Good News Friday – celebrate Israel’s 70th!

Today is the 5th of Iyar, the real date of Israel’s independence. It was celebrated yesterday so as to give the nation a full day of festivities, rather than having to cut them short for Shabbat.

So in honour of this very special day, in a special Good News Friday post, here are a couple more beautiful videos to celebrate Israel’s miraculous rebirth and astonishing development in a mere 70 years.

Here is a video made by World Bnei Akiva – a Zionist national religious youth group with branches all over the world, an organization that has brought hundreds fo thousands of Olim to Israel over the decades (including my very own other half).

From the video’s blurb:

In honor of Israel’s 70th Independence Day, World Bnei Akiva invited 70 Olim from 70 different Snifim [branches] all over the world. Together with the Israeli singer, Ishay Ribo, they sang the song “Lashuv Habayta” – returning home.

 

Below is something completely different – a salute to Israel from “Born and Raised” an Israeli female gospel and soul music choir (!) singing  a beautiful birthday song to Israel. It’s an Israeli popular song, but set to a gospel arrangement and I really love it!

 

Here is a really sweet video (via Hadassah) of children of the Shomron who gathered together into a choir, celebrating Israel’s 70th birthday against the stunning landscape of the hills of Samaria:

 

And to conclude, here is clip made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Yeah, it’s a bit kitschy, but it’s so true! “What it means to be Israeli“:

 

These videos are sure to set your pulses beating faster and raise your spirits before Shabbat. 🙂

So on this very happy and elated note I wish you and us all a Shabbat Shalom!