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OTM with Rabbi Myers, Emek Lone Soldier Program  We had the opportunity and privilege to move Rabbi Shalom Myers, founder and executive director of the Emek Lone Soldiers Program. Emek is a an organization dedicated to helping lone soldiers, brave men and women who are serving in the Israeli Defense Force without the support of family and friends that many other their fellow soldiers . Many lone soldiers find themselves attempting to build a new home in a country far away from their family, while others are orphans or Israelis who have become estranged with their families. All of them are undertaking a difficult journey, and need our help. The Emek Learning Center, in 2014, saw just how important it is that a support network be built for our lone soldiers, and founded Emek Lone Soldiers. The aim of Emek Lone Soldiers is to provide lone soldiers with financial relief, spiritual support, and, perhaps most importantly, a warm community to feel a part of.  by Benjamin Terrell I asked my media manager, Sherrill, to write this up for me because she knows how to get across what I want, and I'll start by thanking her for that—not an easy task! I never thought I'd be working with a media company, but CETO Design has shown me how much fun it is to hang out in a social way with the people that make our business possible, really fun!
We have come to the end of a great week with a well-received moving service. I would like to start by thanking all our participants. We chose the beautiful feeling of safely and joyously transporting people from A to B. No regrets, that's for sure. It may sound corny, but we're OK with that! Like the saying goes, if you love what you do, you never have to work a day in your life... by Team at realmeaningofdreams.com  We all have daydreams about making the perfect home... and sometimes we have dreams in our sleep about actually moving to a new home. What is our subconscious trying to tell us—it's an interesting concept, lo?
If you consider what a house means to us in waking life you can see how this has an influence on dreams about houses and what they represent for us in our dream life. A home is a personal place, an environment offering affection and security. As human beings our primary need for shelter and warmth are met within the home. We decorate our house in a way that promotes a sense of personal satisfaction in our environment. A home or house is a place where we can collect ourselves, spend quality time with loved ones and relax and escape from the stresses and dangers of the outside world. And from the outside it is the personal structure that we present to the world. Take into consideration sayings like "home is where the heart is and "there's no place like home" when considering the place that the home or house has in our society and consequently what it represents for you in your dreams. Thus, it makes sense that dreams about houses will incorporate some of these common societal feelings about what a house is to us collectively. Dreams about houses therefore can represent the life that you are living, the protections that you create and the structure you present to other people. The environment you put yourself in in your dream reflects your state of mind or emotions you have about a particular life situation. For instance, dreaming of a safe environment from your past, a parental home or a grandparents home suggests a regression to a time and place when you felt safe and cared for. You are seeking security, or the safety of childhood when there was little responsibility. Or perhaps something in your life right now is making you feel like what these structures represent to you. Perhaps the house you are dreaming about from your past was not a pleasant place for you and is somewhere you associate with pain. Take a look at your life right now, what is bringing back this association from your past? What is making you feel the way you did when you were present in this house? A presence or somebody else in the house could suggest you may be feeling threatened by an aspect of your own personality. If there are different activities going on in the house, this could indicate conflicts between different parts of your personality, possibly the creative and intellectual. If you dream about moving house or about construction on your dream house this can indicate change is needed or that your relationship with yourself needs to be repaired or worked on. Also look at health matters as the house or home can represent your body as well as your personality. Take note of any damage or decay that has occurred in your life and see how this is represented through your dream house. Throughout your dreams about houses look at the different rooms that you are in within the house as well and your personal associations with these rooms. They can definitely represent the different aspects of our personality and life experiences. In general terms, different rooms could mean: By Sherrill Layton  WINTER is a time of gearing down. It's unfortunate that I do not have any more snowfall to goggle at, because it's one of my fondest childhood memories. The alarm goes off for school and, with any luck, it was something by The Beatles, the most excellent get-ready-for-school music ever. You could tell just by the weight of the air that it had snowed. A silent weight loaded with questions that you know will have to sit tight without answers, possibly forever. A silence that wraps you and lifts you up under the arms a little, nudging you to listen more closely. An intimate silence that you try to shy away from by instantaneously making noise... a swift run to the windows, the pull of the curtain, and voila! I would say that I could put those moments on my top-five Glee List.
There is a quick acquaintance with memories of the quietness first felt on wakening on those mornings. As the forehead slowly made its way to rest on a freezing pane of glass in innocent reverence—bow to powers—I finally realize, WINTER is alive. My breath, witnessed by that chilly platitude, offended no one and made itself a wee dewy canvas for window hearts.  I love Israel. I love living in Israel. I love everything about it and can honestly say I love the LAND of Israel as much as those who live in the Land. The Land of Israel provides for us so many opportunities to do Mitzvot, such as Shemitta, Terumot and Maasrot (tithing our fruits before eating). One of those Mitzvot (which actually ALSO applies outside of Israel!) is one known as Orlah. The mitzva of Orlah is that during the first three years after a fruit tree is planted, one may not have ANY benefit from the fruit that grows. In the Fourth year, the fruit is known as Netta Reva’i and has a level of Kedusha (holiness) to it. The “years” are determined by Tu B’Shvat and with this significant day occurring this evening and tomorrow (corresponding to 25 January 2016), the fruit that grows after this point is fruit that we we will be permitted to eat! To understand how special that is, I need to recount the past three years of the trees produce and what we had to do. (We have pomello, clementine, lemon and pomegranate trees). During the first couple of years (a bit less), we had to catch any flower or early-stage fruit before it began to grow and to pick it off the tree and dispose of it. During the past year, since it was a Shemitta year, we picked the mini fruits off the trees and then let them sit for some time before disposing of them, since they had Kedushat Shvi’it. That means that for three years, we SAW the fruit in its early stages but could not allow them to come to fruition nor have any benefit from them. From the day they were planted, we knew that only AFTER Tu B’Shvat 5776 could we finally have use of and eat the new fruits that grow after that point. We watched hundreds of fruits grow, that we could not use…and abstaining meant keeping a Mitzva! Now, we plan to try and make the first new crops extra special this year. In the time of the Bet HaMikdash, when a new fruit of the Seven Species began to grow, the farmer would wrap a thread around the new fruit. Once that fruit became ripe, the fruit was taken to Yerushalayim and subject to the Bikurim process. While we only have one tree that is of the Seven Species, we will still take these steps with all of our new fruits! The plan is to tie a thread around the first new fruits of each tree. Once the items reach maturity, we will take them to Jerusalem and eat them there as a “remembrance” of Bikurim. But, more importantly, it will be in honor of our having awaited this time patiently for three years and then consuming the bounty of the Land of Israel in the holiest city in the Land. We will take that which has inherent Kedusha (Netta Reva’i) and eat it in the City that Hashem deemed the holiest on Earth. Tonight we will celebrate with a Tu B’Shvat Seder. We will thank Hashem for the Land and its fruit. The difference this year is that the fruit we will eat in a few weeks will be that which we nurtured with our own hands. It is really quite exciting! Happy Tu B’Shvat to all!  After living in Chicago for 50 years, the last 10 of which Zev Shandalov served as a shul Rav andteacher in local Orthodox schools, his family made Aliya to Maale Adumim in July 2009. Shandalov currently works as a teacher, mostly interacting with individual students. Follow or contact Zev on Facebook.
Amber Wills  I’m still reeling from our pantry makeover. It’s just so organized AND PRETTY you guys! I have a simple DIY that you are going to love and will undoubtedly do this weekend from the sheer excitement of it all.
I knew I wanted a black and white pantry with spots and stripes. Who knew that black and white striped shelf paper would prove difficult to acquire? Not this girl. I had no idea that shelf paper or shelf lining (there’s some debate on what to call it) is either plain and affordable or chic and expensive. This is why this DIY is so good. You can get any look you want for less than the price of regular shelf paper/lining. My total cost was $9 for these gorgeous lined shelves! by Hannah Katsman  Whether you made aliyah before or after you had kids, you’ve most likely been pleasantly or rudely surprised by parenting norms here in Israel.
[...] I asked immigrant parents to share their experiences — whether exasperating or inspiring — about raising children in our wonderful country. |
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