Israel

 Israel is a little smaller than the state of New Jersey  290 miles in length and 85 miles in width  Located in the Middle East  Mediterranean Sea borders the western side of Israel

Israel Population Facts 806,000 residents when Israel 1 st became a state (country) in 1948 Current Population – 7,337,000  5,542,000 (75.5%) Jewish  1,477,000 (20.1%) Israeli Arabs  318,000 (4.4%) immigrants

Israel Facts Has the highest number of scientists and engineers per capita in the world Has the highest number of museums in the world Home to 3 major religions:  Judaism  Christianity  Islam

Israel Festival

Interesting Facts Contains 40.6% of the world’s Jewish population 75.5% of the population are Jewish 20.1% are Arabs 92% of the population live in urban communities 65% of the Jewish population were born in Israel compared to 35% in 1948

Jewish Festivals  Shabbat (the Sabbath – day of rest on Saturday)  Rosh Hashanah (beginning of the Jewish New Year)  Yom Kippur (the day of atonement, of Divine judgment – day to pray for foregiveness)  Sukkot (Feast of the Tabernacles – celebrate the Exodus from Egypt)

Jewish Festivals continued Hanukkah (Festival of Lights - celebrates the triumph of the Jews over the Greeks) Passover (Pessah – celebrating the liberation and bondage from Egypt) Independence Day (held on the anniversary of the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel – May 14, 1948)

SI8

Jerusalem

Capital of Israel Seat of government and the historical, spiritual, and national center of the Jewish people Largest city in Israel (population 719,000) Urban population of 1,036,500 Jewish, Muslims, and Christian live side by side

City Wall

Worship Centers 1,204 Synagogues 158 Churches 73 Mosques

Wailing Wall

Tower of David

St. Andrews Church

Gethsemane

Jerusalem at Night

Tel Aviv

 Israel’s 2nd largest city (population of 360,000)  Israel’s largest metropolitan area – 2,896,900  Tel mean “mound” and Aviv means “spring” – “The Hill of Spring”  Israel’s commercial, financial, and transportation center  1 st all-Jewish city in modern times  Founded in 1909 as a suburb of Jaffa

Tel Aviv Jaffa (Old Town)

Tele Aviv Facts continued City was originally built on sand dunes Most densely populated area in Israel 9 mile Mediterranean Coastline (beach) Carmel Market in the Yemenite Quarter is one of the largest open air markets in the Middle East

Tel Aviv Bus Station Bombed

Tel Aviv at Night

Walkway in Jaffa

Simon’s House

Haifa

Israel’s 3 rd largest city (population of 250,000) Israel’s northern capital City built on the slopes of Mount Carmel Home of the World Headquarters of the Bahai faith Israel’s only subway is located here Considered to be Israel’s most progressive city

Haifa Technion – Israel’s leading technology company MATAM industrial center – one of Israel’s largest concentrations of high technology

Stairway to Heaven

Bahia Gardens

Rocket Attack

Hezbollah Rocket Attack in Haifa

Terrorist Attack

Jericho

Dead Sea

Dead Sea Facts Highest salt concentration of any water on earth (33%) Evaporation increases the minerals and salt Located on the Syrian/African fault line (plate separated) Considered to be holy – site where Jesus was baptized Alternative cure for arthritis

Mud is thought to be therapeutic