Q. What does a Feng Shui consultant do?
A. Feng Shui consultants arrange a space with a special emphasis on energy.

Q. What is energy?
A. Everything on the planet is energy and having balanced energy in living spaces can benefit the lives of the occupants.

Q. Can a Feng Shui consultant be a color guide?
A. Yes, Feng Shui colors include red, white, green, purple, blue, yellow, brown and pink.

Q. What color should a hall be?
A. The hall is much less important in terms of color than the lounge and bedroom which are the major living spaces in a home.

Q. Can colors create a feeling of harmony?
A. Yes. For example, blue can calm down a nervous person and help him/her to “go with the flow.” Red, for instance, is the opposite, and makes people excitable.

Q. In terms of health, does it matter if there are too many electrical appliances in a room?
A. Yes, these send out electro-magnetic energy which is not healthy. For example, a computer should ideally be used for the minimum amount of time, not left on all day and night.

Q. Where should mirrors be placed?
A. As a Feng Shui cure they are placed in what we call a ‘missing space’ in a room to bring energy to that area.

Q. Is it o.k. to have a mirror in my bedroom?
A. If you do not have trouble sleeping when a mirror is in your bedroom then it is o.k. as this can cause sleeplessness.

Q. I heard that clutter is not good Feng Shui. So where should I put all my stuff?
A. Try and get rid of things that you don’t need or love. Put the rest in pieces of furniture and boxes etc that cleverly store your belongings and don’t give you the feeling of chaos, overcrowding or general havoc!

Q. How do I emphasize affluence and prosperity?
A. In the lounge and bedrooms there is a corner which is connected to the issue of abundance. A Feng Shui consultant can finely tune it so that you are not blocking off this side of your life. This means that a consultant will remove any obstacles that could interfere with the energy of abundance flowing there.

Q. What about health?
A. The simplest thing you can do for your health is to keep the center of your living spaces empty, since all of the energies meet in the center of the room.

Q. Is there something I can do on a weekly basis to keep the right kind of energy in my home?
A. After you or someone else has cleaned it, you can burn some incense to augment the new energy.

Q. Is it good Feng Shui to put shoes under the bed?
A. This area is best kept entirely free of storage so that energy can flow freely under and over it.

Q. Why is a cactus bad feng shui?
A. If you are in direct and close proximity to things that are spiky or pointed it can cause subliminal discomfort.

Q. Is Feng Shui all about chimes and bells?
A. No. I have never left a place looking like a Chinese restaurant and there are many different objects that one can use to get the effect one is looking for. °

A : Dear Parent, or aunt/uncle who cares a lot about your nieces and nephews:

I understand that you feel bad. You left the car and the school bus, all to move your kid to a new country, where you’re a foreigner. You have no idea what to expect for your child, and you already feel bad for them, because you know that even now, with your Hebrew language skills, you would fail kindergarten. You would be left back, but your child is now smarter than you.

To ease your worries, here are some tips:

Have your child read the school memos to you. The 5 year-old is the only one in the house who knows how to read Hebrew properly, so let him/her read and translate what the memos say. The ‘spoken child method,’ as I call it, also works for teacher’s notes and report cards. You will feel much better viewing your un-maimed child as the victim of a hockey stick attack, than the one who put the other kid in the hospital. And the nachas (pride) you will feel when your Rebecca comes home from her first semester in Israel with all ‘alephs’ (A’s), as opposed to ‘peh sofits.’

Get a cool-looking backpack for your kid. Maybe get an Israeli action hero, like Bob HaBoneh (Bob the Builder). Your child’s backpack should express your child’s emotional state. Mine used to say ‘kick me.’

Save money on back-to-school shopping. Go to airport security. They will provide you with a plethora of scissors, staplers and pencils.

Israeli schools can be violent. Your child is going to have to join a gang. With the nursery school gang wars of ‘98 in our past, your child should be safe, but you must be careful. Your child might have to take up smoking (purchasable at any Cigomat machine— the cigarette machines that are placed very low, so as to not discriminate against kids in pre-Kindergarten). There are some tough elementary school gangs your child can join for protection, such as Hamas. They educate the children too.

To help, arm your child with a tasty snack. This may help your un-Krav Maga-trained child defend him/herself (and yes, they beat up girls ever since Yael Arad won medal in Judo). By using self-defense methods, such as ‘Have a PesekZ’man chocolate,’ your child will have won the fight the American way. In the settlement areas of Israel, you should be able to find an extra gun lying around. There are many problems with carrying weapons. That is why I suggest that you conceal your child’s knife very well.

Israeli kids are tough. What can you say? Not much, because you don’t speak Hebrew. I just saw a kid with scars all over his face. He got into a cat-fight. A literal fight with a cat. But she was proud of it and her dad explained that it is normal for Israeli kids to beat up each other. In America, I had toys. I didn’t fight with my friends, because we had Nintendo. The only time we fought was on Shabbat, because we had no other form of entertainment. To stop fighting amongst Israeli children, I submit! More good Israeli TV.

David Kilimnick: Jerusalem’s Comedian, is available for private parties & groups and can be seen performing at the Off The Wall Comedy Basement, in Jerusalem, every Thursday Night at 8:30pm.
See www.israelcomedy.com. °

As a new olah finishing her first year here, and as a single woman rounding off the end of her 20s, I only now came to realize how important is the nature of structure. In our daily schedules, weekly traditions, foods, relationships, prayers, in the very execution of our lives, a solid structure is the plan, the roadmap. With it we are better able to achieve our milestones, experience our joys, and endure in times of hardship and sorrow. Without it, we are lost.

Having lived in seven countries, made and left dozens of friends, and changed careers, all too frequently, I have come to realize that living without structure is much like not having an identity. This continued absence has profoundly affected my quality of life since making aliyah, what I thought was fulfilling a lifelong dream.

Now that Rosh Hashana has arrived, my first here, the structure that is manifest in Jewish life has opened my eyes in a remarkable way. This is the time of year we take stock. When I did, I realized I overlooked another dream I had accomplished— graduating from culinary school. It’s been three months since graduation, and in the chaos of my unsettled life, I had forgotten how thrilling it was being in a professional kitchen every day.

Masquerading as vital sustenance, food is a physical manifestation of history, a deliciously important inheritance. Like a hidden code, the symbolism inherent in our recipes is a direct link to our ancestors. Bitter herbs at Pesach create a visceral connection to the hardships of our forefathers. Apples and honey at Rosh Hashana evoke the sincere prayers of our foremothers for a good and prosperous future, something we simultaneously pray for in tasting the sweetness.

As I ease myself into new concrete plans, I am strengthened by my Jewish heritage. For what else is tradition but a time-tested standing structure? It is my hope that these recipes will inspire, sustain, revitalize, and sweeten your palate in envisioning the new year ahead. Me? I’ll be holding firm for the first time in a long time, savoring my “miele di acacia,” and with every drop, the memory of that perfect day, and the hope I had, even then, for a sweet new year. °

Applesauce Cake

This first recipe came from Jamie Geller’s newest cookbook, Quick & Kosher, and it was a pleasant surprise. The book’s lackluster title (as well as the subtitle Recipes From The Bride Who Knew Nothing) made me more than a little skeptical, but after reading the introduction, I couldn’t put the book down. Don’t get me wrong – after years of delving into complex gourmet cuisine, it’s doubtful Quick & Kosher will become the foundation of my kitchen. But with its fun no-nonsense approach, it’s certainly a book I would give to my friends, and definitely to my own mother (for whom I have to thank for honing my culinary skills, growing up in the absence of hers). The clever Mrs. Geller devised a strict and ingenious guideline: preparations for every recipe must be able to be done in under 15 minutes. She cuts some corners (occasional soup powders, canned goods, and frozen items), but the recipes are quite innovative, simple to execute, and pleasing to modern palates. The selection ranges from the traditional (classic chicken soup, stuffed peppers, challah kugel), to the fresh and multicultural (hot salmon salad, beef sukiyaki with noodles, curried coconut couscous). Her desserts are particularly mouth-watering, and this applesauce cake would be a welcome centerpiece on any Rosh Hashana table.

3 cups flour
1½ cups sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
1 (12 ounce / 340 gram) jar applesauce
2 eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon sugar
½ cup non-dairy whipped topping

Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C). Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) cake pan with non-stick baking spray. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine flour, sugar, oil, applesauce, eggs, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350° F (180° C) for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of non-dairy whipped topping!

Fusion Taboule

An old Middle Eastern mainstay with a thoroughly modern twist, my take on taboule looks back in time as it looks forward. Perfect for the holidays at hand: the sweetness of apples, pomegranates, and honey mingles with the invigorating cilantro and ginger, all resting upon the foundation of the hearty, humble quinoa. Replacing the traditional bulgur wheat, this ancient and nutritious South American grain has become so popular, almost every café in Israel is experimenting with it. The ingredients come from every corner of the globe, and the resulting combination is a sincerely satisfying culinary experience.

1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup pre-rinsed quinoa
2 cups water
Large handfuls (4-6 stalks) each, roughly chopped, of fresh:
Mint
Cilantro
Parsley

¼ cup raisins
3 stalks green onion, chopped finely
1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
1 apple, cored and diced
Seeds of 1 pomegranate
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup honey
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a saucepan and add the chopped onion. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add quinoa and continue to stir 1-2 minutes or until onions sweat and quinoa browns slightly. Add the water and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce temperature, maintaining a simmer for 14-18 minutes. The quinoa is ready when the germ has unfurled to a tiny curl and has a slight bite to it (like al dente pasta). Set aside and cool. While quinoa is cooling, prepare the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper. Transfer cold quinoa to a large bowl and mix all other fruit and vegetable ingredients into it well. Add dressing and stir to coat the quinoa. Adjust seasonings to taste by adding salt and pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, a spoon of honey. Serve and enjoy!

Note : This recipe is very versatile. Apples and pomegranates can be replaced by halved grapes, plums, melons, or grapefruits, depending on the season.

In Sefer Bamidbar we are told that when a person sins, they must confess the sins they have committed (Bamidbar 5:5-7). While this obligation to confess is not limited to Yom Kippur, the Viduy (confession) service has become the central component of the Yom Kippur liturgy.

An interesting halachic discussion surrounds the obligation to confess. While the Viduy must be recited loud enough to be heard by the person themselves, the question arises as to whether one must add the details of their sins to the set structure of the Viduy. Rav Yosef Karo in the Shulchan Aruch (Orech Chaim 607:2) rules that a person does not have to add to the standard Viduy text, and specify his sins. However, if he is praying silently, he should. The Ramah continues with this logic and states that if a person will be saying the Viduy aloud, he may not specify his sins. In other words a person should not make it known to others exactly how they have transgressed, and sinned.

At first glance, this halacha seems strange. After all, wouldn’t we assume that it is more important to confess our sins before God and to ensure that we are we have performed a thorough confession, than to worry about being heard by our fellows?

There is a well known Mishnah in Masechet Yomah (8:9) that states that when a person transgresses against God, Yom Kippur atones for the sin; however when a person transgresses against another person, Yom Kippur does not atone for the sin until the person forgives the transgression. This Mishnah informs us that Yom Kippur in and of itself contains the power to grant forgiveness from sins that have hurt our relationship with God. However, our relationships with others require more effort and consciousness. Despite the transformative nature of the day and the holiness that we attain, if we have not yet made peace with our fellows, we have not achieved atonement. The responsibility for hurting our friends rests solely on our shoulders, and we must make the effort to create peace and harmony.

Perhaps the halachic opinion that forbids us to list our sins in detail out loud is meant as a protective measure for our fellows, in order to prevent their being upset and hurt, and to help us recognize that human relationships are more fragile and require more effort. This causes us to recognize our own responsibility for our friends and community, even if it means we will not be reciting a complete confession before God.

Conversely, the Selichot prayers that are said leading up to Rosh HaShana, during the Asseret Yemei Teshuva, and on Yom Kippur itself seem to contain a different message. The central component of the Selichot prayers is the recitation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy— the attributes that describe God. These begin with the words “God God.” The Gemara (Masechet Rosh Hashana 17b) asks the question, why is the word God repeated here twice? The Gemara suggests that this is to symbolize God saying to the Jewish People “I am your God before a person sins, and I am your God after a person sins.”

This Gemara contains a beautiful insight. God is our God no matter what we may do! We may sin, and transgress, and still God is waiting for us; God remains. The relationship with God is a constant, always there, always accessible. Human relationships however, are exactly the opposite. They are not everlasting, and can not be counted on to be consistent. They cannot be taken for granted. It is up to the individual to repair the relationship.

Interestingly, these two sets of prayers present the dichotomy of Yom Kippur. Viduy represents the human recognition that we sin, that we transgress, and contains within it the recognition of our relationship to others, and the frailty of that relationship. The Selichot prayers demonstrate God’s awesomeness, and God’s constancy in our lives, no matter what is to happen. Ultimately the mission of Yom Kippur is to embrace both messages simultaneously— God’s constancy, and human frailty.

I would like to suggest one more idea—that of the relationship to one’s self. The Shulchan Aruch states that one is not allowed to recite Viduy out loud so that their fellow will not hear their sins. Perhaps this law is not simply about disturbing others, or about causing embarrassment to others, but also about causing embarrassment to ourselves. When noting that our human relationships are frail, we must also note that our relationship to ourselves is at times frail, and we must take steps to work on our relationship with ourselves. When we can achieve that, we have the opportunity to experience God, and experience the depth of God’s constancy and presence in our lives. °

Voice your opinion!
staff.editors@shiurtimes.com

There is, of course, much duplication between the parshioth but, at the same time, one Hebrew root can be the source of many English words. In fact, hundreds of modern English words can be shown to have an early Semitic origin. All this will become evident as this series progresses.

It is necessary to state at the outset certain linguistic rules or guidelines, which will aid the reader to follow the consistency of the system to be expounded.

Rule 1: Recognition of English equivalents to ancient Hebrew consonants. Because the Hebrew alphabet has only 22 letters and no vowels, except “w,” as opposed to 26 letters and a series of vowels and diphthongs, direct transliteration is not always possible. What exists is a table of equivalents or acceptable interchanges between the two languages.

Rashi in Parashath Kedoshim (Lev.19:16)[q.v.] discusses the relationship between the Hebrew רכיל rachil— ‘a gossip’ and רגל regel— ‘leg’ (כ caf and ג gimmel interchange ) and in this commentary Rashi discusses other groups of letters which commonly interchange in Hebrew. Experts in phonetics recognize seven groups of human phonetic groupings, but Hebrew consonants may be divided into three primary groups (see inset) where the consonants may interchange within each group yet the roots will retain a close conceptual relationship, as Rashi shows.

The equivalents in English are much more complicated because of the use of letteon to find the same consonant equivalents in Hebrew and English in different arrangements of letter order between the two languages, but still with the same conceptual connotations. In fact, metathesis is probably more common than retention of same letter-order when comparing English with Hebrew.

A few practical examples will help to demonstrate the system:

In the first five verses of the Torah, five words stand out.
ארץ Erets v.1
אור Or v.3
וירא Vaya’ar and ויבדל Vayavdil v.4
קרא Kara v.5

Look at each word carefully and see if you can spot an English equivalent (consonant equivalent and similar conceptual idea).

ארץ EReTs can be related to ‘earth’
אור OR and ראה RAH both have the common denominator of ‘light’ and ‘seeing’ which today is scientifically related to the English ‘ray’ from which the concept of ‘radiation’ is derived.

ויבדל Vayavdil is from the root בדל B D L— ‘separate’— which can be associated with the English noun ‘b l a d e’ an instrument designed for the purpose of cutting or separating material. However, here we have an example of metathesis דל-DL changing to English— LD while retaining the ‘separation’ concept.

The root קרא KRA— ‘call’ (out), ‘cry out,’ ‘proclaim,’ ‘read (out)’ and ‘name’ has many connotations some of which can be related to the  modern newscaster or the old English institution of the ‘Town Cryer’ who used to proclaim or read out important matters publicly in the village square until people became able to read and write. It should also be noted that in addition to the direct ‘c r y’ equivalent , a metathesis exists between K R A and ‘c a ll’ where ‘רR’ and ‘לL’ are interchanges in Hebrew group 2 and are linguistically associated in other non-Semitic languages.

We can now refer back to the last parashah of the book of Deuteronomy and theTorah, וזאת הברכה ‘vezoth habrachah.’ Here we can see that the name דברים ‘Devarim’— Deuteronomy— is the plural of דבר DAVAR: ‘a thing,’ ‘word,’ ‘matter,’ where WORD is a methathesis of root דבר DBR, ‘to speak.’

In the Hebrew words וזאת הברכה ‘vezoth habrahah,’ זאת zoth has the same connotation of ‘this.’ We can also understand how ברכה berachah— ‘a blessing’— is once again an ‘L’ /’ר R’ interchange between ברך BRCh— ‘bless,’ where the ‘ch’ acts like a group 3 rather than group 1 letter, similar to the French ‘ch’ as in ‘chef’ pronounced ‘shef.’ A similar situation is found in the English CiviC.

Until next month…Happy New Year!  °

Why don’t we feel spiritually ready for Rosh Hashanah, even if we’ve made a conscientious effort to prepare ourselves during the month of Elul? Firstly, our aveirot (sins) feel enormous. We are overwhelmed by the task of repentance. “Where do I begin?,” we ask ourselves. Our davening seems deficient, as does the time and effort that we devote (or fail to devote) to serious Torah learning. Speaking lashon harah (gossip) is out of control as well as our biting remarks. The list does not end there, so what hope do we have?

The problem is that we have traveled this route before. We say slichot each year. We have studied the prayers. We’ve reached true regret for our actions, making firm resolutions to fix them. Yet we still seem to slide right back down that slippery slope to our old ways. Why should we try so hard if we’ll only end up back at square one?

The answer is not “don’t try.” The Sefarim HaKedoshim (holy writings) say that no effort or even the thought of doing a mitzvah is ever lost. Even if we don’t succeed in achieving that mitzvah, we have succeeded in developing our relationship with Hashem. As the Gemara (Sanhedrim 106 B) says, “Hashem requires our hearts.” Furthermore, Rabbi Bachya Ibn Pakudah (11th century, Spain) in his Chovot Halevavot (“Duties of the Heart”) explains that the choice and willingness to do something in this world is all we can do. The final outcome is in Hashem’s hands. Of course we must try our utmost to succeed in carrying out our decisions to do good, as that is a reflection of our inner resolve.

This inner resolve to do good in the world is our main job. Once we have accomplished that, we are credited as if we have also actually accomplished the good deed. Rabbeinu Yonah (12th century, Spain) proves this concept from the Torah’s account of the first Korban Pesach (Passover Sacrifice) (Shaari Teshuva 2:10). The very day they were commanded to bring the Korban, the Torah states, “and they went and they did [the Korban],” (Sh’mot 12:28) even though the actual sacrifice wasn’t offered until two weeks later. Why? Because they had completely accepted in their hearts to do the mitzvah and acceptance was their main job. Therefore they immediately received full credit.

Here then lies our solution. We can avoid sliding down our destructive paths. All we must do is to firmly resolve to rectify our ways. In that one small moment of resolve we can leave the darkness and enter into a great light. If we resolve to keep a particular mitzvah, then we immediately merit the reward of that mitzvah! This was the amazing strength of the Jewish Nation when they said “Naasei VeNishma”(Sh’mot 24:7). For this they each received great spiritual crowns and Hashem remarked, “who revealed to My children this great secret?” (Tractate Shabbat 88 A)

Our greatest efforts to strengthen our resolve to do all the mitzvot should take place on Rosh HaShana itself. It is a day of enormous “Siyata DeShmaya” (help from heaven), for on that day the original man was created and we too are commanded to recreate ourselves again.

May we all merit this great achievement, a sweet, happy and healthy new year and the final redemption. °

Comment at staff.editors@shiurtimes.com!

Today, change has become the defining issue of every major democracy in the world and the catch phrase of every major democratic leader. Beginning with Tony Blair in the United Kingdom, followed by Angela Merkel in Germany, continuing with Nicolas Sarkozy in France and now in the current US presidential campaign between John McCain and Barack Obama, the idea of change is part of a global wave overtaking democracies around the world. Tzipi Livni represents a direct continuation of this worldwide trend of young democratic leaders understanding that the old order is over and a new era has come.

Democratic populations around the globe are fed up with the old games of bad politics and corruption, which are ultimately the most subtle, yet most divisive enemies of democracy. By choosing Tzipi Livni, the people of Israel expressed their hope for a new kind of Israeli politics, a new perspective on Israel’s problems and a new movement to put politics back in the hands of the people. These are exactly the areas where Olmert failed, causing unimaginable damage to the image of the Israeli Prime Minister and the role of politics in Israeli society.

While it will not be easy to repair the failures of the past, Tzipi Livni seems more than determined to complete the task at hand. Yet, the fact that a woman is now the leader of the Jewish state, is by itself a revolution— after all it has been over 30 years since Golda Meir left office.

On Sunday, September 14, at the Exhibition Fairgrounds in Tel Aviv, Livni declared in front of thousands of supporters that Israel is and must remain both a Jewish and a democratic state. “We will not compromise on security of the State of Israel, but we will have to make painful territorial concessions in order to ensure that the State of Israel remains a Jewish and a democratic state.”

Coming from a veteran Likud member whose family was heavily involved in the Irgun resistance movement against the British before the independence of the State of Israel, this message essentially expressed the evolution of Zionist ideology in year 2008, mainly that the vast majority of Israelis have now moved from dogmatism to pragmatism.

The once “infallible” ideologies of Israel’s major political parties— such as the notion of a Greater Israel on the right, or the notion of a pure socialist State on the left— now have more room to move in Israel’s current political scene. Indeed, in today’s Israel, everyone mixes a little too much water with their wine, making the wine either undrinkable or taste like grape juice.

Kadima, now the leading centrist party in Israel, is neither the dawn of a new era in Israeli politics, nor a fleeting moment in Israeli history. It is the product of a nation which was created upon a hard and well-defined ideological base and which, after 60 years of existence, has come to terms with the reality of the situation inside and outside of Israel. The final result is that Israel has realized it must adapt itself and must take into account many increasingly complicated situations in order to survive.

Only a visionary political movement combining modern Zionism with adaptability can lead the State of Israel in the years to come. The fact that Israel’s classic political parties are slowly disappearing and no longer have the same political clout they once did, is often troubling to Israelis.

Many Israelis miss “the good old days,” when there were only two major Israeli political parties: the left-wing Labor Party, composed of kibbutzniks and the intelligentsia of Eastern Europe; and the right-wing Likud party, made up of masses of traditionalists from “the East” who lived in Israel’s major city centers. This dichotomy, which was the result of distinct and separate waves of Jewish immigration arriving to Israel at different times in history, is no longer as relevant today as it once was – undoubtedly for the better. The rise of a centrist party in Israel helped blur these social differences, creating something that resembles the centrist political parties of Western nations - less ideology and more pragmatism; less talk and more action. °

Parent-teacher conferences can be one of those anxiety experiences for olim, so this article will hopefully ease your worries by presenting some issues surrounding these conferences, and how you as an oleh parent can successfully get what you need from the evening. While fundamentally there are not many major differences between raising your children here and raising them abroad, one area of difference lays in short and long-term planning. As an example, in Israel the notice for the parent-teacher conference may come three days before the meeting. This is also common when it comes to school parties, class programs, and the end-of-the-year class trip. As the year gets underway, try to bear this in mind and maintain a flexible attitude.

You will either be assigned a specific time to meet with your child’s mechanech/et, or you will have to arrive when the evening begins, and sign-up for a meeting slot on a sign-up sheet on the door. It is safe to assume that your time slot will always be late and it’s a good idea to use the gap time before your appointment to meet with the “Miktzoa” (math, science, English etc.) teachers.

While it is sometimes intimidating to sit across from your child’s Hebrew speaking mechanech/et, you must muster the mental strength to initiate the conversation in Hebrew. It is important for you to make that breakthrough and use whatever Hebrew you have to become an Israeli parent learning about your child. For some parents this 7- minute conversation in Hebrew may be a little daunting, but is worth the effort. If you honestly think that you will not be able to facilitate this meeting in Hebrew, and the mechanech/et cannot conduct it in English, bring a neighbor or a Hebrew- speaker with you to assist.

You do not want to miss this meeting as:
a) it shows the teachers that you are a concerned parent trying their best to work with the school; b) it shows your child your dedication to them AND sets an example for them of how to work with your limitations as an oleh and not run away for comfort; c) it is a necessary part of your growth as an oleh parent toward becoming a more integrated immigrant.

There are other cultural differences that you should be aware of: 1) Teachers by and large do not initiate phone calls to parents. It is the assumed norm in Israel that the school deals with educational/behavioral issues within the school staff, and will only notify parents if they feel the situation has gone beyond acceptable standards. 2) While their intentions are good, most school administrators and educators will not return your phone call. You will need to be more hands-on in this area as well.

It is the accepted norm in Israel that you call your child’s mechanech/et at his/her home. They should have given you their home phone number by now, and the hours when you may call. Mark your calendar to call them bi-weekly the first part of the year. Toss that old country idea that you don’t “bother” your kid’s teacher at home.
The key to success this first year is to be proactive and consistent, remembering all the while to respectfully portray your child and their needs to their new school. Show much love and understanding towards your child as they go through the initial months of reorienting themselves to the Israeli school system. Parent-teacher conferences are your first foray into putting these steps into play, and to experience a new growth as an oleh parent. °

Following his degree in Oxford, where he studied History, Trevor Asserson trained as a lawyer and worked for England’s premier UK litigation firm, Herbert Smith, where his clients included some of the largest banks and corporations in the world. But an altruistic streak persuaded him to abandon the city and become a partner in one of the UK’s largest legal-aid law firms; for five years he headed a department defending the rights of homeless people in London, mainly suing local government offices. All along, he dreamed of being in Israel, and in 1990 tried his first attempt at aliyah. “It was 98% successful,” he says—“I met my wife.” Although he qualified as an Israeli lawyer, he decided to return to the UK after two years.

There he returned to the field of commercial litigation and within two years found himself the international head of litigation, at one of the UK’s larger law firms (some 200 partners). After seven years, he became a senior partner at one of the world’s largest law firms, one with 450 partners and over 2,500 lawyers. His reputation grew as he acted for some impressive clients, including the UK government, the Greek and Macedonian governments, numerous major corporations and some well-known individuals— most famously for Don King, the US boxing promoter. He was short-listed as “litigator of the year,” and began to be written up in all the main legal directories in the UK including “Who’s Who in the Law.”

But Asserson was not content with life in the UK. He had promised his wife they would return to Israel and in 2005 they did so, together with their two children. He had offers to work at some Israeli firms, but felt that to do this would be to start at the bottom in the Israeli market and to throw away the skills and reputation which he had developed during more than twelve years in the UK. Instead, he took a radical step, and having abandoned his partnership at one of the world’s largest firms in the UK, he set himself up as one of the world’s smallest law firms, providing English law advice from an office based in Israel.

“I did give some thought to commuting on a weekly basis to the UK,” he said, “but I wanted to be building a position within the Israeli business environment.” And so he tried something entirely new. “People talk about sending low-grade services offshore to India. I decided to offshore an entire law office. It started with just me and I wasn’t sure whether I could persuade any clients to use my services at all from an off-shore base like Israel,” he told the ShiurTimes.

Three years and eleven lawyers later, the firm has a unique position in the legal market. It complies with all of the regulations of the Israeli bar, and simultaneously complies with all of the regulations imposed by the English Law Society. “As far as Israeli law is concerned, I’m an Israeli lawyer. I pay my membership to the Israel Bar Association, I am insured, and I comply entirely with Israeli law. As far as the English Law Society is concerned, we are a full-fledged English law firm. Indeed, we have two trainee solicitors who will qualify as English solicitors never having stepped foot in England to do so.” As far as he is aware, his is the only UK law in the world, which exists entirely outside the UK. The secret ingredient is the internet which, in recent years, has become the preferred method of communication for almost everyone, now even for phone calls. Thus communication is today the same speed and the same cost with Israel as it is with an office next door. With a UK address for service, telephone number and email address, clients barely notice the distance. “Many clients have commented that they get a faster response time from us than they did from their UK based lawyers,” Asserson told us.

Asserson was quick to point out that he does not in fact practice Israeli law, since he has no desire to compete in the Israeli legal market. “Asserson Law Offices is an English law firm which just happens to have a strange address: Jerusalem. Our competitors are other English law firms, not Israelis.”

In addition to its eleven lawyers, Asserson Law Offices also has a close relationship with a Harvard qualified US lawyer who sits in Asserson’s office, and enables them to provide joint US and English advice when required. “A lot of Israeli clients need both UK and US law in their international work.”

The client list is impressive. They are acting for Israeli, US and European banks in different actions, including acting for one US bank which specializes in Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs), “the toxic waste that has caused the recent credit crunch,” explains Asserson. “This has thrown off some fascinating work, often suing some of Europe’s largest banks,” he tells us. He also acts for a number of international corporations and some high-profile individuals. The firm has been worked on several cases with a value of over $100 million and their biggest case— acting for an offshore hedge fund— is currently valued at $500 million. “Half a billion dollars is a serious claim by the standards of any law firm,” he says. With the case coming up for trial in a few weeks, he admits to being pretty busy at the moment.

What is interesting is that the firm has developed a truly international practice. Clients are found as far away as the West Coast of the USA and South Africa, as well as in several European countries the UK and Israel. Opponents are located in New Zealand, Turkey, Cayman Islands, and the Dominican Republic, where Asserson is in dispute with the Armed Forces of the government.

As the firm has grown, it has developed a corporate department and most recently hired David Prais, a partner from a major UK law firm who is a specialist English property lawyer. If one wishes to deal with residential or commercial property in England, you no longer need to fly to London or to pay London prices. You can now get a City of London lawyer on Jerusalem’s Jaffa Street.

“A law firm sells brains,” said Asserson, “and in that respect the firm is quite remarkable.” It boasts graduates from some of the finest universities including Oxford, Cambridge,  London and Harvard, Fulbright Scholars and other prize winners. Asserson himself is rated as one of England’s top litigators by Chambers and Legal 500, even though he is based in Jerusalem. Elliot Lister, another senior lawyer with the firm, is also highly recommended by the Legal 500 directory. “Essentially, we can attract some of the brightest lawyers around and our team includes people who have achieved academic success and have had experience in some of the top firms in the UK.” But notwithstanding the quality of the staff, the firm is able to keep its prices at around 50% of UK prices because overheads are so much lower in Israel than in the UK.

“There is no other jurisdiction in the world where highly-qualified professionals will go and be willing to take a reduction from their former salary. But in Israel you can do that. And of course the savings can be passed directly to the client.” Asserson explains that many of his staff could walk into any job anywhere. But they are coming to him. He admits that no small firm like his could conceivably attract lawyers of this caliber anywhere else, but the opportunity of working in Israel without changing language or culture and making use of your existing experience creates a rare and attractive opportunity.

“Of course no one will go to a lawyer just because they are cheap. There is no point in coming second in a court battle,” explains Asserson. “We pride ourselves in providing a high quality service from lawyers with lots of top rate experience. We also happen to be very competitive on price, but that is incidental.”

Asserson shows his greatest enthusiasm when he explains his vision for developing his model for other professions. He argues that Israel can become a platform for international practices in accounting; financial management; investment banking, some medical services and much more. The arbitrage between local Israeli prices and the cost of professional services in America and Europe creates enormous scope. Zionist Jews from around the Western world can bring their experience and training to Israel, and turn Israel into an international hub for competitively priced but highest quality professional services. This is a reverse of the brain drain and turns Israel’s lower cost base into an engine for growth. This can shake up markets both domestically and internationally.

A number of businesses have used the outsourcing model in Israel, mainly call-centers, to create employment options for entry and junior–level positions. But Asserson Law Offices is outsourcing at a more sophisticated level— providing top level services with experienced professionals, not sales or administrative jobs.

Asserson’s firm does not endeavor to compete with other local Israeli firms, since his firm does not advise on Israeli law. On the contrary, the long-term vision is for Asserson Law Offices to become a local resource enabling Israeli lawyers to provide a full service to their clients by offering English law advice locally, on the door step, as an add-on feature for the international Israeli law firms. “This will give Israeli lawyers and their clients a real edge when negotiating in other jurisdictions,” Asserson tells us.

When asked whether he and his staff are integrating into Israeli society, Asserson admits, “I know that walking into our office feels a bit like walking into a small part of England” “but the more we work with Israeli clients, the more integrated we become. We are already part of the furniture for a number of Israeli law firms and individuals who have used us.”

Asserson advises new or potential olim to look for their personal competitive advantage. The internet has made a new work method possible. Rather than compete toe-to-toe with Israelis he advises that you hang onto your skills and make them the foundation of your aliyah. Far from Israel suffering from a brain drain, it should in fact be a magnet for the best and the brightest from around the world.”

And what about the battle against the BBC that first brought Asserson to prominence? “Well, I am still active. I was asked to appear on a TV debate on the subject just last week. However I think that building up business in Israel is, in its own way, just as important as defending Israel’s reputation abroad.”

In the next issue of ShiurTimes Trevor Asserson will begin a monthly column providing insights into international legal issues. °

Sarah and Meir insisted on bringing their daughter to the entrance exam anyway. Depending on her test results, she would have been considered for acceptance to the school. “She even got compliments from the vice principal of the school and her file was passed onto the school administration. I waited two weeks for an answer and then I called. They told me to bring proof of Judaism.” Sarah turned to the Chief Rabbi of the Ethiopian community, HaRav Yosef Edna, and sent the document to the school. There, they refused to recognize the rabbi’s certification and demanded that the family go through giyur l’chumrah (the strictest requirements for a Jewish conversion).

Sarah realized that in light of the timeframe, even if they did decide to convert, school registration would have been closed, so she registered Chaya in another school; one that was considered to be on a lower level, and one in which 90% of the students are from Ethiopian origin. “It’s unacceptable to me to not give my daughter the best education that she deserves,” she says and asks, “Whoever wants a good education for their kids has to be white?”

Aliyah from Ethiopia started in the 80’s and has been replete with problems, primarily religious. The demonstrations from the community against giyur l’chumrah demanded creative solutions. One of them was to send the kids to the dati-leumi sector’s schools, and a portion of them even go to Charedi schools. This situation has turned into a religious war, where the main people who are hurt are the kids themselves. Many of them are not accepted into various schools, because in the eyes of the decision-makers in the schools, Ethiopians are not Jews.

In recent months, initiatives have shown another option: segregation. While in previous years, the community fought for the right to integrate into the educational system at any price, this year, voices rose from the community that supported segregation. “What has integration done for us?,” they asked.

In Rechovot, an alternative school was opened called ‘Hadarim— Yona B’Golah,” where 99% of the kids are Ethiopian. “Integration is good, but if we look past the theories and look at the reality, the fact is that there are 30-35 schools where between 60-98% of the students are Ethiopian, and they are an example where integration just did not succeed,” says Rona Ekla, Director of the organization Fidel, which stood at the heart of the media storm, when his opinions were interpreted as a wish for the community to be segregated.

These initiatives made a lot of noise in the media and dealt with the question of supporting or opposing integration or segregation. Parents actually threatened to strike against integration. According to their claim, only through segregation will integration succeed.

The Ministry of Education states that integration is one of the top priorities, but the gap is great between the declarations of the Ministry and the reality on the ground.

Research shows what is happening in reality. A study put together by the Information Center of the Knesset shows that in schools, separation between students from different cultures and groups exists because of different classes and study tracks that are taught at different levels. A report from the state comptroller in 1993 shows that contrary to the directives of the Ministry of Education, in 26% of junior high schools in the dati-leumi sector (keep in mind that 60% of Ethiopian children learn in the dati-leumi sector), there is educational “tracking” where there are sets of same-aged students being taught on different educational levels.

“In Israel, there is denial about the lack of equal opportunities and the racism that exists towards Ethiopians,” says Yossi Yona, Professor of the Philosophy of Education at Ben Gurion University. “We don’t want to fully address the problems.” As one of the founders of Hakeshet Hademocratit Hamizrahit (a Mizrachi social movement that promotes equality and multiculturalism in Israel), Yona uses the Shas educational network as an example: “Shas set up an educational network based on Torah, but the children of the Shas leaders study in the yeshivot of the Ashkenazi elites. They still have an inferiority complex and the message to their public is “we are not good enough to establish good enough schools.”

“The situation of the Ethiopians is more complicated,” he says. “Color emphasizes the difference. On one hand, it complicates the situation, but on the other hand, it’s good because it took a lot less time than the Mizrachim to understand the problem of inequality.”

“If society wants integration, then the State is going to have to go through a deep change,” he sums up. “When the State sees itself as Middle Eastern, and not White European, the Ethiopians will also be integrated equally.” As for the claim that specifically the Mizrachim discriminate against the Ethiopians, Professor Yona responds, “The Ethiopians are the ‘accident’ of Zionist history. Black, in the eyes of a ‘white State’ is a problem. The more serious problem is for the community, because it internalizes the message that black is a problem and then there is conflict amongst the groups within the community. The story with the Mizrachim is identical. Lack of confidence from the Mizrachim, and their desire to join the whites pushes them to turn their backs against the Ethiopians.”

Translated & edited by Yehudit Singer.
Original Hebrew text was published in the Israel Association for the Jews of Ethiopia (IAEJ) magazine, Kav Ha’Ofek (Horizon). °

Tell us what you think! staff.editors@shiurtimes.com

If you are straightforward, one of the two is going to suffer. I say “straightforward” because if you try to use one for the other, you will get into trouble, as you have seen not just in Israel, but even more so in the States. Whenever I was more active in my political activities, I had to lower my activity in business, and vice versa.

According to Israeli law, MK’s are not allowed to earn a salary or wages from business activities, but one can still be a shareholder. When I was in a more executive position, in charge of the overseas information at the time that I was the de-facto Deputy Foreign Minister, I didn’t even go to my business office. I had to abstain not because it was legally forbidden, but because it was too much. When I was Ambassador to the US, I had to abandon my business activities altogether, but I saw this as an additional contribution to the State of Israel.

On the other hand, when I am very active in politics, like at the present time, I devote less time to my business activities to a certain degree.

From a wider perspective, I would say that my deep involvement in international activities did give me a certain advantage in my financial activities, and vice versa. For instance, I initiated the matter of the famous “loan guarantees” in order to facilitate the wave of immigrants from Russia. I went to US President George Bush, the State Department, the other government offices in America and to Congress to convince them that this is something that Israel needed and should get. Few Ambassadors can say that they started something and brought it to conclusion! And this would not have been possible without my banking background, because I talked to the people there on the same level professionally.

What would you say came first, your business aspirations or political?

Definitely political. I have been politically-minded all my life. I got a citation in high school (in ‘44-‘45), when Israel was still under the British Mandate, for writing a long essay about a tour of Israel, which included everything on both sides of the Jordan River. In the army, I was the Chief Assistant of the Head of Intelligence Research. After I finished the army, I applied to become a member of the Foreign Ministry and we already had the system of cadets like now. Out of about 150 candidates, I was one of 5 who were elected, so I went to the Foreign Ministry. I worked under Herzog— the head of the American division— Yaakov Herzog. I was the go-between him and David Ben-Gurion in the post-Sinai campaign situation. During the Sinai War itself, Ben-Gurion sent me, though a very junior officer, to be a liaison officer with the French forces in Cyprus— together with the late Professor, then Colonel, Yuval Neeman. There was a definite risk that our plane would be shot down by the Egyptian Air Force on the way to Cyprus.

After I finished my training period in the Foreign Ministry I got married, and my wife’s family was in banking. I had to make a choice, because after those two years they would have sent me on some foreign tour of duty. And at some time you have to make a decision about what you want for your future, for your kids…. So I took a sort of indefinite leave of absence from the Ministry. How could I guess that I would return more than once?!

I started in banking with the Export Bank, which doesn’t exist anymore. A bank that specialized in trade was rare, as the government had complete control of financial markets, so it was difficult to be a private bank. But then I started another banking venture, the Bank of Jerusalem, in 1964-5. Actually it was the idea of the Bank of Israel to develop Jerusalem, which was in the dumps economically. And two years after I established the bank, the Six-Day War happened, Jerusalem was reunited and all of a sudden the Bank of Jerusalem became a much more interesting venture, and it is developing very nicely from all points of view.

But I never really completely shed my political interests. Whether this is inbred or not, I don’t know. I could have sat back and had a very convenient life, but a year or two ago, I decided that the problems that Israel was facing were of such complexity that anybody who can do something; who can contribute something should not remain on the sidelines. The result: I am again active politically in the Likud party— mainly in foreign affairs.

How is the current economic situation affecting Israel? Is there a way to prevent it from affecting Israel? How is it affecting the real estate agents working with foreign populations?

No doubt that the crisis in the U.S. banking sector is the most serious crisis since ’29 and I’m not the only one who says this. It’s very serious. But it is not a complete failure or breakdown of capitalism or the free market. It is, as someone said a month ago, a result of mistakes, fraud, bad regulations, excessiveness, a rush to easy profit—all these things together. All of this started from the mortgage structure which was badly built and this created implications for investment banks and insurance companies, and so on.

Now, I am an optimist, which means that even if things are not going to get better tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, I see this crisis as a catharsis, where many institutions will fall by the way side, as already did— but those which will survive will be stronger and healthier than in the past.

We shouldn’t forget that America is still the largest economy in the world and whatever happens on the NYSE does not reflect the real value of the American economy. The American economy is way above the prices that their shares reflect these days.
When you see headlines on “the death of capitalism,” that is complete nonsense. There is no real economy that is not market-oriented. Sure, there were experiments with socialist or communist economies, but with them, not only a few financial institutions went bankrupt; entire countries went bankrupt! All of the citizens were impoverished.

It’s like a person who overeats and over-drinks and doesn’t exercise. And at the end of the day, the doctor says “you have to reform or you’re going to die.” So that’s what’s going to happen to the American economy. I don’t think it will affect Israel in a very serious fashion.

So far, despite the weak dollar, exports are growing. Maybe there’s compensation in our Far Eastern markets; especially commodities are doing very well. Still the economy will be affected, especially after this Lehman Brothers problem, especially with regards to investments.

As for real estate, I could imagine that expensive apartments mainly geared towards foreign markets or foreign buyers could be affected. But it won’t affect general real estate because there is still a great shortage of available flats in Israel. The supply is much smaller than the demand, for Israelis and immigrants.

Some of the builders face credit problems, but on the whole, the real estate sector is still pretty successful in Israel, with certain impediments. The banks have less credit available, but I said at a meeting with some of our own foreign investors, that this year, growth is still going to be respectable in Israel, around 4% at the end of the year. Over 5% the first half, but I think in 2009, it will still be around 3%which is not as nice as we would like it to be, but it’s still respectable…but we need to think on the positive side.

In the next month of coming elections both in the United States and municipal elections in Israel (and maybe elections for PM), what do you suggest for the lay people? How does the lay person foresee an effective political leader?

With regards to US elections I cannot offer any advice because we will have to work with whoever will win. With the municipal elections, I think any mayor should be as un-political as possible and look after the welfare of the people of his city. About the rest, look, people can make mistakes— I mean, everywhere, not just in Israel. But I think the Israeli people are much more intelligent than perhaps people in other countries; we have to be.

People have a chance to look at the record of this party, that party, and ask themselves should we award parties who make terrible mistakes with another chance or not? Should we give a chance to people who, we believe, may lead the country in a better way than the past? Experience will tell who is right—that is the advantage of democracy—that you have a choice.

I hope we will have elections fairly soon because otherwise we are getting ourselves into a blind alley with the Palestinians and the Syrians. Tomorrow we might face Iran in our backyard, and so these are all things that need to be considered by the public when they vote. Another sphere is education which is #2 to security… °

Please keep up with Part 2 of our exclusive interview with Mr. Shoval in the November issue of ShiurTimes, where he speaks about Education and Leadership.

All fruits and vegetables which blossomed and grew during the Shmitta year, are hefker and free access must continuously be granted to the public to pick them even in the new year. If such access to the public is being denied (for example, if a private garden and its fruit trees are fenced in and the gate is locked and therefore not accessible to the public), such fruits and vegetables become forbidden to be eaten.

Also, since all fruits and vegetables that blossomed during the Shmitta year retain their Kedushat Shevi’it, it is forbidden to pick them in the usual manner; one must not do business with them and their peels or leftovers must not be disposed of in the garbage— even if they are harvested later in the post-Shmitta year.

When purchasing Israeli-grown Etrogim for the Arba Minim this year, extra care must be taken to rely only on reputable Hechsherim (kosher status). For example, if the commercial Etrog-orchard has been fenced in, thereby denying access to the public, or if any forbidden melacha was performed on the Etrog tree by the farmer during the Shmitta year, any such an Etrog would become non-kosher for the mitzvah of Arba Minim. Using such an Etrog, no matter how expensive it was, is equivalent to not performing the Mitzvah at all.

Even according to those who allow the controversial Heter Mechirah, if the non-Jew who owned the land during the Shmitta year performed any Melacha D’Orayta (any activity forbidden by Torah law during the Shmitta year), just as the grown fruits and vegetables became thereby assurim (forbidden) to be eaten, any Etrog from such production is invalid to be used for the Arba Minim too.

All “vegetables” mentioned above exclude any kind of produce under the forbidden category of S’fichim— which are assur to be picked or eaten in any case— during the Shmitta year as well as in the new year. S’fichim which are forbidden for any kind of use are defined as: produce growing during the Shmitta year from seeds which fell from a previous harvest that took root by themselves, or came from roots left in the ground after the last harvest. This includes all spontaneous-growth types of plants where no new produce grows in place of those previously picked— grain, legumes, lettuce, wild herbs, rice, millet, sesame, poppy, and other annual flowers. According to some, this includes even growths which are not subject to Kedushat Shevi’it, such as mushrooms.

While it is rather easy to establish whether seasonal fruits have had their blossoming and initial growth during the Shmitta year or already in the new year (which determines whether or not they have Kedushat Shevi’it), this is more difficult to establish with vegetables and forbidden S’fichim. It is therefore imperative to purchase only vegetables which are being sold under a hashgacha known to be reliable, and not just any hechsher, in order to avoid desecrating Kedushat Shevi’it or eating forbidden S’fichim.

There is a machloket (disagreement) amongst the Rishonim whether or not it is a Mitzvah to live in Eretz Yisrael before the coming of Mashiach; yet everyone agrees that if a person chooses to live here, it means respecting the fact that this Land belongs to Hashem, who has granted us the great opportunity and privilege to live here.

May Hashem help more and more Israeli citizens become aware of their great responsibility as Jews living in Eretz Yisrael, turn towards true Limud HaTorah and authentic Sh’mirat HaMitzvot so that we may overcome all internal difficulties, external threats, and be zochim to remain living in Eretz Yisrael until the Coming of Mashiach, speedily in our days.

Amen. °

The teenage years are often a tumultuous time, even in the most stable of circumstances. When a family makes aliyah with teenage children, parents are often justifiably concerned about how their adolescent child will react to the dramatic transitions that are inherent in the aliyah experience. Leaving friends, a familiar school system, and American values that they have been internalizing for their whole lives can be very difficult, and can interfere with a positive acclimation process (klitah, literally “absorption”) in Israel. Parents can do several things to help their teenage children adjust to Israeli society in general, and the Israeli school system in particular.

Before aliyah, a family’s choice of community is key. Many Anglo olim choose to live in communities with other Anglos. On the one hand, this can be very beneficial: Anglo communities in Israel tend to be very close knit, and both children and parents take comfort in this island of familiarity. On the other hand, family members have very little incentive to learn Hebrew since most of their lives take place in English. Hebrew is spoken in very limited and delineated contexts: in the classroom, grocery store, doctor’s office, while English is spoken in the schoolyard, at the Shabbat table, and at home. In order to help their family learn Hebrew, parents may want to consider making learning Hebrew a “family project” with incentives, or they may want to establish one meal per day as the “Hebrew meal.” Children (yes, even teenagers!) are quite sensitive to the values that their parents model. Thus, if parents do not make learning Hebrew a priority, children will pick up on this message. On the other hand, if parents express excitement and enthusiasm about the opportunity to learn Hebrew and make it a more integral part of the life of the family, children will pick up on this cue as well.

Adolescence is a crucial developmental stage during which children shape their identities more fully and become young adults. Instead of focusing exclusively on academics (essential as they are), parents should make sure that their children have healthy outlets, whether it be playing basketball, a chessed project, or playing a musical instrument. The benefit of this is twofold: (1) because of the crucial role that socializing and peer group play during the adolescent years, extracurricular interests are a good way for young adults to develop a social group based on common interests, which hopefully will also aid their integration into Israeli culture; (2) the transition to a new country is particularly difficult for adolescents since they have been on the verge of “mastering the system” in their country of origin, and must begin almost from scratch to figure out “what’s what.” Adolescents (as well as their parents!) who once felt like competent, contributing members of society suddenly feel incompetent and helpless. A familiar interest which they can engage in returns that old feeling of competence—even if just for a short time and in a limited context—and can be extremely psychologically beneficial for a youngster, giving him or her the mental strength and energy to adjust successfully to new surroundings.

Many parents find working with the Israeli school system particularly challenging. Parents who think they know what it means to “be an advocate for your child” soon learn that the definition of that term is extremely different in Israel. The following are some important tips that will help parents become better advocates for their children in Israel.

1.      A major part of high school in Israel is the Bagrut, or Israeli matriculation exam. The certificate that a student gets as a result of passing the Bagrut is his or her passport into higher education/professional life in Israel. It is understandable, then, that there is a major emphasis placed on the Bagrut in Israeli high schools and it is often a source of stress for both students and parents. Parents should educate themselves about the Bagrut exam by speaking to teachers, principals, and more experienced parents so that they are able to best help their teenager succeed. While oleh students commonly do not take on the full class load during the first couple of years after aliyah, it is important that when choosing which classes to focus on, students choose classes that will help them to prepare for the Bagrut.

2.      Israeli teachers and administrators, while generally well-meaning, are often overworked and overwhelmed by large classes and multiple demands on their time. As a result, it falls to the parent to become much more proactive in advocating for their child. Unfortunately, it is a very common approach to deal with a child’s problems only after they fail rather than anticipating problems them ahead of time. Parents must be tuned in to their child’s experience and be relentless in making sure that their child has the proper supports in place despite assurances of school staff that they are not necessary.

Experience has shown us that aliyah with teenagers can be extremely successful as long as parents choose a community wisely, makes sure he or she has constructive outlets, and maintain a close involvement and partnership with the school.

Behatzlacha!

The stories of the Ten Martyrs have moved the hearts of Jews for generations. The heroic story of Rabbi Akiva reciting the Sh’ma  while being tortured and killed; the visual of Rabbi Chananya ben Teradion being wrapped in a Torah scroll and burnt at the stake while the letters of the Torah flew to the Heavens; and the selflessness of Rabbi Yehudah ben Bava who was murdered while blocking a Roman Legion with his body so that his students could flee and teach Torah to future generations.

These stories of Jewish heroism have inspired Jews throughout the ages. During the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Holocaust and through the birth of modern Israel, whenever Jewish dedication to G-d was challenged and threatened, the memory of the Ten Martyrs served as an example of selflessness, devotion, and service to our people.

The Talmud teaches that the Roman Empire was the genetic and idealistic heir to the biblical Esav. The Romans were obsessed with Esav’s hate and need to take revenge against his brother Yaacov, and they did everything in their power to eradicate Jews and Judaism from the face of the Earth.

Although hundreds of thousands of Jews were murdered at the hands of the evil Roman Empire, the Midrash, the piyut recited on Yom Kippur, and the  Kinah  of Tisha B’Av focus on ten great Tannaic leaders and luminaries. Although most of these sages lived during the Hadrian era, it is well known that the ten martyrs discussed in this Midrash spanned a period of at least one hundred and fifty years. There is also controversy as to who amongst the hundreds of leaders brutally tortured and killed were the “ten” martyrs. Nevertheless, the Midrash and Zohar see these killings as outstanding and united parts of one particular decree on our people.

According to many scholars, the story of the Ten Martyrs begins during the final moments of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. During that period, the feeling of the presence of G-d began to wane and there was no more prophecy. There were still great leaders, however, who seemed to have a clairvoyant view of the future. The Talmud refers to these phenomena as Ruach HaKodesh.

Perhaps the most astounding example of ruach hakodesh is the story of Shmuel Hakatan. Shmuel HaKatan acquired his name in part because he was almost as pious and prophetic as Shmuel HaNavi. In comparison to the prophet Shmuel he was a katan or small. He lived during the time of Rabban Gamliel HaZaken while the Bait HaMikdash (temple) still stood. Although the place of the Sanhedrin was in Jerusalem, Yavneh, a coastal town near Ashdod, was a gathering place for the great sages, and many secret meetings and decisions were made there.[1]

At one meeting that took place in an attic in Yavneh, Shmuel Hakatan prophesized the upcoming murders of the ten martyrs of Israel at the hands of the Romans. Perhaps of even greater significance was his prediction of the Hadrian decrees which forbade the teaching of Torah. He foresaw a period of Roman subjugation that would span close to one hundred and fifty years and see the death of some of the most venerable leaders of Israel. The murders started with Yishmael the Kohein Gadol and Rabban Shimon Ben Gamliel the son of the Nasi, and ended with the tortured deaths of Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Chananya ben Teradion who was burnt at the stake while wrapped in a Torah scroll.

Shmuel Hakatan predicted the Diaspora and a seemingly endless period of suffering and mourning for the Jewish community in Israel.[2]

According to tradition Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel and the High Priest Yishmael set out to travel across the Land of Israel to inform the others of the prophetic remarks of Shmuel Hakatan. Their journey became known to the Roman occupiers and was seen as an act of treason. They were arrested at the end of their journey and killed by the Romans. When the still young Rabbi Akiva heard that they were put to death he informed his students that the troubles had just begun, and that they should brace themselves for worse. He told them that the destruction of Jerusalem was imminent. The students of Rabbi Akiva tore their clothes and donned sack cloth.[3]

Understanding this background perhaps helps us understand the attitudes that unfolded as the century progressed. Although leaders of the time (such as Rabbi Yose ben Kisma) opined that the Jews should subjugate themselves to the Roman authority,[4] Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues started a rebellion.[5] He and Reb Chananya created an army, appointed a Mashiach, and brazenly taught Torah in public squares with a Sefer Torah firmly placed in their laps in open defiance of the Hadrian decrees and an unquestionable demonstration of the eternity of Torah.

Could it be that the very foreknowledge of their martyrdom gave them the freedom to lead and to teach Torah with an almost superhuman strength; to make certain that the traditions of Judaism and the depth of Torah would continue against all odds and persecution?

When Rabbi Akiva was taken to be killed, the Romans sadistically combed his body with iron combs. The Romans forced the students to watch the downtrodden pride of Rabbi Akiva. His students watched, but they saw a different sight. Rabbi Akiva recited the Sh’ma and dwelled on the word Echad. In an unprecedented act of Kiddush Hashem he died proclaiming the Oneness of G-d. With his life and with his death he demonstrated his faith that whatever happens in this world and in his life, whether it seems good or bad, is all part of the one and only G-d’s master plan; G-d is One!

His traumatized students called out to him, “Rabbi! Ad Kan! Enough![6]” to which Rabbi Akiva made his historic comment: “My entire life” he said, “I was committed to the ideal that if need be one must give up their life for the Oneness of G-d. But I never knew when this mitzvah would come my way so that I could fulfill it. It has finally arrived and of course I will fulfill it.”

Rabbi Akiva was aware for almost 70 years, since the prophecy of Shmuel HaKatan, that eventually he would be martyred. He just didn’t know when. Now that the time had come he accepted the decree in peace. 

We will read this story on Yom Kippur to help us understand the meaning of heroism and absolute dedication to God, the Torah, Eretz Yisrael and the Jewish people.

The Jewish people need new heroes. Our dedication to G-d, the Torah and to Eretz Yisrael must be renewed for us to continue.  The Ten Martyrs is the Jewish response to the hate and prejudice that the Jewish people have encountered throughout history all too often. It is a story about a divine reaction to a world which is sometimes gruesome and hideous. Indeed it is, in part, not only a story of death but a story of the survival of the Jewish People.

Egypt has been imprisoning and deporting asylum-seekers (back) to Sudan for years. There are numerous cases of murder and rape in Egypt of African refugees that the Egyptian police have no interest in investigating. In 2005, when security forces fired-upon and killed dozens of African refugees sitting in a hunger strike outside United Nations offices in Cairo, asylum-seekers began crossing the border into Israel, where they now number approximately 7,500.

One refugee we interviewed in Jerusalem from South Sudan, where an estimated two million civilians were killed in a civil war that lasted over twenty years, was kidnapped and enslaved by the North Sudanese military, and managed to escape being sent to fight against Darfur. A woman we interviewed in Tel Aviv was gang-raped in Sudan in her home by government security forces. We also interviewed a woman from Congo, where an estimated four million have been killed since 1998. These three interviewees, according to Prime Minister Olmert, are not refugees. “There are only 498 refugees in Israel and not one more,” stated Olmert in a Knesset speech this past year. The latest government plan is to fire in the direction of “infiltrators” attempting to cross the border, and to imprison and deport all except the 498 who Olmert believes are refugees.

During the Holocaust, Britain limited the number of Jews into Mandate-Palestine because, officials claimed, there were not physically enough square kilometers or jobs to accept more refugees. Nor did she accep