Dispatch from Jerusalem

Yad Lakashish “Tzedakah In Action”

{image_1}The Hebrew word tzedakah is often translated as “charity.” However, when understood from a Jewish viewpoint, it is much different. The root word for tzedakah is tzedak, which means righteousness, justice, or fairness. “In Judaism, giving to the poor is not viewed as a generous, magnanimous act; it is simply an act of justice and righteousness, the performance of a duty, giving the poor their due” (www.jewfaq.org). Maimonides, a 12th-century Jewish sage, organized tzedakah into eight levels, from giving begrudgingly (level one) to giving when neither party knows the other’s identity (level seven). However, “the highest degree of tzedakah,” said Maimonides, “is helping others help themselves.”

From Russia to Iran…From Iran to the PA

From Russia to Iran

Russia has announced deliveries of the TOR-M1 surface-to-air missile system to Iran. The Russian defense ministry said Iran was considering another order of the mobile, short-range anti-aircraft system. The TOR-M1 was said to be capable of destroying manned and unmanned aircraft as well as cruise missiles. The system, introduced in 2005, could destroy two targets simultaneously at an altitude of 3.7 miles [6 kilometers] and identify up to 48 targets simultaneously.

Markets Unlocked: Christian Businesses Bless Israel

“So on behalf of Christians around the world I would like to take this opportunity to say to the people of Israel, that you are so loved. That your God has so touched our hearts with His love for you that we are here to serve you if you will allow us to do so. Markets Unlocked is given as a free gift to you from the Christian community around the world as an act of repentance and reconciliation for what has been done to you through the centuries in the name of Christianity, and as a practical expression of our love and support for you.

We stand together with you at this difficult time, and we would like you to know that you are not alone.”  Julian Watts, at the launch of Markets Unlocked in Israel

Umbilical Cord Blood Saves Life

For the first time in Israel, the life of a woman suffering from secondary acute leukemia was saved by umbilical cord blood donated by two mothers after they gave birth. Stem cells from cord blood do not have to be the exact tissue type of the recipient, unlike bone marrow from adults. The graft “took” in two weeks rather than the month it usually takes for bone marrow.

Special Olympics Israel makes a Splash

Special Olympics Israel made a big splash when nine of its athletes traveled to California to participate in the Robert C. Placak Tiburon Mile. Athletes swim one nautical mile from San Francisco Bay's Angel Island to the shores of downtown Tiburon. This is not a Special Olympics event, but the world's biggest and most competitive open-water swim, in which Olympic and World Champion swimmers from the nations participate.

Jerusalem Twice as Poor

A new study conducted by the Hebrew University revealed that in the past six years, the poverty levels in Jerusalem have increased by 4%. The study further showed that among the ultra-Orthodox and Arab populations, the poverty rate has reached 70%. In 1999, the rate of poor families in Jerusalem came to 26%, whereas about two years ago, the rate had risen to 33%. Every second child in Jerusalem is defined as poor, as opposed to every third child in the rest of the country.

25%  Increase in British Immigrants

While 2006 may not have been a particularly impressive year for aliyah [immigration to Israel] due to the war in Lebanon—to which many attribute the 9% drop in immigration figures (19,200 compared to 21,042 in 2005)—the and Nefesh B’Nefesh are still very pleased with this year’s statistics, citing a massive increase in immigration from North America and Britain.

Unique Structure Discovered

A unique building, not found anywhere else in Israel, was uncovered in an Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) excavation in Mishmar David between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The round structure, built of ashlar stones, is about 33 feet (10 meters) in diameter. The structure’s floor is paved with a multicolored mosaic decorated with geometric patterns and a palm tree motif.

Israel 5th Fastest Growing Economy

Israel has risen 12 places in an international listing to become the world’s 36th largest economy. So reports Globes, based on a survey by The Economist. Israel was also cited as the fifth fastest growing economy. The survey graded nations’ economies in the years 2001–2005 as compared with 20 years earlier.

From Rocks to Fuel

An Israeli company has patented a way to turn oil shale rock into high quality oil and natural gas—a project that may bring jobs to the Negev and low-cost energy to the Jewish state. The Hom Tov (Hebrew for “good heat”) process, the brainchild of A.F.S.K. Hom Tov CEO Yisrael Feldman, involves mixing the bitumen residue left over after refineries produce crude oil together with oil shale rock.