Nefesh B’Nefesh Jerusalem Flash Mob–Real Smooth-e

Miss Nefesh B’Nesh’s flash mob in Jerusalem to Smooth E’s Hanukkah Hey Ya?

Hanukkah will here very soon. Show off your dance moves at Light It Up! Get your tickets now http://www.paloaltojcc.org/light

hat tip to ck

Israel at 61 today at the Levy Family Campus in Los Gatos (Rine or Shine)

Join us as Israel’s most celebrated cities come to life at the Levy Family
Campus in celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut. It’s all happening on Sunday May 3,
2009.

Bring a swimsuit, sunscreen and an umbrella!
Please know that the planning committee is concerned for public safety and
is committed to ensuring the safety of the guests.
Do get ready for what will truly be an unforgettable, unique, and
spectacular event.

We know parts of the day Sunday may be challenging as we navigate the
weather but everyone has worked too hard to let a little rain or wind dampen
our spirits. Bring a raincoat and a smile and let’s Celebrate Israel!

Event Schedule:
11:30AM–12:30PM
Early entrance
Pre-schoolers and Kindergartners can enjoy the activities before the big
kids arrive. The PJ Library Program of Silicon Valley will host storytelling
at Propella, our huge inflatable airplane is where kids can actually climb
up the stairs, open the doors and slide into the cockpit. They can sit in
the pilot’s chair, look out the cockpit window, go around the maze in the
wing, and chase obstacles until they finally exit the back and find
themselves having landed in Israel. A respite area for families with little
ones will be located near Propella as well.

12:30PM–3:30PM
Spend the Day in Israel
Join us as Israel’s most celebrated cities come to life at the Levy Family
Campus in celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut. Spend the day in Israel as Israel’s
most celebrated cities come to life in celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut
(Israel’s Independence Day). The festive, family-oriented celebration will
feature live entertainment and contests, an Israeli Shuk (shopping bazaar),
food demonstrations and vendors, Israeli wine and beer tasting, folk
dancing, informational displays and speakers, a special photo exhibit and
art exhibitions, activities for children, teens, adults and seniors, and
arts and crafts. Those looking for a challenge can stop by the IDF
installation to have a go at the obstacle course, participate in a mini-golf
tournament, climb Masada, and compete in the first ever Silicon Valley Gaga
(Israeli Dodgeball) Championships.

* Enjoy Israeli Folk Dancing in Beersheva
* Play in a golf tournament in Caesarea – hosted by Yavneh Day School
* Pamper yourself at the Dead Sea – hosted by Hillel of Silicon Valley
* Commune with tropical fish and take a dip and relax on the beaches of
Eilat – hosted by the Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center
* Experience living on a Kibbutz in the Galilee
* Enjoy the spirits of the Golan Heights
* Reflect on the spirituality of Jerusalem – hosted by Congregation Sinai
* Tackle Masada and make it to the summit– hosted by Temple Emanu-El
* Dig for artifacts in Tiberias – hosted by Jewish Family Services
* Enjoy the beauty of art in Safed – hosted by Congregation Shir Hadash
* Enjoy 100 years of Tel Aviv – hosted by Beth David

To help travel through the Jewish state, visitors will have their passport
stamped as they enter each city. There will be prizes for the first 500
guests to complete the activity in their passport. Raffles will be held
throughout the day.

3:30PM–4:00PM
Contest Finale and Raffle
Under the enormous blue and white tent, guests will enjoy the 5th annual
“Jewish American Idol” competition and the “Mensch Chef” Israeli food
cooking competition.
As part of its “Silicon Valley Celebrates Israel! Festival”, the Jewish
Federation of Silicon Valley will host the 5th Annual “Jewish American
Idol!” singing contest designed to give amateur and aspiring professional
youth and teen performers the chance to showcase their skills for enjoyment
and prizes. A panel of professional industry judges will select finalists
from three divisions. The finalists will go on to compete for 1st, 2nd, and
3rd place and will be awarded prizes accordingly. Click here to learn about
becoming a contestant.

4:00PM-6:00PM
Israel After Hours
Meet your friends at the auditorium in the JCC to experience Israel After
Hours. Designed for teens and young adults, Israel After Hours, sponsored by
the Israel Center and Hillel of Silicon Valley, will present a rock-n-roll
journey celebrating The First Hebrew City’s first hundred years of music.
Following Israel’s birthday celebration with birthday cake for all and the
recognition of the Young Men and Women of Distinction Honorees, Israeli rock
band “YaRock” will present “Tel Aviv from Sand to Rock”. The special program
will consist of Tel Aviv songs (by Naomi Shemer, Shlomo Artzi, Yoni Rechter,
HaDag Nahash, Aris San, Ehud Manor, Danny Robas, Eifo HaYeled & many more)
as well as poems set to music by Nathan Alterman, Meir Wieseltier, A.
Hillel, Chaim Guri, and others. All the songs, from classics to
contemporary, are re-imagined for this musical show, and will be performed
in Hebrew and English translation.

Presented by
Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley

Funded Through An Opportunity Grant From
Koret Foundation

Sponsored by
Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center, Ahabat Torah, Anti-Defamation
League, BBYO, Chai House, Congregation Beth David, Congregation Emeth,
Congregation Shir Hadash, Congregation Sinai, Consulate General of Israel,
Hatikvah House, Hillel of Silicon Valley, Israel Center, Friends of the
Israel Defense Forces, Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Family
Services of Silicon Valley, Jewish Girl Scouts of Northern California,
Jewish Study Network, Kehillah Jewish High School, The PJ Library ProgramTM
of Silicon Valley, South Peninsula Hebrew Day School, Temple Emanu-El,
Volunteers for Israel, and Yavneh Day School

Action Alert: KGO Radio Debate, Counter Protesters Needed, Keep Up the PR War

From the JCRC:

ACTION ALERT!

1. Listen & Call KGO TONIGHT (1/15) at 10 PM

2. Listen & Call KGO Saturday (1/17) at 7 PM

3. Join Hillel of Silicon Valley Sunday (1/18) at 12 PM in San Jose (counter protest)

4. Keep writing letters and opinion pieces!

Listen and Call KGO Thursday, January 15th (Tonight!) @ 10:00 PM The topic will be on Israel and Gaza. In recent days radio shows have received significantly more anti-Israel callers than pro-Israel callers. Make your voice heard tonight and support Israel! Saturday, January 17th @ 7:00 PM DEBATE: Consul General Akiva Tor will debate UC Berkeley professor Hatem Bazian KGO Call-in numbers: (415) 808-0810 (510) 808-0810 (408) 808-0810 (650) 808-0810 (707) 808-0810

Sunday, January 18th 12:00pm 3071 Stevens Creek Blvd, Santa Clara Israel Shoulder to Shoulder Please join Hillel of Silicon Valley to counter protest an anti-Israel event in San Jose Meet at 12:00pm in the Parking lot of SAFEWAY.For more information please contact Zohar Porshyan 408-340-3491 israel@hillelsv.org

Keep writing letters-to-the-editor and opinion articles. Everyday there are anti-Israel letters and Op-Eds in the SF Chronicle, SJ Mercury and others. Don’t allow those letters to go un-answered, write a letter now! For TALKING POINTS and NEWSPAPER CONTACT information , click here.

CyberTorah: Crisis in Gaza

Every week Rabbi Booth of Congregation Kol Emeth in Palo Alto writes a “Cyber Torah” or drah that is shared with his congregation. In light of the current situtation in Israel and Gaza I thought I’d share this weeks.

CyberTorah: Crisis in Gaza

Several years ago, I heard a fascinating talk about terrorism and its efficacy. Conventional military might has proved useless against Israel and the West more generally. The overwhelming military advantage possessed by the United States, Europe, and Israel means that no state, however committed to the destruction of Israel or the West generally, will attack in a traditional fashion. From the Six Day War to the lightening march of the United States to Bagdad in 2002, Western armies have destroyed conventional forces.

Human ingenuity is a remarkable force, however. This defeat on the conventional field of battle led to a new strategy, namely terrorism unconnected to official state institutions. Terrorism is a remarkably effective technique for two key reasons. First, it has the ability to strike deep into the territory of those the terrorists oppose. Thus, suicide bombers at the Dolphinarium in Tel Aviv or rockets fired on Tuesday from mobile launchers into the Tel Aviv Suburbs. Where conventional arms could never create the terror and insecurity of such attacks, terrorism’s unconventional nature makes such damage possible.

Second, the means by which terror functions frontally assaults the liberal values of the West. We believe in freedom of religion. Even though the terrorists are largely extremist Muslims, we cannot profile all Muslims lest we lose this key value. Certain segments of Wahhabi Islam are violent and do spread ideologies of hatred. Yet if we allow the terrorists to get us to treat all of Islam as the enemy we only increase the number of our enemies and lose any notion of religious freedom.

Further, terrorists hide themselves in civilian areas. We cannot tell who the enemy is. Some are supporters, as committed to the destruction of Israel as the leaders of Hamas. Others are innocent bystanders. And worst of all, some are Palestinian victims being used as human shields. That means fighting back becomes morally problematic. Israelis cannot allow missiles to be fired with impunity at their homes. They also cannot indiscriminately kill Palestinians and retain any sense of the value of human life.

Terrorism is incredibly effective because it subverts basic moral values that sustain our culture. Successfully fighting against terrorists requires a strong military response. It also requires a new type of war that reflects moral nuance. If Israel just rolls the bulldozers over Gaza we create more enemies than we destroy. If Israel does nothing, the security and integrity of the state will quickly erode away.

Urgent means of assisting Israeli’s during Operation Cast Lead

The following letter  is from Yitzhak Sokoloff, Executive Director of Keshet, who was in Sderot yesterday.

Shalom,

I just returned from a long day in Sderot and the area, where the streets are still largely empty and one can clearly hear the sounds of the fighting in Gaza, less than two miles away. My first stop was at the headquarters of Reut, a group of families who moved to Sderot as a matter of principle in order to make a contribution to a struggling development town fated by its location to absorb thousand of rocket attacks over the last eight years. Reut has set up a food distribution center for about 300 Sderot residents living way below the poverty

Prayer for Israel: Operation Cast Lead

United Synagogue of Conservative Judism offers this prayer and insights in support for Israel:

Support for Israel

The United Synagogue supports Israel as it battles Hamas in Gaza. Here are ways you can help.

The Rabbinical Assembly’s Rabbi Simcha Roth and Rabbi Michael Graetz wrote a prayer for Israel during the troubling times.

A member of Masorti Congregation Eshel Avraham in Beer Sheva writes a riveting account of life in that beleaguered city.

Action Alert: Israel Solidarity Rally In San Jose This Sunday

From jvalley.org:

Israel Solidarity Rally This Sunday, Jan. 11, at 1pm

There will be a pro-Israel rally on Sunday, January 11 at 1pm at the Santa Clara County Building plaza located at 70 W. Hedding Street in San Jose. The South Bay Jewish community will convene to support Israel and voice our wish for peace. Keynote speakers will include Israeli Consul General Akiva Tor, Ro Khanna, chair of the DCCC Indo-American Committee, California State Assembly member Ira Ruskin, and Rabbi Melanie Aron of Congregation Shir Hadash.

You can download posters to bring from either BlueStarPR or StandWithUs.

This rally is part of “A Week of Solidarity with Israel,” a national initiative beginning this week to underscore and highlight the deep and widespread support of Israelis, Jewish and non-Jewish alike.

The Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley is committed to addressing humanitarian and social needs in southern Israel, part of this national initiative to stand in solidarity with Israelis during the current conflict with Hamas, the terrorist organization in control of the Gaza Strip.

For more information, please contact Arielle Hendel, Chief Development Officer, at (408) 357-7501.

Update: Videos and pictures from the rally.

ACTION ALERT: Senate Resolution in SUPPORT OF ISRAEL being introduced and voted on January 8, 2009

(From the JCRC)
A Resolution in SUPPORT OF ISRAEL will be introduced in the Senate THURSDAY, JANUARY 8th
The House of Representatives will likely vote on Thursday as well.

Call or email Diane Feinstein, Barbara Boxer and your House Representative right now and ask for the following:

1. Encourage them to co-sponsor the resolution “Recognizing the right of Israel to defend itself against attacks from Gaza and reaffirming the United States’ strong support for Israel in its battle with Hamas, and supporting the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.”

2. Encourage them to vote YES!
3. Thank them for supporting Israel.

To read the text of the Resolution, click here.
Contact Information:

Diane Feinstein
(202) 224-3841
Click here to send an electronic message

Barbara Boxer
(202) 224-3553
Click here to send an electronic message

For your House Representative, click here (upper left corner, enter zip code).

Threaded Heritage Fashion for the Chosen People

The Holy Land: Israel shirt by Threaded Heritage

Chosen Chick shirt by Threaded Heritage

Show your Jewish or Zionist pride with Threaded Heritage’s clothing line. You can order online (http://getthreaded.com/) or find it in a few stores mostly in California.

Threaded Heritage brings you today’s hottest trends in fashion, with a hint of design for the chosen people. The history of Judaism has been threaded together through generations and generations of various cultures, tragedies, triumphs, beliefs, foods, song, holidays, stories, and now…clothing.

The clothing you wear is an expression of who you are, so express yourself….what is your Threaded Heritage?

Threaded Heritage allows you to express your culture.

Consul General Akiva Tor on KGO on New Years Day

In light of the recent events in Israel, Consul General (of Israel) Akiva Tor will be speaking on KGO 810 with Ronn Owens, on Thursday, January 1 at 10am. (415) 808-0810