Bizness Magazine Purim 2014

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TS R E P L NO W

CAL N EX A C YOU

M A G A Z I N E HELPING YOU ACHIEVE THE MIRACLE OF SUCCESS PURIM 2014

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Bet Shemesh - Jerusalem Circulation: 18,000 copies

Helen Abelesz Egert-Cohen Eliyahu Gherman Edo Lavi Tzvi Lefkowitz

Nicole Levin Ariel Levy Yossi Lipsh Reuven Rosenberg Moshe Wilshinsky

Matti Munk from Mercantile Discount bank

A full department to service the Anglo Olim

Interview with

Oded Shachor

from Einit optical

Sunkissed

How many dust mites do you share your bed with?

Dr. Bo’s Diet

Can personality lead to weight loss?

Bowling

We don’t roll on Shabbos

Avigail Gimpel Raising Healthy, Happy & Successful Children with ADHD

Egert Cohen

Our client found his stolen car, but who owns it now?

Matis Sklar Owing the IRS 10’s of thousands without even knowing it!

CIRCULATION NOW 18,000COPIES!!!

Bizness Magazine is now online WWW.BIZNESSMAG.COM

Interview with

Meir Amber CEO of

Har Nof Rehavia Shaarei Chesed German Colony New! Ramat Eshkol

Arzei Habira Maalot Dafna Minhat Yitzchak Ganei Geula New! Nachlaot New!

Bayit Vegan New! Baka New! Ramat Bet Shemesh Sheinfeld Nofei Aviv

WISHING YOU A

HAPPY & FRESH

PURIM!

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contents

M A G A Z I N E HELPING YOU ACHIEVE THE MIRACLE OF SUCCESS

PURIM 2014

MAIN FEATURE

Business Development Yisroel Meir Simon

34 Website Building, Interview with Meir Amber, CEO of Group 7

Contributing Editors Roberta Bienenfeld Chief Designer Adam Ram Contributing Writers Helen Abelesz Shimon Cohen, Eliyahu Gherman, Miriam Goldshtein, Nachum Kligman, Edo Lavi, Nicole Levin, Yossi Lipsh, Matti Munk, Reuven Rosenberg, Bo Rosenblat, Matis Sklar, Eva Topf, Moshe Wilshinsky

FEATURES 20 Raising Healthy, Happy & Successful Children with ADHD 22 I don’t roll on Shabbos, Interview with Shmuel Kedar 24 Dr. Bo’s Diet 26 Your comprehensive Guide to ADHD: Part 3 28 The Non-tax Trap 30 Why Use a Realtor When Selling Your Home 32 Interview with Michael Zikaras 36 The Importance of Small Businesses 38 The Tenth Commandment: Never Stop Learning 40 Interview with Shmuel Horowitz from “Hasherut Habatauch” 44 Yeshivat Hakidma HaTechnologit Showcase 46 Interview with Oded Shachor from Einit 47 Metal Fixtures for the Kitchen

Advertising Liba Adler, Bayla Gamliel, Chaya Hyams, Helena Topf Graphic Artists Aliza Sokol, Yael Ita Photography Yael Ita How to reach Bizness Magazine Advertising

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14 DEPARTMENTS 08 Purchasing Groups: Pros and Cons 10 Insurance Tip 11 AutoKING 14 Returning to the Workforce 16 How to get a mortgage “Fit” for you 18 Orthodontics

40 In every issue

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• PURIM 2014

Editor in Chief Ariel Topf

06 Letter from the Editor 48 10 Experts you can call

Bizness Magazine

Send your ads to Letter to the Editor Share your Views Ask our Experts Ask our Readers Kidz Biz Stories Something great to say Request for Interview Announce Job Openings General Inquiries ADVERTISING

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Bizness Magazine is published by Bizness Magazine Ltd. Bizness Magazine considers its sources reliable. However, reporting inaccuracies can occur, consequently readers using this information do so at their own risk. Each business opportunity and/or investment inherently contains certain risks.

It is suggested that prospective business people, potential patients and clients, and all readers consult their doctors, attorneys and/or financial advisors before applying any of the information that is publish in this magazine. Bizness Magazine makes content available with the understanding that the publisher is not rendering legal services or financial advice, business advice, medical advice or any other type of advice. Editorial content, articles and interviews may be paid advertising. Bizness Magazine does not endorse or recommend any products or professionals. Although persons and companies mentioned herein are believed to be reputable, neither Bizness Magazine or its publisher, parent company, nor any of its employees, sales executives or contributors accept any responsibility whatsoever for their activities. We assume no responsibility for unsolicited material.

Manuscripts, artwork and photographs must be accompanied by stamped, self-addressed envelopes. We reserve the right to publish in whole or in part all letters received by us. All letters, sent to Bizness Magazine will be considered the property of the Magazine. All remarks, suggestions, ideas, creative concepts, graphics, or other information communicated through this magazine or otherwise sent to its publisher (together the ‘Submission’) will forever be the exclusive property of Bizness Magazine., who will not be required to treat the Submission as confidential, and will not be liable for any use or disclosure of the Submission, and need not provide any compensation or acknowledgement for the Submission. Under no circumstances shall Bizness Magazine, or its affiliates, subsidiaries, or related companies and web sites, be liable for any damages whatsoever (including, but not limited to direct, incidental, consequential, indirect or punitive damages), harm, or injury that relate to, arise out of, or result from the use of, or access to, or the inability to use, any of the materials of this magazine, or are caused by any failure of performance, error, omission, interruption, defect or delay in printing. Bizness Magazine is printed in Israel and all rights are reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.

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Letter from the Editor Dear Readers, Can people become wealthy without the hassles of owning a business or without having significant money to invest? I recently read the story of a couple who owned a small business. They did not live in luxury but were able to pay their bills and put food on the table. They knew that they were never going to strike it rich with their modest business, so they decided to invest in their familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future. They were not savvy investors but they were familiar with Hershey Foods as they sold some of their products in their small restaurant.

They found that Hershey Foods had a direct stock purchase plan which allowed them to buy shares directly from the company thereby saving them the brokerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fees. They set aside $10 a week with instructions to reinvest all dividends.

Life went on. Many years later, the couple retired and ultimately passed away. Their two children inherited the restaurant and they were also able to make a modest living from it. For decades they continued paying the $10 a week for the family plan their parents had set up.

Now, middle aged with their own kids, they decided to sell the restaurant. After paying all debts and obligations, they were able to keep $25,000 each. In the process of closing the business, they visited their accounting firm and received the incredible surprise that the $10 a week investment account now owned 226,040 shares of Hershey Food stock valued at $47.20 per share, for a total value of $10,669,088. The annual dividends equaled $24,110 per month.

The moral of the story is that given enough time, small amounts can become great fortunes. Most of us have the ability to save some money. A good way to do it is by putting aside each week monies that you were able to save through buying day-to-day items when they are on sale. Buying two challot at four shekels instead of eight allows you to invest eight shekels in your family savings plan. Finding coupons and sale specials on pizza, bowling, home repairs, car maintenance and other day-to-day staples and putting that money into your family saving plan can make you the person that similar stories will be written about.

Wishing you happy savings on this Purim!

Ariel Topf ariel@biznessmag.com Ariel has built several companies in three continents in the fields of internet, retail, wholesale, franchising, direct sales, high-tech, employment, food manufacturing, food supplements, clothing manufacturing, pet nutrition, personal development, restaurant, advertising and publishing. In this process, Ariel has headhunted, hired, trained, managed and/or mentored over 20,000 individuals.

Ariel heads BiznessPro, a business consulting firm dedicated to help entrepreneurs who are serious about success (www.biznesspro.com).

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Real Estate Legal

Purchasing Groups:

Pros and Cons

By Nicole Levin

I

n the past few years we have been witness to a new trend in Israeli real estate projects — purchasing groups. It is estimated that about a third of the apartments currently being constructed in central Israel are being constructed by purchasing groups. The current economic crisis has brought in its wake stricter bank controls over construction companies with respect to the financing of projects. This, in turn, has caused many a construction company to delay or even abandon planned projects. In addition, the much publicized demise of the Israeli construction company, “Hefziba,” has deterred many purchasers from purchasing apartments from construction companies while still at the construction stage.

All of this has led to a search for new ways to purchase apartments that are under construction without directly purchasing them from a construction company. This is where purchasing groups enter center stage. Until the issues of financial backing and general insecurity with construction companies are resolved, experts predict that purchasing groups will become increasingly popular.

What is a purchasing group? How is it different from purchasing an apartment from a construction company at the pre-construction or construction stages? Do purchasing groups really save purchasers money? What are the dangers, if any, of purchasing groups?

What is a purchasing group?

A purchasing group is an organized group formed to purchase land for the purposes of constructing one or more buildings for residential or commercial purposes. At the conclusion of the construction, units are allotted to the purchasers.

The group’s organizers locate the land, find the potential purchasers, organize the group and choose the professionals who are to construct the project and manage the project’s construction. The legal work which includes the purchase of the land, contracts with group members or purchasers, contracts with various professionals involved in the construction, dealings with the bank financing the project, collection of money from the purchasers, disbursement of funds to the various suppliers and professionals and the registration of title, are all performed by a lawyer who acts as a trustee (Hebrew: ne’eman) for the group.

How does a purchasing group work?

The purchasing group is usually initially organized by a small group of people who find the land and recruit a group of purchasers.

This group customarily gets a fee in the form of a certain percentage of the money paid by the purchasers. A lawyer is retained who acts as a trustee for the group and performs all necessary legal work (as described above).

As a prerequisite for joining the project, purchasers must open a line of credit with the bank that is financing the project. Should the purchasers default on any payment, the group’s lawyer may withdraw the required amount of money from these lines of credit.

As the construction proceeds and money needs to be allocated, the lawyer sends notices to purchasers with a request for payment.

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Payments are paid in accordance with the progress of the construction. The amount each individual purchaser pays is in proportion to his part in the project (i.e. the size of his apartment). These expenses include all the costs related to the project -- purchase of the land, costs of building permits, planning, supplies, materials and labor.

Bank guarantees are usually not given (although, in some projects, a bank guarantee is offered). When buying within the framework of the purchasing group, purchasers do not necessarily need these protections because the land already belongs to them and they are paying for each construction stage as it takes place and not in advance.

Purchasing groups usually allow for greater flexibility of internal design of apartments than purchases from construction companies.

Purchasers are given a hollow shell of an apartment and they can plan the internal structure and layout without additional expense. There is usually a basic standard of finish that is offered to the purchasers with regards to most of the products involved in the apartment (such as kitchen cabinets, ceramics, doors, bathroom fittings, etc.) but purchasers can upgrade at their own expense.

When purchasing within the framework of a purchasing group, purchasers are not protected by the laws concerning warranties and responsibility for quality of construction. It is therefore important to make sure that the proper warranties are given by the various professionals involved in the construction of the project. Monies can be set aside to provide a form of warranty by another construction company not involved in the project. This company will then provide any repairs needed after the completion of the project.

Purchasing from construction companies In contrast, when purchasing an apartment directly from a construction company, the company is responsible for all aspects of construction work and the registration of title. Purchasers do not pay in accordance with the building stages. There is a payment schedule and the final price is linked to an index. This is set out in the contract. Most construction companies link their prices to the building index (Hebrew: madad habeniya) which usually rises sharply during the summer months. In order to avoid this price increase, purchasers usually try to pay as much as they can afford before the summer months.

By law, purchasers must be given either a bank guarantee or an insurance policy for all monies paid in. This protects their investment in the event that the construction company goes bankrupt before the project is completed.

When purchasing an apartment from a construction company, purchasers are given plans to an apartment where the internal structure is already in place. Should a purchaser wish to implement changes, he will often have to pay for these changes, though this may depend on the construction stage. Purchasers are given standard specifications which they can then upgrade at their own expense.

When purchasing an apartment from a construction company, purchasers are protected by the laws concerning warranties and responsibility for quality of construction. When purchasing directly from a construction company, the company has to cover unexpected additional costs. The price written in the contract is final and cannot be changed.

Do purchasing groups save money?

The main selling point for purchasing groups is that this form of construction project saves money for the purchasers. Value Added Tax (V.A.T.), which is currently 18% of the price of the land, is not paid if the land is purchased from private individuals. But, if the seller is not a private individual, the V.A.T. will be incorporated into

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the price of the land and then no money is saved.

While many claims are made about saving other costs that a construction company would have incurred, in many cases these costs are in fact not avoided. Examples of costs which purchasers incur, directly or indirectly, when purchasing from a construction company include: â&#x20AC;˘ Bank guarantees and financial backing.

BUT, as seen above, purchasers usually need to open a line of credit which costs money.

And, in many purchasing group projects, bank guarantees are offered. â&#x20AC;˘ Advertising and marketing the project.

BUT, when forming the group, it is also necessary to advertise and this cost is passed on in some form to the purchasers. â&#x20AC;˘ Purchase tax is much lower as you pay purchase tax only on the land and not on the whole apartment.

BUT, purchase tax levels have dropped steeply in the past year so the savings here are not significant. â&#x20AC;˘ The construction companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s profits.

BUT, as mentioned above, a percentage is often paid to the organizers of the group and again this cost will be passed on to the

purchasers.

What are the pitfalls?

As with anything that proves profitable, many people who are inexperienced and not well-versed in the management of a project of this type have gotten into the game. Before joining a group, check to see the track record of the organizers and try to talk to purchasers of their previous projects to see if things went smoothly and professionally and if they really saved money.

How do the organizers keep the different purchasers in line? What happens if the group fails to reach a consensus as to how things should be done?

Remember, if there is dissent in the group, it can cause the construction to ground to a halt. How is dissent in the group handled?

What happens if purchasers try to withhold money in order to influence the decisions being made?

The answer is simple â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the lawyer can simply withdraw money from the purchasersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lines of credit.

Most organizers will ensure that they have a majority within the group who support them. In this case, an individual purchaser who complains is generally answered with, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The majority does not agree with you.â&#x20AC;?

Find out who the other purchasers are and

their reasons for purchasing the apartment.

Make sure you are aware of the underlying group dynamics in order to ensure that your opinions will be heard.

What happens if one of the professionals working on the project gets into financial difficulty and cannot fulfill his obligations?

Again, the answer is simple. The purchasers will have to add in money to finish the construction. In cases like this, the great savings that purchasing groups promise may become insignificant.

In conclusion Despite all of the above, purchasing groups are fast becoming a force to be reckoned with as more and more projects of this type are appearing on the market. Many projects have been completed successfully and their purchasers are happy with the results. However, when joining a purchasing group, one should do so with his or her eyes wide open, giving serious thought to the old adage â&#x20AC;&#x153;Caveat Emptor â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Let the Buyer Beware.â&#x20AC;? ď&#x20AC;ź About the Author Nicole Levin is an American-born, Israeli- trained real-estate attorney and can be contacted at: nicole@levinlawoffices.co.il Tel: 02 991 5687. She has law offices in Bet Shemesh, Jerusalem and in Modiin.

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9

Insurance

Insurance I

Tip

n the spirit of Adar and “ve’nahafoch-hu,” we present two of our true insurance claims that somehow turned out differently than we or the clients expected.

By Shimon Cohen Offer of the Month:

One of the insurance companies is offering an amazing reduction on term insurance for one month only. Call us for details.

Egert and Cohen: We’re here when you need us!

Contact Shimon Cohen at: 050-548-2192 www.egertcohen.co.il

Case 1: The Missing Tefillin

Our client insured an expensive pair of Tefillin (+/- $4,000) for All Risks cover (i.e. both inside and outside the house). He called us frantically one day to report that the Tefillin were missing from his yeshiva. A week of posted notices, calls to the yeshiva administration, etc., did not bear fruit. Reluctantly, our client reported the case to the police and we filed a claim. The claim check was issued and our client bought a new pair of Tefillin. (This time, however, he kept them at home.)

One day, during the silent amida, our client’s concentration was suddenly broken by a hand coming from behind him and placing – you guessed it! -- his old Tefillin on his shtender!! By the time he turned around, only davening yeshiva men faced him. Obviously, though, these Tefillin no longer belonged to him. He hurried to our office to return them. I, in turn, took them to the insurance company and told them the whole strange story.

Results: 1. A huge kiddush Hashem.

2. The manager promptly asked me to offer the “old” Tefillin back to our client at a greatly reduced rate. Our client, when I called him, had just celebrated his first son’s brit milah, and was more than happy to buy the Bar Mitzvah Tefillin a few years early! 

Case 2: The Car Chase: The claim began in a brutal fashion. Our client’s wife returned to the family car in Jerusalem after a day’s work. As she was starting up, two men approached her and ordered her out of the car. Not taking any chances, she obeyed and watched helplessly as the two “punks” laughingly drove away. Again, a claim was filed and our client was paid out.

One night, our client was driving a rental car in Jerusalem and suddenly he saw in front of him his car, complete with its original color and license plates! Our client was suddenly filled with passion to have his old, beloved car back. He began to tail “his” car, at the same time calling the police on his cell phone.

The police joined the chase and on King George Street, two police cars suddenly blocked the road and forced the driver to stop.

Claiming total innocence, the driver said that he had bought the car legally. Unfortunately (for him!), our client was right behind him to identify himself as the true owner of the car, as proved

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by the original license papers and bituach chova, still in the glove compartment. The “punk” was hauled away (and later positively identified by the client’s wife).

But who owned the car? Our client, who already had his check or the insurance company which had not yet transferred ownership of the “stolen” car?

Results: 1. The insurance company offered to sell the car back to our client for a reduced rate rather than go through the legal tangle that the case presented.

2. Our client was praised by the police for quick, decisive thinking and action.

May all your claims turn out for the best! 

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I

Life coach

t is never easy to return to the workforce after a long gap. For women who have been stay-at-home mothers for a long time, it can seem insurmountable. They feel deskilled, out of touch with the latest practices and yet too experienced to be starting from scratch.

They often don’t know where to start looking, are not sure what kind of job they want and have too many gaps in their resume. This problem is compounded for olim who also have language and cultural challenges.

Ariella* had stayed at home with her children for 12 years.

She wanted a change and it was a good time for her to go back to work. She felt that she needed to get out of the house and she really needed the money. She had worked at a bank in the States before she had children but her Hebrew wasn’t very good. She didn’t really understand the banking system in Israel and she didn’t really want to work in a bank now. She felt at a loss as to what to do and was frustrated that someone as intelligent and educated as she was didn’t have the confidence in herself to find anything. So she gave me a call.

When I first met Ariella she didn’t feel like she had any useful skills to offer a potential employer. We started our work together by trying to identify what Ariella enjoyed doing and what she was good at. She found this process much harder than she had anticipated.

We started by looking at the skills she had developed as a stayat-home mother, namely organizational skills — multi-tasking, motivating others, listening skills, managerial skills and many

more. These skills, which she took for granted, were all skills which are very useful in various occupations.

It also took a long time for Ariella to come up with things that she liked doing. She had not thought much about herself and her interests while she was a full-time mother. Rather, she had focused on her children’s needs and interests and had forgotten about her own. Her whole identity had been so tied up with being a mother that it was very hard to think about herself as anything else — even though she was now at a new stage in life and had more time for herself.

Eventually, after much soul searching, she came up with her two lists. We then hit against another stumbling block, namely her confidence. She had begun to identify her skills and what she enjoyed doing but she didn’t have much self-confidence in how she would be able to get a job.

After spending time working on self-esteem and confidence, Ariella was finally able to choose a career that she wanted to pursue. She felt ready to retrain in this area and found a course in Jerusalem which seemed suitable. She felt very excited, ready to go out and face a new challenge.

If you too would like to get back into the workforce but don’t know where to start or feel like you don’t have the confidence to go job-hunting, give me, Helen Abelesz, life coach, a call at 054-482-9815 for a free first consultation. You can also contact me at helenabelesz@gmail.com  * Not her real name and all identifying features have been changed.

Returning to the Workforce

By Helen Abelesz

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วก

ย ย วค อ อ วฆอ อ อ อ อ อ อ

How to get a Mortgage

I

By Moshe Wilshinsky

“Fit” for You

n Israel, unlike in the United States and many other western countries, your mortgage may have more than just one set of terms. You can chose to break up the amount of money you have been approved for into a number of parts, each with its own set of terms. Over the past few years, the Bank of Israel has approved various new regulations for Israeli citizens that dictate some parameters for these sections. For example, the Bank of Israel requires that at least one third of the amount that you are borrowing has a fixed interest rate for the entire term of the loan. An additional third of the loan amount needs to have an interest rate that does not adjust more frequently than every five years. And all sections have been limited to a maximum repayment period of up to thirty years.

Just as the clothes you buy need to “fit” you in terms of measurements as well as style, so, too, should the mortgage that you take out be made up of components that “fit” you. This requires both an understanding of industry parameters (e.g. what the banks will allow you to borrow) and your preferences. If you are thinking, “I don’t have preferences because I don’t care or I don’t know what is available,” you will be surprised to find out that once educated, you probably do have a preference regarding the various types of loans that are available in the market. Ask any of our clients. This is something that we spend a lot of time on as I believe that it is an important step in the mortgage process. Over the next few articles, I will give you some basics to help you gain some perspective and a point of reference to help you better understand what is available as well as better understand the mortgage you may have. This article will introduce the risk associated with interest rate factors.

As a point of reference, think of basic investing principles in investment portfolios (something you may have heard more about).

Investment portfolios should match your needs, for example, your tolerance of risk and the return and the liquidity that you want (i.e. when you need to have the money you invested available for use when you expect to need it). Even those familiar with the basics of investing know that while everyone wants the highest return – that is the interest made on the money invested -- there is a direct correlation between how high that interest is and the likelihood or risk of not getting the return and even losing some or all of the money you invested.

This is called a Risk Return Ratio. The higher the return (the interest rate made on your investment), the higher the risk of default or failure (i.e. you lose the money you invested). It is a ratio because usually one moves with the other. Other factors used in accessing investment risk are currency and any linkage (e.g. to inflation). Because these factors can mean that even though the investment was “successful” in that there was no default, the value of your money may have been negatively affected. These other factors will be covered in future articles.

Let’s start with understanding mortgage interest rates (Part I).

Keeping these principles of investing I mentioned above in mind, think of your mortgage as you being the investment rather than the

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Part One

Mortgage

investor. Therefore, a loss of principle or a reduction in principal (since you are the investment) is every borrower’s dream. Some of the old government mortgages gave borrowers a grant by waiving the need to return the principal after a period of years. For those of us who are old enough to remember, in the 80s the borrowers with mortgages from the 70s did have this happen and their principal was so significantly reduced, due to significant currency devaluation, that banks just requested to be paid off (usually for small change) since the postage and handling costs were more than the loan was worth.

As “the investment,” your first concern should not be the loss of principle but the type of interest you are paying as the price to get that principle, e.g. the mortgage interest rate (for at least part of your mortgage). There are mortgage terms where the interest rate cannot change for the entire life of the loan (meaning until it is paid in full).

That is called a fixed interest rate. When the interest rate can change (or “adjust”) before the loan is fully paid, it is called an adjustable interest rate. (We will discuss how linkage affects this in a future article.) While adjustable rates allow for initial lower monthly payments on a mortgage, they represent a risk of monthly payment increases in the future. In the same way that a high interest return on an investment should make us carefully consider the risk (because of the risk return ratio), since you are the investment, the reverse is true. With a mortgage, as attractive as low monthly payments that you can get with low interest rates of adjustable interest rate loans are, the real risk is in those monthly payments increasing in the future. The risk is being able to afford that increase in monthly payments in the future. The longer you intend to keep the adjustable rate mortgage, the greater the risk of an increase in the monthly payment. There are no clear black and white issues here. It always depends on your particular situation. In Interest Rates Part II, I will go into more details with examples based on this intro. Then, over the course of the following articles, I will continue explaining these and other issues to help you understand mortgages in the Israeli market and what mortgage types may be fitting for you.

I will be speaking this Tuesday, March 4, at The Financial Resource Network Seminar at The Seymour J. Abrams Jerusalem World Center (OU Israel Center) 22 Rechov Keren Hayesod at 7:00 p.m. I would love a chance to meet some of you in person.

About the Author Moshe Wilshinsky is the CEO of Moville Mortgage & Finance Ltd. Contact information: Israel: Dial: 073-796-2226 and then press the special 711 Bizness Magazine extension. In the U.S.: Dial: 201-377-3418; in the U.K., dial 208-596-4501.

E-mail address: moshe@movillefinance.com Website is at: www.movillefinance.com

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What is your professional background?

I earned my Master’s degree in special education 18 years ago and specialized in learning disabilities -- ADHD and dyslexia. I have taught in New York, Moscow and Jerusalem and have seen that ADHD symptoms, as international as they are, are not well-understood or treated. I developed methods to help children with “special energy” flourish in my classroom. I am also a proud mother of a collection of ADHD kids who inspired me to research and develop the best practices for raising healthy, happy and successful children with ADHD. What is the first thing you notice in a child with ADHD? The first thing I notice is their brightness, energy and creativity and how they see the world in a fascinatingly different way. That is why I enjoy hanging out with them so much! Along with these wonderful attributes come worrying symptoms. Children with ADHD are quite disorganized, have trouble completing tasks or even concentrating for long enough to begin the task (think homework, getting out in the morning, bedrooms). They struggle with authority and try to break rules and take risks. They are emotionally immature, have explosive or even violent behavior and they are at the center of every argument at home. They struggle socially, either being too dominant (ADHD) or withdrawing (ADD). Often they have lost faith in themselves, leading to low motivation and success. When they enjoy an activity like reading or computer games, it is almost impossible to get them to stop.

Is ADHD a condition that one eventually grows out of?

It was once believed that ADHD was strictly a childhood condition. Scientists have since realized that many children carry a good portion of their symptoms into adulthood. This is why it is vital to begin intervention as early as possible. Those who have had consistent behavioral, emotional, educational and physical intervention and have developed talents from a young age, have an excellent chance of being very successful adults. If not treated properly, adult ADHD can be very debilitating. For example, we see adults jumping from job to job and having trouble in relationships.

What does medication actually do?

This is the most popular question I get from parents. They turn to me because the school will not allow their child to attend without taking Ritalin, or because they are reluctant to medicate, or because their child is refusing to take Ritalin or is responding poorly to it. I would like to begin by saying that Ritalin has been on the market for many years. It is considered a safe drug. That said, does Ritalin, and other medication prescribed for ADHD, cure the condition? Those of you who have kids on Ritalin know that this medication can only temporarily alleviate some of the symptoms. ADHD is a multi-causal disorder where skills are missing in areas of focus, concentration, organization, emotional maturity, social skills and behavioral discipline. Ritalin helps the brain use the chemical dopamine more efficiently, thereby reducing impulsivity and boosting concentration. Ritalin does not address the other missing skills. Focus and concentration are only 20

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PURIM 2014

Interview with Avigail Gimpel M.S.

g n i s i a R py & p a H , y Health ssful Succe HD D A h t i nw Childre

improved while the medication is still in the system. Ritalin is a valuable option as a bandage if a child is “bleeding” socially, behaviorally or academically, but it cannot cure the disorder. A child must develop these missing skills through consistent intervention so he can enjoy permanent change and thereby succeed on his own. We do a great disservice to our children when we rely strictly on Ritalin to help them progress.

In what areas do you currently focus your professional activities?

I am now teaching teachers a comprehensive course in ADHD intervention in the classroom. Kids with “special energy” can learn very well as long as their teacher has the skill and patience to educate them properly. These are very bright kids! I also teach parent groups. I turn parents into coaches, giving them the skills they need to parent ADHD kids. I explain the neurological causes of ADHD and help each parent develop a step-by-step, behavioral, cognitive, emotional and dietary treatment program to address all the challenges their child is facing. Children also learn to naturally boost concentration through physical and mental exercises.

We focus on developing the child’s strengths.

For me, the greatest joy is hearing a mother tell me that she has fallen in love with her child again and finally understands him. A mother recently told me that although she is still tired at the end of the day, she is no longer emotionally depleted. She is finally in control and she and her children are actually enjoying each other.

I receive parents of children with ADHD and adults with ADHD in my offices in Jerusalem (in the clinic of Dr. Amnon Gimpel, neurologist) and in Gush Etzion.

Contact info: avigailgimpel@gmail.com, 054-441-3295, 02-993-4729. 

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ROLL ON SHABBOS Interview with Shmuel Kedar Why is there so much excitement, Shmuel?

Well, you probably know how league bowling gets the adrenaline pulsing, the competitive spirit is aroused and it’s just plain good fun! Bowling has it all — it’s sport, friends, concentration, competition, food and drink, family (or not!) and most of all a smile on the face! It’s fun! That’s why it’s one of the most played sports in the US. Today, the sport of bowling is enjoyed by over 100 million people in over 90 countries worldwide.

Who can play in the league?

Bowling, in general, is for all ages from 5 through 100. As long as you can pick up the ball and roll it, then you can play. League bowling often has separate leagues for youth but there is no rule and it depends on how many people play in the league to determine if a separate league is justifiable. It is suitable for men and women alike (if there is enough demand, the men/women may play separately). At its peak, over eight million men and women competed in leagues throughout the United States.

How good do you have to be?

A new league, like the one we want to set up in the new Bet Shemesh bowling alley, will be for all levels, even for absolute beginners. I will be there to give tips and teach the basics. After one or two meetings of introductory play, we’ll make up teams and give the less experienced players a handicap which will make the competition fairer.

How many players are there per team?

Usually three or four but it depends on the number of participants.

How about if I only know one friend who wants to play?

The teams will be made up together by all the participants. If a group of friends wants to be together, fine, but even if you join alone, then it’s a great way to make new friends!

How many times per week do you play?

Most leagues play once a week but it’s up to the participants 22

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to decide if they want a weekly meet or twice or three times a month. Also, the day and the time of the league will be determined by the players. (As a suggestion, Friday, lunchtime, after cooking and cleaning or a weekday evening.) If there is demand, maybe even a Yeshiva and pensioner’s league mid-week after morning seder.

What’s the goal of the league?

Bowling, as well as being great fun, can develop concentrational skills, keep the body supple and serve as exercise for those who don’t have time for more strenuous activities. The goal is to enjoy! But, at the same time, there are also positive advantages for each individual. For youth it is a great framework for training in discipline, concentration, team-work and achievement.

What do I need to play?

For beginners, just come along! The bowling alley provides all you need (balls, shoes, instruction).

When you become more proficient you’ll want to purchase your own personalized equipment not only to feel more comfortable but also to help improve your game. Like golf, as opposed to all other sports, the competition is not only between teams but also a constant struggle to better your own individual game.

How much does it cost?

Initially, only the cost of the games (three games, 60 NIS). If enough players join, then maybe a reduced rate will apply. Once the league is up and running, we may put in a few extra shekels each meet for funding trophies, personalized shirts and social events. The league will eventually have its own elected management committee to make decisions and run the leagues.

I feel intrigued, what do I do now?

If I’ve managed to whet your appetite, then send me an e-mail to shmuelkedar@gmail.com or phone me at 050-499-0522 and I’ll collect all the details and start getting organized! Come join!

“I’m Shomer Shabbos, I don’t bowl on Shabbos.” Neither do we at the Bet Shemesh alleys (Sun Center, Yigal Alon St., by the Paz gas station). 

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To Thine Own Self Be True While I doubt that William Shakespeare had dieting on his mind when he wrote that, nothing could be more applicable in making successful and meaningful lifestyle changes. Being honest about what makes dieting hard for you will help you to tackle the issues head on. Don’t assume that poor habits will magically change simply because you are on a diet. If you’ve been down this road before and failed, ask yourself why.

Bo’s Tip: Look back at any previous attempts you’ve made at losing weight. Try to understand what worked for you and what didn’t. Make a list of things you liked as well as things you didn’t and try to pinpoint what caused you to give up or slip back into old habits. This is information that you can use before getting started, so that you choose a path that’s right for you.

Honesty is The Best Policy:

How Knowing your Personality Type Can Lead to

Weight-Loss

T

aking a long hard look at yourself in the mirror may just be the best thing you can do if you’re trying to lose weight, but what you’re looking for may surprise you. Getting started with a weightloss plan can be a daunting task, but figuring out the first steps to take may be more about understanding yourself emotionally rather than physically.

It’s easy to assess where you need to lose inches and pounds, what you’d like to firm up and where you want to trim down. But getting to the root of your weight-gain is often the biggest challenge. You may realize that you have made similar choices over and over with results that don’t seem to stick. So, instead of beating yourself up over your lackluster performance in those last few attempts, try understanding where you lost steam.

About the Author Dr. Bo Rosenblatt is a board certified medical doctor who has served in many leadership positions in hospitals and clinics and has lectured for physician organizations all across the United States. Dr. Bo’s Diet is a comprehensive, customized five-phase weight management program producing rapid weight loss in the short term and healthy weight management in the long term. For more information call 077-228-5877 or e-mail: details@drbosdiet.com 24

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Find Your Dieting Personality Getting to the core of what you’re all about will help you figure out what type of dieter you are. Maybe you have an intense personality — diving into new projects or hobbies head first?

(Like the time you bought all that snowboarding equipment before your first lesson!) Maybe you need a partner in crime? (You can’t seem to make it to any gym class without your best friend.)

Or maybe you’re more of a student and less of a teacher? (Given a set of instructions you can pretty much do anything.) Be honest with yourself. It’s understandable to feel like you can do a complete lifestyle overhaul because you feel motivated at this moment. But that feeling won’t be enough to carry you through as it becomes challenging.

Bo’s Tip: Look at other areas of your life and determine the areas at which you excel both at home and work. If you find the need for structure, joining a formal program will keep you accountable. If you need encouragement to stay motivated, find a diet coach. If you get bored of the same foods or rules over and over again, choose a program that changes as you progress.

Focus on meeting your personality needs. Ignoring them will only leave you feeling frustrated and defeated.

Log Your Food…and Your Feelings I’ve written before about the benefits of keeping a food journal -- especially early on in your weight-loss endeavor. Keeping a running tally of your food types, portions, preparation methods and eating schedule can be an extremely important and eye opening tool when first starting out. An important component that most people don’t record in their food journal is their emotional state. Keeping track of your emotions can help you to determine patterns of overeating, stress and frustrations.

Bo’s Tip: Understanding the “why” and not just the “what” in our actions is paramount in helping us spot potential emotional triggers as well as learning new coping mechanisms around food. Journal not only calories but also your emotional states in real time for at least one week. (Don’t wait until the end of day, you never really remember everything.) You may see certain patterns emerge that you didn’t realize existed. 

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YOUR COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO ADHD:

Part III

The Role of Diet, Nutrition & Environment

B

io-nutrition combines core principles of bio-chemistry with diet and nutrition. Nearly every child we see with learning and developmental issues has some bio-chemical imbalances as well as dietary issues like food sensitivities and vitamin, mineral and amino acid deficiencies.

Many children are fussy eaters and kids with brain imbalances or functional disconnection are particularly finicky. Children with Functional Disconnection Syndrome (FDS) also have compromises in their bodies that make the absorption of nutrients difficult. Almost all of them suffer from food sensitivities (not to be confused with allergies). The reason for this is because the brain controls the balance of digestion and the immune system. If the brain is out of balance, the digestive system dysfunctions and the immune system becomes unbalanced and overreacts to food particles that get through the leaky gut which causes food sensitivities. This can lead not only to dietary deficiencies but also to chronic inflammation, yeast problems and other health-related issues.

Dietary problems include: • An underdeveloped digestive system which may cause a “leaking gut.”

• Reduced ability to secrete acids and digestive enzymes that chemically break down food.

• Reduced muscle contractions (peristalsis) which mechanically break down food.

• Reduced ability to absorb nutrients from food.

• Decreased blood circulation in the intestines and stomach lining.

• Out-of-balance immune response.

Even if a child with FDS eats a healthy, well-balanced diet every day, chances are he still has some nutritional deficiencies. This is why it is critical to correct the imbalance.

There are two nutritional components critical to helping resolve a child’s brain im26

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balance. One is discovering and eliminating sensitive foods that exacerbate FDS and the other is restoring depleted vitamin stores. I will help determine if your child has sensitivities and nutritional deficiencies and then recommend a clear and simple plan to nutritionally support improved brain function.

As part of my integrated program, which includes sensory motor and cognitive activities, I custom design an easy-to-follow nutritional program with helpful guidelines and strategies to make it a positive experience for the child as well as for the whole family.

Food Sensitivities, Dyes and Antibiotics May Contribute to Behavioral Issues Kids with neuro-developmental disorders like ADHD, Asperger Syndrome, Sensory Processing Disorder and other behavioral issues often benefit from simple diet changes. Many parents ask: What’s the connection between diet and behavior and what changes should I make now for my child?

Consider making the following changes in your family’s diet today: Three Changes to Improve Diet and Behavior 1. Go Gluten-Free and DairyFree: When a child has food sensitivities, it can mean that certain foods are not fully digested in the stomach and can get through the lining of the gut, triggering an immune response in the body and brain. Chemicals produced during this immune response can affect a child’s behavior and learning ability. Kids with food sensitivities may also experience vitamin and mineral deficiencies due to malabsorption. This problem, which is often referred to as leaky gut syndrome, should be addressed through food elimination trials. While any food can be a culprit, gluten and dairy are common sensitivities among kids with behavioral issues. Eliminating them is a great first step.

2. Eliminate Food Dyes: A 2010 report from the FDA suggests that while artificial colors are not the cause of ADHD

Bizness Magazine

symptoms, they can exacerbate symptoms in kids who struggle with inattention, impulsiveness and hyperactivity. Eliminating food dyes from your family’s diet may be helpful for susceptible children. Some parents anecdotally report an immediate change for the better. One mom, after eliminating artificial colors from her son’s diet, said, “We saw amazing results at school.

We saw amazing results in his attitude. He was happy. No more meltdowns at all.” She is now petitioning a major U.S. candy manufacturer to stop using dyes altogether!

3. Buy Organic Meat and Dairy: While switching to only organic foods can seem like a daunting task, we recommend beginning with small steps for your child’s health and behavior. Non-organic meat and dairy contain antibiotics. A recent study showed that eating them caused a nearly immediate change in gut flora. Gut flora are “good” bacteria that are responsible for extracting energy from food, building the body’s immune system and protecting against infection and inflammation, among other tasks. While taking high quality probiotics and eating certain foods like yogurt can help offset some of these changes in gut flora, consuming only organic meat and dairy is a great place to start to help your family avoid the over-use of antibiotics and transition to a more natural diet over time.

While the link between diet and behavior is still being investigated, parents can certainly make changes today to improve the health of their entire family. It’s important to note that diet changes, although helpful to manage behavioral symptoms, are only temporary if the underlying imbalance in the brains of kids with neuro-developmental disorders is not addressed.

Is There a Connection Between ADHD and Eating Disorders?

While the connection between ADHD and eating disorders may not seem obvious at first, in his research, psychologist John Fleming, Ph.D., found that people who compulsively overeat are at least five times more likely to have ADHD. As we wait for more research to better understand the connection, many clinicians feel the link between ADHD and eating disorders is likely due to multiple factors.

ADHD and Impulsiveness The impulsiveness and inattention associated with ADHD can interfere with a child’s ability to make good choices and

02 999 3939

stick to a healthy diet and exercise plan.

If your child eats absentmindedly, too quickly or displays other unhealthy eating habits, set your child up for success by planning ahead. Kids with ADHD respond well to structure, so plan meals and snacks ahead of time when possible. Schedule eating just as you do waking, sleeping and other activities. Encourage grazing as a way to ward off compulsive overeating.

Make sure that exercise is a part of the schedule as well to help your child avoid eating from boredom or anxiousness. Remove trigger foods from the home and allow your child to enjoy these foods (like sweets, chips, fries, etc.) occasionally and only when outside the home.

ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorder People with ADHD may have trouble with their interoceptive sense, which is the brainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to properly interpret signals from the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s internal organs. Signals for hunger, thirst, pain, sleepiness and toileting may not come naturally to kids with ADHD. While it is widely accepted that poor interoception can lead to food aversions and under eating, it may also contribute to misinterpreting different body signals as hunger.

In other words, a person who feels hungry all the time despite appropriate caloric intake may be misreading his or her bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs. Targeted sensory motor activities that promote proper neural connections and brain function like those included in â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Brain Balance Programâ&#x20AC;? can improve sensory processing for better interoception.

ADHD and Food Sensitivities / Allergies When a child with ADHD has food sensitivities or allergies, it may mean that certain foods are not being fully digested in the stomach and can then get through the lining of the gut causing leaky gut syndrome.

Some kids actually crave the problematic food, thus creating a cycle of overeating, thereby continually feeding their allergy or sensitivity. This cycle triggers an immune response in the body and brain which leads to inflammation and possible poor absorption of vitamins and minerals. Chemicals produced during this immune response can affect a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s behavior and learning ability, exacerbating symptoms of ADHD. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Brain Balance Programâ&#x20AC;? includes bio-nutritional testing to uncover potential food sensitivities and nutritional deficiencies so we can recommend dietary changes as needed to nutritionally support improved

brain function in your child.

While the connection between ADHD and eating disorders continues to be investigated, parents can make changes today to improve the health of their entire family.

If your child is struggling with symptoms of ADHD and needs help mastering healthy eating habits, I invite you to consider â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Brain Balance Program.â&#x20AC;?

By combining sensory motor, academic and bio-nutritional objectives, our nonmedical approach is helping kids reach their physical, social and academic potential. ď&#x20AC;ź

Dr. Rosenberg offers a free one-hour consultation in person or by phone to discuss your health issues. Call today to begin getting real answers to your health questions!

Dr. Reuven M. Rosenberg Chiropractor and Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist The Integrative Health Center Ramat Bet Shemesh, Jerusalem, Ramat Gan, 052-761-6793 www.DrRosenberg.net * Portions of this text were copied and edited with permission from the Brain Balance Achievement Center website, http://www.brainbalancecenters.com. There is no BBAC in Israel. Dr. Rosenberg was educated in the same post-graduate program which gave birth to the BBAC concept. To learn more, check out the website as well as the book, Disconnected Kids by Dr. Robert Mellilo.

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id you know that as a U.S. taxpayer you can find yourself owning tens of thousands of dollars in penalties without owing a dime in taxes?

And that amount can multiply many times if the IRS thinks that you intentionally disregarded the rules!

Over the past decade, there has been a veritable explosion in new laws enacted and old laws enforced relating to the reporting of foreign transactions and holdings — even when they don’t produce any income. Failure to properly report the required disclosures can result in draconian penalties and negative tax consequences which occasionally even exceed the value of the asset that was not reported.

Just a few of the forms you need to be aware of as a U.S. taxpayer living abroad in order to stay clear are listed below.

FBAR: Many people are aware of this form due to recent IRS efforts to publicize the requirement to file it, but most are not aware that it has nothing to do with taxes. If you have an interest in or signature authority over foreign (non-U.S.) financial accounts that exceed $10,000 in value at any time during the year, you are required to file this form by June 30th of the following year. The $10,000 threshold is an aggregate number. Once there is a day in which all of the foreign accounts combined exceed $10,000 in value, all of your foreign accounts must be reported regardless of the balance in the account. As of July 1, 2013, this form can only be filed electronically. This can be done at http://bsaefiling.fincen.treas.gov/NoRegFBARFiler.html Although it can no longer be filed on paper, you can have a third party file it on your behalf.

Form 5471: This form is used to report information regarding any non-U.S. corporations in which U.S. persons own certain percentages of stock or, under certain circumstances, are corporate officers or directors even if they own no stock.

There is a potential $10,000 penalty for each form 5471 that should be filed but is not. That’s assuming the failure to file was not intentional (in which case it can be significantly higher). Additionally, this is one of the forms that can have a bearing on the amount of taxes you owe which may be mitigated or eliminated by making certain elections. If you don’t file the form, however, you may be precluded from making certain elections. If you own more than 50% of an Israeli corporation, you are one of those that need to file this form even if it is a very small business.

Form 8938: Also referred to as “FBAR on Steroids.” This form is not as well-known outside professional circles but can trigger very egregious consequences if you miss it. If you are married filing a joint return and reside outside of the U.S., you have to file this form if you have “specified foreign financial assets” that exceed a value of $600,000 at any time during the year or $400,000 on the last day of the year. There are lower thresholds for people living in the U.S. as well as people filing as single, married filing separate or head of household. “Specified foreign financial assets” is much more inclusive than the foreign financial accounts reported on the FBAR. This term includes, among many other things, interests in non-U.S. partnerships, stock in non-U.S. corporations (even if held in a safe deposit box in the U.S.) and bonds of non-U.S. companies or foreign governments. These items may be exempt if they are held inside a U.S. brokerage account.

There other forms as well, but it is beyond the scope of this article to list all of them. The bottom line is you need to familiarize yourself with your potential filing requirements as burying your head in the sand can end up being a very expensive course of action — even if you owe no tax.

About the Author Matis Sklar is a U.S. CPA based in Ramat Bet Shemesh and Los Angeles specializing in U.S. tax planning and compliance. He can be reached at msklarcpa@gmail.com or (052) 567-1420. American line: (818) 793-0407.

LinkedIn Profile: http://il.linkedin.com/in/michaelsklarcpa The initial consultation is always free. 

ANY STATEMENTS REGARDING FEDERAL TAX LAW CONTAINED HEREIN ARE NOT INTENDED OR WRITTEN TO BE USED, AND CANNOT BE USED, FOR THE PURPOSES OF AVOIDING PENALTIES THAT MAY BE IMPOSED UNDER FEDERAL TAX LAW OR TO MARKET ANY ENTITY, INVESTMENT PLAN OR ARRANGEMENT.

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Real Estate

By Yossi Lipsh

Why Use a Realtor When Selling Your Home S

elling a house can be a complex process. A Realtor can help you at every stage —from setting a price to marketing the property to closing the sale.

Setting the Price The selling process generally begins with a determination of a reasonable asking price. Your real estate agent can give you up-to-date information on what is happening in your local marketplace, as well as the price, financing, terms and condition of competing properties. These are key factors in marketing your home and selling it at the best price. Often, your agent can recommend repairs or cosmetic work that will significantly enhance the salability of the property.

Marketing The next step is a marketing plan. Marketing exposes your property to the public as well as to other real estate agents through cooperative marketing networks, open houses for potential buyers with the bonus of not paying commission on that day, and so on. In many markets, a substantial portion of real estate sales are cooperative sales; that is, a real estate agent other than yours brings in the buyer. Realtors are required to use these cooperative relationships when they benefit their clients.

An agent will also know when, where and how to advertise — which medium, format and frequency will work best for your home and your market. Though advertising can be valuable, studies show that over 50% of real estate sales are the result of agent contacts from previous clients, referrals, friends, family and personal contacts.

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Screening Process Once your property is on the market, your agent can screen through the potential buyers to understand who is serious, if the location is right for them, if it’s in their budget and if they qualify for a mortgage.

Your home is not a museum and your time is valuable. Therefore, your agent will not show your property to an unfitting candidate.

Providing Security When a property is marketed with an agent’s help, you do not have to allow strangers into your home. Agents will generally pre-screen and accompany qualified prospects through your property.

Negotiating Your agent can help you objectively evaluate every buyer’s proposal.

The initial agreement on the price is only the beginning of a process of appraisals, inspections and financing — a lot of possible pitfalls. Your agent can help you write a win-win agreement that will be more likely to make it through the process.

Monitoring, Renegotiating and Closing Between the initial offer and the contract signing, questions may arise. For example, there are unexpected repairs that require the buyer to obtain financing, or part of a property may not be registered.

The required paperwork alone is overwhelming for most sellers. Your agent is the best person to objectively help you resolve these issues and move the transaction to closing.

Getting the Realtor Guarantee Real estate agents who are members of the Rasham Hametavchim (National

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Association of Realtors) are expected to maintain a higher level of knowledge of the process of buying and selling real estate in Israel. Realtors are committed to treating all parties to a transaction honestly.

Choosing the Right Agent Before choosing your agent, ask your friends and your neighbors for recommendations for a serious and professional realtor who has many years of experience in your local market.

Many agents do their work as a side job which comprises their availability.

It’s important to confirm that this is your agent’s only job.

Make sure that the realtor you choose has a license and proper training in the field; someone who is constantly updated and “living the market.”

Getting Expert Assistance Finally, consider the scale of your transaction. Selling your home is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll make. Transactions today usually exceed $200,000. If you had a $200,000 income tax problem, would you attempt to solve it without the help of a CPA? If you had a $200,000 legal question, would you deal with it without the help of an attorney?

Considering the relatively small cost of hiring a realtor and the large potential risk of not hiring one, it’s smart to find a professional to sell your home.

Yossi Lipsh Realty is located on Nachal Dolev 38, RBS. Tel: 02-999-4466; 052-396-0551.

E-mail: info@yossilipshrealty.com Website: www.rbs-realty.com Facebook: RBS-Realty 

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What’s Causing your Asthma, Eczema, Psoriasis, Hay Fever, Sinus Congestion, Flu, Headaches, Itchy Red Eyes, Fatigue, Sneezing or Bronchitis?

Where are you from Michael?

Melbourne, Australia What’s your background?

I started my career 19 years ago when I fell into the corporate world in Melbourne. I held a number of corporate executive roles in telecommunications, utilities, finance and insurance. I’ve always had a great passion for delivering outstanding customer service and for taking a traditionally niche product or service and making it available and easy to use for everybody. Coming to live in Israel two years ago made me really want to do well by doing good.

What’s a dust mite?

Dust mites are microscopic organisms too small to be visible to the human eyes that thrive in humid climates. This is why they love the damp, warm conditions that are created in bedding where they live off the dead skin cells and sweat residue that all humans shed and leave behind.

Dust mites often cause allergies because we react to various proteins (allergens) contained in their droppings. It is these droppings, rather than the dust mite itself, that many people are allergic to. House dust mite allergy is very common and is associated with asthma, eczema, psoriasis, hay fever, sinus congestion, flu, headaches, itchy red eyes, fatigue, sneezing and bronchitis.

Dust mites exist in all our homes, no matter how clean we keep them. It’s a case of managing their numbers and keeping them to a minimum.

Please explain your product.

We come over to your place and, on-site, remove the dust mites, their waste products and any bacteria or mold that exists inside your mattress and couch. We then sterilize the surfaces to ensure that any remaining micro-organisms left behind are killed and removed.

The process is completely dry and chemical-free. On average, we remove 16 grams of dust matter from each piece of furniture (mattress or couch).

How long does the process take?

On average, a standard deep sanitizing service takes just 35 minutes and mattress and couch are ready to use immediately after our service.

Is it safe for babies and children?

Yes. Absolutely. We don’t use any chemicals, sprays, powders, moisture or anything that could produce and leave behind toxins or mold. We just use high-powered, allergy-safe vacuum and germicidal light, the same that comes from the sun and the same 32

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light doctors use to sterilize hospital equipment. Our equipment is sterilized between every single job and is certified by the United States Food and Drug Association and has the British Allergy Seal of Approval.

Why do you use HEPA technology to vacuum?

HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particle Absorption. It’s a standard set by the United States Department of Energy which says that a filter must remove 99.97% of airborne particles that have a size of 0.3 um or larger.

We use this technology to ensure that we extract all dust matter.

In doing so, we prevent any of the matter extracted out of the furniture from relocating itself somewhere else nearby. We also believe that our HEPA machines have the right power to remove particles lodged deep inside the mattress or couch.

What are the main benefits of this sanitizing treatment?

The benefits are two-fold. Firstly your mattress and couch will certainly last longer and look, feel and smell cleaner and fresher.

Secondly, reducing or eliminating dust and allergens prevents triggers that can cause asthma, eczema, psoriasis, hay fever, sinus congestion, flu, headaches, itchy red eyes, fatigue, sneezing and bronchitis. For people with slight or severe allergies or asthma, this can provide amazing relief and comfort.

I’d also like to highlight, that even if you don’t suffer from these symptoms or allergies, your health will still benefit sleeping and lounging in a dust and allergen-free environment.

Tell some exciting testimonials from your clients.

I’ve had an amazing volume of compliments from customers all over Israel. A great testament to the work we put into our service experience is the large number of customers who refer us to family and friends. One of our most memorable e-mails was from a child counselor and sleep therapist who found our service to have a big enough health effect to write an article on the experience. She also loved and promoted our safe, dry and chemical-free process. We’ve also had messages from the many customers who absolutely found our service simple, effective and of great value.

Which areas do you service?

All of Israel.

What’s your contact info?

We can be contacted through our website at www. sunkissedisrael.com by e-mail at michael@sunkissedisrael.com or by phone at 054-241-7129. 

Bizness Magazine

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Group 7

Website Building “We offer a free preview

Interview with

Meir Amber, CEO of Group 7 Meir, where did you learn the art of design and website design in particular?

I initially began my studies in HTML and graphic design at Yeshiva High School in Los Angeles, California. I attended Pratt Institute, in New York, which many of you may know is one of the most prestigious design schools in the world. I took a range of computer courses enabling me to gain the necessary skills. I then graduated with a Bachelors degree in Professional Science.

Tell us about your professional team and your approach to website design and mobile applications?

Currently, my team consists of nine people. I have one head designer and one head developer; both of whom are, in the only words I can use to describe them, “pure geniuses.” The rest of my team takes orders from them and my senior project manager. We also have a research department, headed by my head designer, which analyzes current websites and mobile application trends, designs and functionalities. They also analyze future trends of how websites and applications will look ten years from now.

We opened up this department in order to save our customers money. How? Building a website or an application is indeed an investment of time and money. We, at GROUP 7, aim to create a product that is optimized for the next six to eight years, saving our clientele money on re-modeling two to three years down the line.

How long does a website take to be completed?

Over the years we have implemented a great fast-tracking system which enables us to turn-around a basic website within as little as 14 days. We have done so by allocating our resources to the necessary team individuals. In addition, and most importantly, a senior project manager is appointed to make sure everything is on schedule and up to par.

What’s the main objective in website design?

The main objective in web design is to create a beauty of a design, an appealing website, one which will keep people on the site rather than having them log off and proceed to the next competitor. Why? An unappealing site makes visitors conclude that the company did not have the interest or time to invest in a visually 34

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or mock-up of how a client’s website will look – all within 24 hours and with no strings attached.” 24hrs

appealing design. And you will have just lost a customer!

The next most important objective is the infrastructure of the user interface and experience, and functionality. This is crucial in a website. User interface and functionality are what we refer to in the industry as the interaction and experience between the website and the user on it. If your website is not optimized, and if the user is uncomfortable navigating around your site and playing around with the functionalities, he/she will also log off. Most likely, they will move onto the next competitor.

Does it make sense to save money by “doing it yourself?”

Our latest waves of clientele are companies that have done just that. They used Wordpress templates and inputted their content and data. These clients have approached us due to complaints that they have received which have called their template-built sites tacky and “cheesy” looking. In addition, one is able to incorporate far fewer integrations and implementations in those types of sites.

If someone is looking to save money but lose much potential clientele because of the aesthetics of a site, then it may be a viable option for you. But does it make sense, especially with our highly competitive pricing? Definitely not.

Does proper website development lead to website traffic?

Yes. During the development phase, our coders insert the proper meta keyword tags to initially optimize your site to be caught

by Google. This is what we do on our end. But the most crucial part in organic SEO, or gradual natural growth using search engines, is content updating. This entails constantly adding new content to one’s website. Now that’s the trick in natural growth – for free! Best of all, with every website we build, we create a very user friendly administration panel which allows the website owner to add content and media, among other things.

What gives Group 7 its competitive edge?

It’s very simple. We give a bottom-line price without compromising quality.

Your contact info?

Anyone can easily reach us at 02-625-1007 or via e-mail at request@group7designs.com Please visit our website at: www.group7designs.com 

Bizness Magazine

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www.BIZNESSMAG.com

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35

“Not Just Microsoft”

The Importance of

W

Small Businesses

hile Israel’s economic newspapers are filled daily with headlines about the ongoing financial happenings of the country’s few large business concerns and conglomerates -those 16 business groups which control 50% of the economy’s money and which continue to receive constant press attention; the real backbone of the economy lies with the 450,000 small and mediumsize businesses (SME’s), which employ 1.5 million people with an annual turnover of 1.25 trillion shekels.

Israel’s SME’s, which count for 99% of the country’s businesses, have grown by 3% a year over the past five years. There are approximately 25,000 new businesses opening every year! The importance of SME’s to the economy must not be undermined. They bring growth and innovation to communities, both local and national.

They stimulate growth by providing employment opportunities to people who may not be employable by larger corporations and often provide efficient component solutions for the larger companies.

In a rapidly changing economic environment, SME’s can adapt stealthily and efficiently while larger corporations remain static and rigid in the face of change.

Being customer-oriented, the small business benefits from customer loyalty during economic crisis. This helps them stay afloat during recessions, strengthening the communities.

According to the Bureau of Statistics, 18% of these companies will not celebrate their first birthday and 50% of them are unlikely to reach the age of five. Governments however, understanding the contribution of these businesses to economies, have begun to intervene in order to im36

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By Matti Munk

prove these statistics. SME’s are likely to encounter difficulties and suffer growing pains from almost every angle. Not having proven track records, they will have hardships obtaining credit. And, even if they are approved credit, their short history will restrict them to short-term loans, when often they require long-term loans for capital investment. Receiving the wrong type of finance will eventually result in cash flow difficulties and, especially in the case of SME’s, cash is king.

Layers of red tape and dealing with regulatory restrictions are also hurdles that SME’s must be able to pass. Larger companies have staff dedicated to dealing with these issues. A business in its early stages will run on the inertia of an entrepreneur with an idea and a dream, with little or no knowledge of how to handle the bureaucratic issues.

The challenge of opening and succeeding in developing a small business is hard enough if you are a local Israeli, but, for a new Immigrant, the obstacles seem twice as high and even denser. In addition to the impediments listed above, for the new immigrant there are also the problems of language, culture barriers, lack of knowledge of the system, no business or personal track record with financial institutions and a constant feeling, or knowledge, that someone is out to cheat them. A new immigrant setting up shop in Israel will often epitomize the saying that, “to make a small fortune in Israel, you must arrive with a large one.”

There are, however, several examples which prove that this is not always the case.

David and Betty made aliyah from Mexico in 2005 and settled in the northern city of Carmiel. Prior to making ali-

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yah, David earned a truck driving license as he believed that this would be a solid profession in Israel. By somewhat of a fluke, however, a winning tortilla recipe made aliyah with them. Starting with a small manual machine and with door-todoor sales, their company, La Bonita, now manufactures 70,000 tortillas a day with sales nationwide.

Alex, who made aliyah from Serbia and finished his degree in engineering and robotics. He thought that he would find employment in one of Israel’s many hightech companies. However, he had a dream of setting up his own firm producing electronic boards. Having followed through with this, his company now employs 70 people and provides electronic boards to the country’s largest electronic manufacturers.

When Karina Chaplinski made aliyah from Argentina ten years ago, fulfilling her dream of settling in the north of the country, she was not certain what employment would come her way. Karina is the descendant of three generations of chocolate manufacturers from Europe and South America but, she never thought that she could succeed in carrying on this tradition from the secluded Golan Heights. Today, De Karina produces thousands of handmade pralines and chocolate arrays and supplies award winning delights to customers nationwide.

These are three examples of many olim who jumped all the hurdles and succeeded in fulfilling their modern day Zionist dream -- making aliyah and setting up successful businesses in Israel. It is unlikely that this would have been possible without the assistance of the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption. All these businesses are successful graduates of the

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small business loan fund for new and returning immigrants. This fund shepherds the entrepreneur from the earliest stage.

Not only does the fund finance the early capital investment but it accompanies the business, offering assistance at almost every interval.

Iris Houminer, who manages the activities of the loan fund on behalf of the Ministry of Immigration, is anything but the stereotype of a civil servant. Iris is familiar with each and every one of the businesses that the Ministry has helped and continues accompanying them even after they have grown and matured. When Iris speaks about the different companies and their founders, it is in terms of “we” and not “they.” She feels, and is, part of their accomplishment, just as she was a part of their various struggles on the bumpy road to success. Without the assistance, advice and emotional support of the Ministry, many of these businesses would have been doomed to become a mere statistic.

It is not coincidental that the government’s loan fund for new and returning immigrants is run through Bank Mercantile Discount. This bank, which has taken the government resources and leveraged it with its own funds, views assisting successful immigration as a mission aligned perfectly with the bank’s corporate values.

Mercantile is the only bank in the country which contains a department geared to service the English and French-speaking immigrant community. All of the bankers in this department are olim in their own right. This not only enables fluent communications but also adds an additional level of understanding and goodwill.

Partnerships of this type between public and private sectors are becoming more and more common, a result of a changed approach of the public sector together with the understanding of each others’ strengths and weaknesses. SME’s do not always remain small. Microsoft, Nike and Ben and Jerry’s are just three examples of this. Immigrants can make businesses succeed despite the obstacles. But one of the keys to their success is make sure that they surround themselves with the appropriate support systems which are available to them.

Matti Munk manages the International Division of Mercantile Discount Bank.

For comments or contact info: matti@mdb.co.il 

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37

The Tenth Commandment:

Never Stop Learning

A

By Nachum Kligman

s an entrepreneur, I spend a couple of hours each week keeping up with the changes taking place in the business world and in my industry. The best way to gain knowledge, in my

opinion, is by personal experience, followed by reading about other people’s experiences and learning from them what works and what mistakes they have made.

I was advising a CEO of a struggling company and suggested some important

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“My biggest motivation? Just to keep challenging myself. I see life almost like one long University education that I never had – every day I’m learning something new.” — Richard Branson, billionaire, Chairman of the Virgin Group

Bizness Magazine

books for him to read. His reply was that he was too busy to read and had no time. I told him that he was too busy chasing his competition who took the time to read these books and thereby was able to keep an edge over him.

From the first day that you have a business idea, you want to move forward, do your research, learn about your industry, seek out the perfect name for your company, spend time getting feedback from people and learn who the experts are in the market you are entering. Talk to them and send them e-mails. Most people, including even your potential competitors, will be happy to help you. People love to talk about their businesses and experiences. They love to be teachers and mentors to others. After all, lending a helping hand can be very satisfying.

Test. Test. Test.

Always be testing. If you send out a newsletter, a product or sales letter, send out three different versions. See which one gets the best results. This same strategy holds true for e-mail marketing campaigns and everything you do. What images and words work best? Which achieve better results and/ or responses? Always test your product. Try different things. See what works better and then improve. Test and improve. Do the same thing with your advertising efforts.

Potential Investors It is never too early to start getting feedback from investors. They have their finger on the pulse and very often can help steer your idea to something that will be more valuable before you invest any real time and effort into it. I would often meet with VC’s [venture capitalists] even though I was aware that our company did not fit their mold. But, we valued their feedback.

We speak to them all the time and ask such questions as, “What are people looking for? What are the venture capitalists looking for? How can I improve my presentation?” Or, we ask, “What key words should we be saying or using? What type of presentations do I need in order to be successful in getting investments?” Very

02 999 3939

often they would also recommend us to other VC’s that perhaps would be more interested in our niche.

Research In any industry or any business you are entering, there are books, trade magazines, trade shows, forums, networks, blogs and actual classes available. Do whatever it takes to learn your industry inside and out.

Follow the people that are influential in your industry by learning what they are saying, contacting them and asking questions. Go to trade shows and find out what else is out there. Constantly continue to learn.

Learning by Doing “Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.”

--Jim Rohn My favorite way to learn is by doing.

In my opinion, if you have four years to spare and $100,000 to spend, then starting an actual business is a better way to go than going to college.

According to Forbes, the average net worth of Forbes 400 members who don’t have a degree is 6.6 percent higher than the net worth of members who graduated from college. This figure doesn’t mean that all entrepreneurs who skip college do better than college graduates, but it does indicate that success is possible for those who focus on getting business experience rather than a formal business education.

There is nothing like getting into something and experiencing all the challenges first hand. It is definitely much better than reading about it in a text book. By diving in, you force yourself to learn. As we’ve said, this is obviously not for the weak of heart.

I like to find different business ventures that I have zero experience in. I figure that I can either pay a few thousand dollars and take a course or I can just jump right in and learn from experience. For example, I always wanted to learn about importing products from the Orient into Israel. So I started a company that imports cotton candy vending machines into Israel. And so now I know all about the different taxes you need to pay and all the permissions you need. I know how long it takes to ship items and how long it takes the Israel Standard Institute to give approval for your item. I also learned a lot about the vending industry as well as working with malls and retail stores in Israel.

BOTTOM LINE There is always something more to

learn about your business. Try to give yourself at least a couple of quiet hours a week to keep on top of your industry and to learn something new to help you advance your business.

With this issue we now complete “The Ten Commandments of Starting & Running a Business”.

For past commandments, I invite you to read previous issues of Bizness Magazine by following this link: http://www.biznessmagazine.com/pastissues I truly hope you enjoyed this series of articles and have learned a lot from

them. In my next series of articles, I will talk about starting Mianzi Fashion with a focus on my successful KickStarter campaign. We will go through the ups and downs and all the challenges of launching a fashion line.  About the Author Nachum Kligman is a serial entrepreneur, start-up consultant and speaker. His most recent launch is Mianzi Fashion ( www.mianzifashion.com ), a luxury fashion line that keeps the special needs community in mind. He is also the founder of ViewBix Inc. and the co-founder of KidsOutlet.com, among many other start-ups and projects.

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39

Interview with

Shmuel Horowitz from Hasherut Habatuach”

“I fixed my sister’s freezer over the phone… she lives in Lakewood, New Jersey!”

Where are you from Shmuel?

I was born in Yerushalayim but during my elementary and high school years I lived in Brooklyn, New York. I learned in Eretz Yisroel as a bochur and since my chasunah I have been living here.

I currently reside in Givat Zeev.

How did you get into appliance repairing?

My family is a very handy, “do-it-yourself,” family. When it came time to start thinking about parnassah, I had a natural attraction to appliance repair. I thought I would enjoy the challenge as well as the satisfaction of taking something inoperable and getting it back to its “as good as new” status. I took a course here in Eretz Yisroel. The fun part was taking appliances people threw out and getting them to work again.

Is there something like, “It cannot be fixed?”

If truth to be told, it’s not always possible to get things working again. Unfortunately, there are times that something cannot be fixed or it really doesn’t pay financially.

What’s your specialty?

My specialty is large appliances — ovens (electric), refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, air conditioners and freezers. I even fixed my sister’s freezer over the phone. And she lives in Lakewood, New Jersey! It was actually quite easy. Even though it wasn’t working, it also wasn’t broken. I just helped her through the steps of what to do. This saved her the cost of a technician who would have had to tell her that there was nothing wrong. I was also very involved with the Va’ad Mishmeres HaShabbos. I helped them design the system that they are currently using in refrigerators.

How did your appliance repair business lead you into property management?

My main business is appliance repair. But, after fixing appliances for people who own apartments here but mainly reside in Chutz La’aretz, many of 40

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them expressed an interest in having someone local, who understood the system here, to look after their property. One thing led to another and here I am. But we all know it’s really all Sayata D’ishmaya.

What other type of services do you offer?

Another endeavor that has grown is my warranty policy for major appliances. One pays an annual fee (which can be split up monthly) and all appliances in the contract are covered. There are certain stipulations, but it’s all clear in the contract.

In which areas do you work?

I work mainly in Givaat Zeev and Yerushalayim.

What plans do you have for the future?

For the foreseeable future, I plan on expanding what I am already doing.

Who should contact you?

Anyone who has appliances that need to be fixed and anyone who owns property and needs a reliable person to take care of it. I can be contacted at 057-311-7256. 

J

ust a month before Raz turned 12 years old, his left ankle started to swell up. At first the family thought it was a sprained ankle but, after a couple of weeks when Raz could no longer put any weight on his foot, they went to have his foot examined.

About a month after his first check-up, Raz was diagnosed with a bone cancer called Ewing Sarcoma.

Life as it was known to Raz and his family came to an immediate halt; a tsunami had struck a normal, healthy family. The following year Raz spent more time in the hospital than at home.

Every other week Raz spent between 3-5 days hospitalized where he was given high doses of chemotherapy. These treatments were killing him. He was so weak that he could do nothing, absolutely nothing.

After about four months of chemotherapy, the next devastating blow came down on this 12 year old. This time Raz had to face the unimaginable. His left leg was going to be amputated.

Throughout the year, as painful as it was, and living with the reality that he had no leg, Raz stayed optimistic and never let go of his smile.

Chaiyanu became one of his important life lines, helping him and the entire family to stay mentally strong and positive. Raz was able to join “The Hope Tour,” Chaiyanu’s trip to South Africa. For the first time, he didn’t feel sick or handicapped. He had an amazing experience together with the amazing Chaiyanu volunteers and the other cancer children who had shared the same tough experiences. This trip was life changing for him and left him with fond memories that will stay with him for the rest of his life.

Raz has recently started to walk with a prosthetic leg and he is determined to join the Chaiyanu Team Lifeline in the Jerusalem marathon, no matter if he will run with his prosthetic leg or in a wheelchair.

Raz will run together with his Mother. They will be running for the recovery of a dear friend and true fighter; Shmuel ”Muli” Safrai. ”Muli” has been battling Neuroblastoma cancer for many years. He is currently undergoing extremely tough treatments in the States where Chai Lifeline\Chaiyanu is a very important part in this family’s life.  For more details, visit Raz’s internet page at http://www.teamlifeline.org/israel/my/Sakoury

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Yeshivat Hakidma HaTechnologit Showcase

R abbi Uri & M rs. Einat Broner

Do you see a tremendous difference in mentality between yeshiva students of today and those of twenty years ago?

Yes, indeed. Our youth today is much smarter, has a strong personal agenda and is more indolent. A student will not get up in the morning unless it is worth his while.

Isn’t kriat shema bizmana [saying the Shema prayer on time] a reason enough to get up in the morning?

The student who has what to do and what to study after tefillah [prayers] will get up for tefillah too. “Mitoch shelo lishma, ba lishma.” [If, at first he does it for other motives, eventually he will come to do it for its own sake.] Anyone who thinks that we can educate today as we did twenty years ago is burying his head in the sand.

How can we, as parents, ensure that our sons will want to get up in the morning and go to yeshiva?

In businesses we say, “The customer is always right.” When a child is sent to a Talmud Torah or a yeshiva, who is the customer? Is it the student who does not get along with the school? Or, maybe vice versa? Is it the school that does not get along with the customer?

Sometimes, when a child is “too smart,” there are those who will claim he is hyper-active and require that he receive sedative treatment by a neurologist. I ask,perhaps we need a better equipped 44

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educational system for a bright child, one that will know how to make certain that he is occupied, engaged and not bored?

We all have times when it is easier to properly carry out our daily routines as well as times when it is more difficult for us to get up in time to pray properly and to fulfill all our responsibilities.

Are we expecting a child who attends eight years of Talmud Torah or six years of yeshiva to be completely free of all these problems? On the contrary. On the one hand, we expect his school framework to be cognizant of how to deal with his problems and how to assist him in overcoming them. On the other hand, we expect this framework to find solutions which ensure that he fill his day appropriately in study and understanding, and “Mitoch shelo lishma, ba lishma.”

If we understand that our students are actually our clients, then it follows that we need to understand their needs so that we will know what merchandise to sell them.

Einat Broner (Administrative Director) “Chanoch lanaar al pi darko.”

Yeshivat HaKidma HaTechnologit We are taught, “Chanoch lanaar al pi darko.” One should educate youth each in his own way, not according to the way. This is a quote from Harav Dr. Yehuda Kuperman shlita, President of the Michlala where I studied twenty years ago. I still update Rav Kuperman from time to time about my work at Yeshivat HaKidma HaTechnologit. The Michlala was groundbreaking in the sense that it gave young religious women the opportunity to study academic studies in a Charedi setting. I feel that my husband Uri and I are continuing the path and lines of thought with which I was educated at the Michlala. We are providing a solution for the real need of acquiring a profession, combined with challenging limudei kodesh for Charedi youth — without any apologetics.

Bizness Magazine

02 999 3939

My husband and I were lucky to have a wonderful personal connection to our Rabbanim. My husband was guided by the personal attention of his Rav, Harav Pinchas Chaim Scheinberg, ztz”l and I from Harav Yehuda Kuperman, shlita and Harabanit Tzipporah, ztz”l.

Aside from the interesting and challenging curriculum at Yeshivat HaKidma HaTechnologit, it is the personal attention that counts.

I convey to our students that relationships are like bank accounts, if you invest, you can withdraw.

We try to be attentive to the needs of our students. The communication and mutual respect and appreciation allows us to help them develop as responsible, studious, G-d fearing individuals — real professionals.

Today, one can join Yeshivat HaKidma and achieve a B.Sc. from the Open University in Computer Science and Life Sciences combined with a morning seder in limudei kodesh – interesting and challenging studies in the realm of Halacha. Our targeted student body is within the age range of 16-24.

Yeshiva Letzeirim

We have also begun registration for Yeshiva Letzeirim, which will B”H begin studies on the 28th of Av 5774 (August 24, 2014). The Yeshiva Letzeirim track will have a curriculum including Chumash, Parshanut, Gemara, Hashkafa as well as general studies- English, math, composition, Ivrit, and computer programming using Microsoft.Net, as well as interesting chugim. In addition, we have tiyulim from time to time.

We look forward to meeting interested parents and students who are considering our programs.

We can be reached at: 073-705-7055.

Visit us at: www.hakidma.com 

Rabbi Meir Segal

“If one doesn’t teach his son a trade, he will come to rob people.”

The Mishna in Tractate Avoth ( 2:2) teaches us the words of Rabbi Gamliel, the son of Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi: The study of Torah is praiseworthy when accompanied by derech eretz. The toil in attaining both prevents sin. And any Torah not accompanied by labor will eventually cease and result in sin.

The Rambam, in his commentary on the Mishnah, uses the Talmud in Kiddushin to explain that, “If one doesn’t teach his son a trade, he will come to rob people.”

The Meiri teaches (in Beit HaBechira, HaMeiri: Avoth, Chapter 2) that the study of Torah is praiseworthy when accompanied by derech eretz. Some interpret derech eretz to mean earning a livelihood and engaging in trade. As it says in Kohelet 7:11: “Wisdom is good with an inheritance…” The phrase, “the toil of both prevents sin,” means that the aspect of sin is absent from him. Due to his Torah learning, he knows to be wary. And due to attaining his needs, he does not need to scheme in search of his livelihood. The Mishna continues, “All Torah that is not accompanied by labor will eventually cease.” This is because fulfilling his needs puts pressure on him and “causes sin “because he needs to scheme to attain his livelihood and, therefore, he will end up robbing people. 

Shalom Zavdi

(Future Doctor) “Passage, you and your future.”

Passage, from one place to another, from one state to another, can sometimes be traumatic. However, when your day begins with a glorious crown, when the people you face are people with a dream, all fears dissipate and one senses a great boost of energy towards one’s goals. That is how I feel at Kidma. The place, the studies and, most importantly, the social atmosphere, all become fertile ground for success. It is a place where one is transformed personally and professionally. Upon my return home in the evening, I am asked “How was it?” The answer is not “O.K.,” but rather “Amazing.” 

Motty Grubin (student)

“The best place you can ask for.”

I would like to say that when I came here I was scared that I might not manage. I was concerned that it might be too much to handle.

But when I got here, the staff kept checking to make sure it was all O.K. Everyone here is friendly, caring and just want the students to succeed. The students in the school are also very friendly and nice. They know how to have fun but when it’s time to learn, they learn. The best part about it is that you don’t need any type of high school diploma or any of that type of stuff. If they see you are capable, then you can get accepted. To sum it up, if you are looking for a place where you can get a good job in computers in the future and you don’t know what to do to get there, then this is the best place you can ask for. 

Moshe Atun (Student)

“Time has taken on new meaning.”

Before I came to yeshiva, the centrality of time was not of important to me. This was exemplified by my getting up as I wished and my going to bed when I wished. In other words, doing whatever I wished, when I wished it, without looking at the clock. Since I entered the yeshiva, time has taken on new meaning. Accomplish as much as you can; change as much as you can and the results will B”H follow. As we say in Shir Hamaalot, “Hazorim bdima brina yiktzoru.” [Whoever plants with tears will harvest with joy.]

What is amazing about this place is that the staff and management really care about what each student is going through and does everything it can to lend a hand.  www.BIZNESSMAG.com

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45

Interview with

Oded Shachor from Einit

A new spirit in optometry & fashion Tell us how Einit started.

Einit was founded in 1978 when two brothers, new immigrants from South Africa, Joseph and Michael Wolf, each one coming from a different academic background, decided to bring a new spirit to the optometry profession by combining optometry and fashion on the highest level.

Joseph, as the optometrist, and Michael, as the business man, opened up a small store on the top floor of the Clal building. At the same time, they also became the exclusive importer of frames and contact lenses from leading companies and names in the field from around the world. A year later, Hillel Cohen, a famous optometrist from South Africa who has contributed a lot to the field, joined the company.

With time, the store grew and moved to the bottom floor of the Clal Center. In the year 2002, it moved to its current location at the corner of Yeshayahu and Haneviim Streets in Jerusalem.

How many locations do you have?

Today there are seven branches. These additional branches were opened in areas where there were Chareidi populations—Beitar, Beit Shemesh, Elad, Bnei Brak and recently, due to the great demand in Jerusalem, also at the Rav Shefa Mall in Romema.

Each of our branches has the following in common — the most advanced equipment for checking eyes and an ability to determine the most accurate results combined with our professionalism and our ability to make our customers feel comfortable.

How do you select your personnel?

As required by Israeli law, every optometrist has to pass the tests of the Ministry of Health and have an academic degree within the optometry field.

The other personnel are chosen very carefully. They must pass a period of training in order to familiarize themselves with the various concepts in the field in order to know how to give each problem the best and most correct solution. The workers undergo professional training in the field of optics and well as in the field of sales.

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Most of your staff has been around for a long time, what’s the magic formula?

Go to Einit gives each and every employee a feelwww.qponz.biz ing of a “warm house.” We try to ensure that they come to work with a big smile and that they have real fun at work. We believe that the professionalism of the workers is critical. We do not want to train a worker who will leave after a short period. The training period and the large amount of knowledge required from our workers impels our management to invest in each employee and trust that the employee will be satisfied. This is the key to the success of the business.

What products and services do you offer?

Each of our branches employs experts for the fitting of the correct number for the lenses and the correct frames for each client.

Contact lenses require a special fitting as do complicated cases of serious distortion in the cornea.

In addition, we test and care for problems of focusing which requires a special skill and we have very specific exercises for each and every problem.

Are more costly glasses necessarily better quality or more durable?

Usually more expensive frames are better since they are manufactured in Europe and America according to updated fashion categories and with very strict safety codes. Our suppliers must give their complete guarantee on the product that they are selling.

The client has complete guarantee for issues such as color peeling or spaces in the soldering within the specified period.

The saying that, “The product that is the cheapest is the most expensive” is very apt as products with no guarantee are a big danger for a client - especially for children who do not properly take care of their glasses.

The lenses themselves require a double guarantee—one for the quality of the product and its ability to last a long time and the other for its ability as an optic accessory on the highest level. This is in order to prevent serious problems that can create irreparable damage to sight.

Einit is one of the stores that it’s always busy with clients; to what do you attribute that?

We are fortunate to have been designated as one of those granted the concession by the various health clinics and we have earned the full trust of experts in optometry and ophthalmology. We all have a close relationship with the best eye doctors who recommended us highly and trust our opinions on everything having to do with the fitting of glasses and contact lenses.

We see so many stores opening and closing; share with us some of the secrets for success in retail.

In light of all that is said above, it is understandable why our stores are so busy.

Einit is committed to not settling on the quality of its eye exams or on its products and above all giving top service to its customers so that they will know that the trust they have given us pays off.

It is the clients who are our best messengers and who determine which businesses will survive.

Jerusalem | Yeshayahu 2 | 02-5002050 Ramat Bet Shemesh | Nachal Zohar 10 | 02-991811 

Bizness Magazine

02 999 3939

Metal Fixtures for the Kitchen

By Miriam Goldshtein

T

he field of metal accessories for the kitchen, in other words the inside accessories for the kitchen cabinets, are supplied by a number of leading companies. Each company has its own special products which are unique to it.

When purchasing a kitchen, it is important to make sure that the kitchen accessories will come from a well-known and leading company and that they will be from that company’s list of top quality products.

Customers need to be very careful in their choice of manufacturer and installer.

Pantries Nowadays, there is a tendency to build tall cabinets to serve as a pantry. The metal accessories for these enable the maximum use of the space. These metal accessories slide totally out and travel on sophisticated tracks. Since the tops of the modernly designed kitchen cabinets require cleanly designed lines and wide openings, the top of the kitchen cabinets are narrow and very long and therefore require a system of hinges to raise the door. These are connected to small pistons which enable the doors to open easily.

Kitchen Corners Alongside the traditional Lazy Susans, one can find cabinet organizers for the top cabinets with a diameter of 50 cm. There are semi-Lazy Susans that come out separately. The “Magic Corner” is a very smart mechanical device which enables a storage unit to slide out almost completely. There are organizers that are divided into four different parts with the ability of each part to slide out separately. There are also corner drawers. They move but only use half of the volume of the corner. That is why they are not so much in demand.

Drawers One can say that nowadays the drawers have taken over the majority of the storage area of the kitchen or at the front of the kitchen or hidden behind a door. The devel-

opment of advanced tracks has transformed the drawers into a multi-use effective accessory manufactured with sturdy and strong materials and advanced double tracks enabling them to hold any load. There are also internal divisions of the drawers—permanent units or removable dividers -- that enable personalized divisions. There are divisions for the silverware, knives, spices and pots of various sizes and various types, all a part of the effective storage solutions for the modern kitchen.

We recommend that you visit our im-

pressive showroom and be impressed by the variety of solutions that can be found there…and more.

With our rich experience, we will find you the best solution and the most efficient solution.

See you at Kitchens.  For more information, Miriam Goldshtein can be contacted at:

KITCHENS showroom

Tchelet Mordechai 1, Bet Shemesh.

Phone: 02-624-3773.

Hours: Sun-Thur: 11:00-17:00 The designer is at the showroom from 11:00 - 14:30.

1

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Life Coach

Real Estate Law

Helen Abelesz Background: Helen is a life coach who specializes in working with women who are feeling overwhelmed, lack selfconfidence, dealing with stress or not achieving their potential.

Helen will help you pinpoint your insecurities, set goals for you to achieve and empower you to take control of your life.

She works in both Hebrew and English. Call her today. 02 992 0263, 054 482 9815.

Nicole Levin Background: Nicole Levin is an American born, Israeli trained real estate attorney with 28 years of experience in the field.

She is a Mediator and Notary as well. She has offices in Beit Shemesh and in Modiin.

Nicole Levin can be contacted at 02-9915687 and her offices are on the 2nd floor of the BIG Shopping Center office building. Website because www.levinlawoffices.co.il

5

3 Technical Services TZVI LEFKOWITZ Background: Handyman Tzvi has many years of experience in general contracting and home renovations. He made aliya from New York where he built multi-unit projects and custom homes. Air conditioning happens to be one of his passions. Tzvi is a licensed Electra technician who provides care and maintenance service as well as sales for all major brands. He can be contacted at 054-498-5298, www.HandymanTzvi.com

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4 Orthodontics Dr. Eli Gherman Dr. Edo Lavi Background: Both Drs Gherman and Lavi are American trained orthodontists, and are active members in the American Association of Orthodontists. Dr Gherman attended NYU Dental on full scholarship, and Montefiore Medical Center for his orthodontic residency. Dr Lavi graduated from UMDNJ, was chief resident of general dentistry and received his orthodontic degree from NYU College of Dentistry. Dr Ghermanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clinic is in Rechavia, 02561-9770 Dr. Laviâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clinic is in RBShemesh, 02992- 3363

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Integrative Health

Mortgage

Insurance

Real Estate

Reuven Rosenberg Background: Dr. Reuven M. Rosenberg is a Chiropractor and Clinical Nutritionist. He runs The Integrative Health Center with offices in Jerusalem and Ramat Bet Shemesh. He can be contacted at 052-761-6793, info@DrRosenberg.net or through his website at www.DrRosenberg.net

Moshe Wilshinsky Background: A 27-year veteran in the mortgage industry, Moshe is the CEO of Moville Mortgage and Finance LTD. To contact Moshe, call their main line at 073 796 2226 and press their special 711 Bizness extension. For US callers dial 201 377 3418 and UK 208 596 4501. Email him at questions@ movillefinance.com or visit their website at www.movillefinance.com

Egert-Cohen Insurance Background: Egert-Cohen is a Jerusalem-based brokerage that specializes in helping Englishspeaking Olim with personal family insurance solutions.

They are also experts in travel insurance and incoming tourism.

Contact Shimon Cohen at 050-5482192 or Yona Egert at 050-5363897 or visit their website at www.egertcohen.co.il

YOSSI LIPSH Background: Yossi Lipsh is one of the most experienced realtors in Bet Shemesh. He is the founder of Yossi Lipsh Realty. They specialize in buying, selling and managing properties in Ramat Bet Shemesh.

Their office is located on Nachal Dolev 38, RBS A. Contact information: 02-999-4466; 052-396-0551. E-mail: info@ yossilipshrealty.com Website: www.rbs-realty.com Facebook: RBS-Realty

9

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Car Mechanics

Business Growth

Ariel Levy Background: With over 15 years of experience, Ariel is the head mechanic of AutoKING, a full service car garage in the Industrial area in Bet Shemesh. They service all makes and models and specialize in French and Japanese cars. The garage is across the parking of the Big Fashion Mall in Bet Shemesh. Call 02 626 1613 or 054 205 0389 for any consultations.

Ariel Topf Company: Bizness Magazine Background: Ariel has built several companies in 3 continents in the fields of Internet, High-Tech, Retail, Franchising, Food Manufacturing, Clothing Manufacturing, Direct Sales, Wholesale, Personal Development, Restaurant, Advertising and Publishing. In this process Ariel has headhunted, hired, trained, managed and/or mentored over 20,000 individuals. He can be contacted at ariel@biznessmag. com

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For guitar lessons call 052 271 2252

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alking the streets of Bet Shemesh, we came across a hair salon called KRISPEL. The place looked very professional and was full of life.

Here is an interview with Oren, the owner of the salon.

What is the meaning of the name KRISPEL? No real significance, it is my family name.

Where are you from?

Born and bred in Bet Shemesh.

How many years have you been in the hair salon business?

I started to work in my brother’s salon at the age of 14 and I have been doing it ever since for a total of 18 years.

Where did you study? What is your experience?

Mostly I have on the job experience. I have attended many separate courses and seminars relating to color and the chemistry involved in setting hair color.

Who are your main customers?

We serve men and women of all ages and backgrounds; men also like to get a great haircut!

What makes you different than your competitors?

I don’t worry about my competition, I take care and do the best for my clients and my clients appreciate the attention I give them.

Why do people come back to you?

I think my clients come back to get great service, professionalism, and relax in the pleasant atmosphere of the salon. We do not take it for granted when our clients choose us and to call on us to fulfill their fantasies pertaining to their hair, when they could call others.

They come to us, and we greatly appreciate this.

What services do you offer in your salon?

We offer all services pertaining to hair, from cutting to advice on chemistry of hair color. We custom make hair products according to the need of each client.

Why do people come here all the way from “The Rama”?

Once you find a salon that takes good care of you, listens to your needs, and fulfills your desires for your hair, you will not hesitate to go to any lengths to achieve this.

How should people contact you?

They can call me at 992 2295.

We are located on Herzl 2, Bet Shemesh. 

HAIR DESIGN

HERZI 2, BET SHEMESH 02 992 2295

Gat Keden

With our selection and prices there is no reason to go anywhere else!!!

Lowest prices for Purim and Pesach Small bottles for Mishloach Manot at surprising prices

Bet Shemesh (Old Mercaz) Tel. 02-9991141 Bet Shemesh (Industrial Area next to Kinor David) Tel. 02-9922221

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Adar begins & we increase our joy!

Started to think about cleaning for Pesach?

To be prepared you need to go to

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Faucets, sinks, paint, housewares and power tools all under one roof.

The shop owner is a professional and will advise and give a warm and friendly service!

Park Center Nachal Timna Sun - Thurs 9:00 - 19:00 Fri 8:00 - 14:00 02 9914454

place! sories, All in one f costume acces pplies for o n s o g kagin u Selecti eup, pac gs for Mishloach k a m m ri ...

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Can be used at Super-Pharm Optic branches only. Valid until supply lasts.

Photo for illustration purposes only.

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Pocket sliding doors

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Come and design your own jewelry and enjoy an interesting workshop experience

No Door

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ENJOY OUR WIDE VARIETY OF QUALITY INTERIOR DOORS AT GREAT PRICES Business Area, Kinor David, 7 Ha Oman St. Beit Shemesh, Tel. 02-9998060 Sun-Thu: 9am-7pm Fri: 9am-12pm. Find us on Facebook: DOORSILL Enter our new site for special deals available to you: www.doorsill.co.il

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Photo for illustration purposes only.

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Sewing, repairs and alterations TK New clothes design and sewn especially for you A E R G   B  PU GF Basic sewing supplies ING

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Sun-Thu: 10:00 - 14:00 Sun, Mon, Wed, Thu: 16:00 - 20:00

Tel. 02 992 5665 Cel. 052 768 8663

In the underground parking under “Yesh” in the RBS A Center (Entrance from Nachal Nitzanim)

We accept credit cards

Kupa Shel Tzedaka

T h e

Missi o n :

Collect 500,000 NIS on Purim Day and distribute it all before sunset

K

upa Shel Tzedaka of RBS A has been accomplishing this mission year after year.

Here is a unique glimpse at the coordinated, volunteer-based, system that has proven itself time and again.

The numbers are staggering: Half a million shekels in cash (coins and banknotes), checks, vouchers, credit cards; in shekels, dollars, pounds and Euros; that arrive via 110 collectors, 60 collection points (45 shuls and 15 homes) and four collection cars. Add to this the fact that all of the money has to be collected by approximately 1:00 p.m., at one central location, converted into shekels, counted, collated and prepared for anonymous recipients all over the neighborhood (in two shifts). And don’t forget that Purim is one of the year’s busiest days. Many people are inebriated to some degree and thus unreliable. Traffic is crazy, money keeps coming in until the last minute and the Kupa has committed to get all of the funds to the families on Purim day!

So how do they get it done? We met with some of the Kupa’s dedicated staff who filled us in on what goes on behind the scenes.

Approximately one month before Purim, the Kupa’s committee meets to compose a list of recipients. At the meeting, which lasts almost an entire day, the deliberations are thorough and objective.

Additional shorter sessions may be held over the coming weeks to address new and urgent cases and to render decisions on cases that required further research. The considerable sums received by over 200 neighborhood families are not merely to cover the costs of the holiday. The bulk of the 500,000 shekels distributed on Purim are intended to save families in crisis and implement carefully planned rehabilitation programs that will extricate them from a cycle of dependency.

By the afternoon of Ta’anis Esther, an orderly list of code numbers and amounts has been finalized. These numeric codes protect the identities of the recipients. The name behind a given code is known only to the family’s representative who liaisons on its behalf with the Kupa from the initial contact until the family no longer requires assistance. The amounts are pre-determined based on the amount of money that the Kupa hopes to raise.

57

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PURIM 2014

What happens if this goal is not reached? The Kupa’s devoted collectors are then asked to rise to the challenge late on Purim afternoon — to work down to the wire while others are enjoying the seudah in the company of family and friends and to go back to work and reach the goal. If they succeed in raising more than the pre-determined amount, there is a contingency list, prepared in advance, according to which the funds will be distributed.

All of the money collected on Purim arrives at one central location where it is counted and collated. The envelopes that have already been prepared well in advance are then released, one by one, according to the sum that has already accumulated. The order in which they are released is predetermined, based on various criteria that are the fruit of previous years’ experience.

At the collection point there is a master list of every Kupa activist who may have funds for Matanos Laevyonim — from shul gabbaim to collectors, drop-off locations and drivers. This list is monitored by a designated volunteer who ensures that no envelope is overlooked. Another list contains the code numbers and amounts which are crossed off as the envelopes with the Matanos Laevyonim are sent with discreet messengers to their destinations.

Before Purim, the Kupa designates ten volunteer drivers, deployed in zones, who are assigned to pick up packages from specific addresses. These drivers have a route and also fill requests to pick up donations. The telephone requests are handled by volunteers who man the phones throughout the day and e-mail all of the requests to a dispatcher who directs a driver who is in that ”zone” at that time. In addition, the telephone operators call to confirm that the person who requested the pickup is still at that location. The dispatcher then updates the driver informing him if the donor’s location has changed. Not surprisingly, with Mishloach Manos deliveries, going away for the Purim Seudah and traffic jams — all common fixtures of the day — peoples’ locations are apt to change quickly and unexpectedly.

Meanwhile, back at the central location, the treasurer continues to collect the envelopes with cash donations, checks and credit card slips while receiving an hourly update of donations that continue to come in via telephone and the Kupa’s website. Although most of the envelopes have reached their destinations well in advance of the day’s end, this activity continues until just after sunset when the last volunteer can mark with satisfaction the end of another fulfilling Purim. 

Bizness Magazine

02 999 3939

n i g a h C e h t l e e f We ! d A r Oshe purim! y p p a H Happy pu rim and

Mordei Hagitaot 6, Bet Shemesh

10:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. Wed. and Thurs.: 10:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m. Fri.: 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

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