Dispatch from Jerusalem

On the Lighter Side… And The Walls Came Tumblin’ Down….

{image_1}A massive 14-meter-long (46 feet-), six-meter-high (20 feet-) stone wall at a Jaffa (near Tel Aviv) building site collapsed overnight, burying more than nine parked cars under the rubble. What made this freak accident enticingly newsworthy?

IDF Develops New Navigation System

{image_1}Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers will soon receive outside help navigating on foot in the form of an electronic system the size of a matchbox. “We have learned that the navigation systems that exist today— the map and the GPS—do not supply all of our needs, so it was necessary to develop a new system,” Lieutenant-Colonel Zalman Adar told Ynet. The system was developed over the last two years by Elbit and the IDF. Army sources say it does not require satellites or aerial photographs to work. “The system…works by documenting steps or movement,” Adar explained.

16% Increase in New Immigrants

{image_1}More than 19,000 olim [Jewish immigrants] chose to make their home in Israel in 2010. There are significant increases in the numbers of olim from Latin America, Belgium, Australia and New Zealand, Switzerland, and even India.

Intel Invests $2.7 Billion in Israel Facility

{image_1}In an unstable business environment, when US companies are scaling back and weathering bad times, Intel has made a surprising business move. The chipmaker announced in January that it will invest US $2.7 billion in its Israeli plant in southern Israel, which will produce next-generation 22-nanometer chips.

BFP in Action: Why Feed Israel’s Needy?

You might ask, “Why should I send money to Israel to feed the needy, when there are so many problems all around me?” Many of our faithful supporters are from countries facing disasters. In Japan, a 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami and nuclear threat have devastated the country. (We have yet to hear from many of our Chai leaders there, who lead groups in prayer for Israel.) Floods have also devastated Australia and South Africa, and New Zealand is still having aftershocks from recent earthquakes.

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High unemployment in the UK and the USA is causing concern, and many college-educated Japanese young people are unable to find work. The world is rife with truly worthy causes. If you look at the global situation with natural eyes, you might not think to send a donation to Israel. But, if you are seeing the world through God's eyes, with your spirit man, then you most likely are already writing a check.

Drinking Water for Disaster Relief

{image_1} Worldwide, the need for clean drinking water is overwhelming. Only 0.74% of the world's water is safe for drinking, and some 2 billion people either lack access to sufficient quantities of water or are supplied with unsafe water. It is estimated that about 1.6 million children under the age of five die from drinking untreated water in developing nations.

Saving Money and Trees

{image_1}The first software in the world to receive an endorsement from the Global Eco-labeling Network (GEN) was developed by Preton, a Tel Aviv startup that provides print optimization software for business and home users. Last year, a leading independent lab analyst in the printing and imaging industry dubbed Preton “the most recommended solution for saving money and going green.” Independent investigation verified the company's claim of nearly 70% cost savings. The patent-pending software optimizes the use of toner and ink and provides a printing management system.

Swift Help for Epilepsy

{image_1} Each year, it is estimated that several thousand epilepsy patients in the United States alone will die or suffer severe brain damage from an unattended epileptic seizure. There is an urgent need for patients to be able to notify caregivers about the onset of a seizure. Studies have shown that getting care during a seizure can prevent many more serious problems. However, someone in the grip of an attack, particularly a child, cannot call for help.

Protest Tsunami Floods the West with Questions

While a number of nations in the Middle East typically receive extended news coverage, Tunisia wasn’t one of them. However, the popular protests in the Arab country that culminated in deposing the nation’s autocratic ruler have resulted in a tidal wave of uprisings and political turmoil making headlines from Egypt to Iran—and many places in between. Even Israel, the United States, and Europe have found themselves in the news regarding the Middle Eastern protests, as the toppling of dictatorships has far-reaching consequences in an already explosive region.

Second Temple Water Channel Complete

{image_1}After seven years of clearing large amounts of debris, the largest water channel from the Second Temple Period has been completed in the Old City of Jerusalem. The route of this channel follows the Tyropoeon Valley. The channel is located beneath the main paved and stepped road that traversed Jerusalem in those days. The road passed next to the Western Wall of the Temple Mount in the north and down to the Siloam Pool in the southern portion of the City of David (at the end of Hezekiah’s Tunnel).