■ AMONG THE great ironies of the 20th and 21st centuries is that several Latin American countries that were havens for Nazis who fled the possibility of their war crimes being weighed on the scales of justice were a haven for the Jews who had fled the Nazis during the war or who had sought to make new lives for themselves after the war in places far from Europe.

Generally speaking, the Palestinian populations in these countries are considerably larger than the Jewish populations, yet Latin America, with a few exceptions, is increasingly showing solidarity with Israel. One of the most recent examples was the reopening of the Embassy of Paraguay in Jerusalem during Paraguayan President Santiago Peña’s December 2024 visit to Israel.

Due to arrive in Israel this week to receive the Genesis Prize is Argentina’s President Javier Milei, who previously visited Israel in February 2024, when he and Argentina’s ambassador to Israel, Shimon Axel Wahnish, planted a tree in the Grove of Nations in Jerusalem.

Milei has toyed with the idea of moving the embassy to Jerusalem, but for the time being, it remains in Tel Aviv. However, the official residence of the ambassador is in Jerusalem’s Talbiyeh neighborhood. Another Latin American ambassador, whose embassy is in Tel Aviv, also lives in Jerusalem. Ezra Cohen, the ambassador of Panama, like Wahnish, is a religiously observant Jew who prefers to live in the Holy City.

El Salvador used to have an embassy and a residence in Jerusalem but moved to Herzliya in 2006. That was the last foreign embassy to leave Jerusalem, and at the time, it also had a Jewish ambassador, Susana Gun de Hasenson. El Salvador was preceded by Costa Rica, which also had a Jewish ambassador, Noemi Baruch.

PRESIDENT ISAAC Herzog meets with Argentinian President Javier Milei in Jerusalem, in February. (credit: HAIM ZACH/GPO)
PRESIDENT ISAAC Herzog meets with Argentinian President Javier Milei in Jerusalem, in February. (credit: HAIM ZACH/GPO)
Colombia once sent an Israeli expatriate, David de la Rosa, as its ambassador to Israel. After completing his service, he and his wife, Grace, returned to live in Herzliya Pituah, which is the heartland of the residences of foreign diplomats and also has a few embassies so that ambassadors and embassy staff do not have the hassle of early morning traffic to Tel Aviv nor the congestion during rush hour traffic at the end of the working day.

Latin America has sent more ambassadors of the Jewish faith to Israel than any other continent. This includes, among others, ambassadors from Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, Panama, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Costa Rica,

El Salvador’s departure from Jerusalem has not affected its close relationship with Israel. In fact, on Thursday, June 12, its ambassador, Hector Enrique Celarie Landaverde, together with Ramle Mayor Michael Vidal, will inaugurate El Salvador Republic Square in the latter’s city.

Athena Fund reaches triple-digit ImagineBoxes in Israeli classrooms

■ ONLY FIVE years after launching its ImagineBox immersive learning program in elementary and high schools throughout Israel, the Athena Fund is celebrating a milestone, having reached a triple-digit figure in the number of ImagineBoxes in Israeli classrooms. The figure is currently 100, but Athena Fund and ImagineBox founder Uri Ben-Ari is confident that it will soar to 150 by the end of the year.

These cutting-edge classrooms transform education into an interactive, multisensory experience through advanced projection technology on walls and floors, creating the sensation that students are fully immersed in the subject matter.

For instance, science lessons can take students on virtual tours of the solar system; history classes become time-travel experiences to key historical events; mathematics is brought to life through dynamic, interactive simulations; and environmental studies allow students to explore regional ecosystems. These are just a few of the countless possibilities offered by ImagineBox.

The immersive learning experience fosters deep student engagement, critical thinking, and enthusiasm for studies.To mark the 100th ImagineBox milestone, the Athena Fund will host a festive gathering on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at the My Campus center (31 Lehi Street, Bnei Brak). The event will bring together members of the ImagineBox community, including teachers, principals, partners, and supporters, for a fascinating day of innovation, collaboration, and professional dialogue.

Keynote speakers will include Maj.-Gen. (res.) Eliezer Shkedi, former commander of the Israel Air Force and a member of the Athena Fund’s Advisory Committee, and Yael Adar, mother of the late Tamir Adar, who was critically wounded, killed, and kidnapped after defending Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023. His body is still being held by Hamas in Gaza.

Among those commemorated in the classrooms are Lt.-Col. Salman Habaka, commander of the 188th Armored Brigade’s Battalion 53, who fell in northern Gaza; Lt.-Col. Alim Saad, deputy commander of the 300th Brigade, who was killed in combat in Lebanon; the Bibas family – Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir – who were brutally murdered by Hamas; and graduates of the Ron Arad School in Rehovot, who lost their lives.

These are just a few of many examples.Ben-Ari, in explaining his vision, says: “The ImagineBox is a groundbreaking development in Israeli education.

It enables students to experience learning in an engaging, interactive way, deepening their understanding while fostering creativity and critical thinking. Reaching 100 ImagineBox classrooms across Israel is a testament to the success of this initiative and to our commitment to meaningful, innovative learning that prepares the next generation for the challenges of the 21st century.”

Given its aims, the Athena Fund is aptly named. In Greek mythology, Athena is the goddess of wisdom.

Israel inaugurates its first institute for energy and electrochemical storage

■ ENERGY AND Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen, in a ceremony held last week at Bar-Ilan University, officially inaugurated the National Institute for Energy and Electrochemical Storage, believed to be a first-of-its-kind initiative in Israel. The institute was established through a strategic partnership between the Energy and Infrastructure Ministry, BIU, and the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa.

Among those in attendance were Yossi Dayan, director-general of the ministry, and BIU President Prof. Arie Zaban, along with leading figures from Israel’s academic, industrial, and governmental sectors.

The new institute will be a core part of a broader Energy Innovation Hub to be established at BIU and will be a national center designed to catalyze innovation in advanced climate and energy technologies. Its mission is to develop and commercialize cutting-edge solutions in electrochemistry and batteries, hydrogen energy, sustainable industrial materials, carbon capture, and more.

“The establishment of the National Energy Institute is a strategic move to harness Israeli innovation and entrepreneurship for the advancement of our energy and economic sectors,” said Cohen.

“Energy is life, and I am confident that this new institute will generate groundbreaking technological solutions that position Israel at the global forefront. The energy sector is a key player in the AI revolution, and we are committed to driving forward solutions that enhance national security, improve environmental quality, and enable electricity production at competitive costs.”

“Establishing this hub is both a professional mission and a personal one,” said Zaban. “To meet our climate goals and secure the future of our planet, we must develop bold, deep-tech solutions. The launch of this institute places Israel at the forefront of global energy innovation.”

Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan said, “Sustainability is one of the defining challenges of the 21st century, and addressing it demands multidisciplinary collaboration that bridges academic disciplines, institutions, and sectors. Close cooperation between academia, industry, and government is essential.

“The institute’s cutting-edge research infrastructure will be a national asset, serving researchers across Israel. Its establishment marks a significant milestone. I am confident that, through this partnership and with the support of the Energy Ministry, we are taking a meaningful step toward a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future.”

IsraAID extends outreach to help Ukraine

■ ISRAEL’S INTERNATIONAL humanitarian, nongovernmental organization, IsraAID, has, since 2001, become synonymous with a rapid response to humanitarian crises and a long-term commitment to working with affected communities around the world. During and after emergencies, IsraAID partners with communities to rebuild their lives – and their futures.

It stands to reason that IsraAID, therefore, has a branch in Ukraine headed by Ukraine Country Director Alena Druzhynina.

IsraAID Ukraine last month hosted local children for shelter painting festivals, creating a sense of ownership and physical safety as part of their “Quokka Hub” project. Quokka Hubs are child-friendly spaces that provide emotional support to children displaced and affected by the ongoing war across the country.

IsraAID installed shelters in villages that previously had no protection, allowing children to safely gather and access emotional support. With increased attacks across the country in recent months, shelters and activities provide much-needed support to children who have repeatedly been displaced or kept out of school.

IsraAID has installed shelters in five villages in the Mykolaiv Oblast: Maryinka, Maryanivka, Novoukrainka, Murakhivka, and Novokondakove. These communities previously had no spaces for children to gather in safety. In partnership with local Ukrainian NGO Istok, these five new Quokka Hubs will serve 328 children between the ages of four and 17.

The shelter painting activities brought local children to paint murals on the shelters under the guidance of a Ukrainian artist, promoting a sense of ownership over the space and reducing fear about entering the shelter.

On-site, children participated in additional activities, including a creative arts session where children sculpted their own quokka (the hubs’ mascot) and placed it inside a model shelter. Under the guidance of psychosocial support experts, children participated in games that incorporated elements of emotional support.

Quokka Hubs support over 1,200 children in the Kyiv, Odesa, and Mykolaiv Oblasts.

The hub’s mascot, the quokka, was selected in collaboration with children from all over Ukraine. The adorable Australian animal has a unique facial structure that makes it seem as if it is always smiling. The animal is exceedingly social but regularly takes time by itself to recoup.

IsraAID developed extensive emotional support materials surrounding the quokka that are used in hubs across Ukraine. IsraAID also produces special backpacks that children and facilitators take with them to the shelter when air raid alerts occur, ensuring that they can continue activities despite active hostilities.

IsraAID Ukraine has been responding to the ongoing war since its first days after the full-scale Russian invasion of the country. To date, IsraAID has supported over 400,000 people across Ukraine with access to safe water, mental health and psychosocial support services, health services, medical equipment, urgently needed aid items, shelters, and more.

greerfc@gmail.com