Boys from an alternative agricultural high school tend Bat Shlomo Vineyards, with winning results for the student farmers and the finished product. At 15, Shilo Eliash was thoroughly urban. Growing up in Petah Tikva near Tel Aviv, he thought of agriculture – if he thought of it at all – as a menial job for foreign workers. Yet when he heard about a new alternative high school for religious boys dedicated to educational, personal and spiritual development through a connection with the land, he persuaded his parents to let him try the boarding school far from home near the Jordan River.

The growing process of public and political polarization in the United States impacts on support for Israel, which for many years was in the bipartisan political consensus. Joined by awakening waves of anti-Semitism, support for Israel, now identified most strongly with the Republican party, is becoming a controversial issue. These developments have weighty implications for Israel.

From traffic jams and chocolate-spread matzah to the largest Seder night in the world, check out these fun facts about Passover Israel-style. It’s no different in Israel, of course, where the week-long holiday is going to be celebrated in full vigor. However, there are some unique aspects to the holiday in the Holy Land, some more bizarre than others.