Dispatch from Jerusalem

Meet the New Prime Minister

Ehud Olmert is the head of the Kadima party, a new party established by Ariel Sharon. In the March 28 election, the Kadima party received 29 seats in the Knesset, catapulting Ehud Olmert to the position of Prime Minister. So, who is Ehud Olmert? Olmert’s father, Mordechai, was a Russian Jew but studied in China and made aliyah (immigrated) from there to the British Mandate in 1933. Mordechai served in the third and fourth Knessets and was deeply involved with economic policies as a revisionist.

First Techelet Robe in 2,000 years!

“You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. There shall be an opening for his[High Priest’s]head in the middle of it; it shall have a woven binding all around its opening, like the opening in a coat of mail, so that it does not tear. And upon its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, all around its hem, and bells of gold between them…And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he goes into the holy place before the Lord and when he comes out, that he may not die.” Exodus 28:31–33, 35, NKJV)

After much hard work and research, the techelet (azure blue) robe of the High Priest has been completed by the Temple Institute in Jerusalem. It is hoped to be fit to be worn in the Third Temple. The blue coat, or me’il techelet as it is called in the Torah (Gen.–Deut.), sports 72 golden bells alternating with 72 pomegranates, woven of blue, purple, and scarlet wool and attached around its hem.

Virtual Reality Helps People Walk

An innovative device, developed by Prof. Yoram Baram of the Technion Faculty of Computer Science, uses virtual reality to improve walking in the elderly, as well as in Parkinson’s patients, stroke victims and, more generally, people with movement disorders—possibly reducing their need for medication or surgery.

Al-Qaeda Supports the Palestinians

In February, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas [Abu Mazen] announced that Al-Qaeda cells had infiltrated and are operating in the West Bank [Judea and Samaria] and Gaza.

“We have intelligence information that Al-Qaeda is in the West Bank and Gaza. I am very concerned about this,” said Abbas. “If they succeeded in infiltrating in such a way, and if no one watches over them, the result could be disastrous for the entire region.”

Cell Phones–Now Gate Openers

Now Israelis can enter their company’s work gate using their personal cell phone like a remote control device.

The Control In Out (CIO) system works off a small microprocessor that downloads the cell phone numbers of all personnel allowed to have access to the gate. It has the capacity to store up to 1,200 numbers.

Our Daily Bread

“Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may becomepoor and steal and so dishonor the name of my God. ” Proverbs 30:8–9

On the Road Ahead… Danger is Just Around the Bend

Although the elections in Israel have passed, the future of the state for this next term is still far from certain. Since 1980, only one Knesset has served its full four year term, with coalitions falling and early elections necessitated for issues far less monumental in comparison than what Israel faces today. With local news media reporting that Israeli society is growing increasingly more polarized, the sensitive and potentially explosive issues facing this Knesset, such as civil marriages, drafting of a constitution, and the Convergence Plan, weigh heavy on the minds of lawmakers as they assume their duties.

A Tornado…In Israel?

Spring in Israel blew in with the fury of a roaring lion. High winds and heavy rains raged across the Western Galilee, and ping pong ball-size hailstones were reported. A tornado––not reported in Israel in at least 50 years––was witnessed by residents around Acre [Acco] on the north shore. Sandstorms in the Negev covered some roads in 20 centimeters (8 inches) of sand.

Second Temple Road Uncovered

Israeli archaeologists uncovered the main road that ran from Jerusalem's City of David to the Temple Mount during the Second Temple period. The road connected the Shiloah Pool in the City of David to the Temple Mount compound. The 2,000-year-old road was discovered adjacent to the Shiloah pool during ongoing excavations at the site, said Israeli Antiquities Authority archeologist Eli Shukrun.

Age Limit for Organ Donors Expanded

Earlier this year, an 84-year-old Israeli woman’s liver was donated by her family for an organ transplant. This was the oldest organ donor in Israel’s medical history. The recipient––Ina Rubinstein, a 59-year-old mother of two from Beersheva––underwent a successful operation, which saved her life.

Prior to this liver transplant, the heart of a 66-year-old woman was also successfully transplanted. Usually the limit for such donors is 55. Another first for Israel was a duo transplant of heart and kidney.