Abu Tor | Armon Hanatsiv | Arnona | Baka | Beit Hakerem | David Village | French Hill | German Colony | Geula | Givat Masua | Har Homa | Har Nof | Holyland Park | Katamon | Kiryat Shmuel | Makor Baruch | Mekor Haim | Nayot | Old City | Old Katamon | Ramat Danya | Ramat Eshkol | Ramat Sharett | Rehavia | Talbieh | Yafe Nof | Yemin Moshe

ABU TOR
4 large rooms, 120m., ground floor, 2 covered parking spaces + large storage room perfect for studio. Active Model Realty (1994). Call Yossi at 02-561-9854 or 052-346-2990.

In a beautiful Arab house 100 sq.m. for renovation first floor call Sonia: 050-559-5773. Colony 02-561-1611.

ARMON HANATSIV
Adam St. - 3 rooms, 3rd floor, renovated, extension building possibility, view, private heating Hamishkenote 052-672-4003 Elisheva.

ARNONA
Magnificent Villa, 11 rooms, highest standard, garden, balconies, amazing views. Contact Alyssa 0524-668-4111, RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661 www.remax-capital.com.

Unique! Caspi St. - Beautiful cottage 200 m2, garden + terrace (60 m2), view on the Temple Mount, luxurious, 2 parking spaces. Hamishkenote 052-3202488 Michael

5 rooms + 3 rooms can be rented, gardens, renovated, quiet, parking - Hamishkenote 052-672-4003 Elisheva.

BAKA
Rare!! New Cottage 220sqm. + garden 300m2, high ceilings, parking, decorated to clients taste - “Hamishkenote” 052-672-4003 Elisheva.

Spacious family home, approx. 230 sqm., 5 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms + 2 half bathrooms, large eat-in kitchen, additional studio suite, landscaped garden, parking for 3 cars, storage room. Asking Price: $1,450,000. Contact Annette: 054-255-6225 or Yona 054-224-5121 RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661 www.remax-capital.com.

Arab house 290m2 + garden 350m2, lots of charm in a small, quiet and pastoral street. Needs renovation. Hamishkenote 052-320-2488 Michael.

Magnificent penthouse, 160sqm., luxurious, elevator, large balcony, beautiful view, storage-room, parking. Hamishkenote 052-320-2488 Michael.

5 room apt, 2nd floor, 3 balconies (2 sukkah), needs renovation, parking, large storage. Asking: NIS 1,990,000 (after price reduction).Contact Annette: 054-255-6225, RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661 www.remax-capital.com.

Tsameret Alenby. 3 rooms (originally 4), 2nd floor, invested with good taste, storage-room, parking - Hamishkenote 052-320-2488 Michael.

A rare opportunity! 6th Floor, 100 sqm., elevator, magnificent city views, 4 rooms, for renovation. Asking price NIS 1,390,000. Contact Annette: 054-255-6225, RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661 www.remax-capital.com.

1st floor, stone building, spacious 4 rooms, 110 meters, garden, 15sqm studio. Alex Losky-Moshe: 054-479-3384.

3 room apartment, renovated, 2nd floor. Alex Losky-David: 052-380-2860.

Most beautiful house in Jerusalem! 4 level private home in Baka, magnificently renovated with authentic charm, dome ceilings, gorgeous garden and private parking. Alex Losky-Lisa : 054-305-0409.

BEIT HAKEREM
On Yafe Nof. 3 ½ spacious rooms, 1st floor, A/C, 3 open balconies pointing to beautiful view. Exclusive to Active Model Realty. Call Yossi at 02-561-9854 or 052-346-2990.

Very special!! 4 rooms on Chaluts st. 2 floor, central location. Call Judith: 054-591-0348. Colony 02-561-1611.

On Dgania st. 4.5 rooms, 1 floor, full light, renovated, porches. Judith: 054-591-0348. Colony 02-561-1611.

DAVID VILLAGE
3 room apartment, very spacious, great location! Alex Losky - Veronique: 054-202-0446, 02-623-5595.

FRENCH HILL
Great Investment! Etzel St., 3 rooms, tenant in place, 1stth floor, elevator, quiet and pastoral. Only NIS 850,000. Contact Hadar 050-756-8666. RE/MAX Vision Exclusive 02-673-1661 www.remax-capital.com.

7 room townhouse with a private entrance and a garden. Huge terrace. Needs light renovation. Contact Hadar 050-756-8666. RE/MAX Vision Exclusive 02-673-1661 www.remax-capital.com.

GERMAN COLONY
Magnificent Duplex, 220 square meters, 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, sukkah balcony, MUST SEE! $1,600,000. Contact Yona (054-224-5121) RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661 www.remax-capital.com.

Near Emek Refaim, 3 rooms, 2nd floor, renovated, $500,000. Contact Yona (054-224-5121) RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661                       www.remax-capital.com.

GEULA
Seven, fully renovated (180sq.m), can be divided, private entrance. ANGLO-SAXON 02-625-1161, Arieh: 054-725-7701.

GIVAT MASUA
5 beautiful rooms, 1 floor with elevator, extraordinary 40sq.m. Terrace to view. Colony 02-561-1611.

New on the market!! 4 rooms, 2 floor; terrace and elevator prestige location. Colony 02-561-1611.

HAR HOMA
Religious project - Beautiful 5 rooms (135 m2), invested, terrace/sukkah (80 m2), unique view, storage-room, parking. 1,360,000nis. Hamishkenote 052-678-7813 Manu.

Good deal! 3.5 rooms, in religious project, 2 storage-room (1 near the apt with window), beautiful view - 990.000 shekels. Hamishkenote 052-320-2488 Michael.

Beautiful 6 room’s duplex apartment, private entrance, full of  light, beautiful 80 sq.m garden, 20 sq.m. Terrace. Sonia: 050-559-5773. Colony 02-561-1611.

Beautiful 5 rooms 130 sq.m. In a central location, beautiful and large terrace to view. Yaniv: 052-802-8526. Colony 02-561-1611.

HAR NOF
Gem in Har Nof!Private 4-level villa (approx. 650 sqm.), quiet area, spectacular view. Exclusive: ANGLO-SAXON 02-625-1161, Arieh: 054-725-7701.

HOLYLAND PARK
4.5 rooms (160 sqm), very high standing, shabbat elevator, terrace/sukkah, panoramic sight of the living room, parking- “Hamishkenote” 052-320-2488 Michael.

KATAMON
“Mercaz Tennis.” Cottage 4 rooms (120 sqm), terrace (30 sqm) + garden, private entrance, released sight. Hamishkenote  052-320-2488 Michael.

KIRYAT SHMUEL
For investors: on Palmach st. 3 rooms ground floor + garden. Gil: 052-808-4312, Colony: 02-561-1611.

On Nily St. beautiful 3 rooms renovated by architect, + large   garden. Gil: 052-808-4312. Colony 02-561-1611.

MAKOR BARUCH
Brand new! Entire floor (approx. 300 sqm.) Fabulous view, 2-car garage. Exclusive: ANGLO-SAXON 02-625-1161, Arieh: 054-725-7701.

MEKOR HAIM
Good Deal! 3.5 rooms, recent building, 2nd floor, nice and pleasant, balcony/sukkah, storage-room, covered carpark – 1,250,000 nis. Hamishkenote 052-320-2488 Michael.

5 luxurious rooms, new, elevator, terrace, view, parking. Hamishkenote 052-320-2488 Michael.

NAYOT
On Burla st. 5 beautiful rooms nice view call Gil: 052-808-4312. Colony 02-561-1611.

OLD CITY
Incredible Old City Home. Mamluke period 3 level house with private entrance,150 square meters, 6 rooms with a separate 2-room unit. Includes 60 sqm. balcony space with panoramic views of the Old City including Har HaBayit and a partial view of the Kotel. The property is in need of renovation.  Contact Ilana 054-534-1403 RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661 www.remax-capital.com.

OLD KATAMON
Magnificent, modern 9 room home with garden and all amenities, 250 sqm. Ground floor 130 sqm with garden can be sold separately. Contact: Edna 050-633-0850 RE/MAX VISION 02-673-1661 www.remax-capital.com.

5 rooms, 3rd floor, elevator, sukkah terrace, 4 exposures. Alex Losky-Veronique: 054-202-0446.

Completely renovated 4.5 rooms, 120 meters, terrace, elevator and parking, 3 exposures! Alex Losky Moshe: 054-479-3384.

4 rooms, 1st floor + elevator, spacious, balcony, high standing renovation, very bright, storage-room + parking. Hamishkenote 052-320-2488 Michael.

Completely renovated designer vacation homes for sale. 3 rooms. Contact: Edna 050-633-0850 or Asaf 052-329-0220 RE/MAX VISION 02-673-1661  www.remax-capital.com

Excellent location! Newly renovated apartments. 3 or 4.5 rooms. Contact: Edna 050-633-0850 or Asaf 052-329-0220 RE/MAX VISION 02 673 1661 www.remax-capital.com.

Palatial 220 sqm garden apartment in Old Katamon. Private entrance, private garden, newly renovated to highest standard, unique design. Asking 8,750,000 NIS. Contact Ilana 0545-341-403 or Dov 052-553-3739 RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661www.remax-capital.com.

RAMAT DANYA
Gorgeous 5-room apartment featuring spacious master bedroom, large terrace to fantastic view. Possible to create 2 entrances and to build a separate unit-60 sq.m. ANGLO-SAXON 02-625-1161, Liora: 054-431-0015.

RAMAT ESHKOL
Beautifully renovated 4 rooms, lovely view, walk to buses & shopping. Call Miriam Drori 052-842-4083. RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661 www.remax-capital.com.

RAMAT SHARETT
3 rooms, charming, high floor, breathtaking view. ANGLO-SAXON 02-625-1161, jerusalem@anglo-saxon.co.il.

4.5 rooms, 1st floor, terrace to breathtaking view, expansion possibilities, renovated. Hamishkenote 052-672-4003 Elisheva.

REHAVIA
Unique Penthouse, 309 square meters with over 100 square meters of balconies, Shabbat elevator, private parking. Contact Ilana (054-534-1403) or Dov (052-553-3739) RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661 www.remax-capital.com.

4.5, (105 meters). Classic, gracious, well maintained,1st floor, balcony, good exposures, good view! Alex Losky-Vic : 054-804-0690.

Desired location, spacious 4 rooms (140 meters) , 3rd floor, elevator, large sukkah terrace, on quiet street.Alex Losky- Veronique: 054-202-0446.

Central Shaarei Chesed! 320 sqm. house on a corner lot, 6 rooms plus separate unit and courtyard. Needs renovation. Asking $2,500,000. Contact Ilana 054-534-1403 or Dov 052-553-3739 RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661 www.remax-capital.com.

Stunning newly renovated 4 room apartment with sukkah balcony, covered parking, Shabbat elevator. Central location. Asking 2,650,000 NIS. Contact Ilana (0545-341-403) or Dov (052-553-3739), RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661                                                                                  www.remax-capital.com.

Green and quiet in Rehavia. 1st floor, 80 sqm., 3 room apartment in need of renovation. Sukkah balcony. Option to purchase renovated. Contact Ilana (0545-341-403) or Dov (052-553-3739), RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661 www.remax-capital.com.

TALBIEH
Pinsker St., 5 rooms, beautifully renovated, 3 full baths, double kitchen, all appliances, storage, parking. Only $670,000! Alyssa 054-668-4111 RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661 www.remax-capital.com.

In beautiful Talbieh! 3 room apartment on Brenner street., 5th floor, sukkah balcony, views, parking. Needs renovation. Asking $550,000. Contact Ilana 054-534-1403 OR Dov 052-553-3739.

Balfour. Near Great Synagogue, 2.5, renovated, wood-flooring, air-conditioned. ANGLO-SAXON 02-625-1161, Danielle: 050-495-1234.

Keren Hayesod - 4 rooms, completely renovated, 3rd floor, shabbat lift, close to Great Synagogue, walking distance to the Old City. Alex Losky-Veronique: 054-202-0446.

King David St- Rental, lovely 3 rooms,fully furnished, 2nd floor with elevator 1950$ Alex Losky-Moshe: 054-479-3384.

Beautiful 6 rooms, newly renovated, 4 terraces, 2nd floor,storage room. Alex Losky-David: 052-380-2860.

2 room apartment,1st floor,  bright and spacious, balcony,good condition,very quiet. 1,280,000 NIS -Alex Losky -Veronique: 054-202-0446.

YAFE NOF
Spacious 5-room duplex, 4 balconies, fully renovated, huge living room, storage,  air-conditioned. Only 23 steps to climb!  Quiet, central area. ANGLO-SAXON 02-625-1161, Liora: 054-431-0015.

YEMIN MOSHE
Stunning renovated home in Yemin Moshe, unique design, 3 bedrooms, separate formal dining room, spacious terrace with panoramic view of the Old City walls. Asking NIS 6,500,000 Contact Ilana (054-534-1403) or Dov (052-553-3739) RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661 www.remax-capital.com.

Rental on Hananya st., 1st floor, quiet and charming Arab style apartment, 2 bedrooms + loft, renovated and furnished, available immediately – August 1st until mid-June 2009. Asking price: $1800 per month. Contact Annette 054-255-6225 annetterosen3@yahoo.com. RE/MAX VISION 02-673-1661 www.remax-capital.com.

CITY CENTER
Agrippas St.- 2 rooms, fully furnished, central location, near old city, view. $1300 per month. Alex Losky Real Estate Group; call Veronique: 054-202-0446.

Agrippas St.- Brand new 3-room apartment, great location, fully furnished. $1700 per month. Alex Losky Real Estate Group; call Veronique: 054-202-0446.

MUSRARA
Picturesque and quiet, first floor, private entrance, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathroom, very large terrace and backyard, semi furnished with appliances, available NOW $2200/month. Contact Annette 054-255 6225. RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661 www.remax-capital.com.

Long term rental in Musrara, Arab style cottage, full of character, private entrance, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 bath, mosaic floors garden, asking $2200. Contact Annette 054-255 6225 RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661 www.remax-capital.com.

TALBIEH
Marcus St. Gorgeous 3 bedrooms with garden, air-conditioned, sub-floor heating. ANGLO-SAXON 02-625-1161, e-mail: rentals@anglo-saxon-jerusalem.co.il.

Personal mourning is often defined by the hesped (eulogy), an explanation of why we miss a departed individual. Similarly, during the “Three weeks,” we should speak in terms of national hesped. National, because the destruction of the Temple—the Beit haMikdash—is first and foremost, a national tragedy. Thus, we need to explain what the Jewish nation has lost.

The Jewish nation impacted the world most strongly before the Temple was destroyed. Judaism changed the way people thought throughout the Roman Empire and beyond, planting the seeds for Christianity and Islam. These two religions continue to be the greatest influence on a large percentage of the world’s inhabitants, and compared to the ancient pagan world, this is clearly for the good. From this point of view, we were not far from the messianic goal of bringing the world to Malkhut Shek`ai, to being a Divine kingdom. The Jewish nation almost succeeded in bringing a rather barbarian, cynical world to a state of noble morality. This was an incredible feat— the culmination of a long road leading from Mount Sinai, spanning many centuries. It was a road of protest against pagan values; of insisting on the need to elevate humankind to emulate G-d.

During these three weeks, we recall that we have lost the power and drive to change and inspire the world. More importantly, we have lost the power and drive to bring humankind to communion with G-d. The source of this drive was likely the intense spiritual experience provided by the Temple service, which was at the epicenter of our national culture. Today, it is difficult to understand what made this service so awe-inspiring. Nonetheless, we can see that there must have been something that made the Jews’ world truly G-d-centered. And this is really what made the Jew Jewish. Without intense interaction with G-d, it is difficult to truly speak of a Jewish national culture. This is a great tragedy for the Jews, but even more so, it is a great tragedy for the world.

With the destruction of the Beit haMikdash, then, we have lost much more than a central facility to enhance our Divine service. We have lost our national identity as a major living spiritual force.

Kohelet 7:2 (Ecclesiastes) reminds us that it is better (meaning more productive), to go to the house of mourning than to a celebration. Focusing on what we lack is one of the greatest ways to know what is still possible. When the rabbis tell us that only one who mourns the destruction of Jerusalem will merit seeing the joy of its rebuilding (Taanit 30b), they remind us of a paradox in another sphere: a person who repents has the opportunity to turn his sins into actual merits (Yoma 86b). This is because the truly penitent is able to learn from the mistakes of the past. By studying his/her actions, s/he can reach a level unattainable for someone who does not have these experiences from which to learn.

It is only the person who properly mourns Jerusalem who understands what defines her rebuilding. It is that person who understands that Jerusalem has not been rebuilt, despite its large Jewish population and its beautiful buildings. If you do not know what you are missing, you will never seek it.

Not all is lost. The State of Israel can still be a great moral force. Granted, we are without the important influence of the Beit haMikdash. Nonetheless, the large concentration of Jews living as a nation in our holy land is something that carries an undeniable power. There is a potential to rekindle the fire that moved world history in a way that nothing else has, before or since.

It is only with a renewed sense of national consciousness however, that we can start to change the world once again; to begin where we left off so long ago. Without this consciousness, we will sink into the depravity that is a natural consequence of focusing only on self.

Let us then resolve as individuals to re-commit ourselves to our great national destiny; to focus on what our nation accomplished in the past and what it can still accomplish in the future. If we do this, we will actually be able to reap sweet fruits of our mourning.

Walk into a wedding or a Bar Mitzvah— everyone is eating, dancing, and singing. Who would think that loneliness is even possible in this room? But if you are a stranger in that room, or if you feel unseen or unknown, it can be a desert island; the loneliest place in the world.

Today we are privileged to see big crowds. Thousands gather at the Kotel, thousands come together to pray for Israel, thousands demonstrate, thousands attend a Siyum HaShas, thousands celebrate and communicate on the Internet. Can anyone feel isolated anymore? Sadly, yes, and as the Kotzker Rebbe said, “There is no place lonelier than a room full of people.”

Loneliness is possibly one of the most painful human experiences. Loneliness is not the same as being alone. Many people have times when they are alone by choice or because of circumstances. Being alone can be experienced as positive, pleasurable, and even emotionally refreshing if it is under the individual’s control. When Moshe received his prophecies, he was alone in solitude. Loneliness is unwilling solitude that is forced upon a person.

We always read Parshat D’varim on the Shabbat preceding Tish’a B’Av, in part because of the connection between our parsha and Tish’a B’ Av signaled by the word “eicha.” Moshe asked, “How [eicha] can I carry your burdens alone?” (1:12) and in the Book of Lamentations that we read on Tish’a B ‘Av, Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) asks in astonishment, “How [eicha] could Jerusalem sit alone?”

But it’s not just the word “eicha.” The Vilna Gaon explains that the “alone” of Moshe and Jerusalem is the essence of national tragedy.

Moshe and Jerusalem were reflections of the condition of the Jewish people. Moshe was a lonely person and Jerusalem was a lonely city. Our people became isolated—not just from the world, but from each other. There was polarization, elitism, and arrogance. Moshe felt isolated and so did Jerusalem, and they both exclaimed: “Eicha?!”

Moshe Rabbeinu was the most important and well-known figure in his generation! Who would have thought that he could possibly feel isolated? Jerusalem was a gathering place for all Jews—how could Jerusalem possibly feel alone?

The answer is: “There is no place lonelier than a room full of people!”

We need an “Eicha” revolution.

There are too many lonely places amongst our people, and too many lonely people. There are too many distinctions, too many partitions, and too many Jews that aren’t allowed in. Jerusalem is lonely. There is destruction, insecurity and danger in Jerusalem when Jews stand aloof, apart and alone.

Let us find ways to come together, and may the streets of Jerusalem resound with joy and security, as they overflow with holiness.

The Torah teaches us that as Avraham sat outside his tent following his brit milah, he saw three men approaching and ran to fix them a meal. When he entered the sheep pen to prepare fresh meat, a calf ran away. As Avraham chased the calf, the animal suddenly disappeared. As he searched for the calf, he saw a cave in the distance and approached it, thinking that perhaps the calf ran inside. Arriving at the cave and peering in, Avraham saw a bright light glowing from deep within. Entering to investigate, he walked deep into the cave and discovered the tombs of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman. He also smelled fragrances from the Garden of Eden.
How did Adam and Eve arrive at this site? It is written that following their exile from the Garden of Eden they wished to return, but had no idea where it was. They searched and searched until they reached a point where they could smell the exquisite fragrances of that unique place. There, Adam dug a cave within a cave until a voice from the heavens forbade him to dig further. There he buried his wife Eve and later he was interred there, too. (Zohar)
Recognizing the sanctity of the site, Avraham desired to purchase it. According to the midrash (Pirkei d’Rebbi Eliezer), he approached the Jebusites and requested to purchase from them the cave. They answered Avraham, “We know that your future offspring will try to conquer our home city (Jerusalem.) If you agree to prevent them from conquering Jerusalem, we will sell the cave to you.”
Avraham agreed and signed a contract which was hung on statues outside the gates of Jerusalem. Centuries later, King David purchased Temple Mount from the Jebusites only after he destroyed these statues. (Some commentators hold that Joshua did not conquer Jerusalem when he entered Israel, due to Avraham’s agreement.)
Avraham did not actually agree to relinquish Jerusalem for Hebron. He realized that in order to attain the sanctity of Jerusalem, it was necessary to begin at the foundations of civilization, at the point which joins this world to another world; to the Garden of Eden. Starting here at the cave— location of the foundations of the world—they could then progress slowly, until they finally reached the holiness of Jerusalem. This is similar to “Jacob’s ladder,” where the top of the ladder reached the heavens but the legs of the ladder were firmly entrenched on the ground.
Very likely Avraham earned merited discovering the Ma’arat HaMachpela due to his desire and willingness to fulfill the positive precept of ‘’hachnasat orchim,” hosting guests. Despite the very hot weather and the pain he experienced three days after his brit milah, he still hosted these three men and fixed them a meal. This reflects Avraham’s primary trait, ‘chesed’ or total, unrelenting loving-kindness.
Where did Avraham learn the trait of chesed? It would seem, from Hashem, from G-d Himself. In our prayers, which we repeat three times daily, we say, “the great, strong, awesome G-d, the supreme G-d.” What would we expect to follow? Perhaps, the G-d who created heavens and earth, or who created man?  No. We continue, “[G-d] who practices fine chesed and remembers the chesed of the forefathers. Chesed is what Avraham learned from HaShem and thus, stands as the pillar of Ma’arat HaMachpela.
Traditionally, both Jerusalem and Hebron have special status due to their sites, the Beit HaMikdash and Ma’arat HaMachpela. The connection between Jerusalem and Hebron is mentioned in Tractate Yoma where it states that every day, before beginning work in the Beit HaMikdash, the Temple, the priests would look out and ask if anyone had seen the sun rise yet in the east, even as far as Hebron. If the answer was positive, work would commence. If not, if it was still dark in Hebron, the priests in Jerusalem would have to wait.
Jerusalem and Hebron blend and unify. Torah— its rules and boundaries— and the tablets of the Ten Commandments are found in Jerusalem. Akedat Yitzhak (the sacrifice of Isaac), which occurred on Har HaMoriah, the site of the Beit HaMikdash, symbolizes gevurah—strength.  Chesed, full loving-kindness without restriction— the trait of Avraham— is in Hebron. The Beit HaMikdash, the Temple, is open to all; high upon a hill. Ma’arat HaMachpela is a cave, hidden from all eyes; inner. The Beit HaMikdash extends outward. Ma’arat HaMachpela points inward. One to the heavens and one to the depths of the earth. One bursts up and the other is directed towards our roots.  Each site thereby symbolizes different levels of revelation and of recognizing Hashem.
The lights of Hebron and the lights of Jerusalem merge to create a unity of spirituality which imbues the Jewish people with the synthesis of chesed and gevurah; the revealed and the hidden which is the secret of Ma’arat HaMachpela: a powerful unity that will last for eternity
David Wilder is the Spokesperson for the Jewish Community of Hebron and the Hebron Fund.

JERUSALEM

OLD CITY
8:00pm Prayers @ the Kotel
8:45pm Festive Dinner
11:15pm Holy Cow! Eating Dairy and Shavuot, Rabbi David Abromovits
12:30am (@ Chalonei Rokea) Shavuot & the Self-Help Craze: Paving the Path to Personal Perfection w/Rabbi Abba Wagensberg
2:00am Men – A Taste of Yeshiva
Women – Shavuot: Biblical, Rabbinic, and Kabbalistic with Chana Deutsch
3:15am Education and the Male-Female Dynamic Eli Deutsch
4:30am Sunrise Minyan @ the Kotel followed by Coffee & Cake
Location: 17 Bet El Street, Old City, Jerusalem

NACHLAOT
Va’ani Tefilah
11:30pm-dawn Study circles in search of the personal and national connection with Torah. Hosted by Israelight and (Hebrew)- Rav Raz Hartman, Rav Aaron Leibowitz and others
Location: Rechov Aryeh Levine opposite R’ Aryeh Levine’s house

Kol Rina & Isralight
11:30pm-dawn Study circles in search of the personal and national connection with Torah. By Rabbi David Aaron
Location: Kol Rina, in the bomb shelter, Rechov Be’er Sheva Nachlaot
Contact: R’ Aaron Leibowitz 054-469-0330

RECHAVIA
Beit Knesset Mayanot together w/ Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo
at Mayanot Shul (28 Narkis Street)
11:45-12:45am A Revolution in Jewish Thought
Understanding the Maharal’s impact on Jewish Thought w/ R’ Yaakov Moshe Poupko
12:50-1:50 am L’Chaim: The Torah of Joy/ The Baal HaTanya explains the importance and the secret of joy w/ R’ Sholom Brodt
2:00-3:00 am A New Torah will come forth from Me! Indeed? Strange Midrashim that shed light on the essentials of Judaism w/ R’ Shlomo Gestetner
3:00-4:00am Farbrengun: Join Rabbi Eli Levine for a farbrengun and prepare for Matan Torah
with song, stories and Torah insights.
4.00 am Walk to Kotel for Shachrit!
For more info please call Tali at 02 623 6563
or email: tali@mayanotisrael.com

BAKA/TALPIOT
Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies
11:00pm-12:30am Dr. Avivah Zornberg: ”The Unknown Woman: Becoming Ruth”
12:45-1:30am Rabbi David Levin-Kruss: “In Praise of Envy, Adultery and Disobeying One’s Parents:The 10 Commandments Revisited”
1:45-2:45am Yaffa Epstein and Rabbi Jon Kelsen: “A Compelling Torah: Theological and Halakhic Perspectives”
3:00-4:15am Daniel Landes, Rosh HaYeshiva: “Can Conversions be Revoked?”
Air-conditioned, shabbat elevator available
Location: 29 Pierre Koenig (corner of Rivka)
Contact: 02-673-5210, http://www.pardes.org.il

Sea of Torah
11:00pm “Identity Crisis: What is Shavuot Really About?” by Rav Yossie Bloch
Midnight “Revelation & Revolution” by Rav Aytan Kadden
1am “First Among Fruits: The Untold Story of Bikkurim” by Rav Yossie Bloch
Contact: (02) 672-9067; (052) 626-1588
Location: 4 Rechov Ashriel Buzaglo (off Rechov Rivka), Apt. #35 (5th floor in Shabbat Elevator)

GERMAN COLONY
Hadassah-Merkaz HaMagshimim
Ta Shma and Merkaz Tarbut Amim
10:30pm-2:30am Various lectures, workshops of movement, poetry, and text study. This is an opportunity to encounter Tanach within the context of today’s society, and within the framework of culture. Bring warm clothes!
Location: 7A Dor Dor VeDorshav Street. Contact: Ofra at 02-561-9165 *204 or
ofra@themerkaz.org

Tal Torah
Tikkun Leil Shavu’ot for Women and Girls
11:00pm-Midnight Class for teens given by TAL TORAH teens (Hebrew). By Nina Medved, Adiella Djemal, Eden Golan & Tamar Goldschmidt.
Midnight-1:15am “Blessing resides in that which is hidden from sight: Quiet footsteps of Redemption in Megillat Ruth” by Nili Arbel
1:30-2:45am “Like the Wings of a Bird is the Advice of our Elders.” by Ariel Ben Moshe (English)
Location: Emek Refaim 64, 2nd floor
Contact: 02-566-5403 or see www.taltorah.org

KATAMON
Yakar
Open Beit-Midrash with chavruta learning, personal learning, small workshops & group learning.
23:30-1:00am Yuval Dolev: “Can Everything Become Idolatry?” (Hebrew); Gila Rosen: “God’s Different Voices at Mt. Sinai” (Hebrew); Daniel Sharshevski: “From the Oral Law to the Internet.” (Hebrew); Avi Steinhart: “Devorah & Mt. Sinai”
1:30-3:00am Meir Rosen: “Different Ways to Prepare for Matan Torah” (Hebrew); Shlomo Dov: “Relationships Between Secular & Religious in Halakha” (Hebrew); Jessica Sacks: “The Giving of the Torah & Chocolate Cookies”
3:00-4:30am Tish/Hitva’adut for Matan Torah/Preparation for Davening
Location: 10 HaLamed-Hey St.

Shir Hadash

11:30pm-12:30am Rabbi Gedaliah Gurfein (at the Pear Home)

12:30am-1:30am Rabbi Ari Cutler (at the Pear Home)

Dessert Break

2:00am-3:00am Rabbi Avi Poupko (at the Pear Home)

3:00am-4:00am Rabbi Ian Pear (at the Pear Home)

4:30am Reading of Megilat Ruth at Shir Hadash’s Katamon Facility, Cheyl Nashim #4

4:55am Shacharit Vatikin at Shir Hadash’s Katamon Facility, Cheyl Nashim #4

Location: Pear home, HaPalmach 54/3

HAR NOF
11:30pm Rabbi Ephraim Polaikoff: “Is Shavuous the Zman Matan Torah or Zman Kabalat Hatorah?”
12:30am Rabbi Ephraim Polaikoff: “When does the end Justify the Means?”
2:00am Rabbi Ephraim Polaikoff: “Does the Israeli Gov’t have the Right to give Away Land?”
2:45am Rabbi Ephraim Polaikoff: “Is there Bikkurim during a Shmittah Year?”

Walk to the Kotel for sunrise.
Location: 60 Katzelbogen, Har Nof
Contact: Baruch 054-209-9200

Home of Irving & Helen Maisel
Starting at 11:15pm Speakers for the evening include: Rav Yitzchak Tratner, Rav David Orlafsky and Rav Karish.
Location: 26 Brand Street. All are welcome. Light refreshments will be served.

She’arim for Women
11:30pm-12:15 Rabbi Yaniv Regev: “The Fiftieth Day”
12:30 - 1:30am Rabbi Avraham Manning “Beyond Talmud Torah”

1:45 – 2:45 Rabbi Chaim Levy
“Are You Sure?”

All classes will take place on Agassi 23 in She’arim’s Beit Midrash.
for more info 02- 651-4240 ext 101

BAT AYIN
Midrasha (Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin)
11:00-12:00am Dimensions and Inner Dynamics of Matan Torah (Devorah Nov)
12:15-1:15am What G-d Wants of Us (Rav Daniel Kohn)
1:30-2:30am Tehillim Recital/Chevrutot/Gentle Stretches (Student facilitator)
2:30-3:00am Matan Torah – Pro’s and Con’s (Rav Eliyahu Berkowitz)
3:00am + Hitbodedut and Movement (Student Teacher)

Yom Shavuot, Monday, June 9
5:00-6:00pm Women and Matan Torah (Rebbetzin Chana Bracha Siegelbaum)

EFRAT
Shirat Shlomo
11:00pm-12:00am Rav Yehoshua Reich-Hebrew Topic TBA, Rav Natan Siegal-English “Liberating the Music”
12:10-12:50am Rav Zvi Leshem –Hebrew “הנשיקה של משה והבאר של מרים,” Rav Riskin-English Topic TBA
1:00-2:00am R. Naftali Moses-Hebrew”גישות שונות למשמעות המוות,” Batya Yaniger –English “The Seven Weighty Mitzvot”
2:10-3:10am Mordechai Zeller -Hebrew “משה ובודהה סיפורי הארה והתגלות”, English- TBA
the entire evening is dedicated to the memory of Rav David Zeller, z”l, whose first yartzeit is 8 Sivan.

Beit Knesset Magen Avraham-Rechov Tamat 19A, Rimon

11:00pm HaRav Eli Attia: The Relationship between 8 to 50, and between Atzeret to Atzeret (Hebrew)

Midnight HaRav Chaim Brenner: Yeshivat Eretz Yisrael (Hebrew)

1:00am HaRav Chaim Brenner: Daf Yomi (Hebrew)

Beit Knesset Merkazi

11:15pm HaRav Riskin: Conversion: Megillat Ruth & the Rabbanut in Israel Today. (Iyun B’Halacha- Hebrew)

12:15 Ayala Paz: Creativity & Art in Reading Megillat Ruth (Hebrew)

1:15am Yochanan Broyer: Is it mutar to change accents in Tefila? (Hebrew)

2:15am Menachem Katz: Story of Maaseh Mirkava (Hebrew)

4:15am HaRav Atzmon: Between Individual Mitzvot & Collective Mitzvot (Hebrew)

MIZRACH RIMON

11:00pm Atara Snowbell: “No free lunch! Freedom and Slavery in Jewish Thought”

12:15 Rabbi Bini Freedman: “Kabbalat HaTorah: How could something that started so right, go so wrong?”

1:10am “Kedushat Eretz Yisrael and Shem Eretz Yisrael: Does Zahal get to sanctify the land?”

2:05am Rabbi David Markus: TBA

3:00am Rabbi Natan Siegel: “A hitchhikers guide to the galaxy of Hassidut”

3:50am Joshua Daniel: “Triage– Playing God according to the Halacha?”

Location: Maresky Home – Mishol HaKramim 19

LEV EFRAT

Beit Knesset Lev Efrat

11:00pm Mois Navon “SPIN” – Interpretation of the famous video clip

Lev Efrat

Midnight: Maier Becker: “Enemy Civilians and Wartime Ethics”

01:00 Rabbi Dr. Howard Deitcher, “David, Batsheva and Uriah: Love, Tension and Conflict in II Samuel 11”

02:00 Dr. Baruch Sterman “Shogeg: Sin or Slip-up”

03:00 Rabbi Dr. Bernard Weinstein “The Disappearance and Reappearance of the Greatest Event in World History”

04:00 Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell “Counting – What is it good for? – A study of the mitzvoth of sefirah in the Torah”

Location: Home of Gershon and Ilana Adams – 11 Hagoel St.

GEFFEN

Mishkan Yair

Tikkun Layl Shavuot- Nusach Teiman (no other shiurim)

Beit Knesset Beit Aharon

11:00pm HaRav Shabtai Rappaport

Midnight HaRav Yehoshua Reich

1:00 HaRav Shlomo Riskin

2:00 Michael Sperber, Adv.

3:00 HaRav Eitan Ansbechar

4:00 HaRav Raphel Zer

Tiferet Avot

10:15 Shiur for Children Grades 1-5.

Location: Marcus Family, 10 HaLamed-Hey

11:00pm HaRav Menachem Schraider on HaRav Kook

Midnight HaRav David Marcus

1:00 HaRav Shimon Golan

2:00 HaRav Daniel Epstein

WEST DEKEL

10:15pm Penina Esses: “The Story of 784 Cheese Cakes” (Grades 6-8) (Hebrew)

10:30 Dr. Robert Lederma: “Planting Heaven on Earth” (English)

11:00 Sara Halevi: “Piercing, Tatoos & Cutting” (High School, English)

11:30 Harav Shimon Golan: “Ma-amad Ha-Ger” According to Maimonides & Rabi Jehuda HaLevi” (Hebrew)

Midnight Penina Esses: “The Secrets of Shavuot” (Hebrew)

12:30 Shmuel Wasserman: “Pidyon Shvuyim” in Our Times

Location: Assis Family, 10 Koresh

SHAVUOT DAY

WOMEN’S BEIT MEDRASH

5pm Lisa Fredman: “Yiftach’s daughter- was she really sacrificed?”

Location: Samson Family, Koresh 7, Dekel Maarav

5pm Sara Jo Ben-Zvi: “Kabbalat Shabbat, Kabbalat Shavuot, Kabbalat Malchut Shamayim”

Location: Stern Family, Netzer Yishai 23, Te’ena

5pm: Batya Hefter: “Yehuda & Tamar, Ruth & Boaz, From Alienation to Recognition, Sod to Geula”

Location: Beit Knesset Shemen HaMishcha, Zayit

*All shiurim at the Women’s Beit Medrash are in memory of Sara Blaustein (z”l)

RAMAT BEIT SHEMESH
Kehillat Ahavat Tzion
Beit Midrash open all night for chavrutot . Shiurim held in main heichal.
10:30pm Children’s shiur (grade 2-4) - given by Daniel Rosenfield
11:00pm Boys shiur (grade 5-6) - (at the shul) by Rav Menachem Copperman, Rav Kehilla
11:00pm Girls’ shiur – at Copperman residence, Nachal Dolev 50/13, by Michal Copperman
11:45pm “Torah from the heavens, and not in the heavens” By Rav David Bagno, Ra”m, Machon Gavoha LaTorah, Bar-Ilan University [Hebrew]
12:45am Topic: TBA. by Rav Menachem Copperman, Rav Kehillat Ahavat Tzion [Hebrew]
1:45am “Halachic Issues of Cosmetic Surgery”, by Dr. David Kallus, Maggid shiur
Location: Nachal Timna 2

Yeshivat Lev Hatorah
2:45am “Eishet Chayil and Megillat Ruth” by Rav Itiel Ariel, Rav Beit Knesset Merkazi
3:45am “The Vulnerability of Wisdom” by Rav Eli Duker, Maggid shiur, Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh
4:45am Birkot Hashachar

BEIT SHEMESH
Ohel Yona Menachem
11:00-11:50pm (Hebrew) Learning program: grades 1-6 & their parents: Together this Night
11:00-11:50pm “Honor thy Father and Mother… in-Law” by Larry Rublin
12:00-12:50am (Hebrew) “Bribery in Halacha and Law” by Rabbi David Spektor
1:00-1:50am (Hebrew) “The Basis of Rabbinic Law” by Rabbi Yosef Wolicki
2:00-2:50am (Hebrew) Topic TBA by Rabbi Oren Duvdevani
3:00-3:50am (Hebrew) Megillat Ruth and the World of Halacha by Rabbi Artie Fischer
4:00-4:40am (Hebrew) Confucius on Mount Sinai by Doron Kline
4:45am Megillat Ruth
5:05am Shacharit [1st minyan]
8:20am Shacharit [2nd minyan]
Location: Rechov Shivtei Yisrael, Givat Sharett

Beit Medrash Torani-Leumi
10:15-11:00pm Parents & Children Learning Together
11:00pm Midnight Shiur for Women, Rav Yehuda Rock (Hebrew)
12:30-2:00am Shiur on Rav Soloveitchik, Rav Avishai Dovid (Hebrew)
2:10-3:10am Aseret HaDibrot: Do not Steal, Rav Avishai Dovid (Hebrew)
3:20-4:20am Daf Yomi: Sotah 15, Rav Avishai Dovid (Hebrew)
Location: Rechov Reuven, corner of Asher

TZFAT

Beirav Synagogue

7:25pm Mincha

8:10pm Maariv

Open learning & singing from midnight on…

4:10am Megillat Ruth

4:45am Shacharit

Shavuot Day, June 9th

5:30pm Women’s Class in Hebrew

7:25pm Mincha & Carlebach Songs

8:10pm Maariv & Havdalah Carlebach style

#10 Maginim, near Maginim & Jerusalem Squares.See www.beirav.org

The Israel National Trail (“Shvil Yisrael”) was officially marked in 1991. One of its purposes is to give Israelis a way to experience the entire breadth of Israel firsthand. It is a hiking trail that crosses the entire country from Tel Dan in the north to Eilat in the south. The trail is close to 600 miles from beginning to end and would take over a month to finish if hiked continuously. It is marked with three stripes painted on rocks along the way (white, blue and orange). The route is divided into 12 sections. A Trans-Israel bike trail is also presently in the works.

That’s the good news. Unfortunately, this wonderful trail bypasses the city of Jerusalem. And so, just last year, The New Jerusalem Trail was officially inaugurated. It connects the Trans-Israel Trail with Jerusalem and is marked with the special symbolic lion that appears on Jerusalem’s city emblem.

The first time I hiked this trail was during the annual late-night hike that the residents of my yishuv take on Yom Yerushalayim. Since then I’ve had the good fortune of guiding many people along this trail, including my wife and children just this past Pesach.

One side of the trail is at the entrance to the Emek Tzurim National Park (free admission) on the Mount of Olives, between Hebrew University and Beit Orot. The park was only opened in the year 2000. It’s about a 10 minute walk down into the Kidron Valley. There you will enjoy the Mount Scopus lookout.

During Pesach, we stopped off at the recovery center of Temple Mount remains. This is a wonderful project involving sifting through the dirt which was carted off the Temple Mount some years ago. You can spend an hour or more assisting the archaeologists as they make their fantastic finds. We discovered an ancient coin while we were there. It’s really a lot of fun. Contact the City of David at *6033 for more information.

The trail continues into the Kidron Valley, up to the Orson Hyde Park and then down towards Derech HaShiloah where the Mount Olives information center is located. From there it’s just a short walk to Absalom’s Tomb and then onward to the Pool of Siloam in the City of David. From there I walked up to the Kotel, but you can continue on into the Ben-Hinnom Valley, the ancient border between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, up to the Cinamateque Bridge.

Plans are underway for the trail to continue on up to Armon Hanatziv into Shvil Yisrael into the Judean Hills. For more information, contact National Parks at *3639.

And for you techies, The City of David offers a self-guided tour of the Jerusalem trail with your own mp3, cell phone or PDA. Simply go to www.cityofdavid.org.il and choose the Jerusalem Trail tour. Download the complete tour files and transfer the files to your device. Each track is a station on the tour.

Enjoy a safe and wonderful summer. Be sure to always bring along plenty of water on your hikes! °

Rabbi Mordechai Weiss is a resident of Mitzpeh Yericho and a licensed tour guide. He can be contacted at rabbiguide@gmail.com

Twelve years ago, hundreds of teens loitered in the streets of Jerusalem late at night, but no one knew where they came from. They weren’t the typical Israeli teens that hang out on the streets, but no one knew if these kids were visitors, tourists, or immigrants. Eventually, it was discovered that these were Anglo teens-at-risk who were not being helped. The numbers of students studying here increased, and proportionately, the number of students out on the streets increased. Fortunately, ELEM, together with the welfare department of the Jewish Agency, launched a special program for these Anglo teens. They hired social worker and Texas-native Caryn Green to spearhead the project. Green took the initiative to restore stability and hope to these teens, and has created the only intervention center in Israel that focuses on at-risk Anglo teens.

Located in the heart of downtown Jerusalem, Crossroads has a drop-in center that opens at 3pm every afternoon. The center hosts a number of resources for these teens including social activities, internet access, a recreation room, an English-language library, therapy and counseling services, educational opportunities, and more.

“For a long time, no one was servicing this population,” Green explains. “The Anglo teens were not comfortable going to Israeli services because of the language and cultural differences, and the government did not want to spend funds to service a population of tourists.” However, Green and her team of professionals continued to work on getting more support. “What the government didn’t realize is that for an 18 year-old student who has nothing to go back home to, serving them now will help them. These are people who can make aliyah, go to the army, go to university, and become productive citizens in Israel. Eventually, the government stopped running away from helping them.”

Crossroads helps teens between the ages of 13 and 21. The teens come in with a spectrum of issues including abuse, “but you’d never know it by looking at them,” dysfunctional families, divorce, self-damaging behavior, neglect and those who were “literally on the streets of New York smoking crack until someone sponsored them to go learn in Israel,” Caryn explains. “Our goal is to minimize these problematic behaviors and give them the tools to create healthy lives.”

Many times immigrant parents have their own issues, and unfortunately, the children suffer. Many Anglo teens don’t feel comfortable with the Israeli system, and the parents don’t feel equipped to deal with the school systems. For parents who notice behavioral changes in their teens, Crossroads offers pro-bono therapy and consultations. They also serve as a conduit between the schools and the parents, and provide information on options in society, such as jobs, schools, social services, and more.

Today, Crossroads has a staff of social workers and volunteers that help 700-1,000 teens each year. Social workers scope the streets of Jerusalem each night, looking for teens who may not ask for help, but can certainly use it.

Moreover, since 2004, Crossroads looks forward to the annual Crossroads Comedy Tour, organized and sponsored by Hollywood comedian Avi Lieberman. This year, the Crossroads Comedy Tour will begin the series of performances in Raanana on June 17th, to be followed by shows in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Beit Shemesh. Comedians include Harland Williams, who has starred in a number of movies and television shows, comedy club star Lowell Sanders, and Dan Naturman, who has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman and on Comedy Central.

Caryn explains the choice of a comedy fundraiser: “we deal with such anguish; such hard issues. The best outlet we have is through laughter.” For more information on Crossroads and for tickets for the Crossroads Comedy Tour, see www.crossroadscomedy.com. °

Q : In various places in the Torah, we see that when one comes to Israel, it is referred to as an “aliyah”—an ascent—and when one leaves Israel it is called a “yeridah”—a descent. Based on examples in Parshat Lech Lecha where the Torah says that Avraham “descended” to Egypt (Bereshit 12:10) and “ascended” to Israel upon his return (ibid. 13:1), the Gemara says that the Land of Israel is higher than any other place in the world (Zevachim 54b). Likewise, in Parshat Shoftim, the Torah further says “you should arise and ascend to the place” (i.e. the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem) if you have a difficult halachic question or court case (Devarim 17:8).

Based on this, the Gemara says that Jerusalem and the Temple are higher than any place in the Land of Israel (ibid). But how can the Gemara make such claims, when we all know that places like Mt. Everest and the Himalayas are higher than even Mt. Chermon, which is the highest spot in Israel?!

A: Two answers are provided to this difficulty: The Radvaz (Rav David ben Zimra, late 15th century, Spain), who lived about 500 years ago in Tzefat, explains how the Temple Mount lost its crown as the highest spot in Israel. He writes that the non-Jews lowered its height as it says, “Raze it, raze it, to its foundation” (Tehillim 137:7). The gentile kings dug up the Temple Mount in order to build their houses, temples and churches higher than it. Furthermore, the rains flowed down the incline of the Temple Mount which exacerbated the razing. Earthquakes and ongoing conquests also caused much destruction in Jerusalem, where people subsequently built houses on the rubble. There is one archaeological layer on top of another in Jerusalem. Thus, while Jerusalem became higher, the Temple Mount was lowered, but it once was the highest spot (Shut Ha-Radvaz vol. 2 #639).

The Chatam Sofer (Rav Moses Schreiber, or Moshe Sofer, Germany late 18th -early 19th century), who lived in Hungary about 200 years ago and was never in Israel, provides an answer from a completely difference perspective by focusing on the statement that the Land of Israel is the highest spot in the world. He explains that the earth is a sphere and it is therefore impossible to definitively say which is the highest point. Everything is dependent on how one holds the sphere. If you hold the earth in a proper way then Israel, Jerusalem and the Temple Mount are the highest places. If you hold the sphere in a different way, someplace else will be on top. The essential job of a Jew is to have the proper perspective in life to ensure that Israel, Jerusalem and the Temple Mount are always at the pinnacle (Chatam Sofer on Devarim 17:8).

The special aspirations and yearnings for the building of Jerusalem is a string which is threaded throughout the entire Tanach and all of the statements of our Rabbis: “It is I [G-d] who says of Jerusalem, ‘You shall be inhabited,’ and of the cities of Yehudah, ‘You shall be rebuilt, and their ruins I will raise up’” (Yeshaya 44:26); “For Hashem has comforted Zion, comforted all of her ruins; made her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of Hashem” (ibid. 51:3); “Elderly men and women will yet again dwell in the streets of Jerusalem” (Zechariah 8:4-5); “If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand whither. If I do not remember you, let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not set Jerusalem above my chief joy” (Tehillim 137:5-6).

Our Rabbis said that the Holy One, Blessed be He, swore that G-d would not enter Jerusalem of Above until G-d’s children would enter Jerusalem of Below (Shir Ha-Shirim Rabbah). And Rabbi Yehudah Ha-Levi concluded his book, The Kuzari, by saying that “Jerusalem will not be built until the Jewish People yearn for it with a genuine longing, until they cherish its stone and its dirt.”

The united city of Jerusalem—where heaven and earth meet—is being rebuilt because Hashem decided to return G-d’s Divine Presence to Zion on Yom Yerushalayim and the Nation of Israel is placed at the pinnacle. When King David uses the phrase “Yom Yerushalayim” in Tehillim 126, it refers to a horrible and bitter day, the day of the destruction of Jerusalem.

How fortunate we are that we have merited the building of the Land of Israel and Jerusalem. The same expression “Yom Yerushalayim—Jerusalem Day,” has been transformed from bitterness to sweetness, from darkness to light. °

Ha-Rav Shlomo Aviner is Rosh Yeshiva of Ateret Yerushalayim. This article was transcribed and translated by Rabbi Mordechai Friedfertig.

The 36th generation-great-granddaughter of Rashi spent her childhood as a star in the world of Yiddish theater, owns her own successful publishing company, revitalized interest in Kever Rachel and single-handedly linked her lineage back to King David.

Yes, she is that impressive.

The difficulty in offering a chronology to the life of Susan Roth proves the complex profundity of her roots. Names like Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, Shneur Zalman of Liadi and the Baal Shem Tov, may line everyone’s bookshelves, but Susan Roth connects to their writings in more familial sense. She is a direct descendant of each of these Torah luminaries. And the good news is: you may be, too.

For more than a decade, Mrs. Roth has been fascinated by King David and his descendants. Her intrigue began after talking with a committee chairman for the Jerusalem 3000 celebrations. She encouraged publishing a commemorative 3,000 year Book of Psalms, but when nothing was done to fulfill the idea, she got upset and saw it as a missed opportunity. She subsequently decided to open her own publishing company and published the book herself. She printed limited editions of the Golden Book of Psalms [the Pope and President of the United States were honorary recipients] and launched the book in 1999, which received huge accolades. “Tourists in Israel approached me saying they were descendants of King David and wanted to buy copies of the book. I began to think about the concept of ‘Malchut Beit Dovid’ (the Kingdom of the House of David). If all of these people claimed they were related, maybe I fit in, too.”

She began conducting research, and discovered her genetic line runs back to Rashi. Through her research, she began to accumulate so much information and so many artifacts, that she felt a responsibility to share her discoveries with others. Collaborating with a team of genealogists, she opened a genealogy center allowing the public to see if they too were part of the Davidic Dynasty (see www.davidicdynasty.org). The breadth of information and archaeological and historical artifacts that she acquired led her to launch the King David Museum in the Old City, which holds more material on King David than anywhere else. “In every generation, there’s one person who takes the mantle of previous generations and carries it on… I’m continuing what they started,” she says.

The museum charts families related to King David, with common family names such as Adler, Horowitz, Landau, Glickman and many more. Mrs. Roth shares that Nir Barkat, famed Jerusalem businessman and past political competitor of Mayor Lupolianski, was one of the first visitors to the museum. “He knew that he was somehow related to R. Shneur Zalman, but he didn’t know that meant being a descendant of King David!” Mrs. Roth quips, “I’d venture to say that three-quarters of the government is actually related to King David!”

The Davidic Dynasty project is currently writing the first ever Sefer Torah dedicated in honor of King David. The finest parchment has been purchased for this Sefer Torah and a Sofer (scribe) has already begun writing the text. The project was launched officially at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York in 2006 with the Sofer on-hand to begin the process. The scroll is presently on display at the King David Museum.

A childhood theater star, Susan (“Zisel Yocheved”) Roth was widely known along with her twin brother, Michael (“Mordechai Leib”) and parents as the “Four Bernsteins” in the world of Yiddish theater. Together, their family theatre troupe traveled the Yiddish-speaking world, becoming a smash hit in the “Borscht Belt” of New York’s Catskill Mountain region. As the interest in Yiddish theater began to decline, Susan and her family traveled to South America, where they entertained thousands of Holocaust survivors who thirsted for the Yiddish world. By the time she was 11 years old, she spoke six languages and had lived in five countries. “I believe it [Yiddish] will always be alive,” she says. “It will never rejuvenate the way it was, but it will always be alive.”

At the age of eight, her family moved to Israel to perform. At the time, they were starring in “Songs of the Megillah” (Megilla Lider), the longest running Yiddish performance in Israel. Living here at such an impressionable age made long-lasting impacts on Susan. Decades later, she became a generous supporter of a number of Jewish social and educational causes in the country. She also decided to follow in the footsteps of her parents and brother by declaring aliyah in 2001.

She recalled that one day, as she sat in her Jerusalem apartment where she had been living on-and-off for years, she decided the time had come. She called a friend who took her to the Misrad HaP’nim (Ministry of Interior), and within forty minutes (!), she was a citizen. “They thought I wanted something from the government, but I just kept explaining that all I wanted was the Right of Return!” she laughs.

Roth retired from theater at the age of 19, when she married her [late] husband, Michael Roth (z”l), a successful real estate developer in the United States. Together, they created a home with strong Jewish values. Asked how she passed on her passion and interests to her kin, Roth responded, “I gave over my Judaism by setting an example, talking to my children, coming into contact with these different people in my life… to me what keeps the Jews Jewish today is the same thing that has kept us strong in the past: the home. The home is the mainstay of Jewish life, and so if the parents emphasize a love of G-d, and a love of tradition, I don’t think our children will stray.”

As time went on, Susan became actively involved in numerous charity organizations. She established the Eshet Chayil Foundation, which over the years, has helped support many non-profits in Israel such as Merkaz Harmony, Scopus, Beit-El, Hazon Yeshaya, Ascent of Safed, Dor Yeshorim, and more. Mrs. Roth has been particularly active in supporting the Kollel in Hebron and protecting Kever Rachel (Rachel’s Tomb) in Bethlehem. She says, “I can’t understand why every shul doesn’t collect money to send to the Kollel in Hebron. Everyone davens to Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. They are the foundations of our people! If every shul in the world gave $1 a year to the Kollel, they’d be taken care of…”

In particular, the activities that Mrs. Roth coordinated at Kever Rachel are probably the best indication of her ambition to perpetuate the Jewish people. Her involvement began in 1994-95, when she got word that the Israeli government planned on giving away the Tomb to the Palestinians. She made some phone calls and discovered that the decision was based on a dearth of people visiting the site. Seeing the difficulty in getting there by public transportation, Roth organized buses for groups of people to visit day and night. Instantaneously, large groups of people began to visit. She then began to organize weekly melavei malka (gatherings after Shabbat) with refreshments, which brought weekly visitors.

“The Bus Lady” also arranged that the parochet (curtain on the Torah) from the destroyed Kever Yosef in Shechem rest inside Rachel’s tomb. [Note: Mrs. Roth has recently learned that this was removed from Kever Rachel. Anyone with information about its whereabouts, please contact ST.] She laments that after years of gaining such momentum at Kever Rachel, the initiatives waned when she returned to the United States to care for her ailing husband. During the time she was back in the U.S., tall security walls were built, turning the Kever into more of an enclosed-compound. Even now that she is based in the U.S., her Eshet Chayil Foundation supports the Kollels in both Kever Rachel and at the Ma’arat HaMachpela in Hebron.

Since the interview came upon the heels of celebrating Israel’s 60th year of independence, Mrs. Roth spoke a bit about Zionism. Her insights give a perspective that one day the international community will come to accept: “I think the government made a mistake sixty years ago. We are not a state; we are a nation. It hasn’t been sixty years since the founding of Israel; it’s been sixty years since the reclamation of Israel. Once we understand that we’re building on 3,000 years of our forefathers’ land, no one can say we took it from anyone.”

Her message to future leaders—mirroring her dedication to the Jewish people—gains inspiration from the words of Hillel, “Im Ayn Ani Li, Mi Li?” (If I am not for myself, who will be for me?) “If we don’t protect the Land, who will?” she asks. “And if not now, when? Now is the time to stand up, when the world wants to give it away…it’s up to us to ensure the continuity of the Jewish homeland and the Jewish people, and we must do it now.”

In closing, the background to the King David Museum, which is essentially Mrs. Susan Roth’s life story, tells the narrative of the Jewish people full cycle. The story begins with the kingdom of David, to Torah’s greatest minds, travels through the world of the mama loshen— language of the Diaspora Jew— and returns to modern-day Israel, where it reconnects Jews worldwide to their roots.

Indeed, Susan Roth continues to do her part in fulfilling what she sees as the mission of the People of Israel: to be a light unto the nations.

Letters for the Sefer Torah Project can be purchased for as little as $18. For more info, see www.davidicdynasty.org or
www.kingdavidmuseum.com

One of the most awesome structures in the entire world is the Kotel HaMa’aravi— the Western Wall—one of four supporting walls of the Beit HaMikdash (the Temple) that was never destroyed. The stones of the Kotel draw people of all ages, ethnicities, political and religious persuasions, but although thousands of them have also visited the Western Wall Tunnels, not everyone realizes how much of the Kotel is still buried under what is today called the Moslem Quarter of the Old City. Even fewer know about the Kotel HaKatan (the “little wall”).

Just three blocks north of the “Big” Kotel Plaza is a dark, narrow, winding alleyway, reminiscent of the path Jews had to take to reach the Western Wall in the 1930’s. This leads to the Iron Gate, an entrance to the Temple Mount used by Moslems going to pray. Israeli police guard the entrance to enforce the Waqf’s (Muslim religious land endowment) ban against non-Moslems entering that gate. Through the bars, one can see the Temple Mount: the paved area and the place where the Beit Hamikdash once stood. Now children play ball and fly kites, and adults relax over a cup of coffee in the tree-lined park that is built upon the remains of Judaism’s holiest site.

Directly before the Iron Gate, there is a small paved plaza about 600 feet long—almost the same length as the main Kotel Plaza during the British Mandate. As in the 1930’s, there is no mechitza, no water, no benches, no shade, no and no siddurim. There are no facilities for organized prayer with Torah reading, nor is there room for more than 100 people at one time. However, the plaza of this “little Kotel” is incredibly significant, as it sits directly opposite the central area of the Temple Mount, and is at almost the same height as the Mount.

Known solely by word-of-mouth, there is always someone at the site. Kabbalat Shabbat is like nowhere else in the world—50 to 100 people stand in front of the Iron Gate, singing much of the service. Every Shabbat afternoon, students from Yeshivat Ateret Yerushalayim “shlep” a portable Aron Kodesh with a Sefer Torah, a folding bima, siddurim, and a few chairs to daven mincha in this, their own private Kotel.

It takes quite a bit of mesirut nefesh (dedication) to organize regular prayer services, but groups of Old City yeshiva students now take the responsibility for daily mincha services. Families ‘in-the-know’ celebrate bar and bat mitzvahs and other occasions at this more private section of Kotel.

Until recently, people coming to the Kotel Ma’aravi HaKatan did not find a visible or accessible police presence at the site, but bit by bit security has improved. The (now) constant police presence, the closed-circuit camera, the visible presence of Yeshivat Ateret Yerushalayim and the fact that the policemen are often