News From Israel

With all of the Islamic murders occurring in Iraq and
Afganistan things seem to have quieted down at least temporarily in Eretz Israel.
Thank G-d.

5,000 evangelical Christians march for Israel in Jerusalem By Reuters More than 5,000 evangelical Christians, including believers from as far afield as Congo and New Zealand, marched through Jerusalem Tuesday to voice their support for Zionism and the state of Israel.
"After the war, we wanted even more for the people of Israel to know that we are not afraid. God wanted us to come to show them we love them," said Jan Christianson, 61, who came from New Zealand with her husband.
The pilgrims, many of them wearing t-shirts bearing the slogan "Israel, you are in our hearts," were welcomed on Sunday with a message from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
"This is the city God has chosen to be the capital of the Jewish people and it will remain the capital of the Jewish people," the recorded message said. In response, the crowd applauded and shouted in Hebrew: "The nation of Israel lives!"
Reuters.com



First rabbis are ordained in Germany since the Holocaust ...
Three men were ordained as rabbis in Germany this week, the first to be confirmed in the country since the Nazis destroyed the College of Jewish Studies in Berlin during World War II.

New rabbis Daniel Alter, 47, of Germany, Thomas Cucera, 35, of the Czech Republic, and Malcolm Matitiani, 38, of South Africa are the first ordained graduates of Abraham Geiger College, which opened in 1999.

For many German Jews, the event, held at Dresden’s new synagogue, is a symbol of the rebirth of Jewish life in Germany, where more than 500,000 Jews lived before the Holocaust. Many emigrated and 200,000 were killed at Nazi hands, and after the war between only 10 and 15,000 were left in the country. Today, more than 100,000 Jews live throughout Germany.


New Year honey sales expected to top NIS 55 million ...
Israel’s honey sales are expected to top NIS 55 million this New Year, making up about half of the sales for the year in total, according to a Federation of Israeli Chamber of Commerce survey.

1900 tons of honey are sold in the month before the holiday, with 15% in gift baskets. Israelis consume one half kilogram per capita each year, which is 25% more than in Europe and the US.

The honey harvest is expected to lose between 100 and 200 tons this year due to recent war activity and agricultural fires.


Magal to install security system along northern border ...
Magal Security Systems plans to install a perimeter intrusion detection system along Israel’s northern border, with completion scheduled for early 2007.

The Israeli Defense Ministry will provide about $5.5 million for the project.

Magal’s systems “are currently protecting the majority of Israel’s borders,” according to the company’s CEO, Izhar Dekel.





Shots fired at Oslo synagogue ...
In Norway shots were fired at the Oslo synagogue. No one was wounded. Apparently the shots were fired from a passing car.

The synagogue is located next to the municipality and is the only synagogue in the capital.The building's facade was hit by the shots.

Since the outbreak of war in Lebanon attitudes towards Jews in Norway have deteriorated. About 1,200 Jews live in Norway, mostly in Oslo with an additional 500 Israelis located through out the country.


Minor earthquake shakes Israel ...
A magitude 4 earthquake was felt across Israel on Sunday morning. There were no injuries or damage reported. Jerusalem residents felt the tremor and reported seeing their coffee and chairs move.

Eight days prior, a light earthquake was felt in Jerusalem as well as one several months ago.



http://www.jewishmag.com/news/newstuff.htm