European Jews Fear Anti-circumcision Laws

{image_1}After the kosher slaughter ban, the circumcision ritual is in danger too. European rabbis and senior Jewish officials have been acting in recent months against an initiative to ban circumcision in three countries. Rabbi Menachem Gelley of London, vice president of the Conference of European Rabbis, revealed the issue during the organization's 27th annual convention held in Warsaw Poland in November, which dealt with ways to protect Jewish rights in the continent.

The Hanukkah Trail: Ashkenazi Potato Latkes

{image_1}It was Hanukkah, last year, when a group of Bridges for Peace staff gathered outside the Old City at Jaffa Gate, early evening. We were guided through the Old City by Tom Brimmer, our CEO’s husband and licensed tour guide. As we began our walk, I realized what a special evening this was going to be. Not only does Tom have a wealth of knowledge and interesting facts at his fingertips, but there was an acute awareness surrounding us of who the Jewish people are. How they love this Land and love to celebrate the holidays and the feasts! Their pride in being Jewish and in their history and culture shines like a light. So began our trail of seeking and admiring the Hanukkah menorahs (hanukkiot).

Israeli Scientist Wins Nobel Prize

{image_1}Israeli scientist Daniel Shechtman has won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his controversial discovery of non-repeating patterns in atoms called quasicrystals.
He is the third Israeli to win the award in chemistry, and the 10th Israeli to win a prestigious Nobel Prize in the country's 63-year history.

Israel on Google Street View

{image_1}Google today announced [in September] that it will begin imagery collection in Israel for the “Street View” feature in its Google Maps. Google cars and trikes were to begin driving and taking photographs of streets and locations around Israel. “Street View” is a popular free feature of Google Maps. It allows users to explore virtually and navigate neighborhoods and historical and cultural sites through panoramic street-level images

Rain Fosters Unique Cooperation

{image_1}The first rain of the fall swept Israel [in late September] and led to some flooding, particularly in desert areas. That flooding fostered unique cooperation between the IDF [Israel Defense Force] and Palestinian fire and rescue services. Nahal Tirza in the Jordan Valley overflowed its banks due to the rain and caused flooding and heavy erosion.

Jerusalem Invests Millions in Arab Schools

{image_1}With new classrooms and technology tools, Mayor Nir Barkat has declared an education revolution in the eastern sector of the capital city. When the 2011–2012 school year began in the Arab neighborhoods of east Jerusalem, millions of shekels in sparkling new or renewed classrooms, computers, and sports facilities greeted 42,153 students and their teachers.

The Crescent Moon Rises

{image_1}Turkey’s Ascension in the New Middle East

A political earthquake has ripped across the Middle East and North Africa in the last year, toppling several longstanding dictators in its wake. Some of the region’s most well-known names are gone, while a once-dominant nation appears poised to seize the chaotic opportunity to return to regional superpower status: Turkey. The Islamic-influenced—but technically secular—country once ruled the Middle East as the Ottoman Empire, and now they are using rhetoric, threats, and money to gain influence in the Arab Spring-transformed region.

Conservation of Damascus Gate Completed

{image_1}After a year of extensive work, the Damascus Gate in the Old City walls of Jerusalem now has a fresh, clean look, including a restored “crown” in the center, built by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1538 and destroyed in the Six Day War of 1967.

Rare Hercules Statue Exposed

{image_1}In the process of building a rail line from Haifa to Bet She’an across northern Israel, a dig was conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority, which unearthed a rare statue of Hercules, hero of Greek and Roman mythology.

3,000-year-old House Preserved

{image_1}Can you imagine the thrill of uncovering a house from the time of Israel’s Golden Age when King David and King Solomon reigned over Israel 3,000 years ago? That’s what Dr. Shay Bar and Dr. Michael Eisenberg of the Zinman Institute of Archaeology at the University of Haifa experienced when they headed an excavation team at Tel Shikmona near Haifa.

Islamic-era Roman Bathhouse Found

{image_1}Perched atop a small promontory overlooking a Mediterranean beach, a local Don Juan appears to have built a Roman-era style bathhouse atop his fortress. Archaeologists from Tel Aviv University say that their dig at the Yavneh-Yam site, located between the current day cities of Tel Aviv–Jaffa and Ashdod, revealed a beautiful bathhouse with duplex floors, a water-heating system, and underground ducts, all in the classic Roman style.

Iran Threatens to Send Navy near US Borders

{image_1}With ongoing tensions with the United States and Iran over the latter’s nuclear program in the background, Tehran announced [in October] the intention to send a naval presence near US territory. According to the Iranian Fars News Agency, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari was quoted as saying, “Like the arrogant powers that are present near our marine borders, we will also have a powerful presence close to the American marine borders.”