In Israel, over the past year and a half, anyone who gives unsparingly of themselves for the benefit of others, be it male or female, soldier or civilian, is regarded as a hero.
On Tuesday, February 4, the Zionist Council in Israel, which is part of the World Zionist Organization, will, for the second time, distribute The Israeli Society Heroes Award to a diverse group of 24 individuals and organizations selected from among 500 nominees by a committee chaired by Israel Prize laureate Miriam Peretz.
Other committee members included former ambassador and health minister, Yael German, Moshe Davidovich, head of the Mateh Asher Regional Council, and Gil Segal, vice chairman of the WZO. This year’s recipients were nominated and selected in recognition of their notable activities during the war, focusing on the spirit of action, volunteering, perseverance, and dedication in various fields.
The 24 honorees include Hanoch Daum for Assistance to Reservists and their Families; the Ve’ahavta association for their efforts in support of reservists; journalist Almog Boker, for his pivotal role as a news correspondent in the southern region and his direct assistance to residents during the past year; Pitchon Lev and Limor Sarov for extensive assistance to evacuees from the North and South; and public diplomacy activist Lorena Khateeb for her critical voice in national and international advocacy efforts, and Sacha Roytman Dratwa, CEO of the Combat Antisemitism Movement;
Also included are the Hatikva Band for supporting Israeli resilience and raising spirits by performing voluntarily across the country; the Edut 710 Project for documenting and memorializing war testimonies and the events of October 7; Legal scholar Prof. Yifat Bitton, President of Achva Academic College, for leading a significant research project on Hamas’s war crimes; and The Center for Jewish Impact and the Volunteering for Agriculture in the South and North initiative for encouraging agricultural recovery in these regions.
“The prolonged war presented Israeli society with unprecedented challenges. Yet, among us are heroes who refuse to give up, who contribute, support, and strengthen the Israeli spirit, lifting us all,” said Zionist Council CEO Attorney Oz Haim. “This is our opportunity to thank them and to remind everyone of the immense strength and resilience within Israeli society – a source of optimism and hope for the recovery and renewal of our amazing country.”
Mishloah Manot
■ WE’VE BARELY said farewell to Hanukkah, and Purim is already around the corner with the traditional custom of mishloah manot (sending gifts) of food and drink. This tradition applies to everyone regardless of their financial status, but in order not to embarrass the poor, it is stipulated that the mishloah manot must contain two kinds of food and that the gift must be sent to at least one recipient. It doesn’t stipulate quantity.
Of course the very wealthy go overboard and send huge boxes or baskets laden with fruit, chocolates, cookies, pastries, and large bottles of expensive wines. These can immediately be redirected to a poor neighborhood, hospital, or boarding school for children from problematic families.
Because the crisis situation in Israel is still far from being resolved, people in Israel and abroad want to send mishloah manot to soldiers, people displaced from their homes, and to families bereaved by the massacre, the hostage situation, or the war.
The American Friends of ANU, the Museum of the Jewish People, sent mishloah manot to Israel last year and are doing so again this year. The request for the participation of members and friends comes with the explanation that in celebrating Purim, the needs of the less fortunate must not be forgotten.
ANU is doing more than bringing a smile to the faces of individuals and families who have been bereaved or who have suffered loss of homes and income. It is also giving business to the various Israeli individuals and companies whose products will fill the mishloah manot gift boxes.
In conjunction with Foodish at the ANU Museum in Tel Aviv, the American Friends of ANU are again turning to Amshi Peretz, who has been producing fortune cookies for 24 years at his production plant – Messer Millennium – believed to be the only one of its kind in the country. The plant is located in Kibbutz Dafna, which was evacuated following the outbreak of fighting in the North, where Peretz would return to respond to customer orders. The plant recently resumed normal production.
The well-known Pat Hagalil bakery in Kiryat Shmona catered to hundreds of soldiers on the northern border until employees, together with most other residents of Kiryat Shmona, had to evacuate. Manager Moshe Zviran returned, and the bakery is gradually in the process of revival.
For 18 years, Dmitri Shulman has been producing chocolates at Kibbutz Dafna. Shulman and his family decided to stay and to continue making chocolates. In addition, there is Beresau Coffee, a family venture in memory of Avraham Beresau Ovagen, who fell in battle in February 2024. His brother Derese, who served in the Navy, started the business in memory of his sibling, whose Ethiopian name in Amharic means if “I forget him.”
The traditional Ethiopian coffee practices will also be carried out as a form of honoring the deceased brother. Donors to the project are informed that each box of goodies costs $36, which is symbolic in that 36 is twice 18, the gematria (the numerical value of words) for life.
Woodstock Jerusalem
■ A HOTEL is not exactly the atmospheric venue for a Woodstock festival, but once people get caught up in the music, it doesn’t really matter where they are. People who were ‘teenyboppers in the 1960s and have remained fans of The Beatles and Bob Dylan should put a Save the Date note in their diaries to attend the Woodstock Jerusalem concert on Thursday, March 20, at the Modular Club of the Stay Inn Hotel, 21 King George Street, Jerusalem (between Hillel and Ben Yehuda Streets).
The Fridge Magnets will perform the best of the Beatles, Spare Parts will perform other memorable melodies of the era, and a special guest whose identity is yet to be revealed will pay tribute to Bob Dylan.
Tickets are only NIS 30 in advance and NIS 45 at the door. Teens will be charged NIS 20, and soldiers in uniform will be admitted free of charge. For reservations and further information, call Tracey at 054 810 8918.
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