From right to left: Minister of Absorption Yuli Tamir, Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Chairman of the Jewish Agency Sallai Meridor, and Treasurer of the Jewish Agency Chaim Chesler receiving the one millionth Oleh since 1989.
Photo credit Israel Sun

Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Jewish Agency Chairman Sallai Meridor, Minister of Absorption Yuli Tamir, Jewish Agency Treasurer Chaim Chesler and representatives of Nativ welcomed a group of olim from the FSU on Sunday, who arrived on a direct flight from Moscow, thus bringing the number of olim from all over the world since the fall of the Iron Curtain to a million.

The last wave of aliyah, which began in 1989 when former Soviet President Michael Gorbachev removed the obstacles to aliyah, has brought about 860,000 olim to Israel from the FSU. The rest have come from other countries around the world.

At the modest ceremony on the tarmac, the welcoming committee praised the contribution which aliyah has made to the country through invigorating and enabling Israel to leap forward in the areas of hi-tech, medicine, culture, the arts and sports.

Jewish Agency leaders expressed indignation at the absence from the ceremony organized by the Ministry of Absorption of World Jewish leaders, municipal leaders and voluntary organizations involved in aliyah absorption, former prime ministers Yitzhak Shamir and Shimon Peres, and former Prisoners of Zion like Natan Sharansky, without whose contribution this wave of aliyah would not have been possible.

The Canadian Jewish Congress Executive, who arrived this week in Israel for an 8-day visit, will undertake a special tour of the north of the country this sunday, as a sign of solidarity with the residents of the border area, following the escalation of violence in southern Lebanon and increased tension in the area. The visit to Israel was organized in conjunction with the World Zionist Organization's Department for Zionist Activities.

Following the Hizbullah's katyusha attack on the northern border, during which an Israeli soldier, 24-year old Shaked Ozeri, was killed, residents of the border area were forced to spend last weekend in the shelters. In response to the katyusha fire, the Israeli Air Force attacked infrastructure targets in Lebanon.

Members of the Canadian Jewish Congress will show their solidarity with northern residents by visiting Metulla and the Galilee panhandle at the beginning of next week. During the visit, CJC members will meet with Metulla's Mayor Jacob (Kobi) Katz, and will visit the town's Canada Center, established by the Jewish Agency from donations received from Canada's UIA. The Canada Center houses Israel's largest skating rink, which is used by Israel's representatives in international ice-skating competitions for practice and training.

A letter sent last weekend by Moshe Ronen, president of the Canadian Jewish Congress, to Metulla's mayor, said the following: "On behalf of the Jewish community of Canada, I write to express our solidarity with you in the face of yesterday's cowardly terrorist rocket attacks on Northern Israel. Canada enjoys a special bond with Northern Israel and we are all too aware of the tremendous threats to the security of innocent civilians in your region. Your pain and anxiety are ours as well".

The Jewish communities in Canada and San Francisco are the partners for the Galilee panhandle in the Jewish Agency's "Partnership 2000" project. Both communities support dozens of social and community projects in this area, which includes the towns of Kiryat Shmona and Metulla, and the Upper Galillee, Yesod Hamaalah and Mevaot HaHermon Regional Councils.

In 1999 the Jewish Agency invested $19 million in assisting settlements located on the front line, through the development of social and educational programs, the construction of public buildings, aliyah absorption of aliyah and the consolidation of settlement in the area. Jewish communities in western and central USA, Canada, Britain and France are also party to these projects.

During their visit to Israel, members of the Congress will be meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Jewish Agency Chairman Sallai Meridor; Minister for Internal Security Shlomo Ben Ami; Canada's Ambassador to Israel Michael Bell, municipal leaders, Palestinian Authority representatives from Jericho, economists, IDF officers, etc. The group will also visit Yad Vashem and the Western Wall.

Next week the first emergency team of Jewish doctors and nurses from Israel and other communities around the world will set out for Ethiopia to assist the victims of the epidemics now spreading across north-east Africa as a result of the ongoing drought and famine there.

The delegation, initiated by Jewish Agency Chairman Sallai Meridor, in view of the horrendous pictures emerging from Ethiopia, will be based at the Dassa regional hospital and from there will run two mobile medical units from the back of a Landrover jeep.

Among the volunteers from Israel who are joining others from around the world will be a doctor and several nurses who made aliyah from Ethiopia and speak Amharic.

The operation is being organized by Meir Nitzan, director of the Israel Department, in conjunction with the Israel Foreign Ministry's Department for International Cooperation, Haim Divon, Israel's ambassador to Ethiopia Ariel Kerem and Jewish Agency emissary Zalman Perlmutter.

Nitzan stressed that the initiative has progressed thanks to the close ties between the Jewish Agency and Jewish communities involved in the Partnership 2000 project, which initiates and implements social and physical projects in Israel.

A group of 30 children from the Ukraine, who were affected by the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, will arrive in Israel next week for a week-long convalescence visit. At the request of the Ukrainian government, the Jewish Agency will assist in organizing this visit. The group will be led by Ludmilla Kuchma, wife of the Ukrainian president, who will accompany the children during their stay in Israel.

The children, aged 13-17, will stay at the Hadassah Neurim youth village near Netanya, which is operated jointly by the Jewish Agency and the Hadassah Women's Organization of America. They will travel around Israel and enjoy a variety of cultural activities. The Jewish Agency hopes that the combination of healthy food, fresh air, sea and sun will restore the smiles to the children's faces, who are suffering from critical illnesses caused by the radiation.

During the visit, Kuchma will meet with Jewish Agency Chairman Sallai Meridor to thank him for his assistance in organizing the visit. According to Amos Lahat, director of the FSU Department of the Jewish Agency, a previous visit was greatly appreciated by the children's parents and the Ukrainian authorities.

• $59,000 - Jewish Agency support for the "Together" project in the year 2000. The project trains teachers for Jewish studies programs in regular and state religious schools and is aimed at bridging the gap between religious and secular youngsters, run by the "Nishmat" organization in conjunction with the David Yellin College.

• $1,250 - the cost of keeping an infant in a day-care center for 10 months, at the Jewish Agency's Nurith absorption center in Beer Sheva. Olim from Quara in Ethiopia currently reside at the absorption center.

• $230 - the cost of keeping a participant at Jewish Agency sponsored summer camps for Jewish youth in the FSU. 18,250 youngsters and students are expected to participate in Jewish Agency summer and winter camps in the FSU in the year 2000.

• Some 80,000 students are expected to participate this year in Hebrew language ulpanim. 50,000 will attend Jewish Agency sponsored ulpanim in the FSU and 30,000 will attend Jewish Agency ulpanim in Israel.

• 880 olim will arrive in Israel by the weekend, 737 from the FSU, 71 from Ethiopia, 46 from Argentina and the rest from other parts of the world.

• A new absorption center is due to open in Zefat this month. The center, which will be run jointly by the Jewish Agency and Ministry of Absorption, will accomodate 500 Ethiopian olim. The Jewish Agency currently runs 24 absorption centers, at which 8,000 olim reside. More than 2,500 are from Ethiopia.

Argentine President Fernando de la Rua last week apologized to the Jewish people for the haven which his country offered to Nazi war criminals after the Second World War. Kito Hasson, head of the Jewish Agency delegation in Latin America, reports that De La Roah made this statement at a Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony held at the Grand Rex Theater in Buenos Aires, which was attended by 2,500 members of the Jewish community in Argentina and representatives of the Zionist youth movements.

Hasson adds that a month ago Juan Ilich, Argentine Minister of Education, announced a new law which will oblige all schools in Argentina, Jewish and otherwise, to hold a special day of studies on April 19th each year focussing on the Holocaust, racism and anti-Semitism.

At the ceremony, the Argentine president, who took office three months ago, reiterated his previous pledges to fight anti-Semitism in Argentina and bring to trial the perpetrators of the 1992 terrorist attack on the Israeli embassy in Beunos Aires in which 29 people died, and the 1994 attack on Jewish community building (AMIA), in which 86 died.

De la Rua attended the ceremony accompanied by senior officials, including his vice president and six government ministers. During the ceremony, he lit one of the memorial lights in memory of the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust.

Hundreds of events marking 55 years since the historic victory of the Allies and the Red Army over Nazi Germany were held this week all over Israel and the world. Close to 200,000 olim from the FSU gathered tonight at Tel Aviv's Hayarkon Park to watch a performance by Russia's leading pop artists and mark both the victory over the Nazis and Israel's Independence Day. The show "From Russia with Love 2000," was organized by the Russian Jewish Congress under the auspices of Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Barak, together with the Jewish Agency, Tel Aviv Municipality and Ministry of Absorption.

The Chairman of the Jewish Agency Sallai Meridor greeted the audience and paid tribute to the contribution that aliyah has made to Israel: "You are building with us this country. You have brought with you great blessing to Israel, its society and economy, its culture and science. Your aliyah is the greatest contribution to our national independence in this generation. Thank you from the depths of our heart."

During the course of the evening, Prime Minister Ehud Barak arrived to greet the participants and acknowledge the contribution of aliyah. Also among those who greeted the audience were Interior Minister Natan Sharansky, Jewish Agency Treasurer Chaim Chesler, Absorption Minister Yuli Tamir and Russia's Ambassador to Israel Mikhail Bogdanov.

The numerous artists who flew in specially from Moscow to participate in the Independence Day celebrations were given a rousing welcome by the excited audience. Guest artists included Valerie Leontaib, Oleg Gozmanov, Michael Shapotinsky, Yuri Antonov, the Luba Band, and others. The show concluded late at night with a firework display, accompanied by thunderous applause, and the performance of the national anthem by Yeugeny Shepubalov/

Israel also marked the victory over Nazi Germany with an official ceremony at the plaza commemorating Jewish fighters and partisans at the Yad Vashem memorial museum in Jerusalem. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minsiter Ehud Barak, Absorption Minister Yuli Tamir, leaders of Yad Vashem and representatives of the war veterans in Israel.

A few hours before the ceremony, hundreds of WWII veterans, most of them olim who had served in the Red Army, participated in a victory march through the streets of Jerusalem to mark the heroism of Jewish fighters in the war against the Nazis.

It should be noted that last week, the Knesset unanimously passed a law concerning the status of WWII veterans, which has been termed "The Veterans' Law". The law grants a series of benefits to the war veterans, including annual benefits, priority for public housing, additional assistance towards payment of rent and the purchase of medicines, etc. After the law was passed Prime Minister Ehud Barak stated that the State of Israel considers itself duty-bound to safeguard the well being of the veterans and guarantee by law recognition of their contribution to victory in the war and the continuity of the Jewish people.

The State of Israel today celebrates in an official manner the victory of the Red Army over the Nazis, following the decision taken by Prime Minister Ehud Barak to distinguish this date which has great significance for the million Jews who came to Israel in the wave of aliyah from the Former Soviet Union. This is a new day in the calendar of the State of Israel, coming as it does in close proximity to Israel's Independence Day. This evening, those Jews who recently arrived from the FSU will mingle together with others who came here ten years and more ago. One line stretches between them: the unique destiny of the Jewish people that led the veterans among these immigrants to struggle against Nazism and German fascism, and to lead the survivors to freedom, to the Land of Israel.

Those born in this country must recognize and learn to appreciate the contribution of the olim and their courage and national responsibility. The olim continue to make a beneficial contribution to Israeli society since their arrival. Thousands of doctors, engineers and researchers have been added to Israel's hi-tech; thousands of music teachers have taught Israeli youth the culture that they brought with them from their land of origin. The Gesher Theater has become a magnate. At the same time mistakes were made, but the intentions were always pure, and the successful absorption of the olim is the success of everyone. There are those who still are in need of the helping hand and the loving heart. It is the duty of the veteran Israeli to come to terms with themselves and to ask: what are we doing to help those who came, to bring them nearer and remove them from their loneliness.

(Written by the Treasurer of the Jewish Agency and published in today's 'Ma'ariv' newspaper)

The Greater Toronto UJA has launched a campaign to upgrade and improve the "Jewish Toronto Tomorrow" community service. This will be the largest ever fund drive organized by the Toronto Jewish community, intended to continue for a decade and focus on the development of Jewish institutions in Toronto. Within the context of the project, more than $250 million will be allocated to develop services and institutions which will change the face of the city's Jewish community. A further $1.1 billion will be allocated to infrastructure building and the development of new projects in the city center and the York district.

"Jewish Toronto Tomorrow" is a daring scheme. Its implementation entails a new approach to fund raising and a Quantum leap in our commitment to the city", said Mel Lastman, Toronto's mayor, who participated in the inauguration of the project.

"Today, with a strong economy and the determination of community members we are able to improve our quality of life for future generations", said Barry Sherman, chairman of the project's steering committee together with Leslie Giles.

At this stage, the project involves a $250 million investment in developing facilities for the Jewish community: renovating and expanding the Bloor Jewish Community Center, renovating and expanding the Bathurst Jewish Center, the Toronto Hebrew Community Academy, and the establishment of a completely new community center in the York district. Some of the money will be dedicated to establishing a Jewish student center at the University of Toronto.

When these facilities have been completed, they will operate in southern, central and northern Toronto - three centers of Jewish activity which will deal with social, educational and religious issues.

The Jewish Agency's Youth Aliyah village of Ramat Hadassah has frequently performed miraculous transformations in the seventh to ninth grade youngsters in its care. But after leaving the Youth Aliyah village near Haifa, a significant percentage of teenagers who seemed back on track, subsequently drop out.

In order to remedy this situation Ramat Hadassah has successfully begun a new program this school year. Fourteen students have stayed on into tenth grade and are studying at nearby high schools ORT Kiryat Tivon and the Bloomfield School at Ramat David. The youngsters return to Ramat Hadassah each afternoon for extra-curricular activities, supervised homework and the general support that the village offers.

The teenagers will continue through 12th grade and take their matriculation exams while staying at Ramat Hadassah. The program will be expanded next year and will also be introduced to other Youth Aliyah villages that cater to 7th. to 9th graders.

"For almost all our students," explained Eran Nakash, who supervises the new program, "Ramat Hadassah is the first-ever warm, loving home that they've ever had. To ask them to leave after the ninth grade is very difficult. They understand that that's the way that the system works but there is also a sense of rejection. Consequently some of the kids regress."

Nakash explains the needs of some of the youngsters taking part in the new Ramat Hadassah 10th grade program. "By way of example, one" he said, "has a father who has been in prison for many years for drug dealing, while his mother was hospitalized for nearly a year after a serious car accident."

Mike Bialos says that Project Otzma has changed the way he sees himself, the world and his Jewish identity. Bialos, a 26 year-old medical student from New Haven, Connecticut was spending the middle part of his Otzma year in Israel as a volunteer in Afula-Gilboa, which works together with the Southern New England Consortium (SNEC), within the framework of the Jewish Agency's Partnership 2000.

"I've met Jews from all over the world and begun to realize how rich my Jewish heritage is," explained Bialos.

He has also been working hard as a volunteer in Afula offering physical therapy to children with cerebral palsey, teaching gardening courses to handicapped children, helping the elderly in a senior citizens home and teaching English in an Arab village near Afula.

Bialos is one of 72 participants in the Otzma program from 33 communities across the US who worked as volunteers in their Partnership 2000 communities this spring. He took time out before his final year at Tufts Medical School to explore his Jewish identity.

Project Otzma is a ten-month program designed to offer young American Jewish college graduates an opportunity to live and volunteer in Israel. Otzma is a joint program of the Jewish Agency's Department for Jewish Zionist Education, the Israel Forum and the UJC Federations of North America. Placing volunteers in their Partnership 2000 regions is an innovative dimension to the program, which was introduced in 1997.

After studying Hebrew at the Ibim youth village in the Negev, the participants volunteered in their Partnership 2000 communities for three months before taking courses in Judaism.

Jessica Aronson, 23, from Boston is in Israel for the fourth time. The Psychology graduate from the University of New Hampshire was volunteering at a kindergarten in Haifa.

"This the first time in four visits to Israel," she said, "that I've really got to meet Israelis. In the past, I have always been surrounded in Israel, by other American Jews. So this is changing the way that I see Israel. I am losing my milk and honey romantic image but I am still feeling very connected."

Yesterday Israel celebrated 52 years of independence. Israel's population now stands at 6.3 million - with 4.9 million Jews and 1.1 million non-Jews, 81% of whom are Moslem, 10% Christian and 9% Druze.

President Ezer Weizman collapsed during the traditional reception for diplomats at his residence on Independence Day. The President experienced a very busy day, during which he participated in many events and held receptions for outstanding Israeli soldiers. Although forced to leave his diplomatic guests, the President quickly returned to himself and attended the Israel Prize Ceremony at the Jerusalem Theater.

Weizman announced that by next Independence Day the country will have a new President. The leading candidate is Minister for Regional Development Shimon Peres, who will compete for the high office against Likud candidate, MK Moshe Katzav.

This morning Foreign Minister David Levy left for an urgent meeting in New York with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, to discuss the redeployment of UN forces in south Lebanon following Israeli withdrawal.

Leah Rabin, widow of the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, is currently undergoing medical treatment in Washington, after having been diagnosed with lung cancer.

On Saturday evening the Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Stockholm. Israel will be represented by "Ping Pong" with the song "HAPPY". Last year's contest took place in Jerusalem, thanks to Dana International's winning song "Diva" in the previous year.

Day Of Rememberance

98 young Immigrants who came to Israel without their families within the framework of the Jewish Agency's Sela program and are staying at the Beit Canada Absorption Center in Jerusalem held a ceremony at Ammunition Hill on Memorial Day.
Photo credit Joe Malcolm

Prof. Amir Penueli is the Israel Prize laureate for 5760 for his contribution to computer science research in Israel and the world over. 59-year old Prof. Panueli is an internationally renowned computer expert and his developments have been adopted by numerous hi-tech firms the world over. The prize awarding ceremony which was held yesterday evening, concluded Israel's 52nd Independence Celebrations.

Aryeh Kroll, a member of Kibbutz Saad and the Bnei Akiva movement was awarded a special prize for lifetime achievement, for his contribution to bringing over Jews from the FSU, to settlement and realization of the Zionist dream.

The Hagashash Hahiver trio, Israel's leading modern folklore comedy performers also received a prize for life achievement. The Hagashash trio is Israel's most popular trio of comedians, thanks to its creation of a new language which has successfully combined Biblical language with Israeli slang. Some of Israel's greatest authors and playwrights, including the late Nissim Aloni, prepared material for the trio.

Former Education Minister Shulamith Aloni also received the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement, for her contribution to the struggle for human rights in Israel.

Israel prizes were also awarded to Prof. Menahem Haran for Bible research, to Profs. Avraham Goldberg and Yonah Frankel for Talmud research; to Profs. Hillel Delaski and Harel Fish for the study of general literature; Profs. Gad ben Ami-Zarfati and Shaul Shaked for the study of linguistics; Profs. Yirmiyahu Yuval and Assa Casher for the study of philosophy; Prof. Rafael Meshulam for the study of chemistry; to Prof. Yosef Zinger for the study of engineering and technology. The Israel Prize for creative literature was awarded to the writer Amaliah Kahana-Carmon, and the prize for poetry was awarded to Meir Wiselter. Moshe Kupferman received the prize for drawing, and Michael Gross received the prize for art and sculpture. Micha Baram was awarded the prize for photography.

The Independence Day celebrations opened with the traditional torch-lighting ceremony on Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem, which was followed by a giant firework display. The beacons were lit by 12 men and women chosen by a public committee for their contribution to Israeli society. Knesset chairman Avrum Burg called for unity in Israel and among the Jewish people and praised the achievements of the State of Israel since its inception.

The torch-lighting ceremony is the leading ceremony in the Independence Day celebrations, at the end of Remembrance Day for Israel's fallen soldiers which is marked on the preceding day as a permanent reminder that the Israel's modern revival was made possible thanks to the heroes of Israel's wars.

19,109 male and female soldiers have fallen in the 52 years since the establishment of the State of Israel. A moment's silence on Monday evening at 20:00 opened the Remembrance Day events. The official ceremony was held at the Kotel (Wailing Wall) in Jerusalem, in the presence of President Ezer Weizman, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Shaul Mofaz, and representatives of bereaved families.

The following day, at 11:00 a.m. a two-minute siren was sounded after which memorial ceremonies at military cemeteries began. "The fallen soldiers have left a void which can never be filled", said Prime Minister Ehud Barak at the main ceremony held at Mt. Herzl in the presence of President Ezer Weizman and Supreme Court President Aharon Barak. Earlier a ceremony for policemen who had fallen in the line of duty was held. This year, for the first time, separate ceremonies were also held for the victims of terrorist attacks and for fallen soldiers from the Border Police Unit. Other ceremonies were held for soldiers from the Druze and Bedouin communities who had fallen in the line of duty.

Miriam Klein, founder of the Tel Aviv's "Ashanti" House for youth at risk and in distress, which is supported in part by the Jewish Agency and the UJA New York Jewish Federation, is one of the twelve citizens honored with lighting a beacon on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem this year.

The torch-lighting ceremony which opened Israel's 52nd Independence Day celebrations, this year highlighted who have made a particular contribution to Israeli society

The Ashanti House, which this year will also receive the Prize for Voluntary Work awarded by the President, is a refuge and safe house for youngsters aged 14-21, who have been emotionally, physically and sexually abused.

The House, which is run as an extended family unit, is aimed at enabling the youngsters to re-integrate in Israeli society, professionally, educationally or through military service. The program also attempts, wherever possible, to renew contact between the youngsters and their biological families.

One of the Ashanti's new programs, "Shanti therapy", which was launched a year ago and is supported by the Jewish Agency and UJA New York Jewish Federation, assists those living at the House through art therapy using dance, sculpture, drama and music. "Shanti therapy" is one of numerous projects supported by the Jewish Agency, in an effort to assist high-risk groups and those in distress, against the backdrop of increasing domestic violence in Israel.

"So far," says Miriam Klein, who founded the Ashanti House in1984, together with Dino Gershoni, "we have attended to the needs of more than 10,000 youngsters from the entire spectrum of Israeli society. I have recently begun to work on a new fund, designed to assist any teenager at risk or in distress, that has no alternative framework".

Other beacon lighters this year are: 71-year old Tova Ilan, who as a youngster served in the Haganah, and has since been involved in education and assisting underprivileged groups; 43-year old Aharon Cohen who works to reduce gaps within Israeli society; Boaz Kitain, a 51-year old bereaved father who lives in the mixed Jewish-Arab village Neveh Shalom where he heads the joint educational system; 34-year old Khattar Diab from the village of Yarka, who during his military service was part of a unit that uncovered a terrorist cell; 21-year old, Or Sevata Tokaev a new immigrant from Russia who has had considerable sports' achievements; 68-year old Ruth Resnick who served in the IZL (Irgun) and is a founder of the feminist and civil rights' movements; Zahava Baruch from the Ethiopian region of Gondar who works with Ethiopian olim; 35-year old Yoram Cohen who suffers from Downs' Syndrome and works in a retirement home. Cohen is a successful example of integration in society despite his disabilities; 37-year old Yaakov (Jackie) Levy, anchorman of a TV program which works to bridge the gap between religious and secular youth; 60-year old David Rubner, a Holocaust survivor who established a factory in Ofakim; 12-year old Daniella Nadim Issa, of Gush Halav, who was born in Los Angeles and whose parents, Israeli Arabs, were displaced from the Christian, Arab village of Biram during the war of Independance. She lit her beacon together with 13-year old Ziv Shachar of Kibbutz Baram.

17-year old Sarah Rachel Mahalo from Beersheva yesterday won the 5760 International Bible Quiz for Jewish youth, held in Jerusalem. Prime Minister Ehud Barak awarded the winner her prize. Presiding over the Quiz this year was Jewish Agency Chairman Sallai Meridor. Chairing the panel of judges was Knesset Chairman Avraham Burg, taking over from his late father Dr.Yosef Burg, who for 34 years in a row had filled this position.

Mahalo, who received 99 out of a possible 100 points, said yesterday: "The Bible is my oxygen supply and it has been my life's ambition to win the Bible Quiz." First runners up were 18-year old Sivan Havida and 17-year old Shlomo Danziger from Israel. Bracha Binenfeld from the US took third place, Batya Breslau from Canada fourth place and Riva Prail from the US fifth place.

Jewish Agency Chairman Sallai Meridor congratulated the participants: "We, the Jewish people and Israeli society, must march forward with the Bible in our hands, in our heads and in our hearts. We must learn from it, discuss it, learn its message, act with mutual respect, tolerance and love. In this way we will be able to turn the dreams of our country into the country of our dreams."

64 Jewish youngsters from 31 countries came to Israel last week to participate in the Quiz. Before reaching the final stage, the youngsters took part in a special Diaspora quiz which was held last week in Netanya. After sitting the preliminary written exam, the 16 top candidates were chosen to represent Jewish communities from the US, Mexico, Canada, England, Australia, Argentina and Panama. Bracha Binenfeld of the US and Yaakov Simka of Mexico won the Diaspora quiz.

The Jewish Agency emissaries prepared the competitors in their own countries, organizing local quizzes and bringing the participants to Israel. The International Bible Quiz is organized by the IDF Education Department, the Jewish Agency, Ministry of Education and the JNF.

This Sunday, more than 7,000 Jewish Muscovites will mark Israel's 52nd birthday at a giant celebration being organized by the Jewish Agency under the auspices of the Israeli embassy in Russia. The Jerusalem municipality, JDC, Israel Center and Bank Hapoalim are all participating in funding the event which has been named "The Promised Land".

Also expected at the event are Israel's Minister Haim Ramon, Jewish Agency Treasurer Chaim Chesler, the head of the Jewish Agency delegation in Russia Alla Levy, acting Israeli ambassador to Russia Avi Binyamin, Russian Chief Rabbi Abraham Shayevich, representatives of Nativ, and Moscow city officials.

The day-long and unprecedented Jewish event will be held at the "Luzniki", one of Moscow's largest sports auditoriums. During the first part of the day, the Jewish Agency will conduct a giant aliyah fair, where local municipalities (Jerusalem, Ramla, Acre and Afula) and companies from Israel will offer theirl absorption programs. Israel's hi-tech sector will be represented by Intel, Mango, and 3-R. The Hebrew University and Jerusalem's Tel Arza Technological College will describe their programs. The young people will be invited to register for studies at the fair.

In addition to the aliyah fair, a variety of cultural activities will take place at the sports' auditorium, including competitions and raffles. In the evening there will be a huge performance by Russia's leading Jewish artists as well as Israeli performers. Among the star performances will be one of Russia's leading singers, Yosef Kovzon, and Israeli singer Ilanit, who is known worldwide for her Israeli folk songs.

During the day, thousands of Moscow Jews will mix their celebration of Israel's Independence Day with practical meetings that will enable them to learn about employment and absorption possibilities in Israel through direct contacts with the representatives of Israeli firms, institutions of learning, and municipalities.

For the past seven years, the Jewish Agency has organized aliyah fairs all over the world as part of the Aliyah 2000 project. The latter provides an unmediated meeting between potential olim and the representatives from Israel, who provide the olim with the opportunity to obtain accurate information about housing opportunities in the city of their choice; apply for work and register for studies before they arrive in Israel.

A theatrical performance about the Holocaust, "Cries from Warsaw" initiated the series of Israel-related events in Yeketerinburg in Russia this week. Asher Oliamperl, head of the Jewish Agency delegation in Yeketerinburg, said that the play was performed before hundreds of Jews who had gathered at the municipal theater. A hundred actors, who were brought from Serov by the Jewish Agency in corporation with the JDC and Habad, performed in the play. The play, which portrays the heroic acts of Janus Korchak, who gave his life in an effort to save Jewish orphans from the Nazi murderers, caused great excitement in the audience.

The Israel-related events in Yeketerinburg were part of the celebrations of Israel's 52nd Independence Day. All the local and international Jewish organizations who are active in the city helped organize the events.

At the beginning of the week a young talents contest, organized jointly by all the local Jewish organizations, took place. Those performing included a trio of singers and dance troupe from the Jewish Agency's youth club; sextet of violinists, a singer and story-teller from the JDC-supported Sunday school; a children's choir from the Habad synagogue; dance troupe from the local Menorah organization and the Aviv dance troupe from the Jewish Agency's youth club in the nearby town of Prym.

Yesterday, 800 members of the Yeketerinburg Jewish community celebrated Israel's Independence Day with a festive concert performed by the "Mazal Tov" klezmer band, organized by the Jewish Agency. According to Oliamperl, the band which is led by Marina Levenson, put on a special Independence Day performance including Israeli songs which were rewritten in klezmer style.

Today the local Jewish Agency office will conduct "Israeli Literature Day", led by Yaakov Lieberman, a writer and lecturer at Yeketerinburg University. Ten days from now a performing troupe of the IDF will be the concluding act in a series of events which have familiarized local Jews the State of Israel and Jewish Agency programs.

Yeketerinburg, formerly Sverdlovsk, where Boris Yeltsin grew up, lies in the Ural Mountains, in central Russia. According to Jewish Agency estimates there are currently 19,000 Jews in Yeketerinburg. More than 10 Jewish organizations operate here and contribute to community life. The Jewish Agency provides three Hebrew ulpanim, a youth club and computer center. In 1999, 2,800 olim came to Israel from Yeketerinburg; since the beginning of the year there have been 550 olim.

Israelis celebrate Independence Day in a style that has become the tradition since Israel was declared a state in 1948. Just as they did on the eve of Independenc6, now too, at the conclusion of Memorial Day, they enjoy spending the night singing and dancing in the streets.

Throughout the country, entertainment platforms are set up where leading performers make guest appearances, going from one location to another, in order to amuse the merry makers and particularly the young people and members of the youth movements.

The following day, when people have recuperated from the song and dance, they tend to travel outdoors to the countryside to celebrate. Hundreds of thousands yesterday crowded the shores of Lake Kinneret and the shores of the Mediterranean as well as the national parks of the JNF. They brought with them coolers with food and drink, and spent the day barbequing their favorite meat recipes that each brought with them from their countries of origin. The following is one of those recipes, which is Oriental style Kebab provided here for your enjoyment:

Rachel and Avraham Shem Tov Olim from the FSU enjoy their first independence day barbecue (Mangal) Photo credit:Joe Malcolm

Ingredients - for 28 kebabs:
½ kg. minced meat
1 large onion
½ pkt. parsley
1 egg
Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation
Mix the ingredients until smooth
Form flat, round patties in the palm of the hand
Place on the barbecue
Cook on both sides

B'Te'avon! Bon Appetit!