Israel Active

World ORT Kadima Mada brought a group of 21 Israeli teens to the USA for a two -week break with summer camps, parks, and counselling. Each student had lost a family member or friend in the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7 or in the months of violence against Israel since.

Interesting article highlighting the resilience of Israelis who continue their “normal” lives in a war situation.

Israeli charity Leket Israel reported that since Oct 7, hundreds of thousands of volunteers, from Israel and around the world, helped rescue over 35,000 tons of Israeli agricultural produce that otherwise would have gone to waste.

52-year-old Bedouin Muslim Quaid Farhan Al Qadi and father of 11, was rescued by IDF forces from a tunnel in Rafa, Gaza after Israel received intelligence about the presence of living hostages in the area. Farhan’s brother said “Baruch Hashem” (Blessed is G-d) on the news.

An extremely rare and beautiful stone seal from the First Temple period, about 2,700 years old, was discovered near the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount.. It depicts a winged figure, plus an inscription engraved in paleo-Hebrew script – “To Yehoezer, son of Hoshayahu”.

15 minutes before Hezbollah planned to launch over 6,000 missiles at Israel, the Israeli Air Force destroyed most of the rocket launchers aimed at central Israel. Hezbollah fired some 320 rockets which caused limited damage, including to a chicken coup, which was mocked on Arab social media.

A group of 250 shlichim (“emissaries”) gathered for a ceremony in Jerusalem on July 11 before leaving to represent Israel in dozens of religious communities worldwide. Their aim is to strengthen Israel-Diaspora ties. The event was organized by the Religious Zionist Shlichut Center, founded by World Mizrachi.

More than 600 new olim are scheduled to arrive in Israel on 14 flights between August 22-28. Five Aliyah flights landed in Israel from North America on Aug 22 – the most in one day since Oct 7. Some 2,000 new immigrants are expected to arrive over the summer.

Prior to the Israeli Air Force attack on the Houthis in Yemen, teens from CTeen, USA affixed 100 mezuzot (mezuzahs) to the doors at the Ramon Air Force base in southern Israel. 48 hours later, the IAF conducted one of its longest-range daylight missions. All its aircraft returned safely to base.

Yechiel Stern, a United Hatzalah volunteer emergency medical technician, climbed a burning building in Jerusalem. Stern scaled the building and holding onto the railing with one hand, he helped the family climb down the building. The roof of the building then collapsed in the blaze.