Valley Beth Shalom Harold M. Schulweis Day School
Fun Facts about Israel
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Happy 65 Birthday Israel
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
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Israel is the only country which has a national flag patterned on a prayer shawl.
Israel is a small country, about the size of New Jersey.
Nineteen Israels would fit into California.
Dogs in Israel understand Hebrew.
Children go to school on Sunday in Israel.
Anyone can float in the Dead Sea, because there is so much salt and minerals that
everything and everyone floats to the top.
7. The largest number of books per person is published in Israel. Israel publishes
about 5,000 new books each year. Israel is the only country which prints one book
each year for every 1,500 people in the population. There are more than 800 public
libraries in Israel.
8. Israel is the only country in the world to end the 20th century with more trees than
at the beginning of the century. 240 million trees have been planted in Israel in
the past 100 years.
9. Israel is a country with immigrants from 40 different countries and has newspapers
written in more than 20 languages.
10. There are 34 languages spoken in Israel.
11. More than a quarter (26%) of the population in Israel is under the age of 14.
12. More solar energy is used per person in Israel than in any other country in the
world.
13. People born in Israel are called sabras, a fruit which is prickly on the outside and
sweet on the inside.
14. Some Israeli kids spread chocolate on bread for breakfast.
15. Jerusalem means city of peace, but during much of its history, it has been at war.
16. Israel contains major holy sites not only for Jews, but for Christians and Moslems
too.
17. Israel had to teach many of its citizens their own national language - Hebrew
18. Theodore Herzl stood on a bridge at the first Zionist Conference in Basil,
Switzerland and was quoted as saying, "If you will it, it is no dream." Exactly 50
years later, the state of Israel was established. One of the first acts of the new
government of Israel was to bring Theodore Herzl's body to Jerusalem to be
buried. He is buried on a mountain now called Mount Herzl.
19. The Law of Return (1950) grants free and automatic citizenship to any Jew in the
world who wishes to live in Israel. The word used in Hebrew to immigrate to Israel
is aliyah which means to go up.
20. People work and go to school six days a week in Israel. Sunday is a school day and a
regular work day.
21. The lowest spot on earth that is not in an ocean is the Dead Sea in Israel.
22. There is a zoo in Jerusalem where you can find most of the animals mentioned in
the Bible.
23. Some people eat cucumbers, tomatoes and olives for breakfast in Israel.
24. You can ski in Israel on Mount Hermon.
25. In Israel, it is 10 hours later than it is in Los Angeles, so when it is morning in Los
Angels it is evening in Israel.
26. Boys and girls are in Scout troops together.
27. Jewish people have lived in Israel for more than 3,000 years.
28. You can buy chocolate milk in a plastic bag in Israel.
29. There is a popular TV show, which is the same format as American Idol called
Kochav Nolad (A Star Is Born).
30. Eliezer Ben Yehuda, the founder of the modern Hebrew language was the first
parent in Israel to raise his children in Hebrew.
31. Menachem Begin, who was a military leader, was the first Israeli Prime Minister to
sign a peace treaty with an Arab country and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
32. Many people change their name, both first name and last name when they move to
Israel.
33. There are two chief rabbis in Israel. One is for the Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern
Europe, and one for the Sephardic Jews from North Africa, Algeria, Tunisia,
Morocco, Yemen, Iraq, Asia and the Arab countries.
34. The currency in Israel today is called a shekel, as it was in Biblical times.
35. There are 7 universities in the tiny country of Israel.
36. There are more computers per capita in Israel than in any other country in the
world.
37. Soccer and basketball are Israel's most popular sports.
38. The biggest industries in Israel are high tech and tourism, no longer diamonds and
agriculture.
39. Israel has had many names: Palestine, Canaan, the homeland of the Jewish people.
40. Israel is the only country in the world in which Jews make up the majority of the
population.
41. There are two streets named for American Presidents in Jerusalem, Abraham
Lincoln and George Washington. These two presidents never visited Israel.
42. Many people think about Kibbutz life when they think about Israel. Did you know
that less than 3% of the Israeli population lives on a kibbutz?
43. Someone born in Israel is called a sabra.
44. Hatikvah is the name of Israel‘s National Anthem.
45. Boys and girls go into the army when they turn 18 years old.
46. Israel’s airline is called El Al.
47.Many streets in Israel are named after Jewish heroes.
48. Many buildings in Jerusalem are made out of white Jerusalem stone.
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49.The emblem of the State of Israel is a menorah with an olive branch on each side.
50. Jerusalem is called the “city of gold.”
51. You can go snorkeling and see beautiful fish in Eilat.
52. Any Jewish person can become a citizen in Israel.
53. Someone who loves Israel is called a Zionist.
54. The famous artist Marc Chagall made beautiful stained glass windows about the 12
tribes of Israel.
55. Soldiers and Israeli leaders are buried on Mount Herzel.
56. Israel is in the Middle East between Africa and Asia.
57. It is 10 hours later in Israel than it is in Los Angeles, so when it is morning in Los
Angeles, it is night is Israel.
58. There is so much salt in the Dead Sea, anyone can float in it.
59. Israel is called the “promised land”, because God promised the land to Abraham,
when it was called Canaan.