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= = = ** live to give **= =** Research Article **=

**Rationale:**
I chose to do my project on Torah MiTzion because I've heard about the organization from many people, including my mothers' friend that lives in Efrat (like me) and was involved in Torah MiTzion, but I only knew general facts about it. When the teacher in class said that the project needs to be about an organization that helps from Israel over seas, I immediately thought about Torah MiTzion and decided that would be a perfect opportunity to learn about the organization.

** [[image:ifaces2012/tmk.gif]] "Torah MiTzion" **
**What does Torah MiTzion do that helps Jewish communities around the world and how are they successful at doing this?**

The "Torah MiTzion Kollel" program sends hesder graduates to set up “kollels” (advanced Torah learning centers) from Israel in various Jewish communities around the world in order to allow the “Hesder” (Israeli yeshiva program which combines advanced Torah studies with army service) boys to keep learning Torah while enriching the community and teaching the people in it the ideals of the Torah, the Jews and Israel. These learned young men and women are carefully selected and brought from Israel for a year or two in order to serve as role models of the Religious “Zionism” (Israeli ideals) through kollels that they set up in the community, Hence the name of the organization “Torah Mitzion”- they bring Torah from Israel to communities around the world. It is based on a sentance in the Torah that says: " For out of Zion will come the Torah" ( Isaiah 2:3)

The kollel doesn't bring only Torah to the community but also Israeli ideals and friendship to the whole community. Ami Zuckovsky, a participant in one of Torah MiTzions’ kollels says//: "////Not only do I learn with the Rabbi and David but I have grown bonds and great friendships with them//” (“About us”,1)

Amis’ words show that one of the ways that Torah MiTzion helps the community is by bringing friendship and closeness to the community.

Torah MiTzion in Israel searches for the finest Hesder graduates and trains over 130 men and their families a year to be “shlichim” (emissaries)**.** It provides educational materials and gives guidance and support to allow the smooth running of the kollel in each community. They also remain in contact with the shlichim throughout the whole shlichut period, sending special guest speakers and learning materials and helping whenever they can.

The organization couldn’t have come about without Dr. Moshe Green. Dr. Green was a successful accountant and lawyer who dedicated his life to advancing Jewish Education in Israel and around the world. He did many amazing things. One of them was founding and becoming Chairman of Torah MiTzion. Dr. Green passed away in 1999 at the height of his public activity leaving behind a great hole. His important contribution to Torah MiTzion is continued now by his wife and son who are active members on the board of the organization.

In addition to Dr. Green and his family, there are many sponsors that help Torah MiTzion by funding them. The Torah MiTzion website lists these sponsors: The Yoreinu Foundation and The Eden Foundation.(our sponsors, torahmitzion.org,1)

The expenses of running all of the kollels are very high and although most of the kollels are supported completely by the local communities, Torah MiTzion still has a very high budget, which is covered by their sponsors.

Since 1994 Torah MiTzion has been growing constantly and they have founded about 30 kollels around the world were they expanded the torah leaning and the Jewish and Israeli ideals, and strengthened the communities.

One of the very successful Kollels of Torah MiTzion is Kollel Torah MiTzion Montreal:

**[[image:ifaces2012/vbn.jpg width="105" height="65" caption="http://www.ktmmtl.org/site/"]]Kollel Torah MiTzion Montreal**
Kollel Torah MiTzion Montreal was started by David Novoseller thirteen years ago. The Kollel is placed in the Hebrew Academy. “Beit midrash” (Jewish studies learning center) but it involves the whole community, including different schools. Shlichim from Israel come to the Kollel for a year or two, like in every Kollel of Torah MiTzion, and run it by doing many activities with the community like parent & child learning, single, couple and group torah learning, activities around the holidays and more.

The Kollel expanded the Torah learning in the community while strengthening the relationships in it.

The Montreal Kollel website brings the goal of the Kollel: "to establish a Makom Torah [place for Torah learning] in Cote St. Luc, to provide classes and chavruta [couple] learning for members of the community, to enhance the Torah learning of the Hebrew Academy students, to provide learning program and activities for local elementary school and high school students and to outreach to both affiliated and un-affiliated university students." (montrealkollel, 1) As it says the Kollel tries to reach all ages in the community and supply many kinds of programs and activities to satisfy the whole community.

This kollel is an example for the amazing success that Torah MiTzion has with a some hard work and the help of many giving people.

=Profile:=

**Rationale:**
I chose to interview Carol Novoseller since I’ve done the first part of the project on Torah MiTzion and was interested in carols story, which also connects to Torah MiTzion, and I’ve heard part of It from My mother, Who is carols friend. Carol lives in the same city I live in and I saw this as an opportunity to hear her whole story.

Once upon a Kollel…
Interview with Carol Novoseller

Many people in theMontrealJewish community felt that something was missing, the community wasn’t really complete, but onlyDavidand Carol Novoseller took action and managed to fill the missing thing in the community. The Novosellers lived inMontreal,Canadain a great community and with good friends. When it was time to send their first out of four girls to school, they decided to send her toHebrewAcademybutDavidsaw that something was missing in the school and in the environment, and he wanted to make a change so he can make sure that his kids grow up in the perfect place.

David came upon the idea of starting a "kollel" (advanced Torah learning center), but he didn’t just want to start any kind of kollol, he wanted to start a kollel that was in mind with the "Hashkafa" (outlook) of the school and of the community. He did a little research and spoke to a number of people and he came upon Kollel Torah MiTzion. After many meetings with rabbies in the community and people who can support the kollel and the community, it was decided that the Novosellers would start a kollel.

Torah MiTzion is an organization which sends hesder graduates to set up “kollels” (advanced Torah learning centers) from Israel in various Jewish communities around the world in order to enrich the community and teach the people in it the ideals of the Torah, the Jews and Israel.

So now, in addition to Carols’ job as the hospital administrator at the Jewish general hospital, and Davids' job, they have a Kollel that they're responsible to bring up successfully. David went to Israel and interviewed different people who wanted to come on shlichut to really make a difference in people’s lives before they start their degree and go on with their careers: “avrechim” (couples with or without children who learn in yeshiva) and "bachurim" (single men who learn in yeshiva) that have the Zionist "Hashkafa" (philosophy). After all this hard work of fund raising and gathering rabbis and hesder men to come to Montreal the Novosellers started Kollel Torah MiTzion Montreal and managed to bring the Israeli Torah ideals to Montreal. When Carol was asked why they decided to work through Torah MiTzion and not through a different program she answered that Torah Mitzion provides not only Torah learning but also activities for children with or without their parents "shabatonim" (weekend retreats), programs around the chagim and the holidays and more. By choosing to work with Torah MiTzion and not with a different organization – like YU (YeshivaUniversity), The Novosellers show that they care about the whole community atmosphere.

The Novosellers have four girls who were all involved in the kollel. They went to the kollel once to three times a week and learned there with the kollel bachurim or with the avrechim or their wives about any subject they chose and loved every minute of it.

Thanks to The Novosellers, people who would never step foot in a "makom Torah" (Torah learning place), fully participated in the kollel. When asked if they enjoyed working with Torah MiTzion and going through the whole process, Carol answered:" Yes, very much. Basically our motto was: you can volunteer in many organizations, but if you volunteer in Torah MiTzion you're always “sheping nachas” -you always feel proud of the outcome." She explains and shows that even though David was involved many other organizations like the Hospital and volunteered in many different places, there was something about Torah MiTzion that made it More significant and really special. He started the Kollel and was president of the it for a number of years and then he became the president of the school, where the Kollel was and he gave and got many amazing values to the world.

Now that the Novosellers followed Carols' sister who lives in Alon Shvut, and made "Aliah" (immigrating to Israel) on august 15th 2011, they continue working at Torah MiTzion inIsrael by recruiting people to go as shlichim to the kollel inMontreal and help continue strengthening it and the community. At the moment the Novosellers goal is to settle down inIsrael. Carol is not working yet since she wants to be available for her kids wile they abstract to their new life inIsrael.

Carols message to the teenagers of today: "Stick to your values. Don't compromise on what's right no matter what the pressures are out there, and always think am I doing the right thing. Try to make a difference in this world to make it a better place." If you listen to Carols' message, you might end up doing great things like the Novosellers.

= = = Personal connection: = Growing up in Gush Etzion, where volunteering is a common thing in the everyday cycle, has made my life as meaningful as it is. It's not strange that people give so much to help other people in need. Parents educate their kids from a young age that volunteering and helping is the right thing to do and even necessary. In Gush Etzion itself there are many non profit organizations that are run by the Gush Etzion residents including:

The "Machar"- A emergency medical center.

The”Pina chama”- A "warm corner" where soldiers can come and get free cake, a drink and a place to relax.

“Yad be'yad”- a place where many organizations provide various supplies and services including: clothes and food for the poor, and equipment for disabled people and bridal dresses for lending and more. “Shalva”- the association for medically and physically challenged children inIsrael. This particular one is for the Gush Etzion children. The fire department- a government run fire station whose staff includes many local volunteers. Therefore I chose to do a collage of the main organizations in Gush Etzion where the people of the gush really give the most they can to help. They volunteer, donate money, food, clothes and much more. We shouldn’t take for granted the fact that children here grow up in a place that educates the youth to volunteer and eventually grow up to be good, giving, kind people. I’m glad that I’m growing up in Gush Etzion, learning these amazing values and I know that for me it’s the best place to live. I can only hope that my children will also grow up in a place as good and full of generous volunteering people like in Gush Etzion.

= Reflection = When I first started this project I didn’t believe that when I finish it, I’ll be proud of the outcome. I didn’t think that I’d be able to do all the needed research, write using the correct language and grammar and hand the final project in on time. But surely enough, the time came and I finished my whole project on time. With the help of my teacher, I’ve improved my spelling and writing skills during this project and learned that if I put my mind to something I could do it. I enjoyed researching my topic, interviewing Carol Novoseller and making the collage for the personal connection, which was my favorite part of the project since I realized, while doing it, what an amazing place I live in, and how proud I am that I live inIsraeland more specifically, in Gush Etzion. Through Torah MiTzion and Carol’s story I learned that there are good people who do good things all around the world, not only inIsrael, but after all- it always starts inIsrael. In conclusion, doing this project has helped me learn more about an organization that I knew very little about, as well as improve my English and make me appreciate the place that I live even more!!! =Notes= "About us," Torah MiTzion, orahizion.org, 9 September, 2011, web 1 []

Special Programs, Torah MiTzion, mjbha.org, 10 October, 2011 web 3 []

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