REMEMBERING: yoSSi harel
GUSH KaTIF RESIDENTS on independence day
SHAUL SCHARF:
Rebuilding a Nation
POINT OF VIEW Faces of Israel
Uniformity
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VOL. 2, ISSUE NO. 17 MAY 2008
KEDOSHIM, MAY 2, 2008 Candle lighting Shabbat Ends BET SHEMESH: 7:03 PM 8:00 PM GUSH ETZION: 7:02 PM 8:00 PM JERUSALEM: 6:40 PM 8:00 PM MODI’IN: 7:03 PM 8:01 PM TEL AVIV: 7:04 PM 8:02 PM NEW YORK: 7:35 PM 8:39 PM LONDON: 8:07 PM 9:26 PM
EMOR, MAY 9, 2008 Candle lighting Shabbat Ends 7:08 PM 8:06 PM 7:07 PM 8:05 PM 6:45 PM 8:05 PM 7:08 PM 8:06 PM 7:09 PM 8:08 PM 7:42 PM 8:48 PM 8:19 PM 9:40 PM
BEHAR, MAY 16, 2008 Candle lighting Shabbat Ends 7:13 PM 8:11 PM 7:12 PM 8:11 PM 6:50 PM 8:11 PM 7:13 PM 8:12 PM 7:14 PM 8:13 PM 7:49 PM 8:56 PM 8:29 PM 9:53 PM
BECHUKOTAI, MAY 23, 2008 Candle lighting Shabbat Ends 7:17 PM 8:17 PM 7:17 PM 8:16 PM 6:54 PM 8:16 PM 7:18 PM 8:17 PM 7:19 PM 8:19 PM 7:56 PM 9:03 PM 8:39 PM 10:06 PM
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| May 2008
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May 2008 When the ShiurTimes staff convened to discuss ideas for the Yom Ha’Atzmaut issue, myriad ideas were raised. Each idea engendered lengthy discussions about its relevance to today’s State of Israel, and to Zionism as a whole. I soon realized that this is precisely what our forefathers went through, and have been going through ever since “the beginning.” Through all of the heated discussions that go on amongst our political and rabbinical leaders, I would like to think that it is because the future of Medinat Yisrael is so dear to us. Indeed we stand at a very fragile crossroads today. We have tried to give a positive portrayal of the inyanei d’yoma (today’s issues) that are pertinent to Israel’s 60th year of independence. Herein, we trace the footsteps of our nation by offering historical insights into the basic infrastructure (see Israel’s Firsts) and sharing a moving narrative of a Holocaust survivor and halutz (pioneer) (see Rebuilding a Family, Rebuilding a Nation). We also to highlight some of the tension inherent between the cultural and religious diversity that exists here, and the lofty goal of achdut (unity) (see Uniformity vs. Ethnic Diversity in the State of Israel). You will also see a few grassroots initiatives that are making positive impacts on the collective consciousness in Israel. Lastly, Yom Ha’Atzmaut would not be the same without the mouth-watering mangal recipes! We therefore proudly present ShiurTimes Yom HaAtzmaut issue, hoping it will give you an appreciation for our shared past. I look forward to celebrating a future together, here in Eretz Yisrael, Medinat Yisrael—Reishit Tzmichat Geulateinu. Wishing you all a Chag Ha’Atzmaut Sameach! Elie RUBIN
6 Israeli Firsts 10 Parshat Emor by Rav Mordechai Greenberg
11 Halacha by Rabbi Professor Daniel Sperber
14 Parshat Behar by Rabbi Yaacov Haber
16 A fter 60 by Bryna Hilburg
26 In Focus: Shaul Scharf by Yehudit Singer
30 Parshat Behukotai by Rabbi Zvi Leshem
32 Faces of Israel by Shiur Times Staff
34 A Star by Menahem ALexenberg
36 H olocaust Commemoration by Yehudit Singer
17 Wishes for the 60th by Anita Tucker
38 L iving with Trauma
18 P sychology
39 Travel
by Chana Frumin & David Kaufman
20 Healthy Living by Dr. Simcha Shapiro
22 Music by Ben Bresky
23 Art by Shiur Times Staff
24 Finance by Douglas Goldstein
by Alison Stern Perez by Yael Ukeles
40 Making a Difference by Gaby Schoenfeld
41 Community Profile by Ilene Bloch-Levy
42 Yom Hazikaron 43 Classifieds 49 Tidbits 50 Recipes
Second Year, No. 17 May © 2008 by ShiurTimes, Inc., 1 Ben Yehuda Street. All rights reserved. To contact one of the staff with your questions, concerns, subscriptions or advertising needs, please call: 02-6256225 or e-mail: staff.editors@shiurtimes.com. Managing Publisher & Editor-in Chief: Elie Rubin Editor: Yehudit Singer Marketing Manager: Hillie Roth Art Director: Deb Houben Classifieds & Marketing: Zev Gefen Studio Rubin & Co: 054-723-4520 Stock Photography: istockphoto.com, Flickr. Copyrighting laws apply to all articles, and nothing may be reprinted without express permission from the Publisher. ShiurTimes is not responsible for the content of the advertisements. The Opinions of the articles within the ShiurTimes rest solely upon the authors. Reproduction of any parts of the ShiurTimes is forbidden without permission. PLEASE REFRAIN FROM READING THE SHIURTIMES IN THE BEIT KNESSET DURING TIMES OF TEFILLA.
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| May 2008
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Israeli Firsts
Uni
One of the Zionist movement’s dreams was to establish a Hebrew university in Palestine. A major supporter of the idea was Albert Einstein, who bequeathed his papers and entire estate to the University. The cornerstone for the university was laid in 1918, and, seven years later, on April 1, 1925, the Hebrew University campus on Mount Scopus of Jerusalem was opened. The First Board of Governors included Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Martin Buber, and Chaim Weizmann. The university currently hosts four campuses: Mt. Scopus, Givat Ram, Ein Kerem and Rechovot.
Air
El Al (Hebrew: “skyward”) is Israel’s largest airline and flag carrier. Its inaugural flight was from Geneva to Tel Aviv in September 1948. As the former national carrier of Israel, El Al has played an important role in Israel’s humanitarian rescue efforts, airlifting Jews from Ethiopia, Yemen, and other countries where their lives were at risk. The airline holds the world record for the most passengers on a commercial aircraft, a record set by Operation Solomon when Jewish refugees were transported from Ethiopia. El Al is widely acknowledged as the world’s most secure airline, after foiling many attempted hijackings and terror attacks through its vigilant security protocols.
Post
During the Mandate, postal services were provided by British authorities. The postal service operated in British Palestine was reputed be the best in the Middle East. Letters were delivered daily in Jerusalem transported by boat, train, cars and horses. In 1933, the British Post offices in Palestine and Iraq were the first places to use air letter cards. Nearly all British postal operations shut down during April 1948. Only the main post offices in Haifa, Jaffa, Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv remained open. By April 25, 1948, Palestine postal services had fallen apart. In early May 1948, meanwhile, the Jewish provisional government known as Minhelet Ha’am did not have its own postage, so it pressed into use the stamps of the Jewish National Fund. The JNF stamps were given an overprint with the word “doar” (postage). From May 16, 1948, stamps were issued by the State of Israel under the Israel Postal Authority. The first set of stamps was entitled “Doar Ivri” (Hebrew postage), while later stamps were issued for Israel. Israeli stamps are trilingual, in Arabic, English and Hebrew, following the practice of the British Mandate of Palestine. Israel stamps have distinctive tabs, on the margins of printed sheets, with inscriptions in Hebrew and usually English or French.
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News
Ha’aretz, founded 1918, is Israel’s oldest daily newspaper. It was originally sponsored by the British military government in Palestine. In 1919 it was taken over by Russian Zionists. Initially, it was called “Hadashot Ha’aretz” (News of the Land). A wealthy German Jewish Zionist named Salman Schocken bought the paper in 1937. His son, Gershom Schocken, became the chief editor and held that position until 1990. | May 2008
www.shiurtimes.com
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Israeli Firsts
Bus
Egged Bus Cooperative is the largest bus company in Israel, and the second largest in the world (after London Buses). Egged makes 44,957 trips every day, transporting about a million passe ngers over 810,519 km of roads. The history of Egged begins after the first World War, when a few young Jews in Israel bought trucks from the remaining British army supply. They installed seats in the back of the trucks to transform them into buses. The roads were dangerous at that time, since Arab gangs organized regular ambushes. The first bus pioneers decided to organize themselves as a cooperative so they would stand together against these attacks. The name “Egged” (Union) was given to the cooperative by the Israeli poet Chaim Nachman Bialik, in reference to the original merger.
TV
“HaArutz HaRishon”, (The First Channel) is the oldest television channel in Israel and one of only two terrestrial channels in the country (Channel 2 being the other). Run by the Israel Broadcasting Authority, it started broadcasting on May 2, 1968, and is largely funded through a television license, though there are some adverts. The law creating the Israel Broadcasting Authority was passed by the Knesset on June 6, 1965, with the television channel starting broadcasts on May 2, 1968. Initially in black and white, color television was used since January 13, 1981, although occasional colour transmissions had been made earlier. The most famous broadcast in color was the Egyptian president’s visit to Israel in 1977 and the Eurovision Song Contest in 1979. Until 1994 the channel was called “HaTelevizia HaKlalit” (General Television) or “HaTelevizia HaYisraelit” (Israeli Television), but became known as Channel 1 when Channel 2 started broadcasting.
Uzi
Car
Sabra (Autocars Co. Ltd.) of Haifa, Israel, was founded in the 1950s as Israel’s first car manufacturer (there was an earlier manufacturer who assembled American cars in Haifa bay, Kaiser Frazer). Among their popular models were the Sussita, Carmel and Gilboa (an effort to produce the Carmel in Greece by Attica had no success). They also assembled Triumph cars from kits in the late 60’s (Triumph 1300). The company was bought by Rom Carmel Industries in 1974, after Autocars was placed in administration in 1971 and the owner, Mr. Yitzhak Shubinsky, was forced to resign. It was bought four years later by Urdan Industries. Their last full year of production was 1980.
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The weapon was designed by Major (Captain at the time) Uziel Gal of the Israel Defense Forces following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The Uzi submachine gun was submitted to the Israeli army for evaluation and won out over more conventional designs due to its simplicity and economy of manufacture. Gal did not want the weapon to be named after him, but his request was ignored. The initial model was accepted in 1951 and was first used in battle in 1956 and gained huge success. The Uzi submachine gun was used as a personal defense weapon by rear-echelon troops, officers, artillery troops and tankers, as well as a frontline weapon by elite light infantry assault forces. The Uzi’s compact size and firepower proved instrumental in clearing Syrian bunkers and Jordanian defensive positions during the 1967 Six-Day War. Advanced and smaller Uzi variations were used by the Israeli special forces until recently, when in December 2003, the Israeli military announced that it was completely phasing the Uzi out of use by its forces, but would continue to manufacture the weapon for both domestic use and export. Total sales of the weapon has netted over $2 billion (US), with over 90 countries using the weapons either for their armed forces or in law enforcement. | May 2008
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Parshat Emor
Count for Yourselves Sefirat Ha’Omer: helping us reach new heights was because they were immersed in idolatry! The Sefer Gelilei Zahav explains that social nature and a national bond is something natural to every human society, whereas an animal cares only for itself and is willing to kill another to fulfill its personal needs. In human society, though, each person has a strong emotional association with his nation, and is sometimes even willing to sacrifice his life for the nation.
by Rav Mordechai Greenberg
Y
ou shall count for yourselves ... from the day when you bring the omer of the waving - seven weeks ... and you shall offer a new meal-offering to Hashem. From your dwelling places you shall bring bread that shall be waved, two loaves... (Vayikra 23:15-16). A number of unique elements are mentioned with the omer offering that are not mentioned with other offerings. “Waving,” “new,” “two,” and the command, “you shall count “for yourselves.” What is the message here? On the pasuk “They did not heed Moshe, because of shortness of breath and hard work” (Shemot 6:9), Chazal comment that it was difficult for them to separate from idolatry. (Shemot Rabbah: 6) This is what Yechezkel said: “They did not forsake the idols of Egypt.” (20:8) This interpretation seems difficult. The Torah says that they did not heed Moshe because of shortness of breath, whereas Chazal teach that it
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When Am Yisrael were in their land, this feeling was strong, and they would sacrifice for the nation and its land more so than other nations. This is because the nationalistic feeling among Jews, at its source, is spiritual and Divine. Chazal comment that regarding Esav it says, “the ‘souls’ (nafshot—pl.) of his household,” whereas about Israel it says, “seventy ‘soul’”(nefesh—sing.). Israel, who serve one G-d, is one soul; the other nations, since they worship many gods, are many souls. However, from the time we were exiled from our land, the nationalistic feeling has been weakened, and everyone concerns himself only with himself and his family. Therefore, Chazal comment on the pasuk, “Curse Meroz ... for they failed to come to aid [the nation of] Hashem” (Shoftim 5:23), that one who helps Israel is like one who helps Hashem. In contrast, one who is self-centered— even if he is involved in the service of Hashem, but his intention is only for himself— is considered as if he is worshipping idols. This is what was lacking in the exile in Egypt. Each person had his own self-interests. They did not know what nationalistic feelings were, and therefore, they did not
want to leave. It therefore says, “With a strong hand [Pharaoh] will send them out” (Shemot 6:1), because they did not want to leave by themselves. They were self-centered. This is what Yechezkel complained about, that, to this day, “They did not forsake the idols of Egypt.” They repeated the sin that they committed in Egypt, and did not succeed in understanding the importance of the community. Chazal say: “The son of David (i.e., Mashiach) will not come until the prutah (penny) is gone from the pocket” – until the pratiut (individualism) is gone from the pocket of the heart.
‘‘
One who helps Israel is like one who helps Hashem.” The idea of Sefirat Ha’Omer is to correct this fault. Therefore it says, “Count for yourselves,” i.e., for that negative trait of “for yourselves,” your self-centeredness. Take barley, food for an animal that cares only about itself, and wave it; rise from this low trait. The new meal-offering, comes from wheat, the food of humans, who have social feelings, and are concerned not only for themselves. Therefore, two loaves of bread are brought— one for himself and one for his friend, after correcting the seven traits of sefirah, in their various permutations, forty-nine in all. In this way, man raises his character from low depths to great heights, from the trait of an individual animal to the trait of a social person, and brings a new meal-offering, since he is made a new person. We are fortunate to see once again the reestablishment of the State of Israel, and to work together as a nation towards achieving our Divinely-guided, nationalistic goal. ° Rav Mordechai Greenberg (shlita) is the Rosh Hayeshiva of Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh. This article was translated by Rav Meir Orlian, and reprinted with permission from Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh’s website: www.kby.org.
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Halacha
Uniformity vs. Ethnic Diversity in the State of Israel
From the unified version of the Sidddur to standardizing laws of S
by Rabbi Professor Daniel Sperber
T
he last sixty years have seen Israel as a haven for the ingathering of the exiles. Jews from over a hundred different countries, speaking almost as many languages and dialects, have settled in the land bringing their own customs, practices, and their own versions of the prayer-book. Askhenazim and Sephardim, North African and Orientals, Hassidim and Mitnagdim, Yemenite, Cochini, Ethiopians, etc. all have found their home in the meltingpot of the State of Israel. At one time, there were attempts to create some kind of uniformity amongst the different ethnic groups. The educational system and the army geared to even out differences, in order to unify Israeli society’s disparate groups. In the army, Rav [Shlomo] Goren even designed a “unified” version of the siddur— nusach achid—with which all soldiers, whatever their ethnic background, could pray together. It was basically nusach sepharad (with some variations), a
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hassidic modification of the oriental Kabbalist prayerbook authored by the disciples of the Ari ha-Kodesh. Although useful in an army context, it did not gain wide acceptance in the general public, since it satisfied Edot HaMizrach (oriental communities) not the Lithuanian Mitnagdim, or the Germanic communities. Consequently, subsequent “Israeli” siddurim, such as Rinat Yisrael, Koren, etc., appeared in differing versions: Nusach Ashkenaz, Sefarad and Edot HaMizrach. It was later understood how serious an error it was to try and eradicate ageold local community traditions, which created a dangerous identity-vacuum. The Ministry of Education then set up a special department for the “Eastern Communities” (Edot HaMizrach), to revive the customs, traditions and ethnic characteristics that were rapidly being forgotten and falling into oblivion. It was a sort of emergency program to combat the erosion of ethnicity and restore pride in their ethnic uniqueness. The tension between searching for uniformity while still preserving elements of diversity expressed itself in the halachik writings of great contemporary authorities. Rav Ovadiah Yosef (shlita), has sought to unify the oriental
communities, arguing that they should all follow the rulings of Rabbi Yosef Karo, the Sephardi author of the Shulchan Aruch. Undoubtedly, he would be delighted to see all Israeli communities following this halachik guideline. However, realizing that this wasn’t really feasible, he also left a place open for those who follow the Rama, R. Moshe Isserles, author of the Ashkenazi notations to the Shulchan Aruch. However, certain North African rabbis have accused him of trying to force upon them customs and rulings alien to their local traditions, and have staunchly resisted his efforts. And so, just as Rav Ovadiah produced a siddur for their Sephardi (Israeli) community, they continued with their own Magrebi siddurim. In our generation, there has been a proliferation of studies and compilations of local minhagim. Rav Kook(z”l) was also torn between these two divergent goals— unity of Israel, and the preservation of authentic local traditions and customs. On the one hand, he argued that diversity divides our people into separate groups. We cannot host each other in our houses because of different forms of shechitah, or because of the | May 2008
Sh’mitta, perhaps the time has come for some tolerance and respect.
‘‘
The attempt to force uniformity on the communities would merely ignite controversy, thus totally negating the ultimate vision of a tranquil unified community.” kitniyot issue on Pesach, and therefore ideally, we should have one single siddur, one set of halachik rulings, and a unified system of customs. However, he also realized that this is a utopian vision for which our generation is not yet prepared. Furthermore, the attempt to force uniformity on the communities would merely ignite controversy, thus totally negating the ultimate vision of a tranquil unified community. Hence in the meanwhile, as a necessary temporary measure, we must respect the various traditions and encourage pride in their continued preservation. Now, in the 60th year of the State of Israel, we are still plagued by these complex www.shiurtimes.com
doubts. Presumably, the solution to this complexity lies in a wise and differentiated system of compromises. In certain areas, we must instill an uniformity. Very justly, the State of Israel forbade polygamy, which had been permitted and practiced in certain oriental communities. Perhaps we should initiate a single standard of shechitah— something Rav Kook attempted to bring about with little success. We should strengthen the holidays of Yom HaAtzmaut, Yom Yerushalyim, and Yom HaZikaron LeHalalei Tzahal, thus reinforcing the Zionist ideal. In areas where changes in halacha and minhag can bring about a deepening of national unity, attempts should be made by the leading halachik authorities to bring about such. I offer this with the understanding that these changes would be made in a nonconfrontational fashion, with an aim of avoiding strife and dissension. At the same time, communities and indeed families should be encouraged to revive their own authentic traditions and educate towards a pride in them, and this should be supported by both rabbinic
authority as well as the educational system. Maybe this too is an idealized vision, but we need to have visions to give us goals after which to strive. ° Rabbi Professor Daniel Sperber is the President of the Ludwig and Erica Jesselson Institute for Advanced Torah Studies and Bar Ilan University. He has authored many publication on the history of Jewish customs, Jewish art history, Jewish education and Talmudic studies.
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parShat behar
Just One Droplet The lesson Rabbi akiva learned by looking at a rock gave am yisrael the strength to survive.
by rabbi yaacov haber
R
abbi akiva was forty years old and decided he wanted to study Torah. Thus far his life revolved around caring for the physical needs of the world. Like our forefathers, like Moses like so many great men he was a shepherd. But now he decided that he wants to make an intellectual contribution to the Jewish people. But the reality was nagging. Where does a forty-year old man start? He had never been trained in the utilization of his mind. How would he absorb that which scholars learn as children and is ingrained deeply in their hearts? and then one day while walking through the field he witnessed a miracle. Not a supernatural event as did Moses when he was shepherding, but rather a very ordinary miracle. He came upon a rock. He examined the rock and its strength overwhelmed him. He studied the rock and noticed a cavity. “What could be strong enough to bore a hole in this rock?” he asked. as he stared at the rock a drop of water fell upon the hole from a mountain. He understood that drop by drop the water, soft and refreshing to the touch pierced a hole through the impenetrable stone. Rabbi akiva then reasoned; if soft water can penetrate hard rock, certainly Torah which is fire can penetrate my mind. What was the lesson of the rock? If Rabbi akiva was to derive that Torah should be studied a drop at a time that should frustrate him all the more. How could he learn little by little when half his life had already passed? a more appropriate lesson would have been to witness a waterfall crush a rock from which he would learn that an enormous quantity of Torah even
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Many reasons are given for the celebration of Lag B’Omer, the thirty-third day of the counting of the Omer. Today I want to discuss perhaps the least known reason. The 24,000 disciples of Rabbi akiva died during the period of counting the Omer. Rabbi akivas’ entire wealth, all that he had given his life for had perished. The Talmud tells us that the closest relationship in the world is that of a Rebbe and a Talmid. Imagine the grief, the despair. Who could survive the witnessing of such a tragedy? They all died in a very short time between Pesach and Shavuot. The plague lasted thirty-three days and on the thirty third day they stopped dying. The disciples who died included all those to whom he had given Semicha (ordination). Semicha is that which preserves the line of Rabbinical authority. It was first given by G-d to Moses, the first Rabbi, and then by Moses to Joshua, and so on, down the ages.
‘‘
The true celebration of Lag Ba’Omer is the celebration of the ability of man to find new strength to continue before even stepping out from the ashes.”
at a late stage would crush the barriers of his mind. Perhaps the lesson from this was a different one. Our obligation is a drop, even where it seems that the drop is for naught. Let the drop fall and somehow a breakthrough will take place. Rabbi akiva went to study Torah, he began to excel and he began to teach. Twenty-four years passed since that day at the rock and Rabbi akiva became the most sought after teacher in Israel. He attracted over twenty thousand students. all from one droplet.
Now that all the disciples of Rabbi akiva with Semicha had died, Rabbi akiva realized that the institution of Semicha was in danger of dying out. The Roman rulers, realizing the importance of Semicha for the continuity of Jewish tradition, had decreed that anyone who gave or received Semicha was liable to the death penalty, and any city in which it occurred would be destroyed. In spite of this, Rabbi akiva looked over his remaining disciples, and decided that there was only one who could be considered a candidate for ordination, yehuda ben Bava. Rabbi akiva gave him Semicha on Lag B’Omer. (It is for this reason that many have a custom to give their students Semicha on Lag B’Omer.) So that is one of the things we celebrate on that day. On that very day Rabbi akiva decided that he should train more students for Semicha. So he went with five of his disciples to the south of Eretz Israel and began training them for Semicha. These students were: Rabbi Meir, Rabbi yehudah, Rabbi Shimon, Rabbi yose and Rabbi Nechemia. However, before he could give them Semicha, he was contInued on Page 17 | May 2008
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Yom Ha’atzmaut
After 60 Comes Zero by Bryna Hilburg
T
he year was 1979. My husband, Sammy and I had been living in Kiryat Arba with our three children, Meir, Yochanan and Channa. The town was close to Sammy’s army base, and after years of tranquility on a kibbutz, we chose the Kirya in search of a more challenging life. Sammy began working for the Border Police and I worked as a speech therapist. Little did we know what was ahead. Life in the Kirya was wonderful; the aura of Hebron was special. My father was right: Israel was the only place for Jews. When we first got married, we lived our dream. We joined a group going to Kibbutz Alumim, a religious kibbutz in the South. We were floating on clouds. Though my father had passed away by then, he was always known as a die-hard Zionist and would have been proud. After living in Kiryat Arba for a few years, our neighbor told us about a moshav (community) in the Gaza Strip and I jumped. She told me that it was awful: sand and Arabs. I went home and told Sammy that this sounded like the place for us since the Border Police was beginning to pale.
We jumped into our car and went to see Netzer Hazzani, a neighborhood in Gush Katif. It was wonderful. We became tomato farmers. We integrated nicely, and did what everybody did: we got up, sent our kids to school and went to work. Sammy worked in the hot houses and I as a speech therapist. We had two hot houses, grew vegetables and flowers. The kids went to Bnei Akiva high schools and then served in the army or national service. Our son, Yochanan was in a special naval unit called Sheytet. Israel was deeply entrenched in Lebanon and our boys were there. It was on Friday morning, September 5, 1997, that we received a knock on the door, and some soldiers walked in. One of them gave us the horrible news: “Your son Yochanan was killed last night in Lebanon.” We buried our 22 year-old son that day in the sands of Gush Katif. Still, somehow, life went on. Everything around us was so stable. Our neighbors were very supportive. We went back to being a productive family. Years later, in 2003, the government announced the unilateral pull out of the Gaza Strip. Everything seemed so permanent— our homes, schools, clinics, regional council, and hot houses. Our cemetery…. There would be no more Jewish presence in Gush Katif— not even the presence of the deceased. The Jews of Gush Katif had no choice, but to take the dead with them. There were 48 graves.
drew thousands. We made a human chain which went from the Gush to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. We spoke to newspapers, television, and radio around the world. We fought hard for our homes, but we lost the war. On August 18, 2005, Jewish soldiers removed us all from their homes. On August 30th, Yochanan’s grave was dug up by Jewish soldiers and reburied in Nitzan. Yochanan died for his country and his country turned its back on him. We have not raised a flag on Independence Day since, and will not do so this year either. What do I wish for my country in its 60th year? I wish it [the country] to remember where we have come from and to know where we are going. To be proud of being Jews and to walk with our heads held high. I want the government to be responsible for its citizens and not to forget them. Most of all I want the government to learn from mistakes and never ever remove its citizens from their homes. ° Originally from New York, Bryna and Sammy Hilburg came on Aliyah in 1972. Bryna is trained as a speech therapist and is mother to six children. She lived in Netzer Chazzani for 26 years and temporarily lives in a caravilla in Ein Zurim.
We condemned the whole idea. We held demonstrations that
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| May 2008
Yom Ha’atzmaut
Continued from page 14
from a former Gush Katif Resident by Anita Tucker
W
e lived in Netzer Hazani for 29 years. In 2005, we were forced to leave our home, farm and life that we built, by the thousands of young men of our own beloved IDF who were sent to do this by the Members of the Knesset of the State of Israel. On that terrible day, I wasn’t sure whether we still had a State of Israel, nor was I sure that it was still our reishit tzmichat geulateinu—the beginning of the redemption of our people. Beyond that, all our lifetime was now a pile of rubble. I, my extended family and my friends were all homeless in my Homeland perpetrated by my Homeland. I still remain shocked that these representatives of our beloved State did not have the moral fiber to stand up and say proudly and clearly that it is immoral to throw ten thousand people out of their homes, especially when all know that the terror will continue and intensify.
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I wanted so much that my grandchildren would continue believing in the State of Israel, in the beginning of the flourishing of our redemption. Our communities were fortunate to manage to salvage the spirit and values out of the rubble of our towns. We hope we will be able to build anew so that the spirit and values might blossom anew. Those who do not see importance in this spirit and those values have emptied the State of Israel of the moral strength that the values provide. I wish my dear State of Israel, on this sixtieth birthday, that it will fulfill one of the main functions that will bring the land of Israel, the People of Israel and the Torah of Israel again to its full glory with the justice and kindness–which will our light house awaiting the return of all as promised by our Prophets. Anita Tucker made aliyah in 1969 and was among first nine families to build Gush Katif in 1976. She now lives in an interim Ein Tzurim “caravilla”. They plan build anew in YesodotNachal Sorek. °
captured and eventually martyred by the Roman authorities. Rabbi Yehuda ben Bava went with these five students to a valley between two mountains, and away from the cities, so no city would be destroyed to continue training them for Semicha. The Romans discovered what was happening, and troops came into the valley. When Rabbi Yehuda realized that he was about to be captured, he quickly gave the five students Semicha, and told them to flee. “But Rebbe,” they said, “what about you?” “I am like a stone which cannot be turned,” he responded, and stayed where he was, so as to occupy the Romans and give the others a chance to escape. The Romans captured him and threw so many spears into him that his body resembled a sieve (Sanhedrin 14). The others succeeded in escaping. Thus Rabbi Yehuda ben Bava accomplished his mission. Rabbi Akiva at this time was 92 years old. (Seder Hadorot) He just sustained the worst blow a person can endure. Great credit would have been due Rabbi Akiva if he would have just not lost his faith. We would recommend trauma therapy. At the very least retirement. But behold Rabbi Akiva doesn’t take Continued on page 37
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Psychology
The Parents’ Guide to the Stormy Teenage Years Understanding why the pendulum swings in adolescents.
Practical Tips
as child and member of the family. This transition can be an exhilarating, confusing and even frightening process. They need to be respected for taking on these tasks. They are complicated and courageous actions.
by Chana Frumin & David Kaufman
A
desire for independence, “I love, but I am not you.” The major task of adolescence is to become ‘your own person’. Adolescents learn to make choices and commitments, follow through with them, and stand up independently in the world. This process has never been simple and it is even harder today. The Chafetz Chaim stated that the fruit does not fall far from the tree, except in a storm. One young man who recently emerged from his teen years told me, “Today we are in a hurricane. You can’t imagine how difficult it is!” Today’s teens are mostly troubled with questions that go to the heart of the sense of self and selfesteem. At a seminar I recently gave about creating a better relationship with your teenager, a group of nineteen fathers came up with about thirty possible issues from eating and body image, the desire to fit into pressures to succeed in learning that unsettle their teen’s daily lives. Teenagers are trying to develop a sense of self outside of their roles
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Teenagers swing back and forth between dependence and independence as they work on these tasks. It’s easy for parents to get frustrated. And it’s easy for a parent to assume that if the teenager would simply follow their advice, things would be all right in the end. Adults feel this way because they usually have a greater sense of who they are— what they value, what they need, and how best to get what they need -- than do teenagers. False starts, mistakes, poor judgment, or impulsive action are part of the process teens need to go through to develop into an adult. At the same time, parents need to give their teens space to explore their independence and make the mistakes they must experience in order to grow, while, at the same time, still be a guiding presence in their lives, so those same mistakes are not permanently damaging. That is a truly difficult task that requires patience, thought, creativity, and, at times, personalized guidance. ° Chana Rachel Frumin MS CNT is a marital and family counselor, shadchanit and director of the Jerusalem Narrative Therapy Institute. David Kaufman is a Narrative & Solution Focused Therapist at the Jerusalem Narrative Therapy Institute. For more information visit:
for developing good communication with your teenager
Be
interested and attentive . Maintain eye contact to show that you really are with the teenager. Children can tell whether they have a parent’s interest and attention by the way the parent replies or does not reply. Forget about the telephone and other distractions.
Encourage
talking . Some teens need an invitation to start talking. Children are more likely to share their ideas and feelings when others think they are important.
Listen
patiently . People think faster than they speak. Children often take longer than adults to find the right word. Listen as though you have plenty of time.
Hear your child out. Avoid cutting your kids
off before they have finished speaking. It is easy to form an opinion or reject their views before they finish what they have to say. It may be difficult to listen respectfully and not correct misconceptions, but respect their right to have and express opinions.
Listen
to nonverbal messages . Many messages children send are communicated nonverbally by their tone of voice, their facial expressions, their energy level, their posture, or changes in their behavior patterns. You can often tell more from the way a person says something than from what is said. When your teen comes in obviously upset, be sure to find time then or shortly after, to address his/her concerns.
www.jerusalemnarrativetherapyinstitute.com
| May 2008
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19
Healthy Living
Health Q&A With Dr. Simcha Shapiro Why screening tests are so important. Q: Dear Dr. Shapiro, Having recently turned 50, I went to my family doctor to have a check-up. While talking with him, he recommended that I get a routine colonoscopy. I’ll be honest, the thought terrifies me! Why do I need to go doing tests just so that I can drive myself crazy finding out if there is something wrong, when I am feeling good?—Testy about tests A: Dear Testy,
What you are experiencing is totally normal. Doing medical tests is scary. All the more so, when they may involve complications, or test for serious diseases as cancer. The concept behind screening tests, is that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Many illnesses, both mild and serious, can be prevented from causing serious damage, if caught early enough. If cancer is caught early, the chances of successful treatment are much higher. Conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes affect a person much differently if they are detected and controlled early, instead of after 20 years. Remember, for many conditions, by the time a person has symptoms, they may have had the condition for quite a while. There are really two criteria to take into consideration when faced with screening tests: 1. Would you do something different based on the results of the test? The purpose of doing tests is to help us make more informed decisions. If one has
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already made a decision, and is not open to changing his mind, there is no reason to do any tests. A person who says that she would not undergo any treatment if she was diagnosed with colon cancer, should not undergo a screening test for colon cancer (I often see this with elderly patients). 2. Do the risks of doing the test, warrant the information gained from the test (cost/benefit analysis)? Many medical tests involve a large cost in terms of time, potential complications, and money. This needs to be weighed against the benefit of the information gained. If one could get all of the information she needed about breast cancer from a blood test, more people would be tested. The inconvenience and discomfort incurred by mammography, make less people interested in doing it. There are some tests that check for so many things with such little inconvenience/ risk, that it is recommended that everyone do them. Examples are: annual check-ups, routine blood tests, routine eye exams, etc. There are so many things being checked for with these tests, and they are so easy for most people to do, that it is not necessary to think about each condition being tested for. There are however, some more specific standard screening tests that involve more cost, risk, or inconvenience (colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer... etc.). A person with very strong family history of a particular condition, or symptoms that are suspicious of a particular condition will need to take that into account in
his cost/benefit analysis as well. This is where your doctor comes in. Your doctor can explain the benefits of the information gained by the test and the risks involved.
‘‘
‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’” Then you make a more informed decision about what you want to do. Medical tests can be scary. There is no way around that. Remember, however, that they exist for a purpose. Medical tests are an important (but not always mandatory) part of the decision process that you have with your doctor about your health care. ° Dr. Simcha Shapiro is a US trained physician and osteopath. He is the founder and director of the Listening Hands Institute in the Maalot Dafna neighborhood of Jerusalem. He can be contacted via his website www.listeninghands.co.il
| May 2008
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Music
Shlomo Gronich Journey to the Source www.shlomogronich.com
Gronich is a secular Israeli singer and pianist who started out in the 1970s. In the past he has experimented with Ethiopian music. His latest is a collection of modern pop ballads based on Psalms and other Biblical sources. Some are beautiful solo piano and singing. Others mix fast ethnic and worldbeat sounds, plud haunting, exotic melodies you may remember from synagogue.
New Music for Israel’s 60th Sometimes the older and younger generations don’t agree on music. But in this case, they are joining forces, creating innovative new sounds, and experimenting with their heritage. Here are some new discs for you to enjoy during Israel’s 60’s anniversary celebrations. Ben Bresky is the host of The Beat on Arutz 7: Israel National Radio, broadcast live every Tuesday at 5pm and archived weekly. To tune in, visit www.IsraelNationalRadio.com.
Meir Banai Shma Koli www.nmc-music.co.il
Meir Banai’s new album is a collection of classic songs done in an acoustic guitar singer/songwriter format. Religious standards like Lecha Dodi are almost unrecognizable with Banai’s newly composed smooth groovy melodies. Sephardic and Yemenite classics like Ayelet Chen are given guitar-based, love-ballad like treatment. Banai is a veteran Israeli singer from a family of famous musicians.
Subliminal & the Gevatron Bat 60 www.tact-records.com
The Gevatron began in 1948 as a choir of kibbutzniks singing folk ballads such as Tumbalalaika and Ose Shalom. Subliminal is the Hebrew rapper who made hip-hop a household name in Israel in the late 1990s. Together, this month they have released “Bat 60”, a catchy, upbeat, funky, hip-hop song with The Gevatron singing the chorus and Subliminal rapping the verses, making it a fun celebration of Israel’s 60th.
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art
Geula Twersky:
M
Torah on Canvas
ost women have cravings for food while they are pregnant, but when Geula Twersky was expecting, the natural artist had cravings to paint. She went out, bought a box of crayons and colored a four-wall, floor-to-ceiling mural of Noah’s ark on the walls of her New york apartment. She fell in love with her creation, but fell heartbroken when she had to whitewash the mural when they moved out. Despite her devastation, Geula has continued to paint beautiful pieces on a multitude of Jewish themes. Now, she paints on canvas. The daughter of Holocaust survivors, Geula combines images of historical events with hope. Born in the aftermath of the SixDay War, her parents named her “Geula,” or redemption, one of the strongest elements of her artwork.
Geula gets her inspiration to paint from living in Israel and teaching Tanach and Machshava (Jewish thought). “I look at Tanach as one organic unit,” she says, “and Israel and Torah are one….you cannot separate Torah from Zionism.” Perhaps the most paradigmatic painting which portrays her attachment to Torah and the Land of Israel is her well-known “Havdala.” Here, in this painting, we see a gripping connection between the flames of the Holocaust, the Havdalah candle, and the return to Jerusalem. The famous image of the paratroopers liberating the Kotel offers a sentimental feeling, as the soldiers www.shiurtimes.com
look up to see an image from the renowned photographer, Roman Vishniac of “a Vanished World.” The text that flanks the painting reads, “Blessed is He who distinguishes between redemption and exile.” Geula’s works synergize Jewish ritual life, history, and the sociocultural fabric of Israeli society. She says, “I’m really not into a black-and-white portrayal of Israel. There’s so much diversity here; so much color that I try to show through my paintings. That’s what makes my work so meaningful and spiritual.” Examples of Israel’s multiculturalism are “Kibbutz Galuyot,” which depicts the arrival of Ethiopian Jewry to the State of Israel; “yemenite Bride,” shown in her the traditional garb; and one of Geula’s personal favorites, “Agudat Achat,” which shows a large a group of people gathered around a Sephardic reading of the Torah during Sukkot. Geula is a self-taught artist who invites constructive criticism from peers, in order to improve her skills. She teaches chugim (extra-curricular activities) on painting on her yishuv in Gush Etzion. She finds that the combination of Torah and art is critical. Studying and learning is so important, and art is part of that education. “I need art to feel like a well-rounded person… life feels kind of bland without it.” We can be sure that her New york apartment will never be as vibrant as it was when Geula lived there. ° Geula made aliyah with her husband and nine children in 2006. They currently live in Neve Daniel. Her artwork can be seen and ordered at www.geulaart.com
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Finance
The Most Valuable Land Practical tips on investing in real estate.
by Douglas Goldstein, CFP
homes. The foreclosure risk could potentially lead to a further drop in the value of real estate. On the other hand, there’s an increase in mortgage refinancing, and new legislation is being put in place that may help to rejuvenate the marketplace.
“
Do you know why it is taking so long for me to buy this apartment?” a client recently asked me. “There are 11 owners of the property who all must agree to sell.” These unwitting partners, all cousins, ended up jointly owning real estate because their fathers, who were brothers, bought the property together. Now that both of the brothers have passed away, their heirs all own a small piece of the apartment. Sound familiar?
The two questions you need to ask yourself about investing in real estate are (1) should I have any real estate exposure (in addition to my home), and (2) how should I own it? The first question should be answered in the context of your overall financial plan and with the advice of a qualified investment adviser. To answer the second question, think about who your current partners and future partners will be.
In another case, four siblings decided to buy a strip mall in Florida decades ago. Three of them moved to Israel and one of them stayed in the United States. They all have very different financial needs, and the ones in Israel want to sell. The American sibling transferred his share of the ownership to his three children, one of whom is earning his full-time salary as the manager of the property. Talk about a conflict of interest....
in various different forms. Some focus more on residential properties, but many focus on office space, shopping centers, and more. If you want to invest in foreign real estate, there are REITs that specialize in global properties.
While the Land of Israel may be priceless, her real estate prices affect us all. Typically, Israeli real estate investors purchase physical properties. If you choose to invest this way, consider limiting your partners in order to protect your future profits. Before you buy property, make sure you have all the dirt. °
If you’re looking for opportunities in the U.S. real estate market, and if you want to avoid some of the problems mentioned above, consider using “real estate investment trusts (REITs).” REITs trade like stocks on the New York Stock Exchange, and they exist
Falling home prices and declining mortgage rates have made some U.S. housing more accessible during the past year. Moreover, as home values have declined more and more, homeowners are finding the size of their mortgages has become larger than the value of their
Douglas Goldstein, CFP, is the director of Profile Investment Services. He is a licensed financial professional both in the U.S. and Israel. His book, Building Wealth in Israel: A Guide to International Investments and Financial Planning can be ordered through www.profile-financial.com.
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In Focus
Rebuilding a Family Rebuilding a Nation Shaul Scharf: Survivor, Fighter, Soldier, Father
B
y the age of twelve and a half, Shaul Scharf was fluent in three languages, knew a substantial amount of Torah and was on the run. Together with his younger brother and mother, Shaul fled from their small town in the Carpathian mountains in the Ukraine, in a struggle for survival. Today, he is an 81-yearold man—still full of life and charm— who lives in Ashdod with his children
and grandchildren.
This is the narrative of a man who kept silent for decades, but now feels a cathartic relief whenever he shares his story. This is the narrative, not just of one man, but of a collective who lived through unimaginable odds, and merited to celebrate the exultation of the establishment of the Jewish State. We hereby proudly share the story of Shaul Scharf, son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, neighbor…hero.
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In Focus Shaul, 3rd from left
the Jews could happen. They had good relations with their Ukrainian neighbors, and lived well. However, after burying her husband and eldest son, Shaul’s mother Berta needed no further evidence. She took the two younger boys, Shaul and Yitzchak, and ran. “If
you drank the water, you’d die
within 24 hours.”
“At that time, everyone learned Torah.” Some of Shaul’s fondest memories exist from his experience in the cheyder. The melamed lived in-house; meaning, he received accommodations and meals in exchange for teaching the Scharf children Torah. Many nights, he would learn until seven in the evening. For a boy of four, five, even nine, this was a very intense schedule. At a certain point, he was forced to stop his studies in the cheyder and began attending the “goyish school,” a local Ukrainian school. His sister Leah got married, and moved to the city of Chernowitz, never to be heard from again.
Their first place of refuge was a small forest near the town of Vishnitz. They were soon taken into the ghetto Yedinitz, in Bessarabia (today’s Moldova), where they stayed for three months. “The conditions in the ghetto were abominable,” says Scharf, “I believe thirty thousand people died within three months!” Shaul recalls that after Yom Kippur in 1941, they were taken out of the ghetto, and were forced to march through thick mud. Whoever didn’t die on the way was shot. The three managed to escape together: mother with her two sons.
“One day, Mother was gone…” They made their way to Shargorod, a city that was under Romanian rule at the time. (Today it is part of the Ukraine.) They snuck into the empty houses in which the Jews formerly lived before they were liquidated. It was the summer of 1942, and the three of them joined the forces of the partisans. Shaul and Yitzchak quickly learned how to shoot and how to build explosives. They became accustomed to walking 30 kilometers while carrying dynamite, exploding things along the way. B y this
“There were good goyim.”
They hid in forests, but the winter’s cold was harsh. Without food, water or shelter, both Yitzchak and Berta fell ill with typhus. A gentile woman gave Yitzchak some sort of treatment, which helped him recuperate within ten days. Their mother’s situation, however, was much more severe. With a fever of 42ºc, stricken with typhus, she was immobile. Still in the forests, the two brothers carried their mother to the house of another gentile. According to Shaul, there were many gentile Ukrainians that actually did help them. Their Shaul, 3rd from left mother was practically on her deathbed, but the gentile woman gave their mother some sort of vodka concoction, from which she recovered almost immediately.
Shaul was twelve and a half when the war broke out. Soon after the Germans invaded, the soldiers took Menachem Mendel, Shaul’s older brother, with their father, and killed them both. Until that point, they had lived a pretty good life—their father was a woodcutter, who provided for the family. In fact, even though they dreamed of going to Eretz Yisrael, they had their life, their professions, and their house in the Ukraine. Life was too comfortable to leave. They never believed any kind of violence towards
They needed to keep moving. They never knew who would help them, or who would reveal their whereabouts to the soldiers.
time, their mother was especially active with the Partisans. Up until now, they managed to stick together, but one day, she just disappeared. Just like that. “We
were taught to do all we could to
survive.”
Shaul explained what he thought gave him the strength to survive. So many people around him had succumbed to the vicissitudes of life under Nazi rule. Many others did not even have the chance to succumb; their lives were stripped from them in the most gruesome, heartless ways. His response was, “I was educated at home that we were to do all we could to survive.” Is this to say that his parents always sensed some kind of threat? “No, let me explain,” Shaul intercedes, “it was my mother. After my father and
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| May 2008
In Focus brother were killed, she taught us the importance of survival. Spiritually, she told us to be proud to be a Jew. I still carry this with me today. Physically, we were strong, and she encouraged us never to give up. It was like survival flowed in our blood.” The war ended in 1945, and the boys made their way to Dorohoi, Romania, where they knew they had an aunt and uncle. Only their uncle had survived, albeit after being imprisoned and put in one of the concentration camps. They stayed in Dorohoi for eight months. Shaul worked and Yitzchak became active in Beitar. Then they moved to Bulgaria and waited to make aliyah. Together, along with 8,000 other Jews, they set sail through the Black Sea, the Dardenelles, and eventually made their way to Palestine… almost. “The
conditions
in
alright.”
Cyprus
were
actually
The British did not let the ship into Palestine, so the passengers were forced to disembark in Cyprus. “The conditions there were actually alright, especially compared to what we were used to! We got food; lived in tents… we really got by fine.” The day that the State was declared, “we were all so happy. We were dancing and singing.” By February 1949, Shaul and Yitzchak finally arrived in Israel. Shaul went straight into the army, and eventually served in the Air Force and became an officer. How did he feel after fighting in the forests of the Ukraine, to come to Israel and have to fight again? “I was proud… I wanted to defend the State,” he says. The Air Force officer continued to serve keva, as a career soldier, fought in the Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War, as a reserve soldier. One day Shaul met a friend who asked him if he wanted to get married. “Sure, why not?,” was his response. The man sent him to meet Orna Rina Chaya, a pretty young woman originally from Bucharest. “One look in her eyes, and I knew that I wanted to marry her. Within eight hours, we were engaged. We lived together, we worked together…we were married for 49 years.” They lived on Moshav Givati until 1961, and the moved to Ashdod. Orna passed away six years ago.
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Shaul and Orna had four children: Shlomo (named after Shaul’s father), Aryeh (named after Shlomo’s grandfather), Yosef (“Yoske”) and Ahuva (“Ahuvi”). They, too, served as exemplary soldiers in the IDF. Shaul admits that even though he and his wife (also a Holocaust survivor), spoke about their experiences during the war, they shared little with their children. “It was too much trauma to tell my children, so I told them very few stories,” Shaul says. Ten years ago, he and Yitzchak returned back to their hometown in the Ukraine, and took Shaul’s son, Yoske with them. “Returning was a catharsis.” “We went back to the forests, back to the river, where we buried our brother and father.” The “goyim” there recognized the brothers, and showed them the location of the synagogue and the homes of the Jews, all of which were burned down. Regarding the Ukrainians, Shaul says, “Yesh v’yesh.” In other words, there were those who helped us, and those who collaborated with the Germans to destroy us. “I spoke to them in Ukrainian, and they remembered us… these were the young kids that we grew up with.”
fighting for the country. But today, the kids just think about how to get out of there the fastest.” Shaul has a message for the young generation of today: “We need to be straight and honest with one another. We need to respect each other, and not take advantage of one another. We must stop the deceit. Most of all, we need to be proud that we are home.” “Listen, I know you’re going to want to include everything I say in this article, but let me summarize for you,” he insists. “My goal, personally, was to come to Eretz Yisrael, and to start my family anew. That to me is the greatest victory against the Nazis, and so in my eyes, I won.” °
Shaul and Family at Knesset
After returning from the trip, Shaul felt a sense of relief. He then felt able to talk about his experiences. He subsequently gave testimony to the Spielberg Foundation. “In my eyes, I won.” How does Shaul feel about Zionism today? His thoughts on the 60th year of Israel’s independence? He’s a bit pessimistic: “I don’t think Zionism exists anymore. Today, it’s all about money, and very institutionalized. It used to be that we were proud to serve in the army. We were
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Parshat Behukotai
LAG B’OMER: The Fires of Rashbi The holiness of Lag B’Omer and the life of Rashbi. by Rabbi Zvi Leshem
O
n Lag B’Omer, the 33rd day between Pesach and Shavuot, weddings and haircuts are permitted, unlike during the rest of the Omer period, because the 24,000 students of Rebbe Akiva, who died from a plague due to internal dissent, ceased dying. In addition, Lag B’Omer is celebrated as the Hillulah d’Rashbi, the yahrzeit of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Rashbi), student of Rebbe Akiva and author of the Zohar, the foremost book of the Kabbalah. On this day, bonfires are lit throughout Israel, little boys have their first haircuts, and celebrations are rampant.
According to the Bnai Yissaschar and Rav Tzaddok HaKohen, Rashbi was born and died on the same day: Lag B’Omer. It is quoted in the name of the Ari that Rebbe Akiva ordained Rashbi and his colleagues on Lag B’Omer, thus ensuring the continuity of the Oral Law after the death of his students prior. The Gemara (Shabbat 33b) narrates how Rashbi and his son hid in a cave for twelve years after fleeing from the Roman decree of death. There, covered in sand, fed by a carob tree and drinking from a spring, they composed the greatest secrets of the Torah. Emerging from the cave, Rashbi perceived Jewish farmers working. Dismayed by their lack of Torah study, he “burned them up!” His shock is understandable in light of his position that Jews should study Torah exclusively and not work. He is considered to be the only person whose Torah study is so great that he need not pray (although he did pray in the cave). Nonetheless Rashbi and his son were ordered to return to the cave for another year, after which a mellower Rashbi emerged, whose love for every simple Jew
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‘‘
The Zohar relates how on the last day of his life, the sun stood still as Rashbi revealed the greatest secrets of the Torah.”
was all too apparent. This too, writes the Aruch Hashulchan, was on Lag B’Omer. The Zohar relates how on the last day of his life, the sun stood still as Rashbi revealed the greatest secrets of the Torah. Dying happily, he encouraged his followers to make his yahrzeit a celebration. For this reason, the Ari, the Ohr HaChaim and other great Kabbalists would journey to Meron to celebrate on
Lag B’Omer. We light bonfires, explains the Bnai Yissaschar, in honor of Rashbi, known as Bozina Kadisha, the Holy Candle, and in honor of the Zohar, the Book of Splendor. We also remember the great light of the day that the sun did not set, and mark the final stage of preparation for the giving of the Torah on Shavuot. On Lag B’Omer, seventeen days before the Torah is given, the light of the Torah begins to shine. Rav Baruch of Medzibuzh would finish studying the Zohar on Lag B’Omer, and in his beit midrash everyone would dance hakafot for the Simchat Torah of Kabbalah. Rav Tzaddok tells us that in the same way that the Rashbi continued the Oral Law of Rebbe Akiva, who was himself killed by the Romans, Lag B’Omer is a day when every Jew has the great potential for internalizing the Oral Law in all its manifestations. The reason for haircuts (as well as the ancient Sephardic custom of burning garments) may therefore be to symbolize our desire to throw off externalities (chitzoniut) and become connected with the deeper reality (penimiyut) that Rashbi teaches. Parshat Bechukotai, read on the Shabbat following Lag B’Omer, begins with the words, Im Bechukotai Talachu, “If you will walk in My statutes.” The Mai Hashiloach uses play on words on the root chok, which, in addition to “statutes,” means “to engrave.” He writes, “so that My statutes will be engraved upon your heart.” The Torah that flows from the heart is expressed when we reach the level of spiritual perfection that enables us to naturally flow with the mitzvot in all aspects of our lives. Rashbi is the greatest example of this aspect of the Torah. By appreciating the holiness of Lag B’Omer and internalizing Rashbi’s message, we will merit that Hashem’s statutes will be engraved upon our hearts. ° Rav Zvi Leshem made aliyah in 1979 and lives in Efrat with his family, where he serves as the rabbi of Congregation Shirat Shlomo. He is the Director of Overseas Programs at Nishmat, the Jerusalem Center for Higher Torah Study for Women. Rav Zvi is the author of Redemptions: Contemporary Chassidic Essays on the Parsha and the Festivals, available at Amazon.com.
| May 2008
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Yom Ha’atzmaut
Sonya, 19 years old Born: Russia Time in Israel: 17 years On Zionism: “Being Jewish, the way you cannot be in Russia.” On independence: “It means life in Israel with no Arabs.”
Aryeh, 27 years old Born: Jerusalem, Israel On Independence: “Freedom to do what I want, when I want, how I want, and where I want.”
Faces of Israel
“Effie Ha’Yafeh” Born: Haifa, Israel On Zionism: “The essence of life.” On Atzmaut: The right to exist.
Chanoch, 16 years old Born: Ra’anana, Israel On Zionism: “I never think about what it means; maybe living in Israel. Serving in the army. Giving back the settlements.” On independence: “Having fun and being free with friends.”
Eliyahu Born: Marrakesh, Morocco Time in Israel: 48 years On Zionism: “They just brought us here when we were little so we could settle the land.”
Ilan Born: Israel On Zionism: “Where we find our ‘complete inheritance’, from the words ‘Yerushah Shleymah.’”
Motty Born: Har Gilo, Israel On Zionism: “It was once good, but now it’s complicated.” Estie & Ruty, 16 years old Born: Jerusalem & Kiryat Arba On Zionism: “It means living here, making aliyah, settling the land.” On independence: “Freedom from other lands, freedom to be our own country.” Nil, 21 years old Born: Israel, grew up in Turkey Time in Israel: 5 years On Zionism: “I came back here to serve my country.” On independence: “A break for the country; freedom.”
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Ina, 68 years old Born: Georgia, FSU Time in Israel: 8 years On Zionism: “I made Aliyah to live near my grandchildren.” | May 2008
Yom Ha’atzmaut Benny Born: Jerusalem, Israel On Zionism: “Living in Israel even though the government doesn’t give me much.” On Independence: “The right to do things freely.”
Tim (32), Nina (37) & Noa Born: England/Denmark Tim On Zionism: “Means needing a Jewish state, but one based on religious ideals—there can’t be Zionism without religion—it doesn’t make any sense...”. Nina On Zionism: “The survival of the Jewish people; unity.”
Leora, 21 & Elinor, 22 Born: Pittsburgh, Pa & Montreal, Canada leora On Zionism: “Spending hours in the sun at Herzl’s grave.” leora on Independence: “This will be my first time celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut. I have been practicing Israeli dancing fo Kikar Safra!” Elinor on Zionism: “The place where I knew all my friends, would come visit me.” Rut, in Israel 53 years Born: Vienna, Austria On Zionism: “Living in Israel, loving Israel, loving your fellow Jew. This is a hard question?”
Josephine, in Israel 15 years Born: Latvia On Zionism: “What kind of question is that? Zionism means being Jewish.”
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“querido” & “querida”: Married 50 years, born: Uruguay, South America Time in israel: 5 months “Querido” On Zionism: “Different Jewish customs.” “Querida” on Zionism: “G-d brought us here to this country, but my great-great Grandfather was living here in 1873. This is G-d’s gift to us.” Sean, 23 years old Born: Toronto, canada Time in Israel: 8 months On Zionism: “Serving in the army is the best way to connect yourself to the whole experience of being Israeli. There’s no way to explain the feeling of being a soldier in Israel.”
Rivka, 27 years old Born: Montreal, Canada Time in Israel: 6 months
On Zionism: “Not just Bob Marley...it’s a loaded term today, and organizations seem to own the word. It’s emotive, and it takes you back to your roots.”
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Pesach Yom HSaupplement ’atzmaut
A Star and Blue Stripes The symbolism that lies behind the Israeli flag is our barcode for Jewish identity. by Menahem(Mel) Alexenberg
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heodore Herzl was at a meeting in Basel searching for a design for the Zionist flag that would be the flag of the State of Israel a half-century later. David Wolffsohn stood up and said “Why do we have to search? Here is our national flag.” Upon which he displayed his Talit (prayer shawl) proposing blue strips on a white field as the flag design. A blue Star of David was added between the stripes. What is the semiotic message of parallel blue stripes and a six-pointed star?
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The blue color derives from the biblical injunction to dye one of the strands of the Tzitzit fringes blue to remember to do all the mitzvot. The blue stripes on the Talit prayer shawl remind us of the blue strand that went into disuse during the Babylonian exile too far from the Mediterranean Sea to obtain the blue dye that was extracted from a sea snail. The sages of the Talmud tell us, “The blue wool resembles the sea; the sea resembles the color of the sky.” Blue symbolizes the sky reaching down to the sea, heaven lowered to sea level, transcendence realized in down-to-earth actions.
will never forget their identity. The blue stripes on the flag of Israel can make Jews proud of their identity.
When we hold the Torah scroll up in synagogue for all to see, we chant “Its ways are ways of pleasantness and all its paths are peace.” Parallel stripes represent the multiple ways and paths. The ingathering of millions of Jews from more than a hundred countries to create the State of Israel in our day after nearly 2000 years of exile seems a greater miracle than a far smaller number of Jews leaving only one country after 210 years in Egypt.
The star on the flag is constructed from two intertwining triangles. The triangle pointing upwards is counterbalanced by the triangle pointing down to symbolize drawing spirituality down into every aspect of everyday life. The Lubavicher Rebbe, Menachem M. Schneerson explains: “It is not enough for the Jew to rest content with his own spiritual ascent, the elevation of his soul in closeness to G-d. He must also strive to draw spirituality down into the world and into every part of his involvement with it – his work and his social life – until not only do they not distract him for his pursuit of G-d, but they become a full part of it.” °
Seeing men draped in their striped Talit shawls gathered together in synagogue reminds me of zebras that I saw in Africa gathered together for protection. When a zebra was about to give birth she separated herself from the herd so that her unique stripe pattern would be imprinted on the newborn’s mind. If the newborn zebra were to first see the patterns on other zebras, it would be unable to identify its mother in the herd for nursing and would die of starvation. Like a bar code that identifies a product, zebra stripes serve a biological survival function of imprinting the identity of a particular zebra as mother. Jews who come together each morning donning a striped Talit and seeing the Tzitzit
Like stripes, the six-pointed star points in multiple directions honoring the multiple ways and paths demanded by creative Torah study. Dogma and single-point perspective has no place in Judaism. Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik writes that the Jew “longs to create, to bring into being something new, something original. The study of Torah, by definition, means gleaning new, creative insights from the Torah (hiddushei Torah).”
Menahem Alexenberg is Professor of Art and Jewish Thought at Emunah College in Jerusalem and author of The Future of Art in a Digital Age: From Hellenistic to Hebraic Consciousness (Intellect Books/ University of Chicago Press).
| May 2008
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Yom Ha’atzmaut
60 Years of Commemorating the Holocaust A look at Israel’s Holocaust memorial before Yad Vashem. by Yehudit Singer
T
he establishment of the State of Israel coming just a few years after the end of World War II is no coincidence. The link between the entities of the State and the Holocaust has ties to secular Zionist ideology more than to the ideas of Religious Zionism (i.e. “Shoah and Gevurah” (Holocaust and heroism)—more than G-d’s promise to Avraham’s descendants). However, on a socio-political level and amongst the modern international community, the Holocaust gave a concrete impetus to actualize the statements within the Balfour Declaration and the White Papers. Sixty years into the independence of the Jewish state, and the commemoration of the Holocaust within Israel has become status-quo: annual Yom HaShoah u’LeGevurah ceremonies, school performances, high school trips to Poland, Yad Vashem sponsored curriculum and visits to the Yad Vashem compound as a rite of passage for every Israeli citizen and tourist. Other Holocaust-related sites in Israel do exist (the Ghetto Fighters’ and Yad Mordechai Kibbutzim, for example), but Yad Vashem was created by the government to be the owner of Holocaust memory and representation. Even the name itself “Reshut HaZikaron LaShoah u’LeGevurah” (The Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority) overtly claims ownership or “authority” on Holocaust matters. The connection between the State of Israel and Yad Vashem is so solid that every dignitary, statesman, and celebrity that visits Israel makes it top priority to visit two places: a) the Western Wall and b) Yad Vashem. Along these lines, the latter has been described as being the second most sacred site in the Israeli civilreligion.
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While Holocaust memory is accepted as being a sacred entity, there is little religious material in the museum; a subject that brought much dissension between religious and government leaders while the initiative was first being created. What is the significance of this “memorial entity”? What would its role be? A religious symbol? Sacred site? National [read: secular] memorial? A place of mourning? If we take a few steps back in history, we find a fascinating initiative by groups of survivors who did not wait for the government to decide how to commemorate the Holocaust. They grouped together with landsmen from their local regions, and with the collaboration of Rav Shmuel Zanvil Kahane, they established the “Holocaust Basement,” which pre-dates the establishment of Yad Vashem. Located on Mt. Zion, the Holocaust Basement (also known as the “Chamber of the Holocaust”) was not meant to serve as a museum; it was intended to serve as a symbolic cemetery. In Tamuz 1949, Chief Rabbi Herzog had formed a funeral throughout the streets of Jerusalem, carrying ashes from Europe, and brought them to the location on Mt. Zion for burial. At the same time, survivors brought holy objects from Europe to bury.
the site fit into a religious-Zionist approach, since this resting place was atop “Har Tzion”— traditional capital of Jerusalem— in the period of “Reishit Tzmichat Geulotainu.” Such an approach makes this site one-of-a kind.
Slowly, the location evolved into a museum. Because of its proximity to the Tomb of King David and the Old City,
Hundreds of memorial plaques line the walls of the building, and represent communities who had survivors alive | May 2008
soldiers crafted with the parchment of Torah scrolls. These artifacts reflect the larger ideology of the Chamber: that Hitler not only tried to destroy the physical existence of the Jews, but aimed to annihilate the soul of the Jewish people. To address the principles of an attempted extermination of Judaism as a whole, the museum now showcases various examples of spiritual resistance by Jews living during this catastrophic period. Examples include a tiny pair of tefillin made and used in a ghetto and a handwritten Siddur written on old scrap paper used in Buchenwald. Built into the edifice is a staircase that leads up to the yeshiva, where the sounds of Torah classes faintly echo through the halls of the museum. The first decades of the State placed heavy emphasis on physical resistance exerted during the years of the war, with very little focus on spiritual or religious aspects (if at all). Even in Yad Vashem, where antiSemitism is clearly the ubiquitous theme, there is little focus on spiritual, religious aspects of Judaism before, during, and after the war. Secular Zionist ideology has strongly focused on the concepts of “martyrdom” and “heroism”; ideals that easily parallel the mindsets of the early Israeli pioneers. However, according to such an approach, what role does the Holocaust play in our religiousspiritual identities, and vice versa? How did the Jews during that time react on a religious level?
in Israel. These survivors used to come on pilgrimages to Mt. Zion on the 10th of Tevet, a traditional, general mourning day. These plaques are shaped like tombstones along with a few sentences describing the size of the destruction of that particular locale. The evolution of the Chamber of the Holocaust has turned the building into a unique commemoration site that shows the implications of the Holocaust on religious Judaism. Rare objects include photographs of prominent rabbis who were killed, a Sefer Torah from Djerba, Tunisia, stained with blood from when the Nazis attacked the community, and numerous everyday objects that the SS www.shiurtimes.com
The Chamber of the Holocaust offers a unique, Torah-valued perspective to the Holocaust. It is a piece of authentic Holocaust commemoration that looks like it is deteriorating. For those who are interested in seeing a memorial site with precious, uncanny artifacts, without the glamour of hi-tech multimedia presentations, step into the Chamber of the Holocaust. The place needs a good makeover, funding, and significant modernization. But it is a well-kept secret that has history’s fingerprints all over it. ° Yehudit Singer is the Editor of ShiurTimes. She is a MA candidate in Jewish Education at the Hebrew University.
Continued from page 1 7 the day off. He runs on that day to give Semicha to Rabbi Yehudah ben Bava. What good will it do? One in the face of 24,000 lost. Where did he get the strength? The answer is he remembered the miracle of the stone. One drop more and Klal Yisrael will continue. Today we learn Torah from the Talmudic writings handed down to us. Mishna, Sifro, Sifri, Tosefta and Seder Olam. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 86) tells us that unless named otherwise an unnamed Mishna is Rabbi Meir, Sifro is Rabbi Yehuda, Sifri is Rabbi Shimon, Tosefta is Rabbi Nechemia and Seder Olam is Rabbi Yose. Thus it becomes clear that on Lag B’Omer, because of the heroic perseverance of one man, we are here to tell the story. The true celebration of Lag B’Omer is the celebration of the ability of man to find new strength to continue before even stepping out from the ashes. A similar phenomenon happened with many of the Torah giants who escaped from Hitler and came to America and Israel in the thirties and forties. They had just experienced tragedies afflicting their families and friends, their teachers and pupils. Many people in such a situation would have taken time off to recover, taken psychotherapy, and so on. But these people, realizing the importance to Klal Israel of founding or transplanting yeshivas in America or Israel, ignored their personal grief, and plunged into this work. Hashem oz lamo yiten. G-d gives his people strength. An American officer told me a story that stayed with me. In 1945 he was involved in liberating the horrible concentration camps of Nazi Europe. He went into a camp to find himself surrounded by death and a man looked up to him with gratitude. “Zei Moichel” he said “and find me a Gemara Moed Katan. Next week I have Yahrtzeit for my father and I promised him that each year on his Yahrtzeit I would make a siyum on Moed Katan.” This is why we exist as a people. ° Rabbi Yaacov Haber is the President of Torahlab, www.torahlab.org, an organization serving the world of Jewish education with unique and meaningful learning material.
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Yom Ha’atzmaut
Living with Trauma
and Flourishing in the“Israeli Way” Resilience in Israeli Bus Drivers who have Experienced Terror Attacks by Alison Stern Perez
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he definition and conceptualization of resilience still exists in a relatively gray area—with some scholars referring to “stress resistance,” “invincibility,” and “bouncing back” after stressful experiences, while others suggest simply “a greater ability” to cope with life’s difficulties, internalize lessons learned, and integrate and reorganize one’s life narrative in a healthy manner after challenges. My current research explores the nature and manifestation of resilience amongst Israeli bus drivers who have experienced terror attacks while driving their bus. These findings can help make more general suppositions about how members of Israeli society may cope and remain resilient in the face of ongoing and widespread stress. While probably never able to fully “get over” a trauma or stressful experience, I believe that a resilient individual is able to achieve a level of peace—an acceptance of life’s events—whether positive or negative. Resilience is not mere survival, nor is it regret for the past. It is, in some sense, resistance—it is the conscious decision not to follow in the footsteps of the damage, not to internalize the pain and fear. While simply living through trauma is a necessary factor, it is not sufficient. True resilience may be not allowing your past traumatic experiences to own you. How is this possible? For one, I have found in the words of the drivers themselves a sense of group cohesiveness
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Resilience is not mere survival, nor is it regret for the past. It is, in some sense, resistance—it is the conscious decision not to follow in the footsteps of the damage, not to internalize the pain and fear.” and solidarity, and of collective obligation—to their passengers, to other bus drivers, to their families, and to their society. Indeed, when discussing working during the Intifada, these bus drivers frequently make statements such as: “Of course I’m scared—everybody is. But if I don’t show up to work tomorrow, then someone else has to do my job. Who am I to say I’m more scared than anyone else? Why am I special, or more deserving of staying at home and not showing up for my duties?”
It is this type of communal peer pressure to be strong which represents an attestation to more than simply personal or individual resilience; rather, there appears to be a type of societal or collective resilience as well. All of these social obligations inform and reflect upon the Israeli individual’s coping and potential level of resilience after experiencing a stressor such as a terror attack. Essentially, these drivers seem to evince a unique type of resilience at work in this context, which allows these individuals to cope well with a great deal of fear, stress, and pain. The individual, national, and collective trauma I have witnessed over the past four-plus years has been staggering, and yet the individual, national, and collective resilience I have seen is even more powerful and awe-inspiring. Living here in Israel has made me truly believe that there is hope for our international consciousness and our global ability to clean up the mess we have made of the world. I do believe we are all tremendously resilient in our own way, and that this will heal us. Please, let the healing begin. ° Alison Stern Perez was born and grew up in Seattle, Washington, and is a graduate of Brown University. She made aliyah in 2003 and is currently a Doctoral student in Social Psychology at Ben Gurion University You can read more about her research and aliyah experiences on her website at www.alisonsterngolub.com.
| May 2008
Travel
Ein Akev
by Yael Ukeles
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orth of the Ramon Crater (Maktesh Ramon) and west of the Large Crater (Maktesh Hagadol) in the Zin Valley is one of the most astounding phenomena of contrasts to be found in nature. In the middle of a seemingly endless stretch of white sand and Desert Mountains is a cool refreshing natural spring and lush vegetation call Ein Akev. The spring is located along the Israel trail. The hike to the spring is hot and dry, but the reward of jumping in the cool spring more than compensates for the effort. The challenging route can be hiked as part of a loop trail that begins and ends near Midreshet Ben Gurion (12K) or one way for a much longer hike (17 K) that connects to the Israel Trail and ends in the Avdat (Ovdat) National Park where the ancient Nabatean city of Avdat can be found. Both routes are challenging and involve steep inclines. Due to the often harsh desert heat, ample hydration, hear covering, loose cotton clothing and sunscreen are essential. The waters of the spring are great to swim in, but not to drink. Begin your hike early in the day and enjoy a rest from the heat of the day at the spring and return in the “cooler” hours of the late afternoon. Use map #15. Park at the end of the south-bound, descending and winding road within www.shiurtimes.com
Midreshet Ben Gurion (located about 4K south of Sde Boker and 20K north of the city of Mitzpe Ramon on road #40). Follow the blue trail south-east, for a few minutes until it meets a red marked jeep trail. Continue east on the red trail which overlaps at times with Nachal Tzin for about 3½ K till it meets a blue marked jeep trail in a “T” junction. Follow the blue trail southward along Nachal Akev for a little less than 3K until you reach the green trail and the spring. The spring is in a deep gorge in the rock and is recognizable by the out-of-place greenery and sounds of splashing. The descent to the spring requires caution and teamwork. Here you can enjoy a refreshing dip and the beauty of the water dripping off the rocks. Other visitors to the spring include whistling birds and Ibexes (Yaelim) who tend to be shy, yet curious and generally tend to visit springs in the early morning or evening and avoid large groups. To return to Midreshet Ben Gurion, climb out of the area of the spring and continue northwest ascending the green trail. Take the steep trailing slowly and take plenty of photos; keep an eye out for the edges of the canyon as you enjoy the expansive scene of the awe-inspiring Negev desert. The 5 ½ K green trail will lead you out of the canyon back towards your car.
For the intrepid hikers who want an extra challenge & who have enough water head south on the Israel trail which is the black trail about 3½ K until you meet yet another desert oasis which is the upper Ein Akev spring with underground water and tall reeds. You may have to double back slightly till you connect with the blue trail which will take you away from the upper spring with breathtaking views along the way. Note that the Israel trail markers will indicate several directions, as the trail has two options at this point, so ensure you take a sharp turn west and are climbing up the blue trail and not continuing along the blue in the same direction you were walking (the black trail ends). After about 3K you should reach a different black trail which is also the Israel trail. Following the black trail about 4K should take you to the gas station at Avdat. When you reach the road, buy yourself a cold drink or an ice cream at the gas station– you deserve it. If you have any energy left, a walk up the hill will bring you to the largest Nabatean city in the Negev. ° Yael Ukeles is the Director of Derech HaTeva, a Jewish outdoor educational program for groups of all ages. All programs are Shomer Shabbat and Kosher. For more info, call 02-624-8743 (Israel) or email programs@derechhateva.org
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Making a Difference
r e ? Are You Socially os h K The social justice seal is redefining what kosher really means in the 21st century. by Gaby Schoenfeld
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ne must wonder: if the waiter who brings you your steak in a restaurant is not being paid his wages on time as required by civil (and Jewish) law, how can your meal truly be kosher? If the bus boy who clears away your dishes and cleans up after your meal at a wedding is not being given his monthly transportation allowance as required by Israeli law, how can your simcha truly be kosher?
According to halachah, the laws of kashrut are supposed to govern the ways in which the Jewish people select, prepare, cook, and serve our food. But in all of the conversations on hechsherim, a fundamental Jewish value and law is often missing: the ethical treatment of the workers who prepare and serve the food in restaurants, and in the catering halls in which we celebrate our simchas. As the state of Israel enters into its 60th year, the issue of social justice has become part of the “kosher conversation,” largely due to the staunch efforts of the non-profit organization Bema’aglei Tzedek. In 2004, Bema’aglei Tzedek (which translates into “Circles of Justice”), launched a campaign to hold the restaurant and catering industries in Israel accountable for the ways in which they treat their workers. The organization began its work in Jerusalem and discovered that there are only two government employees responsible for ensuring that every restaurant in Jerusalem and its surrounding areas uphold Israel’s labor laws, which include basic rights such as being paid on time, and receiving a monthly transportation allowance. After learning about the restaurants’ mistreatment of their employees, the mission became clear:
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to use a grassroots, citizen-led approach to help restaurant employees gain fair treatment at work and bring much needed social change to Israeli society. Bema’aglei Tzedek created the “Tav Hevrati”, a social justice seal, which is a certificate that restaurants and catering halls can receive if they uphold Israel’s basic labor laws and have handicap and wheelchair accessibility. Once a restaurant is deemed worthy (after several site visits with employees) and agrees to the terms
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In all of the conversations on hechsherim, a fundamental Jewish value and law is often missing: the ethical treatment of the workers.”
of the Tav, volunteers continue to visit the eatery every few weeks to make sure that the establishment upholds its end of the agreement. If the volunteers discover that any of the terms have been broken, the Tav is revoked, and an email alert goes out to all Tav supporters informing them to take the restaurant off of their list of “socially kosher” places to eat. Currently, over 330 restaurants and catering establishments in five major cities in Israel proudly display the Tav Hevrati. There are over 500 volunteers who actively participate in this project by eating exclusively in establishments that have a Tav, applying organized pressure to places that do not have a Tav, and running educational programs that spread the message of social justice. Bema’aglei Tzedek believes that Israel, the Jewish State, should be governed according to Jewish values of justice, and that it is the responsibility of all of its citizens to help uphold and reinforce this moral code in our society. As Israel celebrates its 60th birthday, the organization is working to help realize the dream of its founders—to build a Jewish state according to Jewish values and Jewish principles—and to be a clear and bright light unto all the nations.
For more information and to find out which restaurants in your area have the Tav Hevrati, visit www.tav.org.il. Gaby Schoenfeld works in the field of informal Jewish education and has been a volunteer for the Tav Hevrati campaign since 2005. She is from Riverdale, New York, and currently resides in Jerusalem.
| May 2008
Community Profile
Mazkeret Batya A beautifully-kept city in Israel’s center. by Ilene Bloch-Levy
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azkeret Batya was the first agricultural Moshava founded by Edmond Benjamin Rothschild. Eleven families from the religious Hovevei Zion Movement settled here in 1883, thanks to the efforts of Rav Shmuel Mohliver who engaged Rothschild in the project. There is an accepted legend saying that during one of the patron’s visits to Palestine, Rav Mohliver’s community provided Rothschild with a minyan for him to say kaddish for his mother, Batya. In gratitude, Rothschild built the community’s first synagogue and the town was called Mazkeret Batya. A Town on the Rise Often referred to as central Israel’s Zichron Yaakov, the town’s landscape is dotted with water wells, mikvehs, and pre-State farm tools. Similarly, Mazkeret Batya’s main street, Rothschild Boulevard (naturally) is currently undergoing renovations, and will soon be home to art galleries, boutique shops and coffee houses. The architect in charge of this project also designed Zichron’s pedestrian walkway.
Mazkeret Batya’s central location, 5 km SE to Rehovot, 25 km to Tel-Aviv and 30 km to Jerusalem, and its proximity to Israel’s largest shopping area, Bilu Junction (10 minutes by car) makes it eminently convenient. The town’s population of 10,000 will soon enjoy another growth surge as a 1,600 unit neighborhood gets underway (in 1-1/2 years). Religious Life This new neighborhood is to be an extension of the also new Naot Rishonim neighborhood, where a core group of some 70+ religious Zionist couples formed an amutah (association) to buy homes and have helped to enrich religious life in town. Religious families regularly continue to stream to the town. Four synagogues conduct minyanim every day. There are plans on the drawing board to build a permanent synagogue for the young couples, who in the meantime, thanks to the local council, are using a temporary dwelling to conduct their synagogue activities. Children attend the local mamlachti dati (state-religious) elementary or the Noam school in Rehovot (10 minutes away). Girls attend junior high and high school at the Amit religious school in Rehovot, or one of several Ulpanot in Rehovot or Kiryat Ekron. Boys go to Rehovot’s Yeshivat HaDarom or the Amit High School. There is also a Keshet-Gesher movement (half religious/ half secular) which opened a private elementary school. There is an active Bnei Akiva movement (boys and girls together), the Midrasha for Zionist Heritage, offering
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a full program of tiyulim (trips) and lectures, and daily shiurim (Torah classes) in the various synagogues, including daf yomi, a Tanya shiur at the Chabad synagogue, a women’s shiur, and a chug mishnah (mishna classes) for children. Every Monday, one of the synagogues dedicates a full morning to shiurim. There are also daily Chugei Bayit or shiurim (meetings in people’s homes) open to anyone who would like to participate. Rav Efraim Zalmanovitz is the Chief Rabbi of Mazkeret Batya. A Model of Kibbutz Galuyot Residents agree that Mazkeret Batya is truly one of the outstanding models for kibbutz galuyot (the ingathering of the exiles). You’ll find Jews from all over the world living here; including roughly 5%
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Residents agree that Mazkeret Batya is truly one of the outstanding models for kibbutz galuyot (the ingathering of the exiles).” English speakers. When you consider the community’s seven active synagogues— Moroccan, Yemenite, Libyan, Ethiopian, Ashkenazi (in the Rothschild synagogue), Chabad and a young couples minyan in the new neighborhood—and the fact that about 15% of the residents are religious (kippa sruga), with an additional substantial number of traditional Jews, Mazkeret Batya really does offer an appealing Zionist lifestyle. ° This Community Research Profile has been contributed to Shiur Times through the Kehillot Tehilla Communities department: www.kehillottehilla.com.
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Yom HaZikaron
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Yossi Harel & David Ben-Gurion at a meeting in 1948.
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ossi Harel, the commander of legendary ship Exodus, died on April 26 of cardiac arrest at the age of 90. He was remembered as a hero by his former shipmates and the Jewish refugees he helped bring to Israel.
The Exodus, which carried Jewish refugees to Palestine in 1947, galvanized world opinion in favor of a Jewish state. The Exodus was brought by the Aliyah Bet movement in 1947 in an effort to circumvent British-imposed immigration limits on Jews. It left from France, with 4,554 German Holocaust survivors unable to get immigration permits to Israel on board. When British officials intercepted the ship enroute to Palestine, Harel and his skipper shut off the ship’s lights, quickly changed the ship’s course, and headed for Palestine. The British Fleet eventually caught up with the ship, and passengers tried to repel the British forces by hurling potatoes and canned goods at them. British authorities eventually forced its passengers to return to the German camps from which they fled. The story galvanized world attention. Harel commanded four refugee ships and sailed to Israel with 25,000 immigrants altogether during the time of the British Mandate. “His life,” said his wife, Julie Harel, “was interwoven with the history of the State of Israel.”
On August 9th 2006 (Tu B’Av), amongst fighting in Southern Lebanon, missiles were shot into the building housing the military company Gadhan. Nine reservist paratroopers were killed and thirtyone were injured. The following are the names of the fallen (z”l): Maj. Nati Yahav, Capt. Yoni Shmuker, 1st Sgt. Ashi Novack, Sgt. Elad Dan, Sgt. Gilad Zusman, Sgt. Ben Sela, Sgt. Idan Kobi, Sgt. Adi Salim, Sgt. Naor Kalo and 1st Sgt. Oren Lifschitz (fell on August 8th during fighting in Bint Jabel). Their friends and families promised they would never forget them. Together, they established a project that would keep their memories alive: B’Darkam. B’darkam is an independent, grassroots, non-profit organization. The initiative focuses its energies on building up the “Shvil Yam L’Yam” (the Sea to Sea Path), that extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the Kineret (Sea of Galilee). All of these men shared Ahavat HaAretz ( a love of the Land of Israel), and so their peers saw that it was most appropriate to remember them in a unique, powerful way. They wanted others to know their story, and inspire them to increase their love of the Land. The Sea-to-Sea path is a beautiful, scenic route that sees over 20,000 visitors annually. B’Darkam has joined forces with the National Parks Authority to rejuvinate the path and turn it into an educational attraction for students, soldiers, families, tourists and hikers alike. They have placed helpful signposts for hikers, built rest stations where hikers can join together, socialize and learn about the fallen soldiers. They also work with groups to organize commemorative events, such as the recent bike ride, annual ceremonies, and hikes. For more information on this meaningful initiative, see http://bedarkam.org.il/ | May 2008
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Meir: Autism Treatment Center teaches The Son-Rise Program®, a powerful homebased, parent-run program. We work with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other developmental delays. For more details, please contact us: e-mail: abby@meirautism.org website: www.meirautism.org
BEIT SHEMESH FOR SALE
Yossi Lipsh Real Estate Agent specializing in Ramat Beit Shemesh Neighborhood
052-396-0551 yossi.lipsh@remax.co.il
www.remax-israel.com/neeman
Givat Savion. 292/375 sqm. 8 rooms, free standing home, central air/heating, 3 upgraded bathrooms, large bedrooms, alarm system, maintained garden private with amazing view. Must see to believe. Asking price 2,499,999nis. Exclusive to Anglo Saxon 02-999-8422. Givat Sharett. Country Home. 150/750 sqm. 5.5 rooms, one level, easy access, custom kitchen, separate living room and dining room. A/C and heating units, spacious and bright, very large garden! Asking price 1,600,000nis. Exclusive to Anglo Saxon 02-999-8422. Nofei Aviv. Fantastic cottage, 6 rooms, custom Gepetto kitchen, patio with pergola, large garden, 183/350 sqm. Asking price: 1,350,000nis. Anglo Saxon. Ida 02-999-8422 or 057-777-2370 . Nofei Aviv. 6 Room Semi-Detached Cottage, 183 sqm., custom kitchen, 3 bathrooms, A/C throughout, alarm, mature gardens, extended rear patio, trees, watering system & view. Asking Price: 1,400,000nis. Anglo Saxon Beit Shemesh 02-999-8422
ANGLO-SAXON BET SHEMESH Nachal Ze'elim 2/2 Ramat Bet Shemesh TEL: 02 999 8422 USA 201 234 4733 UK 0207 023 7576 NEW PROJECTS – NO COMMISSION EXISTING PROPERTY – QUALITY HOMES FOR LESS ENGLISH SPEAKING AGENTS RELIABILITY & INTEGRITY OUR HALLMARK
Givat Savion. Jerusalem Stone Villa, beautiful 6 rooms, street level, 170/450 sqm, large kitchen, separate living/dining room, A/C throughout, open view! Asking Price- 1,550,000nis. Anglo Saxon Bet Shemesh 02-999-8422 Givat Sharett. Corner Classy Villa, 7 rooms, 2 rental units, 196/780 sqm., centrally located, wrap-
around lush garden, large pergola, easy access, close to all amenities. Asking Price- 2,160,000 nis. Anglo Saxon Bet Shemesh- 02-999-8422 Sheinfeld. Move–in condition, 6 room penthouse, large porch with gorgeous view. Availability-flexible. Asking Price-995,000nis. Anglo Saxon Bet Shemesh- 02-999-8422 Sheinfeld. 3.5 Room, 1st floor, Enclosed porch. Asking Price- 660,000 nis. Anglo Saxon Bet Shemesh- 02-999-8422 RAMAT BEIT SHEMESH Ramat Beit Shemesh Aleph. Beautiful 7 room house, 180 sqm. Sought-after location, separate living room/dining room, master suite with bathroom, eat-in-kitchen, A/C, screens, large balcony, amazing view, private garden. Exclusive to Anglo Saxon. For details, call 02-999-8422.
JERUSALEM FOR RENT Near Azza St. Garden apt. + spacious balcony. 4 rooms + private 1 room clinic. ACTIVE MODEL 1994 Realty. Call 02-561-9854 or email active88@ bezeqint.net. Baka- Newly renovated, luxurious 3 bd apt. Beautiful, central A/C, wireless internet. Near Emek Refaim &Yedidya. For vacation & short term rental. Short-term rental by owner: Yehudit at 050-8757489. Talbieh- 3, exquisitely renovated, suitable for disabled, immediate occupancy, only $ 1,150. ANGLO-SAXON 02-625-1161.
JERUSALEM FOR SALE ABU TOR 4, spacious, large storage, balconies, many builtins, sukkah, elevator, covered parking. Exclusive: NIS 1,960,000 ANGLO-SAXON 02-625-1161, Judy: 050-394-0777
Magnificent Villa, 11 rooms, highest standard, garden, balconies, amazing views, $3,000,000. Contact Elad 052-670-6320. RE/MAX Vision 02673-1661. Amazing garden apartment! 4.5 rooms, 2 bathrooms, sukka area, private storage & parking. Spacious, renovated. Asking $620,000. Contact Alyssa 054-668-4111 RE/MAX Vision 02-6731661. BAKA Arab house 290sqm. + garden 350sqm., lots of charm in a small, quiet pastoral street. Needs renovation. Hamishkenote 052-320-2488 Michael. Rivka Street, 100 sqm., magnificent view, needs renovation, 6th floor with elevator, parking. Contact Annette 054-255-6225 or RE/MAXVision 02-6731661. Magnificent penthouse, 160m2, luxurious, elevator, large balcony, beautiful view, storageroom, parking. Hamishkenote 052-3202488 Michael. Garden Apartment, ground floor with basement, old Arab style, 2 levels, 100 square meters, $395,000. Contact Annette (054-2556225) RE/MAXVision 02-673-1661. Rare! Baka- 220 sqm. + garden 300 sqm., parking, decorated to clients taste. - Hamishkenote 052-672-4003 Elise. New penthouse 170 sqm. (approx.) + balcony, high ceilings, private elevator, clients choice of decor. Hamishkenote 052-672-4003 - Elise . MUSTSELL!3+gallery,Arab-style,highceilings, first floor, 3 directions, renovated, Sukkah balcony. Great Investment! ANGLO-SAXON 02-625-1161, Caroline: 054-7828414 PASTORAL BAKA: Arab-style villa, 225 sq.m. built, huge balconies, large garden, building rights,immediate, NIS 2,900,000ANGLO-SAXON 02-625-1161, HAIM: 050-523-0238
ACTIVE MODEL REAL ESTATE AGENCY, EST.
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ARNONA House 5 rooms. Designed and decorated by an architect, garden, balconies, greenery, beautiful view. Hamishkenote 054-467-1623 Dorit.
BAYIT VEGAN
1994
| May 2008
CLASSIFIEDS
ĂŚLuxury 6.5 rooms on one level + terrace 55 sqm. overlooking panoramic view, private entrance. Exclusive to Ambassador *5652 or 02-5618101.
GERMAN COLONY
Beautiful building includes: 2 cottages, 2 amazing penthouses and a 3 room apartment. Hanan: 052-595-1886. Colony: 02-561-1611 BEIT HAKEREM Great location! 5 room apartment for high class people. Batya: 050-791-0000. Colony: 02-561-1611 6 room Penthouse in a quite and prestigious location, large terrace to view. Batya: 0507910000. Colony: 02-561-1611
ĂŚ For Rent or for Sale! Detached private house, 280 sq.m. built + 400 sq.m. garden, subject to conversation! Ambassador Israel *5652 or 02561-8101. 3 rooms on Hatzfira St, only 7 stairs! Parking space! Exclusive to Ambassador Israel *5652 or 02-561-8101
CITYCENTER King George 12. 2 min. walk from Great Synagogue.4rooms+largehall.120sqm.+Succah balcony + parking. 1st floor with lift. Very bright. Many possibilities. Benyamine 052-540-4328/5 Rehov Aggripas 40. Central, modern tower. 10 min. walk to Great Synagogue. Panoramic and amazing view of Jerusalem. 4 new, luxurious private apartments on 9th floor. 24 Hr. security. Shabbat lift. Private parking. Central A/C. 2 Rooms $360K. 3 Rooms $490K. 4 Rooms $560K. Unique Huge Penthouse with 100msq. terrace. Contact: Benyamine 052-540-4328/5
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Strauss, private building, 1 min walk from Kikar Shabbat. 3.5 Floors, 700 sq.m. ManyBalconiesandTerraces.BuildingRightsfor2-3 more floors. Ideal for short periods rental. Attractive PriceforHighRentalpotential. Yossef052-540-4325. -Â…>Âż>Ă€iĂŠ iĂƒi`
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EIN KEREM Authentic Arab house on 1000 sqm. ground, building possibility (250Â sqm. app.), wonderful view of Jerusalem mountains. Hamishkenote 052320-2488 Michael.
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CLASSIFIEDS 6 room duplex. Renovated by an architect. Haviva: 050-552-5250. Colony: 02-561-1611 Magnificent Duplex, 220 sqm., 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, sukkah balcony, MUST SEE, $1,600,000. Contact Yona 054-224-5121. RE/ MAX Vision 02-673-1661 Near Emek Refaim, 3 rooms, 2nd floor, renovated, $500,000. Contact Yona 054-2245121. RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661 Quiet st. next to Emek Refaim, 3 rooms, 2nd fl., parking, studio on ground floor rented for 15000 NIS asking price $500,000. By owner Elie: 054-723-4520 GILO Beautiful elegant new house. 6 rooms. Available immediately. Hanan: 052-595-1886. Colony: 02-561-1611 Special opportunity - Beautiful villa 5 rooms + 2 separate units, gardens & terraces with a wonderful view. Hamishkenote 052-320-2488 Michael. GIVAT MASSUA Luxurious cottage 5 rooms, exceptional and well invested, garden + parking, beautiful view, immediately . Hamishkenote 0528385401 Tovah
#1 RE /M
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GIVAT ORANIM 4 + 1 (135 sqm.) rooms apartment, Shabbat elevators, beautiful view, storage-room and parking. Keys at Ambassador Israel *5652 or 02-5618101 HAR HOMA Luxurious 4 rooms, large living room, beautiful kitchen, terrace of 50 sqm. 1,130,000nis. Hamishkenote 052-6787813 Emmanuel. HOLYLAND 4 Luxury new apartment, 7 rooms (220 sqm.) on one level + balcony overlooking view, 2 storage-rooms and 3 covered parking. Exclusive to Ambassador Israel *5652 or 02-561-8101. Superb 6 rm. Cottage with potential, private entrance, parking. Hamishkenote 052-838-5401 Tovah. KIRYAT MOSHE Shoshana St, special 4 rooms apartment 90 sqm. + garden, architectural design, possibility for a separate unit. Ambassador Israel *5652 or 02-561-8101. KIRYAT SHMUEL Tchernikovsky St., Well-lit 3 rooms 80 sqm. + balconies, stone building, 2nd floor, needs renovation, $270,000, Immediate! Exclusive to Ambassador Israel *5652 or 02-561-8101
EM AX OFFICE IN JERUSAL
| May 2008
CLASSIFIEDS Shimoni St. in a nice stone building, 3.5 as 4 rooms apartment, well-lit and quiet, overlooking beautiful view. Exclusive to Ambassador Israel *5652 or 02-5618101 Large 4 rms., 1st. fl., very large balcony 120sqm., view, basement. Hamishkenote 0528385401 Tovah. Kiryat Yovel 10 rm. Magnificent villa (approx. 450 sqm), on 3 fls., view, private entrance, garden, swimming pool. Hamishkenote 02-673-7725 Benny SHMARYAHU LEVIN, 7-rm villa, gardens, ½ dunam, terraces, view, possible to divide, immediate. Exclusive: ANGLO-SAXON 02-6251161, ANAT: 050-687-7663. MAKOR HAIM Close to the German Colony! 4.5 rooms, 100 sqm., amazing view, quiet, storage-room. Exclusive to Ambassador Israel *5652 or 02561-8101. Plot 1000 sqm. (approximately) for building, potential, quiet. Hamishkenote 052320-2488 Michael. New 5 rooms, terrace, high standing, elevator, parking. Hamishkenote 052-3202488 Michael. MALCHA Dishon St. 4 rooms + large porch and Garden. Private entrance. 2 parking spaces and a storage room. Hanan: 052-595-1886. Colony : 02-5611611. MUSRARA/MORASHA 4 rooms, quiet, old Arab style, renovated, ground floor, high ceilings, 107 sqm., huge sukkah terrace, $600,000. Contact Annette 054-255-6225. RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661 BRAND NEW! MORASHA:luxurious 4- rm. apt.with fantastic Old City view, elevator, parking. ANGLO-SAXON 02-625-1161, Moshe: 054-431-0083 NACHLAOT Amazing house Shabazi St., 230 sq.m. plot, can be expended! Ambassador Israel *5652 or 02-56-18101 Investment opportunity, 8 units new construction, sukkah balconies, great central location, private parking, storage, available as entire building or separate units, starting at $475,000 per unit. Contact Elia (052-8629208) RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661
NAYOT Prestigious 5 room apt. 180 sqm. second floor + elevator. Large terrace. Beautiful view. Parking. Yehudit: 054-591-0348. Colony: 02561-1611 NOF TSION Development project close to Armon Hanatsiv. Facing the Goldman Promenade. 24 Hr. Security. Luxurious Penthouses+120msq Apts. Large Terraces for Sukkah. Amazing view of the Old City. 2 Synagogues+ Commercial Center. Special prices from Property Developer. $30004000/ sqm. Leave message at 050-254-3269 OLD CITY Incredible Old City Home. Mamluk period 3 level house with private entrance,150 sqm., 6 rooms with a separate 2-room unit. Includes 60 sqm. balcony space with panoramic views of the Old City including Har HaBayit and a partial view of the Kotel. Needs renovation. Contact Ilana 054-534-1403 RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661 OLD KATAMON 4 Room Penthouse! Completely renovated! Balconies + roof overlooking beautiful view! New building! Ambassador Israel *5652 or 02-561-8101 Holiday apartment, 3 rooms, 70 square meters, renovated, garden, $555,000. Contact Edna 050-633-0850. RE/MAX Vision 02-6731661. Prime Location! Rechov Bilu. Roof apt, 3rd floor, plus spacious balcony. Needs renovation. ACTIVE MODEL 1994 Real Estate. Call Yossi at 02-561-9854. Charming, cozy, well-designed apartment. Quiet street, 3 rooms, 77 sqm. A/C, central heating, parking, storage. Asking NIS 1,300,000. Contact: Edna 050- 633-0850. RE/MAXVISION 02-673-1661. Beautiful, renovated apartment on quiet street near the Jerusalem Theatre. 5 rooms,112 sqm. Elevator, AC/heating, storage, parking. Asking NIS 2,809,000 at current rate of exchange. Contact: Edna 050-633-0850. RE/ MAX VISION 02-673-1661. Opportunity not to be missed! Plot in exclusive area with possibility to build over 1700 sqm. of living space. Perfect for a group of friends or for a developer. Serious buyers only. Contact Dov 052-553-3739 or Ilana 054534-1403RE/MAXVision02-673-1661. Yordey Hasirah St. Arab building, 1st fl., bright, very quiet & green, 4 sides, 4 rooms, 96 sq.m, high ceiling, needs renovation. Asking price $700,000. By owner: Elie: 054-723-4520
- PLUS NADLAN Real Estate
Vacant lots available, build your home, walking distance to Shaarei Chesed and City center. Contact Elia (052-862-9208) RE/MAXVision 02-673-1661 www.shiurtimes.com
47
CLASSIFIEDS OLD TALPIOT Beit HaArava St.! Well-lit 3 rooms, 80 sqm., covered balcony, 1st floor, parking and storage-room as a unit. Ambassador Israel *5652 or 02-561-8101.
GIVAT HAMIVTAR: unique, exquisitely designed 7-room villa, gorgeous garden, terrace, view. Exclusive:ANGLO-SAXON 02625-1161, Savyon: 052-223-2476
Klauzner St, Well-lit 3 rooms apartment + Succah balcony overlooking view, quiet. Exclusive to Ambassador Israel *5652 or 02561-8101.
RAMOT For Rent or Sale! Ramot B, Separate Villa, 250 sq.m. built on 750 sq.m. plot. Keys at Ambassador Israel *5652 or 02-561-8101
RAMAT BEIT HAKEREM 4 rooms apartment + balcony overlooking view, large living room, well-lit, 2 covered parking and storage-room. Exclusive to Ambassador *5652 or 02-561-8101.
RECHAVIA Next to Azza St. 4 rooms, 1st floor, garden, calm, renovated. Exclusive to Ambassador Israel *5652 or 02-561-8101
TALBIEH Hanassi St.! Unique 3 room apartment (115 sq.m.)! 1st floor, high standard renovation! Balcony overlooking view. Keys at Ambassador Israel *5652 or 02-561-8101
Plot with building rights of 250 sqm., has lots of potential. Hamishkenote 054-467-1623 Dorit.
Beautiful 4 room apartment. Renovated by an architect. Porch. Haviva: 050-552-5250. “Colony�: 02-561-1611
Metudela St, Very Rare Duplex. 67sqm.+19 sqm. Terrace+45 sqm. Private garden registered in the “Taboâ€?. Private Parking. 2 Entrances. Valued at $360K, asking only $320K. Private Contact: Marco 052-5404325/8 Â
Prime Location. D’Israeli St. For residence or investment. 3rd floor, 80 sqm., plus succah balcony. ACTIVE MODEL Realty 02-561-9854 or 052-346-2990.
RAMAT DENIA 4 story Villa. 10 rooms. Covered parking for 3 cars. Large garden. High style planning. Hana: 052-382-7037. RAMAT ESHKOL
Unique Penthouse, 309 sqm. with over 100 sqm. of balconies, Shabbat elevator, private parking. Contact Ilana 054-534-1403 or Dov 052-553-3739. RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661. ĂŚ Givat Hamivtar! 350 sqm. built on 3 levels, balconies overlooking view, private parking. Exclusive to Ambassador Israel. Call *5652 or 02-561-8101. Mahal Street, 4th floor with elevator, 100 sqm., well-kept, bright & spacious. Must sell. Contact Hadar (050-756-8666) RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661.
Central Shaarei Chesed! 320 sqm. house on a corner lot, 6 rooms plus separate unit and courtyard. Needs renovation. Asking $2,500,000. Contact Ilana 054-534-1403 or Dov 052-553-3739 RE/MAXVision 02-673-1661. Metudela St., 4 rooms, 100 sqm. + balconies, 1st floor, needs renovation, $497,000. Exclusive to Ambassador Israel *5652 or 02-561-8101.
SAN SIMON Close to Old Katamon, 4 + 5 room apts. + elevator + parking + storage-room. Exclusive to Ambassador *5652 or 02-561-8101. Shai Agnon. Beautiful 5 room apartment, full of light, storage room, Shabbat Elevator and covered parking. Batya: 050-791-0000 or“Colony�: 02-561-1611
For sale in Talbieh: Beautiful and bright 3 room apartment, ground. Floor, fully air conditioned, new bathroom, large kitchen, central heating. Ohad: 050-9002142 or Colony: 02-5611611 Ehad Ha-Am 105msq.+200msq. Private Garden.Jabotinsky70msq.Otniel147msq.+Private Garden. Please Leave a message 050-254-3269 Alkalai, beautifully renovated vacation apartment, 3 rooms, 2 full baths, no steps, exit to garden, $385,000. Contact Yona (054-224-5121). RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661
Achad Ha’Am, lovely 3 rooms, spacious & bright, 80 square meters, balconies, 1.5 flights, $527,000 Contact Shira Israel (050-875-9569). RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661 LUXURIOUS! PALMACH (near Jerusalem Theater), 5, unique, small building, entire second floor, (165 sq.m.) Sukkah, covered parking, storage. Exclusive: ANGLO-SAXON 02625-1161, MOSHE: 054-431-0083 YEMIN MOSHE The most beautiful and unique house in Yemin Moshe! 300 sq.m. 4 floors. Must be seen! Yossi: 052-286-7034. “Colony�: 025611611
Netanya FOR SALE Villa on 1 dunam. Building rights for 300 sqm. + swimming pool. 650 sqm. of private land. Next to quiet park. Close to Laniado Hospital. 5 min. walk from the beach. Asking Owner Price $1M. 0525404328/0525404325 4 Star Sea Front Hotel next to Kikar, 90 Rooms(Including 6 suites), Guest room 450 pers., conference room 120 pers., 2 Swimming pools with sauna and fitness, 18 private parking spaces, construction of 6 more floors possible. High profitability +972(0)52-540-4325-8
t 3&"- &4T"5& t #6: t 4"-& t 3&/5
Mikael
Yehuda 10, Baka
02-673-7725 TPMM FrFF
e-mail: mikaelaz@bezeqint.net
www.azran.co.il 48
| May 2008
tidbitS Jerusalem Comedian’s Advice
It’s Not Manischewitz Anymore! by linda gradStein
T
hink of the sweet kiddush wine you used to drink in shul. To me, it always tasted more like cough syrup than anything else. Today you can make kiddush on top-quality Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Petite Syrah, Chardonnay, Viognier or Sauvignon Blanc. The Israeli wine industry has grown dramatically over the past 15 years. Today, more than 150 wineries in Israel from the Lebanese border down to Eilat produce an estimated 36 million bottles of wine a year. They range in price from 20 shekel a bottle to 200 shekel a bottle and the old adage, “you get what you pay for,” often does seem to apply here. Israeli wines have begun to win prizes at international competitions, even beating out European wines. For those of you new to wine, but who’d like to learn a little more, I suggest the following experiment. Take 600 shekel (I know it sounds like a lot, but you won’t be sorry) and go to a good wine store. Tell them your budget and ask them to make you a mixed case of white and red wine with an average price of 50 shekels a bottle. Keep a journal of which wines you liked and which you didn’t and why. Don’t worry about using fancy language – use your own words. This is something that’s also fun to do with friends. For more information on how to do a wine tasting, there’s a wealth of information on the internet. (By the way, to give due credit, this idea comes from Eric asimov, the wine critic for the New york Times.)
Linda Gradstein is a radio reporter based in Jerusalem and an avid wine drinker.
www.shiurtimes.com
On the Ideal Yom Ha’Atzmaut BBQ
by david kiliMnick
r a
eader’S QueStion: I’ve always wondered how Israelis create the perfect “al-ha-esh” (BBQ). Can you suggest techniques, such as “menaf-nef” (waving action used to get the flame going)?
nSWer:
No Israeli creates the perfect BBQ. a perfect BBQ runs itself. you don’t need a man in an undershirt and jeans waving his piece of cardboard for two hours. “Menaf-nef” is a cute word, but you only catch the Israelis once they have started the BBQ, three hours after they began the process! To start your perfect yom Ha’atzmaut BBQ:
1) Bring a container of flammable liquid and turn the knob to 200o. This is how you man a grill in 2008, not by waving at the fire and saying “hello” to your flame. 2) Use a big BBQ. Most Israelis use little matchbox size contraptions they found on sale. The grocery they found it at, the SuperGiantMegaGreatHugeGadol, didn’t have any bigger BBQ’s or any party size bags of Doritos larger than 50grams. Only one hotdog can be cooked at a time, causing lots of arguments! all you need is a big BBQ and everybody can eat. 3) Bring chairs. a lot of families like to bring couches and tables, so it looks like they’re moving to the park. I have even seen refrigerators and pick-up trucks! They understand that it is impossible to find a place in the parks on yom Ha’atzmaut, so they figure: “after searching for 5 hours, we’re never leaving!” 4) If you really want a relaxing and enjoyable yom Ha’atzmaut, leave your kids at home. David Kilimnick can be seen performing at the Off The Wall Comedy Basement, in Jerusalem, every Thursday Night at 8pm. See www. israelcomedy.com.
COMEDY BASEMENT Jerusalem’s 1st Comedy Club
Your choice for birthdays, anniversaries and a good night out! BRING THIS AD FOR 8 NIS DISCOUNT
English Stand-Up
Every Thursday & Saturday Night
Monday Night (English) open mic
אפ בעברית יום חמישי-סטאנד
Lag Ba’Omer Music Special AVTALA BAND: REUNION TOUR May 22 @ 8 PM (see website for schedule)
02-624-3218
34 Ben Yehuda (corner of King George) down the stairs near the Mashbir
www.israelcomedy.com
David Kilimnick JERUSALEM’S COMEDIAN
available for
Tour Groups & Private Parties for all ages creator of the Aliyah Monologues Uncle D Find Me a Wife Frum From Birth 8pm English stand-up starring David every Thursday (shows vary weekly)
050-875-5688 49
recipeS
What’s Cooking? Mangal your heart out! SOUTHERN STYLE BBQ MARINADE INGREDIENTS: 1 c. strong black coffee 1 c. Worcestershire sauce 1 c. ketchup 1/2 c. cider vinegar 1/2 c. brown sugar 3 tbsp. chili powder 2 tsp. salt 2 c. chopped onions 1/4 c. minced hot chili peppers 6 cloves garlic, minced PREPaRaTION: Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer 25 minutes. Strain or puree in a blender or food processor. Refrigerate between uses. Makes 5 cups. Submitted by Ruth, Alabama to Beer Sheva
SPICY BBQ MARINADE INGREDIENTS: 2 cups water 1/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup vinegar 1 cup finely chopped onion 3/4 cup ketchup 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon paprika 2 teaspoons salt dash ground cayenne pepper or hot pepper sauce PREPaRaTION: Put all ingredients in saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce hat and simmer for 30 minutes. Use as a baste for grilled or baked ribs, chops, or chicken. Submitted by Sara, Jerusalem
EASY VEGAN & GLUTEN-FREE BARBECUE SAUCE RECIPE INGREDIENTS: 1 3/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 tsp paprika 1 tbsp sugar 1/2 glove garlic, minced 1/2 cup onion, minced 1/2 cup water PREPaRaTION: In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients together and mix well. While grilling brush often with desired amount of sauce. Submitted by Esther Leah, Tiberias
IDEAS FOR VEGETARIAN BBQ’s: Pineapples Portobello Mushrooms Sweet potatoes or yams (wrap in foil, or, slice in half, pre-bake, brush with maple syrup for extra sweetness and grill) asparagus (soak in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling) Corn on the cob apples (slice in half and sprinkle with cinnamon)
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| May 2008
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