Yulia Karra

2 weeks ago | israel21c.org | Yulia Karra |Abigail Klein Leichman

All 13 beaches in Tel Aviv were recently honored with the annual Blue Flag Award, allowing the city’s beaches to maintain the status for the 13th year in a row. The Blue Flag is an internationally recognized eco-label awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) — one of the world’s largest environmental education organizations — to beaches and marinas that meet a host of stringent environmental, educational, safety and accessibility standards.

2 weeks ago | israel21c.org | Yulia Karra

In Moshav Megadim in northern Israel, a modest dog kennel houses one of the most inspiring animal welfare organizations in the country.  Gilboa Loves Animals was founded in 2006 with the goal of rescuing abandoned and abused dogs in distress, rehabilitating them and finding them adoptive homes. Its founder and director, Anna Mostkov, set up the organization to service the area of Mount Gilboa where she lived at the time. Since then, she has expanded her work to other parts of the country.

2 weeks ago | israel21c.org | Yulia Karra

“This is not a zoo!” Moran Levy, a digital coordinator at Midbarium Desert Animal Park, tells ISRAEL21c at the start of our tour. That message is conveyed multiple times during our journey around the park in Beersheva, 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Gaza. Midbarium is indeed not a conventional zoo, but a one-of-a-kind interactive animal park.

2 weeks ago | israel21c.org | Zachy Hennessey |Yulia Karra

In the aftermath of the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023, and the ensuing ongoing conflict, Israel has been experiencing what experts call its largest mental health crisis ever. An estimated 3 million Israelis have been affected mentally by the war, including thousands of teens displaced from their homes near Gaza and the northern border.

3 weeks ago | israel21c.org | Yulia Karra

The 2025 Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Basel, Switzerland from May 13-17. Israel’s representative, Yuval Raphael, is set to perform in the first semifinal on May 13 along with contestants from 14 other countries. The 10 highest-scoring entries in each semifinal qualify for the Grand Final. Updated betting odds show Raphael is on course to qualify for the final, where she currently is ranked fifth overall.