Mishloach Manos for Purim 2015

We are very grateful to have received an order out of our previous post. We are still looking for a driver, if anyone knows of one. Alternatively we can deliver to Jerusalem to areas such a Nachlaot, Rehavia, Sharei Chessed. Be in touch if you are interested.

Here are the photo's from the order that came through. 

It is always fun to make up Mishloach Manos. Do you enjoy making them too?

Do you have relatives in Jerusalem area that you would like to send Mishloach Manos to and have it go to assist orphans?

Do be in touch, we'd love to hear from you.

Shoshanah Shear

Preparing For The Week and Mishloach Manos

After a few days of snow, it's back to business. I noticed that a few readers have visited our Welcoming Olim blog in search of Mishloach Manos. Yes, we do prepare Mishloach Manos. You can find some on our blog and also on our website. Our difficulty this year is we do not have drivers to deliver on Purim itself. Since most have required Mishloach Manos to be delivered on Purim, we need to know we will have delivery.

Do you know anyone in or near Yerushalayim who has a car and would be interested in assisting us to deliver Mishloach Manos? If you do, please have them be in touch with us PRONTO. 

If you are able to come to us in person to collect your Mishloach Manos, we are happy to make to order. As you can see from other posts on our blogs and websites, we love to be creative.

Yes, for those asking, our making up of Mishloach Manos is another way we earn funds needed for Chessed Ve'Emet and our various activities including our Bayit Chadash Gemach. 

For those worried about wastage from Mishloach Manos, we make to order and prefer to include items that will be enjoyed. Also, do keep in mind, once Purim is over, if you have any new items you received and do not need or want, please be in touch with Chessed Ve'Emet to donate them to us. Donated items are used either for making up gifts for our orphan Chatanim and Kallot or sold to earn funds needed to manage this important Gemach.

If you are not in Israel and would like to send a gift to a loved one anytime of year, do visit our Bayit Chadash Store. Items are gradually being put online. We have many more in stock. For those unable to get to us, we can link to you via Skype with webcam and help you to browse virtually.

Have a blessed week and enjoy your Purim preparations.

This post is prepared for you by Shoshanah Shear of Chessed Ve'Emet

More Snow in Jerusalem 2015

More snow pics from Jerusalem. A friend in the German Colony built a snow lady.

Precious photo of the cat admiring the snow lady.

Have you had snow in Israel? Send in your photo's and continue the thread of snow pics around Israel this winter 2015.

Building During the Snow in Beitar 2015

It's Erev Shabbos but that does not stop the kids from enjoying the snow in Israel. In Beitar Illit, some kids are making snowmen. For the Shaffier family, they are being a little more creative. They are very busy building an igloo. They aim to have the best igloo in the WestBank. 

Anyone else building an igloo? If so, we'd love to see your pics.

Photographs provided by Aaron Shaffier, Sofer and Tour Guide in Israel.

What are you doing to enjoy the snow? Are you prepared for Shabbat?

We'd love to hear from you. Send in your pics, we'd love to see all areas of Israel that are white from snow.

Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov

Snow in Maalei Adumim 2015

The snow seems to have stopped for now. 

Maalei Adumim has also been blessed with snow. Here is a pic photographed by Liliana Rogers of snow in Maalei Adumim. 

Not as thick as some other areas and then the snow turned to rain. But it's still pretty and provides lots of fun for the kids, both big and small.

What area of Israel are you in? Do you have a fun photograph to share of snow in Israel in 2015?

Do be in touch, we'd love to have a series of posts of snow in different areas of Israel. 

Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov

Shoshanah Shear of Chessed Ve'Emet

 

Snow in Jerusalem 2015

Yesterday we wondered if the snow would really arrive. Last night at about 8 pm or 9 pm the hail began to fall and settled a little. By the morning there was snow, thunder, lightening, the whole works. 

Everything is very pretty in white. This time there is quite a glare and mist. Not easy for taking photographs, but enjoy the few uploaded here.

If you are elsewhere in Israel, please be in touch and send through a few pics of the snow. We'd love to have a series of posts with snow around Israel in the second snow of this winter season.

Stay warm and Shabbat Shalom

Shoshanah Shear of Chessed Ve'Emet

Winter Storm in Israel

A week ago we were told there would be snow. We waited, and waited. Lots of sand blew in but no snow in sight. Then we heard it would happen this week. Gradually temperatures began to drop and predictions of snow kept coming in.

In our area for the past two days we have received phone calls warning us that intercity buses in certain areas are likely to stop running from mid-day Thurday, that's today. The message continued that if you plan to be going away for Shabbat, best to leave Thursday morning or change plans to be home for Shabbat and transport will be difficult due to the storm that is beginning. It is so heartwarming to know that our local bus service cares about our transport needs and our safety and extends this to where we will be for Shabbat.

Rain is falling where we are, while in the North, snow has in deed begun to fall. How amazing. Twice in one season. According to the internet, it usually snows every season on Mount Hermon and only occasionally in Jerusalem and Tzfat. 

I see on FaceBook that snow has begun in North Jerusalem, Hebron and Gush Etzion. We are still awaiting the snow. 

Stay tuned for updates.

If anyone has photographs of snow they are prepared to share, do be in touch. You are welcome to post a guest post of your photographs of snow in Israel.

Stay warm and keep up to date of transport and health facilities in your area.

Shoshanah Shear of Chessed Ve'Emet

Singing Happy Birthday in Hebrew

What do you do when your child has a birthday in Israel? How do you sing Happy Birthday in Hebrew? 

There are a few versions that I have heard. Perhaps you have heard them too. If not, here is a cute, fun video to hear some ideas. We hope you enjoy them.

Whether or not it is your birthday, it is a fun way to improve your hearing of the words and to pick up some vocabulary. 

Before we let you enjoy the short video, here is Happy Birthday for you

 in Hebrew

 יום הולגת שמח  pronounced "Yom Huledet Somayach"

Shavuah Tov - Touching Base

Shavuah Tov!


Shabbat was lovely weather and its now become really cold. While you stay warm, we'd like to hear from YOU!.

What topics would you like us to write or blog about? We have lot's more ideas of our own, but if they are not what you want to read or need to learn about then our ideas could be wasted energy.

So we'd like to hear from you. Can you do us a little favour and post a comment at the bottom of this blogpost. We'd like to hear from you which of the posts are you enjoying and why. What posts would you like to read. Do you prefer longer or shorter posts or a combination? Do you have any other thoughts related to this blog and the posts we have shared thus far?

Thank you for taking the time to read our posts and to comment below.

Shoshanah Shear of Chessed Ve'Emet

Winter Storm

The weather this winter has been quite unusual. A few weeks ago we posted about a snow storm that was expected. We prepared in advance and awaited the snow. And we waited and we waited and we waited.

Yes we had some good hail and yes it progressed to be a little snow. But the snow fell just as we lit our Shabbat candles and melted before Havdala. Sadly, there are no photographs to show for the snow storm that was supposed to be or the little snow that was.

This week we were again warned of a storm that would end in snow, possibly on Thursday, which is today, and definitely on the weekend. 

Instead of the heavy rains, we have had strong sand storms. The light is different, the air is different and many in Israel have been suffering. Sadly, a trip to hospital for some has not even enabled them to receive the necessary treatment as the hospitals are currently full to overflowing.

The temperatures have dropped but there is no sign of snow, at least not where we are. I read on the news that there is snow on Mount Hermon. Will it snow in and around Jerusalem? As an Israeli mentioned to me today, I'll believe it will snow when I see it with my own eyes.

One thing is interesting though, in previous years, the chance of snow has been mentioned once in a winter. Twice is quite something. Definitely there are changes in the weather taking place.

Wherever you are, whatever the weather, stay warm, stay dry and have a blessed day.

Selecting a Business Consultant or Coach

In a previous post, we mentioned to alternatives to working a salaried job and alternatives to earning just minimum wage. The first alternative is to work independently or privately. In order to make this step, many consult with a business coach or business consultant.

How do you know who to turn to?

Here are a three tips we've gained the hard way. 

1) The person you consult with regarding developing your business must be honest, dependable, organized and a good role model. These qualities are those needed by all leaders and will help you to ensure that your business is going in the right direction. 

2) Though many work under the table, the preferred way is to work honestly. If you want to know how to be successful as an Osek Patur or an Osek Morshe, then take the time to make sure that your business consultant or coach is one too. The easiest way to do so is to ask if they provide a tax receipt. If the answer is no or if they only type something on the computer in an email or give any difficulty about providing a proper receipt, then the chances are that either they are not registered legitimately or they are unsure how to be successful and hence withhold receipts. Let's face it, if you have taken the trouble to print the correct receipt books and have opened a file with the Tax offices, then the chances are if someone asks for a receipt you'd be able to provide it with no problem.

3) If you will be needing to use social media to promote your work / business, then take a bit of time to research if the business consultant or coach is on the major social media platforms. We have found quite a few try to offer us advice about LinkedIn, Twitter, website, Facebook and more and yet when we do a search we find they are either not on these forums or are new to them or hardly use them. Using social media is an art. If you are going to pay someone to guide you in developing your business, take the time to find out if they have learned how to be successful too. There is a big difference between someone with a business account on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and an active blog or blogs who has many followers that interact with him or her and someone just starting out.

These are the first three tips that come to mind as being of primary importance when selecting a business coach or business consultant. 

Is this a topic that interests you? Would you like more tips along these lines?

Post a comment or send us an email, we'd love to hear your thoughts

Shoshanah Shear of Chessed Ve'Emet

Transitions and Aliyah

There are many transitions that an Oleh or Olah has to go through in order to integrate into their new life in Israel. These transitions can be difficult, painful and a tremendous learning curve. One of the best ways to ease the Aliyah process is to plan ahead and to anticipate what kind of adjustments might be required.

Being sure of your life goals and personal goals will assist you in gathering appropriate information and in making decisions that will affect this process. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses, skills and talents, interests and areas of concern are important too. 

Some important facts to keep in mind are your health and whether you need easy access to health facilities. Whether you are married or single, with or without children. Whether you are a city person or prefer the country or smaller cities or villages. How you handle the weather is important as Israel has various options even though it is a small country.

If you need assistance to identify your goals or to draw up a list of questions to ask and information to gather so as to ease your transitions and process in making Aliyah, do be in touch. 

We look forward to hearing from you

Shoshanah Shear of Chessed Ve'Emet

Are There Options for Type of Work?

From the start of my Aliyah, I have been intrigued, fascinated and heart-sore to hear the attitudes of so many. When I would mention that I have a profession and wish to work in my profession and to earn a liveable salary, the response for the most part, has been, what do you need with your profession? Just give it up and go and clean houses. Or, give it up and become a cashier in a supermarket. Or, give it up and take some other form of minimum wage job. The lack of encouragement to succeed here in the land where all Jews belong, is partly what inspired us to begin this blog.

In networking to use our skills, over and over we find many clam up as to the trends in a certain service due to fear of competition. The truth is that there are now approximately 5.5 - 6 million Jews in Eretz Yisrael. Is there room for competition? For me, there certainly should be. Just because Jo Shmo books a service with Mr or Mrs Israeli, does not mean that he is the only customer that exists. 

What is the healthy response to such advice? Should one settle for minimum work?

The answer is of course up to you. However, keep in mind that we all have only 24 hours in any given day. If you are observing Shabbat as all Jews should be, then there are only 6 days of the week and probably part of Friday will be devoted to preparing to welcome Shabbat. Some of each day needs to be set aside for eating, sleeping, shopping and other personal life activities. So the 24 hour day naturally becomes shortened to far less than that.

As such, if you are going to earn ₪23 - 30 per hour, you can do the maths yourself to see what your potential will be.

Are there other options? Yes, there are always options.

If you would like to explore this topic further in a one-on-one session, in person or via Skype with webcam, do be in touch to schedule an appointment. If you are not ready or are just fact finding, we invite you to follow more posts on this topic both on this blog and on our other blog Millionaire Reality. Regarding our other blog, we have not posted there for a while, but recently became inspired to add more articles. Do let us know what topics are of interest to you.

We wish you much success in all physical and spiritual matters. May you merit to live in Eretz Yisrael, the land where all Jews belong. The land promised to the descendents of Avraham, Yitzhak and Yisrael.

Establishing Financial Stability in Israel

A topic we hear mentioned a lot, especially regarding living in Israel is that of whether it is possible to obtain or establish financial stability in Israel. Yesterday we had the good fortune to meet with Rabbi Moshe Silberhaft the Traveling Rabbi of Southern Africa. In our discussion, Rabbi Silberhaft mentioned that many are becoming stuck in the country they find themselves due to financial commitments, obligations or reaching an age that they are no longer part of the work force.

What can one do to help to establish financial stability? What can one do to be able to live the dream that is within the heart of every Jew, that of living in the land of Israel?

Usually, when one thinks of earning, working and financial stability, the main trend of thought is obtain a job, work 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. or even work a few jobs, earn a salary and there is your financial stability. The truth is that life is not so simple. Many events happen in life that take one off on another direction or will challenge your belief that working a salaried job is the final and only answer to financial stability. 

If this topic is one that bothers you, we invited you to join us in a series of blog posts where we will touch on our experience, the different varied choices we have made and options we have tried. We aim to include the lessons learned both the good and the problematic with a view to giving you insight that can assist you to be more successful. If finance is the reason you have not yet made Aliyah, here is a challenge for you:

 Though we all have to put in our effort, our income is set for us from Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur by the Director of All. The One who has His eye on Israel throughout the entire year. He can certainly help you to find and to make a suitable income wherever you are, so why not in 

Israel?

This blog post is prepared for you by Shoshanah Shear

Occupational Therapist, Healing Facilitator

Certified Infant Massage Instructor

Certified Kallah Teacher

Artist, Photographer and Author

Stay tuned for the next post on establishing your financial stability and living your dream in the

 Holy Land of Eretz Yisrael.