An Amazing Story of Observing Shmita in Israel

 From a date farm in Israel

The Vote Burners

 By Emmanuel Shilo, translated by Hillel Fendel

Netanyahu succeeded in combining the two strongest religious-Zionist parties, and then managed to persuade much-smaller Noam to join as well. But there is still the issue of the amateurishly risky run by the combination of Ayelet Shaked and the remnants of the Jewish Home – liable to cost the nationalist camp up to three Knesset seats, leaving the government in left-center-Arab hands.

300 New Housing Units Being Built in Bet El!

 

Back in 2012, the Israeli government bowed to international pressure and evicted families from 30 homes in the Givat HaUlpana neighborhood of Bet El. The Bet El Yeshiva and its head Rabbi, Rav Zalman Baruch Melamed, agreed not to engage in activities against its destruction (while, of course, opposing it in word) in exchange for a promise from then PM Bibi Netanyahu to build 10 times that number of housing units in another location in Bet El. Year after year that promise was left unfulfilled... until now.

Yesha's New School-Year Stats – and National Politics

by Hillel Fendel

Yesha's New School-Year Stats – and National Politics

Those of you who think, or know someone who thinks, that the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria (Yesha) are a mere asterisk in the larger scheme of the populations of Israel and the Middle East, spread the word: Nearly a quarter of a million children living in Judea, the Jordan Valley, and Samaria began school this year! 

Specifically, 86,000 children are enrolled in – get this – 270 elementary schools! There are also 35,000 pupils in some 200 post-elementary schools, and a host more in kindergartens, Talmudei Torah, yeshivot, and more!

Beautiful numbers like these don't just happen on their own. We can barely imagine the amount of idealism and effort and self-sacrifice over the course of decades, under severely difficult economic and security conditions, that has gone into the Yesha enterprise.

Their Parents

But while the students have a relatively comfortable time at school, their parents are not doing as well electorally, in light of the national elections only two months away.

Bet El IDF Prep Academy at Max. Capacity! (+ an Inspiring Story)

The Bet El IDF Prep Academy started the year with much excitement and anticipation. This year the Academy reached maximum capacity, with not one bed left to spare! Shana Aleph (Year 1) enrolled 50 new students, and Shana Bet (Year 2) has 40 returning students. 80 Academy graduates are currently serving in the IDF, and