Your Favorite Things About Israel

[Sixties Fan]

Students from the Kinneret Academic college help bring the 62-pound lioness carving from Ein Nashut to their bus on March 1, 2023, in the Golan Heights. (courtesy Mordechai Aviam)

A group of students taking a class on the history of early Jewish villages in northern Israel became part of the story they were studying last week after stumbling across a 1,500-year-old carved lioness sculpture that likely adorned an ancient synagogue.

Students on northern Israel field trip stumble onto 1,500-year-old lioness carving

Lucky group from the Kinneret Academic College led by Prof. Mordechai Aviam discovers basalt sculpture that likely adorned synagogue, and a rare 1,800-year-old coin, on same day

www.timesofisrael.com

 

[Sixties Fan]

‘You Can’t Stop Him’: English Premier League Team Hails Israeli Soccer Star Manor Solomon After He Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game - Algemeiner.com 'You Can't Stop Him': English Premier League Team Hails Israeli Soccer Star Manor Solomon After He Sc

Israeli soccer star Manor Solomon continued his show-stopping performance in England’s Premier League by scoring on Monday for the fifth match in a row. The 23-year-old Fulham winger equalized in Monday's contest with west London rivals Brentford, firing a rebound into the net after teammate...

www.algemeiner.com

 

[Sixties Fan]

ISRAEL STRONG: Superstar’s Eurovision Song Takes Pride in Jewish State | United with Israel

For her song 'Unicorn,' Noa Kirel 'chose a character that is...very strong and stands with its horn outward to anyone coming—and I see our country as such a strong country.'

unitedwithisrael.org

 

[Sixties Fan]

'Fiddler on the Roof' star Chaim Topol dies at 87

Chaim Topol is well-known for his role as Tevye in 'Fiddler on the Roof' for which he won a Golden Globe.

www.jpost.com

 

[Sixties Fan]

Team Israel is playing in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Here’s what to watch for

As the Jewish state gears up to start the series in Miami on March 12, we outline how the tournament works, who's on the Israeli team, who Israel is set to play, and what to expect

www.timesofisrael.com

 

[Sixties Fan]

WORLD CHAMP: 52-Year-Old Israeli ‘Wonder Woman’ Wins Gold | United with Israel

Israeli athlete Diva Hatami has defied the odds her entire life.

unitedwithisrael.org

 

[Sixties Fan]

Ancient rest stop with flowery mosaic to host tired travelers once again

Israel Antiquities Authority teams up with residents from central town of Shoham during Good Deeds Day to spruce up 1,800-year-old spot for travelers to take a break

www.timesofisrael.com

 

[Sixties Fan]

How HaZamir youth choir serves as ‘an on-ramp to Jewish life’

450 teens in 36 chapters across the US and Israel take part in the musical program focused on pluralism, community and Zionism; they convene this weekend for a concert in NYC

www.timesofisrael.com

 

[Mindful]

Ancient Israeli winemaking was among the most developed in the world, until the 7th century, when alcohol fell out of favor following the Islamic conquest. For that reason, many of the surviving domesticated grape cultivars in Israel are for table grapes, which were selected for things such as large berry size, high sugar, long shelf life, and delicate skin. Wine grapes generally have higher acid, and attributes such as berry size, shelf life, and skin toughness do not matter.

Because of the decline in wine production during the Islamic period, the cultivation of grapes used for making wine in ancient times tapered off. This means today’s wild grape varieties are the most genetically similar to the types of grapes grown for ancient wine. Drori hopes it’s only a matter of time before he finds a wild grape with closely matching DNA to the grapes found in archaeological digs.

Each grape variety has a unique seed structure, like a thumbprint, that can be mapped, explained Drori. Any excavated grape seed that is larger than five milliliters can be scanned by high-powered microscopes to see if a match can be identified with modern counterparts. So far, Drori’s lab has scanned 20 seeds from archaeological digs.

The biggest haul of ancient material came from archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar, who excavated at the Ophel, between the City of David and the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

“She called me one day and said, ‘I have three kilos of grapes,’” Drori recalled. “I said, you mean seeds? And she said, ‘No, three kilos of grapes.’ I dropped everything and ran to her lab. They found a big pot, maybe a wine jar used for fermentation. They also found a very nice inscription on it that says ‘smooth wine’ so we know what it was for.” The dried berries dated to around the 10th century BCE, said Drori.

It’s in the DNA: Israeli grapes are the mother of all European wines

Massive DNA study of over 3,500 wild and domesticated grapevines overturns what historians thought they knew about the first cultivation of grapes and wine

www.timesofisrael.com

 

[MartyNYC]

Israel calls on Pestilinians and all Arabs to turn to peace: “Our hand is extended in peace. We seek peace. Peace is not a compromise or a weakness but rather an embodiment of the human spirit.”

Knesset Marks First Anniversary of Abraham Accords - Hamodia.com

 

[Sixties Fan]

 

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[Mindful]

Their smiles.

 

[Mindful]

May a circle of friendship and family surround everyone celebrating the start of Passover this year. We wish you all “Chag Pesach Sameach” from Park West Gallery! This captivating artwork from Expressionist master Marc Chagall, “The Passover Meal,” depicts the story of today's holiday and is one of the 105 etchings included in the artist's legendary “Bible” suite.

 

[Sixties Fan]

When Passover Ends, the Magic of Mimouna Begins

This week we hand our column over to Rabbi Benito Garzon who proclaims the wonders of the North African Mimouna.

jewishjournal.com

 

[Mindful]

On This Day 114 Years Ago: Tel Aviv was founded!
Happy Birthday Tel Aviv!

 

[Sixties Fan]

Enjoy Jerusalem’s Cedar Trail, now serene and picturesque site of historical battles

Located in the heart of the Jerusalem forest, the scenic area is replete with trenches and ancient dovecotes marking its history from the times of King David to David Ben-Gurion

www.timesofisrael.com

 

[Sixties Fan]

Migration Season: Thousands of Butterflies Hit Israel’s Hula Lake | United with Israel

Painted lady butterflies are currently making a stop in northern Israel, after arriving from the Arabian Peninsula on their way to Europe.

unitedwithisrael.org

 

[Sixties Fan]

New Pipeline Brings Water From Mediterranean To Sea Of Galilee

National water company Mekorot recently completed a $250 million infrastructure project to top up the Kinneret with desalinated water.

nocamels.com

 

[Sixties Fan]

Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood made an album with Israeli rocker Dudu Tassa

Greenwood, who is married to Israeli visual artist Sharona Katan, has recorded guitar on albums by Tassa and fellow Israeli Shye Ben Tzur before.

www.jpost.com