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March 2002

Jerusalem, Israel

Do you really want to know?

18 Nissan 5762 / March 31, 2002

Sometimes you want to scream and scream and scream some more because you feel like you are going to explode inside because you are so overwhelmed and today is the day of the Haifa restaurant terrorist attack that killed 16 so far as some are critically wounded and might still die 

and it’s the day after the Tel Aviv café terrorist attack that injured 30 and maybe will kill one who is critically wounded and where my friend Chaim was at a café a few blocks away and saw the entire aftermath and couldn’t sleep at all that night

and it’s the weekend after the Jerusalem grocery store terrorist attack that killed two and the dean of my program was having lunch upstairs and his son and son-in-law were the first medics on the scene and now I am more scared than I was before to go to the grocery store and to the bank and everywhere else though I was scared to go to the grocery store even before the attack so what difference does it make and although I am scared I am also determined to not get so bogged down by this that I stop living and so tomorrow I am going grocery shopping though I will wait far from the entrance until I am the only one going in and I will quickly go towards the middle or back of the store and I will watch everyone around me and then I will choose the check-out that is farthest from the entrance no matter how long the line is and then I will wait to leave until there is no one walking in and this is how I will grocery shop from now on except I just read that police know of three terrorists at-large in Jerusalem planning terrorist attacks so now I have decided not to go to the grocery store until after the terrorist attacks that have not yet happened but then I went after all because I ran out of milk and as I write this I think well maybe I AM getting bogged down because is this really living and I decide yes it is living because I am alive aren’t I but it’s living in a war in a teeny tiny country rather than living in peace in a big huge country and there’s a difference but both are living does that make any sense because I can’t tell sense from nonsense right now

and it’s the week of the Seder Night Massacre that killed 22 so far where my Talmud study partner was staying in a different hotel only two buildings away and saw too much and police are telling us that more and more terrorist attacks are expected across the country and newspapers show the faces of everyone who is killed day in and day out and you see their crying and grief-stricken relatives and you watch news reports of husbands and sons and dads and brothers and boyfriends and uncles and bosses and employees and teachers and students and co-workers and neighbors getting called up for emergency reserve duty and almost without exception they do not complain but go to serve their country knowing they might die as their neighbors and co-workers and students and teachers and employers and employees and nieces and nephews and girlfriends and siblings and kids and parents and wives kiss them goodbye

and you see Israelis by the dozen with handguns in their pockets and armed guards in front of almost every public place and the hourly beep beep beep beep beeeeeeeeeeeep radio news reports list the dead the whole country is so quiet and demoralized and lifeless and you hear Israelis call in on radio talk shows and they are crying and asking how much longer will this go on and we have to do something and do it now what are we waiting for they ask with desperation in their voices we can't go on like this when will it end it's too much to take and they are wiping their feet on us and by the way it hurts that the world never stops condemning Israel and why is Bin Laden murderable but Arafat is untouchable and the radio also plays sad songs and songs about hope and about shalom and you can’t escape what is going on here yet you know you still have to laugh and try to enjoy life

but it’s crazy-making because you are on a boat in the Mediterranean Sea trying to live life and do interesting and relaxing activities even though when you woke up this morning you didn't feel like going but you pushed yourself to go it will be good for me you said and then on the boat someone announces a terrorist attack in Haifa that has killed at least 13 and your boat ride in the Mediterranean becomes anywhere in the world because your mind is only in one place as ambulances are carrying wounded and dead Jews to the hospital and you can picture in your mind the Israeli news on TV with the little map and the big X showing the spot of the attack and the breathless reporters and the sirens in the background and the pools of blood and the religious workers scraping away flesh from the concrete and the shattered glass everywhere and wires protruding through the wall and chairs and tables upside down and people moaning and screaming and you know it by heart your heart knows it by heart and it breaks every time though for a while you thought you were getting desensitized to it but you realize you are getting more and more raw

and the new sign of civilian bravery and also maybe defiance is if you will still go to Jaffa St. or Ben-Yehuda St. and sit outside at cafes and eat in restaurants and ride buses and stand in crowds and go to movies and maybe even grocery shop and those who do are frustrated at those who don’t you are giving in you are giving up you are letting them win you are giving them Jerusalem they say and I understand how they feel and I decide that I am of those who has to believe it is enough that I am living in Israel and in Jerusalem right now because I don’t want to go to Jaffa St. or Ben-Yehuda St. or even Emek Refaim St. where a terrorist was recently stopped moments before exploding himself at a popular café and I don’t want to sit either inside or outside of cafes though I did the other day on a rebellious whim don’t tell my mom and I don’t want to ride Egged buses or stand in crowds or eat in restaurants but I will grocery shop and maybe I’ll go to a movie some day soon but not today and I have a date tonight a first date and he is Israeli and we both agree there is nowhere safe to go for a first date did you know the promenade overlooking Jerusalem is no longer safe I used to go there to read so I am making him dinner in my apartment even though I am not a good cook and I know that I am somewhere in the middle because some people are not leaving their apartments for days at a time

and you find yourself thinking about your life every time you walk out the door and you decide to add a sleeping bag to the box of items you’ve already placed in your building’s bomb shelter and you consider talking to the maintenance people about getting it ready “just in case” and you wake up every morning thinking to yourself that today is going to be a good and productive day and you aren’t going to let the war get you down but by the end of the day there has been at least one terrorist attack and lots of people dead and you feel so sick inside and it used to be that everyone dreaded Saturday evenings but now everyone dreads every new day so you come home and all you want to do is go to sleep because to be awake is to be aware of what is happening to the Jewish People in the Jewish homeland during the week of Passover as we celebrate our freedom

and for the first time you have this secret thought while climbing up the hill in a private bus from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem that was it all worth it to build this state that has caused so much bloodshed and pain and of course you know it was worth it and you feel guilty for even having such a fleeting thought but you know that any and every thought is normal right now and if I have it then others must have it too but maybe they haven’t because it’s such an awful thought and you still feel guilty even though you know it just comes from so much pain and from living a half normal half crazy life and from searching for answers and explanations and reasons for this unimaginable chaos and ongoing nightmare where insanity reigns and hope is dead along with the victims
and you see banners along the road pleading to save this country and another to topple the PA and bring back security and then banners urging to get out of the territories and get back to ourselves and bumper stickers asking us to be strong and have courage and others that say no to a Peres-tinian state and you are confused and don’t know what to think and you hear a former member of the Irgun pre-state military service speak about the struggle for Israel to become a state and you can’t help but notice all the parallels to the Palestinians but you also notice the huge differences really huge differences in their struggle and in what our struggle was actually what our struggle is because this today is a struggle for our very existence nothing less than that but still you are confused and you are going crazy inside from working so hard to keep from despairing after an attack but then another one happens and you start from scratch but really from less than scratch because they build on one another lots and lots and lots and lots of dead Jews and lots and lots and lots and lots of fresh graves and lots and lots and lots and lots of missing people at seder tables one dead Jew after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another

and you think about going back to America but you don’t want to leave but you do but you don’t but you do but you don’t and your very supportive family has finally started sending emails asking you to consider coming home and you feel guilty that they are worried but you want to be here with your People feeling what they are feeling and living what they are living because we are One we are Am Yisrael and what can you do from America so you want to be here and you feel less alone in your Israel-Jewish pain when you are here with everyone else at least we're in it together

and you believe it’s also your responsibility and not just that of Israelis who already do so much it’s also my responsibility to ensure the existence of the only Jewish state in the whole wide world because I am a Jew and because half my family along with 6 million other Jews would be alive today if Israel existed years ago and because I am a Jew and Israel is the Jewish homeland and here almost everyone speaks Hebrew and celebrates Jewish holidays and rescues Jews from all over the world and because I am a Jew and if I want a Jewish state to be here forever then I have to help make it exist
but then you think what good does it do I’m just one person but your gut and your religion tell you it’s important and that one person does make a difference and you remember that starfish story and you love Israel and you can’t imagine leaving now of all times and you want to stay and not hear the news from across the ocean so you stay even if it's just being selfish and you know you weren’t really seriously considering leaving and you wonder what would cause you to leave and maybe nothing will cause me to leave maybe not but either way you need to know that the option is available it helps keep you sane because it feels better to make a choice than to feel trapped and then you think about Israelis who have no choice and do not have a warm home waiting for them somewhere else and you understand why their despair knows no end because this is their homeland AND their home

and you feel sad and powerless and angry and frustrated and you want to block the world out because you don’t want to hear actually you feel that you can’t possibly take hearing one more special news report about another attack though of course you can because you have to and you aren’t quite yet used to hearing the roar of air force planes above and the huge bombings in Bethlehem that shake your bed and the gunfire in Beit Jala and Gilo that keep you awake and you are so weary of hearing sirens in Jerusalem all the time because it seems that half the time they are going to a terrorist attack and half the time not but your first thought is always that they are going to a terrorist attack and your heart sinks and you turn on the TV to see what's happening and then you call your mom and tell her you're okay that you weren't wherever the attack was
and you wonder if you’ll ever be able to hear an ambulance siren again in your whole life without thinking about terrorist attacks and you wonder if you are going to be scarred for life from living here right now and you figure in some ways probably so and you think about when you were in St. Louis last month you were initially scared from a hat someone left in an elevator you thought it was a suspicious object and you instinctively wanted to sit in a café facing the door in case someone suspicious walked in and then you remembered you were in St. Louis not Jerusalem and everyone on your program had similar experiences when they recently visited home so it’s normal but being scarred like that scares you but what the hell you’ll deal with it when you have to and besides everything is scary right now so join the crowd what's another scary thing come right in let's have a party

and sometimes you want to scream and scream and scream some more because you feel like you are going to explode inside.

but instead you write it down and then feel a tinsy bit better and you decide to send what you wrote to people in America because you want to convey to whomever is willing to listen what it’s like in Israel right now because as long as you are here you may as well be a “beyond CNN” shaliach at least this is something I can do and also you think to yourself if you lived in America right now you would want to know to really know to really really know so maybe others really want to know too.

Written Sunday evening, March 31 2002 the 18th of Nissan 5762 in the land of Israel in the city of Jerusalem in the middle of a war during Passover when we relive being slaves in Egypt and then heading toward our own Land called Israel where we could finally be a free People

Venezuela
Oh Israel
Our prayers are with you all
Our hearts are with all of you.
Acheinu bnei yisroel.

Star, South Carolina
bs"d 
Shalom
I am writing in support of my brothers in Eretz Yisrael. I will be in Israel for a few weeks this summer, IY"H, to show that support. If anyone has any suggestions for where I can do the most good, I'd like to hear from you.
Moadim L'simchah.
-Mike Epstein
mepstein@carol.net

Chatsworth, CA
The recent attacks are tragic especially the bombing of the Passover Seder. I hope that all of the violence will stop. 
Please do not give up hop brothers and sisters in Israel. 
We are with you. I am trying to contact Volunteers for Israeli can do something even though I am 47.

Edmonton, Canada
My heart goes out to Israel in this terrible time. I feel as though this is not only an attack on a country but on the Jewish people as a whole. Your pain is my pain and our tears flow together. I am doing what I can in Edmonton and Canada to show support for Israel and although I see small successes I still fell overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness. I am only 21 years old, and this is the first time in my life that I've seen Israel seriously threatened. I have confidence in the strength and power of Israel and the Jewish people, but I am still scared and worried.

Montreal, Canada
My brothers and dear friends who died today
To their family my thoughts are with you may G-d be with your family
Love Dolly Klein

NJ, USA
I just want all the brave people in Israel to know that I am with you, and thinking about you...the deteriorating situation in Israel is pretty much ALL I think about lately. Unfortunately, I am unable to come visit and show my solidarity, which I am desperate to do despite the danger. 
So I want to know - short of being able to visit in person, what can I do to help? Please let me know...I would do just about anything to help...

Chag Sameach,
Laura

Indiana, PA
Hey Israel,
I'm very glad to hear how you are fighting back. You have every right to do what you are doing! No matter what some may say, we are on YOUR side!

Pittsburgh, PA
Not Jewish, but all I have to say is do what you have to do to defend yourselves ... America is behind you

Norwich, CT
Shalom, hold your heads up high and celebrate Pesach, we are all thinking of you at Norwich Synagogue.

Kayseri, Turkey
HaShem brought us out of Egypt with a Mighty Hand and an Outstretched Arm(Deuteronomy 26:8)

Dear friends,
We sincerely wish for all people Peace & Freedom all over the world .
Best Wishes

Baltimore, MD
Prayers for peace. I wonder if the interests of peace AND security would be better served by a strong TWO party system such as we have in the United States. In times of stress and crisis a President seems to have much more power and leeway than a coalition beholden Prime Minister.

Detroit, MI
To all my fellow Jews living in Eretz Yisrael:

My heart and thoughts are with you constantly, B'Ezrat Hashem I will be able to join you B'Aliya very soon! You are never forgotten in my Tefilot. May we have the Zechut to have Shalom in Israel and see the Mashiach very soon. Amen

Los Gatos, CA
I am not Jewish, I was raised Methodist. However, I find myself drawn to the Jewish faith, as I respect it's teachings, foundation and commitments. I wish the people of Israel peace - and am confident that no matter what the outcome of the current turmoil, you will succeed at using this time to strengthen your union and family spirit. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

New York, NY
I am writing to all of you who may be logging in from Israel. You should know that you are in my teffilot, and in the teffilot of all of us here in America. You are brave and steadfast and I admire all of you. 
May this chodesh of Geulah bring us Geulah in our days. Chag kosher v'sameach, and may we see shalom soon.

We stayed at the King Solomon Hotel in Netanya for nearly our entire vacation being guarded by security and the police. Some of our friends and family came to visit us from Bet Shemesh, Giv'at Ze'ev and Ra'anana. My cousin Dorit picked us up this past Friday to go to Raanana for Shabbat. We had terribly cold and stormy weather for 95% of the time; only three afternoons of sunshine.

Having said all of that, we made the right decision to go to Israel for Pesach, and enjoyed spending time there in spite of the circumstances.

Brooklyn, NY
Dear Friends in Israel,
You are in our prayers and our thoughts every day. May you be blessed for your strength and your courage.
Chag Kosher V'Sameach. 
-Judy Shapiro

Ashdod, Israel
Unfortunately, although I am optimistic, I feel not good because the unsecured situation that my family lives in.  Every day I watch in TV and I feel lackey that whoever I know is still alive, you may think that I talk about bad movie but its true, we live in a war atmosphere.
Even that I live in a quite peaceful city near the shore, Two weeks ago there was a terrorist attack a few streets away of my house.
I hope that this situation will end up soon.

CA, USA
I am not Jewish; in fact I am of the basic Christian faith. I fully believe that everyone has a right to place their thoughts. "We" (as in a populace) need not agree with those ideas, but "we" (as a community) must respect those ideas. I abhor the recent strife between Israel and Palestine, but in God's eyes we must continue on.
Thank you for letting me vent. I wish you all happiness in your upcoming religious holiday.
Sincerely,
-Terry L. Bush

Brooklyn, USA
Our hearts go out to all of you. Our prayers are with you at all times.
May we all have a Shnas Geulah V'yeshua

Portland, OR  USA
As a Jewish American, I pray for the safety of Israel and her people. I admire and respect the everyday courage of the Jews of Israel and the IDF. You will win. They will not defeat you.
As a former US Marine, I know something of the horrors of war. I also know that in order to defeat evil, you must fight evil.
May Israel and it's people go from strength to strength.

Albany, NY  USA
The blood, sweat and tears of our brethren in Israel flows down onto its holy and sacred ground. 
We here do not stand by idly: our tears, too, pour down our faces as we awaken every morning to the news of the daily horror and carnage. But we also rise to the greatest of heights in professing our unflinching belief in the Master of the Universe, His truth, and His providential care -- even in the face of so many atrocities. 
Our collective prayers must reach Heaven's ear. May G-d bless and protect every man, woman, and child in Israel and throughout Klal Yisroel so that we may all witness His redemption speedily in our days!

Manitoba, Canada
I would just like to let all those in Israel know that my prayers are with you. Although I am not a Jew myself, I stand behind the Jewish people 100%. It is my sincerest belief that if the leadership of the country would devote themselves to G-d and let G-d work through them, there is no nation in the world who would be able to stand against them.

Isaiah 14:27
For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him?
His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?

I pray that the Jews of the world will unite and that the leaders of Israel will act as servants of G-d.  I pray that G-d will strengthen and protect his chosen people.

-Trevor Dueck

If there is anyone from Israel whom I could correspond with, I would love to here from you. My sincerest wish is that there would be peace throughout Israel. 
G-d Bless you all.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
I want to express my most warm feelings towards the Jewish people. I and my family pray often for Israel and all its people. For we know that those who desire and pray for Jerusalem shall prosper (Ps. 122:6). The enemies of Israel will not prevail. May G-d bless the Jewish scattered through all the world and the holy land of Israel. May this land rest in piece at all its boundaries.  

Jerusalem, Israel

Why We Stay In Israel

It feels crazy to live in Israel right now. A few people are leaving.  I understand them. It's horrible to live with the violence, and the attendant stress and anxiety. We Israelis are so vulnerable:  traveling in a car or bus, going to a cafe, even staying home. All have been woven with terror. Every time of day and night, we know we are targets.

One recent Friday night, we were awakened at 1 in the morning by the loudspeaker in our community. The announcement said: "There is a warning that there is a terrorist in Tekoa. Lock your windows and doors, sleep with gun, guard your children. Turn out all of the lights."

We quickly turned off the lights even though we are Sabbath observers.  We locked the doors and windows. We put a chair in front of the front door. Then the phone rang. Our neighbor was calling to make sure that we had heard the warning.

The kids were scared, shaking. I told them that we would protect them, take care of them. That they should try to go to sleep. 

The kids fell to sleep, all of them in our bed. I prayed and then slept fitfully, hoping that morning would soon be on its way. 

Around 3:00 the loudspeaker came on again. The warning was over.  For now. But as I told my children, it's rare that terrorists warn you.

They certainly didn't warn my son, Koby, 13, before they stoned him and his friend Yosef to death, crushing their skulls so they were unrecognizable. Koby and Yosef were hiking near our home in Tekoa.  The two boys wanted to know the canyon beyond our house like the backs of their hands.

They were killed for their love of the land. They were killed for being Jews.

My friend was at a movie in Jerusalem on Saturday night, the night of the massacre at the Moment Cafe when a terrorist killed 11 people.  The manager stopped the movie and told the patrons what had happened and asked if they wanted the movie to continue. They didn't. They all went home.

Why do people continue to stay here even though we are being slaughtered by terrorists? Because many of us feel a deep sense of connection here, to our country, our heritage, and to each other.

The sense of connection manifests itself in surprising ways. Today I go to the makollet, the grocery store, and there is a man filling a cardboard box with goodies to send to his son in the army. The man picks out a bar of chocolate, plain milk chocolate. And the makollet lady, Rena, says: "Your son doesn't like that kind of chocolate. Noam likes crunchy chocolate."

Another story: My friend Ruth is at a kiosk buying a drink. A little girl says shyly to the proprietor: "What can I get for 2 shekls?" He says, "nothing." Then he hands her a shekl. "But now you have three.  You can buy gum or a candy." Ruth fishes into her pocket. "Now you have four."

Here there is a feeling of family. Here in the face of pain and suffering, we don't feel alone. We feel that we are a net that is woven together and though it is full of holes, it is strong enough to lift us up.

If we make a hole in the net, the net is weakened. Of course it can be mended. But it will never be quite the same.

We don't want to make a hole in the net. We don't want to leave the place where our son is buried. We don't want to leave the only place in the world where time is measured by a Jewish calendar, where the celebrations center on the Jewish holidays, where the language is the language of the Bible. We don't want to leave the center of Jewish history. Now we are part of that long, hard history. We are part of the struggle of the Jewish people trying to live in their land.

My son died for being a Jew. I want to live as one.

-Sherri Mandell
Smandell@actcom.co.il

Jerusalem, Israel

Dear Friends

We sit on our terrace in Jerusalem reading our Jerusalem Post, featuring an article headlined "Israel Solidarity event set for Sunday in the U.S."
We would like to offer two suggestions:
1 Call the initiative "Standing IN AND WITH ISRAEL , now and forever."
2 Identify with us at your Seder table. For" NEXT year in Jerusalem" , substitute" THIS year in Jerusalem.

Yasher Koach to those of you who are out on the streets. Next week, please G-d, we will burn the chametz on the morning of Erev Pesach. May the chametz of evil burn with it.
Remember, as we celebrate our deliverance from Egypt, that the days preceding were difficult and frightening. And that, in order to deserve the miracle of the splitting of the Red Sea, we had to step into it.

L'Shanah HaZot B'Yerushalyim
Hag Sameach V'Kasher
-Paul Freedman

Jerusalem, Israel

Dear Friends,
Shalom from Jerusalem.
I have been following this board for a long time. THANK YOU for all your good wishes and prayers.
Now we ask you to do more.... come and visit us - this is also your country, send your teenagers and students on programs, buy "Made in Israel" products, make sure to monitor the media and counter anti-Israel propaganda, join solidarity marches, collect funds for the victims of terror survivors and children who have been left orphaned.
Wishing you a Happy Passover - may we all be redeemed this year.
-Daniel "Mush" Meyer
mush@worldmizrachi.org

Maryland, USA
Dear IDF 
Thank you for defending Israel against the terrorists. 
I pray for your safety.

Virginia, USA
My heart goes out to you. During these very hard days more than ever, we have to keep a clear vision of who we are and leave all our differences behind. Just like we were "just Jews" to the world and to the Europeans during the inquisition and during Hitler's times, we remain "just Jews" today. The difference is that we have a state and a means to defend ourselves. The world is not used to this, and doesn't like it. The Palestinians seek to divide us and, like all those who conquered Israel before, use that as their best weapon. The very sad truth is that we are on our own, and we cannot allow ourselves to be divided or to give up. Proof of this is the fact that the world has taken the man who has invented modern terrorism, and has given him a peace price.
May the Kadosh Baruch Hu keep you safe. May He help us turn back to Him. May He remember His Brit Olam with our people!

Marblemount, WA  USA
I'm not Jewish, I am Catholic. Years (and years) ago (I'm 66), when in Grammar school, the nuns taught us that thousands of years ago God gave Israel to the Jews and there is no higher authority. I mention God's protection for Israel in my daily prayers. As for what is going on now over there, it's about time there is a response to Palestinian terrorist. Arafat was a terrorist when he was young- he still is. He could stop the individuals who like killing themselves in order the kill a few Jews (what thinking!) but he just enjoys sitting back and not being blamed. I am glad that America backs Israel. Israel has a right to retaliate. I hope though, that Israel won't give up any more land. The country is small enough as it is. And they better always keep the heights, the only view for defense. I have never understood why people hate Jews. All Jews that I personally know are wonderful people. OK, so my religious heritage stems from Jews, but still, treatment of Jews disgusts me.
-David Voreyer

Udine, Italy
I feel very bad, worst: I feel ALONE! I've never felt so near to Israel as now, but my best friends, my best colleagues refuse to understand

Jerusalem, Israel
The Religious Zionist Movement.  Help strengthen the Jewish character of the State of Israel.
Don't Forget to Cast your Ballot today.
www.religiouszionism.org

Toronto, Canada
Yerushalayim you are in my heart

Dear Friends,

We are sending you this Israel resolution for tomorrow's Yom Kippur Katan observance.  We request that the resolution be circulated among all your members or students and signed.  After you have collected the signatures, please forward copies with the signatures to the OU/IPA Office, 11 Broadway, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10004 or fax to (212) 613-0625 so that we can collect them all and forward them to President Moshe Katzav.  In addition, please send copies to you local community media outlets so that they know that the Orthodox community stands with Israel.  Also include this in your newsletters and mailings so that everyone will know of your support.

 March 2002

A PROCLAMATION OF SOLIDARITY WITH ISRAEL ON THIS DAY 
OF YOM KIPPUR KATAN, EREV ROSH CHODESH NISSAN 5762, MARCH 13, 2002

ASSEMBLED on this Erev Rosh Chodesh Nissan 5762, corresponding to March 13^th, 2002;  

PRAY to the Almighty for the safety and security of Israel and Jerusalem and that He will bless His people with peace;

JOIN with Jews the world over in marking this day, Yom Kippur Katan, as a day of prayer and fasting in solidarity with the Chief Rabbinate and people of Israel;

PLEDGE our solidarity and our bond with Am Yisrael in Medinat and Eretz Yisrael, the people of Israel in the land and State of Israel during these very difficult and troubling times;

RECOGNIZE and support the right and the responsibility of the State of Israel to protect and defend and ensure the security of her citizens;

SALUTE the accomplishments of the people of Israel in the fields of Torah education, science and agriculture, medicine and so many advanced fields;

RECOGNIZE the links which bind Israel and the Jewish people with Jerusalem as its united capital - indivisible - as the heart and soul of the Jewish people around the world;

JOIN together with Am Yisrael, the people of Israel, and Jews around the globe in Unity and Solidarity;

RESOLVE to visit Israel as soon and as often as possible in support of our brothers and sisters residing there;

AND THUS, we do hereby reaffirm our commitment and dedication to these principles;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, we, the membership of __________________________ (synagogue, school or NCSY chapter) join with the people of Israel and Jewish communities around the world in reaffirming our solidarity with and unwavering support for Medinat Yisrael and for Jerusalem, her eternal, united capital and pray for her safety and security.  We strongly urge our government to strengthen its commitments to the special relationship of our country with Israel, maintaining the historic U.S. role as Israel's staunchest ally.  We pray to Hashem that Israel may experience tranquility and salvation speedily in our days. 

Signed: __________________
Name: ___________________________ Address: ______________________________

Jerusalem, Israel

Hi Everyone,

Some of you are family, some are friends, some are business associates.
I'm writing just to let you know that while we live on Aza ( about two blocks from the terrible explosion of Cafe Moment), we're okay -- aside from the shock of realizing that even living next door to Bibi Netanyahu affords you little if any protection (and he has four guards full time!).

But I'm also writing to you because my son, Nachum, was on Israeli TV,
representing his commando unit who were fighting in Tulkarum, a
stronghold of Palestinian terrorism. He was asked about how he felt having to enter people's homes looking for armed terrorists, and what it was like going into the Palestinian refugee camps. Nachum said that it was very difficult going into the homes of Palestinian families; he described the terror the children felt seeing soldiers enter their homes, and how his unit tried very hard to allay the fears of the women and children by explaining what they were trying to do. He also said that he spoke to a number of families who surprised him by ranting and raving against Arafat and the fact that all the money he received (and continues to receive) never trickled down to them -- they reminisced of times when they could get work in Israel and enjoy the benefits that Israeli life has to offer.

Then, in response to a question by the reporter, dealing with whether he felt guilty about what he was doing, Nachum answered (in Hebrew of course) that he was fighting not only for his country but also for the quality of life of its citizens. That, he emphasized, is what allows him to go from house to house, hunting terrorists and putting his life in danger -- so that we here, sitting in our homes can live our lives as Jews. When he hears how the terrorists are still active, he realizes his job, difficult and at times heart-rendering as it is, is not finished.

This has been Nachum's attitude for quite some time. Those us in the family, currently not in the army, have wanted to do something to also help the quality of life in Israel. We could not just sit here knowing that while Nachum and his friends are protecting us, we aren't "doing" something.  So, Tiferet, my daughter, came up with THE SIMCHA FAIR! which will take place April 1, Chol Hamoed Pesach, a giant Fair for parents and children in the International Convention Center in Jerusalem (Binyaney Ha'uma), which will help Victims of Terror by donating to the organization ONE FAMILY. We've hired clowns and go carts and lots of entertainment for the kids; and there will be booths for adults and children to buy Israeli goods; a talent show for kids by kids; and Lenny Solomon from Shlock Rock and Chaim Dovid will be singing on the small stage we're setting up -- they've donated their time!

Quality of life is what it is all about, and while many of you don't live in Israel, much less in Jerusalem, we want you to know that although the media makes us look like we are running around wringing our hands and afraid all the time, the truth is that we are a resilient nation, with fine young men and women protecting us against the hordes knocking at the gate. We are living our lives fully, and while we worry, we also go about our business --which includes the "business" of filling the lives of our children with Simcha (joy).

What can you do? If you're in Jerusalem for Pesach -- helping our hotel
business survive -- come to the Fair. Until then, on Wednesday, March 13, the Rabbinate has asked for a day of fasting and saying psalms. Join us. Nachum and his comrades will be in Tulkarum or Jenin or someplace filled with terrorists. He should feel our presence, perhaps in the only way we can offer it....with our hearts.

All the best,
Yaacov

Toronto, Canada
To my family, friends, and fellow Jews living in Israel - my wife and I, and truly all of my friends, have our thoughts with you every day. We hope you will experience true peace amongst all Jews - both from internal strife and from external attack - speedily in our days!

Philidelphia, PA  USA
Brothers and Sisters in Israel,
Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. More than ever I look forward to making aliyah. Stay strong. Hashem will take care of his beloved people.

Cherry Hill, NJ  USA
For years we Jews who live in the US and our organizations and "leadership" and declared "Never Again". The leadership in Israel present and recent have betrayed our people. G-d has given our brethren in Israel the knowledge, courage and armaments to defend ourselves. Yet these gifts have been laid to waste not by our Arab enemies but by our own "leaders".
A fast has been declared....deservedly so. However G-d helps those who help themselves. To the Government of Israel.... your responsibility is to defend you citizens, our brethren. Do So Now!! Do not turn "Never Again"...into "Once Again", G-d forbid.

London, England
Acheinu bnei Yisroel. You are constantly in my thoughts, I daven for all am yisroel for a fast end to this excruciating golus that we are suffering at the hands of our enemies. Let us storm the gates of heaven with our tefilos that our Father in Shomayim will have no choice but to redeem us. It cannot be much longer. Be strong!

Yerushalayim, Israel
Calling all Orthodox and Traditional college and university students....

This summer come and join us in Israel on a work-learning fun program that will give you a real taste of Israel and our daily lives
www.yavneholami.org

Summer Internship Programs, Mixed and women only
choice of 3 tracks 

London, England
Israel is very blessed.  G-D bless you all!!!
Pray for peace in Jerusalem.