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Author: byishimo

  • Chabad Lubavitch Girls’ Seminary

    Established in 1977, the Machon Alte Seminary was the first of its kind as the only Chabad-Lubavitch seminary for wome

    Chabad Lubavitch Girls' Seminary

    n in Israel. The purpose of the seminary is to provide Jewish women a full-time academic program where they might find and feed their spirit. Machon Alte is located in a part of the ancient holy city of Safed where peace and contemplation are easy to come by.

    The director of the seminary, Rabbi Joseph Rosenfeld states that over the past 20 years, almost 3000 young adult Jewish women have attended classes at Machon Alte. Students have come from countries such as America, Canada, Russia, Israel, Europe, Central and South America, South Africa, and Australia. The students range in age from 18-32.

    Mystical Side

    The curriculum at Machon Alte stresses the mystical side of the Torah and includes discussions of classic Chassidic thought, along with some delving into the mysteries of the relationship between God and man. The majority of the students at Machon Alte have little or no background in Judaism or in Judaic studies. Courses offered include Jewish law, the bible, prophets, prayer and meditation, Chassidut (Chassidic philosophy), and Hebrew.

    Classes are conducted in three languages: English, Hebrew, and Russian. The seminary is willing to accommodate students fluent in other languages by offering courses in their mother tongues. The English and Hebrew programs are given at both the beginner

    and the advanced levels, while the Russian program is geared in the main toward the beginning student. Once completing the Russian program, the Russian students are mainstreamed into the more advanced Hebrew program.

    Chevrusa Style

    Private tutoring is an option and students learn in chevrusa (sometimes pronounced: chevruta) style, in groups of two, which fosters an air of shared discovery and friendly scholarship. Those who wish to improve their Hebrew language skills can take Hebrew lessons in the popular immersion method known as the Ulpan.

    During the week, three square meals are offered to the Machon Alte students. On the Jewish Sabbath and ho

    lidays, the students are hosted by families throughout Israel. Sometimes, the students gather together for a Sabbath to hold what is known as a Shabbaton, or a group Sabbath. Shabbatonim (plural) are held at Machon Alte, in Jerusalem, or in Hebron.

    The school claims that most colleges and universities accept Machon Alte’s credits, but recommends students check with a given institution about its policy. Machon Alte’s study year is divided into three semesters and a summer program is offered as well, though students may enroll at any point of the year. The school doesn’t turn away prospective students for lack of funds, but requests such students to seek help from their home communities if at all possible. Students enrolling in the school for a minimum of 2 months are eligible for inexpensive medical coverage, which is mandatory.

    Historic Building

    Dormitory facilities are located within an historic building which was once a hotel. There are no more than two students per room and rooms are furnished in full. Many of the rooms have private bathroom and shower facilities.

  • Chaya Leader, Kabbalah Meditation

    Meditation and Judaism

    Chaya Leader: Kabbalistic Meditation

     

    Many people, accustomed to hearing the term “meditation” used in conjunction with Eastern religions, would be surprised to know that there are also Jewish forms of meditation.

    One which comes to mind is “hitboddut” or the Hassidic practice of isolating oneself when contemplating one’s relationship with God and one’s fellow man. Breslev Hassidim are known for their efforts to find lonely spots in nature, as their Rebbe, Rabbi Nachman, did one hundred and fifty years ago.

    Today however, most people who feel the need to sit and meditate study the practice through Hinduism, Buddhism and other Eastern traditions. Slowly, however, more people are becoming aware of the Jewish meditative practices, specifically those which are found in the study of Kabbalah.

    One Teacher Of Kabbalistic Meditation

    Chaya Leader is one such teacher of Jewish Kabbalistic meditation. Chaya has been studying Kabbalah with family mem

    bers who are rabbis and teachers of Kabbalah in Israel and abroad. She moved to Israel in 1970 and has been teaching Jewish spirituality workshops since the 80’s. The Kol Kabbalah workshop was born when she was on staff at the health spa in Israel-Mitspe Allumot-2007-2008.  Chaya explains, “Although I enjoy textual study of the vast literature of Kabbalah, it is not enough for me to simply study the texts and consider the concepts, as profound as they are; it has always been important to me to tie these concepts with flesh and blood reality.”

    Tying the study of Kabbalah to a reality that one can feel and be a part of, rather than simply learning and understanding texts, is where Chaya brings her style of Kabbalistic meditation in to play. She works with individuals and groups to integrate the ideas of Kabbalah with healing and reparation.

    Chaya’s meditation techniques center on sounding the Hebrew letters-emphasizing the vowel sounds– through chanting and integrating these sounds with visualizations. “We start with silent meditation, an ancient Jewish practice that allows us to release the stress of repetitive, negative nagging thoughts and to be open to being receptive to higher thoughts and emotions. The word kabbalah means ‘receptivity.’ For some people it’s strange at first to be chanting sounds, but they soon feel comfortable and then start to enjoy the experience” Chaya says. “Many people have a transformative experience–even in the short space of the workshop– and that is what these workshops

    are about–getting a taste, a tone, a whiff of our own soul”.

    Chaya works with people of all backgrounds, religious and secular.  She finds that non-religious people feel at ease with her non-threatening methodology, while religious people often feel their religious practices renewed and refreshed. One young participant from a workshop wrote, following a session, ” Chaya Leader’s Kol Kabbalah workshop is an innovative, expressive, inward looking, soul calming and joyous experience. The workshop, using diverse elements derived from ancient Kabbalistic meditation techniques, awakens new parts of your Jewish soul and recharges your energies, increasing self-awareness and promoting a feeling of flowing well-being and invigoration. Chaya’s dynamic, yet non-invasive guiding allows you to feel completely comfortable in partaking of the connection between sound and mind in a new way–opening consciousness to Jewish identity and soul. After an hour of Chaya’s workshop I felt so warm and calm inside and had a huge smile on my face. ”

    For more information, Chaya Leader can be contacted at kabbalah.meditation.workshops@gmail.com.

  • International Center for Tzfat Kabbalah

    Authentic Study

    International Center for Tzfat Kabbalah

     

    “Tzfat,” groups are told by almost every tour guide who brings his group to the city “is the City of Kabbalah” And, if the guides

    know a little bit about Jewish Mysticism, they explain that Tzfat was the city where the discipline of Kabbalah was developed and expanded upon in the Middle Ages, as many of the greatest Kabbalistic scholars of the time arrived in the city after the Spanish Expulsion of 1492.

    However, many of these guides don’t quite understand why Tzfat is known as the City of Kabbalah, nor exactly, or how to explain what kabbalah is to their tourists. So after the initial pronouncement, they continue to guide their visitors through the streets of the Old City, pointing out the synagogues and other sites that have made Tzfat famous.

    The International Center for Tzfat Kabbalah is trying to fill this void and help make it easier to understand the meaning of

    Kabbalah. Located in the heart of the Old City, on Alkabetz street between the ARI Ashkanazi and Abuhav synagogues, the Center is slowly helping to make Kabbalah ‘user-friendly’, while at the same time maintain its authenticity.

    The Kabbalah stems from the Torah and is drawn from the Five Books of Moses, which G-d gave to the Jewish people at Mt. Sinai. Kabbalistic scholars believe that due to this origin, Kabbalah must be studied and understood in conjunction with the Torah and not as a discipline of its own, detached from its roots in the Torah. This belief is what separates the Tzfat Kabbalah Center from the pop-Kabbalah Centers which have sprung up throughout the world. To be properly understood, the International Center for Kabbalah believes, Kabbalah must be studied with the understanding that it is part of the Torah, and must be learned within the framework of Jewish law.

    Opportunities for Study and Experience

    The Center has been open for two years, and offers visitors the opportunity to delve into Kabbalah study in a variety of ways. Some people are looking for a tour while others request a short learning session. Others come for a series of seminars. The Center is there to answer all their needs. Their staff of guides and lecturers is able to bring the subject alive with creative workshops, storytelling, and visits with local scholars.

    The variety of people, both individuals and groups, who have stepped into Kabbalah study through the International Center of Tzfat Kabbalah is staggering. Israelis often come as part of organized tours through schools and work places and others find their way to the center from all over the world. Many English-speakers take advantage of the wide English-program that the Center offers, and German visitors have made so many inquiries about studying Kabbalah that the Center is developing a German website. The Center maintains a staff of French, Spanish and Russian-speaking guides and lecturers, and the Center’s library is always available to those who simply want to stop in and look around. All are welcome.

    For more information check out the official International Center of Tzfat Kabbalah site.

    Address: POB 6286 Old City, Tzfat Israel

    Phone: 04-682-1771

  • Community Service with Livnot

    Livnot U’Lehibanot in Tzfat

    Commmunity Service with Livnot

     

    Long before “Tikkun Olam” became a byword for young Jewish adults who wished to make a difference in the world, participants of the Livnot U’Lehibanot program were actively involved in community service in Tzfat. In the early years of the program, the municipality of Tzfat noticed that there was an enthusiastic group of young English-speakers living in the Old City, and in the midst of digging out the ruins of the Jewish Quarter, they were interested in engaging in assisting the larger community. So slowly, the municipality began to ask Livnot to undertake projects for the betterment of the city residents – building parks, making unsafe areas safer, and in general, beautifying the city. When the first wave of Ethiopian immigrants arrived in Tzfat in 1984, Livnot was one of the first groups to become involved in helping them in their absorption. Groups of Livnoters were often found at the Absorption Centers, leading games with the children, organizing activities, and helping the overworked Center staff to maintain the Center physically.

    Someone to Count On

    Tzfat’s Welfare Department frequently contacted Livnot with requests for assistance, asking them to help repair dilapidated apartments of poverty-stricken citizens, usually senior citizens. The staff, accompanied by Livnot participants, found themselves in apartments of people whose electricity was hanging by threads, whose sinks had fallen off the walls, and where mold was growing out of cracks in the walls. Livnot never turned down a single project, no matter how small the budget was – they helped scores of residents who had no where else to turn.

    Schools and kindergartens also benefit from Livnot’s intervention. Schools which have not been painted for years, kindergartens with paint peeling on the playground equipment, and yards with overgrown weeds and thistles are all attended to. “The impression that this makes on our children is tremendous” one local teacher said. “They see the volunteers, English-speakers who could probably be doing things a lot more enjoyable with their time, coming to paint murals on the school walls and in the classrooms. The effect is that everything that we’ve ever tried to teach them, about the Jewish People being One….all of a sudden, it’s clear to them that it’s so!” The truth is that the impression is no less felt on the other side. “It’s the best thing that I’ve ever done” one Livnot participant exclaimed. “I’ve never felt so alive! I’ve never felt so much a part of Israel, and of my people” Which, ultimately, is what it’s all about.

  • Livnot U’lehibanot

    Nestled in a corner of the Old Jewish Quarter of Tzfat, you can find a Jewish Experience Program like no other. Livno

    Livnot Israel Experience Programt U’Lehibanot, “To Build and Be Built” was established in 1980 to give young Jewish adults an opportunity to explore their Jewish heritage on their own terms, through experiences and hands-on activities.

    How It Began

    The beginnings of Livnot, as its participants call it, were in a small corner near the home of Livnot’s founders, Miriam and Aharon Botzer. Newlyweds themselves, the Botzers had begun to excavate the ruin which they had bought to be their home. As they slowly dug out and renovated their own home, Aharon and Miriam noticed that passing backpackers were fascinated with the process, and from there, the idea of a non-religious Jewish identity program came into focus. Through the years, Livnot has slowly acquired more rui

    ns, which the participants, under the supervision of professionals, excavate and renovate. Today, these rooms, once the homes of families who lived in Tzfat hundreds of years ago, serve as the Livnot campus.

    The Program

    The core program, once only lasting for 3-month periods, today offers programs spanning from 2 weeks to 5 months.

    Each program, no matter what the length, includes a wide variety of experiential and interactive activities. Livnot’s hiking component is probably the most popular component of all Livnot programs. Livnot staff take the participants on some of Israel’s most beautiful and unspoiled trails, both in the North of Israel and in the desert. Much of the formal “teaching” of Livnot takes place during these hikes, as participants walk, climb, swim, and bike through the Land.

    Before “Tikkun Olam” became a byword for Jewish activism, all of Livnot’s programs were involved in volunteerism. Livnot participants helped Ethiopian immigrants who had just arrived at the local Absorption Centers, painted and fixed the homes of elderly and disadvantaged residents of Tzfat (and later, Jerusalem, when a campus opened there), built public parks, repaired and painted schools and kindergartens, and worked with the municipality on many other public service projects. After the Second Lebanon War, Livnot took

    on the responsibility of renovating bomb shelters in cities of Tzfat, Hatzor and Kiryat Shmoneh, and Livnot Galilee Fellowship participants were at the forefront of this work.

    Jewish Studies

    Livnot’s workshops and seminars are designed to be interactive and experiential, giving participants the opportunity to

    become involved in the process of learning about various aspects of Judaism and Israel. For instance, Livnot teaches about Judaism and the environment through modeling a Tu B’Shevat Seder. The concept of belonging to a Jewish community is shown by involving the participants in the Tzfat community, meeting local residents and workers, and celebrating Shabbat with Tzfat families. The final, and mos

    t important component of any Livnot program, is Shabbat celebration. For Livnot, Shabbat is the culmination of the week – everything that the group does throughout the week leads towards Shabbat. Thursday nights and Fridays are filled with Shabbat preparations, as the participants prepare the food themselves, make the challahs, and get ready to do their own d’var Torahs at Friday night dinner. Kabbalat Shabbat, singing and dancing on Livnot’s porch facing the sunset over Mt. Meron, is an experience that is not quickly forgotten, and Saturday lunches are an opportunity for the participants to get together with local Tzfat families.

    As Livnot prepares to celebrate 30 years of changes and development, it anticipates many more years of, as its staff believes, serving the Jewish People with a unique opportunity that opens the doors of Judaism to many people who would otherwise not even peek through the window.

  • Safed Learning Programs And Information Centers

    While visiting Safed you do not just have to take on the role of a tourist, you can also become a student. Throughout the centuries, many people from around the world have journeyed to Safed in order to engage in the study of Kabbalah, of Judaism, of mysticism and spirituality, and more recently of Israel studies. Check out the many different study options available in Safed and see if Safed holds the right learning environment for you.

    Learning And Information Centers

     

    Religious Programs

    One popular place of study in Safed is Azamra, the “Jewish House” International Center of Jewish Spirituality. Y

    ou do not need to register with this center in advance. They provide a drop in center so you can decide at the spur of the moment to pop in and explore their study program.

    As Safed is world-famously known as the City of Kabbalah, no spiritual exploration would be complete without at least a quick dive into the world of Kabbalah. Contact the International Center for Tzfat Kabbalah, Tzafat’s Official Kabbalah Center, for information about Kabbalah courses and seminars. For something a bit off the beaten trail check out Ladders and Tapestries of Tzfat or Kabbalistic Meditation.

    Jewish and Israel Learning

    If you are looking for a real Israel Experience then check out the Livnot U’Lehibanot program which is based in Safed. Explore the State of Israel, learn about Jewish history and participate in a wide-range of programs from social outreach programs to archeological digs.

    If archeology is your thing, then you may want to look into Sinkholes, Tzfat Style. This program is involved in digging through the historical layers of Safed’s Old City in order to get a better understanding of the earlier communities who lived there. Also try contacting the Ascent Youth Hostel where you can not only find a place to stay while in Safed but where you can participate in courses on Jewish heritage.  Ascent offers many informal courses on Judaism in a warm and welcoming enviroment.

    Also check out some of the many Yeshivas and Seminaries in Safed like Machon Alte Seminary, Yeshiva Shalom Rav Tsfat, Your Eternal Spark, Sharei Bina Seminary,  Nachal Novea, and Yeshiva Toraht Chaim, and Midrasha Mayim Chaim and see if any are right for you.

    A Few Courses

    Take a look at our article on In The Quiet Space which tells about a course you can take to help deal with the many pressures of daily life.  Also take a look at our information on Safed’s local community college and on a poetry workshop in Safed.

    Just Looking For Some Information—Check Out Our Resource Section?

    If you just want some basic information about Safed, about where to go and what to do, then contact the Tourist Info Center of Safed. This place will provide you with everything you ever wanted to know about Safed. Also, drop into the English Library of Safed which is home to a treasure trove of English language books. Start up a chat with the librarian Edyth Geiger, without whom the library wouldn’t exist, and get some information about Safed from an expert.  Also check out our articles on banks and post offices in Safed, and information sharing lists in the city.

  • ask

    Chava Benzion set out on her dream to become a midwife at age 20, while still livingin California. It took her 7 years to become a Licensed Midwife, recognized by the Medical Board of California. Three more years, and hundreds of births later, Chavah

    Ask A Midwifemade aliyah (immigrated to Israel) with her husband and 2 year old son. They came directly to the north and after a two-year sojourn in a small yishuv, they moved to Safed.

     

    It didn’t take long for women in the small, close knit mountain community to find out that they had a midwife in town. Not only that, but the midwife was ready and willing to answer questions, give support, and accompany women on their journeys through pregnancy, childbirth, and beyond. Chavah started to develop a reputation as a good person to ask pregnancy and birth related questions to. Women would come to her and ask her to check the position of their babies, listen to the heartbeat, or assess the progress of a labor.

    Chavah also gave birth to three daughters of her own while living in Israel. She remarks that being cared for by the Israeli medical system was somewhat strange for her, “As a midwife, I knew what to ask, and what information to provide. I knew a lot about self-care and how to communicate with care providers to get my needs met and make myself heard.” Chavah observes, “I can’t imagine how the average expectant mother could possibly get cared for appropriately and adequately. I really feel that the woman’s needs are very much negle

    cted at this important time.”

    Chavah knew that midwives play a main role in the hospital delivery rooms, but what surprised her was the realization that midwives have absolutely no role in the prenatal care framework. Pregnant women typically have a brief visit with a doctor a few times in the pregnancy to have an ultrasound and take some blood work, but no real education occurs and no strong connection is formed between mother and care provider. If the woman has a question or concern after-hours, there is no one to call or ask and they must wait sometimes weeks to speak to a doctor or go into a hospital to get any answers.

    This new awareness about the state of maternity health care in Israel was what inspired Chavah to create Ask a Midwife, Israel’s free English language online midwife support service. She created a website, a Facebook page, and a private, just for women Facebook group with over 500 members just since April 2014. She welcomes women to ask their questions about pregnancy, birth, babies, and beyond.

    She makes a point to help any woman she can, and does not require payment. If a woman has received valuable support a

    nd help through Ask A Midwife, she may decide to donate something to Chavah’s project as a way of saying thank you. Ask A Midwife does not claim to treat patients over the internet, and the advice and support that Chavah provides are not intended to be substitutes for care from the woman’s own doctor, but rather, to compliment it.

    Women can also benefit from the dialogue with other members almost as much or more than they benefit from Chavah’s advice. The nice thing is that since the comments are all midwife moderated, it assures that the advice and input from the other members are sound and will be held to a standard of a professionally trained midwife. Ask A Midwife is based in Safed, but can be accessed anywhere in the world on line.

    Ask a Midwife

    Ask a Midwife on Facebook

  • MEIR GLASER AND CARLEBACH

    Meir Glaser , a Safed resident for over 30 years believes in influencing the world in the spirit of the late Rabbi Shlomo

    Meir Glaser Carlebach. As a college student in Boston University he found himself at a “Shlomo” concert physically and spiritually. That single experience changed his life and caused him to journey on the long and winding road to Judaism. Shlomo’s music and magic pulled him inside the circle that Shlomo created and suddenly Meir felt he wanted more. Meir discovered the Hillel House on campus and there he met the Hillel director Rabbi Joseph Polak. Meir became part of the Hillel community and soon found himself not only taking in this new way of life but also giving. Meir learned how to be a hazan as a young boy and Rabbi Polak recognized his talent which led to his leading the Orthodox minyan. Meir also learned to play guitar at 14 and soon after the Shlomo concert he was playing Shlomo songs on the guitar.Meir came to Israel in 1975 to learn in Shapell Yeshiva.

    Journey To Safed

    After two years he came to Safed , met his wife Hannah and together they built their home and family. Singing and performing in the Carlebach tradition became a natural part of Meir’s life. In 1991 Meir helped to revive the Beirav Synagogue and a few

    years later began to pray every Shabbat using Shlomo’s tunes to the services. With his partner Shmuel Polsky they made Beirav into an icon where hundreds of people flowed through this little shul’s doors every week.

    Today Meir prays in the House of Love and Prayer on Safed’s main street opposite Bank Hapoalim and has founded the Path of the Heart – The Tzfat Experience which plans coordinates and runs a wide variety of exciting spiritual adventures for families and groups. When Shlomo prayed it had to be with song. Prayer and music when merged into one create the language of the soul. It is the way the soul can be expressed. It is the way the inner you can be heard. Through the years Meir has led Shlomo minyans all over Israel and in the United States when he toured with his duo Shamayim. For him it is the only way to really pray. He always says that the difference between a Carlebach hazan and any other is that a Carlebacher succeeds when the WHOLE congregation joins in the prayers in song and dance. The hazan is just a catalyst to get every one involved.

    Contact Meir

    Meir invites you to contact him for a wide variety of Carlebach related experiences- tours, music, Carlebach Shabbat, bar/bat mitzvah and more.

    Web: www.shvilhalev.co.il

    mail: shvilhalev@neto.net.il

    tel: 972 50 7505695

  • Ilan Shohat -The Mayor

    In the two short years since he was elected, Ilan Shohat has already added some remarkable achievements to his name.

    Ilan Shohat -The Mayor

    He has managed, with the help of his American born wife, Sivan, to raise over $3 million from American sponsors for the benefit of Safed. He’s been able to bring Israel’s incipient fifth Medical School to Safed, and he began his campaign to get Safed internationally recognized as the World Capital of Spirituality and Jewish Culture. His vision is to complete the circle by reconnecting the holy city of Safed to its glorious 16th century spiritual kabbalist past and bring that leading status forward to the 21st Century. He hopes that he can restore Safed’s position, to what he believes it was then – a leading scientific educational hub for the whole Galilee region and beyond.

    Qualifications

    A local boy made good, Ilan Shohat is at 35 young to be mayor of the city but, he comes with a lot of experience – five years sitting on the local city council, head of the opposition, a MA in Political Science -specialization -Local Government (Haifa University) and a BA in Educational Management Systems. He has also worked on both sides of the employment fence, as Head of the Association of Factory Managers/Owners in the North and as Head of the Unemployment Office in the Lower Galilee. Charming, personable and good-looking, the mayor’s English is also, unlike many Israeli politicians, fairly fluent -all necessary requirements in this image driven media savvy age.

    Projects

    Practical projects include upgrading the overall infrastructure of the city like the Yigal Allon Theater, which he sees as

    a base for a city orchestra. For the young he aims to increase science education at the high

    school level and increase new building allocation for the college – including the creation of dormitories, youth centers and children’s parks throughout the city, as well as the opening of a new swimming pool. For tourists he wants to open a spectacular visitors center and encourage visitors to stay overnight by increasing the number of available hotel rooms.

    Future Plans

    Apart from bringing the Medical School to the city, which currently takes up about 65% of his time, the mayor desires to bring hope to the people of Safed. If the Medical School also becomes the springboard for the new regional University planned for the Galilee, it will increase educational opportunities for the young people of the city. The Medical School alone will upgrade the level of care in Z

    iv hospital, bringing with it new jobs, housing, and better recreational facilities. He expects that if proposals to extend the rail line from the coast through Karmiel to Rosh Pina up to Kiryat Shmonei are carried out in the next ten years, this will also expand the overall work opportunities for residents in the area.

    Passion

    Ilan Shohat is obviously very passionate about his home town and believes that it needs to be a ‘world brand’ to

    attract an extensive number of international tourists to Safed. He also wants encourage a wide range of people to come make the city their home and who will respect its unique character. As part of that effort, he tries to ensure that all visitors, secular or religious, and new temporary and permanent residents alike, appreciate the city’s reputation as a very special city in Israel, where everyone gets along and respects each other.

    As someone who could easily earn more money elsewhere, Shohat is not Mayor of the city for the salary. He says if he could choose to be mayor of any city in Israel, he would still choose Safed because he just loves the city.

  • Yehoshua Sivan

    If you wonder who is that respectable, well dressed older man collecting sacks of returnable deposit bottles from r

    estaurants on the midrahov, it is probably Yehoshua Sivan. Collecting bottles and claiming the

    Yehoshua Sivan money back is one of the ways he volun

    teers in Safed.

    Who Is Yehoshua?

    In 1966, as a young couple, Yehoshua and his wife Hilary made aliyah from England, living at first in the center of the country. With his Doctorate in Chemistry, Yehoshua began work at the Weizmann Institute. He then transferred to Bar Ilan University where he trained teachers in science and chemistry. As their family grew, they decided that they preferred to live in the unique, friendly environment of Safed, and moved to the city in 1977. Yehoshua taught chemistry at the local high school until he retired a few years ago while Hilary, an English teacher, finished her career as the Principal of the Ulpanit in Safed.

    Why Volunteer?

    Coming from the volunteering culture of England, Yehoshua couldn’t help but get involved with a good cause. When the beginning of the Ethiopian Aliyah started with Operation Moses in 1985, many of the new immigrants came to Safed and needed a lot of help with their absorption. Yehoshua offered to help one of his friends who was working with the project, and very soon he became completely involved.

    What Does The Committee Do?

    The Committee for Ethiopian Jews in Safed aims to help the complete integration of the Ethiopian community into Israeli society by giving financial and social support. Over the years the committee has built up a network of supporters in both North America and Israel who donate the $60,000 plus a year the committee needs for its work.

    Although the committee will give grants and loans to individuals suffering financial difficulties, it really prefers to help people to become self supporting. One of the main ways it does this is to enable students to continue their education by giving financial assistance. Even something simple like having a dictionary, money for texts books or supplementary courses can make all the difference to a student’s

    success.

    Many of these students have gained B.A’s and M.A’s and are now working with the Ethiopian communities around the country themselves. Others have been helped to take trade courses like bus driving, hairdressing, or infant ‘carers’ courses. The committee also helps supports student nurses at the Nursing School in Safed.

    The Pina Neima (Cosy Corner)

    Thanks to the Committee, the Ari Primary School was the first school in the country to have a Pina Neima or Cosy Corner. This is a special therapeutic room, developed by Pamela Mond, which helps students deal with fears, trauma and violence. It has been a model for others in the country and the committee also helped set one up in the Beirav Primary School. These facilities have been especially helpful for students deeply affected by the 2006 Lebanon War.

    Awards

    Yehoshua doesn’t just collect bottles to raise funds for the Ethiopian community in Safed, even though last year he mana

    ged to raise over 29,000 nis in this way. As the mainstay behind the Committee for Ethiopian Jews in Safed, he has been recognized for his outstanding work. In 1995 he was given the President’s Award for Volunteering, “For work in absorbing Ethiopian new immigrants”. In 1999 he and his wife Hilary were granted the Distinguished Citizen of Safed Award, and in 2002 the Absorption Award from the Jewish Agency “For your contribution and your work in absorbing new immigrants”.

    At the end of 2011, on the 20th anniversary of Operation Solomon, the Mayor of Safed presented the Committee with

    a testimonial: “The Safed Municipality wishes to thank the Committee for Ethiopian Jews in Safed for their contribution and action towards the social and educational advancement, and successful absorption, of Ethiopian Jews in Safed in particular, and elsewhere in Israel in general.”

    If you want to get involved yourself with this project or donate, email Yehosua at: ysivan@hotmail.com