Life in Israel

The Battle for Israel’s History

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As long as there have been historians, there have been those who would rewrite their stories, and for a myriad of reasons. On the positive side, re-examining history has long been accepted as a means of keeping our understanding of the past current. Developments in science, technology, archaeology, etc, have shed new light on old stories, sometimes adding a new dimension to a particular historical period or event and sometimes even modifying the mainstream view. Allowing for the reinterpretation of longstanding views based on new evidence is, in fact, good scholarship, providing that adherence to accuracy is central to the review.

Israel’s Water Crisis

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Almost every winter we cover the topic of drought in Israel. After seven years of drought in a row, it is certainly justified. Israel’s water crisis is looking even worse this winter. November 2010 was the driest in the North in 48 years with some forecasters saying this winter might be the driest of all seven years.

Bio-Bee Bumblebees

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Bio-Bee mass-produces the earth bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, for natural pollination of various crops. Greenhouse tomato is the major crop, and added to this are sweet pepper, eggplant, strawberry, melon and courgette (zucchini). Outdoor fruit crops such as pears, cherry, plum, blueberry and avocado are also successfully pollinated by bumblebees.

Killing Pests—Naturally

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Of all the pest-gobbling insects and spiders Dr. Shimon Steinberg encounters as research and development manager for Bio-Bee Sde Eliyahu, he's particularly partial to the predatory mite. It may not sound lovable, but this minuscule “very handsome, nice orange spider” is a highly efficient enemy of the spider mite, a devastating agricultural pest. It's also fast moving, a trait much admired by Steinberg, a marathon runner. Besides, Steinberg tells ISRAEL21c, the two-millimeter-long, pear-shaped creature is Bio-Bee's top seller worldwide. “Sixty percent of California strawberries since 1990 are treated with this predatory mite from the Holy Land,” he says like a proud papa.

Praying at the Wall

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Recently, I learned about the Jewish tradition of praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem for 40 consecutive days. Having some special needs at the time, I decided it would be a good thing to try. Any thoughts of merely following a “tradition” dissolved as I walked to the Wall reciting Psalm 122: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’ Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!” (vv. 1–2ff).

Cycle for Hope

I’m a young adult volunteer for Bridges for Peace. When asked if I would like to represent Bridges for Peace in a cycling event in Israel, I jumped at the opportunity. I love to cycle and because it would be a three-day event, it poised a challenge that I could not pass up.

Israel’s Kibbutz Movement Celebrates 100 Years

{image_1}One year after Tel Aviv celebrated its 100-year anniversary, Israel’s communal kibbutz movement—in many ways the opposite of Tel Aviv’s modern mega-city—is celebrating their 100^th birthday. In March, Israel’s first kibbutz, Degania Alef, hosted the kick-off ceremony for the year’s celebrations, as they gear up for the big, national celebration of the kibbutz on October 4. While the kibbutz community’s founding principles of egalitarianism, communal living, and an agriculture-based society are by no means unique to Israel, the kibbutz movement’s role and significance in the creation of Israel’s modern state help set it apart from similar movements around the world.

New Ways to Tour Israel

{image_1} Israel has been offering new ways to get around Israel that many people are not yet aware of. I recently tried two of them. If you are one of those adventuresome souls who come to Israel on your own, you may want to consider a different way to see Israel.

Dare to Dream of a Rebuilt Temple

{image_1}On October 5, just prior to the traditional Priestly Blessing during the week of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles), police limited the number of Muslim worshippers allowed on the Temple Mount as a precautionary measure against possible rioting. This is a normal procedure whenever a special event takes place at the Western Wall. This time, some 150 Arabs arrived at Lions Gate and began stoning police. The Islamic Movement made statements to purposely incite Arabs, and Hamas called for a new intifada (uprising).

Roman Glass—A Shopper’s Delight

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ONE OF ISRAEL'S MOST luring items on the market for tourists is their Roman glass jewelry. The stunning pieces of 2,000 year-old glass—flecked with natural blue-green and aqua patina and encased in sliver or gold—are a shopper’s delight. Though the original clear glass was made by man, the colors were created by nature, according to how they were exposed to minerals under the ground for centuries. Thus, each piece of glass unearthed in archaeological digs is, indeed, unique—no two are alike.