Gathering Information Regarding Available Jobs

Through our work with assisting Olim Chadashim become established in Israel, we are developing a resource list of current jobs available.

Current jobs needed by Olim are:

•  nutritionist
•  typing / editor
•  freelance writing (for pay)
•  tele-marketting to English Speaking clients / companies.

If you know of any information for current jobs available in any of these fields, please email Shoshanah with informatiion.

If you know of other jobs appropriate for Olim, these would be greatly appreciated too.

Thank you for your assistance.

Shoshanah Shear

Experienced and Registered Occupational Therapist

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For Olim Chadashim wanting assistance  in becoming gainfully employed or successful in their role as paid worker, a comprehensive service is offered by Shoshanah Shear. To set up an appointment for the initial interview please email Shoshanah. Interviews are carried out in person, via email correspondence or Skype.

Please note this is a professional service.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Shoshanah

A Biography of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook - Video

This beautiful video sharing parts of the biography of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook - first Chief Rabbi of Israel and father of religious Zionism sheds much light to us, helping us appreciate some of his values. Enjoy!

Air Pollution in Israel Today

Sitting in our apartment in Beitar Illit today, we have been "attacked" by the terrible air pollution that has blown through via central and Southern Jerusalem today. The sudden change in high temperatures, the mild rain and haze have caused tremendous air pollution today.

Pregnant women and people suffering from heart and lung problems should do their best to stay far from this type of weather which comes through every now and again. In addition, these people in particular should know that it is not a time to be involved in any heavy or stressful exercise of any kind.

The pollution has caused sand and dust to fly through the air. The air becomes thick and one can literally get to feel the particles of dust, as well as see them settle on books lying on tables. It is a great idea to keep windows closed.

It seems that the temperature will settle down later in the evening and be warmer (though not excessively so) over Shabbat. But don't hold out... Sunday may bring some further hot weather. 

Purity with Dignity - Sad News and Appeals

Over the last 2 days some distressing news has come our way regarding women's Mikvaot in Jerusalem and surrounding area.

The first was the notification that one of the Mikvaot in Jerusalem has installed a slot machine with metal turnstyle at the entrance. Women have to pay in the machine in order for the turn style to let them in. This is similar to what is used in the mens Mikvaot and also the public toilets. However, the result is that if a woman does not have the means to pay her entrance fee, she can no longer quitely explain her situation to the Mikvah Lady and receive permission to go in and pay later, she now has to embarrass herself by calling through the metal bars that she cant pay. Torah forbids us to to anything that will cause embarrassment to our fellow Jew.

We are appealing to you to make a contribution to our Mikvah Project - Purity with Dignity to assist any women so that they will not come to be embarrassed G-d forbid when going to fulfill and improtant Mitzvah.

The second piece of distressing news was a break in to a women's Mikvah. The thiefs stole all that was in the kupah. The Balanit of the Mikvah requested that the outstanding debts to the Mikvah can be covered as they now have additional expenses.

Please give generously. Our fellow Jewish women here in Israel need your help so that they can continue to fulfill the mitzvah of Family Purity with Dignity.

Making a Wedding in Yerushalayim? Part 2

The author of Dvar B'Ito, Rabbi Mordechai Genuth writes in today's diary "Happy is the one who does away with the speaker at the wedding, so everyone can speak to his fellow man, to wish him well" He describes a technique to be instituted at weddings in Israel that will enhance Ahavas Yisrael, respect for ones fellow Jew, improved communication and interaction. His recipe for success in these areas lies in lowering the volume of music played at weddings, turning off the speakers so that one just hears the musical instruments. In this way there will be a soft, musical background that permits those attending the wedding to communicate without having to shout. It allows those coming to increase joy for the Chatan and Kallah to enjoy themselves without having their ear drums affected or even deafened by music that ceases to be music due to the high volume from the speakers.

This advice is in keeping with the ban of bands at weddings in Jerusalem, reinforcing care for ones fellow Jew and how this care, love and respect fosters good relationships and blessing. 

As the Rabbi Genuth points out, in todays time everyone is searching for all kinds of segulos to prevent distress and harm. Instead of searching for all these Segulos, why not become a segula to G-d by not distressing everyone with blaring music that destroys hearing, try using this to increase sensitivity to your fellow Jew and certainly after 11.30 pm

Lastly he recommends to anyone who goes to Yerushalayim to go to a wedding, that they should take advantage of the opportunity to visit the Western Wall and in this way you increase the Mitzvah of attending a Simchah in Yerushalayim by also remembering the Kotel and obviously the as yet, unbuild Temple for which we mourn daily. 

Dvar B'Ito can be obtained through our website or by contacting Rabbi Eliyahu Shear

Shmuel HaNavi and Yom Yerushalayim

                            The Kever of Shmuel HaNavi as seen in todays time when going inside.

Today 12 May 2010, 28  many in Eretz Yisrael and the Diaspora are celebrating Yom Yerushalayim. It's an interesting idea. If we look at Tehillim, songs of Praises to G-d written by David haMelech, we read a verse "if I forget thee oh Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgotten" (137:5)

Quite a strong statement and in truth, if we ponder this verse of Tehillim we should be reminded that in fact we think of Yerushalayim every day, 3 times a day at least. Every Chatan remembers Yerushalayim under the Chuppah as he breaks the glass and any Jew who owns a home is supposed to leave a square block unpainted, as a reminder that Yerushalayim is not yet re-built. So why one day for our Holy City? It is rather like the modern day trend of 1 day for Mothers Day and 1 day for Fathers Day when Torah teaches we have a mitzvah of honouring our father and mother 24 hours of the day, even if they have left this world.

There is a tremendous connection between King David and Yerushalayim, as we see if visiting Yerushalayim and David's City / Tower of David. But let us deal with that in another post. Today has another significance, for the Hebrew date is the Yartzheit of Shmuel HaNavi, the prophet who anointed David as king. The prophet who anointed Shaul as king too.

It was not an easy task for Shmuel HaNavi as it marked a major turning point for the Jewish people. We are reminded that when we received the Torah at Sinai, G-d spoke to us directly. But we, the body of Am Yisrael found this experience too much for us and requested that Moshe Rabeinu receive the Torah on our behalf and then teach it to us. Moshe was the greatest prophet that ever lived or ever will live and after him came a series of prophets. These were our leaders, the specific tzaddikim who received word from G-d directly in various ways and translated these words to the Jewish people. Our ONLY King was, and should always be, G-d Himself.

But the Jewish people made a mistake in looking at the other nations and noticing that they each had kings and royalty. The Jewish people requested a king and it was the task of Shmuel haNavi to bring this news to G-d and receive the instruction to anoint Shaul as the first king of the Jewish nation as a result.

There is a fortune we can learn about, and from Shmuel HaNavi. We are reminded of the miraculous way his life began, through the direct answer to his mother's prayer and the blessing of the Cohen Gadol of the time, Eli the Cohen. Chanah, the mother of Shmuel, nursed and cared for her son until he was old enough to be weaned. When he was weaned she brought him to Eli the Cohen who was serving in the Mishkan in Shilo to raise her son, So it was that Shmuel, as Chanah had made a pact with G-d, would lead a life dedicated to the service of G-d.

When we look at the Tanach, we notice that the life of Shmuel ends towards the end of King Shaul's life and yet the book of Shmuel continues through the life of King David. Why is this? I often wondered and have not come up with an answer, but one possible thought comes to mind.

Shmuel HaNavi as we said, was the one to anoint the first and second kings of the Jewish people. It is through King David that the ultimate king of the Jewish people will come in the form of Melech HaMoshiach, our Righteous Redeemer.

So it is that on the day most are celebrating as Yom Yerushalyim, a secular festival for a holy city, perhaps we need to remember that the Jewish people are a nation whose real King is G-d. We are not supposed to look to the other nations for what they do or how they live or even how they want us to live. We are not supposed to be looking to prime ministers of Israel or of other countries but rather to the real King. To G-d. At the end of the Chumash, Moshe our Teacher leaves us with a powerful thought. If we follow the word of G-d, we will live a long life in the Land He promised us with prosperity and blessing and much, much more. We are warned not to follow the other nations or to look to any other gods.

In a sense, the last words King Shaul heard from Shmuel HaNavi was a reminder of this. When King Shaul searched out a necromancer to raise up Shmuel after he had left this world, Shmuel HaNavi was angry. He was angry to be distrubed and left Shaul with a message, which is applicable to us too. Shmuel HaNavi reminded King Shaul not to reply on or look to the prophets but rather to G-d Himself. Listen to what G-d wants of us and then we will not come to harm. But if we go against the will of G-d, we run the risk of angering Him, as is seen with King Shaul.

In the merit and memory of Shmuel HaNavi and the start of the time of the kings within Am Yisrael, if we are to have a king in human form,  let us turn our focus to the king we yearn for, our Righteous Redeemer.

May it be G-d's Will that this year we merit to truly re-build Yerushalayim, in totality, with all of Am Yisrael where we belong and our Holy Temple in its rightful place.

Yom Yerushalayim 5770

When Israel liberated the Temple Mount on June 7th, 1967, the prophetic clock began ticking anew. The place where King David and his son Solomon first built the Holy Temple is back in the hands of their descendants. Come what may, the Holy Temple will be rebuilt!

Thank you to the Temple Institute for this powerful video.

Making a Wedding in Yerushalayim? Part 1

In the year 5625 / 6 a ban was put in place by the great rabbis of the settlement of the Old City against music with instruments at weddings in Jerusalem. At the time, there was an epidemic that claimed the lives of too many Yidden living in the Yeshuv of Yerushalayim. Through days of preparations and certain Holy prayers and procedures, one of the tzaddikim of the time ascertained that the reason for the epidemic was due to our not having our Temple. The ban was supported by rabbis of Chul (Chutz le Aretz / the diaspora) and upheld by later rabbis such as The Brisker Rav and Rav Yosef Chaim Zonenveld. The ban was put in place until Moshiach. What happened to that ban?

Since we are involved in photography of Smachot and have often found a full band at a wedding in Yerushalayim we asked a current Posek living in Yerushalayim about the ban here is his answer:

"Contemporary poskim hold that it does not only refer to the Old City, rather to greater Jerusalem. As per the article above, it has not changed. Most Ashkenazim only use a drum and singers. Those that only use an organ (keyboard) are following the ban according to their understanding, although Rav Shlomo Zalman and Rav Eliashiv prohibit it and only permit drums."

At every Jewish wedding around the world, the Chatan will break a glass to remember the Temple, even on our happiest day.

We have to remember that as things stand right now, we are in exile and our beloved Kotel is as though it is behind bars. We only have a percentage of our Land in Jewish hands. We are dictated to by all and sundry instead of by the Torah. The direction we daven every day is Yerushalayim and when within Eretz Yisrael we face the direction of the Kotel.

Even on the happiest day of our lives, we have to remember Hashem and His Dwelling Place. We have to remember the Temple and hence in Jerusalem, the whole of Jerusalem we are forbidden to have a full band, but rather just drum and singers.

May we be zocher to dance at the Real Wedding, the one of Hashem and Am Yisrael with the coming of our Righteous Redeemer. At this wedding, I am sure the Leviim will be back in business and we are taught that their music was "out of this world". It would put one in another dimension, ready to serve our Creator the way we are supposed to.

Hachnasat Kallah - Helping Brides In Need

Last week we interviewed a young couple for our Bayit Chadash Project  

We have a questionnaire / interview that we follow and the project does have Letters of Approbation.

This particular couple came to us a few weeks after their wedding. Thank G-d they have both married young and are now beginning their Shanah Rishona together. Yet, instead of the radiance and happiness one would expect on newly weds faces, we noticed the lines and expressions of stress. Why?

In order to keep up with societies dictates, they ran up bills amounting to close to NIS 40 000.

We were able to give a gift of something to off set this debt and certain items towards the new house, thanks to donations (both monetary and items) sent in to our project. However, we became aware of a deeper need.

This couple both came from families unable to provide a wedding. Understandably, they wanted their day to be special, and hence ran up bills, bills and more bills.

Over a series of posts, we will, bli neder (without a vow) be offering advise to Olim that is necessary for making a wedding in Yerushalayim. Information related to Kashrut, music and more. We will also offer tips on how to keep your wedding special and reduce on costs.

Anyone wishing to make a donation towards our Bayit Chadash - Wedding Project, please make a donation here, or via the website (follow the link on the words Bayit Chadash)

If you have a service and are able to either provide gift vouchers with a reduction to needy Kallot or other reductions or gifts, please be in touch too. 

Thank you for your kindness. As Rabbi Fishel Jacobs wrote at the bottom of his letter of approbation, "There is great merit to sponsor Bayit Chadash (New Home). The merit of such contributions is unfathobable. I vigorously urge the public to support this effort.

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