First Israeli Reform Rabbis receive state-funded salaries
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Although the Reform movement won a historic victory in Israel's Supreme Court in May, 2012, ordering the government to fund the salaries of non-Orthodox Rabbis, bureaucracy delayed payment of the salaries. Until now. The red tape has now been resolved and 4 Reform Rabbis in Israel received their first government payments. This is the first step towards recognizing that non-Orthodox Rabbis who serve communities in Israel should receive state funding similar to Orthodox Rabbis.
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To Watch For in 2014: Israeli Christians assert their identity
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 I srael's Christian Arabs have started to assert their identity, separate from Israeli Muslims. Demanding more place for Christian heritage in Israel's Arab school system, the Christian community also tends to feel more at home in Israel than do Muslims. Even service in the IDF by Christian Arabs is increasing. |
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The Israeli countryside in spring is beyond beautiful. Immersing yourself in the landscape for 5 days of cycling or hiking is an amazing experience - different from sightseeing by bus or touring in cities. The beauty, the outdoors, the camaraderie of the group, getting close to the land - it all adds up to 5 unforgettable days. Ask those who have been there. And it even benefits our Israeli Reform cousins.
Consider joining the Canadian team in Ride4Reform this coming spring.
Click here to register by Feb. 3
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Ari Shavit - My Promised Land
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Ari Shavit received much praise for his personal, intellectual struggle to provide a nuanced and balanced account of Israel's history in his book "My Promised Land". Here's a review by an Israeli who seems to experience the same struggle. Rabbi Daniel Gordis is a strong Zionist and fiercely proud of the Jewish State, but also not willing to overlook its faults and opportunities for improvement.
"I have been reading this book over the holidays and highly recommend it to all ARZA Canada members. It is well written and informative no matter what political view you have. Read this review and then read the book."
Les Rothschild,
President,
ARZA Canada
Zionism, Between the Real and the Ideal
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Joint venture to reverse shrinking of the Dead Sea
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Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority have agreed to a plan to deal with 2 serious problems - the shrinkage of the Dead Sea and shortage of drinking water. The joint venture combines water desalination with the transportation of salty water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea. Red-Dead pipeline Water cooperation |
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To Watch for in 2014: Israeli Medical Advances
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 Here are 10 interesting medical advances coming from Israel, including a device that can detect lung cancer from breath, a new approach to killing viruses, and a pill to replace insulin injections. Watch for these! |
