Internationally Award Winning Israeli Authors
Over the last decade or so Israeli authors have been growing in popularity around the world. At present, there are two names that stand out from the crowd, David Grossman and Amos Oz. The two really came to the fore in 2017 when they were both amongst thirteen nominees on the longlist for the prestigious […]
Israel’s Changing Demographics and the Challenges they Pose
Part of the aim of your gap year in Israel is to help you understand the country’s demographics. It is a small country but has a population of over 8.7 million making it roughly the 100th most populated country in the world. It won’t take you long to realise that the country is made up […]
Israel and the Eurovision Song Contest
While Israel is not actually in Europe, it has taken part in the Eurovision Song Contest forty times since it made its debut in 1973. Until 2017 it was able to take part as the Israel Broadcasting Authority was a member of the European Broadcasting Union. This all changed in 2017 and Israel’s future participation […]
Israel’s Twelve Noble Prize Laureates
Despite being a very small country, Israel has won an impressive number of Nobel Prizes. To date, there have been twelve winners of the coveted awards in Israel, with Chemistry being a particular area of excellence. Most recently, in 2013, Arieh Warshel and Michael Levitt won the Nobel Prize for chemistry and became Israel’s fifth […]
Unusual Weather in Israel
When you think about Israel’s weather you probably think of nice warm, or very hot, days in the sun. Those who have been in winter, particularly to Jerusalem, will know that the country is in fact often cold and snow is not unusual. However, sometimes the weather goes a bit extreme and you get some […]
Israel’s Endangered Species
Israel is home to an amazing array of wildlife, from the coral reef in Eilat to the plants and animals of the desert and the Galilee. Unfortunately, like everywhere else in the world, there are a number of species of plants and animals that are on the endangered list and some are horrifically close to […]
How Tel Aviv Became the White City
One of the great things about Israeli society is that it has developed with influences from all over the world. Israel is largely a country of immigrants and each group of immigrants brought their own influence. If you are spending your gap year in Tel Aviv then you will learn a great deal about the […]
Israel’s Flag – A Brief History
Whether you have been to Israel before or not, you are sure to be familiar Israel’s flag, a blue Star of David in between two horizontal blue stripes. It has been the country’s flag since October 28, 1948, five months after the establishment of the state but the flag was actually designed for the Zionist […]
Cats in Israel
When you first arrive in Israel for your gap year you are sure to marvel at a huge variety of sites, feel the difference in culture to your home country and generally discover lots of new and exciting things. However, one thing that you probably aren’t prepared for is the huge number of cats roaming […]
Israel’s Desert Animals
When you hear the word ‘desert’ you probably think of endless sand and rocks rather than animals. However, Israel’s deserts are home to a wide range of wildlife that has adapted to survive in the often-harsh conditions. Here are just a few of the many animals you may spot in Israel’s deserts. In the 1970s […]