Shalom

We begin this newsletter by taking the opportunity to wish the State of Israel - Yom Huledet Sameach! Happy Birthday in your 60th year of Independence! We wish our beloved state continued growth and prosperity and the most precious of all gifts, peace.

April and especially May have been exceptionally busy. Apart from wishing our beloved State a Happy Birthday, the Israel Centre hosted what is fast becoming an annual event, our Aliyah Expo. May has also been busy with international visitors and we have been privileged to host Hagai Merom from the Jewish Agency for Israel as well as our expo experts. We are excited to be joined soon by the "Zionist Seminaries" who will be here for two months and will be engaged in educational projects.

Our Aliyah Department continues to be busy and in order to accommodate the individual needs of our Olim and potential Olim, the Israel Centre asks that members of the public set up appointments so that we can answer your important questions.

We value your feedback! If there are any suggestions or comments that you would like to share, please email us on rolene@israelcentre.co.za

We look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards

The Israel Centre Team.

CONTENTS:
1) Israel Centre News
2) Upcoming Events
3) Good News from Israel
4) Website of the Month

ISRAEL CENTRE NEWS

The Israel Centre at Yom Ha'atzmaut
Over 9000 people descended on the Wanderers Stadium to celebrate Yom Ha'atzmaut. This year the celebrations were extra special as Israel marked 60 years of Independence. The Israel Centre was in the heat of all the action with a colourful stall, our scouts visiting us from Kfar Vradim who added to the festivities by singing Israeli songs and leading the prestigious Parade of Organisations. Proudly representing the Jewish Agency for Israel, staff from the Israel Centre marched carrying an enormous banner and led the procession around the grounds of the stadium. While the Wanderers have experienced festive and enthusiastic cricket fans, it was certainly no "match" for fervent, celebratory Zionists!

Scouts from Kfar Vradim
8 Exuberant young ladies from Kfar Vradim who also happen to members of the Israeli Scouts added their enthusiasm and flair to our Yom Ha'atzmaut, Yom Hazikaron and Yom Hashoa ceremonies, both communal and in the schools. Every year Jews around the world pause to remember those that have fallen in service of Israel on Yom Hazikaron at ceremonies around the world. Our Scouts played an important role in this year's commemoration, helping to bring a stark reminder to the community of the price we have and continue to pay for peace. We were exceptionally proud to see our young Scouts raise the flag with pride the following evening as we celebrated 60years of our Jewish State.

Aliyah Expo
Over 20 experts, imported from Israel to share their expertise and answer any questions regarding Aliyah joined the Israel Centre for a week as part of our annual Aliyah Expo. The launch evening saw a packed to capacity auditorium and people continued to stream in to spend some time with our experts. The experts who represented fields as diverse as education, housing, health, employment, pension and others, were booked up for the rest of the week with one on one appointments. Our Expo was such a success that some of our experts had to extend their visits to accommodate the demand on their time.

If you have any questions regarding Aliyah, please call the Israel Centre on
011 645 2560 and book your appointment with Ofer Dahan, the Director of the Israel Centre and Aliyah Shaliach. In order to accommodate the individual needs of The Israel Centre works by appointment only so book yours today to avoid disappointment.

Hagai Merom
The Israel Centre hosted Hagai Merom, Treasurer for the World Zionist Organisation (WZO), Jewish Agency for Israel and second-in-command to Chairman, Zeev Bielski. Hagai was in South Africa to meet with representatives from the Jewish Agency and communal members and leadership.
He reiterated the important focus of the Jewish Agency which is Aliyah. He stressed the Jewish Agency's commitment to Jewish Education, fighting anti-Semitism and very important, ensuring and strengthening the ties Diaspora Jews have with Israel.

The Israel Centre are committed to carrying out the visions of the Jewish Agency for Israel.

UPCOMING EVENTS
21 July 2008: The Flight!

3 August 2008: The 2nd round of the annual Bible Quiz.

20 -30 August 2008: The Israel Centre's Zionist Caravan will visit a town near you!

1 -14 January 2009: The Israel Encounter Tour for those wishing to spend a post-matric gap year in Israel.

GOOD NEWS FROM ISRAEL!
Israel's Sure discovers anti-bacterial wonder material It could prevent deaths due to bacterial infection, keep clothes from absorbing bad smells, extend the shelf life of food, and keep medical devices clean - Sure’s new anti-bacterial discovery promises to be a huge phenomenon.

Al Gore: Israel can lead the way in renewable energy Israel could take the leading role in developing effective clean tech and solar energy solutions to help save the world from the dangers of climate change, Al Gore told delegates at Israel's first renewable energy conference.

From the kibbutz to the catwalk
Textile designer Tzuri Gueta grew up on a kibbutz in the north of Israel.
Now he's using that contact with rural living to create beautiful and intricate jewellery and fabrics for fashion houses like Jean Paul Gautier, Giorgio Armani and Dior.
On your bike: Americans and Israelis cycle for peace Israeli Jewish and Arab environmentalists are joining forces with 120 Americans on a 450-kilometre ride from Jerusalem to Eilat. The goal of the trip is to promote environmental protection and regional cooperation in the Middle East.
Grooving at the Sea of Galilee
Jacob's ladder has grown from a modest folk music festival, into a world music extravaganza that appeals to young and old, Anglo and Israeli alike.

WEBSITE OF THE MONTH
The words inscribed on the entrance of Yad Vashem Martyrs and Heroes Memorials read as follows:

"Has the like of this happened in your days or in the days of your fathers?
Tell your children about it and let your children tell theirs. And their children the next generation."

The Israel Centre is committed to fulfilling its education mandate and this month we profile the Yad Vashem website. Yad Vashem recently launched an Arabic version with the aim of educating the Arab world about the Holocaust, where denial is rife. The site also has a Farsi version. Farsi is the official language of Iran. Yad Vashem have also posted videos on the popular YouTube forum with the hope of educating the increasingly media savvy young generation.

Visit Yad Vashem's website: http://www.yadvashem.org

We look forward to seeing you next month.

Warm wishes

The Israel Centre Team

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The Israel Centre - proudly representing the Jewish Agency for Israel in South Africa - Rolene Marks

Our Sages teach us that a 60th birthday is one of those milestones in life that should be marked with a great celebration!

This May, the State of Israel celebrates 60 years of Independence. Ceremonies will be held all over Israel and around the world but none will be as auspicious as the moment when The Jewish Agency for Israel receives the prestigious Israel Prize for a Lifetime Achievement of Outstanding Contribution to the State of Israel. This is the highest honour that is awarded to individuals or organizations that have made a difference and contributed greatly to the building and well being of the State of Israel. These awards are given every Independence Day in the presence of the President, Prime Minister and Members of Knesset.

Before the creation of the State of Israel, the Jewish Agency for Israel represented the national aspirations of the Jewish people. Acting as a de-facto government in pre-state Palestine, the Jewish Agency secured land, facilitated immigration and ensured the continuity of Jewish culture.

The Israel Centre is very proud to represent the Jewish Agency in South Africa. Along with facilitating Aliyah, the Israel Centre is committed to growing and strengthening the bond that young Jews have with Israel and instilling a sense of pride in their Jewish identity. A growing focus has been placed on educating young Jewish leaders in the Diaspora, after all, a strongly Zionist Diaspora means a strongly supported State! The Israel Centre fulfills this education mandate through both formal and informal programmes in schools and other avenues and shlichim (emissaries) from Israel help in formatting and instituting these ideals.

Today Israel is a modern miracle. Israel has not just survived but has thrived! She is a State with a strong, competitive economy, a creative, innovative oasis and hub of inventiveness and a tour de force in the international arena.

As we approach Israel's birthday and celebrate her success, The Israel Centre is committed to building on the great achievements both the Jewish Agency and our beloved State have accomplished. L'Chaim and Leshana hazot Be'israel!

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Embrace them

I was devastated by the shocking news that struck me last night as I read about the reckless shooting of the Yeshivat Merkaz Harav Centre students in Jerusalem. My first feeling was that this terror attack was aimed specifically at this centre which deal inherently with Zionism , the love of Israel and an uncompromising implementation of “Torat Yisrael” for “Am Yisrael” in Eretz Yisrael , which was the ideology of one of the forefathers of Zionism – Rav Kook.

Did the terrorist and the people who sent him know their destination? The heart of religious Zionism – the national and beautiful Zionism?

As an ex Intelligence Officer my suspicions and fears were immediate. Only here in South Africa I have I learned and gotten to know very closely the beauty of these ideological youth, full of passion for Israel – open, accepting and embracing - the Youth of Bnei Akiva. These are the same young men who filled the seats of this great Yeshiva . Those young men give life, purity and beauty to Israel and they truly represent the special Israeli, the good Israeli, the proud Jew, and the Zionist Jew.

We sometimes do not agree ideologically; we also sometimes do not agree on the way of doing things. Yet despite this I have great love for and appreciation of Bnei Akiva. Here far from home in South Africa I have learnt the essence of Bnei Akiva ; I have seen the sparks igniting their relationships with others; I have seen how those in this movement passionately love the people of Israel, Torat Israel and Eretz Yisrael.

I feel enormous pain because of this appalling attack; I fear that we will become inured to this terrorist attack and that we will forget what happened here, the disaster, the evil, the hatred that brought about what happened ; I fear that that we will forget why and for what reason . This was an unspeakable, a terrible attack, which happened in a place that nurtures the spirit and spiritualism and the great love of Israel. My heart aches with great sorrow and I recognize the eternal pain of the families of the young men who give their lives in all innocence.

I call upon everybody to overwhelm Bnei Akiva with support, embraces, warmth and love, all the things that they themselves give to the people of Israel every day, every minute, unconditionally from the heart.

Bnei Akiva you are the beauty of Israel.

Chazak Ve’ematz.