Inflation, rising antisemitism, tumbling markets, and other bad news stories are easy to find. So, sit back and enjoy some good news.

It’s been a busy week. The new government is being installed and is getting to work. For those interested in the who’s who in the new government, I found an article in Al Jazeera that does just that.

The media is going nuts over Itamar Ben Gvir’s visit to the Temple Mount, which ultimately serves Hamas. It gives legitimacy for them to react with violence. We pray it won’t come to that.

2022 came to a close, and now we can look at the numbers. Israel’s population now stands at approximately 9,656,000 residents. 7,106,000 Jews, 2,037,00 Arabs, and 513,000 others. 2,675,000 tourists visited Israel, compared to 397,000 in 2021 and 831,000 in 2020.

Izmir is the third largest city in Turkey, and at one time, not so long ago, it was the capital of Sefardic Jewry. It has had a documented Jewish population since the 2nd century, significantly boosted in the 15th century by the Jewish Expulsion from Spain. Nesim Bencoya, director of the Izmir Jewish Heritage project, is trying to revive Jewish Tourism in Izmir. Now in his late 60s, Bencoya has spent most of his life living in Haifa and running the Haifa Cinemateque.13 years ago, he returned to his childhood hometown to lead the Jewish Heritage project. For nine days in December, he runs the annual Sephardic Culture Festival that includes Jewish and Ladino music concerts, traditional food tastings, and lectures on Izmir’s Jewish community. This year it had tours of the city’s synagogues. They were recently restored with the help of the EU and the local municipality. Read all about it in the link below.

A new Israeli study about DNA methylation. DNA methylation is the body’s process of differentiating tissue types. Every cell contains the same genetic information, so the body needs a mechanism to turn on and off DNA sequences to create skin, nerves, muscles, etc. The Israeli study mapped every type of tissue and the methylation marker. It’s a fascinating development that could push advanced detection of cancer and have many more life-changing applications.

Finally, the US Air Force sent six F-15 fighter jets to Nevetim Air Base in Southern Israel. It’s part of a new strategy the USAF is employing, where they’re moving small aircraft teams to many locations worldwide. The move is expected to make them less vulnerable to attack and enable them to be more agile. They’ll also be running drills with Israel’s F35 and Gulfstream intelligence planes, simulating an attack deep in enemy territory.