Latest on Rainfall and Level of the Kinneret

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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. 

Rain, Blessing and Currency

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

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

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

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!!

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

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

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

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 Centre Rambam Medical Centre 

   PO Box 9602 Haifa 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

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.

Update

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.