Yom Kippur by Joe Bobker

After finishing an extensive period of service on the front lines of the Jordan Valley action area, the ‘Netzach Yehuda’ Battalion, Kfir Brigade’s Ultra Orthodox battalion, set out on a front-line service trek. The total distance is 14 km, and the course finishes at the Mazada fortress by the Dead Sea. At the end, all of the warriors and soldiers of the command gathered for morning prayer services, with the view of the Dead Sea. Photo by Abir Sultan / IDF Photo.

60 Mayors from Around the World to Gather in Jerusalem
(IFM) 60 mayors from five continents will gather in Jerusalem as the guests of Mayor Uri Lupolianski for a four-day conference aimed at tackling some of the toughest challenges facing mayors of modern cities.
      "During this Conference we will have a unique opportunity to reflect on the pressing issues that concern all mayors every day, everywhere," said Mayor Lupolianski. "We plan on discussing the special role that mayors have as leaders of cities that that impact both their home countries and beyond." (Full Story)

New Hamas Bureau to Perform Surveillance on Foreign Journalists
(IFM) Hamas has recently taken steps to begin the surveillance of foreign journalists operating in the Gaza Strip. Hamas has established a special bureau for this purpose. The bureau will be headed by Major Raad Wasim Jaber, a senior officer in Hamas’ internal security apparatus.
      In its first step towards monitoring the movement of journalists, the bureau has reportedly notified all the press offices in the Gaza Strip that they must report the arrival of every foreign journalist in Gaza. Furthermore, the bureau requires all foreign journalists who arrive in the Gaza Strip to fill out forms stating the purpose and duration of their visit, the type of work they do and the events they wish to cover. (Full Story)

Unit 8200: In the Beginning
(IDF) “After the Six Day War, we built a post in Jerusalem, near of Mount Scopus. In order to disguise the unit, we hung a large sign on the outer gate marked Army Radio.” One morning, during of the Army Radio program ‘Greetings from the Field’, a woman rang the bell at the entrance and asked us to send her love to her son. We were in shock. Immediately, we made a few phone calls and we managed to connect with the Army Radio station. (Full Story)

Good-Hearted Volunteer Devoted to Helping Wounded Soldiers
(IDF) "For me, soldiers always go first, even if it means that I will be left behind." These are the words of Cholda Gorbich who has taken part in volunteer activities assisting the IDF for over 50 years. From the day that she was released from her IDF service, she has devoted her life for the good of IDF soldiers. "Why do you think I am still doing this after so long? Because I have no hobbies or anything else to do?" she asked. "No, it’s because I really believe that every wounded soldier should have someone who will worry about him every day of the year and devote himself to his well being and I am the person who is able to do that for them," she explained. (Full Story)

Yom Kippur is the summit of the Jewish calendar, the annual apex of spiritual consciousness, the only day in the year when Jews spend 25 non-stop hours in search of God via abstinence. Yom Kippur is only one day (unlike the other “2-day” festivals) because of the danger of excess fasting. This uninterrupted introspective, a formidable and meticulous “reckoning of the soul,” is achieved through the Torah’s command for self-denial, a directive that, according to Rav, a 3rd century rabbi, is not intended to turn the Jew away from life’s pleasures ("In the World to Come a person will be called to account for the legitimate pleasures which he denied himself.") (Full Feature)

1000 Children Create a Human
Israeli Flag…in South Africa
World Bnei Akiva and Jewish Agency Shlichim (emissaries) around the globe have been preparing for Israel’s 60th Independence Day for months. In the South African branch of World Bnei Akiva, the emissaries decided to implement all the Israel education that the children have received throughout the year and create a huge Israeli flag. (Full Feature)

A "Hollywood", FL Production: Israel 60
World Bnei Akiva and Jewish Agency emissaries around the globe have been working for months towards the big day: Israel’s 60th Independence Day!
      Aviel Schary, World Bnei Akiva and JAFI emissary in Hollywood FL took part in a project organized at Browser Mimonodies Academy, Hebrew Day school: “The staff tried to think of the most creative way to get the students involved. Therefore, we decided to create a huge photo, writing ISRAEL 60 using the students as letters!” (Full Feature)

Hannah and Chloe, the Jewish Free School, and Yad Sarah’s Special Children Organize Event
(Yad Sarah) Hannah Nathan and Chloe Rich are two very special young ladies. They and their families are close friends of Michael, who suffers from multiple sclerosis. Whenever Michael visits Israel, Yad Sarah arranges that all the medical rehab equipment he needs and our transport services are ready and waiting for him. Michael constantly praised Yad Sarah’s services. Further all the moneys he received for his 40th birthday he donated to Yad Sarah to pay for 9 emergency alarm systems that were installed in the homes of elderly people. Instant help at the touch of a bracelet button. (Full Feature)

Feeling Good in Israel
(Jewish Agency Israel) Twenty one year old Yonas Shiferaw was born in the mountainous southern region of Ethiopia. When he was seventeen, his family moved to Addis Ababa and his father found a job working for the municipality. The family lived in their own home, not in the Ethiopian compound, and Yonas completed high school.
      In August 2004, Yonas, his parents and two brothers made aliyah. Their first home in Israel was the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Absorption Center in Haifa. Seeing that Yonas completed high school, he was recommended for Kedma, an educational advancement program for young Ethiopians. (Full Feature)

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Joe Bobker’s newest book "And You Thought There Were Only Four" answers every question you could ever ask (and more) on the freedom holiday of Pesach and the Exodus. From presenting intriguing facts such as the history of "Operation Matzo Ball" during WWII, to tackling some of the toughest questions surrounding Passover, its traditions, and history, Joe Bobker covers hundreds of topics and comprehensively backs each answer up with both rabbinical and biblical evidence. "And You Thought There Were Only Four" will satisfy every curiosity you ever had on one of the most important holidays of the Jewish year.

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IDF Photo

Acting PM Olmert’s Remarks at the Laying of the cornerstone of Intel’s FAB-128 plant in Kiryat Gat. FAB-128 is Intel’s second Kiryat Gat plant and is due to begin production in the second half of 2008. Intel is expected to directly hire more than 2,000 workers, as well as 2,000 contractors, to work at the plant.

State of Israel Photo

Shmuel Rabinovich, the rabbi of the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest site, is given letters addressed to God by postal office spokesman Yitzhak Rabihaya, left, to place them into the cracks of the Wall, in Jerusalem’s Old City. Israeli postal workers say that hundreds of letters written to God, most addressed simply to Jerusalem, arrive in Israel each year, frequently around Jewish and Christian holidays such as Chanukah and Christmas. The letters are collected, read, and periodically taken to the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Photo by Oded Balilty / AP Photo

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (L) shakes hands with Italian Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini during their meeting in Jerusalem.

Photo by Ronen Zvulun / Reuters Photo