The Mitzvot of Purim

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Read the Scroll of Esther - Megillah Esther
To relive the miraculous events of Purim, we hear the reading of Megillah, this year (2010) Saturday evening, February 27, and again on Sunday, February 28, during the day. The two readings are required.
When the name of Haman is mentioned it is noise with the "grogger" (noise-maker) stifle his name with the noise. Reading listened carefully so that no word to be lost.

Gifts to the less-fortunate - Matanot L'Evyonim
Interest and dedication to the needy is a responsibility throughout the year. Particularly on Purim, the mitzvah is more important to remember the less fortunate. Give a donation to at least two people in need throughout the day. The best way to fulfill this mitzvah is through direct donation. If you do not find any person with this condition deposit some money in the tzedakah boxes.

Send food - Mishlo'ah Manot
On Purim we emphasize the merits of Jewish unity and friendship by sending gifts to friends in the form of food. Send in the course of domindo, February 28, at least one friend at least two edible species kosher (solids and liquids) ready to eat (for example, candy, fruit, drinks, etc.

Participate in a festive meal - Seudah
Like all festivals, a special meal is made to celebrate Purim (including meat and wine), when family and friends gather to celebrate the date. This meal takes place on Sunday.

The Lesson of Purim

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Lessons of Purim
Rabino Shabsi Alpern

One of the provisions related to the feast of Purim is "mishloach manot" - "sending of portions", send two types of kosher food for a friend. One explanation for this mitzvah - commandment is that in doing so, we can correct the transgressions committed by some of our brethren at the time of Purim.

The aim of this divine spark is to "illuminate" with the light of God's highest ideals.

Mishloach manot reminds and warns us not be led by the brilliance of civilizations and cultures alien to ours, and urges us to resist the assimilation, however flattering it may seem.

The assimilation and imitation not only accelerate our spiritual decline, prevent us from achieving the desired respect and acceptance by society.

And so we read the story of Purim: When the king of Persia saw that Mordechai remained faithful to Judaism, even in the royal court, he had deep respect and admiration for him, thinking: "This is a man of principle, in him I can trust"

The History shows that those who try to gain acceptance in society, denying their Jewish identity, end up being rejected in the end, with the following theory: "A man unfaithful to his own people and tradition, always swimming against the tide. Moreover, not there is someone who can have confidence, because he sold his legacy, for money or honors. How can we have confidence in him and depend on him if someone offers him more coins, if he betrayed their loyalty, and if betrayed their brothers in faith?

Unswerving loyalty to Gd and His Torah is the key to survival of our people, and is the only clue to get everyone's respect.

Purim is the Jewish Feast of Joy

What is Purim?

by Rabbi Shraga Simons

Purim is the Jewish holiday most dramatic and full of joy.

When, another date we can dress in funny costumes and eat candy triangles filled with prunes and poppy seeds?

We celebrate on 14 Adar. This year (2010), Saturday evening, February 27 and Sunday 28 February, during the day.

Meaning
It originates from the word "Pur" - draw. Regarding the date on which Haman, the advisor King's Achashverrosh, has drawn out and marked for the annihilation of the Jewish people. In fact, became the lucky date of the Jewish people, when it was saved and came up victorious. That year marked forever the day that is celebrated with great joy the feast of Purim. On this date we should be to read the book of Esther.

In Persia 2,300 years ago, the "Megillah" - scroll, as it is commonly called recounts how a series of seemingly unrelated events that occurred to save the Jewish people from annihilation.

When King Achashverosh made a long feast of six months and the queen refuses to obey his orders, she was replaced by a new queen, Esther, the Jewess.

Esther's uncle Mordechai, the leader of the Jews, uncovers a plot to kill King, which puts him in a favorable position with the king. All this happens while Haman, the most important adviser to the king, obtains a decree to kill all Jews. In the end, through a complex mix of events, Esther gets the decree reversed, Haman is hanged and this, and Mordechai becomes prime minister. The name Megillat Esther (Scroll of Esther) means to reveal what is hidden.

And unlike other books of the Bible, on "Megillat Esther" the name of God is not mentioned even once. The hidden hand of God is revealed through the maze of events.

There are no coincidences. The "Megillat Esther" teaches us that life challenges us so we can give what is best in us, and what seems like obstacles are really opportunities for us to develop better. And all this comes from the invisible hand of God, that guides our destiny, and every step we take.

U.S. Marines - Donated radios get the word out in Haiti

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Now U.S. Marines are handing out small radios so Haitians can hear important public service and safety announcements. They can learn when and where precious commodities like food and water will be distributed.

A U.S. Air Force C-130 has been flying in pallets of hand-held emergency radios from Homestead Air Force Base in Florida for earthquake survivors. The radios have the advantage of not needing batteries: they are powered by the sun or can generate power by hand cranking.

The first shipment of radios was distributed in Port-au-Prince nine days after the earthquake hit.

U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Mark Leuis showed some of the first recipients how easy they are to use.

The U.S. military’s Joint Task Force Haiti coordinated with the Préval government to use a special communications aircraft, known as Commando Solo, to broadcast on certain FM and AM frequencies. Messages about the international relief efforts and health information are aired on three frequencies: 92.4 FM, 104.1 FM and 1030 AM.

In addition to the radios, the military is distributing 60,000 stickers advertising the AM/FM frequencies. Sixty thousand fliers that provide operating instructions in Creole and French have been produced.

The specially equipped radios have another advantage: they can be used to charge cell phones and as modest flashlights.

So far, 43,800 radios are in Haiti and another 6,200 are due in country January 25.

The radios are being distributed as part of “Operation Unified Response.” The U.S. Southern Command provided the money to buy them.

Information: America.gov

T-shirt Ralph Lauren to help Haiti

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I received a marketing activity for the charity of Ralph Lauren and found interesting information. I believe that campaigns like this "make a difference" - You're will happy with a good shirt and all your money is sent to help Haitians in need.

Men's Fashion For Haiti

Price: $25.00
Support the Haiti relief efforts with the Fashion for Haiti tee - 100% of the proceeds from the sale of this shirt go to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund to support its ongoing commitment to rebuilding Haiti.
Created on behalf of members of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the ultra-soft Pima cotton tee is printed with "To Haiti with Love" on the chest with a map of the nation symbolizing the word "Haiti" above "Hope Help Heal Haiti". "Fashion for Haiti" is printed at the left sleeve. Available at RalphLauren.com and Rugby.com.

For more information go to link Ralph Lauren

Oasis of Peace

There is a way, if equal multiplication actions with courage and love.

Neve Shalom / Wahat al-Salam, is a cooperative village of Jews and Palestinian Arabs of Israeli citizenship. The village is situated equidistant from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv-Jaffa.

Community
The reality of Neve Shalom - Wahat al-Salam as a binational community serves as the base for its educational work. This section has articles and reports on the village’s government, infrastructure, and future development plans, some pages about community members, and a chronicle of events. Information regarding the volunteer program can be found here.

Educational work
Neve Shalom - Wahat al-Salam gives practical expression to its vision of an egalitarian society through pioneering educational work at The School for Peace, Children’s Educational System and the Pluralistic Spiritual Centre. A Youth Club provides extracurricular activities for the community’s children.

Humanitarian Aid
The village operates a program to provide humanitarian assistance - mainly, but not exclusively, medical relief - for Palestinian villagers affected by the ongoing conflict. The project is conducted by NSWAS residents on a voluntary basis and is supported by donations of money and materials from Israel and abroad.

How to help
Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam could not conduct its educational work or continue to develop without the moral and financial support of foundations and individuals in many places. Please contact us to learn how you can help. This section also has information about volunteer work in NSWAS and internship.

What is meaning of the word Shalom?

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It is only peace or is deeper than that?

The deeper meaning of the word Shalom is not only peace, as is known by most people. In Hebrew the word Shalom comes from the word Shalem - which means whole, complete.

In the modern world Shalom is used as a greeting - "good morning", "good afternoon", "Hello" or "stay in peace".

Consider the meaning of the word in its original root: Shalom means peace, prosperity, health, wholeness, security! Shalom means much more than the absence of war! It means integrity, harmony and fulfillment that ideas are closest to the meaning of the word. Shalom is the implicit idea that relationships are not disrupted by other people and wish success for people in their contracts.

In its biblical occurrences, shalom is linked to the outcome of the divine covenant (Berit) and is also the result of righteousness. In many cases describes the state of satisfaction and accomplishment, which is the result of the presence of God!

The Messiah, son of David is identified as the Prince of Peace (Sar Shalom), which brings prosperity and righteousness to the earth! So, welcome us with Shalom is also a desire and a prophetic ministry to the lives of those who receive this Shalom!

When we do that we released on the lives of those we welcome peace, prosperity, integrity and righteousness! Then you also receive the Shalom of the Eternal God of Israel!

We can learn an important lesson: That uniting the forces of all is to not let anyone abandoned. And so we deserve the blessing that says: "Hashem Al Bashalom Amô Yevarech" - "God Bless His People With Peace."

Magen David Adon does a wonderful job in Haiti

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DAILY REPORT FROM HAITI

Click to follow and read the daily activities of the MDA in helping the victims in Haiti

Established in 1930, MDA is the national society of Israel.

MDA's objectives and its legal status are defined in section 3 of the Magen David Adom Law passed by the Knesset (Israel's Parliament) on July 12, 1950:

- To carry out the functions of a national society, to be for this purpose an auxiliary service of the Medical Service of the Israeli Defense Forces in time of war and to prepare for this in time of peace;

- To maintain general first aid services;

- To maintain a storage service of blood, plasma and their by-products;

- To carry out any additional functions determined by the Society's By-Laws;

Article 49 of MDA's By-Laws confers the following additional duties on the Society:

- Instruction in first aid and pre-hospital emergency medicine;

- Maintaining a volunteer infrastructure and training them in first aid, basic and advanced life support including Mobile Intensive Care Units; transportation of patients, women in labor, and evacuation of those wounded and killed in road accidents;

- Transportation of doctors, nurses and medical auxiliary forces;

MDA cooperates with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

Israel to support the adoption of Haitian children.

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The video illustrates our ethnic diversity

The government of Israel to support the adoption of Haitian children by Israeli families.

This news may be surprising to many who do not know the reality of the melting pot that exists in Israel today. We have always been a persecuted people and therefore we live in many places in the world and our society is multifaceted in its origins. For over 25 years that the government of Israel wishes to repatriate the descendants of our ancestors, especially those from North Africa who are suffering brutal persecution (I quote as prime examples in recent decades, Ethiopia, Sudan and Yemen).

I do not like to say black, white or any color, that is because our blood and our flesh, removing the skin coverage, is equal. Israel may be one of the few countries in the world where several children from the Haiti find a new home where they will not experience differences in identity because of your skin and will be true that much needed protection for the future of their lives.

Israel is prepared to offer the best in terms of social inclusion and family education for children adopted (with the blessing of Our Eternal Father).

Poverty's Angels -

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"Breaking the Cycle of Poverty... one child at time"

The Yad Ezra V'Shulamit Organization was established and in Jerusalem where it has been functioning for more than a decade, by Mr. Ariel Lurie, an individual who could not bear to stand on the sidelines and watch the plight of so many needy families that he knew. Today, the organization provides assistance to people and families of dire need throughout the country, with the support of many.

The workers and volunteers work towards the goal of the organization: to ease the suffering of families of orphans, widows, single parent families, large families, etc.

There are at present over 500 volunteers active in the organization, over two hundred of which also bring their motor vehicle along. These volunteers come from all different walks of life, and they work at all hours of the day and night, in all weather conditions, all towards the goal of helping to provide for those in need.

If you want to know more, Yad Ezra V'Shulamit