By: Marcy Oster – Jewish Telegraphic Agency; jta.org
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israeli scientists have developed a self-disinfecting, reusable face mask as the demand for protective masks has risen dramatically since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
The mask was developed at the Haifa-based Technion-Israel Institute of Technology’s Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering by a team of scientists led by Professor Yair Ein-Eli.
By: Sue Surkes – The Times of Israel; timesofisrael.com
Mountain gazelles are under serious threat from urbanization, poaching, collisions with cars, predation by feral dogs as well as natural predators, and division of their habitats by roads, railways and fences, including the security barrier between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, a report says.
The species is already listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and if this species as well as others are to be protected in the long term, radical steps should be taken, including banning new building or agriculture on land still in its natural state and reviewing subsidies that encourage population growth, says the study, published last week in Oryx—The International Journal of Conservation.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/mountain-gazelles-under-serious-threat-urgent-action-needed-study/
By: Jerusalem Post Staff – jpost.com
The Muslim World League, a Saudi Arabian government-funded NGO, is prepared to fight “shoulder-to-shoulder” with Jews from around the world to defeat antisemitism, head of the group Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa said on Tuesday.“
We in the Muslim World League are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Jewish brothers and sisters to build understanding, respect, love and interreligious harmony,” said al-Issa from Mecca in a virtual conference organized by the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement and the American Sephardi Federation.
By: Deborah Fineblum – Jewish News Syndicate; jns.org
In a time of darkness, a time of pandemic, pandemonium and power struggles, a thin ray of light can be seen in the Jewish world.
The results are in: In May, the number of North Americans applying to make aliyah was double what it was last year at this time (814 vs. 424). In fact, last month was the biggest ever in the 19-year history of Nefesh B’Nefesh, the nonprofit that with the help of Israel’s government and the Jewish Agency for Israel has already shepherded some 60,000 North American Jews to new homes in Israel.
“We’ve seen small bumps, but nothing like this,” says Marc Rosenberg, Nefesh vice president for Diaspora partnerships. “What we saw this past month is absolutely remarkable. And while they may not be major numbers, they are major increases.”
https://www.jns.org/in-an-era-of-global-uncertainty-record-numbers-of-jews-seek-to-return-home/
By: Ben Sales – Jewish Telegraphic Agency; jta.org
Wonder of wonders: “Fiddler on the Roof” is returning to the big screen.
MGM will produce a remake of the iconic 1964 musical about the struggles and joys of Jewish life in the fictional Eastern European shtetl of Anatevka, according to Deadline.
The new film will bring some star power from Broadway: Director Thomas Kail served in the same role for “Hamilton” and has collaborated with its creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda (famously a “Fiddler” fan), on other shows. Steven Levenson, who wrote the acclaimed musical “Dear Evan Hansen,” will pen the screenplay.
The remake will be carrying on a tradition of more than 50 years.
By: David Horovitz – The Times of Israel; timesofisrael.com
Ahead of its annual al-Quds Day orgy of Israel-bashing on Friday, Iran’s parliament has unanimously passed legislation banning “any cooperation” with Israel — specifically including the use of Israeli computer hardware and software — as a crime against God.
In normal years, al-Quds day is marked across the Islamic Republic by orchestrated anti-Israel marches and speeches, the trampling and burning of Israeli flags, and other displays of hatred rather at odds with the regime’s frequent assurances to the international community that its friendly and peace-loving leaders have no interest whatsoever in acquiring nuclear weapons.
CBN News – cbn.com
Millions of people around the world have been forced into isolation as part of the global effort to stop the deadly coronavirus pandemic. Since no tourists are allowed in Israel during this time, CBN News is bringing Israel to you.
We are inviting you to join our virtual tour series and see Israel’s most fascinating sites from the comfort of your own home. Ride with us on the Sea of Galilee, walk the ancient pilgrimage road to that Jesus once walked, and visit ancient Shiloh.
This virtual tour page features archaeological sites and history from the time of Jesus and before.
By: Samuel Smith – The Christian Post; christianpost.com
A Nigerian civil society organization estimates that about 620 Christians were killed and hundreds of homes, as well as churches, were damaged in Nigeria since the beginning of the year as attacks carried about by Fulani radicals and Islamic terrorists continue.
The Anambra-based nongovernmental organization International Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law, headed by Christian Emeka Umeagbalasi, released a statement Thursday highlighting the impact of the atrocities committed by terrorists across Nigeria thus far in 2020.
The report, based on days of forensic research, warns that militant Fulani herdsmen roaming the country’s rural Middle Belt states and terrorists affiliated with Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province in Nigeria’s northeast region have “intensified their anti-Christian violence.”
By: Zachary Keyser – The Jerusalem Post; jpost.com
The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) has been assisting the Jewish Agency for Israel and Keren HaYesod, throughout the coronavirus pandemic, with bringing Diaspora Jews to Israel by sponsoring 601 Aliyah flights since February.
As a part of the initiative, the ICEJ will be a part of bringing 160 Jews to Israel this week – including a group of 41 stemming from the former Soviet Union.
By: Leah MarieAnn Klett – The Christian Post; christianpost.com
China’s crackdown against Christianity continued to escalate throughout May, with numerous reports of church raids, cross removals, and intimidation of believers emerging from across the country.
According to persecution watchdog Bitter Winter, as China attempts to reopen after coronavirus lockdowns, communist authorities continue propagating “stability maintenance” measures that specifically target Christian places of worship.