Category Israel

Learning to lead prayer

photo - Rabbi Uri Kroizer from the Ashkenazi track with his students

Rabbi Uri Kroizer from the Ashkenazi track with his students. (photo by Itai Nadav) Some 50 prayer leaders recently completed the first session of the inaugural Ashira program. The program’s goal is to train prayer leaders (schlichei tzibur) from across…

Nechama Rivlin dies at 73

photo - Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and his wife, Nechama, in Jerusalem in May 2018

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and his wife, Nechama, in Jerusalem in May 2018. (photo from Ashernet) Nechama Rivlin died June 4 at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, at the age of 73. She had undergone a lung transplant operation three…

The making of ancient beer

photo- Nanopores taken from ancient pottery have allowed researchers to make beer following a 5,000-year-old recipe

Nanopores taken from ancient pottery have allowed researchers to make beer following a 5,000-year-old recipe. (photo by Yaniv Berman IAA via Ashernet) Research led by scholars at Hebrew University, the Israel Antiquities Authority, Tel Aviv University and Bar-Ilan University has…

Extension granted

photo - Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, left, and President Reuven Rivlin hold the agreement that allows Netanyhau another two weeks to try and form a coalition government

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, left, and President Reuven Rivlin hold the agreement that allows Netanyhau another two weeks to try and form a coalition government. (photo from Ashernet) Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met with President Reuven Rivlin May 13 to…

Marking Yom Hashoah

photo - Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu places a wreath at Yad Vashem on Yom Hashoah

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu places a wreath at Yad Vashem on Yom Hashoah. (photo from IGPO via Ashernet) On Yom Hashoah, Israel comes to a virtual standstill at 11 a.m., for two minutes, as sirens wail across the country…

Returning “home” with Sar-El

photo - Charleen Glaun, centre, receives her certificate of service from Sar-El from madrichot Inbar, left, and Carmel. Glaun hopes to volunteer with Sar-El annually from here on out

Charleen Glaun, centre, receives her certificate of service from Sar-El from madrichot Inbar, left, and Carmel. Glaun hopes to volunteer with Sar-El annually from here on out. (photo from Charleen Glaun) At last, I was on the plane to Israel.…

Celebrating our history

photo - An April 15 press tour took journalists to the Israeli side of the Jordan River. Joshua and the Israelites made their crossing here

An April 15 press tour took journalists to the Israeli side of the Jordan River. Joshua and the Israelites made their crossing here. (photo by Gil Zohar) Seventeen bulletproof buses of pilgrims, plus one carrying journalists, spilled their contents April…

Traveling into our past

photo - Christians preparing to be baptized in the Jordan River

Christians preparing to be baptized in the Jordan River. (photo by Barry Kaplan) A few days prior to Passover, the Israeli Government Press Office organized a special field trip to the Jordan River and Jericho. The bus with 40 journalists…

Last Letters online exhibit

photo - Susan-Zsuzsa and Lili Klein

Susan-Zsuzsa and Lili Klein (photo from Yad Vashem via Ashernet) On April 13, 1944, sisters Susan-Zsuzsa and Lili Klein (in photo) wrote their father Hugo a short letter: “Dear Daddy, We are well – goodbye.” Hugo had been drafted into…

Sniffing helps us think

image - Subjects given problems to solve as they inhaled did better on tests

Subjects given problems to solve as they inhaled did better on tests. (image from wis-wander.weizmann.ac.il) A shot of espresso, a piece of chocolate or a headstand – all of these have been recommended before taking a big test. The best…