On the other hand
Our youngest grandson is doing a project at school concerning the experiences we, as grandparents, faced when we made aliyah.
It is nearly thirty-two years now since we left New Zealand and travelled via a circuitous and exhausting route (Hawaii, San Francisco and New York) to the Promised Land. We explained that there were no flights to Israel in 1991 from Bangkok or Hong Kong and certainly none via Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
One of the questions he asked us was what sort of challenges we had encountered. Naturally, there were many such as acquiring proficiency in Ivrit and finding employment and navigating the inevitable bureaucratic hurdles. As a Sabra, he was intrigued to learn about our requirement to relearn the road code and switch driving from the left to the right side of the roads.
The final question was whether we had any regrets and did we now consider ourselves Israeli. Without a doubt, the answer to the former was no and to the latter a resounding yes.
LEARNING ENGLISH
In co-operation with the Jerusalem Municipality, an exciting new method of learning English for Arabic-speaking students has been launched.
This initiative tailored specifically for Israel’s Arab students will, of course, never be acknowledged by the mainstream media which is why you can learn about it here on J-Wire.
PURIM AND THE TEMPLE
As we look back on Purim, there is an interesting connection between the Festival and the Temple in Jerusalem, which is often overlooked.
This short video explains how Purim and Jerusalem are actually interconnected, as are so many other things in Judaism.
SEEING IS BELIEVING
Israeli technology now enables the visually impaired to see and read.
Even Messi, the famous soccer player, finds this truly unbelievable and amazing.
INNOVATION IS THE NAME OF THE GAME
It’s not just a slogan. Israel’s innovation programme is a reality.
