The kids in the area have been very busy collecting wood and preparing their bonfire. Lag B'Omer is coming right after Shabbos. Great excitement .... However, with all excitement comes the need to exercise a little control. Please make sure you wait for Shabbos to finish completely before lighting your bon fire.
Shabbos comes out in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) at 19h57. For Shabbat times elsewhere in the world, you can take a look at chabad.org
If you have children, please take good care of them. Keep them a safe distance from the fire. Make sure not to throw any plastic or other items in that can blow out of the fire in the direction of anyone passing by. I hope your bonfire is a safe distance from any grass, trees or other foliage.
Enjoy Lag B'Omer, if you can, send us a pic of your bon fire and we can all enjoy together.
Remember, Lag B'Omer is about the great light that Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai revealed, so take a few moments or half hour or more to study some Torah. If you can manage to learn a story of teaching from either the Zohar or Chassidus, so much the better.
We have an amazing competion on the go, and the clock is ticking. Just a few days left.
All you have to do is send in a recommendation of a service provider who offers a quality, affordable service to Anglos in Israel. Any Olim are welcome to send in info, and we will post the recommendations on the blog, bli neder.
For those Olim from South Africa, come and join our ning and you could win money in cash for submitting a good recommendation. Visit the previous blogpost about this, or the ning itself for further details. If you have any questions, you are welcome to send us an email or post a comment to this blog post.
Being an Oleh Chadash or Olah Chadashah, there are often times that finding working is not so easy. As an Occupational Therapist and assisting Olim, I often have Olim ask if I know of any work available in their field. Although there is a trend in Israel to encourage Olim to just clean houses, we are putting together a database of jobs that will help Olim to use their actual skills. In this way we can assist them to have self-esteem, confidence, fulfillment and enjoy their transition to living in Israel, feeling like a mentch by working in their own profession.
If you know of any jobs currently available, whether freelance writing, data capturing, graphic design or any other job that are appropriate for Olim. Some Olim need to have part time work from home while they complete their ulpan, others want more fultime work, all are welcome.
Any information you send in about a job available or coming available must be current from a reliable source with a clear job-description.
Thank you for your part in helping Olim to become successful in Israel.
If you are South African in Israel, please join our Ning and our YahooGroup. On both of these you will find networking options to assist you become successful with finding work, or employers or service providers.
What are the actual practical differences between hiring a taxi and paying according to the number shown on the meter (Moneh) or by agreeing upon a pre-arranged amount?
PAYING A FIXED AMOUNT:
If you negotiate a price for the journey, then if the journey takes 10 minutes or two hours, you'll only be liable for the amount agreed upon, even if the cab driver argues with you and tries to force you into paying more.
PAYING ACCORDING TO THE METER:
If you use the Moneh, and the traffic lights are working slowly (and the driver is not concentrating as he should – taking turns where he shouldn't – not that you would know anything about this,) you may find yourself paying a lot more.
Be well aware, many drivers who can spot that you're new, will take chances turning into roads that are not necessary, simply to waste time. As we will continually mention "time is money!"
You may also notice that the driver will slow down if it looks like the traffic light will turn orange, and when it does, he'll stop, leaving the meter counting onwards as you sit waiting for a green light! But… if you agree upon a price upfront, the driver will find it much easier to get through green lights and for some reason find his way directly to the location without the need for taking surprise turns where not necessary! (He's an outstanding driver after all... what would ever make you suspect that he can't make every green traffic light?!)
REAL COSTS EXPLORED:
Actual costs for the journey work "something" like this. Practically speaking, a trip from Beitar Illit to Yerushalayim can cost anywhere between 70 shekel (realistic!) to 130 shekel (Israeli honesty.) What this means is that the real cost may even be advertised at 70 shekel. However, once the cab is waiting, other issues may creep in, raising the price. Alternatively, if you find yourself waiting at a hospital on Friday afternoon needing to get home urgently before Shabbat, expect taxis to charge 150 shekel for the exact same journey. If you want to take the "Moneh chance" you may save yourself tens of shekels – but be prepared for the warnings brought in the previous paragraphs – and remember in order to qualify as a taxi driver – 5 years of hard driving are necessary before they'll be approved… so they probably know the streets better than most newbies. If so, they probably also have fantastic ideas about what to do with a demanding client who wants the Moneh when they (the taxi drivers) were quite comfortable charging the 150 shekel fee. If you're in Israel long enough – and have the funds to experiment – go for it. You'll be the best person to see how "money talks" and how it changes the relationship you'll have with your driver throughout the trip.
If you choose the Moneh, your journey will begin at a cost of about 10 shekel (currently.) The meter adds in increments only it knows about. Don't try and figure it out – unless you're planning to work in the taxi industry yourself! This mysterious Moneh has a way of adding units (money) to itself every 10 seconds, or every 1 minute. I've personally watched the meter and still not figured out how it works out when to add an additional amount. 30 or 40 Agarot are usually added at each – every-so-often, and amounts can accumulate very very fast! When sitting at a red traffic light and watching the Moneh, you will find out two things in life – "time is money," and "time can be very slow – though some of Man's 'better made machines' work just perfectly!" Those wishing to slow time down (you know, those who always say how fast time flies) should sit inside a taxi cab in Israel and watch how fast the meter may accumulate as time seems to simply stand still!
Stay tuned for our next instalment where we will let you in on some of the extra charges you probably never even thought would exist. It's one thing to manage to hire your taxi. It's quite another to realise that some costs will not be spoken about – until the end of the journey, when one finds oneself being billed for an amount far above the initial metered reading.
Meanwhile, you've at least managed to hire your taxi and get a feeling for what will be better – the Moneh or arranging a fixed cost.
Does anyone know whether the 5 agarot coins can still be used or if there is anything we can do with them? Do they have any value still?
ANSWER:
As the Bank of Israel is like the Federal Reserve Bank, they are responsible for printing and coining the money.
The Bank of Israel will accept them, as they will all coins.
The coins have to be sorted and bagged in lots of 500 (i.e. NIS 25 worth of 5 agorot coins).
You can redeem them at the Bank of Israel but you have to make an appointment.
The telephone number is (02) 655-2847.
Call between 2-4 pm (they're kind of particular). It takes about 10 days to get an appointment (appointment are between 8:30 - 2).
It's s bit of a pain but they're the only place that will take them without any argument or service fees.
For other creative ideas:
1) Women who light candles using those little glass holders (that look like a little shot glass with a stem) put a 5-agarot piece down at the bottom before placing the candle into the glass. It helps to separate the hot candle from the glass, I guess, to prevent the glass from cracking. I used to use this candle-lighting method (now I only use them on Sukkot when lighting outside). The packages in which the glass holders come used to include 5-agarot pieces for this purpose, believe it or not.
2) Wash the coins from a hygiene point of view and you can use them for games with your kids. They are wonderful for playing supermarket or sorting, counting into piles of 5 or 10. You can be creative and find ways to help your kids "work" with the money. In this way you can help to improve fine motor skills, counting and basics for maths, increasing an interest in maths concepts. The value of using coins that are real but not usable with your kids is that they help the children feel they are really using money, and yet if a coin falls somewhere that it gets lost, you need not get upset as it is a coin that would not be usable otherwise. Kids can also learn to put the coins in the Tzeddakah jar, with their right hand.
If you have other coins from other countries that you can not use, you can put them in a jar or dish and have your child sort them into similar types of coins. This helps them to develop a sense of detail, sorting the same size, shape, colour, texture. Also wonderful for helping kids with low vision or blind to improve their ability to differentiate by feel, very important for begining to learn money management skills.
We have some terrific news! We have a competition on the go exclusive to approved members. You'll have to join the Ning to find out more, but you stand the chance to win money, to meet new people, re-unite with old friends, and learn about how your life can be made so much easier as you live in Israel surrounded by good friends!
Your contribution will also be going a long way to making this networking opportunity an absolute success!
This is just the first monetary competition and we hope to be able to bring you even more!
A taxi is known as a "Monit" in Hebrew. The reason it is called this, is because its main focus is on the Moneh – the counter, the meter. What makes a taxi a taxi is not the driver, the car or the company; it's the counter that turns this car into a business machine.
You are perfectly entitled to demand that the driver put this counter on.
We're going to learn a little about the actual hiring of the taxi, the ride itself and the "after effects" and possible additional costs one might come up against at one of these points.
Imagine the following scenario:
You need to go from Yerushalayim to Tel Aviv. You call the taxi and hire by phone (and pay the extra 4 shekel as per our previous post) and he arrives. Keep in mind that his arriving could be on time, early or late!
If he's early, he'll be eager to tell you so by hooting (blowing his horn) uncontrollably (don't worry, this is normal Israeli behaviour and may take some time getting used to). He is also a wizard with his cell-phone and wishing to show you his technological prowess, he will be sure to call you from his own phone. You best be warned about this, because depending on the cab hired, you may find yourself paying extra for his having to have waited for you – though of course he arrived early.
Those wishing to engage in battle with the driver are welcome to – it's old sport for most. But you best not try to get the winning hand – come what may. There are many uncomfortable scenarios that can be listed here for "non-understandable" situations between the cab driver and the client. Of course, he may be one of the "impatient" types, and after trying unsuccessfully to get your attention for too long (though it still be early!) he may drive off leaving you without your cab!
The driver may also arrive late… Don't forget about the Moneh – the meter! The thing is that his arriving late may not be bad if it's 2pm. But when you need a cab at 5pm, and he arrives at 5:15pm – this may result in being caught in even worse rush hour traffic. If you're paying by the meter, you're going to be paying a lot more now for the additional wait!
On these points regarding waiting, do keep in mind that when the meter is activated, the cab driver may do so the moment you come out to say hello. If you now run upstairs to collect something you may have forgotten, your cab will be happy to wait as the counter accumulates "points."
If the meter has not been chosen as a means of monitoring costs, once he arrives, you may be able to negotiate a price with him (if you haven't already done so.)
YOU'VE DONE IT!
The cab's arrived. You know what you're in for! Be prepared for a variety of circumstances that can add to your costs – from the taxi arriving early and charging so, to his waiting downstairs for you as you go up to fetch something! If he arrives late, don't forget, if it's now closer to peak-hour traffic and the meter is running, you'll be accumulating costs at an accelerating rate!
Stay tuned for a further post where we will compare the differences in cost between using the meter (Moneh) and arranging a fixed price before the journey begins. There are a number of other areas concerning costs that we'll be speaking about.
Though there are plenty of Israeli taxi drivers, there are also Arab drivers. Of course there's nothing wrong with getting a ride from a responsible caring driver no matter his nationality. But, if you're looking to play things safer – if you have any hesitations about the driver being Israeli or an Arab and may be worried – just let the driver know you don't need him after all. (There's no need to apologise… you're in Israel!)
The taxi company name should be listed on the cab itself. If you don't see anything in Hebrew letters – be aware! On this note, if you do get into a cab and look above the seat belt of the front seats, there should be a plaque with the cab driver's name. This can often indicate the nationality of the cab driver.
Of course for safety precaution reasons – you will do yourself a great favour by writing down the name of the company and the taxi number as well. We will examine more about this in a future post. Keep a pen and paper ready when hiring a taxi – and make a clear note of the number of the taxi and the company that runs it. If you want to be extra special careful – write down the license plate as well. You never know when you might need this. More on this later though…
Be aware. Though there may be a general feeling of safety in Israel, there is a real war going on!
The following story, as narrated in the book "The Taryag Mitzvos" by Rabbi A.Y. Kahan, brought down in "Shaarei Yitzhak" is a true story concerning a certain unnamed tzaddik. The story took place over 1200 years ago in Eretz Yisrael.
"Seeing the miserable plight of the many Jewish families living in Jerusalem, where poverty stared out from every doorway, the leaders of the Sefardic community finally came to the conclusion that they must do something to come to the aid of their people. They decided to send a representative from amongst themselves who would travel to faraway cities to raise money for the poor Yerushalmi families.
Since such a journey involved many dangers and difficulties, the tzaddik chosen went to Chevron to pray to Hashem that he should have a safe and successful trip. While in Chevron he was fortunate to find a caravan of Arabs who were about to set out on a long trip through the desert of Etzyon Gover, the direction the tzaddik intended to travel. Before joining them, the tzaddik clarified one condition- no travelling on Shabbat. In order to ensure their compliance, the tzaddik paid the leader of the caravan a large amount of money. The caravan leader agreed and they set out on their journey.
When Erev Shabbos came, the tzaddik approached the leader and reminded him of their agreement. The leader replied, "Do you really expect me to halt such a large caravan of camels and their riders for a single Jew who wants to relax and idle away the day? You can't be serious!"
The tzaddik was stunned, they had an agreement, such a reaction he did not expect. Now he was faced with a dilemma. Should he continue to travel with the caravan on Shabbos or remain alone in the dangerous wilderness,in order to not desecrate the Shabbos. Well aware of the sacredness of his mission and the holiness of Shabbos, which when faithfully observed, is equivalent to performing all the other mitzvos of the Torah, the tzaddik felt confident in his heart that Hashem would guard him from danger and decided to remain behind.After removing his pack containing his belongings, he settled himself down and began making preparations for Shabbat.Meanwhile the caravan continued on its way and soon it was no more visible than a distant speck on the vast desert horizon.
Now the tzaddik placed a white cloth on the sand, set down his 2 challos, some salt, a small flask of wine and his becher (Kiddush cup). Then, he put on his Shabbos garments. The orange gold sun had begun to set. The tzaddik was ready to begin davening Kabbolos Shabbos, when he suddenly sensed that he was not alone. He turned around …. And almost fainted from fright, as he found himself face to face with a huge lion. The man stood petrified and said quietly,
"" בידך אפקיד רוחי In Your (Hashem's) hand, I commit my spirit. Only You can rescue my soul"
After a few moments, he realized that the lion had not moved an inch from the place where it stood, as if to say, "I am here to guard and protect you from any harm"
The tzaddik started to daven and the lion did not move. He recited Kiddush, washed his hands for netilas yadayim, said the Hamotzi on the challos and sang beautiful Shabbos zemiros (songs) which echoed in the stillness of the night. And all this time the great lion did not budge, but merely stood gazing at him with a gentle look of a kitten. Thus, he conducted his Shabbos meal, feeling as though he were in Gan Eiden. Eventually he became so relaxed in the presence of his unusual guest that during the Melava Malka, he even offered the friendly lion a taste of the challah and the fish from which he had eaten.
Upon completing the Melva Malka seudah (meal), as the tzaddik finished bentching (brachah after eating a meal that contains bread), something surprising happened. The lion suddenly lowered its head and body as if to invite the tzaddik to mount its back. By now he realized that his was no ordinary lion, so after gathering together his belongings, the tzaddik climbed onto the lions back. In moments, they were off into the night. Swiftly and smoothly the great lion carried the tzaddik, mile after sandy mile, past all the dangers of the desert which lurked along the way. As they rode onward, the tzaddiks lips whispered his thanks to Hashem, and in his heart he joyfully praised Him for the tremendous miracle which He had done for him.
By daybreak, they had caught up with the caravan. As the tzaddik dismounted from the lion, the members of the Arab caravan stared in shock and disbelief at that which their eyes beheld. Could this be possible?! Then the lion strode over to the leader of the caravan and let out an angry, thunderous roar which sent shivers up and down the spines of all present. As the tzaddik walked calmly to his camel, the rest of the passengers stared at him with awe and admiration. It was now clear to them that this was a G-dly man who had merited Divine intervention.
From this true story you can see to what heights a person who sincerely observes the Shabbat can rise, so that even the kind of the wild beasts will come to guard him, as it is written in Bereishis 9:2
ומוראכםוחתכםיהיהעלכלחיתהארץ"'And the fear and dread of You shall be upon every beast of the earth' "
As a new immigrant you should be aware that your rights and obligations as an employee are not always clear to both employer and employee. Therefore, I have written a brief list of subjects you should carefully go through before you quit your job or immediately after being fired from your job.
Early Termination Announcement
This announcement should be done via a written letter, but does not necessarily have to be so. As an employee, I strongly advise you to request a written letter. This will avoid future misunderstandings regarding the effective day you were informed that your job was ending. The employer has a legal obligation to inform you of your termination from between 15 and 30 days before your actual termination. As your employer has an obligation to notify you of your end of employment, you also must notify (by a written letter) your employer of your intention as well.
Severance Payment
The law stipulates that you receive one month of salary for every year you have worked. The court has ruled that it is not necessary to work a full first year in order to be entitled to severance pay. There are cases in which ten months (and few days) is enough to entitle you to severance pay. Please consult a lawyer in case of any doubts.
Even if you work as “self-employed”, i.e., you have your own file at the Israeli IRS, you can be considered an employee as the court has ruled endless times. This is a special right if the “employer” has total control of your schedule, working procedures, etc. It is imperative to consult a lawyer and check, if by definition; you can be considered an “employee” versus “self-employed”.
Checklist for Final Paycheck
If you work in a place where you receive a regular paycheck, as most jobs provide today, you can find all the information you need in the paycheck stub, without the help of an accountant or a lawyer. In this paycheck you will find the vacation days you took and how many more are left, thereby entitling you to payment for the unused vacation days.
“Dmai Avra’a” and Other Rights
This is a monetary payment for your personal leisure (this could be between four and ten days a year). Most employers pay this amount in July and August every year. Be sure you are paid for every year that you are employed.
Pension funds must be immediately released to you. Please note that by the passing of the new law of 2008, the severance payment is included in your pension fund.
The rights you have, even if it is otherwise stipulated in the contract, are: extra hours, night shifts, holiday shifts, etc. Be sure you are paid accordingly and preferably when you are actually employed.
“Dmai Chagim” (Holidays)
If you are paid an hourly wage, and you do not work on holidays, you are still entitled to receive partial payment for the holidays you did not or could not work (up to nine days a year). Most employers do not respect this right, so be aware.
Checking the Contract
When terminating your job, you are advised to reread your contract and make sure you have received every one of your benefits. Every category of employment has its own contract and benefits, although there are basic rights and benefits (stipulated by various labor laws) that cannot be waived or canceled, even by mutual agreement (such as severance payment, etc.).
Miscellaneous
If you believe it is suitable to you, ask for a letter of recommendation.
Make sure you have no employer property in your possession; if you have retained anything, return it as soon as possible, and ask for a receipt (if it is relevant).
Ask for the tax form 106 and 161.
Please note that this is only a very short introduction to the subject. Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.
Whether you're just visiting or have made the big move and are now establishing your life in the Holy Land, there's one thing you're going to be coming in contact with a lot – the Israeli Taxi!
It may seem like a simple matter:
You need to get from A to B as quickly as you can.
You see a car travelling by with the words indicating that it's a taxi.
You get in to the car ready to pay a certain fee.
You arrive at your destination.
You pay for the trip.
All is well that ends well…
Except…
You may need to familiarise yourself with some important facts that may literally save your life. If not your life, you may save hundreds of wasted shekels. And if nothing else, with a few extra tips, you'll find yourself "enjoying" your taxi ride just a little more.
In this post, we will look at the art of flagging down or hiring a taxi. Stay tuned for further posts on what you'll need to be aware of as you travel, and costs involved.
The first thing to know is that if you do need a taxi, there are two ways of getting hold of one.
You can simply flag one down. If you're the conservative type (a well-bred South African for example) you may find yourself a little intimidated, and meekly stick out your hand (even shyly) in the hope that some taxi will imagine you're trying to employ their services. If you try this technique, you probably will not succeed. On the contrary, if you'd rather just look at the taxi as he passes by (without any passengers in it) you may be far more likely to catch his attention then lifting up your finger as you might have done when wanting to ask a teacher a question when you were in the first grade. So, if you're going to succeed, be ready for some action! Boldy stand close to the road with your hands waving about as if you absolutely NEED to get somewhere (and have lots of money to get there!) Be warned though - look left and right – not for the cars (which might not be conscious of you in any case) – but rather for the other hopeful passengers who may wish to take the taxi before you do! If there's no one else around – you're likely to find a taxi coming by soon! If there are others, you may find yourself flagging a taxi… for someone else. If you're looking for a day filled with smiles, avoid these confrontations. All you want to do is flag the taxi down and get in. You simply don't want to have to fight with someone else who felt you'd done all the hard work for them…
You can also hire a taxi by simply making a phone call to one of the well‑known companies and tell them your needs. They will be happy to come and pick you up (especially if you establish a price beforehand which makes things worth their while – but more on this in a later post.) You may be charged an extra 4 odd shekels for this call-up service. For some reason when doing business in Israel and asking for "special favours" you get charged more – even if the service is exactly the same! So if you're looking to save money – go with option 1. If you're looking for service when you need it – go for option 2 and be ready with some extra cash!
Well done. You've managed to get a taxi. But is it all downhill from here? Tune into our next post where we examine some things that you must be aware of. If you're not, you'll end up wasting money – and possibly a lot more!
When moving to a new country, a natural part of getting settled is to find work, preferably in your chosen field. For those wanting to work in the Health related fields, especially, the Para-medical / Allied Health Professions (ie Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy) finding work that pays on time is quite a challenge.
Through my own path in this area, I can share a few experiences, to help to make new Olim aware of what they are up against. When networking to find work within the Kupot Cholim, one doctor warned "try not to work there if you can as the pay is problematic". He would not ellaborate. A nurse explained that when she begain working in a certain Kupat Cholim, she waited a few months to start being paid. She did not have huge savings to rely upon and was forced to borrow from friends and neighbours just to pay basics like food.
One school I worked in delayed verrifying my years of experience purely to be able to pay a lower salary. Requesting that they call Misrad HaChinuch to find out that the years of experience I said I had are legitimate and acknowledged in a file with Misrad haChinuch met with much resistance. A few months of trial and trepidation and they did finally agree to my years of experience but then hit me with having to wait 2 months to be paid. They were not happy that I turned to one of the many organizations that helps Olim for assistance. The organization's response was that legally, every worker should be paid monthly and they wrote a letter in Hebrew on my behalf, requesting my rights of receiving my salary. To this I was shown the door. Evidentally there are newly qualified Israeli therapists who are willing to wait for their salary and will turn to parents, banks, gemachim for assistance while waiting for their salary.
Another facility, when requesting monthly pay, responded, "you will wait like everyone else till the 10th of the next month or the 15th or whenever"
What is the truth about being paid? Hallachah states that we have to pay our workers on time and are not permitted to wait even for the sun to set without paying our workers, especially when the worker depends on their salary for basic living expenses. The rabbis of Rabbi Shmuel Salant and Rabbi Yosef Chaim Zonnenveld's time took this seriously. There are stories of how rabbis would return to a families home 2, 3, 4 even 6 times to make sure they received their salary or Kollel stipend on the very day it was supposed to be paid.
The secular law of Israel states that companies have a window period until the 9th of the following month to pay a salary. Since taking a business course here in Israel, I am told this is can be extended to the 10th of the month. However, from what I understood, it is only a window for those special circumstances in which paying at the end of the month is difficult. Most facilities though, take advantage and will ONLY pay on the 10th of the month or later. The "or later" part is actually against both Torah law and secular law and you have a right to request that your salary be paid on time.
When asking advice from certain rabbis regarding accepting work, those I approached advised not to work for an amuta as they have a reputation of not paying on time.
When asking a lawyers advice, his first responce was to see the contract and have him look it over to verify whether the contract proposed is in agreement with the law of the country. I was also advised to speak to other therapists who work or have worked in the same facility to find out what conditions are like, especially paying on time and according to the amount initially agreed upon. Some lawyers advise only working in a job that provides an acceptable contract up front. Others say, start working, you can always fall back on taking them to small claims court if (or when) they don't pay.
It is obviously advisable for matters to be settled via a Din Torah first, and only if this is not possible to turn to secular courts, however, here too there is conflict of opinion.
If you depend on your salary each month, do enquire when going for an interview as to when they will pay and what the method of payment will be. Make sure too, to get all "promises" in writing. Many employers promise a nicer salary per hour or more numbers of clients or, or, or, until you begin working and will then lower the rate.
Many will avoid letting you know what the salary will be until you begin working. You are entitled to know what your salary will be, this informaiton can assist you to decide whether the job will be suitable to you in terms of your earning what is necessary to pay your basic expenses.
Do your homework, and get everything in writing. The more informed you are, the more effectively you can plan your life and budget correctly.
A young couple, recently married and living in Israel need our help to set up their new home. One of their fathers moved on to his eternal rest many years ago, the other father is retired and unable to assist the young couple.
Please help our Bayit Chadash Project to assist this young couple. They urgently need help for head coverings for the Kallah, a new hat for the Chatan, linnen, towels, certain basic kitchenware, basic tools such as screw drivers, spanners necessary for every Jewish home. Yes tools too are a vital part of any home in Israel. Just before Pesach their trissim needed repairs and the Mr Fixit, expected them to provide the ladder, screw driver and other tools. They did not have the tools and hence their triss went un-repaired for Pesach.
To assist this couple, donations can be sent either via the page on our website for our Wedding Project, or via the donate button below. We also accept new items to give to Chatan and Kallah. Please note, if you have something new that you do not need and is not listed above, you are welcome to donate this too, if this couple do not need it, another one probably will.
You can also assist by purchasing one of the items on the page "Gifts for Sale" listed here (click on the link). The proceeds of these items go to assist our Bayit Chadash Project.
The couples we assist are those where one or more parent has moved onto their eternal rest, the couple are Olim Chadashim without anyone to assist them, the couple are Baale Tshuva without support from their own family.
What country in the world has to listen to others dictating that their most important places can not be featured in advertising of to tourists?
Yet, today we find: ".....The bottom line - Israel can no longer feature Jerusalem's Old City, including the Western Wall, as part of its tourist advertising campaigns in the UK." This is from an article found on Honest Reporting. Click on the link for further details.
Just a few days ago we celebrated Yom HaShoah, the day comemorating the Holocaust. It is a painful memory that when shiploads of Jews who had finally escaped a living nightmare reached the shores of the Holy Land of Israel, the UK sent the ships away from the land where they belong.
Now the UK has the audacity to ban Israel from including the Western Wall in part of advertising campaigns in UK.
The truth is that the connection between Jerusalem, the Land of Israel, the Jewish people and G-d can not be split apart. G-d promised us the Final Redemption, including our Temple on Temple Mount and ALL of Jerusalem and ALL of Israel.
The Jewish Nation has outlived all other nations that attempted to suppress us. Our doing so is a powerful message. We can not live without our G-d or Jerusalem, the city we face daily in our prayers.
Are we independent if we would permit other nations to dictate to us what is or is not Israel? Only G-d can describe for us the boundaries of the Land of Israel and this He has already done.
Pesach has finished. The Afikomen was found, G-d willing. The questions were asked and answered on Sedar night. We completed our 7 days of eating Matzah and abstaining from Chometz (leavened foods). However, the children are not still or bored. They are on to the next exciting activity - collecting wood in large quantities for their bon fire to celebrate Lag b'Omer.
While moms, dads and all others over the age of Bar Mitzvah are dilligently counting the Omer, G-d willing, the younger children look forward to Lag B'Omer which falls on the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer. ל being 30 and ג being 3, making up 33rd of the Omer. This auspicious day marks the anniversary of the day Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai left this world and for his revealing the Zohar. The soul of man is likened to a candle or light and the Zohar is also light. Hence the bon-fires.
As we excitedly look forward to Lag B'Omer, we will be posting a few safety tips. First and foremost, please guide your children as to the most appropriate place for your Lag B'Omer bon fire. Make sure there is no grass that will be too close or overhanging trees or other foliage. We want to enjoy the light, not to cause the fire to get out of hand, G-d forbid.
Oh, and another thought. If you have a wooden chair, table, picture frame, wood for your sukkah or any other piece of wood that you do not want placed in the community bon-fire, do keep it in doors until Lag B'Omer is over. Otherwise, you might just find that piece of wood you fancied, in whatever form it might be now ............. well, going up in flames to add more fuel to the fire and greater light for this special day.
