Gems of Jerusalem

I often think of the city of Jerusalem as a delicious box of chocolates. I would pick through a box of colorfully wrapped chocolates, enjoying the distinct taste of each one, when suddenly I become overwhelmed by the taste of a particularly exquisite chocolate. Likewise, walking the streets of Jerusalem and interacting with its diverse

Second-Class Citizens? Israel’s Legal Realities and Responsibilities in Judea–Samaria

What to do when nearly 400,000 of your people are legally disenfranchised from other citizens? That is the question that faces Israel regarding those living in Judea and Samaria (commonly referred to as the West Bank). Currently Judea and Samaria are not considered part of Israeli territory to which Israeli civil law applies. At the

Tisha B’Av—the Saddest Day on the Jewish Calendar

The calendar in the Land of Promise is marked with days set aside to remember. Some are joyous, celebrating the triumphs, miracles and bravery on which Israel was built. Others are solemn, commemorating the tragedies, heartaches and sacrifices woven into the chronicles of the Jewish people. Tisha B’Av—literally the 9th day of the biblical month,

Friendly Firefighting: Israel Returns Favor to Help Cyprus

Six years ago, with Israel’s Carmel Forest ablaze and the Jewish state needing help, Cyprus sent their lone firefighting aircraft to assist. When Cyprus faced their own blaze in June, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered three Israeli firefighting aircraft to join efforts to put out the blaze, which was already the biggest in recent

A New Holiday—’Aliyah Day’

The Knesset approved a bill which introduced a new holiday in Israel: Aliyah Day. The bill states that every Nissan, a month in the Jewish calendar which falls around spring time, the State of Israel will express its appreciation for those who immigrate to Israel. The same day, the Knesset will dedicate a special discussion

31 Countries Adopt New Definition of Anti-Semitism

Thirty one countries voted to adopt a new working definition of anti-Semitism, a move hailed by human rights activists as an important milestone in countering hatred. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance [IHRA]—an intergovernmental group comprised of 31 nations—adopted a definition based on the 2005 European Monitoring Centre (EUMC) Working Definition, which describes anti-Semitism as “a

Explore Jerusalem with the President

In honor of Jerusalem Day Jerusalem culture center Beit Avi Chai released an application that will enable one to follow guided walks of Jerusalem, arranged by different subjects. One can choose to follow the pursuit of the fictional Tamar from Someone to Run With through the alleys of Nahalat Shiva, listen to Ehud Banai’s songs

Dates—a Tasty Treat

Dates are native to Israel and are mentioned throughout the Bible. Dates are one of the seven species referred in Deuteronomy 8:8 “a land of wheat, barley, vines, figs, pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey” (date palm honey). In Israel, date palm plantations are located in the Jordan Valley and Arava. They are

The World’s Plan for Israel

Global leaders are coming into agreement with a French proposal to revive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. The proposal is based on the adoption of a 10-point initiative, authored by Saudi Arabia in 2002, which calls “for an Israeli withdrawal from all of the West Bank [Judea and Samaria], Gaza Strip and east

Coral on a Chip Cracks Coral Mysteries

We know that human-induced environmental changes are responsible for coral bleaching, disease, and infertility. Loss of the world’s stony coral reefs—up to 30% in the next 30 years, according to some estimates—will mean loss of their services, including sequestering some 70-90 million tons of carbon each year and supporting enormous marine biodiversity. Yet despite many

BRIXO Brings Building Blocks to Life

Legos and kids go together like peanut butter and jelly. But while the favorite spreads haven’t changed all that much over time, the building blocks children play with in the 21st century certainly have. Enter BRIXO, an Israeli startup developing electric blocks that bring high-tech functionality to low-tech toys. With BRIXO, kids can create simple

A New Gauze that Stops Bleeding in Minutes

The cloud of war constantly hanging over Israel has one shiny silver lining: groundbreaking advances in wound care developed for the battlefield and then shared with the rest of humanity. Now another novel product has been designed originally with soldiers in mind but with a much broader potential: WoundClot gauze, a flexible and easy-to-handle material

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