Yom Yerushalayim: Celebrating Israels Holiest City
Yom YerushalayimJerusalem Dayis the most recent addition to the Hebrew calendar. It is celebrated one week before the eve of Shavuot. Although Jerusalem has been considered the capital city of the Jewish people since the time of King Davidwho conquered it and built it as the seat of his monarchythere was never a special day in honor of the city until the Israeli army took over the ancient, eastern part of the city on the third day of the Six-Day War in June 1967.
Jerusalem was divided during the War of Independence and 19 years later was reunited as a result of the 6-Day War.
Patricia Alcalay, 24, has been unemployed since she finished her nursing degree in December, 2010. Her father lost his job four months ago, a year shy of retirement and her older sister, who was studying abroad, meanwhile, found work in the Netherlands and is not returning to Greece anytime soon.
The Yeshivah of Flatbush High School Guidance Department, coordinated by Dr. Gila Sandler, recently spearheaded an exciting program to combat some of the dangers faced by teens. The First Annual Choices Awareness Day was organized by Eva Bernfeld, LCSW, Lillian Galapo, School Psychologist, the Guidance Staff and the Choices Commission.
It all started with a vision. What would happen if all of the communitys children collected as many pennies as possible? People had done it with paper clips, so why not try it with pennies. Many look at pennies as having little or no value; its just worth one cent. But when you put a large amount together it can create a huge value and when a lot of people join together to do small acts of hesed, it can make a huge difference.
Our Mothers, Grandmothers, Aunts and Daughters
Bigger and Better Than Ever
Of the 2,225 people aboard the Titanic on its maiden voyage, 1,512 perished in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic when the ship went down.
During a visit to a synagogue that had been bombed 10 years ago, Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki said Tunisia is committed to the security of its Jews and that they are equal citizens under the law.
Community Leaders Ask Forgiveness
Shavuot marks the giving of the Torah by G-d to the entire Jewish people. This occurred on Mount Sinai over 3,300 years ago. This was a far-reaching spiritual event that touched the essence of all Jewish souls for all time. On Shavuot, the Jewish people agreed to adhere to the commandments of the Torah. Every year, Shavuot is the special time for us to strengthen our unique relationship with G-d.
Many American Jewish families are facing a difficult question, as deadlines for summer camp enrollment approach: Can they pay their bills and send their kids to Jewish sleepaway camp?
About four years ago, at the age of 33, Miri Horwich-Fried completed her doctorate work on diabetes. Seeking a new direction, she heard about a lab researching cancer immunology, which had opened at Bar-Ilan University and was looking for researchers. This subject always interested her. Her father had died from the illness.
Tel Aviv was founded on April 11, 1909. Several dozen families gathered on the beach outside of the city of Yaffa to allocate plots of land for a new neighborhood they called Ahuzat Bayit (Homestead), later it became known as Tel Aviv (Hill of Spring). In Hebrew, Tel does not simply mean hill, but a man made hill covering the remains of an ancient settlement or a hill in an archeological excavation. And the word aviv means spring. Therefore, the name Tel Aviv stands for a link between old and new; antiquity rejuvenated. This is the concept on which the city of Tel Aviv was founded.
The words I remember uttering with a sarcastic laugh, when Rabbi Harold Sutton approached me two years ago, after he received a phone-call requesting a pulpit rabbi in Indianapolis are: There are Sephardim in Indianapolis?