Mazel tov! Your child has reached the age of Jewish adulthood, having become a bar or bat mitzvah, and is now considered ready to assume Jewish responsibilities. Family and friends will celebrate this milestone with you and the occasion will be marked with festivities, as it should be, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

In contrast, in Sderot, owing to the ongoing rocket attacks, in addition to issues of security and compromised emotional well being, the community as a whole is suffering from a depressed economy. As a result, many of the children becoming bar or bat mitzvah like your child, will have no positive memories to cherish for a lifetime. Friends and relatives will not gather to mark the occasion for fear of venturing too far away from a bomb shelter or protected environment. There will be no festivities as few can afford to celebrate, with their livelihoods largely obliterated owing to the ongoing terrorist attacks. Many do not even have the money to buy their children the requisite religious items such as teffilin, tallit and a siddur. Feeling abandoned and forgotten, this exciting milestone has been transformed into another experience of disappointment, parental ineptitude, and overall depression.

Share a Simcha has been designed to benefit both your child and the needy children of Sderot. By partnering with the bar and bat mitzvah community of Sderot, you can enable a group bar/bat mitzvah celebration to be celebrated. You can create joyous memories of this important occasion and break the cycle of depression. You can assist the struggling families in acquiring the same ritual objects your children will be receiving. Nothing solidifies Jewish identity like Jewish action! Begin your child’s Jewish adulthood with a Jewish act and Share a Simcha today!

A sponsored child will receive 2 months of personal weekly training, a brand new set of Teffilin, Talit and a Siddur.

On the special day a new wardrobe will be given (shoes, pants /skirt, shirt) and a group ceremony will take place in the morning.

Later that day, family and friends will attend the festive celebration with food, music, a photographer and more.

Contribute some of your child’s bar/bat mitzvah gift money, or make a donation in his/her honor for this very important program.

Full package for one child: $1800 (includes Teffilin, Talit, Siddur, new clothes and a festive meal for family & friends)

Festive celebration for family and friends: $700
Teffilin: $ 500
2 months of lessons: $300
Set of clothes and shoes: $250
Tallit: $ 50
Siddur: $ 18

Click here to sponsor

Spending time in Israel means different things to different people.

A Connections Israel day trip brings it all together! It combines adventure, chessed and education through a hands on field trip experience. This trip includes visiting an army base, picking produce in the fields with Table to Table and finally, not just visiting but connecting to Sderot.

Meet the people:

• The IDF - Life on base: How do they train ? What is life like in the army ?

• The people of Sderot - Life under fire: What is life really like ? How are they coping ?

Seeing is believing:

• Explore the training courses our soldiers master, maybe even try one yourself!

• Visit Sderot and interact with the local residents. See the news for yourself!

It is better to give than to receive:

• Pick produce from the fields that will be distributed to the needy.

• Personalize and distribute gift baskets and letters to our soldiers and Sderot families.

Our missions bring the news to life as you experience army life on an IDF base, interact with the people of Sderot and their daily struggles and connect to the needs of the Israeli farmers and their cry for working hands.

Connecting means getting up close and personal!

Coming to Israel means different things to different people. Whether you are spending the year in Israel, visiting families and friends, celebrating a simcha or just vacationing, our hands on mission will make your trip memorable!

Reservations need to be made at least a month in advance as we must coordinate with the army and other security agencies.

Join an existing group or create your own group mission.

For details contact us.

After meeting with a few organizations and key people in Sderot, Connections Israel has decided to direct funds towards a wonderful new program called Shabbat Shalom. The goal of this project is to empower the families of Sderot. “It is better to give than to receive.” Shabbat Shalom enables the residents of Sderot to give instead of only receive.

Each month, hundreds of individuals and families request to visit Sderot. While the Sderot community is warm and welcoming, they are unable to financially support the large numbers of people who want to come and show their support.

Currently 100-150 individuals are being hosted every Shabbat in Sderot and the plan is to increase this number by 1/3. In other words, an additional 30 families from around the country will now be hosted by local families for Shabbat!

Hosting a family is complicated as well as financially taxing when taking into account the depressed economic situation of the area. To address this demand, an eight room complex will be rented and refurbished in order to house these Shabbat guests in addition to the home hospitality already available.

Also, each host family will receive a voucher that will be redeemable in the local stores to cover the additional food costs for Shabbat meals. The indirect benefit to this is the way in which it boosts the local economy, in addition to enabling the local residents to give to others.

During Shabbat, the visitors will be exposed to the people and the community while having the opportunity to attend lectures and engage in various other educational and cultural programs.

This program has already been piloted in one area of the community. Participants in this pilot project have reported an increase in self esteem, something positive to look forward to, and renewed strength and conviction to remain in Sderot. Now, not only individual families will be able to participate in this project, but entire communities will be able to come as a group.

This will help new friendships to develop and reciprocal invitations to be extended.

Connections Israel will play a major role in supporting this program for the next 12 months.

Even from a distance, you can be a part of Shabbat Shalom and participate in the mitzvah of Hachnasat orchim, welcoming guests. The cost of hosting one family is $150.

All donations are greatly appreciated!  - Click here to sponsor a family!

After an extremely competitive game the boys of the the Ashar Hockey Team (Monsey, New York) and Westchester Day School Hockey Team (New Rochelle, New York) stood together “united” for the people of Sderot.

These two teams, involved in greater New York and New Jersey Yeshiva floor hockey leagues put all school pride aside, as di d many other area teams,  all banding together as one for the “Unite for Sderot Hockey Project.” 

Players from each participating team in this unique chessed project, helped raise a combined $10,000 in donations for Sderot thru Connections Israel.

For more information on the project including the list of yeshiva hockey teams who participated visit www.asharhockey.com.

We would like to present and encourage you to participate in our Yom Haaztmaut Project: HUG SDEROT.

Send your school’s/community’s 30-60 second video greeting and blessing to the over 10,000 families in Sderot.

Connections Israel is gathering the 30-60 seconds videos of 100’s of Communities and schools Worldwide.

These videos will be combined in a video montage to be distributed to each of the over 10,000 families in Sderot and will be displayed on large screens in town, in local shops and malls around the city and on the local TV channel.

We look forward to counting you in on Project: HUG SDEROT.

Sponsorship of the project and distribution of the CD’s to the families is available.

To view our inspiring films, go to: http://connectionsisrael.com/photos-movies/movies-in-action

For more information or to become involved, email us at: HugSderot@connectionsisrael.com

On March 27th 2008, Team Connections will participate in the 16th Jerusalem Half Marathon with all proceeds going to the families of Sderot.

Team Connections is the endurance sports training and fundraising program, benefiting the Connections Israel organization. The program is a fantastic way to get in shape, train and join a great group of people who care about the future of Israel. Team Connections Israel members commit to raise money which helps alleviate the suffering of victims of terrorism in Israel.

We invite you to run through the wonderful and magnificent scenery of Jerusalem.

It has already been said in the Scriptures that one should ”mount to Jerusalem”, the city of glory.

Join hundreds of dedicated runners who yearly come to the luminous city of Jerusalem and enjoy its clear air, impressive history, ambiance and heritage.

For more info visit: http://runforsderot.connectionsisrael.com/

Express your Jewish Solidarity

Connections Israel would like to invite you/your school/community to participate in an exhibition that will reflect the solidarity of Jews around the world for the people of Sderot.

This Jewish Solidarity Exhibition will begin next December (Chanukah) in the city of Sderot and then move to other cities in Israel and, with appropriate sponsorship, around the world. The exhibition is an outgrowth of the ongoing efforts of Connections Israel to raise the awareness and sensitivity of Jews living outside of Israel of their brothers and sisters in Israel.

All participating works of art in each high school will be directed and judged by the art teacher and the winning piece will be sent to the exhibition in Israel. Digital photos of the rest of the projects should be e-mailed to us and will also be presented in the exhibition.

A round trip to Israel will be given to the (artist who creates the) best over all drawing in the exhibition.

If you are an artist - e-mail us a picture of your personal artwork and a few words about it.

Preview this inspirational presentation about Jewish Solidarity and show it to your students to help them connect to this project.

All letters/pictures/drawings must reach our office no later then the 1st of December.

Download the detailed program.

Contact us for any information or guidance.

Joe Teplow and Netanel Shafier, two teenagers from Teaneck, don’t know anyone who lives in the southern Israel town of Sderot. Nonetheless, the town is much on their minds these days. “It’s really important to show the people of Sderot that we care,” says Netanel.

Sderot has been struck by thousands of Qassam rockets, killing and injuring many people. That’s why Joe, 16, and Netanel, 17, and their friend, Zev Hait, have chosen it as the beneficiary of the charity roller hockey tournament they’re organizing at Joe’s school, SAR High School in Riverdale. Netanel attends Torah Academy of Bergen County, and Zev also attends SAR.

The Skate for Sderot 3-on-3 Roller Hockey Tournament is scheduled for March 30.

“The way the tournament works, the teams go out and raise money themselves,” says Joe. It costs each three-person team $200 to enter, and then they can also raise more money from parents, grandparents, and friends. All proceeds from the tournament will go to Connections Israel, a non-profit organization that sponsors multiple programs to aid Sderot’s citizens financially and psychologically. In September, the group gave out holiday gift baskets donated by communities from around the world to 10,000 families in Sderot in a show of solidarity, care, and support.

What do they hope to accomplish? “We want to raise awareness of Sderot,” says Netanel. “We also want to show that kids can start their own thing that can grow into something big.”

For more info contact Josh - jaytee181818@gmail.com or info@connectionsisrael.com

Sponsor a team

Taken from http://www.jstandard.com/articles/3411/1/Teens-use-roller-hockey-to-raise-money-for-Sderot 

2nd day of Chanukah.
20 buses from across Israel.
1,500 Chanukiot to lighten the homes of the Sderot families.
2,000 Sufganiot and holiday gift baskets distributed.
3,000 participants in this show of solidarity that will conclude with a musical event.

Join Connections Israel In Sderot This Chanukah!

Sderot, which is home to a large population of Jewish immigrants from around the world, is only 1/2 a mile from the Gaza border. The families in Sderot live with the daily threat of rocket attacks. Over 6,000 missiles have been launched at this small city during the past 7 years.

These families need to know that they have not been abandoned.

On Wednesday December 5, 2007 the 2nd day of Chanukah when the candles will shine in all Jewish Houses we will go to Sderot with hundreds of volunteers.

This Chanukah we will be returning to Sderot along with three bands performing in the streets on large open trucks. Join us as we go into the neighborhoods and sing with the families. Over 2,000 sufganiot and chocolate coins will be distributed.

Hundreds of family gift baskets will be distributed, when the volunteers join the Sderot families in lighting candles in their homes.

We will conclude the day’s activities with a candle lighting ceremony, lighting the Chanukia made from Kassam shells, and a huge musical event with Aaron Razel and his Band.

We would love for you to personally join us as we make this distribution ,contact 052-5665953 , 052-4767159 - for subsidized bus rides.

If you cannot join us in person, then join us in spirit. Adopt some of these families by writing personal letters to families in Sderot.

In addition, please sponsor some of these Chanukah gift baskets, at only $36 each you will have a tremendous impact on their morale. View the inspiring film made of Connections Israel’s Rosh Hashanah distribution here .

The people of Sderot and Connections Israel extend a large thank you, in advance, for the warm hugs that you will be giving to these families.

Donate online and sponsor a gift basket for a family.

Download the event flyer HEBREW | ENGLISH

For more info contact us at: info@connectionsisrael.com

Israel - (972) 2 6235266 | US - (201) 984-5715

The event is partially sponsored by the organizations Table to Table and Afikim Banegev.

In a moving meeting before delivering hundreds of Gift Baskets before Rosh Hashana, the mayor of Sderot expressed his appreciation for project Sderot.

“Connections Israel is serving as a vehicle between the Jews abroad and the families in Sderot, we truly feel that communities and individuals around the world care and think about us”.

“I urge you to keep up these efforts - they mean to us more then you can ever imagine”.

Click here for a copy of his letter.