Welcoming Olim

How Giving are these Amutot?

2012-01-19T20:37:00.000-08:00

Do you receive requests in the mail from Charitable organizations asking for assistance. Do you get phone calls from various charities asking for assistance?

We decided to do a little test and the result is quite alarmning. We tried calling a few to ask how someone receives assistance. We tried one organization that helps Orphans and Widows. Amazingly they can not answer as to what the process is for one to receive help. We tried asking two that called us stating they help Avreichim (those who learn in Kollel) with a monthly assistance so that they can learn Torah in Kollel. "Sounds good, we said, how does an Avreich receive help?" Amazingly they could not answer.

We have tried this test with quite a few organizations and decided this is our new method to check out if an organization is real before we decide to donate.

Try it yourself. Next time you receive a flier or envelope from a charitable organiztion in Israel requesting your Maaser money, find out how much they really help others. It is easy to write a tear jerker story, but if an Orphan or Oleh or Avreich or other needy Jew turns to them for help, do they really assist? Do they know the process?

We manage a few Mitzvah Projects and hence from personal experience know very well what the process is. If someone asks who we help, we have certain criteria, a screening interview and process to assist. If a Charitable organization can not answer for you what the process is to receive, then the question is do they really help or are they just taking advantage of their Amuta for their own gain.

Try it yourself. Next time you receive an appeal for help, before you send in a check or give your credit card details, call and ask how to receive help. If you are given the run around or put on hold or disconnected / hung up on, will your donation really go where you want it to?

Next time you are called by one of these charities, ask them the method to receive help. Ask them if they have a website and take a look. Is the method to receive help clear? Is there even an option given or are there only options to give to them but that they dont need to give to others?

There are organizations that are real. Make sure your donation goes where you intend it to. Do this simple test and then donate generously to those who really do help. For the others, if they can not explain to you how one in need applies for help, then I question if they actually help at all.

Disability Pension in Israel

2012-01-16T00:55:00.000-08:00

Like most countries, Israel offers a disability pension. The National Insurance Institue of Israel known as Bituach Leumi, has a website on which a number of articles are listed regarding this. On their website, it states that "A disability pension is paid to a person whose earning capacity is reduced by 50% due to his disability, or to a disabled housewife whose ability to function in her household is reduced by 50%."

I do not have any personal experience with the process. What Welcoming Olim can offer our readers is the link to the website of Bituach Leumi that deals with this topic. http://www.btl.gov.il/English%20Homepage/Benefits/Disability%20Insurance/Pages/default.aspx

If you would like to enquire from Bituach Leumi directly the call centres number is *6050. They permit questions to be asked in Hebrew, Arabic, Russian and one of the languages of Ethiopia. Sometimes the person answering the phone knows English too. If your English is not good, make sure you have someone with you who speaks one of the 4 languages they offer and can assist to translate for you or to talk on your behalf, thus acting as a translator.

If any of our readers has had experience with successfuly obtaining a disability pension, please email us so that we can share the information. Please note, we do not permit links to comments here to avoid SPAM messages. We do welcome comments that are constructive and have no links. If you would like to write a guest post on the topic of Disability and Israel or obtaining a Disability Pension in Israel, please submit it to our email and we will review and submit if the information is beneficial.

Shoshanah Shear

Occupational Therapist

Bituach Leumi Question from a Reader

2012-01-12T07:21:00.000-08:00

Dear Welcoming Olim

I wonder if you or one of your readers can help me.

I was most interested to read the post on difficulties with Bituach Leumi. I received a letter from Bituach Leumi to say that they had returned an amount "owing" me to my bank account. The amount they returned was exactly the amount I owed them for the month. Now I am having to pay it again with a few Shekels extra penalty fee.

My bank called asking about the payment from Bituach Leumi was and told me to sort it out as the bank is required to charge me for the service of receiving the money paid from Bituach Leumi and then charging another charge when I pay Bituach Leumi again. It seems that the "kindness" of Bituach Leumi is costing me interest/penalty fee on the additional unnecessary payment to them, plus bank charges. I now worry that they may do it again resulting in all these additional penalty and bank fee costs.

I can't help but wonder if this is just to create work for an employee. After all, someone had to return the money, write a letter to say the money was returned, put it in an envelope and pay for postage. The postman has to deliver the letter just to let me know that Bituach Leumi have returned money I had paid for monthly insurance. Then they hit me with a few Shekel fine. Why is that?

I don't understand what Bituach Leumi are doing, and I don't know how to follow thebank's instruction of "sorting things out with Bituach Leumi." I really don't know. I am an Oleh and have not learned the system too well.

Can you advise at all or can a reader of yours explain to me? The bank's call put me into a further state of depression regarding my honest payments.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to write a guest post. Can someone offer assistance please?

-- Confused Reader

Krembo Chocolate Treats - How They are Made!

2012-01-07T22:56:00.000-08:00

A biscuit on the bottom... a mixture of sugar and egg-white on top of that (read: marshmallow), neatly molded, with a layer of (pareve) chocolate surrounding it. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you haven't been in Israel long enough! If you're a new Oleh/Olah or a veteran, you'll know about this tasty chocolate treat - called Krembo! It's a composite of two words - "קרם" meaning "cream" and "בו" meaning "in it". In South Africa, the equivalent treat (not to be confused with knowing it's state of Kashrut) is known as a Sweety Pie, or Beehive (for it's shape apparently!) In Israel there are a couple of manufacturers of this tasty treat, producing it in a few flavours - vanilla and mocha being the most common.

You best keep your eyes out for these delicious chocolates because you'll see them for only around 5 months of the year - during the winter season. They come out around September/October and are stocked up until around the end of February. You can always stock up for another 7 months or so if you have extra room, but don't expect them to be as fresh!

Would you believe that some 50 million of them are consumed each winter?!

If you've ever wondered how they're made - wonder no more! Watch the delightful video clip below and see how your treats are brought to their final form!

Enjoy! And don't forget, if you've bought a box of 40 and found it's not your taste after all, please do send them my way!

The Importance of Thanking Hashem

2012-01-02T00:06:00.000-08:00

Elsewhere on the blog you will find something by Rabbi Gold of the Old City, here is another special Jew from the Old City of Yerushalayim. In the video below, Gutman Locks explains about how special the areas infront of and behind the Kotel are. He talks about Thanking G-d and he reminds Yidden to "visit him for Shabbos sometime."

Actually, Shabbos at Gutman Locks is a special and unusual experience. He has a few rules to follow but you will find it inspiring, fun and stimulating.

So what do you have to Thank G-d for?

Disabilities, Israel and Olim

2012-01-01T17:23:00.000-08:00

Being an Occupational Therapist, I am used to working with the disabled population. Did you know it is not so easy to get information as to the rights of disabled Yidden to make Aliyah? Well, if you know someone who has a disability and has made Aliyah, you stand more of a chance of obtaining the information you require. For me, I tried emailing certain offices that I would think should provide this information only to discover after several emails I still had no reply. The one reply I did receive was a Shaliach admitting that probably the offices are avoiding the question in order not to have to take responsibility.

Is that acceptable? Is that how we as Yidden treat those who have a more difficult path in this life? Surely if they are Jewish with a Jewish mother, then they have a right to live in Eretz Yisrael?

If you do know someone who is disabled and made Aliyah, please do write in. We would like to know how your Aliyah is going, what your process had been like and any other tips you can offer to other disabled Yidden who want to make Aliyah.

Of course, we would prefer that we have Moshiach and all Yidden are fit and healthy, but in the meantime, do send in any useful info or comments.

In this series of posts, we hope to post information about Disability Grants, information on disabilities in Israel.

Level of the Kinneret

2012-01-01T07:22:00.000-08:00

Can it be a whole month has gone by since we last posted regarding the Kinneret? Amazing!!

I took a look at the last post and the level of the Kinneret was -213.67m. The level I found for today is -213.66m. That means that the level of the Kinneret has risen by 1 cm. Not much in a month now is it. The level is still higher than it was last year, it is 36cm higher than it was this time last year to be exact. Is that enough?

NO!!

We need more rain and we need the level of the Kinneret to rise. What can you do??

Pray hard for more rain. AND, send us ideas so that readers can learn how to help use the water in Eretz Yisrael in the best possible manner. Here are a few ideas to get you started: Fix your leaks, repair leaking toilets. If you have an urn you use on Shabbat, don't just throw out the water, use it to fill a hot water bottle or to clean the floor.

How else can we save water or help the Kinneret?

If you have ideas, do let us know, AND keep up those Tefillos.

Shavuah Tov

Shoshanah

Bituach Leumi Difficulties - Be Careful!

2011-12-27T23:52:00.000-08:00

If you're new to Israel, one regular tax you need to be aware of is "National Insurance" otherwise known in Hebrew as "Bituach Leumi." Though this post is not concerned with the amounts you'll be paying, nor individual details, it is known that the minimum current amount paid by anyone (18 years and over) breathing in the holy air of Israel is ₪154 per month - whether employed or not. If you do earn any income while living in Israel, there is a complete listing of amounts earned together with amounts due to Bituach Leumi for tax purposes. Money received by the national insurance is supposed to take care of general "free" medical attention and other emergencies such as when one is unemployed (though a closer look at things may not make sense i.e. read the second sentence of this post again!)

One can pay one's dues at a post office, in person at Bituach Leumi's offices or even using the Internet with one's credit card. At various points in the year (or perhaps once only at the beginning of the year) one is issued a booklet with amounts due and by which dates those amounts are due - so making payments can be "easy."

Be warned however, you must pay attention to amounts you are being charged on a regular basis. In the event that you miss a payment, you will be fined a penalty - immediately to the amount of one shekel (usually!) There is no going back or making excuses for a one day late payment. If, on the other hand you have not informed Bituach Leumi of an increase in a month's earnings, you may find yourself owing Bituach Leumi not only an additional amount, but a heavy penalty tax of hundreds and even thousands of shekels immediately! It is not an easy thing to get off this and has been known to result in severe depression, panic and other difficulties to those hit suddenly with these amounts unknowingly!

Though all this applies and is completely "legal," keep a watch on what Bituach Leumi might be doing behind your back! A recent Oleh notified us of their honesty in making regular payments. They were required to pay some 250 shekel per month - which they do regularly via the Internet. A couple of months ago, Bituach Leumi returned their payment indicating that it was not needed. The next month, a payment was made again - and this too was returned to their account, indicating that payment was also not necessary. But suddenly Bituach Leumi "remembered" that payment was necessary after all, now charging them for the next month with a penalty of 2 shekels for not having paid their Bituach Leumi (perhaps for the previous two months?!) See graphics below:

The first graphic (see right hand side) clearly indicates 499 shekels return (254+245) - the last amount of 254 shekel was returned on the 4th December. Yet notice in the second graphic, the headings:

קרן - Monthly Amount - 245

קנסות - Penalties - 2

סה"כ חוב - Total Debt - 247

Notice the date when payment was due by (third graphic) - 15 December. Payment was clearly made just 11 days earlier... but after refunding the victim, Bituach Leumi debited him with the amount and another 2 shekels penalty (maybe because he paid early?!)

Indeed Bituach Leumi were one up on the innocent victim by returning the money that had been paid to them by the victim - back into the victims bank account - and then charging a penalty fee for "payment that was not made"!)

So what does this do to the victim practically?

It causes a loss of "penalty" money that should never have been taken. In effect Bituach Leumi have taken something that was never theirs in a perfectly "legal manner!"

There is another loss to the victim - and here's when the 2 shekel amount turns into a much larger loss! In his accounting records, the victim will have to now declare another 499 shekels as income - call it "compensation from Bituach Leumi" and be taxed on that! The accountant will view this as income from Bituach Leumi or perhaps even "compensation" from them. In addition to this, should the victim be in need of Arnona (land tax) assistance or anything else - where a copy of the bank statement must be produced, the authorities will see that Bituach Leumi are already helping the victim, causing the possibility that the additional help needed will never come about!

NOTE: As far as the Iria (Municipality) is concerned, an income of just 2000 shekel is considered enough to pay for a full month's expenses, and therefore not deserving of the discount for Arnona.

Be warned! Bituach Leumi, Arnona, banking fees and other taxes may tax and deduct whenever it pleases them. Should you find yourself in such a situation it is best to consult with a professional immediately.

Remember, your 2 shekels may not seem like much (as a start) but if we do not fight these things together, then effectively Bituach Leumi can be quite "legally" gaining some 14 million odd shekels for forbidden activities each month - by simply taking just 2 shekels from each citizen of Israel - all in the name of an honest penalty!

Have you been cheated in Israel by anyone? Tell us your story. We want others to know and to be warned.

* This post is not written by an accountant or legal representative but is based upon real tangible evidence in a victim's personal situation.

Preparing for Chanukah and Latkes

2011-12-20T00:08:00.000-08:00

Tonight is Chanukah and as everyone prepares their Chanukiah, here is a video of how to make Potato Latkes. There are many video's on YouTube about this tasty tradition. Some have certain problems either with immodest adverts at the beginning or women singing. I am sorry that this is not an Israeli demo, but it has a good Jewish woman explaining, demonstrating etc. Here you can learn both a little of tradition and how to adapt this recipe to be a little more on the nutritional value side.

Enjoy and have a Chanukah Somayach

Erez Yisroel Needs and Welcomes You!

2011-12-18T03:51:00.000-08:00

Shalom and Welcome Home!

My name is Miriam and I was asked by Shoshanah if I would write a posting about our experiences in making Aliyah.

Israel is in the news everyday. We are just a small country surrounded by enemies who want to see our destruction. I fear for my country. Our precious homeland has known many wars in our short 63 years of the modern state. Politics is the most popular discussion topic, every citizen and non citizen has an opinion.

Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people and we must always be the majority. We have to increase our population by many and we have room for every Jew. Aliyah is the only answer.

My husband and I spoke about Aliyah for many years before we finally decided to come home. There was always one reason [excuse] or another why we should wait another year.

The summer before our Aliyah, my son and I came to spend a month in Israel. When we returned to Canada I said to my husband, we must be crazy….our children and grandchildren are in Israel and we are here.
Something is wrong. Our real problem was we both had elderly mothers. We asked our Rav if it was wrong to leave them and he said go and make aliyah.

It took eight months from our first meeting with the shaliach from the Jewish Agency until our aliyah date.

On May 31st, 1994, my husband, son and I made Aliyah and were reunited with our married daughters and our Sabra grandchildren. Both our daughters came to Israel after high school to attend a one year seminary program and decided Israel was their home and never returned to Canada. Today, B”H we have 13 grandchildren, 6 are 10th generation Israeli.

During the past seventeen years our lives have been enriched in many ways. We notice things that we never noticed before, even though they were in front of our face. We have an appreciation for rain. Every drop is a
Bracha.. We appreciate beautiful flowers, fruit trees and amazing birds. We appreciate the quiet. We went through a war and still have air raid sirens to warn us of in coming Grad missiles to our Yishuv [community].

We don’t have any more money than we had in the ‘old country’, [we were always broke] but here we always seem to have enough for what we need. We had two cars in the ‘old country’ we don’t have a car in Israel. We travel by bus or tremp [hitchhike] or just walk.

When you walk the streets of the old city in Jerusalem or Beer Sheva....you know this is where Avraham Avinu walked. I live in Yishuv Ma’agalim [in the Negev] 5 minutes away from where Avraham Avinu lived. Today, where Avraham Avinu pitched his tent to welcome visitors, and his animals grazed is a nature park with a small stream where families go to picnic, hike and just relax. My grandchildren love to go to the ‘forest’. Sometimes if you are lucky and dig down a little in the earth you will find artifacts from Biblical times.

Making Aliyah is a difficult decision. It affects every member of your family. Living in Israel is both a honor and privilege. Yes, you may have to give up the so called ‘good life’, but I can tell you from personal
experience, that even though life in Israel is a struggle the personal satisfaction you receive living in our precious land gives you a much better life.

B”H our Aliyah has been very successful. If I may, I would like to leave you with a piece of advice. Mainly learn to go with the flow. In other words, you live in Israel and in Israel we don’t do things the way it was done in your former country. But most of all have PATIENCE. Israel works at a slower pace than most countries.

Wishing you B’ hatzala [good luck] and may your Aliyah fulfill your every dream. If I can be of assistance or if you want to just ‘talk’ about Aliyah please feel free to e-mail me at saftala@gmail.com

Miriam
http://miriamswords.blogspot.com

Deeper Teachings on Chanukah

2011-12-18T03:32:00.000-08:00

Shavuah Tov!!

We have enjoyed another stunning, sunny Shabbos and are still davening hard for rain. This is a busy week. We have two Kallot to assist and Chanukah to prepare for.

Speaking of Chanukah, did you know there are deeper lessons and teachings regarding Chanukah?

Rabbi Akiva Tatz is a Medical Doctor and rabbi. He is originally from South Africa, lived for a number of years in Israel and currently lives in London, UK. In the video below, Rabbi Tatz shares with us some deeper thoughts on Chanukah.

We hope you enjoy

New Income Tax Changes for Working Fathers

2011-12-15T02:52:00.000-08:00

“The IsraeliKnesset has just passed an amendment which will raise Israeli tax rates formany in 2012. This is pursuant to the Law for Change in the Tax Burden(Legislative Amendments), 2011 (Book of Laws 2324, December 6,2011).

Working fathers will receive extra “credit points”(personal tax allowance) one point in the year of birth; two points in eachof the next two years; one point in the year the child reaches three yearsold. Each point saves tax of around NIS 209. It apparently doesn’tmatter if the father isn’t married and doesn’t have custody ofthe children. This is not chauvinistic as working mothers already receiveextra points. “ - Thanks to Leon Harris for thisinformation

We recommendthat your contact you accountant to receive more information.

The Kindness of Israel

2011-12-14T04:29:00.000-08:00

One of the amazing things about Israel is all the Gemachim that are avaiable. Do you know what a Gemach is? The word Gemach - in Hebrew גמ"ח - is the Roshei Teivot (acronym) for Gemilut Chassadim - Acts of Kindness.

A wonderful way to improve your Klita, absorption into life in Israel is to begin your own Gemach. If you would like ideas as to how to select the Gemach that is appropriate to you, please book a session with Rabbi Eliyahu and or Shoshanah Shear and we would be happy to assist. Sessions are by appointment and are professional.

If you would like to contribute to our Gemach, take a look at the photograph above of a few items that have recently come into our Bayit Chadash Gemach - in order to get some ideas of what you too can give. Our Gemach is all about assisting orphans and Olim with no family support to set up their new home at the time of getting married. Currently we have two couples we are assisting.

The weddings are on 29 Kislev and 2 Tevet. That is just 2 weeks away.

Please make a donation to help build these new homes. Please don't leave these couples returning home to an empty room with only a few pillows or a set of sheets and the few gifts slowly trickling in.

Make your Donation

Right here, Right NOW!!

Anyone wanting another option? Purchase a lovely gift from our online store and a percentage goes to assist these and other Kallot.

Buy a Gift and Support Israel

2011-12-11T04:54:00.001-08:00

We have a new online store. Lots of ideas, just a few up at present.

We have a bit of editing to do, but please stop by, visit our store, make your purchase and let us know what your choice is for your ideal gift.

Remember, every gift you purchase assists Olim in Israel and needy Orphans in Israel.

Setting up a New Home in Israel

2011-12-11T04:51:00.001-08:00

I asked some friends which household item they regarded as the most important. How would you answer? What do you regard as THE most important household item for YOU?

One friend considered her refrigrator to be the most important, another feels her Shabbat candlesticks is the most important item in her home.

Imagine you are getting married in just 2 weeks. You have a wedding to plan. This is YOUR big day. The day of your dreams. A day you will remember for the rest of your life, G-d willing. Everyone knows the Kallah will need a special dress, her hair to look good, nice new shoes that are comfortable, new underwear, make up to make her look and feel special. The Chatan needs a new suit, new hat, new shirt, a whole new outfit. We need a hall, Chuppah, basic meal at least for guests. Most today want a photographer and at least one musical instrument to help make this day special. What else is needed?

Invitations, a means to get to the hall and home again. Oh wait a minute, did we say HOME again?

Well now, let us presume this couple has somehow managed to get at least the basics of a Jewish Kosher wedding together. The day has been wonderful. There is a car waiting to take them home. The car drives along to the address given. G-d willing somehow they found an apartment to rent.

The Chatan puts the key in the lock and "Vwalla". Yay, home sweet home. But is it? In the middle of the floor are two pillows and a blanket. The rest of the room is empty. The kitchen is empty, no refrigerator, no stove, no ....

OK, lets presume they paid a little more on rent and rented an apartment that has at least the stove and the refrigerator. Now let us presume they want something to drink. Will it be a nice glass of something cold or perhaps a cup of hot tea.... Hm, for the first they need a set of glasses and some fruit juice or something in the refrigerator, perhaps even an icecube holder. But it's winter you say. Well then, how about mugs and a kettle, some tea spoons, tea, coffee and sugar, perhaps milk and parev coffee cremer.

Now let us presume they have these basics, where will they sit, on the floor on the two pillows? How about some chairs, a table and a heater since it is winter.

Are you beginning to get the picture? Each of these items costs money. Each of these items is essential. How do you build your new home when Abba is in the next world and your Imma can only cover the basics for day to day living?

When one gets married, it is not just the Chuppah that is important, a whole new home with all the basic necessities is needed.

We have two young couples who have turned to our Bayit Chadash Gemach for assistance to begin their new home. Thus far they have just the two pillows and a blanket for the one couple and a set of linen and an outfit for the other. Yes someone actually donated a set of mugs, we still need the teaspoons. Someone kindly donated a kettle but how about a heater?

How about a vase to put the Kallah's bouquet into. How about a nice table cloth. One couple has a set of sheets, how about some towels.

The wedding is on 29 Kislev and the other on 2 Tevet. That is just 2 weeks away.

Please make a donation to help buid these new homes. Please dont leave these couples returning home to an empty room with only two pillows or a set of sheets. Just becuase one set of mugs was donated, dont think your donation is not needed too.

Make your Donation

Right here, Right NOW!!

Anyone wanting another option? Purchase a lovely gift from our online store and a percentage goes to assist this and other Kallot.

Giving to a New Home

2011-12-08T08:46:00.001-08:00

We have two new Kallot that we are assisting in our Bayit Chadash Gemach. A little about them and the Hamlatzot can be viewed on our website.

The first Chatunah is scheduled for 29 Kislev and the second for 2nd Tevet. That means we have only 2-3 weeks to help these special Kallot to set up their new homes.

Prior to coming to us these Kallot have the following to start their new home:

One Kallah has two pillows and a blanket thus far, the other Kallah has one set of linen and an outfit for Sheva Brachos.

What can you donate?

We would love to give the Chatan who is an Orphan the Chatan Set which is the OzVeHadar Shas, Shulchan Aruch HaBahir, the complete 23 volume set of Shirat Devorah Tur and Oz VeHadar Mishna Brura

Both couples will need a good heater for the remainder of winter.

Both couples need towels.

We have one kettle how about another for the other couple?

We were donated two pots of different sizes. Both Kallot need a set of pots.

In short, any NEW item that will help to set up their new home.

Lastly we need to cover their taxi fare home with all the new items that you readers kindly donate. If you would like to donate in terms of money, please do so via our website

If you live in or around Yerushalayim and have any New items you can donate, please email us.

If you are still single and looking for a Segula to assist you to come to Chuppah, helping these Orphans to come to Chuppah is a very great Mitzvah. The Hamlatzot you will see on our website all talk of the blessing donors will receive by assisting these couples.

Thank you for your assistance. May we hear good things for Am Yisrael.

Shoshanah

Meet Rabbi Fishel Jacobs: Halachic Authority, Karate Master, Prison Chaplain, Author and More!

2011-12-08T01:48:00.001-08:00

Reb Eliyahu and Shoshanah have received much support from Rabbi Fishel Jacobs in the past. He has endorsed our Bayit Chadash Project, other projects, and has certified us as Chatan and Kallah Teachers. His story is an incredible one and we have been privileged to connect with Rabbi Jacobs on so many levels.

The article below was published in the Mishpacha Magazine just a couple of weeks ago and is reprinted below with permission from Mishpacha Magazine: www.mishpacha.com. We hope you enjoy the added videos too.

Jerusalem - Karate champion, Talmudic scholar, prolific author, and prison chaplain are just some of Rabbi Fishel Jacobs’ qualifications. Whether it’s breaking 15 inches of solid brick with his fist, or sitting on the bunk bed of a murderer talking about repentance, Rabbi Jacobs sticks to his motto: “When you run out of places to find strength, look deeper within yourself”

Karate experts are intriguing. Everyone wants to know how they can break 15 inches of solid brick with their bare fists, seeming to transcend natural physical limitations. Is it magic, or some sort of supernatural power they’ve accessed?

Karate master Rabbi Fishel Jacobs says the true martial artist does indeed possess extraordinary latent power. But it’s not magic. And it’s that very power that enabled him to transform himself from an advanced-level black-belt training for the Olympics to an ordained rabbi, prolific Torah author and halachic authority, and the first American chaplain in the Israeli prison system.

Even Hollywood caught up with this multifaceted karate champ-turned-prison rabbi; a screenplay of his life is currently being negotiated by producers in California.

That scrawny kid named Flip (Philip) Jacobs living in South Royalton, Vermont, certainly never imagined such a life when he was busy just trying to defend himself against the local anti-Semites over four decades ago. Today Rabbi Jacobs, 55 and father of seven, says he still sees himself as a Vermont kid. He looks back on the who-would-have-thought odyssey of 11-year-old Flip — learning karate for self-defense and then becoming a master, eventually finding Judaism at the University of Vermont, enrolling in yeshivah in Israel, getting smichah from the Chief Rabbinate, becoming the spiritual mentor of the entire Ramle prison complex dealing daily with thieves and murderers, and authoring popular books on taharas hamishpachah and hilchos Shabbos — and sums it up in three words: “It’s been intense.”

It’s All About Repetition Harold Jacobs — Jewish in his heart but not yet in practice — bought a poultry processing factory in Vermont and moved his family out to South Royalton (population 1,100) from Brooklyn when Flip/Philip/Fishel was ten. “Dad’s philosophy was, let the kids grow up in the country and they’ll be healthy. It would have been a good plan if I didn’t almost get myself killed in the process,” Rabbi Jacobs reminisces from his well-appointed study in Kfar Chabad, surrounded by an extensive library and piles of his own titles.

“It’s a classic hick town and we were the first Jews there. The parents didn’t mind that their children were beating up the new Jewish kid. It’s not a sophisticated Al Sharpton–like anti-Semitism over there, more like the Sunday preacher style. So I was getting beat up all the time — in the locker room, on the soccer field.”

One day during a visit from his New York relatives, Flip came home roughed up and bleeding. “Harold, Flippy’s gotta learn to take a bat to school,” said his uncle, offering a solution.

A few days later, a South Korean karate master named Tae Yun Kim advertised that she and her brother were opening up a karate school. Today she’s a tenth-degree karate grandmaster, a multimillionaire living in California, and CEO of numerous successful businesses. But then she was a destitute immigrant fresh out of the mystical South Korean mountains. And Flip Jacobs was her first student.

For the next 13 years, Flip trained for hours every day. Karate became his life.

“I was her first student. Hours every night of pure Korean karate. They ran it like in the Orient, where every move is broken down into tiny increments that need to be perfected. It’s all based on repetition — punch, punch, punch, punch — ten thousand times the same move, each time trying to create more power, to bring up more power from your stomach, until you become super-focused.”

The goal, says Rabbi Jacobs today, was the dissemination of the Far East’s generations-old wisdom through grueling training and total discipline. At the time he thought he was just perfecting his technique. Today he knows that the intense discipline of micro-repetition is what made him into the scholar he is today.

“The masters constantly preached to us that this isn’t about self-defense or physical fitness, but about overall personal development. ‘If you can translate the sincerity, humility, and discipline gained through this training into everything you do, our goal will have been achieved. The essence of karate is succeeding in everything you do in life,’ the masters would tell us. At the time, I didn’t have an inkling to what degree those very powers would be necessary in the innumerable, unexpected twists and turns the future held for me.”

By the time Philip/Flip was 15, he began to move up belt levels and win competitions. At 18 he was awarded his black belt (“at the time it was the greatest day of my life”), which he describes as “a bloody mess” that involved smashing eight to twelve inches of pine with his hands, feet, and head, executing perfected moves and defending himself against five armed “assailants” who came after him with boards and clubs. He emerged with a broken nose and bleeding skull, but knew he had the inner power to pass the test.

“They brought in masters from Korea who couldn’t even speak English. These guys used to train their students by sending them off to the mountains for six months and letting them back once they’d mastered the techniques. That’s their religion: becoming elevated, confident, focused, synchronizing all their internal systems — respiratory, muscular, nervous, and mental.

“There’s really no trick involved.” Rabbi Jacobs explains how even today, he can still break bricks and fight off assailants. “First, I free myself from all extraneous matters, creating an inner quiet. This requires anywhere from two minutes to a hundredth of a second. Then, and only then, I direct my total concentration to the act at hand. These two steps, creating an inner still and concentrated attention, are totally interdependent. Without the former, the latter is impossible. With total mental and spiritual focus, I allow my deepest inner powers to emerge, emanating simultaneously from the brain and around the diaphragm. It is evoking this energy, which they call chi, for which the martial artists of the Orient are most famous. As soon as I sense this intangible, primal awakening of power flow, I instinctively know I’ll succeed. In fact, most people have no idea what their capabilities really are.”

Imagine you’re 18, you’ve earned your black belt, you’ve perfected your moves. Everything is perfect. So where does an 18-year-old champion go from there?

Flip decided to take his endurance to the next level — a level that borders on the telepathic, a heightened sensory achievement most people wouldn’t even want to attempt.

“If you are sure you want advanced training, I will give it to you,” the master warned him. “But you must be sure, because it is very painful, and you’ll need to undergo things that until now you couldn’t have imagined.”

“Sounds good,” Flip answered. Six years of four-hour daily training had left him feeling as if he were on a kind of plateau. There was an excitement in knowing there were deeper dimensions. He was summoned to the gym late one night, and handed a blindfold.

“You see this bamboo training staff?” Flip was asked. “Put on this blindfold. Now you are going to learn to defend yourself without using your eyes. You will learn to develop senses you’ve never used before. We’ll start slowly,” the master continued. “You advance step by step toward me, and I’ll hit you with the staff in different parts of the body; once to the head, once to the legs, once to the ribs. Each time, you try to sense where to block.”

One foot forward, and then, Whap! A stinging pain shoots through his face. Another step, Whap! This time to the arm. Soon his whole body is bruised and bleeding.

But Kim was encouraging: “After you suffer enough, you’ll have no choice. You will either give up or force yourself to learn how to block.… You will only learn through pain. Only then will your body force itself to sense. Only then will you develop an extra perception.

Now listen carefully, not only with your ears. Listen with your entire being. Relax. If you listen for the staff, you won’t have time to respond. Now, relax; on my command take a step forward. Remember, just ‘feel.’ Don’t try to ‘hear.’ By the time you’ve ‘heard,’ the staff will already have hit you, before you can react. Just relax, free yourself from worry, and defend yourself. You know how to block, you’re a black belt! Just sense it coming.”

With the extrasensory training that went on nightly for three years, Flip had taken his skill to a whole new level. Still, why would anyone willingly subject himself to all that pain?

“There is the simple answer and the deeper answer,” says Rabbi Jacobs. “The simple answer is that at that point I was training four hours a day. When you’re that perfect, you look for a higher vein of energy, and the most subliminal part of the training is overcoming suffering. But on a deeper level, it’s really your neshamah calling out because it’s starving. At that point you think karate is your ultimate fulfillment; you don’t know that you’d quench that yearning by sitting and learning Mishnayos, or going out and connecting to other Yidden and lighting up the galus.”

Flip then volunteered for another torture that tested the breaking point of his endurance, a 36-hour marathon at Dartmouth College that started out with 70 participants and ended with 15. For the first two hours, the trainees stood, knees bent, while someone stood on their shoulders.

“You had to hold that position for two hours,” Rabbi Jacobs remembers. “At the beginning, your legs become like jelly, you start shaking, and they start yelling at you in their Japanese accents, ‘What, you baby? You can’t do it?’ and they start hitting you in the stomach. We worked through the night, slept two hours, and then they woke us and made us run outside for hours barefoot on the frozen December ice and snow. After another 12 hours of torture, one guy — a black belt — couldn’t take it anymore, and ran into the bathroom crying. The master ran after him, screaming and hitting him, ‘You baby! You baby! You can be man! Come back and fight!’ Your adrenaline is pumping for 36 hours, but it took me a week to be able to move after that.”

Coming Over? By the time he entered the University of Vermont, Flip was “perfect.” “My breathing was perfect, my moves were perfect. Where do you go from there? It’s not cognitive, but on a very subliminal level, you start questioning yourself.” And then from left field, he was “attacked” by a totally new force — Rabbi Shmuel Hecht z”l, the campus Chabad rabbi.

“Rabbi Hecht somehow caught up with me in the dorms, and boy, was he persistent. It was a one-sided relationship, but he didn’t give up. Friday he’d call my dorm and say, ‘Fishel, are you coming over? My wife made food for you.’ Rabbi Hecht was a deep man and a scholar, but I wasn’t into it. I would sit through the meal out of courtesy, but to me it was just taking time away from training and fighting. Occasionally he’d shlep me to shul on Shabbos morning. Then I’d go to Connecticut or Massachusetts to fight. Once in a while I’d put on tefillin, but then it was off to McDonald’s. Today I know he was cultivating my Jewish soul.”

Meanwhile, it was more training, more tournaments, more awards. One day Flip approached his instructors with his next dream — to represent the US in the Olympics. Kim was held in high esteem by the international organization based in Korea, so they said, “Okay, start training him.”

“They put me on an eight-year program,” says Rabbi Jacobs. “They are very absolute about these things. In the Orient, if you lose an international competition, they’ll never allow you to represent that country again internationally. They knew about me because the head of the organization had sent his son to test me for my black belt, so they decided to invest in me and start me out. They pick a few moves they want you to win with, and you perfect those for years. With me they chose a jumping side kick and some spinning back kicks. It was all about perfection.”

But Rabbi Hecht was always there on the sidelines, fanning the spark of the spirit, gently massaging the G-dly soul that was yet to be revealed. At the same time, Flip Jacobs was also feeling cracks in his veneer of perfection. There was a breaking point, a flash of light that left as fleetingly as it came, yet it illuminated a corner of his spiritual side.

It happened at a tournament where the entire team’s victory was at stake.

“It was an all-day exhibition, a competition between the Korean and Japanese schools,” Rabbi Jacobs says. “The individual competition in the morning was really rough. My nose got broken and I had lost a lot of blood all day. [“I broke my nose three times,” he adds parenthetically, although you can’t really tell. “They have this system of fixing it up, stuffing cotton into it and straightening it out.”] I was feeling horrible but I was team captain, and the night competition would be in a packed auditorium with our entire reputation at stake. I had to fight the other team captain. So they fixed up my nose, bandaged my face, put me on the grass and made me rest and eat kimchi and rice, and propped me up for the final fight. It went into overtime and they were yelling at me, ‘Don’t worry about your nose!’ At that moment I felt like a pawn. I could have been killed, but my life was worth as much as the honor of the team. We went into maximum overtime tied, so the judges huddled and then came over and raised my hand in victory — for fighting spirit. Suddenly I had a flash, lasting not more than a microsecond, but the flash had embedded itself in my soul: Rabbi Hecht sitting at his table learning Torah.”

Flip Jacobs was about halfway through the Olympic training program when he graduated college. “By then, I guess Rabbi Hecht had succeeded in massaging my soul enough that I approached him and said, ‘I really don’t know anything about my Judaism. Maybe I should go to yeshivah?’ I had a degree in history and political science, nothing very marketable anyway. But although I killed a lot of time in college, the good news was that those of us who were in sports bypassed all the garbage — the drinking and the drugs. It was the total opposite of our philosophy. At least we had a focus.”

Rabbi Hecht sent Fishel/Flip to the Lubavitcher Rebbe in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The Rebbe, in turn, told him to go study in Israel.

What about the Olympics? Was he disappointed that his dream would never come true?

“To be honest, I wasn’t really thinking. I just wanted to do what I knew was right inside. Also, at that point the Olympics were just another competition. I’d won enough — I had a room full of trophies, so it wasn’t really a big deal.” He points to a shelf of awards from those years. “I have hundreds of these. Most I didn’t even bring to Israel.”

The masters had already invested four years in Flip’s Olympics training regimen. He was halfway there. But Kim’s reaction took him by surprise. “I told Kim I was thinking about going to yeshivah, that I met these Lubavitchers who took me to the Rebbe. She said, ‘Good, I want you to do that.’ I was shocked. She’d invested 12 years in me! ‘Why?’ I asked. She said, ‘I see you’ve been changing, and these are your people. When I was in Korea the nuns taught us the Bible, and I know these are the Hebrew people of the Bible that G-d loves and who have a special path in life. Go with them.’”

But Kim, who became a multimillionaire with several international companies, never forgot her prized student. Years later, after having no contact for 25 years, she eventually located him in Kfar Chabad and invited him and his wife, Miriam, to Los Angeles for a lavish 60th birthday bash. The glitz and opulence were overwhelming, the walls bearing testimony to Dr. Tae Yum Kim’s incredible success — Dr. Kim with President Bush, Dr. Kim with Hillary Clinton. Then she stood up and told her adoring audience how proud she was of him.

“Rabbi Fishel Jacobs was my first student when I came to America. He was my best student — he had lightning kicks.” She went on, “I am proud you became a rabbi. That is what you wanted. It is good for you. You have many students and are making a difference. I want you to remember to always be true to yourself and never let anyone tell you what to dream. Never let anyone limit your dreams. Go after them. And G-d bless you.”

At the ceremony, Rabbi Jacobs was promoted to eighth-degree master.

The Worst Year Rabbi Jacobs describes that first year in Kfar Chabad yeshivah as “the worst year of my life.” Thrust into an intellectual environment with baalei teshuvah from Ivy League universities, having to deal with two new languages (Hebrew and Aramaic) and entirely new thought patterns that just weren’t going in, Rabbi Jacobs was about ready to throw in the towel — but some inner determination kept him glued to the study bench.

“I was an athlete — I never bothered studying too much. And this wasn’t a Discovery seminar. It was the real thing; they plunge you in from day one. I sweated it out, but I wasn’t a vessel to absorb the material. I wanted to succeed, but I didn’t think there was a scholar hidden inside the athlete.

“I was miserable, but I didn’t want to give up. Then one day, one of the mashpiim saved me. ‘Have you started learning Tanya by heart?’ I didn’t know what he was talking about. I was breaking my head on alef-beis and trying to understand the Gemara at the same time. Plus, I had no gym, no physical outlet, and I was used to working out four hours a day. I was having withdrawal symptoms and was in physical pain, lying in bed at night tossing and turning with nowhere to burn off the energy. But he persisted. ‘Bochurim are supposed to learn Tanya by heart. The letters are holy and it’s a big mitzvah to put them into your head, even if you don’t understand.’

“In fighting, we have a rule: ‘Go with what you know.’ In other words, when you’re faced with danger, you don’t try new, fancy moves. Well, I knew how to repeat, so maybe this would work after all. But I only knew how to repeat in small steps. That was my training for years. So I took it letter by letter. I broke up every letter into its parts and engraved them onto my brain. I took the first letter, imagined it, drew it in my kishkes — that first letter took two days. It took me months to learn the first chapter. I didn’t see that the scholar within had yet emerged, but on an inner level it was transformative.”

Yet the Rebbe must have seen it.

Soon after, he was back in Crown Heights in a private audience with the Rebbe, together with his mother. (At the time she was not religious, yet eventually Rabbi Jacobs turned his entire family around. His father passed away several years ago, with a long beard and tztitzis hanging out. His sister, Dr. Elka Pinson, is a clinical psychologist in Crown Heights, active in international shidduch networking, and owner of the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts.)

“Have you started smichah yet?” the Rebbe asked.

“Smichah? I hadn’t even moved out of the beginners level at Kfar Chabad! But the Rebbe was insistent. He told me two things: where to find a wife, and to study for smichah and get ordained through the Rabbanut — a grueling program for even the best of scholars. So I went back, started the smichah program right away, and was introduced to my future wife a few weeks later.”

At the time Miriam Rosenfeld, a frum-from-birth Israeli and accomplished Tanach scholar, was teaching at Chabad’s Beis Chana high school in Jerusalem. And she agreed to marry him. “Women are like that. They can see the pnimiyus.”

Focused on the Goal The Rebbe kept Fishel Jacobs in kollel for eleven more years. Eleven years in which he shvitzed and shteiged — until the scholar within emerged.

“I don’t think I would have ever had the nerve to go for the Rabbanut smichah, but the Rebbe empowered me. So I used the same, safe system I knew. The karate keeps you goal-oriented, so I set my goal: I memorized the entire Shulchan Aruch. Then it was time for the exams. But I failed — twice. I had so much material in my head I wasn’t able to write it coherently. But they were nice — they agreed to test me orally. Over the next three years I did oral exams with Rav Dov Lior from Chevron. When the smichah notification finally came, I was shocked, Miriam was delighted, her family was amazed, and my teachers just smiled knowingly.

“I called home, back to Vermont. ‘Mom, Dad — we did it!’ ‘Great,’ said Dad. Then Mom said, ‘Mazel tov! Does that mean you’re going to stop studying, come home and get a position?’ Dad, knowing differently, quipped, ‘No, Rita. I don’t think he’s done.’”

And he wasn’t. Rabbi Jacobs continued his studies, earning the equivalent of a PhD in Talmudic theory through the Ministry of Education and becoming a certified rabbinic attorney, and began his publishing career. (To date he has published seven books, including the popular halachic works The Blech Book and Family Purity.)

But Israel is a small country, and it wasn’t long before word got out that there was a black belt learning in the yeshivah in Kfar Chabad. So over the years Rabbi Jacobs has continued to give demonstrations and teach combat techniques — for kids, for the army, for the security services.

What happened during his week of sheva brachos was a sign of things to come. It was 11 at night, and he and Miriam were sitting in the living room of their little house in Kfar Chabad when five big guys from Tel Aviv knocked on the door.

“We’re karate guys and we want to study with you,” they practically demanded.

“Hey, I just got married two days ago,” Rabbi Jacobs answered. But they had no intention of leaving.

“So I said to them, ‘Okay, I’ll teach you, but the way I learned it, no shortcuts.’ So I told them to take all the furniture out of the living room and take their shoes off. Meanwhile my new wife is looking on — I’m not sure if she was amused or horrified, but I think she realized it was a foreshadowing of what life would be like. They came by a few times a week for several years, and as part of our exercise meditation I had them learn the first twelve chapters of Tanya by heart. One of these guys was Moshe Rokach, who became head of the Israel Karate Association. Years later I officiated at his wedding.”

Go To Jail And then came the offer that was to change his life. A friend who was a medic at Ayalon Prison was looking for a volunteer to give some informal classes to the inmates. It wasn’t long after that Rabbi Jacobs was offered the chaplaincy for the entire Ramle prison complex, including Ayalon, Nitzan, Neve Tirzah women’s prison, and the IPS medical center.

“I’ll never forget the first time I entered the prison, and although I served for 13 years, I felt that chill every single day. It was those unnerving doors, the ice cold iron-against-iron smashing, the slam! And bolt. Now you’re locked on the inside. The inside of a prison is a different world.”

For 13 years, Rabbi Jacobs served as the spiritual link to hundreds of prisoners, some petty thieves, some incarcerated for heinous crimes, and some of them women.

“Neve Tirzah was one of the most horrifying places I’ve witnessed, lives desolated by drugs, crime, illiteracy, and often, by husbands who dragged them into a life of crime. Sometimes at night you could hear the women yelling back and forth from their own cells to their husbands incarcerated 50 yards away in the men’s prison.”

But prison kiruv is not a job that can last forever. The noise, the banging, the intensity, the loudspeakers, the Middle Eastern music, the yelling, the smoking, the jangling keys, the cooking — eventually it all takes its toll.

“I began working in prison in 1992 at age 36. I was vibrant and full of zest. Exactly 13 years later, I was 49, retired, and completely worn out,” Rabbi Jacob admits. “When I entered, it had been on the tail end of a 14-year period of exhilarating academic achievements. By the time I returned to the free world, I was so exhausted it took me a year to recover.”

Rabbi Jacobs, who now dedicates his time to writing, teaching, traveling, and speaking, chronicled his prison experiences in Israel Behind Bars, an inspiring window into the day-to-day challenges, victories, and setbacks of both his prisoners and himself.

“I was in charge of seven cell blocks, about 700 people. Each cell block has its own identity — one is hardened criminals, one is drug addicts, one is closed because they’re too dangerous, one is guys in rehab. It’s like an entire country.”

Rabbi Jacobs says that as much as he was able to give the prisoners, the greatest rewards were his own. “You’re serving the simplest Jews in the world and you’re their shepherd. You give them your neshamah. These people are broken; they need your humanity, so any conversation could be life-saving.

“I had five Jewish wards, and I wanted them to have Shabbos together, so Thursday nights the shuls were active. That’s when I’d bring in extra food for them — vegetables, tomatoes, onions, tuna fish. And they’d be waiting for me — one guy with a tattoo, one in shorts, one in slippers. Talk about simple, these are simple Jews, Baal Shem Tov neshamos. I’d walk in there, and they wouldn’t care if I was sweaty, smelly, or depressed. They have one demand: you’re the rabbi and we need you to connect to us.

“So I learned to look at the neshamah, otherwise there would be too many barriers of condemnation. It’s a brachah if you can get to that level of unconditional love for every Jew, just see his pure neshamah. This was my reward — it made me more simple.”

Rabbi Jacobs graciously calls them “simple”, but some of them are real lowlifes, and dangerous. “Right,” he says, “But you have to be blind to the crime. You have to get past the actions and look at the nefesh. Because if you don’t have empathy, you might as well pack up.”

Rabbi Jacobs says one of the most difficult scenarios he faced was when Jewish prisoners, faced with heartrending, pitiful life situations, committed horrifying crimes but still wanted to know if they were worthy of G-d’s forgiveness. He recounts the story of Joel, an unfortunate, broken soul who was abandoned by his mother at birth and had to survive as a child by rummaging through garbage cans after his father was bedridden. Joel eventually got steady work, got married and had a child. But then his wife was in a car accident and became paralyzed. Because of their poor financial state, the social welfare department put the daughter in a foster home.

“The only thing I have in life are my disabled wife and daughter, who the social worker decided to take away from us,” Joel told Rabbi Jacobs.

“Okay, so what did you do? I mean, why are you here?” Rabbi Jacobs prodded.

“Well, when I saw that I was being sent aimlessly from one government office to the next because of that social worker — I killed her.” “What? What did you gain? I mean, doing something like that wasn’t going to get your daughter back.”

“I don’t know. I heard from other people that the old buzzard took a lot of kids from their parents. Everyone told me it was a good thing I got rid of her. All I have in the world is my wife and daughter … but if I get a life sentence, my wife says she’ll divorce me. Now, rabbi, you’ve heard my story ... so tell me, what can I do to get G-d to forgive me?”

Two of the blocks were Arab, so Rabbi Jacobs was clergyman to about 200 political prisoners (terrorists) as well. But Rabbi Jacobs was more than a clergy chaplain. He was also a prison staff instructor in Krav Maga, an Israeli version of hand-to-hand combat that uses martial arts and other lethal techniques. And they knew it.

“These prisoners are actually the most disciplined of all the groups,” says Rabbi Jacobs. “In prison they don’t behave like criminals because they don’t see themselves as criminals. They see themselves as martyrs. They don’t yell or scream, but are an organized solidarity group, a united front. They have a representative who meets with the warden and presents their requests. They want lentils for their meals; they want more TV rights. The warden decides what to give and what to refuse. And he makes sure they stay separate from the rest of the prisoners. Because Israeli prisoners, no matter what they’ve done, are proud Israelis and proud Jews, so these terrorists would be dead if they were in an open ward.”

Every morning when Rabbi Jacobs heard those banging, clanging doors shut behind him, he knew it would be another day of classes, of making prisoners feel good in shul, of numerous one-on-one conversations, of connecting humanity to humanity. Did he think it was possible for these inmates to redefine themselves as Jews, instead of just as criminals?

“Some of my people actually found their higher selves in prison,” says Rabbi Jacobs. “One fellow, a rich man in for tax evasion, would spend the whole day in the prison shul. One day we were sitting on his bed talking, and I asked him what he thought about his sentencing. He said, ‘You know, in the end I’m really happy I’m here. On the outside I was so busy with my business dealings, I never had a chance to refocus. Now I spend my days learning Chumash and Mishnayos and I’ve found my Yiddishkeit.’”

In Israeli prisons, religious rehabilitation is recognized by parole boards and judges, but critics say that prisoners take on religious practices for the perks: better food, Shabbos programs, time out for prayers and study. Is having a “religious awakening” in prison a good way to get a sentence reduced or evoke compassion from the judges? A few years back, a teenager accused of killing attorney Anat Pliner entered court wearing a yarmulke.

“All of a sudden he puts on a yarmulke!” the murdered woman’s mother started screaming in the courtroom. “All of a sudden he’s religious? Murderer! Take off the yarmulke! Don’t disgrace the religion!”

Rabbi Jacobs admits that religious observance is a factor considered by sentencing judges and parole boards, and that inmates are often attracted to the shuls and learning programs for the advantages they offer. But often, he says, interest in religion becomes genuine, and the prisoner really does become the person he’s projecting to be. And that, studies show, is the best form of rehabilitation. According to one study, 70 percent of Israeli prisoners return to prison within five years, while among prisoners in religious wards the return rate is only 10 percent.

Finding the Nefesh One of the most famous criminal episodes in Israeli history revolved around Ramle prison, when arch-criminal and triple murderer Herzl Avitan took revenge on prison warden Roni Nitzan — the visionary who dedicated his life to rehabilitating prisoners. Avitan, who had been in and out of prison and was then serving a 15-year sentence, was awarded a compassion visit — shackled and guarded — to his critically ill father, when he escaped through a bathroom window, shimmied down a rope that had been prepared by his cronies, and made a getaway. Soon after, he ambushed his nemesis Roni Nitzan, riddling him with bullets. The connection between Avitan — who was serving multiple life sentences when he died in prison in 2001 — and his chaplain, karate rabbi Fishel Jacobs, was not lost on a group of Hollywood movie producers who wanted the rights to his biography.

After tens of thousands of e-mails, thousands of hours of phone conversations and several trips to New York and California, a screenplay and script have been developed weaving together the parallel lives of Herzl Avitan and Fishel Jacobs and their eventual intersection.

It could be dangerous to leave a script in the hands of Hollywood producers, who have their own agenda of what sells, but Rabbi Jacobs is happy with the deal being chiseled out. “The way the deal is being worked out, I’m a writer and consultant,” he says, qualifying that the script will be kept clean, except for cursing and violence — after all, it’s prison.

Rabbi Jacobs’ contact with Herzl Avitan in prison was pretty much limited to an occasional hello, and he would get sufganiyot on Chanukah like everyone else.

“Now, he was a mass murderer. People ask me if I could find compassion in my heart for him,” says Rabbi Jacobs, “and that’s a good question. When it comes down to it, what was the difference between him and other criminals? Many of my people did horrible things. Does that make them unworthy of my compassion? For 13 years, I spent every day getting past the actions and trying to find the nefesh.”

To listen to a Yechidus (private audience) between the Lubavitcher Rebbe and Rabbi Jacobs (aged 25 the time) see: A Beautiful Yechidus with the Rebbe

This article appeard in the Mishpacha Magazine (www.mishpacha.com) English edition. Reprinted with permission.

The Wonders of the Hebrew Alphabet

2011-12-06T07:10:00.001-08:00

Hebrew is a fascinating language. The more one learns the more one realizes how special this language is.

Here is a quick but powerful video of how the Hebrew letters are hidding within the Magein David.

How good is your Hebrew?

You will need to know the letters to be able to recognise this wonder.

Rabbi Greenbaum and Israel for the Nations

2011-12-06T04:29:00.001-08:00

Jerusalem has some wonderful rabbis.

Here is one of them who is a published author, translator and teacher in various areas of Torah.

This particular video clip is the first of several taken at a function in America. The rabbi is Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum of the Azamra Institute.

Please do stop by the online store and browse some of the amazing books written by Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum. Purchase a copy and let your friends know that they can obtain his books right here.

Shavuah Tov - Chanukah Is On The Way

2011-12-04T09:58:00.001-08:00

Shavuah Tov everyone.

It's been another glorious day in Eretz Yisrael? Is that what you want to hear?

HM, we are wanting rain, beautiful soft, rain that continues for a few days at least.

You know what though, the sunshine reminds us of another light. The light of Chanukah.

Here in Eretz Yisrael, the stores are stocked up with Chanukiot, candles, wicks, olive oil to light the Chanukiah. Some are preparing Sufganiot or donuts.

Like with most Chagim, the Chag is in the air, in the stores, the talk of the town.

So let's get into the mood. Here is the first video clip to help Chanukah at the Kotel, obvaiously from a previous year. Watch it, enjoy and enjoy your preparations for Chanukah.

Shabbos is Coming

2011-12-01T02:17:00.001-08:00

This week 2 December 2011 and next week 9 December 2011, candle lighting in Jerusalem for Shabbat will be the earliest it gets during winter time. This will be 15h55 or 3.55 p.m. From the 16th of December the candle lighting time begins to gradually go later, beginning with 15h57 or 3.57 p.m. Please note these times are according to Chabad.org. For those who prefer to follow the times set out in Devar Be'Ito, this week and next will be 16h00 or 4 pm instead of 5 minutes earlier as Chabad.org states.

If you light earlier, let it be a blessing but make sure not to light earlier than Plug HaMinchah which for Jerusalem this week will be 15h36 or 3.36 p.m.

Please check your calendar to make absoutely sure or ask your local Orthodox Rabbi to clarrify the correct candle lighting time.

Please note, times for Tel Aviv, Haifa and elsewhere are not the same as for Jerusalem even though we are in a small country.

Enjoy the shorter Fridays if you do. Keep warm and keep up your Tefillos for rain. We still have a few months of winter and the Kineret is no where near the level of water that is needed.

Have a wonderful day

Shoshanah

Latest on Rainfall and Level of the Kinneret

2011-11-30T02:32:00.001-08:00

We are back to the topic of rain and the level of the Kinneret.

Some people like to ask the spelling of certain names or words. Is Kinneret spelled with one 'n' or two?

The truth is, the word is Hebrew and the correct spelling is כנרת

There has been lovely sunshine again in Eretz Yisrael, which means not much rain happening.

The level of the Kinneret is -213.67m, 40cm above what it was this time last year, but still too low.

While we daven for rain, please look at ways to conserve water. If you have leaks, have them repaired.

If your toilet is faulty with dripping water, have it repaired.

If you ahve water left over in an urn and dont want to use it, why not use that water either for plants or to clean the floor. Respect the water we do have. We are not out of the woods yet.

Do you have other ideas as to how to save our water and use it wisely and respectfully? Please do let us know.

Have a wonderful day. Enjoy the winter sunshine and remember to daven for Rain.

Cleaning Your Kettle with Vinegar

2011-11-29T06:48:00.001-08:00

In Israel, a frequent area of work is that of cleaning all the lime scale. Cleaning the kettle, cleaning the bath, kitchen counters, toilet and more. While there are good products out there, did you know you can clean this away with regular white vinegar?

It is inexpensive, non-Toxic and easy to use.

Here is a video clip that will show you just how easy cleaning a kettle can be.

When you have finished, take a look at this great site with 1001 tips of what to do with white vinegar

Do YOU Write Press Releases?

2011-11-28T07:02:00.001-08:00

We are needing a series of Press Releases written to get into Jewish Publications so as to promote some of the services and Chessed Projects we are involved in.

If you are an Oleh or Olah, preferrably from South Africa or Rhodesia / Zimbabwe originally, and you write Press Releases, please be in touch. The person we select to write these must have contacts with Jewish Publications to get the Press Releases into and have examples of previous work to show us.

If this sounds like something you can do, please email us with:

Your years of experience in this field
Where you currently reside
Where you made Aliyah from
When you made Aliyah
Your fee
Examples of your work
Previous Press Releases written
Which Jewish Publications you have contacts with
Contact information including email, landline, if you have Skype or gmail for an interview or can interview in person

We look forward to hearing from you

Shoshanah

Co-Director of Chessed Ve'Emet

Working in Israel

2011-11-27T06:10:00.001-08:00

If you are wanting to work in Israel and the form of work will be for someone else, make sure you obtain a written contract.

Many employers in Israel refuse to give a written contract. This is problematic as there is then no guarantee of conditions agreed upon. Worst case scenario you might just not get paid or end up waiting months and months for your salary.

More and more employers are trying to convince you to work "independently" as an אצמעי. This means you might be lucky to get NIS 10 extra per hour. It also means you forgo their paying Bituach Leumi. You lose sick leave and sick rights. You lose maternity leave and more.

The normal concept of working independently is not the way they work here. The concept here in Israel means they pay you a fraction more, you work by their rules and lose certain necessary rights. In most countries working independently is not this at all. It means you set the price and they pay your as you rightly deserve. You set the rules for your work as you are independent. Not so in Israel.

A work contract should include hours of work, expectations of you during working hours. If you are a professional and have to write reports, make sure your contract includes that these reports are written during your work time and also something about confidentiality. Some places of work want therapists to take written work home to complete. This of course is unpaid time, however it also poses a confidentiality problem.

Your wok contract should also include licensing requirements. Continuing education needs and coverage.

Meetings, how often and which of them you have to attend must be included in the contract.

If there is a dress code, this should be in your work contract.

A clause about what happens in the event of a work injury must be in your work contract.

A clause about resignation, how much notice do you need to give, must it be in writing or verbal? All this must be in your work contract.

Your pay / salary. How much is it per hour and by when will you be paid. This must be in your work contract.

Can you think of other information that should be in a work contract. If so, write a comment here and let us know. Don't settle for sub-standard working conditions. If we all insist on a work contract employers will have to provide them.

Tour Israel

2011-11-23T01:05:00.001-08:00

When considering making Aliyah, it is easy to get caught up in day to day difficulties, problems, complaints and more and to lose sight of just how special Eretz Yisrael is.

If you are Jewish and are not sure whether to live in Eretz Yisrael, here is a video to help you see how special our precious land is.

If you have already made Aliyah and need a little Chizuk, here is a video to do just that.

We hope that by taking a virtual tour with Rabbi Shalom Gold of the Old City of Jerusalem, you will be able to alter the perception that the Spies lead us to believe. Don't focus on the negative, don't get pulled down by the struggles. Our Land is beautiful, special and spending time touring Israel can be all it needs to revive your Bitachon and remind you why we blong here.

Enjoy, and remember to stop by and make a comment, let us know which posts are helping you and what you would like to learn or see more of.

Learning Hebrew 2

2011-11-22T07:15:00.001-08:00

I was looking for a YouTube video of the Aleph Bet song that is Tzenua as in sung by a man and not a woman. What a treat to find a friend of mine had made a cute video clip.

Rabbi Shalom Gold of the Old City is so much fun. His shiurim are wonderful and one of his expertise is DikDuk, Hebrew grammar.

This YouTube video will teach you all about the Hebrew Alphabet, for English speakers.

So here is a treat, I really hope you enjoy.

Learning Hebrew

2011-11-22T04:29:00.000-08:00

As mentioned in a previous post, if you are coming to Israel, you will need to learn Hebrew.
Here is a short clip of some useful words and phrases.

Hope you enjoy.

 Here i

Rain, Blessing and Currency

2011-11-21T03:16:00.001-08:00

Earlier today the sun was shining through, now we are blessed once more with further rain.

Rainfall in its proper time in Israel is in fact a blessing and one that translates to parnassa or money and currency. So we have two issues here
1) Rainfall and the water in Israel and
2) Money and currency

For the first, the past week has seen lovely rainfall in Eretz Yisrael falling mostly in the centre of the country, along the Mediteranian and Mt Hermon. The level of the Kineret is reported by the water authority to have risen 1 cm and by others to have remained the same.

Either way, at least there has not been a drop in water level and the water level is higher than it was last year. But the water authority requests that we do not be fooled. Weather reports predict that dryer weather lies in store.

Of course, being Am Yisrael, we don't rely on predictions but rather use them as a springboard for more action so keep on Davening we are not out of danger yet.

Speaking of Davening, if the rainfall and water in Israel is important to you and you are a Jewish women, please do join our international Tehillim group. We need more Jewish women uniting through Tefillah (and the additonal Torah and Tzeddakah).

Since rain and parnassa (money and income) are interconnected, let's answer a question asked a few times here. We often see people coming to this blog wanting to know the money of Israel. Israel does have its own currency which is Shekkels and Agarot. For some reason American dollars are sometimes also used.

I dont understand why but often apartment prices are quoted in US Dollars. Some business people, such as accountants, will also quote a figure in US dollars. But the truth is, that we have Shekkels and the coins are Agarot, so we really don't need to quote prices in any other currency.

Keep on Davening, learn the Hallachos of honesty in business and put them into practice. Together may we merit to be blessed with all our spiritual and physical needs for the good, a good that is revealed, manifest and visible.

Israel, Rain and the Kineret

2011-11-19T23:55:00.001-08:00

Shavuah Tov from a rainy Eretz Ysrael.

What a Brachah that there was rain in the Holy Land of Israel over Shabbat.

The weather report stated that in addition to rain there would also be thunder, a special time to say a specific Brachah, on the thunder of course.

Where we are there was lovely rain, but no thunder. I dont know about in the centre of Yerushalayim but up in Tzfat there was thunder as well as rain.

So how does this rain translate practically? Is it helping us to get out of the danger zone with sufficient water supply?

Over the past few days, Israel has received rain, however the water level of the Kineret remains at -213.67m, -67cm below the lower red line.

"How can that be?" one might ask. Let us do a little maths.

Rain over a few days over the whole of Eretz Yisrael must SURELY lead to rise in water level of the Kineret. How can it be the water level has remained the same?

Well the water level only raises when the quantity of water entering the vessel of Lake Kineret exceeds the water usage. Presumably if it has been cold, which it has, then evaporation will be less if at all. But there is still the amount that residents in Israel are consuming.

So keep on Davening, Keep on doing Mitzvos, we have a way to go still to be out of danger in terms of water supply.

Thinking of Israel

2011-11-19T23:38:00.001-08:00

Are you Jewish and thinking of making Aliyah?
Have you already taken the big step and come to Eretz Yisrael?

In this post we look at our thoughts of this special land.

If you take time to read the Chumash, you will notice that how one thinks about and how one talks about the Land of Israel is very important. Specifically we need to ensure that our thoughts are positive.

So what do YOU think of Israel? Here is a little test.

When you hear the word ISRAEL, what is the first word that pops into your mind?

Give it a go, write down the word that came to you. Post it here and let us enjoy too.

Now let us take a look at what some others thought when reading the word Israel.

I asked this same question to some friends and received the following replies.

The first word I think of when I hear the word Israel is:

Home.
G-d!! Hashem Elokey Israel Hu Hamelech!
my homeland- my heritage
כל האבות והאמהות..יצחק,יעקב,שרה,רחל,רבקה,אברהם,לאה
seminary
Beauty
Chosen
HOME

We look forward to hearing if you have other positive, special words to add.

How good is your Hebrew? Could you read the one response in Hebrew? Can you re-arrange the names to be in the correct order?

Shabbat Shalom from Eretz Yisrael

2011-11-17T09:08:00.001-08:00

It looks like winter has arrived. The weather is colder, in Jerusalem it was raining today. Yes, the Kineret's water level is important. Actually, I dont know the latest measurement, but the last I found states that the water level of the Kinert is - 213.67m, -67cm below the lower red line.

If one considers that a ruler is 30 cm, the amount of water below the red line is over two rulers worth. Multiply that my the full surface area of the Kineret and that is quite a lot of water required.

You got it, keep up the davening, we want that water level rising this year.

Weather reports state thunder storms are expected for Shabbos, so make sure to have your Siddur with you with the Brachah for thunder and recite the Brachah when hearing the thunder.

Well, it's Thursday again so time to begin Shabbos preparations if you have not already begun.

We hope you have had a good and blessed week and are feeling settled in this precious Land.

Remember candle lighting is earlier again this week. In Jerusalem, candle lighting times will be:

Friday, November 18, 2011	Light Candles at: 3:59 pm
Shabbat, November 19, 2011	Shabbat Ends: 5:17 pm

If you are in another area of Eretz Yisrael, please make sure you have the correct time to light your Shabbat Candles. For other areas of the world, you need the correct time for there too.

Shabbat Times can be found on Chabad.org follow the link and select the city for where you will be.

Shabbat Shalom

It's Raining!!

2011-11-16T07:36:00.001-08:00

It's been a beautiful few days in Eretz Yirsael. Warm winter sun, not too bright, lovely for getting out and about, seeing the country and completing necessary tasks, chores or errands. But winter in Israel is a time for much needed rain and today we are blessed with rain. Yay!!!

Am I becoming a weather bureaux? NO, but weather and more importantly adequate rainfall in the correct season is part and parcel of life in Israel.

So what's doing with the Kineret. Well the level has fallen over the last few days. It had reached -213. 65 m a few days ago. Today it measures at -213.67 m. The level is higher than it was this time last year by 24 cm, but we need lots more rain. We don''t want the level to fall, we want it to rise, up to the water level that is safe for us here in Israel.

I hope you dont get bored with our weather report. What else is there to life in Eretz Yisrael?

Well I asked some friends what they liked most about Eretz Yisrael.

The answer was:

"The kedusha. You can feel it in the air- before you even land at Ben Gurion."

"I LOVE the old city - I LOVE tzefat, I love the ramat hagolan I love chevron , I LOVE THE KOTEL, I LOVE THE HOLY LAND !!!

"I LOVE SDEREOT I LOVE ITAMAR , I love maale adumim I love nachalot, shall I keep going ??? My love is unending !!"

"I become highly aware of my neshoma, when I have the zechut to be in E"Y. I feel a deeper bond with HKB"HU when I am there"

We'd like to hear from you, our fellow Jew and fellow Oleh or Olah. What do YOU like most about Eretz Yisrael? How are YOUR Aliyah plans coming along? If YOU are already here, how are YOU settling in?

Israel, the Kineret and more

2011-11-10T06:46:00.001-08:00

It is Thursday, time to begin preparing for Shabbos again. The weather has been just gloroius or has it?

Soft sunshine, wispy clouds, beautiful sunrises and sunsets. But this time of year our thoughts are not of sunshine, not in Eretz Yisrael anyway. Our thoughts are of the need for rain and to fill the Kineret.

Recent reports state that the level of the Kineret is either -213.645m or -213.65m. It is 26 cm higher than it was this time last year, but we have a long way to go.

We don't want to wait till the end of winter for a sunden downpour that is more like floods and removes valuable top soil. We need a gradual, steady, gentle rain that fills the Kineret and all other water supplies to our precious land.

So keep on Davening, keep up the Mitzvos. May we be blessed this year with ALL the rain we need in the proper time.

Shabbat Shalom

Kineret / Sea of Galilea

2011-11-07T05:46:00.000-08:00

The Kineret at night photographed in 2005 by Bantosh

Isn't the image above stunning?

The Kineret otherwise known as the Sea of Galilea is an important part of Eretz Yisrael. It is the largest freshwater lake in Eretz Yisrael and provides 25% of the main water supply for the country.

The Kineret is 53 km in circumference, about 21 km long, and 13 km wide. Of greatest importance is how full is the Kineret.

As of Friday, 4 November 2011, the Level of the Kineret was listed as being -213.64 m. Although there has been rainfall, the water level has remained constant. While that might sound good on one hand as it has not dropped further, we need the level to rise. We need to bring that water level up to a level that is appropriate for the area and for fish to return. If the Level of the Kineret rises too high it will flood Tiveria which is also not good for Eretz Yisrael.

Davening for rain has begun in Eretz Yisrael and we ask you to keep on davening. Stay tuned to the level of the Kineret and keep davening till the appropriate level is reached and maintained.

Important Medical Information

2011-11-06T09:06:00.000-08:00

There are some pieces of information that are very important to know and have easily available in any home.

When one moves countries, it is not easy to know where to turn in time of emergency.

We hope you never have the need, but if you do or someone you know needs, here is a valuable piece of information.

If someone swallows a problematic substance, Israel has a Centre for Poisons which is situated in Haifa.

The contact information is as follows:

Israel Poisons Information CentreRambam Medical Centre

PO Box 9602Haifa 31096

Director: Dr Y. Bentur

Telephone: +972 4 854 2725

Emergency telephone: +972 4 854 1900

Fax: +972 4 854 2092

E-mail: ipic@rambam.health.gov.il

In the event you or someone you know needs to contact this centre, have ready:

the name of the person who swallowed something,
age of the person,
how long ago, ie how much time has lapsed between swallowing the substance and calling the centre
what was swallowed.

The Centre for Poisons will then provde instructions as to what to do, where to go to for treatment or if the person can be treated at home. When acting speedily, there are times the problem can be resolved just by calling to the centre.We hope you never have the need for this information, but keep it close at hand.

When someone does a First Aide course in Israel, one of the first pieces of information provided is this telephone number to call and what information to provide.

Keep well, stay healthy and enjoy being in Eretz Yisrael.

Magen David Adom and United Hatzola

2011-11-03T04:33:00.000-07:00

Recently I came to learn of an interesting service now offered through a connection made between Magen David Adom and United Hatzola. If one calls Magen David Adom for an ambulance, especially when it is after hours and the ambulance fee is higher, they first send a paramedic from Hatzola. The Pareamedic is often able to assist the person at the place they were called from thus saving the ambulance fee.

The Hatzola paramedic arrives within minutes and in a caring, professional manner will do whatever first aid can be provided. In the event an ambulance is needed, the Hatzola paramedic will inform Magen David Adom and an ambulance is sent.

However, when they are able to administer assistance immediately and an ambulance is no longer needed, the family is then saved the cost of the ambulance which can be a saving of 800 Shekkels.

Both United Hatzola and Magen David Adom provided very necessary services. I am not sure enough of the behind the scenes work, but it was brought to my attention that United Hatzola is in need of funds to keep up with all the life-saving costs involved in the work they are doing.

If you are able to make a donation to assist, please do so here and inidcate that the donation is for assisting in the important work they do for so many in our country.

Of course we daven daily for the Final Geulah, but in the meantime, there are times medical attention and first aide is required.

If you are able to assist please do so now and we will be happy to pass on a group donation.

Donations have been placed in Shekels although you are welcome to donate from any country, any amount will be gratefully received.
Thank you for your kindness.

Update

2011-11-02T09:47:00.000-07:00

Wondered where we went to? Been missing posts on this blog?

We have not forgotten about our blog to Welcome and Encourage Olim Chadashim. It happens in Israel that every so often things get so busy that before you know it another Chag has passed, a few months are behind us and where did the time go?

We have many ideas and much to share but right now we want to hear from you. Yes YOU.

What are your thoughts on Aliya. Have you made Aliya yet? Still planning, what information do you still need?

How is your Aliya process going?

Is there any specific information, guidance or Chizzuk that you need or would like to read, hear and share?

Please let us know, send in your questions or any positive stories of your Aliyah.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Animals, Pets and Agriculture in Israel

2011-09-08T01:05:00.000-07:00

For those who are interested in nature, pets, agriculture etc, Israel does have an SPCA and a Miinstry of Agriculture and Rural Development. If you are interested in farming, having pets, growing your own fruits and vegetables or anything else in this area, it is worthwhile to take a look at:

SPCA ISRAEL or be in touch at

159 Herzel St. Tel-Aviv
Tel: (+972) 3 5136500

and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Contact phone: 03- 9688901

The links given here are to the English pages. You can practise your Hebrew by reading the pages in Hebrew too.

If you have concerns about the pets of neighbours and whether they are being treated correctly, become informed as to what is regarded as Cruelty to Animals. If need be, the SPCA will help you decide whether they should investigate further and either educate the neighbours or take away the pets.

Please note: Cruelty to animals is forbidden by the Torah.

A few useful Hebrew words:

Agriculture is Chakalot or חקלאות

Ministry is Misrad or משרד

Animals are Balei Chaim or בעלי חיים

Pets are Chayut Machmad or חיות מחמד

Cruelty to animals is Tzar Baalei Chaim צער בעלי חיים

Worthwhile or beneficial is Kedai כדאי

New Customer Service at Misrad HaBriyut - 2

2011-08-10T07:14:00.000-07:00

In a previous post we began to share the exciting news that Misrad HaBriyut, the Ministry of Health now has a Customer Service.

I am pleasantly surprised that the new customer service actually calls to follow up. At least they have so far.

Once again the customer service can be reached on *5400.

The hours for this service are 8 am - 6 pm Sunday to Thursday and 8 am - 1 pm on Fridays.

There is a new fax number too, which is 02 - 5655997

Try them and enjoy.

Actually, this time they even spoke to me in English and were happy to help me with the spelling of something I needed to prepare a cover letter for a fax in Hebrew.

Let us know how you progress. If you enjoyed good customer service, please let us know to encourage other Professional Olim.

A thought as we leave Tisha B'Av

2011-08-09T11:44:00.000-07:00

As Tisha B'Av draws to a close and we continue thinking of the Beis HaMikdash, an interesting teaching is worth sharing from one of the Kinnos.

In the commentary to Kinnah 25, we read that after the Holocaust, many began to search for an appropriate day to remember what had transpired. They approached certain leading Torah leaders and the response from the Brisker Rav, Rav Yitzhak Zev Soloveitchik, was that the answer lies in this Kinnah.

As it reads:"Please take your hearts to compose a bitter eulogybecause their massacre is deservant of mourning and rolling in dustas was the burning of the House of G-d, it's Hall and it's Palace.However, we cannot add a (new) day of mourning over ruin and conflagrationnor may we mourn any earlier - only later. Instead today, on Tisha B'Av, I will eulogize and wait and weep with a bitter souland my groans are heavy from morning until evening."

Hence the message is clear that there are no NEW tragedies for the Jewish people. Everything that has occured since the destruction of our precious Temple is a result of the loss of the Beis HaMikdash. For this reason, any other tragedy that has occured since the destructin of the Beis HaMikdash is ALL remembered and mourned or cried about on Tisha B'Av.

The Kinnah also addresses another major question. Why does exile continue? The answer given is that Jews are comfortable in their new adopted lands and reluctant to return to our precious Land of Israel, concerned for hardships and poverty in Israel. Slowly the Jew has stopped to identify with his true home, but finds comfort and excuses to remain wherever he has been exiled to.

--- Teaching found in the Artscroll version of the Tisha B'Av service

Enough Exile. Enough living without our Beis HaMikdash. Come home Yidden. Come home and together let us find a way to rebuild Eretz Yisrael, all of it. And through our dedication to our precious land may we be deserving of the final Beis HaMikdash in all its glory, bringing peace and blessing to the whole world.

Finding the Postive in a Traffic Jam

2011-08-08T02:02:00.000-07:00

Guest Post by
Elchanan LipshitzEfrat, Israel

Another bus story, this time on a dreary, cold, wet winter late afternoon having returned to Yerushalayim from a tiyul out of the city. Traffic is bumper-to-bumper and we're stuck near City Hall with no end to the traffic jam in sight.

People are becoming antsy and impatient and the mumbling gets louder and louder. Finally the tour guide takes the microphone and says:

"Ladies and Gentlemen-

When the Ramban visited Yerushalayim he couldn't find a Minyan of Jews!

Think how happy the Ramban would be to be struck in a traffic jam in Yerushalayim!!"

Needless to say, the mumbling and grumbling came to an immediate stop!! (I quote this story often whenever people complain about things- not only traffic- in Yerushalayim/Israel.

Guest Post - Appreciating Our Calendar

2011-08-07T02:42:00.000-07:00

Guest Post by

Elchanan Lipshitz

Efrat, Israel

This goes back to the summer of 1969- my 1st visit to Israel (We've since made aliya).

I'm on an Egged bus in Yerushalayim. For lack of seats I'm standing just behind the driver.

Next to me are sitting 2 elderly ladies who are arguing back and forth, in Hebrew of course, as to when Rosh Hashanah will be that year. One says "early"; one says "late". this goes back and forth for a few minutes with the tone gradually getting louder and louder.

Finally the driver turns around and says Ladies- Rosh Hashanah is never early or late! It is always on the 1st of Tishrei!! Now please be quiet!!

Shoshanah, one of the managers of this blog asked Elchanan how he felt about the experience and his answer is worth repeating:

"My feeling about the bus driver matched my own feeling. It's about time we got used to using our own calendar- especially in Israel - and not the borrowed calendar of another religion. No, I'm not fanatic about it and I too use the Gregorian / Solar calendar when I have to. But if I know today's Hebrew date I will have no problem knowing exactly when Tisha B'Av, Rosh Hashanah or any other special day falls- it's always on the same Hebrew date! By the way, the women took the bus driver's comment in good spirit. Hopefully it gave them as well something to think about! "

If you have an inspiring or meaningful story to share of your trip to Israel, Pilot Trip, Preparing for Aliyah, having Made Aliya, please email us to share with our readers and inspire our fellow Jew of the benefits and beauty of living in Eretz Yisrael.

Invitaiton to Share your Inspiring Story of Eretz Yisrael

2011-08-02T06:18:00.000-07:00

This invitation is all about unity and increasing love of Eretz Yisrael. Hence the chain of interlinked people, in a background of blue, ie L'Shaim Shamayim.

Hi Everyone

The 9 days is an appropriate time to increase in our appreciation of Eretz Yisrael.

There is a teaching that Eretz Yisrael is acquired through suffering. For many, one of the greatest difficulties is not knowing where to find the necessary information in order to take care of what needs to be done. For some, unforeseen challenges can test one's Emunah and commitment to the Land.

When faced with a difficulty, the Baal Shem Tov's teaching that everything is Divinely Directed and happens for a reason, can pose an interesting exercise in finding the good in a series of problems. So it was that following a difficult Aliyah, we decided to use the challenges to provide valuable information to others making Aliyah. Information that will assist to ease their process.

Amongst the information provided, we also share stories of the Beauty of Eretz Yisrael. Stories that give Olim Chizuk and the will to keep striving to acquire Eretz Yisrael no matter how hard the challenge.

For this we would like your help. If you have visited Eretz Yisrael or even if you live here, if you had a special experience in Sem or Yeshiva. Perhaps a special Shabbos experience. Perhaps coming to Eretz Yisrael made your Torah learning come alive. Perhaps you were touched by putting Tefillin on Jews at the Kotel or giving out Shabbos candles some where in Israel. Whatever the story, if it is inspiring and will help others to increase in their appreciation and love of Eretz Yisrael, please send us your story and we will be happy to share it on our blog
If you have a story to share that can be posted on the above blog, please email it to us. Stories should be 400 - 800 words in length and edited.

Looking forward to hearing from you

Shoshanah Shear

NEW: Customer Service at the Ministry of Health

2011-08-01T06:03:00.000-07:00

I had occasion to call the Ministry of Health, in Israel of course, for the umteenth time in the last few weeks. I prepared myself something to do while waiting for the length of time until someone actually answers. I called the number that usually goes through to the person related to my profession and what a pleasant surprise. In only a few rings the call went to an option of Hebrew or English. I did not wait to listen further.

2 - For English, sounds good to me. OK, I got a Hebrew speaker but someone answered.

Yes, the Ministry of Health has a new service, a Customer Service. You get to speak to a real person very quickly and the person will pleasantly ask who you need to talk to, the nature of your need, your name, Id Number (so have it ready if you dont know it by heart) and your contact phone number, and a promise that someone will get back to you in 48 hours.

All you ahve to do to call the customer service is dial *5400.

I dont know how you get to talk to an English Speaker if you need it, perhaps just try talking in English instead of admitting you speak Hebrew. Of course if you would like to practise your Hebrew, go right ahread and enjoy the opportunity.

It has only been a few hours, so I cant yet tell you if they actually return your call after 48 hours, but so far it is a vastly improved service from calling and calling and calling and calling and waiting for the person you need to get through to.

For those wanting to learn a little Hebrew, Ministry of Health is Misrad HaBriyut or משרד הבריאות

Tip for Professional Olim

2011-07-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

When sending in forms to the various governmental offices, from time to time we are suddenly requested to update a certificate. An example is a few years ago, a new law was passed necessitating certain health professionals to submit their certificate / license and obtain a new one.

When applying for the new certificate, many will advise you to just send it in and that it is not necessary to keep a copy.

TIP: Make a copy anyway. If you can have it notorised too, so much the better.

Recently there was a fire in the Misrad HaBriyut in Jerusalem and a number of files have been burned. In order to put files together, if yours was one of those burned, Misrad HaBriyut will ask you to submit a photocopy of all previous certificates. Having this copy will become invaluable to rememdy an unforeseen difficulty.

URGENT Appeal to help a Chatan, recently orphaned

2011-06-29T07:48:00.000-07:00

The month leading up to a wedding is usually a busy time with a thousand and one things to accomplish:

Finding a venue, booking a hall, finalising numbers of guests, arranging for invitations, music, photographer, shopping for new clothes - the list continues.

For one specific family in Eretz Yisrael, a mother of 8 found herself fitting these exciting but busy tasks to prepare for the wedding of her first born son, in between painful treatments. She tried hard to keep up her strength but could wait no longer. The invitations were ready to be picked up, but her Petira came soon after, now the invitations were missing the letters עלה השלום - ע"ה next to the mothers name.

The son, the new Chatan asks "Weren't you able to wait a little longer Ima? Perhaps till the week after my wedding? What will my wedding be without my Ima?"

Sadly, we can not bring back the mother of these 8 children. We can not replace the person who took care of all their needs as any mother does. Their wound will last until Moshiach comes. But we can reach into our pockets and help this young Chatan to come to Chuppah and to build his Bayit Ne'eman. His Chuppah is booked for 30 June 2011. That is just a few days away.

Still within Shloshim, his wedding will be a little different. Please have mercy on these orphans and make a generous donation to help to ease their physical needs.

Donations have been placed in Shekels although you are welcome to donate from any country, any amount will be gratefully received.
Thank you for your kindness.

Since putting this up a few hours ago, we have had NIS 500 donated. Can we double this at least before tomorrow? How about tripple it or more.

New Regulations of the Ministry of Communications

2011-03-07T07:51:00.000-08:00

Below you will find a list of new regulations in the communication field. Please read them carefully but try to understand this is like a “newborn”. It will take time to implement them, it will take even longer to get used to them and teach companies how to adapt to them.

It is up to us, the consumers, to make these laws become a reality. Right now they are only on paper and, as a diamond, will need polishing.

I have created a prototype of a small claim form for you ready to be served in court. You will find instructions on how to use the form on the second page. After filling out a few blank lines concerning the main points only, you will be able to present your case in court, even in low-level Hebrew.

The New Regulations - Effective as of 2011

The commitment period will be reduced to 18 months in the cell phone industry;
Lower mobile fares when making overseas calls - similar to a stationary phone call, the consumer pays only to the supplier abroad without having to pay additional fees (double) to the mobile operator in Israel;
Everyone will have the option to block SMS services;
Customer service centers, (run by the Israeli mobile operators) must attend/respond to clients within 24 hours (for emergencies only);
Cancellation “penalties” in the communications field: Companies will be allowed to charge up to 8% of the average invoice value – multiplied by the remaining months until the end of liability;
Cellular operators will be required to offer routes that allow setting limits in advance on the level of expenditure: As soon the bill reaches 75%of his allocation, the consumer will receive an alert and choose whether to increase the amount;
The E-mail mobility: Soon it will be possible to leave your Internet provider and “move” your existing e-mail address to any other competitor, for a period of six months, free of charge;
Contracts: The essential points in a contract must be presented in one page only;
Payments for services: Will be permitted only by the written permission from the consumer;
Cellular operators will be required to advertise all of their rates on their websites;
Privacy and Secrecy: Cellular operators will be required to delete the details of the client`s payment at the end of the contract;

I hope you can enjoy your new consumers’ rights in this new year and don’t forget to use the two ultimate weapons you have: Your wisdom and the small claims courts.

Sincerely,

Tzvi Szajnbrum, Attorney at Law

Funny Money in Israel (Counterfeit Coins)

2011-02-08T02:32:00.000-08:00

If you're living in Israel or thinking of making Aliyah - or just coming through for a holiday - don't assume that just because it's the Holyland that everything is Kosher! Of course it should be that way... but sometimes it's simply not!

I remember the days of going to Ulpan. I was new to getting into Israeli culture, and one thing that got to me was when in those very first few weeks I was bombarded with a number of counterfeit 10 shekel coins. I pointed this out to my Ulpan teacher who practically swore to me that such things don't exist in Israel and could never be! It didn't help that I actually had the evidence - because in her books she was already convinced that no such thing existed!

As she told me - she had never handled such a coin in her life - and she was over 60. So maybe it's just an Oleh Chadash thing - kind of like a "disease" that cleaves to those making the move. Or maybe it only reaches those who don't yet know Hebrew. I'm not sure which one, but I've finally got around to photographing one of these coins - which I just so happened to pick up recently (again!) and remind myself to once again get back into the good habit of checking EVERY single coin I receive from another - no matter if he works for Egged or the Eida HaChareidit!

I've photographed the invalid coin with others and then presented it by itself to help you become aware of how to spot these false items. Remember, by law, if you've been given one of these special editions, you're not entitled to use it - so it's simply your bad luck. You best go into your local bank and hand it to them for destroying. If you've been handed tens or hundreds of these coins, it's simply your fault - so says the law! Remember the original criminal will not be held liable for the false coin - you will. So do watch out before accepting these coins. They are in fact - VERY common!

In our first picture below, you'll see 5 of these 10 Shekel coins.(I sure miss Golda Meir!) Can you spot the fraud?!

It's the middle coin. Take a closer look. You'll notice it's a lot less shiny than the others. In addition, if you look at the outer surrounding edges of it, you'll feel a more plastic-like feel. And the best test yet?! Give it a good spin on a smooth table as it appears in the photo above. If it spins... and spins... and spins... it's a fraud! Try spinning an original 10 Shekel coin as it rests on the table as in the photo above and you'll see that it won't spin more than half a turn.

Our photo below shows the back of the coin. Again, notice how it lacks the shine of the other coins.

In the photo below, you can see the back of a true 10 shekel coin. It's shiny, and the text surrounding it is clear! You can see that every letter has been carved out.

The photo below shows the same coin right side up. It's clear, strong and shiny!

Now for the fraud (and the remembrance of a loss of lunch!) You'll see the back of the coin is smoothed on the sides and the lettering has not been carved out completely. It's almost lying flat on the surface. The coin is also not completely circular, but rather a little off shape. It's also not shiny! In fact it's completely dull!

It's not as easy to see the fraud from the front. But close attention to the detail will show the bronze section not fitting in perfectly to the silver, the text not carved out clearly, and a slight distortion to its shape.

So, don't be fooled. You'll find counterfeit money - even in Israel. Be on the lookout and check every single coin you get before putting it away. You see, if you do this, you'll at least be able to own the money you really have earned honestly! But if you don't check, you may find that even after having worked hard to earn your 10 shekel - you'll end up with absolutely nothing except a legal bother to have to take your coin to the bank, wait your turn like everyone else, deal with some pushing, shoving and shouting for the day - and finally hand over the offending item to be destroyed!

If you're the merciful type and have gained from this article, remember, you're welcome to help so that I can regain my opportunity to eat another lunch! Take a look at Lovingkindness - our site devoted to helping many Jews, and feel free to make a contribution of just 10 shekels by clicking on any of the donate buttons found there. Just type in your reason for the donation, "Compensating an Oleh Chadash for being swindled!"

Only in a Religious Neighbourhood in Israel…

2011-02-06T02:21:00.000-08:00

Is anybody in the "frum" world really working on themselves? Finding oneself in a place like Israel and travelling on buses regularly (amongst other close-contact "sports" in Israel) can make one wonder if anybody actually cares about the other. If you've been lucky enough to travel on an Israeli Egged bus or the like, you'll probably have fond memories of people pushing, shouting and yelling (Ah… there's no place like home!) You'll probably remember the good times of the bus driver even punching a hole in your bus ticket two or three times (by accident of course!) or punching a hole in a "combined city" ticket on the wrong side (causing you to forfeit your entire two-way ride!)

And then of course, you may remember the good times of having asked a bus driver to please tell you when a particular stop is (so that you could get off course!) and found yourself to be the last person on the bus with the driver reaching his final point and now asking you to please get off (only without using such pleasant language.) Should you ask why he never mentioned anything about your real stop (that you had asked him to let you know about) he may come back with a variety of excuses, all told over in that special Israeli talk – which can often sound like shouting to those coming from many other countries.

It's all in the name of real Jewish friendship of course!

What of those who go home that night – only to think over about their days – and realise that maybe they actually were in the wrong?! What would they do?! What would be the chances of meeting up with the person they had "bumped" into on the bus that day – or even meeting the driver to perhaps apologise for having shouted at him?! And what of the driver having realised that perhaps he had actually done something wrong?! In fact, the Chofetz Chaim teaches a similar idea when it comes to having spoken badly about another in public. One can never really do Teshuva – repentance – because one would be required to find every person who heard the bad talk – and let them know that one had erred – a practically impossible task!

Living in the religious area of Beitar Illit does every now and again provide some very important life lessons for us all, and as I opened the weekly "Shavua Tov" magazine (which is sent free of charge to all residents of Beitar – sponsored by the advertisers) I noticed something I've probably never seen in my life before. The person had taken out an advert costing some 300-500 shekel (about $90) to share something with the entire city. It read:

"REQUEST FOR FORGIVENESS

On Wednesday 28 Shevat at about 3:30

on bus 1, I embarrassed a person on the bus

It was clear that I made a mistake in calculating the change

I request forgiveness

And I hope that no other mistake will come through me again

The Driver"

As I read that last line in particular, it made me aware of something truly unique about the greatness of a Jew – a bus driver – who is focused on growth, focused on Torah – because Beitar Illit is in fact a Torah city. What lead to the initial mistake and how the driver did not check and double check before embarrassing the passenger – I don't know. But it was that after-the-fact behaviour that caught my attention in this particular case!

It's something that seems to only happen in a city filled with Jews – where even the bus drivers are Torah scholars. Where even after an event such as this – they can think over matters again, and realise that they may have been in the wrong (perhaps just over a few aggarot) – and who can then be prepared and actually do so – to pay for an advert costing some 300-500 shekel – in order to ask forgiveness from someone they may never see again!

When last did you see such an advert in your local newspaper? When last were you ever prepared to post such an advert if you'd ever hurt anyone?!

Such is the greatness of Torah and the greatness of a Jew and the beauty of Israel.

Good Shabbos or Shabbat Shalom, How to Wish A Fellow Jew.

2011-01-11T01:16:00.000-08:00

From time to time we take a look at what brings others to our blog. What are you the reader looking for, searching for? What will help your Aliyah and Klita to be more successful.

A common phrase looked for in various variations has to do with Shabbat Shalom, Good Shabbos or how to wish a fellow Jew for Shabbat. Here are a few answers we hope will satisfy you. If you still have questions, please post a comment, we love feedback and are always happy to answer questions or to post an article to help find answers to your questions.

Shabbat is the seventh day of the week. According to the Torah, G-d created the world, universe and everything that is in 6 days and on the seventh day He rested. He gave a commandment to Jews to rest on this day too.

Shabbat is this seventh day and it is Hebrew. Shabbos is the way that Ashkenazi Jews pronounce the Hebrew word Shabbat, following a certain rule to pronounce the final letter as a 's' sound rather than a 't'. Those who speak Yiddish call the day Shabbos too.

Shalom means hello or peace or complete from the Hebrew word Shaleim, complete. Hence a common greating is Shabbat Shalom, may your Shabbat be peaceful and complete.

Good Shabbos probably comes from the Yiddish greeting which would be "Gut Shabbos". Wishing the other that their Shabbat day be good.

To answer the question as to how to greet a Jew for Shabbat. In terms of words used, Shabbat Shalom, Good Shabbos, Gut Shabbos, A Gutten Shabbos are all appropriate greetings. In terms of the how, it is best to greet a Jew with a smile and happy countenance always and Shabbat is no exception.

For those wanting to know how this is written in Hebrew, Shabbat is שבת
Shalom is שלום
And together you get Shabbat Shalom or שבת שלום

Tax, VAT and Customs Offices in Jerusalem

2011-01-10T23:59:00.000-08:00

When one makes Aliyah, it is nice to find those who will help you out by doing certain bureaucratic tasks for you. However, as much as no-one likes bureaucracy or to have to spend time waiting in long queues, it is in your best interest to familiarize yourself with where certain key offices are. I highly recommend taking off a morning, take with you something to nosh on, something to drink and something to read or, Tehillim to recite.

For those living in or around Jerusalem, head off to 66 Kanfei Nesharim Street, Givat Shaul. There are several buses that go there. The offices are open from 8 or 8.30 in the morning to 1.30 in the afternoon.

In this building you will find the Tax Offices, VAT and Customs Offices. Spend some time getting to know why you would need each of them, where the necessary forms are, what you need to take with you when you need any of these offices and any other quesitons you might have.

If you are considering working indpendently, take with all your questions and plenty of time to go from floor to floor, office to office, until you have gathered all the information you require.

A word of warning, even if you are hiring an accountant to do your books and fill in your yearly tax or VAT report, make sure you know where these offices are and find out the laws yourself.

Once you have found out all you can about these office, the next step is to find out all you can about Bituach Leumi. This we will cover in another post.

Never presume that if you hire a professional that all your accounting needs will be taken care of. You dont' want to land up in the situation where you suddenly find your accountant did not do something crucial, you did not pick it up as you were ignorant of Israeli accounting, Taxes etc and were daunted by all bureaucratic offices. It is better to be prepared, so early in your Aliya, before the need arises, take the time to get to know these offices and any necessary procedures. Information, familiarity and knowledge is invaluable and can save you unnecessary "Tzorres" later on.

Tax in Hebrew is MasHachnasa or מס, VAT is מע"ם and Customs is Meches מכס

Do You Employ a Foreign Worker?

2010-12-07T06:48:00.000-08:00

Beware: They Have the Same Rights as an Israeli!

Guest post by by Tzvi Szajnbrum, Attorney at Law

Even if you don’t actually fire the worker, he can still ask for compensation and have it be granted by the court, as was the case of Mrs. Guzman from the Philippines (the plaintiff) against Mrs. Rozenfeld (the defendant) in the Regional Labor Court in Tel Aviv before the Honorable Judge Dr. Ariela Katz.

The plaintiff sued the defendant asking for five different components:

Severance pay (30 days for every year)
Back pay (difference between actual salary paid and what should have been paid – payment for extra hours of work she did every day)
Notice fees (one must give 30 days’ notice in advance before firing a worker)
Revenue vacation (payment for annual vacation)
Holiday payment (approximately 8 days a year)

The Facts: The plaintiff worked as a caretaker of Mrs. Rozental’s deceased mother (who died in March 2009) from August 2006 until March 2009, for a total of 27.5 months.

The mother, z”l, used to wake up every morning at 6 am and the morning hours were spent in the kitchen reading. The mother would sleep everyday between 2 and 5 pm and she spent the evenings watching TV. The defendant came to visit her mother around 9 pm on a daily basis and used to stay until around midnight. Right after she left the house, the plaintiff put the mother to sleep in her bed.

The plaintiff didn’t leave the house except for once a month for 12 hours, but she had much free time during the day in the house.

The plaintiff received a $50 payment as compensation for the free day she was entitled to have during the week and had no holidays at all. She was never allowed to take the mother out for a walk. The plaintiff was not entitled to hold the key of the house, to go out to the mall, shopping, use the washing machine in the house or even to take the garbage outside the house (it was done only by the defendant). The only time she was allowed to leave the house was to take the mother to the nearby Kupat Holim (the defendant’s sister used to be the one taking her mother to the doctor).

The plaintiff’s salary began at $600 plus 80 NIS for a week (as a pocket money) and later was increased to $650. For each year of work the plaintiff was granted around 2,500 NIS for both revenue Vacation and Holiday payment. For each day of a national Philippine holiday, she was paid an extra $50.

On August 11th, 2008, the mother complained to the defendant that the plaintiff was hitting her. On August 24th the plaintiff asked to be dismissed from her employment, which the defendant refused. On August 25th the police arrested the plaintiff and she spent a night in prison. On the next evening she was released and no charges against her were ever presented.

On December 2nd the plaintiff received a check for 5,316 NIS that was supposed to cover all the “rights” and benefits she was entitled to.

The Plaintiff’s claims: She was paid less than the minimum wage, she was either fired or forced to resign and because of the false complaint against her, she cannot find another job. The plaintiff did not receive 36 continuous weekly rest hours, and instead of this she was given only 12 hours a month!

The Court’s Decision

The court decided as follows: The plaintiff was not entitled to “extra hours” (according to a Supreme Court Decision in another case – “Glutan” that may change in the near future).

On September 21st the Honorable Judge decided as follows:

The picture depicted to us pointed to a shocking and shameful conduct of the defendant to the plaintiff who is a foreign worker, her only “crime” being was that she came to Israel to earn her living. Therefore the defendant will pay the plaintiff the sum she is entitled to by law, a total of 99,102 NIS and in addition, 1,000 shekels in court fees and an extra 15,000 NIS as lawyer’s fees.

Finding a Home in Israel

2010-12-06T04:48:00.000-08:00

My thanks are extended to the Mishna Berurah Yomi program (learn an Amud a day and complete the entire Mishna Berurah in 5 years) for bringing the following story to my attention:

One of the challenges facing the new Oleh is often the difficulty in dealing with his financial situation in Eretz Yisrael after having come from a more affluent life style. In fact, not only this, he may even feel himself losing ground in a variety of other parts of his life as he finds himself shifting from one type of lifestyle to another.

The Shulchan Aruch 1:3 teaches that anybody who fears Heaven should be distressed and worried over the destruction of the Temple. The Mishna Berurah points out that though he experiences distress and worry over the destruction - nevertheless, his Torah study and his prayer to G-d must be with joy! How does one ever come to deal with such opposing feelings?! On the one hand, distress and sadness, and on the other - happiness?

The Chazon Ish teaches "עיקר עשיית מצוה הוא שמחתה שזכינו לכך " - The main fulfilment of a Mitzvah is our joy that we merit to do Hashem’s will through Mitzvos.” Yet we may wonder: How can we feel joy while undergoing personal or collective hardship?

One great answer was supplied by the Abir Yaakov of Sadigura, zt”l. Shortly after the Holocaust, when Rav Yisrael Grossman, zt”l, paid the Rebbe a visit, he was surprised to see that the Rebbe was clearly exceptionally joyous. When the Rebbe noticed Rav Grossman’s surprise, he used a parable to explain why he was filled with joy despite the recent tragedy. “Imagine a poor Jew, beaten down and sickly, who has nowhere to even rest his head. If people have mercy and open their homes to him, he will surely be filled with boundless joy from gratitude.

“The Jewish people today are likened to this poor man. Although we endured such cruelty which resulted in the murder of millions of Jews, we must never lose sight of the positive. Now that we have entered Eretz Yisrael, which is our homeland, we are exactly like a poor displaced man who has finally found a home.

“Now you might argue that the spiritual level here is not exactly optimal. Nevertheless, the very fact that Hashem has brought us back home after such a tragedy is also enough to make us joyous!”

This is an amazing idea to keep with us - those who take the "plunge" to make our lives in Eretz Yisrael, who take ourselves very often from a life of affluence, and settle for a life which is somewhat less (physically) comfortable - and very often even spiritually unsettling! Those who make the move to Eretz Yisrael should come to see that while difficulties may abound, the first step of the journey has actually been made. They are at home. The ambivalent feelings of feeling unsteady on the one hand - yet excited on the other are normal. Now it's about moving onwards.

One has found one's home. Now it's about "settling" it and bringing blessing in to it. So too, as we live in Eretz Yisrael as the Beit HaMikdash - the Temple - stands in ruins, we must feel this pain similarly. We must mourn this loss. At the same time, all our Torah, all our prayer and all our acts of kindness, must be done with joy. Through the expression of feelings as they should be expressed on each thing in its own way, we can be certain to do the right things and restore the complete blessing back into Eretz Yisrael with the dwelling of the Shechina (the indwelling Divine Presence) in the Land itself.

May it be immediately!

It's Raining in Israel.

2010-12-06T03:35:00.000-08:00

Just15 hours after posting the previous post about "Thinking Positively and Praying for rain", we found some wonderful posts on Face Book.

4am... And it''s POURING with rain. B''H.

IT'S RAINING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-) lets hope it lasts more than 5 minutes!!! :-)

We got inspired to take a few photos ...

rain drops on our Sorgim (burglar bars)

Reflection of a tree in a puddle from the rain.

It's all misty....

The rain is out and the kids are all ready.

Reflection of a building in the stages of being built, in our beautiful Israeli rain.

it's raining again!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)

It's.... it's.... it's... pouring rain! Thank You, Thank You!!!!!

IT'S RAINING IN ISRAEL!!!!! BARUCH HASHEM.

Amen!!! It is amazing because of all the praying we all did for rain B"H

The rain has reached the south...

RAIN, BLESSED RAIN!!!

Think Good and It Will Be Good - An Appeal for Rain in Israel.

2010-12-05T03:09:00.000-08:00

On Thursday of last week, the news came out of a disasterous fire in the Carmel Mountains in the North of Eretz Yisrael. I posted on Face Book for Jews to join us in Tehillim or Teifllah and to send in some inspirational Torah thoughts to add to our weekly Tehillim reminder for our International Tehillim Group. Our reason being that Torah is akin to water and water can put out the fire. I received an answer of a teaching by the Tzemach Tzedek: "Think good and it will be good - tracht gut vet zayn gut"

To help us to think good and to hasten the rains in Israel, we have put together a few images and a little poem. It is a bit of fun, but the message is a serious one. Please join us in increasing Tehillim for Am Yisrael and for Eretz Yisrael.

It's time for rain, here come the clouds.
An answer to our prayers, no more need for shrowds.

The sky covers over, soon it will rain.

This light still comes through, there'll be blue sky again.

We're ready for rain, our rain boots are out.

We'll jump in the puddles, laugh and splash about.

The rain is now coming, the rain clouds now open.

The North of Israel now get's its soaking

The fire goes out and the Kineret re-fills

The level is just perfect, free from all spills.

We invite you dear friends, Yidden great and small.
To imagine this poem and visualization, have a ball.
Put in some frills, add to it make it tall.
For we really need Salvation right now for one and all.

Plastic Wrapping Your Luggage When Flying

2010-11-30T07:20:00.000-08:00

In the last few months, a new practice has begun for security reasons. Prior to checking in, it is recommended to have your luggage plastic wrapped to secure it against sratches, cuts, breaks and theft, possibly a few other things too.

Many airports around the world now offer this. Certainly it is becoming more used in South Africa.

If you fly within South Africa or Internationally, you need to take your luggage to the "Protect Your Luggage" kiosk near the entrance. There is a cost per piece of luggage wrapped.

If you fly to Eretz Yisrael on ElAl, this service is free once you complete your security check. If you are concerned as to whether it is still free when you fly, please call ElAl prior to going to the airport, or simply walk across to the ElAl counters and enquire prior to having your luggage Plastic Wrapped. It takes a few minutes to walk over to the counter and enquire and can save you the money of paying to be wrapped, when ElAl currently offers this free.

Travel Safely and Welcome to Israel.

Job Opportunity - Creative Graphic Artist with Knowledge of Torah.

2010-10-18T04:37:00.000-07:00

Chessed Ve'Emet are an organisation involved in acts of goodness and kindness as well as Torah outreach. You can find out more abous us on our website

We are currently in need of a graphic artist to design an attractive and meaningful logo for our organisation. We have a few of our own ideas and would like to bounce these off the person able to produce something for us. The graphic designer must have an understanding of Torah - goodness and kindness - and able to consider something that will include both these ideas.

We are also in the process of designing attractive artwork on Tzeddaka boxes, see Chessed Ve'Emet's website .

If this is your type of work and you would be able to design an attractive image encompassing our activities, please could you give us a quote for the artwork for this too.

If you are able to help and have a portfolio of your own work for us to look at beforehand and can give us a direct quote of what this would cost (before we go ahead with the design) - or you know someone competant and creative, please be in touch with Rav Eliyahu directly

Thanks!
Eliyahu

Israeli Passport Renewal from Abroad

2010-10-18T00:29:00.000-07:00

To Deserve an Israeli Passport:
One Must Maintain Continuous Contact with the State of Israel

If you are an Israeli citizen living abroad, you may find it pays to visit Israel once in a while.

This was the case of Mr. Shultz (the petitioner) against the Ministry of Interior of Israel (the respondent) in the Appeals Court in Jerusalem before the Honorable Judge Mr. Moshe Sobol.

The petitioner was born in Israel in 1954 but in the beginning of 1990 he left Israel using a foreign passport, never returning to Israel again.

The law stipulates that a person living outside Israel must register and present himself once a year in the Israeli Embassy at his place of dwelling abroad in order to be entitled to receive service from the Embassy/consulate. The alternative for this can be maintaining continuous contact with the State of Israel.

In 1999, the petitioner received a new Israeli passport in the Israeli Embassy in New York and 10 years passed until the validity of this passport ended in February 2009. When he attempted to renew his passport the Embassy refused to issue him a new passport. Thereafter he hired a lawyer in Israel who he had met in June 2009 with the help of a civil servant responsible for passports in the Ministry of Interior.

As a result of this meeting, the petitioner received a one-year extension of his passport in July 2009 issued at the Israeli Embassy in Switzerland in order to allow the petitioner to come to Israel and request a new passport here. The petitioner did not come to Israel but again asked for a new passport. He was denied but was offered a temporary travel pass valid for 6 months which he refused.

The petitioner claimed not to be able to come to Israel due to monetary limitations and family business. He also claimed his rights to travel freely were being limited against the basic laws of Israel and more: He claimed to be a donor to the state of Israel, his wife was constantly coming to Israel, one of his children served in the IDF and that he was never told on any occasion he should register himself at an Israeli Embassy abroad.

On October 18th the Honorable Judge decided in favor of the respondent and imposed a fine of 5,000 shekels on the petitioner.

The Judge, after hearing all the sides and examining the affidavits presented to him, decided that the petitioner did not comply with the law because of the detailed reasons as follows.

There was no proof whatsoever that the petitioner was a donor to Israel and he did not present any evidence of this. Concerning the fact that his son served in the IDF, the Judge stressed the fact of his son being 24 years old and had served in the army in the past and not presently. Not only this, but the petitioner left Israel when his son was only four years old, leaving him behind and had never come to visit him. About his claim concerning his wife coming constantly to Israel, the Judge pointed to the fact that the last time she visited Israel was 12 years ago.

The Judge did not accept any of the petitioner’s arguments concerning his monetary limitations and family business and in fact it was proven beyond any doubt that these arguments had no basis in reality.

Conclusion: If you are living abroad for many years and want to be entitled to receive all the services the State of Israel offers you in its Embassies and consulates around the world, you need to register and visit the Embassy once a year to re-register. The alternatives are as the law stipulates: “A constant and continuous contact with Israel.”

Pay a visit, keep property in Israel or even better - Come back and join us here.

Sincerely,

Tzvi Szajnbrum, Attorney at Law

How to Fix an Israeli Door Handle - A Photographic Guide

2010-09-13T05:20:00.000-07:00

This article is copyright

and may not be used without written permission from the writer

You're living life in Israel and just loving it! All seems to be going just fine. You've got the apartment sorted out and everything seems to be in working order... Then suddenly one of your door handles breaks! You try tightening a screw, but it doesn't seem to help! If you're renting, you could speak to your landlord about the problem, wait weeks before anything is done and then perhaps end up hiring the services of a professional to take care of this nuisance!

Or... You could simply tune in to a great blog like Welcoming Olim, find a neat photographic tutorial on how to deal with life in Israel - and learn to fix it yourself! It's easy. Don't worry. Things do break in Israel. There are some who seem to have flawless apartments - the kind where nothing ever breaks even over decades. But if you're one of the more normal people in Israel, you may find things breaking every now and again. Don't get yourself down. Things like fixing a door handle are quite simple, relatively cheap to do - and you get the satisfying reward of knowing you've done it yourself! You've saved yourself fortunes in unnecessary expenditure, and the hassle of waiting for someone else to take care of it for you. Not least of all - you've saved face with having to discuss this "nasty" issue with your landlord - if you're renting!

So, let's get started and fix that door handle!

Step 1: You'll probably need to purchase a set of Allen Keys (Pic below). Now, don't be frightened by this. Actually when you buy your new handle kit, you'll probably find that it comes with its own Allen Key. If so, you can skip this step. If not, a new set will cost you around 20 shekel and you'll have it for life. Get yourself the better set if you can afford it. You could choose something cheaper - say 13 shekel or so - but will it be worth it when it gives in after just a few turns?! In any case, when it comes to life in Israel, it's a great idea to get yourself some good tools. You may be in need of them more often than you think. So whenever you have the opportunity to add something to your new tool kit - go for it - you won't regret it!

Step 2: You probably won't have to worry about this next stage because if the handle is broken, it will fall out of the hole on its own! If it's still stuck in the door, give it a good pull, it will come out. You'll be left with the two sides of the handle. (See pic below of the broken handles!) You'll notice an Allen screw on the left handle. Actually what happened here is that this screw eventually wore itself out. Don't worry - it happens to the best of Israeli handles!

Take a look at the pic below. You'll notice on the right side a slightly wider area where the screw had been inserted. Due to wear and tear, it actually created a bigger hole inside the opening eventually causing it to become so large that it just fell out. It is impossible to put a new screw in there - as it will just fall out again. That's why it was necessary to purchase a new handle altogether!

Below you'll see a new door handle kit! It comes with some screws, it's own Allen key (yes!) and other trimmings including two washers (don't forget these!), just in case you need to install everything. Our tutorial will only cover the basic handle without the trimmings. The kit below will set you back some 22 shekels!

The new handle shown in the picture below shows how the two sides will fit together. On the left - you'll see the Allen screw which is what will hold everything together.

Step 3: Before inserting the new handle, make sure to slip on the two washers we spoke about above. See image below where you can clearly see the new handles with the washers on them.

The picture below shows what the door looks like without it's handle. You'll be inserting the new handle in the top. It fits in rather easily - as you can probably work out! In the event that the silver rings break off, you'd have to replace them with your new kit as well. In our case, everything is still where it should be. In any case, if you did have to replace them - you can see how easy it would be. You'd simply have to remove the two screws, remove those silver disks, and replace them with new ones.

In case you're wondering... this is a modern bathroom door. It even has one of those fancy "In use" disks which turns red when there's someone in the bathroom. (I guess it has it's own sense of embarrassment! Either that, or the person inside had the good sense to turn the key!)

Step 4: Insert the handle with the large metal connector. In our case we have inserted this side of the handle on the outside of the door with the long metal connected on the inside. The picture below shows what the hole looks like with the one side of the handle peeping through. You'll be snapping on the other side of the handle over that, closing it tightly and voila!

There you have it! The picture below shows the handle on the other side of the door neatly fitted!

Take a look at the image below. You'll see that the small Allen screw is jutting out. Once both sides of the handle are connected (on opposite sides of the door) you'll need to screw this in tightly.

Step 5: Insert the Allen key into the screw as shown in the pic below, and tighten it!

DONE! (See below!) - WELL DONE!

This article is copyright

and may not be used without written permission from the writer

How to Change your Tris (Shutters) in Israel - a Practical Photographic Guide

2010-08-30T05:26:00.000-07:00

This article is copyright

and may not be used without written permission from the writer

Our previous post about Trisim spoke about the ins and outs of Israeli shutters, and how the Tris works. This post details with photographs – step by step, the exact procedure necessary to actually fix the Tris.

Here's how to do it:

1. Get yourself a ladder. They cost some 150-300 shekels and are a great investment! You'll find a variety of needs for it once you start living in an apartment. The sooner you get one, the better! Otherwise, you'll need to borrow one from your neighbour – if you're lucky enough to find someone willing to help.

2. Get yourself a new strap (see picture above) – cost about 4 shekels! Tell the store owner you need a Retzua for the Tris and tell him if you need it for a door (to the balcony) or just a window. This will change the length of the strap. A window needs a 4 metre strap.

3. Get yourself a tiny screw (See pic above) to be inserted in a very small hole that you'll see which holds the strap inside a wheel that holds the Tris up (see pictures below.)

4. Puncture your strap with the screwdriver. (Pic above.)

5. Insert small screw inside hole (Pic above.) This screw will be inserted in the pulley wheel. See later.

6. Go back to your Tris. Locate the offending menace! You'll see a very sad looking broken strap (Pic above. Notice the tears of this pathetic thing as they cry for desperate help!)

7. Take a look directly above. You'll see a box with the previous strap (right bottom of pic above) still hanging "strongly". The 4 black rubber strips around the box are easily removable by simply pulling them off with your hands. WATCH OUT! Don't let the "very well made" board fall on you as you remove the rubbers. These things are standard in every apartment, and nobody has put much time into making sure everything works safely!

8. Check what's going on inside this unbelievable machine! What a master system (Pic above, in case you're wondering.) You'll see two pulleys designed to work together. As you pull the strap they move about pulling the shutters up or lowering them gently. Or (once the strap breaks) lowering them with a THUD!

9. The pic above shows the tremendous craftsmanship of the Israeli shutter and how they manage to get them to hold so steadfastly!

10. Notice in the pic above at the pulley system and how the straps fit through two tiny thin holes to get through and hang downwards. You'll best use tweezers to pull the straps through these holes!

You'll see the inside of how the Tris actually works. You'll probably find that there are two wheels which allow for the raising and lowering of the Tris. The strap moves onto the one wheel and then the other as it is raised and lowered.

11. The bottom wheel is a spring (that also breaks quite often and must be replaced in its entirety - costing just a "few bob" every time) and it makes sure that everything holds strong (until it breaks of course!)

12. Pay attention to how the straps are currently set up and remember the order for when you replace it. You'll see that they ultimately go from the wheels through tiny slits at the bottom area of the box which then allows for the straps to hang securely until the area (about 1.5 metres) where there are another two loops to thread the straps through and back up again to the top. (See pic below.)

13. The pic above shows the unit designed to loop the straps through on the bottom of the window area. You'll be inserting the strap in the back side, then wind it around the front, and then straight up through those pathetically thin holes we spoke about above.

14. You may need some force (as with many Israeli things) to pull out the old broken strap. Do it!

15. Notice in the pic above how the strap is forced onto the spike to hold it in place. You'll have to pull the old strap off that spike first before replacing it. WARNING! That unit is actually a spring. When you pull the strap off, KEEP YOUR FINGERS AWAY! It will spin around. If your finger is there, it will get a nasty cut!

16. Now, wind that spring wheel up some 10 or 15 rotations so that it's holding strong! Don't let it go! You'll notice the sharp pin standing up. You need to use a screwdriver or the like to make a whole at the top of one end of the strap. That hole will now go over the sharp pin.

17. GENTLY start letting go of the spring. As you do so, it will begin winding the strap around itself. GREAT… it's working!

18. Feed the strap through the tiny slit leading towards the bottom looped ring (1.5 metres down) and loop it under and through as you now pull the string upwards and back to the big box where you've just been busy in.

19. Feed the strap through the slit leading into the box.

20. You'll see that it's now only the bigger wheel (not the spring wheel) that is empty. (See pic above.) Here you'll notice that the original "craftsmen" forced the strap into an open area on the bigger wheel in the hope of holding it. In this case, they did such a good job, that it was practically impossible to remove the strap completely! In fact there is still a piece hanging there to this day. There was no need to force it in there! There is a tiny hole (see pic below) where the screw is screwed in to hold the strap in place. There was no need for such unwanted force!

21. Start rolling up the actual Tris until it's holding right at the very top. Your window will now be open and you will be holding it like this until you finish attaching the remainder of the strap to hold itself.

22. If you've done this correctly, when you've rolled the entire Tris upwards, you should see that on the bigger wheel, there will be a very very small hole in front of you (see pic above where the screw is already in place.) If you now pierce the other side of your strap and stick the screw through it – and then stick this into that hole (with the strap now holding securely) that your Tris will be holding itself up – by the tiny screw!

23. You're good to go.

Your loop should be secure on the bottom, and holding strongly on to the two pulleys above.

You can now replace the main board and stick the rubber strips back into place again. They fit in easily and you're all done!

Incidentally, if you're wondering why they couldn't manage to design an assembly a little easier and more stable to work with – you've asked a great question. One which many others have asked. Don't get yourself down over it though. Most people will simply welcome you to the way things are made in Israel. It will work and keep itself okay – for another 6 months or so. Then be prepared to repeat these actions again.

Oh, if you are fortunate enough to have more than one window in your apartment, do remember, you'll need to do this on *all* your windows – at least once every six months or so. So don't get rid of the ladder, keep a good stock of tiny screws, and have at least one screwdriver available.

Remember this: If you haven't yet been able to find a job in Israel – though you're a qualified brain surgeon with over 20 years experience, you can always fix shutters (and end up making much more money too!)

This article is copyright

and may not be used without written permission from the writer

Interview of Avraham Fried In Israel

2010-07-28T09:57:00.000-07:00

It is always good to hear something positive about Israel and those giving motivation and inspiration to Am Yisrael.

Occupational Therapy in the Israeli School System

2010-07-14T05:07:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I spoke to a certain colleague and it was nice to catch up. During the course of conversation, this occupational therapist (OT) who is now retired from the Special Education System in Israel shared the following regarding finding work in OT withing the governmental special education.

There are certain offices one can go to in order to sign up for finding work. One needs ones degree approved by both Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health. Once it is approved you can put your name on the list to hear of positions coming available.

When asking what the going rate is for salaries, she stated that the salary is dependent on ones years of experience and which of these years of experience are recognized by the Ministry of Education. e.g. if you have worked privately overseas, these years will not be recognized unless you worked for a private clinic not your own and received a salary.

There is a time process for the Ministry of Education to decide where you fit into the salary scale. You have to work for the Ministry of Education in one of the special education schools in order to ascertain what salary scale you fit into. During this process you will not receive any salary even though you are working.

When asked how long the process takes, is it a week, a few weeks? The answer given was, at least 4 months. There is no altering this time span. If you wish to work in the governmental education system you must make arrangement for your financial needs outside of your salary. Once you have worked for a month or two you can apply for an advance on your salary which will probably be a percentage of 25% - 50%, however you must be able to wait to be paid for at least 4 months.

After the 4 months you will be eligible for your salary and certain benefits, however you will only know what you will be paid monthly once the 4 month period is up. That means, if you need to know your salary prior to applying for a job for budgeting purposes, you are unlikely to be given this information until 4 months into your working without a salary. If at the end of the 4 months you find that the salary they offer you does not meet your financial requirements for your family etc, you will either have to find additional work in your spare time or find alternative work.

Keep in mind, if you move out of the governmental education system during the 4 month period and later wish to come back to it, you will need to go through the same 4 months waiting to be paid, it appears this is the case even if they had decided previously where you fit in the salary scale in case factors may have altered your position or elligibility to be paid a certain salary.

First Impressions of Israel

2010-07-12T08:01:00.000-07:00

It is Rosh Chodesh Av and the start of the 9 days. We asked a few women what their first impressions of Israel were.

Here are some responses.

P: The first time I came to Israel - I arrived with bleary eyes – After a long and tiring journey, I was so tired, and barely managed to collect myself, get the luggage, and greet my Uncle. So when he took us through a back road on the way to Jerusalem and stopped at a quaint restaurant for some chicken Shishlik - I couldn't help but marvel at the beauty around me and the warmth and the food tasting so delicious! I felt so at ease and it amazed me! (What gets me more is the fact every time I leave Israel, the tears just flow!)

Shoshanah - it was more of a very tired but relieved feeling that we finally made it to Israel. I'm not the type to get all wound up about this sort of thing. (and rude Israelis don't get me angry like it do some people) Hard to pinpoint when I felt a difference - but perhaps it really sunk in when we arrived to Ein Kerem (home of my Uncle) only to realize he lived in a Cave in the Mountain! (Literally) - it was an old Arab house - and basically it was carved into the mountain - and we had to drive up this cliff to the house - climb a lot of stairs and our room was at the very top! so we settled in - slept and in the morning woke up to a gorgeous view of the Ein Kerem Valley and a couple of mewing kittens! Very eclectic and not something you get in the States! All I remember thinking was - WOW!!!

MM: ! Yesterday was my 8th anniversary of my arrival on E.Y...which led to my getting married and making aliyah (in that order..there were a lot of strikes that summer)...I just felt lifted up by the air. That was the first thing I felt. And I remember the contrast I physically felt between Yirushalaim and Tzfat...I could feel the intensity here (in Jerusalem)..everything was more intense more potent and in Tzfat, the lightness and coolness. And feeling grounded and at at home in Chevron and joy in Tiveria with the water...

C: I cried....I was home....finally....I felt a spiritual relief....

Please send in your first impressions of Israel. The first time you saw or stepped onto the Land of Israel, what did you think, what did you feel? We want to hear your experiences too.

Israel Distributes Gas Masks Nationwide

2010-07-11T10:15:00.000-07:00

We really prefer to post happy articles, however, this information is important for all Olim.

Israel has begun its nationwide program to provide protection kits with gas masks to every citizen in the country, and for the first time ever, the IDF Home Front Command has teamed up with the nation's Postal Service to distribute the equipment.

The campaign is being carried out to ensure that every Israeli will be protected in case of chemical, biological or other attack that could temporarily threaten one's ability to breathe.

Citizens are able to obtain their kits in two ways either by going to one of several distribution stations currently in the process of opening up throughout the country (which usually involves long waits in line) or by calling the Israel Postal Service and asking for the kits to be mailed directly to the home.

Israelis choosing the second option are asked to call the Israel Postal Authority's 171 hotline and coordinate a time for delivery of the kit to the home. The delivery service costs NIS 25 per household.

HOME DELIVERY

Gas masks ordered now by phone will be delivered to your door for NIS 25 for your entire family - (you don't pay for each mask - this price includes as many gas masks as you need for immediate family members).

The fee of NIS 25 is billed by credit card for phone orders.

You must provide Teudat Zehut numbers for family members when making the order over the phone.

If you have an old gas mask kit in your possession you must return it to the messenger in order to get your new gas mask and kit.

Phone now to order kits for your entire family: Tel: 171
NOTE: be patient, there is wait time to get through.

Call 171 and expect a long wait each time. Don't hang up, use the time for other productive work while you're waiting. Have your calendar in front of you, as you must arrange a date and time (when you'll be home) for the delivery. Have the Teudat Zehut numbers ready when you call. You'll also need a credit card number for billing.....

Note: Home Front Command may be reached by dialing 1207 from any telephone in Israel.

May we never need to use these, but we have to be informed.

Since charity saves from life, and helping a Jew with something we ourselves need enables our prayers to be answered first, we ask you to join us in helping a fellow Jew obtain what he needs in order to breathe. His situation is different, but it involves the right and ability to breahe freeling and easily. Please visit Torah Online Website and help to Save the Life of a fellow Jew. In the merit of your kindness, may we be protected that no Jew in Israel need to use the masks mentioned in this article.

Considering Working for Yourself in Israel?

2010-07-06T10:03:00.000-07:00

If you come to Eretz Yisrael and wish to work privately, there is an organization that offers courses in small business development. It also promises 20 hours of mentoring free of charge to Olim Chadashim within the first 10 years of their aliya.

This sounds wonderful and if you have a simple idea it really could be. If you have decided of a basic product that you know how to manufacture, who your target group will be and all the other necessary information, apparently you will gain assistance.

If your work includes anything in English, you have a handicap as their experienced consultants are all Hebrew speakers. You can call the number provided and be given a recording with options of 3 languages. However, if you press the number that should give you English, the only English you receive is the menu of what extension will reach which person within the company. After that you have to be fluent in Hebrew.

If you are working in a medically related field such as occupational therapy, the advise you are likely to be given will be to change the name of your profession and then try to market it. If you believe strongly in your profession, you will need to find assistance elsewhere, as this appears to be their standard piece of advise.

From the 7 or more mentors I have tried, most have been very young with little business experience. Some sound advise given to me other than changing my profession has been:

- know that there are no miracles, just hard work, so get working

- there are no recipes for success. No-one really knows how to succeed, just put in your effort and remember to focus.

- when starting to work in Israel, be prepared to work in anything, especially work you hate. The consultants apparently all worked in jobs they hated and expect you to do so too.

- know that although there are labour laws which include being paid for your work and the time period for receiving payment, no company or facility in Israel will actually abide by this, especially schools or health related facilities. They know that it is too much hassle to take them to small claims court and that most Olim wont try. They also know that there are enough newly qualified people who are prepared to wait to be paid. Therefore if you want to keep your job, dont complain if you dont get paid on time or request that they abide by the law.

Though this is advice I was personally given and it appears to be a lot of what is practised or heard on the street, the profession of Occupational Therapy teaches something quite different. From an Occupational Therapy perspective there is such a role as a worker role, there is such a thing as a work ethic and in addition, part of the profesison teaches that a person can not be healthy in the absense of meaningful occupation. I fail to see how working in something you hate will have any meaning or value and am very against the notion of advocating this to fellow Olim. In addition, there are actually Torah Laws regarding paying ones workers and the notion of not being paid is very worrisome.

One tip I learned after a few years here is one way that those professionals working in facilities manage is to have private work on the side. It helps to tide you over until the facility decides to pay you.

Something I learned from having sadly wasted almost all of my hours just trying to explain my profession is go into a meeting with any consultant well prepared. Know exactly what you want to do and what business advice you want or need. Have clearly outlined goals and dont budge from them. If you have been working for over 10 years, dont get into telling your whole work history as this can easily take up many of your mentoring hours and you dont want to waste them. Rather only tell in a few sentences the very main points that are pertinent to your meeting.

If anyone has had an experience starting to work privately or in a small business, please do send it in. We want to hear from you. The good and the bad. Let your fellow Oleh or Olah know what is happening, what is good and what is wrong. Let us work together to build Eretz Yisrael. The land where every Jew belongs and the land given to the descendents of Avraham, Yitzhak and Yaakov for the purpose of fulfilling Torah and mitzvos, here in the land. This is the work of every Jew. If anyone tells you otherwise, just fold your earlobes down over the hole of your ear and dont listen.

Help For an Oleh and His Family

2010-07-04T04:29:00.000-07:00

The following letter was submitted by a caring member of the Beit El community.

A few months ago a ten year-old-boy from the town of Beit El in Israel was diagnosed with an advanced stage of Leukemia. The boy must undergo both hemotherapy and radiation therapy for an ongoing period of time. He travels every day to and from Hadassah Hospital in Ein Kerem, Jerusalem—about an hour trip each way.

The boy, suffering from the side affects of the treatments, is in pain, has lost all his hair, has no appetite, cries often, is very weak and bloated, and at times needs a wheelchair to get around. He is one of four children, including a twin brother who is suffering along with him emotionally, and in many other ways. His family made aliyah to Israel from Chile about five years ago; the father’s employment wages are minimal and his mother has had to quit her job in order to take care of him.

One of the problems Beit El community members are trying to help solve for this boy and his family is the daily travel situation. The family has no car and must rely on favors from neighbors or charity organizations to take the boy and his mother to and from the hospital every day. The present volunteer-based arrangement is very problematic. It involves many different drivers, a variety of drop-off and pick-up points, sudden changes in schedules or cancellations, the boy being exposed to many germs, waiting outside in the summer sun or winter cold and, unfortunately, a lot of stress for everyone involved.

We, the residents of Beit El, would like to set up a better system that would involve paying for a driver / taxi that would be on hand and available on a regular day to day basis. We are, therefore, turning to different communities both within Israel and outside of the country to help this young boy and his family. It is estimated that travel expenses alone would cost approximately $125 (400 shekels) each way (to the hospital and back) or $2,450 (about 9,500 shekels) a month.

Unfortunately, this is only one of the many areas in which they will be in need of financial support for a prolonged period of time. We are very grateful for any contribution that would help ease their hardships.

If you are able to make a donation or know a caring Jew who can, you can donate directly via this donate button. Please indicate that your donation is to assist this family as we have a number of mitzvah projects on the go. We are awaiting a letter from the family's rabbi and the child's doctor.

Thank you for your kindness and your generosity.

If you require a tax receipt, please email us

Need Employment? Enjoy Photography? Become a Professional Stock Photographer

2010-06-22T07:07:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that our blog is all about helping new Olim in a variety of ways.

Most importantly we want to see every single Oleh with an appropriate and acceptable Parnassah (livelihood.) There is no reason whatsoever for any Jew to leave Israel on account of Parnassah problems. However, many people find it difficult to obtain a proper job or find work. They may forget that everybody is able to make a living by themselves even without a formal 7am-8pm job six and a half days a week. In fact, very often life in Israel demands that one begin to use one's personal skills in different ways to earn a living. Relying on a job situation - that often fails to pay one's salary for months on end can end up costing one a lot more than one might think.

For this reason, we are opening up the channels and offering Olim a unique course giving them the ability to earn a livelihood by themselves. The great thing is that if they enjoy photography - they'll also be able to enjoy making a living - be creative and have fun!

Here's our offer to you. If it measures up to what you may enjoy doing, we would be delighted to help give you the tools to become more involved in using photography as a way to earn a living in Israel - and all around the world:

Do you enjoy nature and people? Do you want to learn how to use your digital camera and use it to make money?!

If you enjoy photography and are looking for the edge in being able to photograph a quality image and be able to actually make some money from it, you'll enjoy our forthcoming course!

Course includes:

An afternoon out in nature where you'll get to learn how to use your digital camera, become aware of composition, exposure, focus and light.
An evening together where we will be critiquing each other's images with a view to understanding what makes a quality stock (and other) image.
A few hours together learning about some basic photo editing techniques. How to make your image sparkle a little more after it's been taken.
A few hours devoted to understanding how the stock photo sites work, which are best for you, how you can submit your images, and actually earn income from them.
A few hours devoted to feedback as we get to understand why your images were accepted – or why they were not.

You can turn your hobby into a profession and limit your income only by the lack of your own initiative.

This is a professional course being offered to serious students only. Ideally suited for beginner and intermediate level photographers.

For further info on costs and dates, please contact Eliyahu of Shear Success Photographers.

Welcoming Olim

How Giving are these Amutot?

Disability Pension in Israel

Bituach Leumi Question from a Reader

Krembo Chocolate Treats - How They are Made!

The Importance of Thanking Hashem

Disabilities, Israel and Olim

Level of the Kinneret

Bituach Leumi Difficulties - Be Careful!

Preparing for Chanukah and Latkes

Erez Yisroel Needs and Welcomes You!

Deeper Teachings on Chanukah

New Income Tax Changes for Working Fathers

The Kindness of Israel

Buy a Gift and Support Israel

Setting up a New Home in Israel

Giving to a New Home

Meet Rabbi Fishel Jacobs: Halachic Authority, Karate Master, Prison Chaplain, Author and More!

The Wonders of the Hebrew Alphabet

Rabbi Greenbaum and Israel for the Nations

Shavuah Tov - Chanukah Is On The Way

Shabbos is Coming

Latest on Rainfall and Level of the Kinneret

Cleaning Your Kettle with Vinegar

Do YOU Write Press Releases?

Working in Israel

Tour Israel

Learning Hebrew 2

Learning Hebrew

Rain, Blessing and Currency

Israel, Rain and the Kineret

Thinking of Israel

Shabbat Shalom from Eretz Yisrael

It's Raining!!

Israel, the Kineret and more

Kineret / Sea of Galilea

Important Medical Information

Magen David Adom and United Hatzola

Update

Animals, Pets and Agriculture in Israel

New Customer Service at Misrad HaBriyut - 2

A thought as we leave Tisha B'Av

Finding the Postive in a Traffic Jam

Guest Post - Appreciating Our Calendar

Invitaiton to Share your Inspiring Story of Eretz Yisrael

NEW: Customer Service at the Ministry of Health

Tip for Professional Olim

URGENT Appeal to help a Chatan, recently orphaned

New Regulations of the Ministry of Communications

The New Regulations - Effective as of 2011

Funny Money in Israel (Counterfeit Coins)

Only in a Religious Neighbourhood in Israel…

Good Shabbos or Shabbat Shalom, How to Wish A Fellow Jew.

Tax, VAT and Customs Offices in Jerusalem

Do You Employ a Foreign Worker?

Beware: They Have the Same Rights as an Israeli!

Guest post by by Tzvi Szajnbrum, Attorney at Law

The Court’s Decision

Finding a Home in Israel

It's Raining in Israel.

4am... And it''s POURING with rain. B''H.

IT'S RAINING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-) lets hope it lasts more than 5 minutes!!! :-)

We got inspired to take a few photos ...

it's raining again!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)

It's.... it's.... it's... pouring rain! Thank You, Thank You!!!!!

IT'S RAINING IN ISRAEL!!!!! BARUCH HASHEM.

Amen!!! It is amazing because of all the praying we all did for rain B"H

Think Good and It Will Be Good - An Appeal for Rain in Israel.

Plastic Wrapping Your Luggage When Flying

Job Opportunity - Creative Graphic Artist with Knowledge of Torah.

Israeli Passport Renewal from Abroad

To Deserve an Israeli Passport:One Must Maintain Continuous Contact with the State of Israel

How to Fix an Israeli Door Handle - A Photographic Guide

How to Change your Tris (Shutters) in Israel - a Practical Photographic Guide

Interview of Avraham Fried In Israel

Occupational Therapy in the Israeli School System

First Impressions of Israel

Israel Distributes Gas Masks Nationwide

Considering Working for Yourself in Israel?

Help For an Oleh and His Family

To Deserve an Israeli Passport:
One Must Maintain Continuous Contact with the State of Israel