Ital Levi, an orthodox Jewish woman, teaches in Israeli-Arab city of Umm al-Fahm; Israeli NGO finds technical solutions to help children with disabilities, Bar-Ilan University runs interreligious dialogue, and more!
By Michael Ordman
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
An orthodox Jewish teacher in an Israeli-Arab city
Ital Levy is the sole Jewish educator in the Israeli-Arab city of Umm al-Fahm. For the last three years, she has been teaching Hebrew at three different schools in the city. She is determined to build bridges and has won over her students and their parents.
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5485574,00.html
Tech solutions to overcome disabilities
I’ve reported previously (see here) on Israeli NGO ALYN. At Alyn hospital’s annual make-a-thon, 120 participants created prototypes of products to help children with disabilities. They included a musical organ for a paralyzed boy and a wheelchair controlled by a switch and a joystick.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/tech-teams-at-alyn-hospital-hack-big-health-ideas-for-small-patients/
Interreligious dialogue
Israel’s Bar-Ilan University runs a Jewish-Arab interreligious dialogue course, bringing together 30 students of all backgrounds to learn about each other’s religion. Well over 1,000 of Bar-Ilan’s students are Arab – mostly undergraduates studying fields such as economics, English and accounting.
https://www.israel21c.org/a-jew-a-muslim-and-a-christian-walk-into-a-classroom/
The first Druze woman member of Knesset
Gadeer Mreeh of the Blue and White party is the first woman of Druze ethnicity to become a Member of Israel’s Parliament. The 34-year-old mother of two from the Israeli Druze town of Daliyat al-Karmel was a former news anchor. Likud’s Ayoob Kara was the 3rd Druze male MK.
https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Druze-woman-set-to-enter-Knesset-in-Israeli-first-586314
Israel helped Sri Lanka prepare for mass-casualty event
I reported previously (14th Jan) that Israeli emergency rescue organization United Hatzalah trained Sri Lankan first responders in mass casualty incidents and disaster management. It was just in time.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/262154
Israeli conservation of endangered species
22nd April 2019 was Earth Day. This video illustrates Israel’s work to increase the numbers of some of the world’s most endangered species. They include the griffin vulture and the Persian (Iranian) fallow deer. The deer have grown into two of the very few herds left in the wild.
The 8th most influential country
In its 2019 list, US News & World Report has ranked Israel as the world’s eighth-most influential country. The report describes Israel as “the only Jewish nation in the world… a small country on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea” that has had a large influence on global affairs.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israel-ranked-as-8th-most-influential-country-in-the-world-annual-report-587493
First overseas trip is to Israel
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had previously promised that the first international trip in office would be to the State of Israel. He has just announced that will lead his first delegation to Israel in May, bringing business, academic and political leaders to strengthen Florida-Israel bonds.
https://www.jns.org/florida-governor-headed-to-israel-for-first-trip-abroad/
Fighting fires in Ethiopia
On 14th Apr, 11 Israeli experts landed in Ethiopia to assist local firefighters fighting a complex forest fire in Simien Mountains National Park for the past two weeks. The UNESCO World Heritage site is home to several rare animal species. By Apr 17 the fire was under control.
https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Israel-sends-firefighters-to-Ethiopia-to-assist-in-mountain-586792
https://www.africanews.com/2019/04/14/ethiopia-s-roof-of-africa-forest-burns-israel-joins-fire-combat//
https://ethio.news/2019/04/17/semen-mountains-fire-under-control/
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