The Kibbutz Movement Today - Not What It Was Yesterday
by Israel HighWay Staff

For many outside of Israel, the kibbutz defines Israel. The pioneering spirit symbolized by the kibbutz movement represents the Zionist ideal of settling the Land and "turning the desert green." Many people are shocked when they learn that the kibbutz movement makes up less than two percent of Israel’s population and has never reached more than seven percent of the country’s population!

The kibbutz movement in Israel was one of the most important innovations and creations for the development and defense of the Land and of the State. But, where is the movement today? Has it become a dying anachronism? Is it just a place for older kibbutz members to hang on to and try to keep afloat, or is there a movement to reinvigorate the kibbutz movement with new technology, commercialism and new young members?

Issue of the Week is continued below

Hamas: We Will Not Recognize Israel or Stop Violence
by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook

Hamas spokesman Mushir Al-Masri reiterated Monday that the new Hamas-led coalition government will neither recognize Israel nor stop terror. Hamas interprets the Mecca agreement with Fatah to mean that the Arab and Islamic worlds have accepted them as they are. "Hamas received national legitimization through the gathering of masses around it and around the option of resistance [i.e., terror] and received legislative legitimization through its victory in the Legislative Council elections. It now received Arab and Islamic legitimization and will receive international legitimization." (Palestinian Media Watch)

U.S. Jewish Leader: Early Education Vital to Fight Anti-Israel Bias on Campus by Daphna Berman

The American academic elite is in danger of turning the U.S. against Israel and the Jewish community should respond by educating their children about current events here "as early as kindergarten," said Malcolm Hoenlein (pictured), executive vice chair of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organization.

Hoenlein, who is in Israel for the annual Conference of Presidents leadership mission, said the Jewish community should begin educating children about Israel even before they enter primary school.

Hoenlein also announced the organization's plans to launch Iran Watch, a Web site about the country's policies, both nuclear and otherwise. (Ha'aretz)

Arabs Try Outreach to Israel, U.S. Jews by Barbara Slavin

Arab states, led by Saudi Arabia, are making some of their most public overtures ever to Israel and American Jews in an effort to undercut Iran's growing influence, contain violence in Iraq and Lebanon and push for a Palestinian solution. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have stepped up contacts with Israel and pro-Israel Jewish groups in the U.S. The outreach has the Bush administration's blessing: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said six Gulf states and Egypt, Jordan and Israel are a new alignment of moderates to oppose extremists backed by Iran and Syria. She has said an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal would weaken militants such as Hamas and Hizbullah. (USAToday)

Washington Sources: Israel in Race to Expand Aid by Ran Dagoni

Israel is hurrying to reach a new agreement with the U.S. for a substantial increase in military aid, according to sources in Israel and the U.S. At the strong urging of incoming IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, Israel is trying to reach an agreement in 2007, a year before U.S. President George W. Bush leaves office. An Israeli team headed by Prime Minister's chief of staff Yoram A. Turbowicz, and including representatives of the Ministries of Finance and Defense and the National Security Council, will coordinate aid talks with the U.S. (Globes Online)

Blind Photographers Show Work in Israel by Marshall Thompson

Riki Fritsh is one of nine blind photographers featured in an exhibition at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Organizers said one of their goals is to let visitors see what it's like to be blind.

An annual exhibit of blind photographers in Tokyo inspired Shinar and fellow photographer Kfir Sivan to start their own program in Israel. They hope similar programs will start in other countries as well. The exhibit closed on Tuesday after a three-week run that attracted crowds of more than 400 people. (Associated Press)

Express Yourself - Israel's Vringo Puts Video into Your Ringtone
by David Brinn

A serial Israeli entrepreneur, Jon Medved has not only founded a company called Vringo to develop cell phone video technology, but has launched the world's first video ringtone service for cell phones - which are naturally, called Vringos. To put it in modern terms, Medved describes Vringos as "a mashup of Youtube, Myspace and ringtones." The videos can be personal creations which are uploaded or they can be licensed clips from movies, TV shows, or music videos.

Since Vringo was launched in May 2006, Medved and his 26-person staff have worked tirelessly to develop the platform, and last month they posted a beta version of the service on their site. Plans are to release the first version to the public in March or April. (Israel21c)

Darfur Becomes Part of Israeli Vocabulary by Jenny Hazan

When 18-year-olds Seraphya Berrin from New York, and Arielle Perlow from Melbourne, Australia, arrived in Israel last fall after spending a week in Poland as part of their B'nei Akiva year abroad program, they were inspired to take action on the world's current genocide, taking place in the Darfur region of Sudan. Berrin and Perlow planned a last-minute solidarity event (pictured), which took place in conjunction with the global efforts, on King George Street in Jerusalem, attracting the participation of some 150 supporters.

As foreigners in Israel, Berrin says Diaspora Jews like the three of them can play a key role in turning Israel onto global issues. Following the success of the rally, the initiators have taken the momentum and founded a full-fledged advocacy group called HAED (Hatzilu et Amei Darfur) "Save the Nations of Darfur," with representatives in yeshivas, seminaries, universities, high schools, and youth movements across Israel. (Israel21c)

Acts of Chessed by Rebecca Green

This past month, my school, Yeshiva University for Girls, otherwise known as Central, took the eleventh grade girls on a chessed mission to Israel. This is the second year that Central has taken the juniors to Israel. We each had to pay for the trip on our own; however, the trip turned out to be well worth the money.

In our ten days in Israel, we did many meaningful things. We went to an Ethiopian Absorption Center in Tzfat, where we painted the walls and played with the Ethiopian children. We also organized a clothing warehouse in Tel Aviv where people go to buy clothing at cheap prices. Moreover, we went to Shekef, a community where Gush Katif families were moved to, and we babysat their children so their parents could relax. Most of the families living there missed Gush Katif and the life they once lived there. However, they made new friends in Shekef and adjusted quite well to their new surroundings. Some families had large, beautiful homes in Gush Katif, while in Shekef they lived in much smaller houses which were all identical to each other.

In addition to all of these activities, we visited an army base and delivered candy to the soldiers. We also picked clementines for the poor for an organization called Tables to Tables. In Yerushalayim, we visited Yad Sarah and assembled walkers for the elderly. We were split up into groups of five and each group put together a walker, thus, in all, we made seven walkers. Also, we packaged food for needy people at Yad Eliezer.

This chessed mission was a truly rewarding experience because we got to both tour the land of Israel and give back to Israel by doing acts of kindness. Before embarking on this chessed trip, I thought that this trip would be amazing and rewarding. Little did I know that this trip would also be life-changing. It strengthened my connection and love for the land of Israel and made me want to take part in more chessed. I plan on helping to raise money for some of the organizations where we volunteered in Israel as my way of giving back.

Rebecca Green (pictured third from right) is a junior at Yeshiva University for Girls (Central) in New York. (Special to Israel HighWay)

A Special Trip by Ari Wiener

For the second time in four years, I was extremely fortunate to go to Israel with my school - not just our grade, but our entire high school, went for ten days. The trip was subsidized by Mr. Dennis Berman, a proud parent of kids who attended our school and lives in our community in Potomac, Maryland, and a few other very special families. The trip was amazing.

We started out in the Golan (North), where we hiked and saw stunning views from the mountain tops, looking down at the Sea of Galilee and the Jordanian border.

We then traveled down south to Jerusalem, where we spent the remainder of the trip. Jerusalem is like no other city I have been to. It is the epicenter for so many religions and they all come together in a small walled city. This is not my first time to Israel, but every time I see the Western Wall I am in awe of its beauty. To have something so meaningful, untouched by destruction shows G-d’s presence in Jerusalem.

One of the activities we had was a trip to the Blind Museum. This was unexpectedly the highlight of my trip. Located near Tel Aviv, it is the only one of its kind throughout the world that truly portrays what blind people go through on a daily basis. When you enter the "course," the room becomes completely dark. The guide meets you once you have entered the course. You cannot see his face or the people around you, not even your own hand in front of your face. Right away your other senses begin to kick into high gear. The guide takes you into many different rooms and you can tell what substance you are walking on, what smells are in the air and feel what is around you. The last stop is a supermarket where you can buy things only with coins (so you know by feel how much you are spending). Once everyone is done, you sit around the table with your guide and you can ask him any question you like. He tells you his life story; how he became blind and how he has dealt with it. When the tour is over, you step out into the light and finally get to see your guide.

This experience allowed me to understand how difficult it is to be missing one of your senses, but it also showed me that you can experience life in a totally different, but still satisfying, way. I cannot wait until my next trip to Israel, not only for the history, food and views, but also for the lessons that will last a lifetime. Ari Wiener is a graduating senior at the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy in Rockville, MD. (Special to Israel HighWay)

Click here for another article about this trip.

WNBA Stars Light Up Israeli Basketball League

A growing number of WNBA stars are moonlight overseas and Israel has become a top destination. According to the WNBA, Plenette Pierson (pictured) of the WNBA champion Detroit Shock is one of 17 players in Israel. Pierson, along with teammates LaToya Thomas of the San Antonio Silver Stars and Monique Currie of the Chicago Sky, have turned their Elitzur Ramle club into a juggernaut. The team is 15-2 and has clinched a first-place finish and playoff berth. Thanks to a basketball-crazed mayor and funds from several corporate sponsors, Ramle has become the top draw for WNBA players in Israel. The team says it pays each of its American players around $80,000 a season, tax-free, throwing in a car and apartment, too. (AP/CBSSportsLine.com)

'The Bubble' to Be Distributed in U.S. by Merav Yudilovitch

The Israeli film "The Bubble" has been purchased for distribution in the United States. The movie, directed and written by Eytan Fox, is now being screened at the Berlin International Film Festival's Panorama section. The distribution company plans to start screening the film across the US in August. "The Bubble" takes place in Tel Aviv's Sheinkin Street and follows a group of young Tel Avivians living in an escapist bubble who are suddenly faced with the complex Israeli reality. (YNetNews.com)

Mobilize Now, Save the World by Natan Sharansky

Anti-Semitism has leapfrogged from isolated attacks against Jews to incitement to genocide - the actual elimination of the Jewish state.

We must recognize the fact that though sympathy for Iran's expressed goal of Israel's destruction is hardly mainstream, the idea of a world without Israel is more acceptable in polite company, the media and academia today than Hitler's expressed goal of a Europe without Jews was in 1939.

Given this situation, it should be clear that we are beyond the stage of definitions. The Jewish world now must mobilize at a level no less than during the struggles to establish the State of Israel and to free Soviet Jewry. It is this latter struggle that presents the most potent model for action today. Since it has been a while, a reminder is in order of what full mobilization looks like.

Support for Israel must be demonstrated. Two decades after the massive Soviet Jewry rally of 1987, we need to return to the Mall in Washington on Israel's Independence Day in May with two messages: Support Israel and Stop Iran. If the Jewish world does not lead the way, who will? It is as true now as it was then; if we build it, they will come.

A decade after the wave of democracy that came with the fall of the Soviet Union, an Iranian-led wave of terror is rising that will not stop until it is stopped. Ultimately, we overcame our fear of parochialism to stand up for Soviet Jewry, and left the world a much better place for it. Now we must do the same to prevent a second holocaust, and in the process save the world. (Jerusalem Post)

Arabs Betray America by Nahum Barnea

In the Mecca agreement between Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas, the American administration was betrayed three times: by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, by Saudi King Abdullah, and by Abbas. These three American allies ignored Condoleezza Rice's pleas and negotiated with Khaled Mashaal. Rice has been investing much effort in a bid to strengthen Abbas. On Feb. 19th, there is to be a summit under her auspices where Ehud Olmert and Abbas would take a first step towards commencing talks between the two sides. The agreement signed in Mecca has emptied the summit of content. Abbas preferred temporary calm with Hamas over a long-term agreement with the Americans. (Ynet News)