2. Israel Mediterranean sea The State of Israel is located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan and the West Bank in the east, Egypt and the Gaza Strip on the southwest, and the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea to the south. Israel contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area: Snow up north, Desert in the south, a long sea shore on the west, and even the lowest point on earth is located in Israel – the Dead Sea.

3. Israel mediterranean sea Tel Aviv Jerusalem Nazareth Sea/ The Sea of Galilee The Dead Sea Jordan River 470 KM from north to south The Red Sea

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9. Area: 22,000 square kilometers Capital: Population: 7.4 million Government: Parliamentary, Democracy Currency: Shekel Language: Jerusalem Hebrew Independence day: May-14-1948 This year Israel celebrates its 64 birthday

10. Israel is a “young country” and its population is composed of Jewish people from different countries and different ethnics. Each has Jewish traditions in its own version and the culture from its own native country. We call it “Kibbuts Galuyot”. A Mix of and from all people. The Israeli culture is influenced from different cultures: European, East-European, Mediterranean, Yemenite and many more.

11. Holidays The Hebrew New Year Passover Hanukah Purim Eating Apple with honey wishing a sweet year Lighting candles in the Hanukiya starting with one and adding one each night for 8 days Wearing Costumes “Lel Haseder” – reading the “hagada”, eating matza bread

12. Humus Deep (made of garbanzo beans) Pita-Bread Falafel (Fried Garbanzo beans ) Couscous (Semolina) Ptitim (Israeli Couscous) Jachnun traditional Yemenite dish

13. FruitsVegetables The Israelis kids are sometimes nick named Sabres (Sabra fruit) Why? They can be thorny on the outside – like a Sabra Cactus But on the inside they are very sweet – Like a Sabra Fruit!

14. The Hebrew Language exists since the 2nd Millenuium BC (for more than 3000 years) It disappeared as a spoken language at the 2nd century AD, but continued to be written and used in prayers. Hebrew is the only language that was revived – a unique phenomenon! Hebrew was revived at the beginning of the 20 th centuray.