Zum Thema: Coronavirus

Plans to Lighten the 700,000 Passport Backlog

If you have to renew your passport in Israel, there’s only one thing someone may tell you, “good luck.” During the pandemic many Israelis were reluctant to travel.  Now that things are getting closer to normal, people are making travel plans once again and realizing that their passports are expired. There’s currently a backlog of… […]

Israel Sends Aid and Equipment to India

With a massive wave of COVID-19 hitting India, lack of equipment, organization, and manpower to treat the hundreds of thousands infected daily, Israel is jumping on board to support the country in crisis. With over 2.1 million cases in the last week, and 400,000 infected daily is an onslaught that no country could handle on… […]

Young People Would Rather Be Unemployed

Unemployment numbers in Israel continue to drop with the reopening economy, yet people under 34 seem to be staying stagnant. With unemployment benefits in place until mid-June, almost half, or 47.4%, of the young and unemployed are not incentivized to return to work. With COVID-19, many receive 70% of their paycheck, at least until June… […]

Israel Lifts Outdoor Mask Requirement

Since Sunday, Israel’s outdoor mask requirement has officially been lifted. People are still required to wear masks in enclosed public spaces; however, the removed restriction, in place for just over a year, is proof of the ample progress being made towards extinguishing the coronavirus crisis. Sunday also saw a return to regular schooling. Youth are… […]

Will Israeli Tourism Be Popular Post-Pandemic?

Before March 2020, Israeli tourism was on the rise. As the economy reopens thanks to a mass vaccination campaign and the Green Passport concept, Israel may return to being a top-listed destination for global citizens who are craving a post-COVID getaway. Travel companies are already seeing bookings for the winter of 2021.  While flights are… […]

10 African Ambassadors Receive Israeli Air Filter System

As Israel continues to tackle, and hopefully overcome, COVID-19, other countries are still struggling to contain the deadly virus. In a recent gathering, the founders of Aura Air, a cutting-edge air purifying system, presented their product for use to various African ambassadors, from Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, Angola, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea,… […]

Israeli Airport Opens and Restaurants Cautiously Return

In what everyone hopes to be a final grand reopening, Israel is returning to the next iteration of “business as usual” after its last national lockdown ended at February’s end. With COVID-19 showing a 4% infection rate, and the vaccination campaign going strong, now seems the time to clean up the mess in the middle. … […]

Airport Drama During COVID-19

One year later, with COVID-19 still filtering into our 2021, Israel has experienced a full spectrum of effects. While over half of the country has received their first vaccination given major campaign efforts, the Ben Gurion Airport remains shuttered, with some exceptions to the rule. The airport was closed on January 25 as the country… […]

Culture and Tourism Coming Back to Life

The Ministry of Health has launched the Green Pass, which is essentially an approval card for people who have been fully vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19. The pass, while some question its legality, is, for now, allowing some limited cultural events to take place. After about a year of the economic shutdown, there is a… […]

Anita Winter Awarded the Federal Cross of Merit

In February, Anita Winter, Founder and President of the Swiss Gamaraal Foundation, received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. The German Ambassador to Switzerland presented the Federal Cross of Merit saying, “For you, dear Ms. Winter, as the second generation of Holocaust survivors, it is a matter close to your heart… […]

Domestic Violence: “Of course there is a huge problem.”

In families where domestic violence is part of everyday life, they suffer from the pandemic and the many lockdowns. Casualty numbers have skyrocketed, and for many women, there are only a few facilities that offered help, as most had closed their doors due to Corona. Our team visited an emergency shelter and spoke to the… […]

Israel’s Slow Reopening Amidst Corona

As lockdown lifted last week, Israel is slowly reopening its roads, doors, and economy – and its residents are flooding out with a new sense of restrained freedom. The corona crisis remains prevalent, and precautions are being taken to prevent another increase in the spread of the virus and a fourth national lockdown. Around 25%… […]

Red Flowers and February Showers

After only a couple of months of a wet winter, Israel’s typically neutral-colored landscapes burst into color during February, known as the month when the wildflowers bloom across forests and fields. The third national lockdown ended in perfect timing to witness nature’s cycle, as Israelis flowed to their favorite spots to seek and find the… […]

Was 2020 Recipe for Disaster or Renewal? 

We wish all of our readers, volunteers, and donors a healthy, happy, and enlightening new year! Happy 2021! It took only a moment for our entire world to flip upside down. It was as if someone entered each of our houses, slammed down their hands on our kitchen table, and flipped over our perfectly planned… […]

Israel Enters Third Lockdown Yet Leads in Vaccination

As of Sunday, December 27, Israel entered into its third lockdown. Recent days have shown that numbers are topping over 5,000 people testing positive, a 5.6% rate of those tested. As numbers continue to rise, Israelis of all ages are lining up to receive the vaccination. Since starting the campaign on December 20, over 750,000… […]

Israeli Vaccination Begins as Third Lockdown Announced

As the vaccination campaign kicked off on Sunday, thousands of Israelis called to book appointments, causing the system to briefly crash, keeping people on hold for up to two hours. Despite the slight chaos, by the end of Sunday, 170,000 people booked an appointment. So far, about 75,000 vaccines were given. The campaign included public… […]

Interview with Prof. Gabriel Izbicki, Pulmonary Institute Director 

As Israel enters its tenth month of experiencing COVID-19, officials are hopeful that an upcoming vaccine will be the cure. We spoke with Professor Gabriel Izbicki, Director of the Pulmonary Institute at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, who has been operating on the front lines since the first drop of coronavirus in March. Izbicki… […]

Corona Crisis: Financial Security Troubles While Malls Overcrowd

Adopting Black Friday shopping tradition from American culture, thousands of Israelis stood in line as a sample size of 15 malls re-opened for the first time since mid-September. With only 10 customers allowed per store, lines were massive. Opening malls is part of a pilot plan to determine whether it is safe given COVID-19. Due… […]

Israeli Economic Damage May be Minimal

A recent report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) finds that the Israeli economy is expected to recover rapidly, despite the corona crisis. Entering COVID-19 circumstances from a place of strength support the idea that stability will return come 2021, despite the high levels of uncertainty emanating daily. Due to the quick action of the… […]

Santa Clause Floats the Dead Sea

Last Sunday, Santa Claus took a trip to the Dead Sea, decked in his full suit and carrying a decorated Christmas tree. While it’s not Christmas time just yet, this isn’t that strange for the Jewish state, which typically sees over a million Christian tourists annually. Since COVID-19 has halted the majority of international travel… […]