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“There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up" -John Andrew Holmes-

= = =Introduction: = This project is all about opening our eyes to the amazing people around us ,who contribute to society, so that we can be influenced by them and learn from them the importance of giving and in addition find our place in the community. My project consists of three parts:Organization, Profile,and Literary connection. Organization- I have to write about an organization that in my eyes contributes to society. Profile-I have to write about a person who contributes to society. Literary connection--- I have to express my connection to Israel and to the people who live in Israel through a piece of literature.

=Rationale for Organization: = As part of this project I had to write about an organization that not only contributes to Israeli society but also contributes to the rest of the world. In my opinion the organization, FIRST, is a true example of contribution to society. I chose to write about FIRST, a search and rescue team, because there is a certain value that this organization is based upon that I think we can all learn from. All the people who partake in this organization are volunteers, they are not paid and when they are called to a disaster they always rush to the scene and try to help. This organization portrays the value of giving and not expecting anything in return and this value is a sign of true contribution, which is why I chose to write about their organization for the research part.

=Organization -FIRST: = [|A clip about First]

FIRST, Fast Israeli Rescue and Search Team, is the organization to call when you find yourself in a near death situation. FIRST is a non-governmental and non-profit Israeli organization established in 1986 to aid and assist victims of terror and environmental disaster. The association consists of eleven units located around Israel. Although FIRST is based in Israel they help and aid victims from all over the world. They have operated in Turkey, India, Mexico, El-Salvador, Greece, Armenia, Haiti, Japan and more.

All the people who work for First are well trained, unpaid volunteers. They consist of a group of around 550 people just like you and me who wanted to help society. FIRST’s volunteers go through intense training throughout the year. Their exercises take place anywhere and in any weather. They learn how to rock climb, rappel, swim through flash floods etc… so that they’ll be prepared to save lives in any situation. These highly motivated and well trained people come together from all backgrounds and religions amidst the Israeli society to provide relief at times of crisis.

The volunteers of FIRST have risked their lives for over 20 years to save the lives of tens of thousands of people faced by catastrophic situations. Due to the fact that FIRST’s volunteers live among the population and due to their many stations around Israel FIRST are usually the first to arrive at an Israeli scene.

Although FIRST is not a governmental organization they work in close partnership with not only Israel’s police force but also with the civil defense, Air Force, search and rescue groups and fire departments. Such a close affiliation with these groups provides FIRST with the resources it needs to react to situations like; a rescue from a collapsed building or first aid for victims of assault, attack and terror. [Israaid]

A Great example of FIRST’s work is from 4 years ago, October 2007 when an earth quake happened in Peru. The earthquake caused a lot of damage. More than 500 people were killed and over 1400 people were injured. FIRST sent a large group of people that included volunteer doctors, paramedics and nurses who provided the injured with great medical care. Many of FIRST’s volunteers even diagnosed some of the victims with life threatening diseases that many of the other medical teams overlooked. As a result of FIRST’s Professionalism and help, Peru’s ambassador, Luis Canales, hosted a small reception to show his deepest gratitude towards FIRST’s support. He also said that at emergencies such as this it is a wonderful feeling to know that Peru can rely and depend on Israel.

FIRST sent and continues to send help and relief to aid the victims of natural disasters or any catastrophe such as hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, terrorist attacks that occur anywhere around the world. They assist victims not only in Israel but also abroad to demonstrate to the world that Israel believes in helping people regardless of their skin color, race religion and any other differences that they may be defined by [Israaid]. In recognition of their efforts Israel’s president back in 2005, Moshe Katzav, awarded FIRST with the “Presidential Volunteerism Award”. This award is given every couple of years by the president to organizations who do outstanding charity work and represent the president’s desire to exhibit Israel’s social values; giving to others, mutual responsibility, love of humanity and the earth among the people of Israel.

In conclusion, at any given moment catastrophe can strike. No matter where or when the danger hits or whether it’s a child that fell from a cliff or a mass casualty incident FIRST’S well trained volunteers will know how to react. They are prepared for any situation and they are here to help not only Israeli society but also the world. = Rationale for Profile: =

Now that I have written about an organization that benefits society I have to write about an Israeli person who in my eyes contributes to the Israeli society. I chose to write about Bruriah Rabinovich because of my personal connection with her. When I first made aliyah Bruriah took me out of classes and helped me with school work. She was always very patient and made sure to always make me feel good about myself. What I remember most from my time with Bruriah are the stories that she told me about her life, how she impacted on peoples lives and how people impacted on her life. After hearing her stories I used to always leave her room inspired to make a difference in the world and with a desire to contribute to society. When I was presented with the assignment I knew right away that I was going to pick Bruriah because in my time with her I learned that she contributed a lot more than her volunteer work but it is her inspiring personality that in my eyes contributes the most to society and that is why I chose to write this assignment about her. =Profile-Bruriah: =

It was dark and foggy the night I went to interview Bruriah Rabinovich. I was shivering as the cold rain seeped through my jacket on the way to her house. The cold that I had felt had all but vanished when she welcomed me into the warmth and light of her home and greeted me with a sincere smile and delicious homemade cookies.

Bruriah Rabinovich is a 58 year old wife, mother, and grandmother. She has five children; Rayut, Miri, Shai, Elishav, and Dasi (may she rest in peace) 15 grandchildren and a very sweet mother. Bruriah makes sure to visit her mother, who is confined to a wheelchair at least once every day. Despite Bruriah's everlasting devotion to her family, she somehow always finds time to contribute to the community.

Bruriah was one of the first people who founded the Gmach((גמ"ח=גמילות חסדים, a place where you can borrow or buy anything, from clothes to food at a very low price. She realized that there are many people who are not able to afford basic home appliances, food, clothes, etc… Bruriah wanted to create a place where the misfortunate would be able to get all those basic items from one building. Her dream to create the Gmach took a lot of effort until it came true. One of the many ideals I learned from Bruriah is that when she sets her heart towards helping people, no matter how many obstacles cross her path, she will persevere. When it comes to helping people, there is nothing that gives her more satisfaction than seeing a person smile.

The mission Bruriah set out for, to create a place where the needy could get all they needed from under one roof, was not an easy one. When she found a place to build the building she was told that she had to get the neighbor’s consent to build and they probably would not, yet to everyone’s surprise, they complied. The next problem that arose was funding. Bruriah started to collect money and before she knew it she had accumulated a sum of $25,000. One day she received a phone call from an anonymous donor, he said that he would give a shekel for every shekel Bruriah collected and so Bruriah ended up with a total of about $50,000. With that amount of money Bruriah was finally able to build the Gmach.

The Gmach consists of many departments; wedding dresses, a soup kitchen, furniture, home appliances, clothes, party favors and much more. Today, Bruriah runs the very successful wedding dress department. She currently has over 200 wedding gowns that people donated. As a result of the department’s success, a reporter wrote an article about it in the newspaper which gave it a lot of publicity and a lot more people started donating dresses. In Bruriah's eyes, her job includes a lot more then finding a dress perfect for each girl, rather the most important part of her job is talking to the girl. Getting the girl to forget about her everyday problems and getting her excited about her future, her wedding and just getting her to feel good about herself.

Bruriah not only volunteers at the Gmach but she also works as a teacher at Aseh Chayil helping immigrants learn Hebrew. When Bruriah saw that many immigrants were having a hard time learning the language and adapting to a new culture, she knew she had to help. She started working at the Aseh Chayil ulpan and helped children acclimate themselves to their new lifestyle and learn the new language. She takes children out of class and helps them with their language disabilities. Bruriah Rabinovich's need to help and contribute to society was something she felt her entire life. These desires only heightened after her daughter, Dasi, passed away. Dasi's life was all about giving, she was very zealous when it came to helping others. Dasi used to decorate the hospital rooms of sick children, gave snacks to soldiers, always made sure she had coins for beggars and did those small acts of kindness that could make anyone’s day. Dasi's fervent desire to help society was so strong that even years after her death people remember her and all that she did.

After Dasi passed away from cancer her mother Bruriah felt an even stronger urge to give. Bruriah felt that helping others and talking about the life lessons her daughter had to offer kept Dasi's spirit alive. Bruriah started speaking publicly about her. Many schools invited her to share Dasi's ideals and life values with their students. Dasi's optimism and her dedication to society inspired people to change. Fifteen years after she passed away, Dasi is still making a difference, making an impact on the world and influencing so many people in such meaningful ways. In memory of Dasi many schools do projects, plays, dances, parties, volunteer work to keep Dasi's spirit alive so that people will never forget the importance of giving.

I never understood how Bruriah could balance her day so well between classes, teaching, grandchildren, working, and speaking about Dasi. Bruriah always found time to volunteer. When I asked her how she accomplishes so much in so little time she said that every person has a choice. Each person has the option to find time or not to find time and it is usually the busy people who find more time and get more done. Bruriah said that staying busy keeps her feeling alive and vibrant The more she does, the younger she feels. It also makes her feel as though she has a mission in life she ha

s yet to accomplish. You decide if you have enough time or not and the minute you take upon yourself to achieve a goal you will feel a push from G-d helping you along.

Bruriah wanted to share a message. She said that everyone has to find their own way to contribute. The moment you start giving you not only make others happy but you make yourself happy. Volunteering is an experience everyone should have because not only does it benefit society but it also builds character, sensitivity towards others. It strengthens your soul but also unites the entire Jewish nation. The minute you give some of yourself to others you are creating a more caring world. Bruriah also adds that it is important to act on your ideas and not let them be just words. You should not be passive because if you have the option to help it is your duty as a person to make the world a better place where everyone can be happy.

I understand now that that the warmth I felt when I was welcomed into Bruriah's home was the warmth of her heart, her happiness, and her generosity. Her house and family glow with that light of kindness that surrounds the genuinely righteous people. It is a light that is passed on to all who pass by whether it's through a smile or a few heartfelt words. For me it was her kindness and the delicious cookies filled with love that shed her light on me and I hope to be able to share some of that light with the world. =Rationale for Literary Connection: = As part of the assignment I had to create an art project or write about a piece of literature that portrays my connection to Israel. When I think of Israel the first thing that co mes to my mind is our national anthem, Hatikvah. When I lived in America I remember that every morning my class would stand up and we would sing Hatikvah. At that age I didn’t really comprehend the words I was saying but I always took the singing seriously because I knew that the song had something to do with the hope of every Jew to live in Israel, an ideal that my teachers and family described as the ultimate goal for every J ew. Seeing that this song was not only meaningful to me as a young child but also influential for I have made aliyah it only felt right to write about Hatikvah for my literary connection to Israel.

=Literary Connection-"Hatikvah": = [|A youtube clip -HATIKVAH] Hatikvah, "The Hope", was written in 1878 by Naftali Hertz Imbar and officially became Israel's national anthem in 2004 (although the Jewish nation had already considered Hatikvah as the national anthem since 1948). Hatikvah represents the 2000 year old hope in every Jewish soul to return to Israel and be a free nation in our own land. Over the years our nation has wandered from place to place never really feeling at home. They were tortured, chased away, and through this song Naftali exhibits not only his passionate desire but also the fervent aspiration of the entire Jewish Nation to make themselves a home in the promised land,Israel.

No matter where we went we were rejected and abominated for our peculiar religious customs (such as a brit milah and kashrut). It started in the biblical era when we were enslaved to the Egyptians who inflicted theJews with back breaking labor. In addition, there was Amalek who ambushed us and then tried to destroy us just because we were Jewish. These are only two small examples of anti-semitism from biblical times.

.Our history as a downtrodden nation continues to the middle ages. For example the crusades, when Christians massacred many Jewish villages leaving very few survivors. Another example of anti- Semitism during the middle ages is the Spanish inquisition, when the Spaniards forced Jews to leave Spain leaving their homes and belongings behind. Those who did not leave were forced to convert to Christianity while those who did not comply were tortured to death. Many Jews who were forced to convertpretended to appear Christian to the public, yet, at home, behind closed doors they remained loyal to their G-d, and followed the laws of Judaism surreptitiously. Later on when their charade was discovered the inquisition began and the Jews were tortured until they confessed that they had been discreetly keeping the laws of the Torah. Those who continued to practice Judaism, even after their confession,were burned to death.

One of the more recent recognized and horrific acts of anti-Semitism is the Holocaust. Jews suffered through concentration camps where they were forced to do excruciating labor and were practically starved to death. Those who did not die during the brutal labor were sent to the gas chambers. Six million Jews were murdered, killed and tortured to death during the Holocaust.

As I described above the Jewish nation has endured anti-Semitism throughout history. Hatikvah, in my eyes, represents the past, the intolerable hatred the Jewish nation has suffered throughout history but Hatikvah also represents Naftali’s hope for the future. To build a home in the Promised Land where we can live in peace and not feel threatened by anti-Semitism. A home where we feel safe, where we can settle down make families and build communities. A home that is everlasting.

Our nation has already achieved the two thousand year old dream. We are now able to wake up, go to school, and live normal lives unafraid of the dangers and the enemies that surround us. The dream that Nafatali had has finally come true. Naftali’s dream, Hatikvah, is my connection to Israel. As l learn about all that my nation has endured and I look around me and see how far we have come to achieving it I feel a great sense of pride .We now have our own state, our own army and our own independence = = .

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Hatikvah is a constant reminder to me of how much the Jewish nation fought for freedom. It is a reminder to me that if it were not for the Israeli soldiers who risk their lives every day so that we can live a life of freedom, we would still be suffering intolerable anti-Semitism. Because of Hatikvah, I remember not to take my life here in Israel for granted. Every time I walk through Jerusalem and watch the Israeli flags wave in the wind it fills me with a sense of belonging, knowing that people fought, died and sacrificed their lives to make my life and with G-d’s help also my children’s lives as well as their children’s life a better life where they can feel secure and live peacefully.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">In conclusion, I believe that Naftali’s song describes his hope and the hope of the Jewish nation to put all the anti-Semitism they suffered behind them and to create a new life in Israel. Every time I read Hatikvah I remember how much our nation has fought so that the future generations will have a home in Israel. A home that belongs to the Jews, a home that they will never be chased out of or tormented in, an eternal home. Reading Hatikvah fills me with a sense of connection to the Jewish nation knowing that people fought for me, so that I can live a better life then they did. This understanding enhances my connection to the land of Israel and to the entire Jewish nation who continue to fight to keep our home safe. <span style="background-color: #ff00ff; display: block; font-family: 'arial black',gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 45px; text-align: left;">Reflection: This project has taught me so much and has given me a lot to think about. I made when aliyah I was ten years old. I always thought that we had made aliyah to be closer to g-d, our history and all the holy sites but as I was working on this project I learned something entirely different. This project has changed my perspective and has led me to believe that the main element that generates such a holy atmosphere here in Israel is not the historical sites, or even the holy sites rather it is the people. This project has opened my eyes to the benevolent people that surround me. A society that is able to conduct an organizatio

n such as First, where unpaid volunteers always rush to help fellow people and do not expect anything in return is a society made up of truly generous people. Generous people like Bruriah Rabinovich, who put other people’s needs before theirs. A society that goes out of its way to help others is not a society but rather a truly united family. It is because our family members are so caring, altruistic and devoted to helping others that we feel holy for whenever they give, their righteousness is passed on and it creates an eternal circle of love, happiness and purity. This project has impacted on me greatly and has taught me that the source of the unique holiness one only feels in Israel is produced by the genuinely beneficent people who make up the Israeli society.

In addition to changing my perspective this project has also strengthened my writing skills. In the past I found it difficult to write organized paragraphs. Now I feel that I am able to write well-structured paragraphs that are understandable.

In conclusion, I have gained so much from this project not just emotionally but also I have attained writing skills that I lacked in the past. I hope to be able to take all that I have gained and share it with the world. =<span style="background-color: #000000; color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: 45px; text-align: left;">Bibliography: = __ Israaid, __ 23/11/11 __, __** < **[|**http://israaid.org.il/member_page.asp?id=6**]** >. **

Rabinovich,Bruriah. __Personal interview.__ Bruriah’s House. 26/10/2011.

__ Volunteering in ____ Israel __ ,23/11/11, **<** [|**http://www.ivolunteer.org.il/Index.asp?ArticleID=700&CategoryID=122**]** >. **

Wikipedia contributors. "Crusades." //Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia//. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 29 Dec. 2011. Web. 2 Jan. 2012. <[]>.

Wikipedia contributors. "Hatikvah." //Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia//. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 28 Dec. 2011. Web. 2 Jan. 2012. <[]>.

Wikipedia contributors. "Spanish Inquisition." //Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia//. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 28 Dec. 2011. Web. 2 Jan. 2012. <[]>.


 * __ Youtube __****, 23/11/11, < **[|**http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXyGaH-Fdwo**]** > **