By Rachel Rose (Incoming Movement Worker, Tour Madricha 5777) 2017 was an important year for many reasons. It was personally special as I was lucky enough to be a Madricha for Israel tour! Arguably, just as important, was the controversial announcement of the Trump administration that the US intended to move their embassy to Jerusalem, … Continue reading 2017 – A united Jerusalem?..Read More

By Gabriel Gendler (Tour Madrich 5777, Boger) I was in Israel three times in 2015, for a total of two months. I spent a month in the Conservative Yeshiva and three weeks at the Hebrew University over the summer, and a week on a political trip organised by UJS in December. The atmosphere was noticeably … Continue reading 2015 – Violence at Al-Aqsa..Read More

By Daniel Marx (Boger and Madrich) In January 2013, Israel saw one of its more interesting Knesset elections. Whilst the overall outcome resulted in Netanyahu’s re-election as Prime Minister, something far less precedented had happened simultaneously; a brand-new party, Yesh Atid (‘There is a Future’), led by former broadcast news host, Yair Lapid, became the … Continue reading 2013 – There is a future..Read More

By Max Caplan (Chanich) In 2011, Israeli gymnast Alexander Shatilov won a bronze in the flour exercise at the World Championships in Tokyo. It was a momentous moment for an Israeli gymnastics...Read More

By Amy Morris (Bogeret and Madricha) In 2009, Ada Yonath won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. This made her the first Israeli woman to receive a Nobel Prize, the first woman from the Middle East to a Nobel Prize in the sciences and the first woman in 45 years to win a Nobel Prize for … Continue reading 2009 – Ada Yonath..Read More

By Yoni Stone (Incoming Movement Worker) 2007 saw Shimon Peres elected as president, Israel’s first Muslim minister, the teachers’ association staging the longest strike the Israeli education system has seen, the opening of the 471 highway, the Annapolis Conference and the death of Teddy Kollek. All were significant events in one way or another and … Continue reading 2007 – Founding of Hapoel Katamon..Read More

Sam Kelly (Madrich) 2005 was an interesting and ground-breaking year for technology in Israel, especially from the stand point of automobiles. In 2005, Israel developed the world’s first self-sustaining car that generated its own renewable fuel. The car, developed by Engineuity, created hydrogen using metals such as Magnesium and Aluminium. The system was developed to … Continue reading 2005 – New technologies..Read More

By Gaby Schwarzmann (Bogeret, Madricha and CCR and Kehilla representative on Va'ad Tnuah) As the Second Intifada continued, the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia (“the Quartet on the Middle East”) to propose the “Road Map for Peace” to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The final draft of this plan was announced … Continue reading 2003 – Road Map for Peace..Read More

By Leonie Fleischmann (Mazkira 2008-9) In 2001, the Intifada continued to rage on with around 670 people from both sides killed as a result of the conflict. Prime Minister Ehud Barak resigned following the failed agreements with the Palestinians and Ariel Sharon from the right-wing Likud party was elected Prime Minister. Ariel Sharon was a … Continue reading 2001 – The course of the conflict shifts; separation ensues..Read More

By Rachel Kendal (Bogeret and Madricha) In 1999 Ehud Barak (the most highly decorated soldier in Israel’s history) was elected as Israel’s tenth prime minister following a vote of no confidence in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. On August 22nd, Barak appointed the Tal committee to deal with the controversial issue of the exemption of ultra-orthodox Jews … Continue reading 1999 – Tal Committee..Read More

By Benji Rose (Chanich and Moezta Rep) On July 14, 1997 a pedestrian bridge over the Yarkon River collapsed. The collapse injured 60 Australian athletes attending the 1997 Maccabiah Games. 4 people were killed, one due to falling from the bridge, and 3 others due to getting infections from the polluted river. The five designers … Continue reading 1997 – Maccabiah Bridge Collapse..Read More

By Noah Libson (Rosh, Drachimnik and Zionism Tafkid for Va'ad Tnuah) On 4 November 1995, Yitzhak Rabin was due to speak at a rally in Tel Aviv supporting the Oslo Accords. After the rally, Rabin walked down the steps of City Hall to his car, where he was fatally shot three times by an Jewish … Continue reading 1995 – Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin..Read More

By Ariella Gould (Bogeret and Madricha) On the 13th September 1993, one of the most widely circulated photos of Yitzhak Rabin, Yasser Arafat and Bill Clinton was taken on the White House lawn, signifying the first ever peace agreement between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). There was hope that this would pave the … Continue reading 1993 – Oslo Accords..Read More

By Georgie Friend (Bogeret and Madricha) Ethiopia has long been home to small Jewish population, known as the Beta Yisrael. In 1991, Ethiopia began to destabilise as the Soviet Union relinquished control of the area. This left the country at the mercy of various rebel groups vying for control, which left Israel concerned about the … Continue reading 1991 – Operation Solomon..Read More

By Aaron Barrie (Madrich) In 1989 Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev lifted restrictions on emigration, allowing Soviet Jews who wanted to make aliyah to do so. That same year 12,000 of them immigrated to Israel by the Law of Return. They set up stock in places like Haifa, Be’er Sheva and Tel Aviv, among others. Although … Continue reading 1989 – Mass Soviet immigration..Read More

By Georgie Levine (Bogeret, Rosh, Incoming Movement Worker 5778-9) Israel competed in the 32nd Eurovision Song contest in Brussels, Belgium. The entry by the ‘Lazy Bums,’ a comedic duo consisting of Avi Kushnir and Natan Datner dressed in black suits and ties, with black sunglasses shading their eyes, emanating a Blues Brothers style. They sang … Continue reading 1987 – Israel at Eurovision..Read More

By Jojo Moss (Boger and Madrich) On 11th June 1985, near Moshav HaBonim south of Haifa, a train crashed at 60 mph into a bus of 7th grade schoolchildren on a trip from Y. H. Brenner middle school in Petach Tikva, killing 22 people (19 students, a teacher, a parent and the bus driver). The … Continue reading 1985 – HaBonim train disaster..Read More

By Ava Sharpe (Bogeret and Madricha) The Political Legacy of Menachem Begin Following a resounding political career as Israeli Prime Minister from 1977, 1983 saw the end of an era for Zionist leader Menachem Begin. After commanding the militant paramilitary group Irgun Zvai Leumi from 1943-8, Begin formed the Herut ‘Freedom’ Party and became the … Continue reading 1983 – The end of an era..Read More

By Harry Jacobs (Movement Worker 5778 & Incoming Mazkir 5779) (Picture is me having just finished a hike in the Golan Heights circa 2011.) On the 14th December 1981, the Knesset annexed the Golan Heights. The law simply stated: The Law, jurisdiction and administration of the state shall apply to the Golan Heights… The reaction … Continue reading 1981 – The Golan Heights Law..Read More

By Harry Kelly (Rosh, Kehilla and CCR Tafkid on Va'ad Tnuah) The 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty, signed by Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat, made Egypt the first Arab nation to officially recognise the existence of the State of Israel. The key elements of the treaty involved Israel withdrawing from the Sinai desert, and a cessation … Continue reading 1979 – Israel/Egypt Peace Treaty..Read More

By Claudia Marks (Bogeret, Madricha and Drachimnik) Anwar Sadat, the third President of Egypt, made history in 1977 when he became the first Arab leader to officially visit Israel. On 19 November, Sadat met with Israeli Prime Minister, Menachem Begin, seeking a permanent peace settlement. This was four years after Sadat led Egypt in the … Continue reading 1977 – Anwar Sadat..Read More

By Ruth Launer (Madricha) The United Nations Assembly Resolution 3379 was passed on the 10th November and stated that “Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination”. The vote took place following Yasser Arafat’s “olive branch” speech to the general assembly in November 1973, and the resolution was passed a year later with the … Continue reading 1975 – Resolution 3379..Read More

By Amos Schonfield (Mazkir 5775-6, Israel Tour Madrich 2013) On Yom Kippur, the Arab and Syrian armies launched an offensive against Israel that was largely seen as a surprise. Israeli intelligence misjudged the timing of the war, and only began calling up reservists at the last minute. Prime Minister Golda Meir refused to launch a … Continue reading 1973 – Yom Kippur War..Read More

By Gabi Rosenberg (Bogeret, Madricha, Drachimnik 5778 and Gemilut Chasadim Tafkid for Va'ad Tnuah) Kibbutz El Rom was founded in 1971 by a group of chalutzim from the Machanot Olim Zionist Youth Movement. Machanot Olim was the first youth movement with both a Zionist and socialist ideology to be established in Israel, beginning in the … Continue reading 1971 – Kibbutz El Rom..Read More

By Noah Libson (Rosh, Drachimnik and Zionism Tafkid for Va'ad Tnuah) On 16 March 1969, after the sudden death of Labor Party leader Levi Eshkol, Golda Meir became Prime Minister of Israel. Meir was the first, and to date, only woman to hold the office. She was referred to as the 'Iron Lady', long before … Continue reading 1969 – The Iron Lady..Read More

By Riki Williams (Chanicha) In 1967 Israel fought its third war with its Arab neighbours. Many in Israel believed this was going to be the final war, were Israel would be wiped off the map and the Jews pushed into the sea. In the months before the Israelis could see that Egypt, Syria and Jordan … Continue reading 1967 – Six Day War..Read More

By Abi Kashman (Chanicha) In 1965 the left-wing political party, Rafi (Israeli Workers list) was founded by David Ben-Gurion, who left Mapi and led a breakaway group of eight members of the Knesset. Even though this party did dissolve in 1968, it was one of the three parties to merge and form the Israeli labour … Continue reading 1965 – Breakaway..Read More

By Pandora Yadgaroff (Bogeret, Rosh and Israel Tour madricha) David Ben-Gurion stepped down as prime minister for personal reasons in June 1963. Despite a brief hiatus, it was Ben-Gurion who had led Israeli through its formative decade, through a war and through the foundations of what Israeli society would come to be. Israel’s ‘founding father’ … Continue reading 1963 – The end of an era..Read More

By Sasha Miller (Bogeret, Rosh and Chair of Va'ad Tnuah) On April 11th, 1961 the trial of Adolf Eichmann began in Jerusalem, Eichmann having been recently captured by Mossad after going into hiding in Argentina. He was charged on 15 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including responsibility for the enslavement, starvation and … Continue reading 1961 – The trial of Adolf Eichmann..Read More

By Tammy Sapir The Carmelit is an underground funicular railway and the only subway in Haifa. Construction took three years and finished in 1959. It is currently the only underground transit system until the expected completion of the Tel Aviv Light Rail. It has a line length of 1.8 km and travels at 17 mph..Read More

By Miriam Clifton (Israel Tour Chanicha 2017) A strike breaks out in the ATA Textile factory, after failed negotiations between the owners and the workers’ representatives over the terms of the workers’ collective agreement and the management intent to fire a percentage of the workers. Despite the attempt of government involvement in ending the dispute … Continue reading 1957 – Strikes at a Textile Factory..Read More

By Thomas Cohen (Madrich) On the 13th January 1955 Uri Ilan, having been imprisoned by Syrian forces, committed suicide in captivity. Only a month earlier, Ilan, along with four other IDF soldiers, had been entrusted with a secret mission to change the batteries of a wiretapping device across the Israel-Syria armistice line in the Golan … Continue reading 1955 – Uri Ilan..Read More

By Toby Kunin (Tour 2017 Chanich)   The first set of Israel prizes are awarded (see here President David Ben Gurion awarding the prize for Social Sciences to Mark Dvorzhetski on Yom Haatzmaut 1953). Awarded annually in the presence of the President, Prime Minister and Supreme Court Chief Justice, the prize is the highest civilian … Continue reading 1953 – Israel Prize פרס ישראל..Read More

By Miki Friend (Bogeret & Madricha) The Jordan River feeds water into Lake Hula, previously a swamp and a feeding ground for birds migrating from Africa to Asia, was a problem for Israel due to its inability yield crops. In the early 1900s a plan was made to drain the swamps in order to make … Continue reading 1951 – The Hula Valley..Read More

By Bz Gilinsky (Boger & Rosh)   Probably the most important event in 1949 is the election of the First Knesset, as highlighted by the picture above, where a woman weighs up some of the options open to her at the ballot box. This somewhat lacks the drama of the establishment of the State of … Continue reading 1949 – Election of the First Knesset..Read More