Reader's Comment Letter Chava G.

Hillel -

This blog may be one of the most important things you can do...but it is only the beginning. The Israeli elites and their media have their ways of marginalizing people they don't like - just look at how they marginalize the Sefaradim WITHIN the "Green Line" - Shderot being the prime example! And we haven't even gotten to the development towns, badly neglected, where Sefaradim live. How about Kiryat Moshe, Rehovot, and other places where Ethiopian Jews live in squalor and face discrimination?

If you want to stop the demarginalization of YESHA Jews and these others, you will have to follow the WIIFM rule: What's In It For Me?

What, indeed, is in it for Tel Aviv and its sister cities to remember the humanity of people like you and me? I am afraid they don't know, and no one among us has successfully told them. They feel we (dati, Sefaradi, Etiopi, yeshuvi, Yerushalmim) are their worst enemies. That's right: worse than the Arabs. They are afraid and ashamed because when they look in the mirror every day, a davening guy with a beard and peyot or a gal with a headcovering and covered body, pregnant and with 6 little children trailing behind her, might stare out at them. This scares them out of their collective mind!

They might not want to hear it, but here are some suggestions:

*Deflecting enemy fire from yourselves to "expendable populations" within the country only brings it closer to you. You will see this for yourselves, possibly before the fall of Shderot (chas v'shalom).
*We are your real people. The Americans and Europeans you emulate are not. Wishing otherwise doesn't make it so. Too bad for you (NOT).
*Whether you remain in the Land or escape ala Avraham Burg (with a foreign passport and citizenship), we will remain.
*The land under our mutual feet has rules and abides by them - and so do we, your brothers. We, the Jewish people, have found out the hard way that if you don't, eventually the land will spew you out. Why make it harder for yourselves?
*By way of corrollary, making life hard for us automatically makes life harder for you as well. Do you really want us, some half a million strong, on your streets begging for your sustenance and for someplace to stay - or worse? You are having a hard enough time dealing with the fallout of the 2005 expulsion edict; the country is nearly bankrupt from it and there is even less food supply now that Aza farms no longer operate. Do you really want worse? We will be the ghosts that haunt you, forever if necessary.
*Consider this alternative: if you really believe that this land is Arab land and doesn't belong to the Jews, you yourselves should move out and let them move in to your nice expensive houses and apartments! Don't force others do what you believe in - do it yourselves! Lead the way - using the famous IDF rallying cry, Acharai!

They have some scary qualities of their own, as indicated above. The way they dress and live their lives resembles the more decadent parts of the US and Europe than anything that belongs here in the Middle East. The despicable way they treat their fellow Jews -- by denying the relationship, they feel they can do whatever they want -- even the goyim don't do that to their own. Their lack of politeness leaves a lot to be desired (as opposed to my neighborhood and yours, where people are very nice). Who was it that said we must greet everyone with a pleasant face every day? Isn't that in the Pirkei Avot - at the very least?

I have to do shiurei-bayit now - lots of it. Keep writing - I look forward to reading and I have bookmarked the site! One little problem: I couldn't respond right on the site because I don't have a GOOGLE account.

Chava G.

On Erev Yom Kippur, my family made Aliyah to Shiloh in the beautiful Shomron, the Heartland of Eretz Yisroel. Monday morning the following article appeared on Arutz 7:

Report: Israel to Destroy Some Yesha Towns

15 Tevet 5768, 24 December 07 08:44 by (IsraelNN.com)

According to Yediot Acharonot, the government may decide to destroy several small Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria during United States President George Bush's upcoming visit. The communities have not received government approval. Each is home to approximately 50 people.

Yesha leaders are reportedly involved in the plan, and are talking with government officials to determine which towns will be removed as a "good-will gesture" to the Palestinian Authority. Some of the towns will be completely destroyed, while others will be transferred to more developed areas known as "settlement blocs."

Prime Minister's Office officials said they were discussing the issue, but that it was doubtful that an agreement would be reached in time for Bush's January visit in the region. © Copyright IsraelNationalNews.com”

I sent a copy of this article to a few friends here in Shiloh. One of my neighbors, Batya Meded sent me the following challenge:

Here's a challenge, write a short article how it hurts you as an oleh chadash and new resident of Shiloh to discover that Moetzet YESHA is acting contrary to your expectations, and I'll post it on Shiloh Musings, and if I really like it, I'll post it on my a7 blog.

Batya, I learned a long time ago not to set expectations, therefore I cannot be disappointed. However, I have written a letter to the members of Moetzet YESHA. Here goes:

Dear Members of Moetzet YESHA,

I am an Oleh Chadash. I left the USA in the fall of 2006. I lived in Jerusalem for 10.5 months, prior to making an Aliyah to Shiloh on Erev Yom Kippur.

On Monday, I read that you were prepared to negotiate with the enemy to decide which of my brothers and sisters you are willing to evict.

You were elected to represent ME. I made the decision to accept the gift that HaShem gave me, Eretz Yisroel. How is it possible that you, as my elected representative could possibly even consider the idea of evicting OUR fellow Jews from the Land that G-D gave us?

It seems to me that you already gave up on Eretz Yisroel when you did not draw the line at AZA. Have we not yet learned that giving any amount of Eretz Yisroel to our Biblical enemy, short of all of the Land that G-D gave us will not result in Shalom. (As an Oleh Chadash, 13 months in Eretz Yisroel, my Hebrew is not that good. It seems to me that the root of the word Shalom – Peace, is the same root for the word Shalem – Whole/Complete).

So, either WE, the B’nai Yisroel, Children of Israel must conquer the Complete Land of Yisroel, or we must be prepared to give up the Complete Land of Yisroel. Either way, the only way to Shalom – Peace is if someone has Shalem - Complete Control of the Land that G-D gave us.

I have two different solutions to this challenge.

The first requires some out of the box thinking:

Given that the only way we will have Shalom created through the giving away of the Gift that G-D gave us is giving ALL of Eretz Yisroel to our Biblical enemies. Therefore, if you will be evicting OUR brothers from their homes in Shomron and Yehuda, then you must insist that an equal number of homes in neighborhoods of Tel Aviv, Kfar Saba and Haifa must also be evacuated. There is absolutely no reason to focus on YESHA communities since by giving away ANY of Eretz Yisroel you are putting ALL of Eretz Yisroel into Political Play.

The second solution also requires some out of the box thinking:

It also requires some really hard work on your part. This work should have been started 40 years ago. So there is a tremendous amount of catching up needed.

Learn from your failure in Aza. Put a face on Shomron and Yehuda. You should be publicizing profiles of the 250,000 brothers and sisters living in YESHA. You need to be broadcasting pictures and stories of the residents of YESHA to the entire world, but start here in Eretz Yisroel. You should also be bringing our brothers and sisters to this Land that G-D gave us. I have found that so many of our brothers and sisters haven’t walked daled amot in YESHA, let alone get to know who we are.

You need to get the word out that we are mothers and fathers, that we have aging parent issues and children with LD and ADHD. We are doctors, lawyers, tradesmen, teachers, policemen, firemen, EMT, entrepreneurs, factory workers, commuters, students, writers, farmers, grocers, office workers, skilled and unskilled laborers, weavers, poets, soldiers, even a few politicians. Pensioners and mortgage holders, nurses and aged infirm.

As long as no one knows who we are, it is easy to dismiss us and evict us. If they opened their newspapers and on every page there was a photo and biography it would be more difficult to marginalize us.

If there was a television and radio spot with a story of one resident broadcast every commercial break it would be more difficult to marginalize us.

Dear Members of Moetzet YESHA, maybe the approach it to combine both suggested solutions. Ask which neighborhoods on the coastal plain will be evacuated while at the same time broadcast to Eretz Yisroel and the World the profiles of the YESHA residents.

Dear Residents of Eretz Yisroel: I am prepared to personally make connections for anyone who wants to tour Shomron and Yehuda. Please connect with me at aliyahtoshiloh@gmail.com

Dear Residents of Shomron and Yehuda: Please send me your profiles and biographies. Please connect with me at aliyahtoshiloh@gmail.com

Dear Brothers and Sisters living outside Eretz Yisroel: Please come home, even if only for a visit. I am prepared to connect you with your brothers and sisters living in Shomron and Yehuda, the Biblical Heartland of this Land that G-D gave to us as an inheritance. Please connect with me at aliyahtoshiloh@gmail.com

Sincerely,

Hillel Levin
Shiloh

40 Jews Make Secret Aliyah from Iran

Did you see this article on Arutz 7?

40 Jews Make Secret Aliyah from Iran

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/138702

16 Tevet 5768, 25 December 07 08:02 (IsraelNN.com)

Forty Jews made Aliyah to Israel from Iran Tuesday. This is the largest single group of Iranian Jewish immigrants ever brought to Israel by the Jewish Agency.

Each immigrant will receive a $10,000 gift from the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, as well as the benefits provided by the Immigrant Absorption ministry. All in all, in 2007 the Jewish agency has brought about 200 Iranian immigrants into Israel, three times more than in several recent years.

Some of the details regarding the way the Jews were brought to Israel cannot be revealed. The Jerusalem Post hinted that they were brought to Israel via a third country.

www.IsraelNationalNews.com © Copyright IsraelNationalNews.com

***************************

I read this article and my reaction was:

“What mesirat nefesh these brothers needed to go through to make Aliyah!”

“All I needed to do was make sure my US Passport was up to date, go to the Israel Aliyah Office, receive my free ticket, go to the airport, get Glatt Kosher meals, sit sort of comfortably for about 10 hours, meet Boris at the Absorption Ministry and Mazal Tov, I was an Israeli Citizen.”

Brothers and sisters reading this: YOU don’t need to sneak out of your country to come home to the Land that G-D gave to our Father Abraham as an inheritance. WHAT IS HOLDING YOU UP?

Write to me at AliyahToShiloh@gmail.com I’ll put you in touch with some folks who can assist in your returning home.

Aliyah To Shiloh Page 2

So, having said this, what do I propose that we as Jews, both here in Eretz Yisroel and outside on Eretz Yisroel need to do?

First, I think that it is important to recognize that whether you live in Sderot, Yerushalyim, Shiloh, Chevron, Tel Aviv or Haifa in Eretz Yisroel, or New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Paris, Buenos Aries or Moscow outside of Eretz Yisroel, EVERY Jew is under siege.

In Sderot they have Hama’s missiles. In Yerushalyim they have security guards at all the bus stops to deter bus bombings. In Shiloh, my 235 neighbor families have suffered more terror murdered family members, then the 10,000 families in Sderot. In Chevron they have the courts and the Arabs. In Tel Aviv they have the Shmootz from the Goyish world. In Haifa they have Hezbollah missiles.

In New York they have a Subway Attack on Jews. In LA a plot to bomb Jewish institutions. Seattle experienced a gunman loose in the JCC, shooting seven women employees, including a 17 week pregnant mother, one fatally. Paris, beating of youths wearing kipot. Buenos Aries embassy bombings. Moscow, anti-Semitic acts.

Second, we need to recognize that everything comes from HaShem. Ever wonder why there is this increase in Anti-Semitism? Could be that the Goyim are just doing their G-D given role: Reminding Jews that they need to act like Jews and not try to assimilate into foreign cultures. Interesting to think about when we read the increasing number of Anti-Semitic acts reported in the Israeli news.

Third, we need to act as Jews. We need to work on ourselves and focus on the learning of Torah and the fulfilling of Mitzvoth.

Fourth, the Jews Chutz L’Aretz need to move back home. Come to the Land that G-D has given to the sons of Abraham as a gift.

Fifth, the Jews of Eretz Yisroel need to walk Daled Amot in The Land that G-D has given us.

I am sure that there are more steps, but these first five will get Klal Yisroel living in the right direction.

P.S. This is my first post on my first blog comment to: hillel.leib@gmail.com are appreciated.

Aliyah To Shiloh

I made Aliyah last fall, shortly before my 50^th birthday. With my wife and 10.5 year old son, we landed in Jerusalem. We lived in the religious neighborhood of Har Nof for 10 and half months.

A little over 3 months ago, on Erev Yom Kippur we continued our Aliyah experience by moving to the beautiful Shomron village of Shiloh. Located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Jerusalem; Shiloh, near the place that G-D rested his home, the Mishkan for 369 years, long before the birth of either Christianity or Mohammedism.

As we travel over Eretz Yisroel I am continually the recipient of words of praise when I tell people that I live in Shiloh. We have been to weddings in Jerusalem and received this praise. We have been to Sderot, the town that has borne the brunt of Hama’s missiles for the past 7 years, over 6,400 at last count. This past Shabbos, we were doing our daled amot in Migdahl HaEmek a town of about 30,000, over looking G-D’s beautiful Jezre’el Valley.

I went to the next door neighbor of my Shabbos Host’s for a Shalom Zachor, the Friday night get together on the Shabbos before a Brit Milah. Meir M…s, an oleh of 30 some odd years from Bombay is the grandfather of a new grandson who G-D willing; be entered into the Covenant with G-d on Tuesday morning.

Meir’s son-in-law is an Oleh from Russia. While at their table, my host introduced me as living in Shiloh. I received praise and was asked to speak. It is an interesting experience talking to a group in Ivrit when I do not have full command of the language. It seems that having to pick most of the words slowly is a great device for holding an audience’s attention.

My talk was in reaction to the observation by the Ba’al Simcha, Meir M…s, that it was a tragedy that the mezuzah was removed from the doorway of the Kasbah in Chevron. I asked how many people at the table had ever been to the Kasbah in Chevron. Besides my raised hand, the only other was my son’s. I asked how many had been to Shiloh? I received only one positive response from a table of about 12 men.

This to me was a pivotal moment in my understanding of these words of praise when I say that: Garti b’Shiloh. I live in Shiloh.

I said that more than half of the world’s Jews must agree with PM Ehud Olmert. Just like he fails to see the connection of Klal Yisroel to Eretz Yisroel: the nation of Yisroel with the Land of Yisroel, so it seems that my Jewish Brothers and Sisters who choose to live outside of Eretz Yisroel also seem to miss this connection.

I said to this group of Sabbath observing brothers, that the road from Shechem, Shiloh, Yerushalyim, Chevron to Beer Shevah was called The Patriarchs’ Highway. That it was by their walking this road that they acquired (conquered) this Land. As a new Olim, we have made a conscious decision to do our daled amot in Eretz Yisroel. We have been to places in Eretz Yisroel that people living here 10, 20, 30 years, all their lives have yet to set foot in.

It seems to me that one of the reasons why the Olmert government can so easily throw away the lives and homes of families living in and on Eretz Yisroel is because we have already been abandoned by our brother and sisters living both here and abroad.

Prior to going to Sderot on Chanukah, with the educational non-profit organization that I have been working for since June, Connections Israel, I talked with a friend of mine who grew up in the States and has been living in Ashkelon for roughly 30 years. We had talked about the possibility of getting together following the activities in Sderot.

She said to me, “so, you live in Shiloh, that’s in the West Bank, correct?” I said, “No, it is in the Shomron.” She said, “It is over the Green Line correct, where I won’t go.” I asked, “Why won’t you go there?” She responded, “It’s dangerous.”

When I stopped laughing, I said, “Dangerous? You live in Ashkelon, just a few minutes from Sderot which has taken over 6000 missiles in the past 7 years. Ashkelon has taken missiles too, and Shiloh is too dangerous?”

I told her, “The world wants all the Jews west of the Green Line. They define the Green Line where the Mediterranean Sea meets the sand. They will not be happy until ALL of the Jews in the entire World are in the Sea.”

So, having said this, what do I propose that we as Jews, both here in Eretz Yisroel and outside on Eretz Yisroel need to do?

For my suggestions, read Page 2.