Every year on this date in May, Israel throws a massive national birthday party.
What is May 14, 1948?
You can float on your back, read a newspaper, AND eat a snack here — the salt keeps you up no matter what.
What is the Dead Sea
Israelis eat this for chickpea spread for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and as a snack — and will genuinely argue about whose version is best.
What is hummus?
On this holiday, Israelis party in the streets, spray each other with silly string, and have giant outdoor concerts all night long.
What is Yom Ha'atzmaut?
This app gets your parents un-lost every single day and was bought by Google for over a billion dollars — invented in Israel.
What is Waze?
Israel's War of Independence was won partly thanks to a homemade cannon that was SO loud it scared entire armies away — even though it barely worked.
What is the Davidka?
This city has a beach on one side and some of the most ancient history on earth on the other — all in the same afternoon.
What is Tel Aviv-Jaffa?
This dish is basically eggs swimming in spicy tomato sauce and it sounds weird until you try it and then you want it every day.
What is shakshuka?
This two-word song has made people cry at Jewish events for over 100 years — it means 'The Hope.'
What is Hatikvah?
Doctors used to need a camera on a long tube to see inside your stomach. Then an Israeli invented THIS — a tiny camera you just swallow like a pill.
What is the PillCam?
When Israel declared independence, FIVE neighboring countries immediately invaded — and lost.
What is the War of Independence?
Israeli scientists figured out how to grow strawberries, tomatoes, and flowers in THIS — basically just sand and heat.
What is the Negev Desert?
Street vendors in Israel will stuff this crispy fried ball into a pita with salad, pickles, tahini AND hot sauce all at once.
What is falafel?
On this holiday, Israeli kids stay up all night around giant bonfires roasting marshmallows and potatoes — 33 days after Passover.
What is Lag B'Omer?
Israel figured out how to grow tomatoes, strawberries, and flowers in the middle of the desert using this genius water-saving system that now feeds countries worldwide.
What is drip irrigation?
Early Israeli pioneers built secret underground weapons factories hidden inside this structure so the British wouldn't find them.
What is a laundry room / kibbutz buildings
You can walk through a tunnel under this city and come out 2,000 years in the past.
What is Jerusalem?
Israel sends this fruit all over the world and calls it 'Jaffa' — named after the ancient port city it's shipped from.
What is an orange?
On this holiday, Jewish people around the world shake a lemon-like fruit AND a palm branch together — and it actually means something deep.
What is Sukkot?
This Israeli defense system can do something no other country could do before — shoot rockets and missiles out of the sky before they land.
What is the Iron Dome?
Israel once rescued over 100 hostages held at an airport in Uganda by flying commandos 2,500 miles in secret — in one night.
What is Operation Entebbe?
This fortress sits on top of a cliff so steep that the Romans had to build a giant ramp just to reach the top
What is Masada?
This iconic Israeli snack is basically a puffed corn peanut butter treat that Israeli kids eat like it's their whole personality.
What is Bamba?
This is the one day a year where Israel goes completely silent — no music, no TV, no cars — to remember fallen soldiers.
What is Yom HaZikaron?
An Israeli company invented a device that reads THIS instead of a password to prove who you are — now used in airports all over the world.
What are eyes?