Listserve Archives

Hey Hagesher!!

Its Israel Trivia Time!!! There are only 2 more Israel Trivia coming
before INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2007 IN CALIFORNIA!!!, so now is a
very important time to answer the questions. This week's questions
are:

1. What artist designed the famous stained glass windows in the
Hadassah Hospital in Israel?
2. What is the tallest mountain in Israel?
3. What is the name of the burial site of Moshe Dayan and Ilan Ramon?

Remember, THE COMPETITION DOES NOT START UNTIL 8PM TONIGHT
(Wednesday), and when answering these questions, include your name,
chapter,
region, and email them to BOTH israelchallenge@usy.org and
Hageshershekelchallenge@gmail.com.The
competition ends before shabbat friday night.

Also, Whats going on in Israel? Read these articles to find out!

Israel to aid Palestinian refugees in peace deal: OImert:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071203/wl_mideast_afp/mideastdiplomacyolmertrefugees_071203194716

Israel fights world's oil addiction by going green

http://israel21c.com/bin/en.jsp?enDispWho=Views%5El335&enPage=BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=object&enVersion=0&enZone=Views&

Thanks,
Daniel Berdugo
Hagesher Israel Affairs Vice President
2007-2008

SHABBAT SHALOM HAGESHER!!!
 
Candle lighting: 4:17pm
Havdalah: 5:17pm
 
This Shabbat, which is also Hanukkah and Birkat Ha Chodesh (the Shabbat
before the beginning of a new Jewish month), we read parashat Miketz!
 
    Perfectly connected with the holiday of Hanukkah, parashat Miketz begins
with a miracle.  After 12 years of waiting in jail, the butler (you know,
the one who had the dream where he squeezed grapes into a cup for Pharaoh? 
And then Joseph predicted he would be let out of jail) finally remembers
Joseph when Pharaoh has two dreams which he cannot interpret!  Joseph is
immediately fetched from jail, and listens to Pharaoh tell of his dreams. 
Though they were all about cows, Joseph realizes that Pharaohs' dreams mean
seven years of an over abundance of food are coming, followed by seven years
of famine!  Pharaoh informs Joseph that he will be in charge of getting
Egypt through the famine successfully, and Joseph creates a plan.  After
seven years of storing food to get ready, the famine finally comes.  Since
no other people knew the famine was coming besides the Egyptians, no one was
prepared.  This included Joseph's own family back in Canaan.  Ten of
Joseph's brothers come to buy food, but Joseph accuses them of lying, and
sends them home, telling them they can get food if they bring back their
youngest brother, Benjamin.  As reluctant as they were, they had no choice
but to bring Benjamin to Egypt because they were starving.  After messing
around with his brothers, Joseph eventually reveals himself and the whole
family is reunited with a feast.
    This story has so many important and useful lessons in it.  The first it
to remember to plan for the future, to avoid as many possible catastrophes
and you can, just as Joseph prepared for the famine.  The next is to
remember to help not only yourself but others, just as Joseph stored food
not only for the Egyptians, but enough for hungry foreigners who came buy. 
The third and final lesson I am going to talk about is forgiveness. 
Joseph's brothers did an awful thing to him, but by testing them he knew
that they had changed, and was happy to have his family reunited.  It is
always important to remember that nobody's perfect, and people can make
mistakes but also, people can change for the better.
 
Questions:
1. Tell me about one of Pharaohs' two dreams (you can tell about both for
double points) (3 points)
2. What trick did Joseph play on his brother Benjamin when his other
brothers brought Benjamin to Egypt? (3 points)
3. What is your favorite song from the movie Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat? (5 points)
4. What is MY favorite song from the movie Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat? (10 points, if you get it right)
 
**please send all answers to sarahjaye1@aol.com**
 
Shabbat shalom and HAPPY HANUKKAH!!!!
 
B'vracha,
 
Sarah Richman
Religion/Education VP

Hey Hagesher,

So here is the deal. As of a few weeks ago, our AMAAAAZING region was
in second place in the International Israel Challenge. Although the
regional trivia will continue, this is the last international trivia
before International Convention, where the winner of the International
Israel challenge will be announced. THIS IS OUR LAST CHANCE TO GET
POINTS FOR OUR REGION IN THE INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE. PLEASE!!!!
Answer ALL of these trivia questions and get all of your friends in
USY to do it too. Not only will you get points for our wonderful
region, but you will also get points for your chapter in the Regional
Shekel Challenge!

This weeks questions are:
1. True/False: The glue on the back of Israeli stamps is not Kosher.
2. Where in the USA did a peace conference take place recently?
3. The Israeli city of Tiberias is on what body of water?
4. Where did Theodor Herzl convene the First Zionist Congress?

REMEMBER, when answering these questions, include your NAME, CHAPTER,
and REGION, and send it to both Israelchallenge@usy.org as well as
hageshershekelchallenge@gmail.com. The competition starts at 8 PM
TONIGHT (Wednesday), and ends before shobbas on Friday! Remember, the
first 5 responses are worth more points than the rest, so get your
answers in ASAP after 8PM!

Now, a news update on what is going on in Israel!

Israel's David Broza brings Masada to American TV viewers:

http://israel21c.com/bin/en.jsp?enDispWho=Articles%5El1873&enPage=BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=object&enVersion=0&enZone=Health&

Israel invites Lance Armstrong for state's 60th birthday:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071211/en_afp/israelindependencecyclingarmstrong_071211182430

That's all for now. Todah rabah v'l'hitraot,
Daniel Berdugo
Hagesher Israel Affairs Vice President
2007-2008

SHABBAT SHALOM HAGESHER!!!
 
Candle lighting: 4:18pm
Havdalah: 5:18pm

This week we read parashat Vayiggash.  This d'var was written by the lovely
Tyler Dratch (Mission Mitzvah ohh eightt!!!):
 
 In this week’s parasha, Vayigash, Judah the oldest son of Jacob steps up
and offers himself as a replacement servant for his youngest brother
Benjamin. Judah knows that if the brothers return home without Benjamin,
their father will die. This is an incredible act of kindness made by Judah.
It is clear now that the brothers have learned their lesson. Joseph can not
take it anymore and finally reveals his true identity to his brothers.

 The torah teaches us an incredible lesson about repentance. The commentator
Rambam explains that the only way a sinner can complete his teshuvah
(repentance), is if he acts righteously the next time he is put in a
situation where he could commit the same sin.  It is clear that Judah had
the opportunity to abandon Jacobs’s new favorite son. Instead of leaving
Benjamin behind, Judah changed his actions and made the brave move of
offering himself.

  This idea of true teshuvah is one that everyone must understand. It is not
enough for celebrities such as Lindsey Lohan or Paris Hilton to say that
they will go into rehab after a drunk driving accident, but then make the
same mistake only months later. In life, our actions are much stronger then
our words. We cannot always just say what we are going to do differently
next time to prove ourselves. We must make sure that without a doubt that
the next time we are put in a situation where we could commit a sin we
don’t. You can scream your head off about how you will act next time, but
your first action will speak much louder than anything you have said prior.

Questions:

1. In what region does Jacob end up settling in Egypt? (3 points)

2.  Joseph creates a new law. In the law, how much of their crop did
Egyptians have to give to Pharaoh? (3 points)

3. Name a time when actions have spoke louder then words in your life. (5
points)

4. Who is your favorite Disney character?  (5 points, double if you're going
to IC!!)

**Please send all answers to sarahjaye1@aol.com**

Have a wonderful Shabbos!!

B'vracha,
Sarah Richman
Religion/Education VP

SHABBAT SHALOM HAGESHER!!!

Candle lighting: 4:21pm
Havdalah: 5:21pm

This week we read Parshat Vayechi.  This weeks d'var was written by the
lovely and incredibly beautiful Rel/Ed RGB member, Becka Lefkoe!
 
In this week's parsha, Jacob is nearing his the end of his life, and
requests to see all his 12 sons. Jacob gives blessings, and a few curses, to
his twelve sons that have given him the most joy and agony in the world.
Each son is given a tribe anddestined for a special talent. For Judah, Jacob
knows he will produce kings and leaders. Priests will come from Levi.
Barbaric qualities are given to other sons, Naphtali the swiftness of a deer
and Benjamin the ferociousness of a wolf. To Joseph, his favorite son, Jacob
blesses with beauty.
Joseph's two sons, Menassah and Ephraim, are also blessed by Jacob before
his death. Except in his old age, Joseph noticed that Jacob confused the two
sons, giving the blessing of the older child to Ephraim, the younger
sibling. Wishing to not hurt the feelings of his father, he quietly switches
Jacob's hands before the blessing. But Jacob is no fool! He knew exactly
what he was doing and takes Joseph's plan as an insult. "Ephraim is destined
for greater things that Menassah", Jacob warns. God has spoken words of the
future to Jacob, who is simply passing down the rightful blessing to the
rightful child.
Why would Joseph go against his father? Has Jacob not been the greatest
leader to his twelve sons, providing for them and giving them his life? Why,
when Jacob is about to pass on, would Joseph second-guess his father's
wishes? Joseph thinks he is simply fixing a mistake of his father's, but did
not really know what was going on.
This is a lesson to not interfere with what you don't know about. Don't
stick your head in other people's business, especially ones you are
unfamiliar with. Joseph did not know that his younger child was destined to
be greater than the older one, and if he had succeeded in switching back his
father's hands, could have ruined an entire nation of Jews!
 
Questions:
 
1. Name three other brother's and the blessings they received from Jacob. (3
points each)
 
2. Who else dies in this parsha besides Jacob? And where was he/she buried?
(3 points)
 
3. If you were going to die, what blessings would you give your family? (5
points)

**Please email all answers to sarahjaye1@aol.com**

Have a wonderful relaxing Shabbos....IT'S WINTER BREAK!!! [which means IC!!!!!]

B'vracha,
Sarah Richman
Religion/Education VP