Torah Thoughts

Torah Thoughts

MORE ABOUT ISRAEL AT 71

Last week we celebrated Israel’s Independence. Here are
some fun and informative facts about the Jewish State in
2019, from Israel21c.org: 

1. Israel’s population is 9,009,000. About 74.2% are Jews, 21% Muslim or Christian Arabs, and the rest non-Arab Christians and others. (Central Bureau of Statistics) Citizens aged 0-20 comprise 43% of Israel’s population. The largest group within that category is 5- to 14-year-olds (18%). The latter category is largest in Jerusalem, making up 21% of its population. (Statistical Yearbook of Jerusalem)
2. More than 350 multinational corporations have R&D centers in Israel, including IBM, Intel, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Merck, HP Indigo, J&J, GE, Siemens, Qualcomm, Applied Materials and Samsung. Israel has the world’s highest per capita number of such centers. (IVC, Ministry of Economy and Industry) And Intel is making the largest-ever corporate investment in Israel: An $11 billion production plant planned in Kiryat Gat.
3. Israel ranks fifth in the world for healthy longevity and 11^th in the world for overall happiness. (2018 United Nations World Happiness Report)
4. Since its establishment in 1901, the Jewish National Fund has planted more than 240 million trees in Israel. Israel is one of the only countries in the world that ended the 20th century with more trees than it had at the start. (KKL-JNF)
5. Israel recycles 87% of its wastewater for agriculture, much more than any other country in the world. Some 31% of irrigation water originates from wastewater treated at more than 150 plants. (Mekorot)
6. Israel’s annual honey yield is about 3,000 tons. About 1,600 tons of honey is consumed by Israelis every Rosh Hashana to symbolize the hope of a sweet Jewish New Year ahead. (Israeli Honey Board)

For full report, go to https://www.israel21c.org/israel-celebrates-71-a-statistical-snapshot-of-a-remarkable-country/

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

1. MJC is joining the Monmouth County cluster for the Celebrate Israel Parade on Sunday, June 2^nd in NYC! Bus transportation provided – register at https://www.mjcnj.com/form/IsraelDayParade2019
2. Visit Israel with MJC in November 2020! See the tentative itinerary and more information here. file:///C:/Users/rabbipont/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/YN41151O/MJCIsraelTripNov2020.pdf
3. MJC is a proud partner with JNF! To read about MAKOM Communities, which we heard about last Friday night, go to https://www.mjcnj.com/clergy1.html

Shabbat shalom,
Rabbi Pont

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