From Connections Israel, via former member Lev Goldberg:

Dear Friends & Family,I am writing to ask you to help our fellow Jews who are being attacked. Sderot is only 3 miles from the Gaza border and its families live with the daily threat of rocket attacks. Over 6,000 missiles have been launched at this small city, which is home to a large population of Jewish immigrants from around the world. They need to know that they are not alone.

This Rosh Hashanah, Connections Israel plans to deliver a holiday gift basket to every family in the city of Sderot with personal messages from Jewish families worldwide.
You know that I am not one to send frivolous emails. This is a worthy cause and a legitimate organization. I urge you to help with this project and show the Jews of Sderot that we Jews around the world stand in solidarity with them.

• Helping show your support is easy:
  - Donate $36 for every basket you would like delivered to
  a family this Rosh HaShana. (Donations over $150 are tax deductible.) o You can donate online at http://connectionsisrael.com/donate
  (it's a secured site where you can pay using PayPal or a credit card)
  or
• Mail a check made out to Connections Israel and send it to: Connections Israel, Mercaz Clal, Yaffo 97, Suite 333, Jerusalem 94340, Israel
• Write a short letter, send a picture or have your kids
  draw or paint something that can accompany and personalize the gift baskets. This personal touch means so much to the families.
• Send this to other members of your family, community,
  shuls, schools and anyone who cares about Israel so we can reach our goal of providing a gift for every family (10,000 families in total).
• Leave a stack of brochures somewhere appropriate (JCC,
  restaurants, library, grocery store, shul, school).

Rosh HaShana is only a few weeks away so please, send your support today. I have attached a document that describes the situation, the project and Connections Israel in more detail. Connections Israel was started and is run by Adi Friedman, who grew up in Skokie and now lives in Jerusalem. It is a genuine not-for-profit, non-affiliated and non-partisan agency that helps brings the support of Jewish communities and schools worldwide to victims of terror and IDF soldiers. You can learn more about it at http://connectionsisrael.com.

For those of you I have not spoken to recently I'm sorry this letter is not more personal I look forward to connecting soon.

I sincerely thank you for your help in achieving this goal.

-Lev

HOMELAND: The Illustrated History of the State of Israel.

The Community Foundation for Jewish Education and Nachshon Press here
in Chicago have recently published HOMELAND: The Illustrated History of the State of Israel. This graphic novel (an art form combining story with full-color illustration) chronicles the dramatic, 3,500 year history of the Jewish State, from Abraham to the present, in an unforgettable way. Written with careful attention to historical scholarship, HOMELAND aims to revolutionize Israel education for people of all ages and religious backgrounds. Readers of HOMELAND
receive a fair presentation of the complex issues involved in the
Middle East conflict while coming to understand the deep, abiding connections between the Jewish people and its land. Our member, Gary Shapiro, served as chief contributing editor on the book, working on all aspects of the story's research and writing. For more information please go to www.nachshonpress.com.

Many hospital patients from the North of Israel have been moved south to a safer environment. Reuth Hospital has received some of these patients. Reuth treats many of the most severe, long term trauma wounds of patients. For more information on Reuth you can go to www.Reuth.org.

Tzedaka Which Helps Refugees From Gush Katif Find Jobs in Israel

This is a wonderful tzedaka, which helps refugees from Gush Katif find jobs in Israel

To Make U.S. Tax Deductible Contributions By Mail Please make checks payable to: THE CENTRAL FUND OF ISRAEL (TAX I.D 13-2992985) JobKatif c/o The Central Fund 980 Sixth Avenue New York, N.Y. 10018

Be sure to designate your funds for JobKatif in the memo section of your checks.

Table to Table will be distributing gift packages to soldiers defending the northern and southern borders to help bolster their morale. You can help by donating gift baskets for the soldiers through the Table to Table website, www.TabletoTable.org.

Two weeks ago, Table to Table began a campaign of collecting and distributing gift packages for soldiers serving on Israel's Northern and Southern borders. Table to Table made a call to the Israeli public and to Israel's supporters throughout the world to donate sweets, hygienic products, or funding to purchase these products.

And Israel's supporters truly delivered. Over 15,000 gift packages were delivered to 25 collection points throughout central and southern Israel. Financial donations enabled Table to Table to purchase an additional 10,000 gift packages, which were assembled by scores of Table to Table volunteers in what may have been Israel's first candy assembly line.

Over 25,000 packages were then delivered by Table to Table to soldiers serving on Israel's Northern and Southern borders, in hopes of bolstering their morale and to show our support. Priority was given to combat units serving on the Lebanese and Gaza fronts, including units from Golani, Givati, Paratroopers, Tank Brigade,
Artillery, the Navy, and many others. The units of our three kidnapped soldiers were among the first to receive gift packages, which included candy, hygienic products, socks, t-shirts, food, and letters of support from around the world.

Now, it is families in Israel's besieged North who also need our help. With stores throughout the region closed and missiles falling, residents are unable to leave their homes to purchase food and other necessary supplies.

Through its Northern Relief Campaign, Table to Table is purchasing the supplies that families need most: food, clothes, diapers, and other essential goods. Table to Table is then delivering the products to homes and shelters throughout the region. Over the last week,
Table to Table distributed 6 tons of dried food products and over 5,000 hot meals, 700 packages of diapers, and hundreds of containers of baby food to residents of Haifa, Nahariya, Tiberias, and other Northern communities.

Our two Campaigns continue, but we need your help. To find out how you can donate your time, or help to fund these campaigns, please visit our web site at www.tabletotable.org.il.

From all of us at Table to Table - thank you

PEF was established in 1922 by Justice Brandeis, Rabbi Stephen Wise,Robert Szold, and a group of distinguished Americans to enable the direct distribution of funds to selected and approved charitable organizations in Israel. PEF invites gifts, bequests and contributions for specific purposes and institutions. As specifically
requested by contributors, PEF grants (now totaling $200 million) have touched almost every facet of Israeli life.

Areas of support include, but are not limited to: primary and secondary education; supporting scientific research; promoting greater tolerance and understanding between religious and secular communities and between Arabs and Jews; the special needs of women, children and families in distress; special education and education
for the gifted; veterans programs; drug abuse; promotion of the arts; and relief for the handicapped.

Public Charity

PEF is a tax exempt "public charity," not a private foundation. To assure optimum effectiveness of our grant-allocating process and a
better understanding in Israel of our function and mission, PEF benefits from site visits in Israel by its Trustees. No administrative deduction is made from contributions. Overhead is approximately 2% of grants, and is met by an administrative charge on endowed funds and special contributions for that purpose. No fund-
raising organization is maintained or engaged.

Contributions

All contributions must be in US dollars made payable to PEF Israel Endowment Funds, Inc. and may carry a recommendation for the use of the funds. Mininum contribution is $25. Unfortunately, we cannot
accept credit card donations. Please contact us for information about making donations of stock or securities.

Please mail your check to:
317 Madison Avenue, Suite 607 New York NY 10017 USA

Contact:
To receive a copy of our Annual Report please contact us at: Email: pefisrael@aol.com
Tel 212-599-1260 or Fax 212-599-5981

Please remember those of our people who sacrificed their homes, in Gush Katif,  and who need our help now.  Please give to the Orthodox Union's fund for them: Orthodox Union Gaza/Shomron Fund. OU

Relief for Evacuees from Gush Katif

(Friday Dec. 23rd, 2005)

Several congregants have asked me if our community can help the plight of many of the families who were dislocated from Gush Katif and North Samaria, when Israel disengaged from Gaza and part of the West Bank.  Many of these families, some with young children, are struggling to find a place to live and are in cramped, uncomfortable, temporary housing.  Many of them seem to be falling through the cracks and not getting the help from the State that they need. 

Whatever our thoughts were regarding disengagement, it is our
responsibility make sure that our brothers and sisters are not
suffering. 

Please give generously to the registered charity Lema'an Achai ("for
the sake of my brethren") which has been recommended to me by congregants of the shul.  There are three ways to do it:

1. Find them easily on the internet at www.lema'anachai.org

2. Telephone them directly at 972.2.999.9933 to make a credit
card donation.

3.Send a check to American Friends of Lema'an Achai, c/o Simon Fleischer, 35 W.96th Street #1F, New York, NY 10025.  On the "memo" line of your check, write "For Gush Katif Fund".

In this week's Parsha, Joseph says to the anonymous man, "I seek my brothers."  Let us do the same, and together we will bring light and joy to the Jewish people in their time of need.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Asher Lopatin

(Sent Friday Dec. 23rd, 2005)

FROM ONE OF OUR MEMBERS:

Shalom Brothers and Sisters,

The following is an update on B'Ahavat Yisrael activities on behalf of those forced to leave Gaza / Gush Katif:

The organization attempted originally to offer housing, shabbats, etc, for those forced to leave Gaza / Gush Katif.  The numbers, however, were so many and, understandably,  all who resided originally within a certain proximity desired to remain together as much as possible, and not be further fragmented, as would be necessitated by staying in the space we could provide.

As the organization's activities' headquarters is located in the North, B'Ahavat Yisrael representatives contacted a hotel in Nazeret Ilit where a large group of former residents of Gush Katif were staying.  This group, which was being temporarily moved to Shoresh outside Jerusalem and includes 170 infants and toddlers, provided a list of needs for the indefinite future. At this moment, as this update is being written, a mass of supplies are being loaded for delivery to the aforementioned group of victims of the Gaza disengagement.  These supplies include:

Diapers, Baby Formula, Shampoos and Conditioners, Sanitary napkins and Panty Liners Baby Wipes, Liquid Soap, Hand and Body Creams, Childrens' socksToothpastes, Toothbrushes, Womens' Shavers, Cotton Swabs and Q-tips Spring Water

B'Ahavat Yisrael's team of office staff and volunteers are ready, willing and eager to keep these deliveries coming - and more.  As more donations come in,  more deliveries will be made to the aforementioned location as well as to other locations where groups of individuals  forced to leave Gaza are staying, as the need exists - every day, if funds permit.

$  3,600 can sponsor a delivery in a small van
$  5,400 can sponsor a delivery in a mid-sized van, and
$10,000 sponsors a delivery in a jumbo cargo van / truck

The need is great.  Over 1,000 families formerly residing in Gaza / Gush Katif are in various locations throughout Israel.  Please give generously.

With love of Israel,
The B'Ahavat Yisrael Family

P.S.  To expedite turnover of funds, please, if possible, donate by credit card (details below).