For Women Only: Chenya′s Songs- An Experience in Faith and Joy

Chenya Meshulam, age 17.5, was tragically taken from this world in a car accident.  Her family perpetuates her memory at an annual event to promote love of our fellow Jews, as per Chenya′s unwritten last will and testament.  Rebetzin Yemima Mizrachi is the featured speaker, and Chenya′s sisters, vocalists Bat-El and Roniyah, will perform. There will be stands with various items for sale. The event will take place on Monday, the 13th of Elul (23.8), at Tel - Chadid. For more information, please contact Bat-Tzion: 052-311-4470. 
 

Slichos Tours at the Gush Katif Museum

Thousands of vacationers are utilizing their summer break to tour Yerushalayim, and the Gush Katif Museum. The Museum displays many artifacts and documentary video films of Gush Katif. All visitors receive the special Gush Katif memorial candle, and enter a grand raffle for Gush Katif memorabilia. During the month of Elul, the month of Slichos and Divine compassion, the Museum is offering Slichos group tours.  On the program: guided tours to the various Yerushalmi neighborhoods, and the Museum. 

Many schools and educational institutes have reserved tours for the beginning of the school term.  The tours bequeath the heritage of Gush Katif- selfless love to all stratums of the nation. 

Summer Hours: The Museum is open on weekdays from 9:00 AM- 9:00 PM, and on Fridays from 9:00 AM- 2:00 PM.

The Museum is located at 5 Shaarei Tzedek Street, Yerushalayim.

Telephone number: 02-6255456  
 

Urgent Help Needed! 

A young couple painstakingly built their home in Giva′at Ronen, at tremendous cost of hundreds of thousands of NIS. Their home was totally destroyed last week by forces who expelled them.  The couple has nowhere to return. Let us all extend a helping hand! Everyone can contribute something, even a paltry amount can be of help.  The house cost over 100,000 NIS.  Please donate to Bank Leumi (Bank #10), Givat Oranim branch (797), account number 61173759. 
 
 
 

Har Hazeisim: Annual Memorial Service for Gush Katif Martyrs 

The traditional annual memorial service took place, commemorating the holy Gush Katif martyrs who were reburied on Har Hazeisim. The families, whose dear ones were uprooted from their graves and reburied at Har Hazeisim at the Kedoshei Gush Katif plot, visit the graves each year on the 25th of Av, the day that the reburial took place.  The annual memorial service was initiated by the Gush Katif Museum in Yerushalayim. 

Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, of Ramat Gan, said at the memorial service, that the uprooting of the graves was not only an affront to the dead, but a displacement of roots. The uprooting of the graves hurt, pained and wounded; re-opening all the old wounds.  

MK Dr. Michael Ben – Ari said in his eulogy: "we stand here at their second burial place, promising the buried that we will not allow such shame and desecration of the dead to happen again."  

Prior to the ceremony, Elyada Bar- Shaul took the assembled on a guided tour of Har Hazeisim, regaling the participants with the history of the site.  

Hundreds of people joined the march that called for returning to our Forefathers′ lands of inheritance in Shchem and Yericho.  The march was organized by the Shchem and Yericho cities′ nucleus.  MK Ben – Ari was among the participants, and joined in the demand to return to Shchem. 

A rally took place at the Har Bracha settlement, and Rabbis Badichi, Yossi Palei, Yehuda Libman of  the "One Shchem" movement, Boruch Marzel of "Our Land of Israel" movement spoke and invigorated the marchers. At the conclusion of the journey, Meir Bertler summed it up:" we will not rest and not be still until we will return to all parts of our Forefathers′ inheritance." 

A Prayer Journey for Eretz Yisroel 

Rabbi Sholom Dov Volpo, chairman of SOS- Israel, and other Rabbonim, recently returned from a special journey to Russia and Ukraine. The Rabbonim visited all the holy sites in Russia and Ukraine, and davened for the protection and salvation of the Jewish nation in Eretz Yisroel.  They offered prayers for the strengthening of the Jewish settlements in Shomron and Yehuda. The Rabbonim visited the holy resting places of the Baal Shem Tov, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berdichev, the Baal HaTanya, the Great Maggid of Mezritch, and more. 
 

Survey: Majority against Another Expulsion

A special survey was conducted by the Geocartography Institute, directed by Professor Avi Degani, on the fifth anniversary of the expulsion from Gush Katif. The results were interesting. 54% of the participants replied that it was not right to conduct the expulsion. 25% supported the expulsion. R to the question: in light of the results of the Gush Katif expulsion, would you support another expulsion? 62% were against another expulsion.  21% replied that they would support another expulsion.  50% of the participants are frightened by the possibility of a civil war if another expulsion will take place.  

55% think that the expulsion badly harmed Israel′s power of deterrence. Only 8% think that Israel′s deterrence power was strengthened by the expulsion. 

Prof. Avi Degani, President of Geocartography, that conducted the survey, summed up the results. "More and more people identify with the settlers, and this creates a strong wind blowing in the Prime Minister′s face, making it difficult for him to make promises to the US president, and fulfill them.  The road to the next "disengagement" is not smooth as it was in the past.  The disengagement burdens the finding of political solutions, including territorial compromise."  The Gush Katif Museum responded to the survey results: The public is pained by the expulsion, which did no good, and brought nothing.  The constant identification with Gush Katif is the only guarantee that there will never be another expulsion." 

Seminar: The Sanctity of the Gush Katif Shuls 

The Gush Katif Museum, in conjunction with ′Komemiut′, Gush Katif Settlers Committee, Ezra and B′nei Akiva Youth Groups, with blessings of the Yerushalayim Municipality, is hosting a study day commemorating five years since the destruction of the Gush Katif shuls.  The seminar will take place on the 8th of Elul (18.8.10) at the Churva Shul in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, at 4:30 PM.  The seminar is titled: ′The Sanctity of Shuls.′ 

The following Rabbonim will address the seminar: Rabbis Simcha HaKohein Kook, Yaakov Ariel, She′ar Yoshuv Cohen, Yaakov Yosef, Dov Lior, Shmuel Rabinowitz, Shmuel Eliyahu, and Yehuda Zoldan, along with Assistant Mayor of Yerushalayim, David Hadari, and MK Uri Ariel. The seminar will conclude with the screening of a documentary film about the shuls in Gush Katif, produced by the Gush Katif Museum. The film will be projected on the outer wall of the Chrvah Shul, in the Jewish Quarter Plaza.  The public is invited to attend.  Entrance free! Light refreshments will be served at the end of the event.