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.

I’d like to share with you a powerful letter (one of many) from a summer volunteer in Sderot.

There comes a moment in every one’s life when time stands still… I have always been told about moments where peoples lives “flash before their eyes” and hearts stop beating, and I have had experiences like that but not to such an intense degree.

An hour ago 5 Kassamim landed in Sderot.

I have the privilege this summer of volunteering in an ambulance in Sderot working as a medic as well as going door to door to different bomb shelters to find out what the citizens of Sderot need.After the day is over all the volunteers gather together to march through the streets of Sderot and sing songs on the top of their lungs like, “Am Yisrael Chai” (the nation of Israel is alive) and “Am HaNetzach Lo Mifached” (the eternal nation is not afraid) and dance throughout the streets of Sderot.

I wish I could accurately describe the emotions I felt as we danced and sang through the streets. Families ran to windows to see us.
People drove next to us and honked their horns to the beat of the song. Children came running to dance with us. And on their tired faces were smiles that penetrated the darkest alleys.Suddenly in the midst of a song there was a noise that I will never forget. It sounded like a car backfiring but your heart told you it was something else. Then came the alarm… “Tzevah Adom! Tzevah Adom!” (Code Red, Code Red).Over and over again.

We were walking with a group of high school students who had come to volunteer for the day. All the madrichim (group leaders) pushed the students against the wall of a building we were next to and had them huddle against each other with their hands above their heads and their feet pushed up against their chest. People who were driving on the streets stopped their car and left them running with the doors open as they ran for their lives looking for some form of shelter, be it a wall or a building.

From all around us people were running to find somewhere safe to go. There wasn’t a sound. The entire city of Sderot was holding their breath.From the moment you hear the alarm to the time the Kassamim falls you have 10-15 seconds to find safety. Everyone who comes into Sderot is given a Hadracha (lesson) on what to do when you hear that alarm.

While I was sitting in that class with other medics and were being taught the best way to move a body as quickly as possible while Kassamim are falling I remember thinking, “I refuse to believe that they really live like this”… Now I believe it. All of the students were huddled against the wall when we heard 3 more booms.

It was then that a child ran out into the street. Her mother began screaming her name while desperately trying to calm her other 2 children. I ran into the street, scooped up the little girl, and ran
back to the wall. It was at that moment that for me time stopped. As I pushed her body against the wall trying desperately to cover her shaking body with my own it occurred to me that if a kassam fell on me there would be nothing I could do to protect her precious, innocent, and tiny being.

I remember thinking, “there is nothing I can do to save this neshama (soul).” My heart stopped beating at the realization that I was completely powerless to protect this child.It was then that I felt 3 distinct emotions: A deep deep Anger, an explosive Hatred, and an Intense Pride.

My first thought was, “I will never forgive the people who are making my mishpacha (family) live like this”. My second thought was, “I deeply hate these people who have caused my mishpacha to hold their breaths in fear.” And my final thought was, “I am a part of this mishpacha.” Am Yisrael Chai.Suddenly there was silence and a madrich from the group screamed, “Am Yisrael Chai”.

Like a wave of energy and pride that crashes against the shore of a silent beach, everyone rose from their huddled position in a roar and began to dance and sing with all the energy they could possibly find. It was then that I understood the meaning of those words. As we sit there with our hands on our heads and our knees huddled up to our chins we are very much alive. Our hearts are beating and our energy is radiating.

Am Yisrael Chai.

That was my final thought as I tightly held the body of that shaking child. Am Yisrael Chai. We are very much alive.B’Kol Dor V’Dor, in every generation they will try to destroy us, and in every generation they will fail.We continued to dance throughout the city. A little girl ran up to me and tugged at my skirt. I bent down and threw her onto my shoulders.She shrieked in pure delight and my heart filled with a penetrating and radiating simcha that I have never felt. Am Yisrael Chai.

In the midst of the pain, in the midst or the terror, and in the midst of this war, children are laughing on the shoulders of others, people are dancing through the streets, and life moves on…5 Kassamim fell tonight in Sderot. 2 Israelis were injured and 7 are now in shock. There is a war going on in Israel. The people of Sderot cannot leave their homes without worrying. They cannot drive 2 meters without having to leave their cars and run for cover. They cannot live their normal everyday lives that we all take for granted. They are chayalim (soldiers) on the front lines of a battle we should all be fighting.

Close your eyes and imagine it was YOUR home, YOUR city, or YOUR family that was being threatened. Imagine that it was YOUR child that ran out into the street during a direct attack. Imagine it was YOUR
life that was being constantly threatened… What would you do? Would you move? You have nowhere to go and no money to take you there. Would you fight? The enemy is miles and miles away and the country is not taking an active stance to help you. You feel alone, powerless, and tired. What next? Am Yisrael IS AT WAR. There is no clearer way to say this. Your mishpacha is being attacked right now as we speak. “Their Problem” is “YOUR PROBLEM”.

Communities throughout the Jewish world are moved by the plight of Israelis living on the front line in Sderot and are looking for ways to help. Connections Israel is looking to strengthen the connection between Diaspora communities and schools and Sderot’s besieged citizens through educational and solidarity projects.

This holiday, Connections Israel plans to deliver a holiday gift basket to every family in Sderot (10,000 families in total) with a letter of support from a Jewish family overseas. This project will connect families and communities in a major expression of Jewish unity.

Every Diaspora community’s name and contribution will be marked in a major exhibit that will take place in Sderot after before Purim and will show the support, care and solidarity from the Jews around the world.

Contact your community leader to promote this event.

Urge other caring families to join this project !!!

Write a warm greeting card to a family in Sderot - make it personal ! add a picture and a blessing for the holiday and mail it to us.

If you like you can donate a holiday gift basket ($36) and your letter will be included.

Contact us for any information or guidance.

For more information Download the project PDF HERE .

Read a moving and powerful testimony.

Take action - sponsor a gift basket.

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Communities throughout the Jewish world are moved by the plight of Israelis living on the front line in Sderot and are looking for ways to help them. Connections Israel is offering to strengthen the connection between Diaspora communities and schools and Sderot’s besieged citizens with educational and solidarity projects.

This Rosh Hashanah & Hanukkah, Connections Israel plans to deliver a holiday gift basket to every family in Sderot with a letter of support from a Jewish family overseas. Copies of the letters will be displayed in an exhibit in Sderot and venues around Israel. This project will connect families and communities in a major expression of Jewish unity.

Connections Israel Director Adi Friedman explains the motivation behind the Rosh Hashanah campaign: “The people of Sderot are living in fear of daily attack by Kassam rockets from Gaza. They feel that Jews around the world do not care about their plight - they feel totally alone and forgotten. Our Rosh Hashanah campaign will provide a major injection of support from their ‘extended Jewish family’ overseas, helping them to feel more positive about facing the New Year.”

Adi and his partner, Mordechai Cohen, who founded the Connections Israel organization in 1998, believe that educating Jews outside Israel about the reality of the situation in Israel is an important goal in itself.

“We work with schools and communities to help them understand what is going on behind the news headlines that they see – how it feels to serve in the Israeli army or to plan your life so as to stay close to the nearest bomb shelter. When communities understand and identify with Israelis, they want to reach out and give them a hug. Our Rosh Hashanah & Hanukkah Gift Baskets project is about helping them to express their support.”

Connections Israel is an independent educational non-profit organization which works to strengthen the connection between Jewish communities and schools around the world and Israel’s citizens and soldiers. Connections Israel provides educational programs for schools and shuls, as part of the process of fostering relationships between Diaspora Jews and Israelis. Last year, 80 schools and communities sent over 3,000 gifts to soldiers and victims of terror attacks, and the donors received thank you letters and photographs from the recipients.

To find out more about the Connections Israel Rosh Hashanah Project and arrange to interview Adi and others involved, contact adi@connectionsisrael.com or call 972-54-3452566.

www.connectionsisrael.com

Adi Friedman - Connections Israel’s managing director will address the NATE conference on July 8th in the Sheraton Hotel in Jerusalem.

The NATE conference is a 3 week convention of N. America reform educators that is hosted by the Lokey International Academy of Jewish Studies in Haifa.

Connections Israel will present its educational programs implemented in the US schools.