Rachel's Children

Yesterday to commemorate the yahrzeit of our Matriarch Rachel, I attended a children's event. I guess I could have joined the 150,000 people who successfully reached Rachel Emainu's resting place, but I commemorated the event with the younger generation instead.

About 100 children gathered in Efrat's Kol BeRamah synagogue on the Zayit for an International Children's Prayer event. Children had gathered in about 300 locations around the world to prayer "together."

They watched a video about Kever Rachel, learned about "Healing and Prayer" together with their friends or parents and then with a live radio hook-up said tehillim and tefillot, and sang with children all over the world.

Zayit's Lionel Amar was the skillful MC (and probably, coordinator) of the afternoon. And Rav Baruch talked to the children about Rachel Emainu. The children's interaction with the rav was very enthusiastic.

The parents of yesterday's attendees should be proud of their children, who were very well-behaved and active in their participation.

Children learn every week at Kol BeRamah in sessions of Avot UBanim - learning Parshat Hashavua from MiBereishit. It's a great program and worthy of each child's and parent's participation.

I videoed the event, and IY"H, hope to post it on http://www.voices-magazine.com/ .

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Added note: The women of Efrat have a particularly close relationship to Rachel Emainu. Every Tuesday for the past eight years, a group of women have been traveling there to pray and listen to a shiur. This activity is in memory of Efratian Sarah Blaustein, HY"D, a Kever Rachel volunteer during those violent days of 2001. Everyone is invited to join Efratians at Rachel's Tomb every Tuesday morning - leaving from the Matnas Efrat at 8:20 AM.

http://voices-magazine.com/voices-videos.php?id=59

92 Years to the Battle for Beersheva

In November, Beersheva will be commemorating 92 years since the "Battle of Beersheba". On October 31, 1917, General Edmund Allenby led a campaign to break the Turkish defensive line in Gaza. Gaza was trouble for Eretz Yisrael even back then during World War I. The charge of the Australian Fourth Light Horse Brigade was a major part of that battle. Australian and British forces overran and captured the last remaining Turkish trenches, and secured the surviving wells at Beersheva.
Voices visited Beersheva and looked a bit into some of the military history of the city. First stop - the mammoth Monument to the Negev Brigade, designed by Dani Karavan in memory of the members of the Palmach Negev Brigade who fell defending the Jewish People against the Egyptian onslaught and Arab irregulars between 1947 and 1949. High on a hill overlooking the city of Beersheva, the memorial is a work of art studied by Israel's art and design students. My daughter had to learn all about it for her Design Bagrut.
Completed in 1968 after five years of construction, the monument is a concrete structure with 18 different elements that were symbolic and connected to the Palmach and the War of Independence. Battle plans are carved into the cement. A domed structure contains the names of the 245 fighters who fell in the diffent battles for the Negev. A perforated tower represents the watchtowers shelled by Arab gunfire. A cement "pipeline" recalls the water system of the Negev, which the Palmach defended with their lives. Inside one of the structures is an engraving of a telegram the Palmach sent to Central Command in the heat of battle. Outside of the structure is an engraving of the Palmach badge, as well as diary passages from the soldiers. The memorial has an electronic guide box that tells the story of the place. It is well-worth the visit.
Next, we went forward a bit in time and traveled to the Israel Air Force Museum in Hazerim, southwest of Beersheva. As we picnicked outside the park, colorful Air Force fighter jets flew over head.
The museum has a tremendous collection of airplanes and helicopters that were flown over the past 70 years in defense of the Jewish People. It details the history of the Air Force, from Pre-Statehood until today. The aircraft are lined up according to the era in which they flew, and the museum is a truly impressive site. The most exciting feature at the Air Force Museum is the jumbo jet used to fly the commanders of the Entebbe Raid to Uganda, and later Ethiopian Olim to Israel during Operation Solomon.
My favorite jets were those captured from the enemy by the Israeli Army, fixed and flown by the Air Force. The IAF left the former-country's emblem on the planes, and added the Magen David (Shield of David). Great!
We walked through Beersheva's Old City and drove through its new neighborhoods that sported high ultra-modern tower apartment buildings. We visited the sprawling Ben Gurion University and passed Soroka Hospital. We even took photos by the signs declaring Beersheva a sister-city to Seattle (home of the Boeing AIRCRAFT company).
Beersheva, the Capital of the Negev, is as strategic a site for Israel today as it was 92 years ago. Chazak chazak - be strong - and mazel tov!

Shomron Smarts

They say the air of Eretz Yisrael makes one wise. That is especially true of the Shomron (Samaria). The folks in the regional council of Samaria are really smart cookies.
They've got lots of clever ideas to build their towns. They even learn some of their lessons from the Arabs and the leftwing.
You know how Arabs are always walking around with still and video cameras so that they can DOCUMENT the supposed-evils of Israeli soldiers and "settlers"? Their well-planned footage is available all over the internet.
Well, the folks of the Samaria Regional Council figured that if you can use videos to spread lies, you can also use video to spread the truth. They gave courses last year to Samarian residents to teach them how to use their video cameras effectively. THAT'S INNOVATIVE THINKING!!
Recently, Peace Bloc came out with a comprehensive list of Jewish "settlements" in Judea and Samaria and the products they manufacture. Peace Now wants Israelis and citizens of the world to boycott these Israeli goods.
The Shomron Council took the same list and distributed it to lovers of Israel the world over, encouraging supporters of Eretz Yisrael and the heroic pioneers that live on its hilltops, in its valleys, across its deserts to BUY BUY BUY those products and strengthen the pioneering settlement throughout the country. SHOMRON, YOU GUYS ARE GREAT!!
Here are some of the products, thanks to Peace Bloc for the info, that you'll want to buy: Ahavah (natural cosmetics), Mitzpeh Shalem; Amgazit (gas equipment), Kfar Etzion [it's really in Bet Shemesh now, but okay...]; Beigel & Beigel (pretzels), Barkan; Beitili (furniture), Barkan; Har-Shefi (boxes), Beit El; Keter (plastic furniture), Barkan; Mei Tzurim (water purification), Rosh Tzurim in Gush Etzion; Mitkanei Psagot (playground equipment), Psagot; Orli-Print, N’vei Daniel; Palphot (photography products), Karnei Shomron; Tefillin Beit El, Beit El.
In our desire to build up our nation and all our communities and hilltops, we must look everywhere for inspiration and clever ideas. and when we find them, we should act. Here's to the folks in the Shomron who have learned from everyone - including the Arabs and the leftwing - to do something positive for their region.

My Son the Rabbi

After long years of study, my son Moshe Eliahu gave us tremendous nachas tonight when he received his rabbinic certification - semicha.
Almost twenty members of our family - from his two grandmothers (may they live and be well until 120) down to his youngest nieces and nephew came out to honor our first Rabbi. The only child in the family who was out of town tonight even called his brother to wish him mazel tov. So everyone was represented.
My granddaughter Rivka asked her mother if "Tatie", Moshe Eliahu, was going to spring a large beard right after he received his semicha. She was disappointed when the answer she received was "no".
Moshe Eliahu wasn't the only new rabbi. There were actually 11. And the women's section was filled with the wives, mothers and children of these young men. One young woman cried from emotion as her mother comforted her. Our family was just so excited, it was hard to quietly sit still.
How will the world change with another 11 rabbis? I guess we'll have to wait and see. But if they can embrace their fellow Jew, as did Avraham Avinu, answer his questions, encourage his belief in Hashem, and foster ahavat Yisrael (love for one's fellow Jew), then these rabbis will make a positive difference for the Jewish people both today and tomorrow.
Mazel tov to all the new rabbis and rebbetzins and their families. May they be blessed with the wisdom and ability to guide our people's future.
In the next few days, IY"H, I'll be uploading a video on "The Next Generation Rabbis" to http://www.voices-magazine.com/ . Please stay tuned.

Dance Mall

Once upon a time, you could go into a dance hall and pay your dime for hours of fun jitter-bugging, waltzing, or doing the tango. I don't know if there are any Dance Halls any more, but there is definitely a Dance Mall.
My family went to dinner in Café Rimon in Jerusalem's Mamilla Mall tonight. As we approached, music flowed from nearby and we noticed a big crowd.
It was Monday night dancing on Alrov Mamilla Avenue, led by Moti Kozer. Every Monday night Jerusalemites have been gathering to trip the light fantastic.
There were line dances and partner dances, Israeli dances, salsa, rock, cha cha, and more. There were old people and young people. Everyone seemed so in synch with one another. I didn't realize that many of these folks have been dancing together for months.
My grandbabies loved watching the dancing. So did I.
After dinner, we strolled through Mamilla and saw a number of street performers entertaining the crowd. Folks were standing in little clumps, swaying with the beat.
There was something for everyone. A night of culture and fun in the big city.
In the next few days, I'm going to put up a video of Dance Mall on my website, http://www.voices-magazine.com/ . Stay tuned.

A Cleaner Greener Town and World

I had the opportunity to interview Efrat's Mayor Oded Revivi today. We chatted about Efrat's participation in an International Environmental Day that's happening, IY"H, "this weekend" October 23 and 24.

Oded said that he's sure the world didn't plan this, but the Jewish people know there is nothing by chance, and it happens that there can't be a better day to think about the environment than this Shabbat, Parshat Noah. Five thousand years ago, Hashem destroyed the world and began again. It has been up to man for all those centuries to protect the world that Hashem gave us. (Sadly, we haven't done such a great job.)

Well, Efrat wants to help make a tikkun (correction) and do its part to help the environment.

The Teva Ivri (Hebrew Nature) Association is working to set Parshat Noah as the "Shabbat of Sustainability" among the Israeil public. Efrat is planning on joining in the observances.

On Friday at the Te'ena Shopping Center, there will be all kinds of environmental activities. There will even be workshops and displays in people's homes around Efrat, dealing with different issues like composting, saving water, and solar energy.

On Shabbat, there will be environmentally related shiurim.

The entire project is very fascinating - and a cooperative effort by the Efrat Local Council, its religious council and its community center. Kol hakavod.

To find out more, click on these two videos:

Efrat Green City Event - Friday, Oct. 23 (Hebrew)
http://voices-magazine.com/voices-videos.php?id=56

Efrat Green City Event - Friday, Oct. 23 (English)
http://voices-magazine.com/voices-videos.php?id=55

We only have one world, and we should each do our best to keep it green and clean and safe and sustainable.

The SKYPE's the Limit

I had a very nice face-to-face conversation with my sister today, and then tonight she came over. That sounds pretty regular, but today my sister was in ROMANIA and tonight she was in my office in ISRAEL. And you know what? When she walked in, it seemed very natural, and very, "So, as I was saying, etc. etc."
We were talking across Europe today on SKYPE, videotelephoning. She told me all about the Eastern European countries she had visited, and about the rainy and miserable weather in Europe (don't you wish we had some of that "rainy miserable" weather here!!!!). Then after a full day on the continent, she and my brother-in-law caught a plane and popped over to my house.
Is this 21st century stuff, or what?
I'm listed on SKYPE with four friends - my Voices webmaster, my videography teacher, my fellow committee member from the Committee for Gush Katif Bridal Showers, and my sister. When I see one of their names light up, I just send a quick message, "Hope you're having a great day." If they're not busy, we usually share a video call for a few minutes, or we just write, "Hi. Glad to see your name on my screen."
Tonight, my niece CB, whom I wrote about yesterday (see blog below) was home (where else should she be with a broken ankle??) in her wheelchair. She SKYPED me for the first time. That was cool. My dearest mother ad 120, my lovely daughter-in-law and sweet daughter joined me at my desk. Everyone was on screen. CB saw us all on the computer screen and we saw her. We had a 40 minute GREAT conversation. What fun! We really felt like we were just sitting together shmoozing.
CB showed us her purple cast (can you believe casts can come in colors??). She showed us the couch that she sleeps on in the den. She showed us her wheelchair tricks (wheelies and 360 turns).
So, earlier today, I SKYPED to Europe and tonight to the US. It's a new world in which we really can stay together (no matter the distance) with very little effort. Just press a button and you can visit with friends and loved ones anywhere anytime. Yes, the SKYPE's the Limit!!