0612

1December 2006 n Kislev/Tevet 5767 n Volume 4, Issue 1

December 2006 Kislev/Tevet 5767 • Volume 4, Issue 1 • FREE

Anniversary IssueMul HaBayit is celebrating their first year… See ad on page 22.

Special Edition! ModiInfo’s third anniversary

To Advertise n 052-8591-344 n 052-6404-414 n 052-3868-768 n [email protected] n www.modiinfo.com2 3

December 2006 n Kislev/Tevet 5767 n Volume 4, Issue 1



Daniella Hellerstein & Caryn Meltz

Co-publishers and editors052-6404-414, 052-3868-768

Ellen PerlisArt Director

08-971-6012

Tanya Green Graphics Assistant

08-975-0287

Rachel Linden Advertsing

052-859-1344

[email protected]

www.modiinfo.com

ModiInfo is an independently owned, advertiser supported publication distributed monthly to Modiin and the surrounding neighborhoods. ModiInfo welcomes all articles and ads but reserves the right to edit or reject submissions. The views expressed by writers and contributors are not necessarily those of ModiInfo.

Dear Readers,We first made our debut Hanukkah three years ago with the

inaugural issue of ModiInfo, a 12-page black and white publication aimed at helping English speaking residents of the Modiin area feel more at home. We are now a 32-page, full color magazine. Much has changed in a mere three years. Modiin was 30,000 people fewer, Buchman was barely inhabited and South Buchman, Kaiser and Tzippor consisted of barren hills. Modiin had only one traffic light, no movie theater, no gas station and Chashmonaim’s entrance had yet to be beautified. Mayor Spector had just been elected and Alex Weinreb ran a print shop.

Though the people came in droves and the area has flourished there is no shortage of complaints about what Modiin is lacking. Rome was not built in a day and neither will Modiin, though the Romans may have once lived here. We are in this for the long haul. Many have deliberately come to help build, shape, mold and affect a new city as if it were a blank slate. Such an endeavor takes patience and a strong belief that the outcome will be worth the effort. Let us not forget how far we’ve come and keep our eye on the road ahead, a road we believe leads to a modern, model city with a mixed population in the center of our beloved country.

Best wishes for a joyous Hanukkah,

Daniella Hellerstein and Caryn Meltz

ModiInfo is not responsible for facts or claims made by ads or authors, nor for any typographical errors. Work produced by ModiInfo is the property of ModiInfo and may not be reproduced without consent.



*Picture for illustration only

Join the growing success of the Sharbat project in BuchmanOffering the highest standard in design, construction and customer service

Final phase of the project being sold now.Only a limited number of apartments left.Buy from the best – Tivuch Shelly: number one in meeting the needs ofthe Anglo real estate market in Israel

Call now for more details:Tivuch ShellyJerusalem Office (02) 566-2499Ofer (050) 754-6182

Although the following ideas are routed in the teachings of our Sages throughout the generations, I prefer to write from the heart without citing specific sources.

Recently we have witnessed attempts to bring the Tanach to life as presented in last month’s article Tanach Chai. The proponents of this method of study argue that hiking along the routes of our forefathers, for example, allows the student to experience what our forefathers experienced, thereby bringing the Tanach to life. The Living Tanach method also gives the student the opportunity to interpret the Tanach according to his or her understanding without being subject to the interpretation of our sages and classic commentators. This method is commendable in that it certainly contributes to the connection students feel to the Tanach. The boundaries of self-interpretation of the Tanach and the freedom to stray from the classic interpretations is worthy of a separate discussion. I wish to focus on the experiential aspect of the Living Tanach approach.

What is not mentioned by proponents of the Living Tanach approach is the emphasis on Tanach as the word of G-d. The most important purpose of the Tanach is to teach us how to live our lives and to guide us as individuals and as a nation. Our Torah, which differs from other systems of law, is not merely an intellectual pursuit. We must not forget that each time we open

Letter to the Editor

Another View of the Living Tanachthe Tanach we are opening a holy book; a book of G-d whose source is in the heavens and that contains valuable moral lessons, along with specific mitzvot.

Educationally, we want our children and students to love the Tanach. The living Tanach approach furthers this desire by allowing our children to experience the Tanach. In an attempt, however, to draw our youth closer, we must not neglect the primary purpose of our holy Tanach – a system of commandments and moral lessons.

If we adopt a combined approach as the basis for Tanach study, including field trips and experiential learning as a means to understanding the true moral lesson of Hashem’s word, but not as an end in itself, we will succeed in making Tanach study exciting while stressing the holiness of the Tanach and our responsibility to abide by its teachings.

We are now in the days prior to Hanukkah whose story marks the dispute between Greek philosophy, based on pure dry intellectualism and Jewish philosophy, based on intellectualism imbedded in faith. The triumph of Judaism over Greek philosophy was the triumph of holiness and faith over pure intellectualism. The Hanukkah story teaches us that without holiness and responsibility for one’s actions, study is void. May we all merit to live our lives according to the living Tanach.

Rav Shlomo Sobol

To Advertise n 052-8591-344 n 052-6404-414 n 052-3868-768 n [email protected] n www.modiinfo.com8

El HamekorotThe One-Stop Shop for

All Your Judaic Needs for Hanukkah!Washing cups, kiddush cups,

holiday gift items and so much more!Don’t forget our wide selection of tzitzit, nitzit, kippot,

siddurim, mezuzot, Shabbat items, havdalah sets,music and Hebrew and English books.

Special order of seforimincluding Artscroll.

08-971-7575 052-232-2966

Special forHanukkahOlive oil,

cups & wickscandles

Merlaz Center, Lower Level(next to the post office)

Sunday-Thursday:9:00-13:0016:00-19:00

Fridays: 8:30-14:00

The Festival of OlivesBy: Rav Morey Schwartz

It is safe to say that most people reading this article have made aliyah, left their homes in the Diaspora to make a new life for their families here in Eretz Yisrael.

During the years that we have lived here in Israel, I have come to the realization that growing up as Diaspora Jews, imprinted upon our minds is a set of paradigms that continue to govern the way we think about many aspects of Jewish living.

Take holidays, for example. At times, these paradigms create expectations as to what we expect to see, expect to feel, expect to experience. Sometimes we are even let down when the experience isn’t the way it’s supposed to be, or “the way we did it back home”.

At times these paradigms stand in the way of celebrating holidays, in new, dynamic ways. In Israel, it is important to remind ourselves and our children that

holiday observance here is not only different, but it is a celebration that is integrated into the very land upon which we have made our new homes. Taking note of the wonders of spring around the Chag HaAviv (Pesach), taking notice of the ripening of the first fruits just prior to the Chag HaBikkurim (Shavuot), and getting out to the vineyards to see the grapes harvested during the Chag HaAsif (Sukkot) makes it abundantly clear that the rhythm of the holidays is built around the rhythm of the agricultural year. Holiday celebrations here in Israel are magnificently integrated celebrations of Am Yisrael, Eretz Yisrael, and Torat Yisrael – this was not the holiday experience that was emphasized for us by our teachers back in the old country, as there the “eretz” factor

wasn’t relevant to our celebrations (especially when I think back to the days of winter parkas in our Upstate NY sukkah!).

Hanukkah is a rabbinically instituted holiday celebrating the rededication of the Beit HaMikdash, and the victory of the Jews over the Syrian-Greek Hellenists in the second century B.C.E. Growing up in the Diaspora,

9December 2006 n KislevTevet 5767 n Volume 4, Issue 1

the holiday was at best an opportunity for Jewish pride, reminiscent of a specific moment in our history where faith coupled with military prowess boosted the Jewish people to victory over their persecutors. At worst, it was a consolation prize for the poor Jewish kids who didn’t have a Christmas trees and weren’t anticipating waking up on December 25 to find piles of gifts just waiting to be torn open.

However, living in Israel, we must learn to be sensitive not only to the historic facts that have led to the holiday’s establishment (i.e. the rededication of the Beit HaMikdash and the return of Jewish sovereignty) but to consider the possible Eretz Yisrael side to this holiday as well. In other words, to consider how the holiday itself is integrated not only into the collective memory of our people’s history, but to sensitize ourselves to its place within the rhythm of the land, the holy land upon which we have the zechut to be living.

The Mishnah in Masechet Bikkurim , 1:6, delineates the limitations as to when the farmer could bring his first fruits to the Beit HaMikdash. “From Shavuot until Sukkot, he may bring them and make the declaration, from Sukkot until Hanukkah, he may still bring them, without the declaration. Rabbi Yehudah ben Bateira said that he may yet bring them together with the

declaration. This Mishnah refers to a time of the year that preceded the establishment of Hanukkah, a period that would mark the end of the final harvest of the year, the olive harvest, referred to here in Israel as the masik. The use of the well known holiday as a reference point indicates that the dating of the Hanukkah celebration coincided with the end of the olive harvest.

HaRav Yoel bin Nun of Yeshivat Hakibbutz Hadati, Ein Tzurim, suggests that this is no mere coincidence. The fact is, the end of the olive harvest, the last of the seven species (sheva minim) to be harvested, provided ample reason for celebration long before the miraculous victory of the Hashmonaim over the Syrian-Greeks. Hanukkah is then later established as a religious-agricultural celebration, at the end of the olive harvest. In this way, Hanukkah parallels the holidays of the

Continued on page 24


December 2006 n KislevTevet 5767 n Volume 4, Issue 1

Learning DisabilitiesBy: Betty Dershowitz

Learning disability (LD) is a general term that describes specific kinds of learning problems. Approximately five percent of the population suffers from learning disabilities, which is only diagnosed once the child is in school and has made an effort to acquire the skills necessary for learning and has experienced difficulties.

Learning disabilities are specific neuropsychological disorders that affect the brain’s ability to store, process or communicate information. Learning disabilities can be genetic. Someone with LD probably has other family members who have also had some LD.

Children with learning disabilities may have average or above average intelligence, but there are discrepancies in their levels of functioning and achievement in different areas.

There are several types of specific learning difficulties:

Dyslexia – difficulty processing written language. The symptoms are trouble with reading, writing and spelling.

Dyscalculia – serious difficulty with math.

Dysgraphia – trouble forming letters and with written expression.

Dyspraxia – difficulty with fine motor skills that affects coordination and manual dexterity.

Information processing disorders:

AD(H)D – Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder

Auditory processing disorder – difficulty interpreting auditory information.

Visual processing disorder – difficulty interpreting visual information.

LD can be compensated for and even overcome through alternate ways of learning, accommodations

and modification. It is important to have your child evaluated by a psychologist in order to determine if he suffers from a learning disability and to make a differential diagnosis so that remedial help and appropriate interventions can be given. Early diagnosis helps prevent frustration, development of low self-esteem and a lag in school performance.

The teacher may report the child’s difficulties to you or the professional staff in the school but if that does not happen and you, the parent, feel your child is having difficulty you can ask to meet with the school counselor or school psychologist.

If help is needed you may request a “Vadat Shiluv”, a school committee which considers your child’s needs and can approve remedial help which is given in the school and funded by the Ministry of Education.

Children with learning difficulties often have accompanying emotional difficulties. Emotional therapy can be helpful and it is important to choose the type of emotional help according to the child’s stronger abilities or likings (for example play therapy, music therapy, art therapy, treatment with animals).

Yossi, a third grade, eight-year-old, was referred to the school psychologist because of difficulty reading and behavioral problems in school. Yossi, a bright boy who absorbed all the information he heard, had difficulty with reading and writing. He could not manage to copy material off the board because of difficulty shaping the letters. This slowed down his writing pace and his handwriting was very unclear. Because he hadn’t copied all the material off the board including homework questions, he would come home not knowing what he was meant to do. His parents expected him to do his homework.

He was reading slowly, only joining syllables when the rest of the class was reading whole sentences. Yossi was upset and frustrated. He was restless in class and had started acting out. He was referred by the teacher for a psychological evaluation. He was found to be suffering from a learning disability. He had difficulty matching the sounds of the letters to the symbols (letters). He started to receive remedial help so that he could learn to read by a different method than the previous one taught

in the classroom. He also started being treated by an occupational therapist in order to overcome his grapho-motor difficulties (shaping the letters). Emotional help was given to him and his parents were counseled so that they could acquire ways to help Yossi overcome his difficulties and give him emotional support.

Tips for parents:• Try and find activities or hobbies that your child

likes, and is good at, and praise him when he succeeds. Encourage social activities, don’t enforce too many hours of homework and learning after school hours.

• In school, accommodations that can help the learning disabled student:

• Break tasks into smaller steps, and give instructions verbally and in writing.

• Allow extra time for finishing tests and tasks.

• Allow use of the computer in the classroom for pupils with serious writing difficulties.

• Rent tapes of school material and books from the “Library for the Blind” in Netanya (speak to the school counselor) for students suffering from dyslexia.

Betty Dershowitz is a school psychologist with a clinic in the Oasis Center located in Dimri Towers, Modiin. She performs psychological evaluations, and gives psychological treatment for children and parent counseling. 050-548-8064.

Rabbi Morey SchwartzExperienced Mohel

Home Visits Before and After BritTopical Anesthetic Available

Certified by Chief Rabbinateand Ministry of HealthReg. No. 768

08-976-2355, 052-864-1130

From



Coffee TalkThursday mornings may very well be the most

hectic day of the week. There’s shopping and cooking to be done for Shabbat and last minute errands before the week’s end. Where in that laundry list of things to do is “stop and review insights into this week’s Torah portion”? A new class in Modiin has 15 women doing just that on Thursday mornings at a local café. The idea of combining her two loves, coffee and Tanach, led Daphna Secunda to begin Latte n’ Learn, a Parshat HaShavuah class taught by her as part of a new women’s learning initiative in Modiin called Na’aleh. Secunda, an accomplished Bible scholar, leads the group through various insights into each week’s parsha while participants, between sips, offer their opinions and comments. Na’aleh offers other intensive learning classes throughout the week such as An In-Depth Study of Trei Asar with Tamar Weissman and Women in Halacha with Pesha Fischer.

In and Around the CityMonthly Blood Drive

Beginning in January, there will be a blood drive the last Friday of the month from 8:30 until 12:00 at the Magen David Adom station located at the caravan site. Please bring your teudat zehut.

Ulpan for ChildrenDeputy Mayor Michael Harlap announced that

after much effort, an ulpan will open for the children of Modiin-Maccabim-Reut who made aliyah after April 2006. The city has recognized over the past few years that a problem exists in regard to oleh children integrating into the Israeli school system and grasping the Hebrew language. He explains that the first few months in the classroom, new immigrants do not understand what is being taught. In order to deal with this problem the city has opened special ulpan classrooms during the morning hours (four days a week) which will prepare children to successfully integrate into the Hebrew classroom and Israeli environment once the ulpan is over. The principals of the schools involved will be in close contact with the ulpan teachers to monitor the development of the students progress.

New BuildingsThe City authorized the building of a mikvah by

Chabad on Emek Ayalon. It will be built under the planned synagogue on that site. The first stages of Beit

Sefer Avnei Choshen (Mamad Shimshoni) are underway and should be ready for the 2007-8 academic year.

ParksDeputy Mayor Michael Harlap requested from

Ministry of Construction & Building to start planting parks in Buchman and Kaiser before the beginning of the shmita year next year, when it is forbidden to plant trees, grass, flowers, etc. The Ministry said that they will check into the order of park preferences especially those connected to the land.

VolunteersVolunteers are needed for a new unit of citizens

who care. Volunteers meet at 18:00 where they receive special vests, cameras, bags and fliers. The idea is for residents to canvass the streets encouraging locals to respect the neighborhood by cleaning up after their dogs and not parking on the sidewalks. In addition to the baggies to be handed to dog owners and the fliers to be left on cars inconsiderately parked (there are still no parking laws in Modiin), volunteers are equipped with forms to fill out and report any broken lamp-posts, broken sidewalks or other conspicuous problems. The city had received 20,000 NIS to finance the volunteer unit which already has over forty members. To join, call Alex Weinreb 972-6107 or Lital 0546-400-515.

Cellular AntennasIt has been discovered that because none of the

city’s main cellular antennas reach the Buchman and

Kaiser neighborhoods, private individuals have made agreements with cellular phone companies, whereby homeowners allow the companies to place antennas on their property in exchange for significant sums of money. Two homeowners on Rechov Reuven were approached by the city and asked to cancel the arrangement although it is technically legal due to the potential health hazard from the radiation and because it leads to the inability of the City to regulate the antenna placement.

Modiin Municipality Department of Absorption:Events in December – for all olim up to 10 years“Olim Le Yerushalayim”

Tour of “City of David” Archaeological sites in Jerusalem. Wednesday, December 13, 9:00-15:00, suitable for families (not strollers). Olim up to two years 5 NIS, two years and above 15 NIS

Register today by calling 972-6198 or 972-6264

Hanukkah Outing to Kibbutz Gezer

A family trip combining educational, historical and creative contact with the Land of Israel. Thursday, December 21, 9:30-13:30, 10 NIS per person.

Register by December 7, by calling 972-6198 or 972-6164

Candle lighting with the Minister of Absorption – Zeev Boim

Refreshments, candle lighting, performances by local talent. Tuesday, December 19, fifth night Hanukkah, 18:30. Free for all olim – old and new, City Hall Auditorium.

Of an AgeAge statistics for Modiin

2,000

1,800

1,600

1,400

1,200

1,000

800

600

400

200

0Age 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Photo by Rachel Greenspan

Num

ber o

f res

iden

ts



Slow Down and Get More DoneBy: Hazel Brief

Slow Down and Get More Done was one of the themes at the CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder) International Conference in Chicago last month. CHADD’s evidence-based research conference drew 1,400 participants who showed up to learn, share and hear about advances in the world of ADHD. I was part of an international delegation that included 70 professionals from Europe, South America, Israel, Puerto Rico, and Saudi Arabia.

Harvard ADHD Researcher’s, Dr. Joseph Biderman, Dr. Jefferson Prince, and Dr. Ned Hallowell, along with Dr. Russell Barkely of Syracuse University provided updated research on Adults with ADHD

and showed that it is a world-wide phenomenon. According to Dr. Biderman, the statistics for ADHD

in Israel hover around 10% of the population. Some countries are higher such as Germany, India, and the Ukraine (around 17%), and some are lower, such as the United States (7%) According to Dr. Biderman’s research, complex etiology, neurobiological wiring, and genetics all contribute to this situation.

Dr. Biderman also shared alarming statistics about untreated ADHD. ADHD left untreated can influence drug and alcohol abuse, higher rates of car accidents, educational impairments in high school, impairment in the work setting, and interpersonal relationships. Untreated ADHD can be a financial drain on individuals and communities. Research presented at the conference reaffirms National Institute of Mental Health’s 1999 MTA Cooperative Group study of

1,400 participants which found that a combination of education, medication, and therapy is a successful treatment model for the reduction of ADHD symptoms.

Lifestyle changes are one of the newest categories receiving attention (no pun intended) in the ADHD world of treatment. Lifestyle assessment includes carefully examining eating, sleeping, and recreational/down time activities. Lifestyle assessments are a good idea for any person wanting to improve their daily performance.

For adults with ADHD, lifestyle adjustments can mean the difference between holding down a job and getting fired, finishing that last course in your graduate degree or leaving it unfinished, and being a contributing and supporting member in your interpersonal relationships or letting your loved ones down.

Many presenters including psychiatrists, psychologists, and ADHD coaches spoke about this subject at the conference. The following is a summary of several lifestyle changes that you can make to improve the overall quality and productivity of your life… if you choose to make that change!

Adequate SleepAdults need eight hours per day and children and

teens need nine hours per day. When was the last time you slept eight hours? According to the National Institute of Health, inadequate sleep can cause decrease in performance, concentration, and reaction times.


The Nishmat Golda Koschitzky Women’s Halchic Hotline has a new number:

02-640-43-43

Hotline hours:Sunday-Thursday 18:00-24:00

Friday 8:00-12:00Motzei Shabbat: Half hour after Shabbat is over

until midnight

Mazal Tov to Tammy and Chaim Silva(of Tazpeet Optometry)

on the birth of their son.



By: Daniella Hellerstein

David Azrieli, Canadian builder, designer, architect, developer and philanthropist is best known here as having single-handedly introduced the mall concept to Israel coining the term “canyone” a blending of the two Hebrew words for “shopping” and “parking lot”. Born in Poland in 1922, Azrieli fled Europe during the Second World War for Palestine where he studied architecture at the Technion. He fought as an officer in the 1948 War of Independence in the well known Seventh Brigade whose soldiers led the bloody battle for the Latrun fortress. In 1954 Azrieli immigrated to Montreal where he began his modest ventures into real estate ultimately forming a company worth billions of dollars.

In 1984, Azrieli built the country’s first mall in Ramat Gan as a means to help the economic crisis affecting Israel at that time. Over 70 malls have been erected throughout the country since, the newest one to be built in Modiin. Although Azrieli has resided in Canada since his move there, he has made his mark, in a towering way, on Israel (where much of his philanthropy has been focused) and its landscape as testimony to his love for this country. Part of this love seems to be keeping our tradition alive as well, as it is known that he includes a shul in every mall he builds and keeps all his malls closed on Shabbat.

In addition to his successful building career for which he has won numerous awards, Azrieli has also established educational institutions through major gifts such as the Yeshiva University Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration and the Azrieli School of Architecture at Tel Aviv University, to name two.

As his latest venture it seems only right that in the city with the fastest reproduction rate (second only to Bnei Brak) that Azrieli build a mall to cater to the shopping needs of the young population and their parents. The Azrieli building complex in the center of the city, officially called the Modiin Municipal Center, is now well underway. The complex will consist of four sections which will open in the order in which they are built: a shopping mall, office buildings, private apartments and a section whose purpose has yet to be decided.

The top representation is the view of the entrance to the office complex, the bottom one is of the view from the apartment complex, and the background one is of the whole site layout with the mall. The views to the right are of the mall interior.

The Modiin Mall, set to open in September 2007, will be the eighth mall complex built by the Azrieli group. Some of Azrieli’s other landmark malls are the Malcha Mall in Jerusalem, the largest in Israel and the Azrieli towers in Tel Aviv. The Modiin Mall hopes to be a landmark in this area as it was strategically built off the main road Sderot Chashmonaim and adjacent to what will be the city’s largest park, Park Anabe. The building will consist of a two-story shopping mall (20,000 meters large) housing 130 stores geared towards the needs of a young population in a growing city. In addition, there will be a Cineplex with six movie theaters, a 400-seat social/events hall, restaurants, coffee shops, a fast food court with eight eateries and more. The underground parking will conveniently lead to the central bus station.

In addition to the mall, the complex will house 15,000 meters worth of private offices to be built on top of sections of the mall. They are designed to be upscale and elegant with a separate lobby at the entrance to every office complex. Also being marketed as upscale with entrance lobbies are the three apartment buildings

which will be built alongside the mall. The apartment buildings will consist of 65 apartments of 3, 4 or 5 rooms which will be rented but not sold.

The fourth section, as yet undecided, will possibly be used for a hotel, senior residence or any other use for which Mr. Azrieli sees fit. No matter, it seems an only in Israel phenomenon that the officer who fought to recapture Latrun would return to help build a new Jewish city on those very hills.

Full Circle



Slow Down, Continued from page 15

It can increase memory lapses, accidents, injuries, behavior problems, and mood problems. Adding sleep each week even in increments of 15 minutes a night can improve daily functioning.

Eating RightResearch shows there is a strong connection

between diet and concentration. Children who arrive at school without breakfast score considerably lower on standardized testing as well as overall daily functioning. Adding Omega 3 fish oil is considered by many to have beneficial effects on memory and concentration.

Stop, Think, then PlanWhen was the last time you stopped, thought about

your day, made a plan and followed through? Taking literally no more than three minutes, sit quietly, no e-mail, computer, phone, cell phone, kids, etc. and plan out your day. Think about what is most important to accomplish and put that as the highest priority on your list. Focus on what absolutely has to get done, not what can be done at another time without consequences. We all have too many things to do every day, so adjust your list.

Deliberately Pay Attention to How You Invest Your Time

Clients often tell me they have no time to do things. I ask them if they ever left their house naked? They

say, no, of course not. I tell them that if something is important enough to them, then they will find the time to do it.

Don’t Waste Time Searching Endlessly on the Internet and Checking E-mails

Give yourself permission to “play and search” on the Internet, but for a predetermined amount of time. (Predetermine this time during your three-minute daily plan.) If you have difficulty sticking to the time, use a timer and when it rings that’s your signal to get off the computer and back to work! Ask yourself, “What are you willing to put as a priority and what are you willing to let go of?”

Create a Positive Emotional Environment:Dr. Hallowell’s recent book, “Crazy Busy” suggests

that you cultivate positive connections with people. If you have negative connections that will pull your focus away from any change you might want to make. Positive influences help us all to stay on task and accomplish more each day.

Play and find out what is fun for you to do, and then do it on a regular basis. We all give our children “chugim” to help develop their strengths, let off steam, and just have fun. When was the last time you did that for yourself?




Travel Corner

Northern Path to JerusalemBy: Rachel Linden

About three times a year, the One Israel Fund organizes fascinating day trips touring mainly the Heartland of Israel – YESHA. During Sukkot this year, the One Israel Fund sponsored a trip that retraced the steps of our forefathers during the Aliya LeRegel. The trip

followed the Northern Path to Jerusalem and was led by charismatic Era Rapaport, an outstanding licensed tour guide. Era showed great talent in describing everyday life in historical times and frequently consulted and quoted from what he called the best guide book ever, the Tanach.

The tour started in Jerusalem heading south to the Gush Etzion area. We traveled through the

Tunnel Road to our first stop, Bat Ayin. Bat Ayin was founded in the period of the Second Temple and houses fantastic archeological remains, among them a mikva

and right next to it a wine press.

From Bat Ayin we took road 354 to road 35, driving by Emek Ayalon where a young King David killed the giant Goliath. We continued on road 35 heading toward our next stop, Tel Lachish, one of the few archeological sites from the time of the First Temple. Tel Lachish covers an area of 124 dunams and is part of the greater Tel Lachish National Park which covers approximately 3000 dunams. Lachish was a very important town during the Canaanite period in the 10th century BCE. In the next century, it was destroyed by Bnei Yisrael and built anew. It was considered the second most important city, after Jerusalem, in the Yehuda Kingdom. Lachish was strategically situated in the road between Damascus and Egypt - it was the main passage from Egypt to the North. Standing at the top of the hill, where the remains of the castle stand, it is easy to understand the strategic importance of the place. Within view are the high-rises of Ramat Gan, Ashkelon, Kiriat Gat, Aza, Bet Guvrin, the outskirts of Jerusalem and the hills of Hebron. It is a beautiful

place and the slopes of the hill are covered by vineyards. In the year 701 BCE, Lachish was conquered by Senaherib, the Assyrian king, after a long and bloody battle. The ramp built by Senaherib to conquer the city is still intact. Jews came back to populate Lachish and it became again an important center. Lachish was finally conquered and destroyed by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezar, in the years 586-588 BCE. At Tel Lachish, we saw the remains of the wall that surrounded the city, the old castle, the well, the orchard, the main road of the city and many other interesting sites.

We then traveled to Shomriya, the new home of the community of Atzmona from Gush Katif. Shomriya was a kibbutz with only 13 families left. The kibutznikim, after receiving monetary compensation for their houses, left the kibbutz. Nowadays, the new community is busy building new houses and a school for the children.

After Shomriya, we traveled to the famous city of Sussia, which dates back to the Mishnaic and Talmudic Eras (from the third to the ninth century C.E.). Sussia is located in an area bordering the Judean Desert in the East and the Negev in the South. Some of the more interesting sites in Sussia are the water cisterns, the burial cave, the mikva, the synagogue and the synagogue courtyard. The most exciting part was crawling through the underground escape tunnels which connected all the

dwelling caves and storehouses of the city. It is great fun for kids and it is even more fun and also safer to come with flashlights. The escape route ends in the impressive synagogue courtyard.

After Sussia, we visited the secular settlement of Carmel, where a few families from Gush

Katif were invited to move and work at a local factory called Herbs of Kedem. This factory uses the plants from the Judean Desert to produce cosmetic and medicinal products. The ancient Hebrew medicine was practiced in Israel at least until the second century B.C.E. This factory intends to recreate those ancient recipes which have been lost for many centuries. Plants in the Judean Desert have been found to have a much higher concentration of certain substances that are used to treat various medical conditions. This is due to the unique topography of the area, which is bordered on one side by the hot low Dead Sea and on the other side by the high cool Hebron hills.

Our fascinating trip ended at Ma’arat HaMachpela, where a huge Sukkah welcomed all visitors.

For more information about the One Israel Fund or upcoming trips, call Irwin Borvick at 054-5701548. For opening hours and detailed directions to any of the sites mentioned in this article, please e-mail us at [email protected]

Bat Ayin

Tel Lachish

Sussia



NLP: What It Is and What It Means to You!Jeisyn Murphy, Ph.D.

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is the science of noticing and using the conscious and unconscious thinking and behavioral patterns that humans are constantly experiencing in all areas of life. When a person discovers a habit that they wish they could change, they have encountered a thinking-behaving pattern. When a therapist is attempting to facilitate change in a person with an extreme phobic response, a thinking-behaving pattern is at the core of the fear. Weight-loss, drug addiction, poor life choices, and a myriad of other “stuck states” that humans can get into are driven by thinking-behaving patterns. A person desiring to overcome any of these and other problems could spend thousands of dollars and 10-20 years of their life in therapy “talking about” the issue; gaining a complete understanding of “why” they have this problem; and could even teach others how to go about “talking about” the problem – but not be one inch closer to being free from it! Sadly, the field of therapy and self-help has been sown with seeds bearing mediocre techniques for true, deep, and lasting change. But NLP is light-years beyond the field of therapy and self-help.

NLP is the cutting-edge field of communication

that enhances life on all levels from professional development to personal performance. At the foundation of NLP is the idea that all human experience has structure and that structure can be modeled, learned, taught and changed. The three words used in the acronym NLP are descriptions of the basic components of what it means to be human. When studied together, these components define what we call “Experience”.Neuro- refers to the human neuro-physiological system.Linguistic- is the science of language.Programming- refers to how humans organize their neurology and language to achieve various outcomes.

So, NLP is about how people learn, communicate, and change themselves.

Training in Neuro-Linguistic Programming provides specific “how to” skills to create change in one’s self and assist others in becoming more resourceful and effective. NLP is a set of processes that can greatly improve anyone’s communication skills in any situation. NLP is truly empowering and helps people to do what they do even better or to try new things and master them!

This amazing science was originally developed by studying patterns of communicating and thinking used by highly successful people. NLP was developed in the 1970’s by Dr. Richard Bandler and Dr. John Grinder. At the time, Bandler and Grinder were students at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Bandler was

majoring in information technology and Grinder was a lecturer in linguistics. Both of these brilliant men worked together to co-model the contemporary “wizards” of personal growth such as Fritz Perls (founder of Gestalt Therapy) , Virginia Satir (a pioneer in family therapy/group communication) and Dr. Milton Erickson (the “father” of modern medical hypnosis). Combining their individual expertise, Bandler and Grinder were able to identify and code the essential patterns of excellent behavior in the realms of communication and personal change and put those patterns into a reproducible format (called “NLP Training”) that has evolved and streamlined over the last 30 years and is now available to you, right here in Israel.

Jeisyn Murphy, Ph.D. is a highly recommended, Certified NLP Trainer and Director of Southwestern Institute of NLP in the United States. Dr. Murphy has 22 years experience training and teaching NLP and is endorsed by the top developers and founders of NLP. He is being brought to Israel by www.IsraelTraumaCare.org for an exclusive, Comprehensive NLP Practitioner and Master Practitioner Training from Dec. 31, 2006-Jan 25, 2007. To inquire and register for this limited, one-time course, contact Israel Trauma Care via the web site and phone number 057-3111-711, and see the ad on page 19.

Cleaned OutBy: Daniella Hellerstein

What does a small business do when its owners are called up to miluim simultaneously? This is what happened to Tzuri and Shaul co-owners of the new dry cleaners in Kaiser called Hamechvesa. This past August, the two co-owners and childhood friends from Kibbutz Alumim received their tzav shemoneh. Tzuri was called to serve in the war in Lebanon and Shaul was called to the Shomron. Their recently opened but already successful business came close to shutting down if not for the help of friends and family (specifically their wives) who volunteered to come in and take over to keep things running smoothly. As they say, you can’t say no to the army but you can’t say no to your clients either. Both men are grateful for the support and are happy to be back at work.


Hebrew and English speaking therapistsDimri Towers, Yigal Yadin 37

Phone 050-430-0297

Multidisciplinary Therapeutic Center

Wishing you and your familya Hanukkah Sameach-the Oasis Center Staff

New from the Oasis CenterMonthly articles from our various therapists

addressing a range of topics.

Still to come:Workshops, programs and special events.

Stay tuned for details about ourparenting and marriage classes.

Foundations and building blocks forbuilding a Bayit Ne’eman… in Israel

Slow Down, Continued from page 18

Be Honest with YourselfThe last and most important suggestion is: be honest

with yourself. Ask yourself how you want to spend your time and energy. Stop, think and make a plan about the changes you would like implement. Be clear on what you want to change and why you want to change it.

Remember, you don’t have to get it right … you just have to get it going.

Hazel Brief, MSW, coaches teens and adults with ADHD. Aside from her private practice, she runs a coaching program at Neveh Ruchama (Sissy’s) Girls Ulpana and Shaarei Tzedek in Jerusalem. She’s a member of the International Coaching Federation, American Coaching Association and CHADD. She can be reached at [email protected].

ModiInfo is now reserving advertising space for the Second Annual ModiInFone,

the only English resource guide for the Modiin area

E-mail us today at [email protected] to reserve your spot!

Festival of Olives, Continued from page 9

Torah which connect the exodus from Egypt to the blossoming of barley, the harvest of the grain to the giving of the Torah, and the harvesting of the threshing floor and the vineyard to Sukkot in the wilderness.” (Megadim, Vol. 12, 5751)

In addition, the fact that the Hanukkah celebration has been sustained long after the destruction of the second Beit HaMikdash, while all of the other celebrations connected to the Beit HaMikdash, listed there in Megillat Taanit, were nullified, would also seem to point to the fact that its roots as a celebration predate the actual Hanukkah story.

The centrality of olive oil to the observance of Hanukkah thematically connects it to the land and keeps it relevant as a festival that continues to celebrate the olive harvest and the precious nature of olive oil in all generations. The fact that foods cooked in oil are popular at this time emphasizes the focus on oil as a central part of the festivities.

The olive symbolizes the continuity of the Jewish people. The twisted limbs of the ancient olive trees on Israel’s terraced hillsides have witnessed centuries of human history. In ancient times, olive oil was used to cook, to light lamps, to lubricate, to heal, as soap/skin conditioner, a monetary symbol of trade, and to anoint kings and priests in religious ceremonies.

The oil-fueled lights of Hanukkah remind us of the historical events, the brave commitment to Torah, and the miracles of that period in Jewish history (Am Yisrael and Torat Yisrael), wherever we live in the world; however, lighting the Hanukiyah here in Israel provides us with yet another opportunity during the course of the year to emphasize the integral importance of Eretz Yisrael to every celebration of Jewish life.

Hanukkah Sameach,

Rabbi Morey Schwartz

Hashmaonaim

25December 2006 n Kislev/Tevet 5767 n Volume 4, Issue 1

Services

Home Appliance Repair• Air Conditioners • Dishwashers• Refridgerators • Washing Machines• Ovens • Dryers

Home and Commercial Repair and ServiceSkilled • Guaranteed • Quality Workmanship

Hezy Yosef050-5300822 08-975-0367

ANTARCTICA

Shimon’s ServicesShimon Zack Qualified Electrician

Superior ServiceNot on Shabbat Shimon Zack 24 HoursMobile: 052-295-3717, 057-735-3717

Tel.: 08-970-7194

lic. no, 056560

~ Shabbat clocks~ Upgrading to three-phase~ Ceiling fans~ Garden lighting~ Consultations

Raanan Satat

Golden Hands

I am the solution for: • repairs • installation of decorative fixtures • renovation • painting • plumbing and water heaters

I clean your empty apartmentbefore you move in

Free consultation in your homeReliable • Professional • PromptBids presented before work begins

050-535-5734

Tell our advertisers you saw their ad in



Kids’ PagesPeter Pan the LoserBy: Tsur West and Shmuel Boussidan, Sixth Grade

One day I was cruising on my ship when an ignorant little kid named Peter Pan showed up on my deck. I asked him nicely to leave but the kid flew up and attacked me. So what could I do? I blocked his blow, but he kicked me off my ship and that crocodile bit my arm off! My crew helped me up, but by then the kid was gone. I swore revenge on the kid and let my good friend Mr. Smee put a hook on my arm. I retired to my cabin and my ship sailed away never to be seen for the next five years.

FIVE YEARS LATERI returned to the island to take out my revenge on Peter Pan and goodness me, the kid showed up with three

more kids for his bloodthirsty group. So I ordered my men to shoot – just to bring them down, you know, but they flew away. Well, now I was really mad. And when I saw that stuck-up Indian Tiger Lily, well it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I went up to her and asked her, quite nicely, where Peter Pan’s hideout was, but she wouldn’t tell me. I just went away, dejectedly, and then that clumsy princess slipped in to the water. So, being an honorable man, I went down to help her and guess who showed up? Peter Pan again! And do you know what that kid called me? A codfish! Now I am usually a calm guy, but that is the one name that I hate most. So, I drew my sword and skewered his hat, but he grabbed the girl and flew away.

I returned to my ship feeling very down in the dumps. And then I saw those savages having a campfire with Peter Pan and his band! We quickly devised our plan (I only wanted to take out my revenge on Peter Pan, not on the rest of his friends). We had to keep his band away from him, so when they came out of that haunted tree they call a house, we gagged them and tied them up. Then I had a box with a bomb in it. I put it on top the house (just for decoration) but that clumsy Mr. Smee knocked it into the tree house. I dived for it, but missed. Quickly I ordered my men to run back to the ship.

Back at the ship, we heard a big explosion and we all thought that Peter Pan was dead. In his honor I declared a diving competition. You had to jump off the plank and into the water. The girl, Wendy, went first. She jumped, but in the air who should catch her? Peter Pan!

He drew his sword and attacked, all the while calling me a codfish. So, I was in a frenzy. I fought him till we got to the top of the mast. Then I viciously cut at him, missed and Peter Pan seizing the opportunity, grabbed the sword out of my hand. Without anything to do I surrendered. But then, suddenly the ship swayed and the flag fell on me. I staggered for words and fell into the water and instantly an alligator cop from the Crocodile Patrol caught me and put me in jail.

Since then I am there, though now I hear that they have put out another story, different to the one I told you now. So, what do you think? Is my story real or false?

Cinderella, the True StoryBy: Eli Kay and Ariel Mensh, Sixth Grade

I don’t know why the writer’s say I’m a bad stepmother. I only asked Cinderella to do some chores. I know she was the best in that kind of stuff. Her stepsisters were nasty to her. I admit it. I told them off all the time. When the invitation from the prince came, I was telling my daughters off and that’s why I didn’t let Cinderella come in the room. Once she came, I had to punish her. That’s why I said, “IF you finish your chores…” When the ball finished I was sad Cinderella didn’t come.

Once the officer came, I didn’t want to remind my daughters (including Cinderella) about the ball and that’s why I tripped the officer. Once Cinderella took her second shoe off, I was so shocked I didn’t talk. And that is the real true story of Cinderella.

P.S. We never agreed about the mice.

Fairytales from the Villain’s Point of View

Word MatchBy: Leah Hellerstein and Daniella Meltz, 4th and 3rd grades

Match the English/Yiddush words to the Hebrew words

Oil Nerot

Latkes Sivivon

Candles Shemen

Jelly donuts Nes

Miracle Livivot

Dreidle Sufganiot

Chanukiah

Candles

Donut

Dreidle

Eight

Gelt

Holiday

Latkes

Maccabees

Menorah

Miracle

Oil

Presents

Hanukkah Word FindBy: Ruth Hellerstein and Penina Meltz, 5th grade

P E N I N A N M E N O R A H R

R U T H C H O A M K L M A V B

C F C H A N U K I A H M I C E

V F G G N D A N R I E L L A I

S I R E D H A E A L S T L E G

E F A T L A M M C Y S O L L H

E T D F E A Y A L J B D F Y T

B H E G S T U F E D H S A D R

A D I W D C A R R Y O N D A N

C A V Y W Q O E B V L N D F Y

C M E U L T I Z H E I L U S T

A E I O N D L F G H D S F T B

M A R P L A T K E S A I J R D

A W T E G H Y R F D Y C G H J

H J T Y D E T P R E S E N T S

Happy Hanukkah



Modiin MamasBy: Aliza Sussman

Wednesday nights are no longer for preparing for Shabbat or lounging around for this group of Modiin women. Recently, a group of six women began traveling to and from Jerusalem to play flag football. The Women’s American Football League (WAFI) in Israel, has just signed up a team primarily from Modiin. Ziontours, led by Modiin’s own Ora Blank and Cindy Scarr, from Har Nof, is an unusual team in that its members travel the furthest and are the oldest in the league.

The AFI in Israel established its first women’s league in spring 2004. The league grew and now has 12 teams playing in the 2006-2007 fall-winter season. The league plays according to the NFL/EFAF flag football rules and on an artificial grass surface at Kraft Stadium in Jerusalem. The stadium was donated in 1999 by the New England Patriots owner, Robert Kraft.

Since the first game, the team has now grown to eight members. Some interesting statistics about the eight. Collectively, they are the mothers of 21 children. The ages of the team members range from 17-44. Many

Recipe CornerSportsof them have not touched a football in 20 years, but they are ferocious between the hash marks.

Now three games into the season, Ziontours is pretty good. Known as the “Modiin Mamas” on the field, they hold an impressive record of 1-2. After a bruising

defeat in week one which left one of their team members with a broken finger in three places, the team, led by quarterback Cindy Scarr, rebounded to win their second game of the season by a convincing score of 12-7. However, Young Judeas’ Hadassah Lions got the better of them to win the third game 21-6.

No matter. They are already preparing for next week’s game. Practices are hard to schedule in

between carpool pick ups, work and chugim for the kids. But, with strong support from their husbands, the women find time to fine tune their pigskin skills.

So, if you are looking for a local sports team to rally behind and cheer for, look no further than Ziontours. For more information on WAFI or the team’s standings, check out AFI’s website at http://www.israelfootball.net/wafi.asp.

The winners of this year’s school running competition for girls were Sarki Linden (6th grade) in first place, Nava Harel (5th grade) in second place and Lynn Sapaz (5th grade) in third place. The boys winners were Tamir Moskovitz in first place (5th grade), Ariel Falk (6th grade) in second place and Dolev Sassi (5th grade) and Omer Hershberg (4th grade) in third. The children will be running again in Jerusalem, in the Gan Sacher regional running competition! Yasher Koach.

School RaceBy: Caryn Meltz

Zebra CakeBy: Chavi Feldman and Ilana Katz of Tout Sweet 976-2423 or 976-7051

Ingredients7 eggs, separated 3/4 C. water or orange juice

1/2 C. oil 3 tsp. baking powder

1.5 C. sugar 1 tsp. almond extract

2 C. flour Dash salt

InstructionsPreheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spray a bundt or tube pan well with cooking spray.

Beat the egg whites until stiff. Add in the sugar. In a separate bowl, mix the egg yolks, salt, oil, water/OJ and almond. In a third bowl, sift the flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture and then fold the whole thing into the egg whites.

Combine half of that batter with:

1/4 C. sugar, 1/4 C. cocoa and 1/4 C. boiling water

Now pour a ladle full of chocolate batter into the pan. Then a ladle full of white batter into the chocolate batter. DO NOT MIX. Continue to pour in one batter into the other until no batter remains. Bake about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Invert onto a plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Freezes great!

No Fry Potato LatkesBy: Sara Augenbraun

Ingredients4 tsp. canola or olive oil, divided 1 egg and 2 egg whites (or 2 eggs), lightly beaten

4-5 medium Idaho potatoes (1 kg.) 1/4 cup flour (can use whole wheat)

1 medium onion 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 clove garlic (optional) 3/4 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. fresh dill (or 1 tsp. dried) 1/4 tsp. pepper

Instructions1. Place oven racks on lowest and middle positions. Preheat to 450 degrees Farenheit. Line two baking sheets with foil, spray with non-stick spray and brush each sheet with 1 tsp. oil to add a crispy texture to the latke.

2. Peel and grate potatoes in a food processor. Finely mince onion, garlic and dill. Add potatoes, eggs, and two tsp. oil. Process together using the pulse button. Add remaining ingredients and mix briefly. Do not over-process or potatoes will be too fine.

3. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Flatten slightly with the back of a spoon. Bake uncovered at 450 degrees for ten minutes or until bottoms are crispy. Turn over and turn baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes until brown. Best served immediately or keep in fridge and reheat for ten minutes.

Yields two dozen medium size or 6 dozen minis. Serve with applesauce, sour cream or yogurt. Freezes well.

Variations:To fry – don’t add oil to the latke mixture. Fry in a non-stick skillet.

Potato-apple latkes – Use three grated potatoes and one granny smith apple. Add 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Omit dill, garlic and pepper.

Sweet-potato Latkes – Prepare same as above but use one large sweet potato, two white potatoes, two eggs and two egg whites (or three eggs).



Candle Lighting

• Design• Planning

• Manufacturingbased on customers’ specifications

Furniture Carpentry Shop – Managed by TobiFurniture Carpentry Shop – Managed by Tobi

Kitchens • Bathroom Cabinets• Kid’s Rooms • Bedrooms• Home Office • Bookcases

• Walk-in ClosetsWe work with all materials, including:All types of woodsFournierFormicaMDFMelamine

All our furniture is created tomatch the client’s taste.

Please see our websitewww.r-s-t.co.il

Shilat Industrial Area(Home Center building across from Rami Levy)Tel: 08-976-2730 • Fax: 08-976-2721

ר.ש.טר.ש.ט“Rashat” r.s.t.“Rashat” r.s.t.

Classifieds • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Weekly/Monthly Rental in Buchman

Beautifully furnished 5 room apartment. Kosher kitchen, Jacuzzi,

cable TV.Ideal for visiting family.

08-9719826 or 0528-591344

THE AMERICAN PAINTERExperienced house and office painter

Quality work at reasonable pricesCall Michael: 054-672-0234

[email protected]

Landau’s Super Clean ChickensGlatt kosher meat, mehadrin chickens

Delivery to the Modiin area02-996-1575; 050-558-

0822; 050-767-0566www.landaus-chickens.com

DALIA’S DESIGNSProfessional dressmaker,

alterations on men’s and women’s clothing.

By appointment, not on Shabbat, 08-970-7194.

ANXIETY? DEPRESSION? Stress, Pain, Weight, Marital Difficulties?

Dr. Simcha Edward Sheldon Lic. Clinical Psychologist•Hypnotherapist

Lic. Marriage, Family & Child Therapist Brief • Effective • Caring • Confidential www.drsimcha.com – call:976-1056

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST for English/Hebrew speakers

Psychological and psychodidactic evaluations

Parent counselingPsychological treatment for children

Betty Dershowitz, Modiin 050-548-8064

RAM’S POLISH SERVICETop quality industrial, house/

apartment cleaning. Specializing in floor waxing, extermination, furniture

and carpet cleaningPrice is set before we start working

Yishuv Nili 08-920-1804/052-256- 6909

WATER AEROBICS, SWIMMING LESSONS AND

HYDROTHERAPY in Hashmonaim. For details call 08-9761013

between 7-9PM or email [email protected]

Searching for an apartment in Modiin to rent for the period around

Pesach 2007.Completely furnished, 3 bedrooms

and a kosher kitchen.Please contact Sharon, 054-2121072.

December 1/10 KislevParshat VaYetzeiCandle lighting: 16:14Shabbat ends: 17:14

December 8/17 KislevParshat VaYishlachCandle lighting: 16:15Shabbat ends: 17:14

December 15/24 KislevParshat VaYeshevShabbat Mevarchin/Shabbat HanukkahCandle lighting: 16:16Shabbat ends: 17:16

December 22/1 TevetParshat MiketzShabbat HanukkahCandle lighting: 16:19Shabbat ends: 17:19

Ad Deadline for the January issue is December 11

0612

Documents

Transcript of 0612