumran Cave 11, written in Hebrew script still in use today. Also recent finds and new technology.

No red alert sirens sounded locally but kindergarten head teacher Sarah Yasour heard them in a Haifa suburb 5km distant. She decided to take her 20 children and staff to the shelter as a precaution. Moments later a Hezbollah drone slammed into the kindergarten. Sarah said it was a Neis (miracle of miracles).

140 wounded IDF soldiers and 400 family members were hosted at the Leonardo Plaza Hotel in Jerusalem. Their respite was funded by Los Angeles Jewish businessman David Hager and organized by David with the support of the Netzach Yehuda association.

22 years have passed since Enrico Basilio returned to the Philippines. His son, Cedric, who was born in Israel, became not only an outstanding IDF soldier, but also a symbol of heroism when he died in Gaza. Enrico returned to Israel and was granted permanent resident status, because of his son.

Mekorot, Israel’s national water carrier, was awarded the “Business Continuity Standard Compliance Certification” by the Israel Standards Institute. Mekorot has maintained water supplies during the war, despite working in combat zones, and with many employees in the IDF, injured, or evacuated from home.

3,500 religious women chose to serve in the IDF in 2024, including 350 in combat roles. The new female-only combat unit became operational on Nov 26. (TY Israel Realtime) 100 professional religious women enlisted this week, as nurses, attorneys, programmers, psychologists, doctors, etc.

The American Friends for Magen David Adom hosted a fundraising event in Philadelphia to support MDA’s brave EMTs. MC’d by social-media influencer and broadcaster Emily Austin, there were speeches from former UN Israeli ambassador Gilad Erdan and Lior Raz, star of TV’s Fauda.