Good News: Unemployment On The Decline in Israel

Unemployment figures declined 0.4% last month, according to Employment Service figures that point to a positive trend in the labor market since July. Simultaneously, demand for new workers has increased.

Signs of oil found in Israel

Givot Olam shares soared on the news.

Givot Olam Oil Exploration Limited Partnership (TASE:GIVO.L) today notified the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) that it found "significant quantities" of oil at its Meged 5 well in Rosh Ha'Ayin. The company cautioned that it could not precisely estimate the size of the find at this time.

OU Denounces EU Statement Jerusalem Should be Capital of Two States

The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, the nation's largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization, denounced the statement, adopted today by ministers of the nations of the European Union, calling for negotiations over the status of Jerusalem and demanding the holy city serve as the capital of both Israel and a future Palestinian State.

Rebuilding the Ramban's Hurva Shul in the Old City

Remains of the Hurva as they appeared from 1967 to 2003. The area is now a construction site.

The dome of the Hurva synagogue dominated the skyline of the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem for centuries.

If the 18th-century rabbinic authority the Vilna Gaon was right, on March 16, 2010, construction will begin on the third Temple. His projection states that the auspicious day will coincide with the third completion of the Hurva Synagogue in Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter.

The great day is at hand: On March 15, the reconstructed Hurva Synagogue, considered the most important house of prayer in Jerusalem will be rededicated. It was last destroyed in the War of Independence.

Dov Hikind Leads Cornerstone-Laying Ceremony at Nof Zion in Eastern Jerusalem

Dov Hikind, a member of the New York State Assembly, was in this disputed city on Wednesday looking for property to buy. He said he was most excited about a new apartment complex overlooking the Old City called Nof Zion.

At noon, Mr. Hikind, led a group of about 50 American Jews in laying a cornerstone for the next phase of Nof Zion, with construction scheduled to start next spring. “I want to buy here,” Mr. Hikind said. “I might make a deal while I am here this time.”

More than a real estate deal, though, it would be a statement: Nof Zion, a private Jewish project, is located in Jebel Mukaber, a Palestinian Arab neighborhood of East Jerusalem, in territory that Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war. Israel claims sovereignty over all Jerusalem; the Palestinians demand the eastern part as the capital of a future state.

Israeli Americans blast 'unjust' U.S. health care reform bill

The organization representing North Americans in Israel has called on its members to fight a U.S. health care bill that would require U.S. citizens living abroad to pay $750 annually for insurance they may not be able to use.

Israel: Marching Through the Economic Meltdown

To follow-up on yesterday's post about Israel's economy that is apparently thriving in comparison to the rest of the world, here is an article from one of the authors of the book "Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle" that I mentioned in yesterday's post:

(Video) Why Israel is the Leader of Business Innovation: Immigration!

Click here to see the video.

Please click on the link above and watch the interview.

The interview summarizes the content of a new book: "Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle". The authors examined Israel's strong economy (by the way, according to the authors, Israel's economy was hurt significantly less than the rest of the world during this current economic downturn) to see what are the features of Israel's economy that make it so strong, so resilient, and so conducive to entrepreneurism and innovation.

The authors highlight 10 aspects of the Israeli economy that make it distinct from the U.S. Accorinding to the book, the most important factor why Israel's economy is so strong is because of immigration. Due to immigration, new ideas are constantly pouring into Israel and there is apredominant "immigrant" work ethic abudant in the country.

Thousands Visit Tombs of Matriarch Rachel, Yosef the Righteous

Gathering in Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem. Interview with organizers about the uniqueness of Rachel and the ideas behind praying at the tombs of the righteous.





Hundreds at Tomb of Yosef HaTzadik (Joseph the Righteous).





(Source: Arutz Sheva)

Joyous and Efficient Welcome for 200 New Olim

The 200 olim (new immigrants) who arrived in the course of one day – Tuesday, Oct. 13 – were greeted and processed in a special ceremony in Jerusalem on Wednesday afternoon.

Israel Knows Exactly Where Gilad Shalit is Held

Israel Knows Exactly Where Shalit is Held

Israel knows exactly where kidnapped IDF St. Sgt. Gilad Shalit is being held captive and has the location under constant surveillance, according to a senior Israeli defense official quoted in a report published over the weekend by Arabic international daily A-sharq al-Awsat.

5770: A Response to Our Tefillos: Settlements Off The Negotiation Table

Personally, I don't think that this is a coincidence for this to happen right after Rosh Hashanah.

Here is an exceprt from the New York Times:

In Mideast Peace Bid, Obama Pivots in His Demands

UNITED NATIONS — President Obama, who has met immovable resistance from Israel over his demand for a full freeze on settlements in the West Bank, is largely setting that issue aside as a first step toward restarting Middle East peace talks.

Carlebach Blasting Day & Night in Chevron

Anyone living in a community in Yehuda or Shomron, or in areas of Yerushalayim for that matter, is too familiar with the seemingly never-ending wail of the muezzin, emanating from mosques in Arab villages. Many a complaint has been filed by Jews over the extreme volume, but by-and-large, authorities opt to ignore this under the guise of permitting Muslims to exercise religious freedom, give them a larger dose of that freedom than enjoyed by most shuls.

Veteran Chevron resident and activist Baruch Marzel has decided he has had enough, and is retaliating, with the sound of music. Marzel explained that Jews who use the Machpelah at night are compelled to wrap it up by 11:00pm while Muslims often hold weddings that continue into the early morning hours, until 2:00am or 3:00am. They are permitted to blast the speakers, as they do five times daily, and he is simply unwilling to tolerate the situation.

As such, Marzel rented a commercial sound system and vows to play Carlebach tunes round-the-clock, confident that he will succeed where Israeli authorities have not.

Rosh Hashanah package for Shalit makes it past Gaza border

The father of abducted soldier Gilad Shalit on Thursday transferred over the Gaza Strip border a Rosh Hashana package for his son, who has been in Palestinian captivity for more than three years.

While the package made it past the Karni border crossing, the Shalit family does not know whether Hamas will allow it to reach their son.

Madonna In Israel

Um....let me just say that its interesting to me that a pop singer singing in Israel can be such a stir in a small country like Israel. Her presence made front page news on every newspaper and was talked about nonstop on Israeli TV (I was some Israeli TV to practice my Hebrew using the Internet). Here is some of what was mentioned in the media last week about Madonna being in Israel:

Israeli College Using Talmudic Methods for Teaching Math

This is just another cool thing that could only happen in Israel.

According to Dr. David Zeitun, head of Orot College in Elkanah, Israel has low math scores in comparison to other countries. In order to counteract this, Orot College is basing some of their math cirriculum on algorithms and pedagogical techniques developed by Jewish Sages over the generations. Dr. Zeiten believes this will help to improve Israeli students’ dwindling math achievements and motivate new Torah-oriented math teachers.

Amazing True Facts About Israel (Video)

New Growing Jewish Community at Mount of Olives

In my most recent trip to Israel, we had a delightful suprise when we visted Har Hazesim to visit my wife's grandparent's kever (her grandparents are buried near the Holtzbergs and we always marvel at the foresight that her grandparents had to be buried at Har Hazasim, giving her children, grandchildren,etc an added reason to visit Israel). The last time we were there, there was no Jewish prescense by Har Hazesim. This time, however, there was a thriving Jewish prescense in the middle of the mountain (tons of Israeli flags popping out of everywhere). It seems a small settlement with a few building started there. This community is called Maaleh HaZeitim. There are currently 51 families living there and they are in the process of building another 60 housing units.

I was delighted to see that there are plans to expand that community nearby. There was a request (that is expected to be granted) to build a Jewish housing project of 104 units at the foot of Jerusalem’s Mt. of Olives, down the block from the Maaleh HaZeitim. Jerusalem reclamation activist Aryeh King says that Jewish construction there, within walking distance of the Western Wall, is “of tremendous importance… This is the only way to prevent the division of Jerusalem.” The new neighborhood is to have a library, mikveh (ritual bath), and a synagogue, and will be connected to Maaleh Zeitim by a walkway.

(Source: Arutz Sheva)

Rabbi (Chacham) Ovaida Yosef Meets With President Jimmy Carter

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, spiritual leader of the Shas party and one of Israel’s most influential rabbis, met Tuesday morning with Jimmy Carter. The rabbi asked the former American president to do what he could to ensure that Gilad Shalit is freed from Hamas captivity. Shalit was captured by Hamas in June 2006, and has not been seen since by Israeli or neutral bodies.

One More Reason To Be Optimistic for Eretz Yisroel

Jerusalem - Israel's central bank has raised its interest rate, an indication that its economic chiefs believe the effects of the worldwide recession are easing.