January 2009

When Operation Cast Lead initially began, many Jewish leaders delayed holding pro-Israel rallies and demonstrations, afraid it would appear as "triumphalism" in the wake of Palestinian defeats. But as pro-Hamas voices became more strident, many decided it was time to hold events stressing Israel’s desire for peace.

The type of events were as varied as people holding them. There were noisy demonstrations, representing not only public support for Israel but coalition-building among the many groups interested in fighting terror.

There was also the nearly ubiquitous fundraising.

Orthodox-Jewish groups throughout the world not only rallied and raised funds for Israel, but also turned to prayer, launching a worldwide effort to provide IDF troops with spiritual support.

"Operation Tefillah, Torah, and Troops" was initially a project of Rabbi Simcha HaCohen Kook, the Chief Rabbi of Rehovot; and the Bostoner Rebbe, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Horowitz, of Har Nof. They sought to pair individual Israeli soldiers with Jews around the world, each of whom would be responsible for saying prayers (tefillot), learning Torah, and performing special acts of kindness (chesed) on behalf of the soldier.

The efforts of Rabbis Kook and Horowitz were endorsed by the revered Rav Chaim Kanievsky and are being facilitated by Rabbi Pesach Lerner, executive director of the National Council of Young Israel.

The idea of Jews not directly engaged in the war working on behalf of those who are has been part of Jewish tradition for thousands of years. According to Jewish tradition, when Moses led the Israelites to war with the Midianites and when King David went into battle, each Jew who served as a soldier had a designated person on the home-front responsible for praying and learning on his behalf.

In 2006, more than 50,000 Jews throughout the world participated in Operation Tefillah, Torah, and Troops during the Second Lebanon War against Hezbollah.

To participate in the project and receive the name of an Israeli soldier in need of prayer, send a email to Rabbi Kook at maortlmo@gmail.com or call NCYI at 212-727-9526. IDF troops seeking "partners" can also contact Rabbi Kook.

Rabbis Lerner and Kook stressed that partners do not have to be Orthodox or even observant and that the type of prayer should be one that makes the individual "comfortable."

"Every tefillah said on behalf of a soldier will make a difference. Each soldier putting his or her life on the line to defend the land of Israel and safeguard the Jewish nation deserves to have someone praying for his or her wellbeing and safe return. Every Jew is encouraged to participate in this critical endeavor," said Rabbi Lerner.

In that spirit, at the beginning of January, for perhaps the first time ever, a chapter of Psalms was read aloud on behalf of the Israeli war effort during prime-time on IDF Army Radio.

The program, "The Last Word," usually consists of humorous-political banter between religious-nationalist host, Kobi Arieli, and the left-wing-secularist, Avri Gilad. Last month, Mr. Arieli announced that he had received "countess" text and email messages asking him to recite Psalm 20 on behalf of the ground troops. Mr. Gilad said he, too, had received such a request.

Almost tongue-in-cheek, saying it was to "stop this flood" of messages, Messrs Arieli and Gilad agreed to recite together the Psalm, which calls on G-d to listen "in the day of trouble" to those who put their faith in Him and call on Him.

They acknowledged that their listening audience "probably contains many people right now who are rubbing their ears in disbelief."

One who certainly approved was columnist Michael Freund, who called prayer "the most powerful weapon in our arsenal."

"The Biblical commentators tell us that Psalm 20 was recited in Jerusalem when the Jewish people went out to war against their enemies," he explained.

IDF Chief Rabbi Avi Ronsky thought enough of prayer to come to the Gaza front lines the night after the ground offensive began to bless the soldiers began they entered battle. Rabbi Ronsky served as a former commander in an elite command unit and fought in the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

Noting that rabbis throughout Israel and the Diaspora have asked for daily prayers and Psalms on behalf of Israel’s troops, Arutz Sheva-Israel National News added English subtitles to a video of Rabbi Ronsky blessing the troops so that viewers could pray together with the IDF chief rabbi for the success of the Gaza operation to halt terrorism.

"Answer ‘Amen’ after the chief rabbi’s prayer," said Arutz Sheva editor Baruch Gordon.

It can be accessed at http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/129232#replies.

Another suggestion offered by Rabbi Lerner included scheduling special tefillah gatherings in support of the State of Israel, the members of its armed forces, and the Israeli people.

"Continue to recite the tefillot for the IDF and Medinat Yisrael on a daily basis," he said, urging those who want to participate to visit www.youngisrael.org to view the tefillot.

In addition, a prayer composed by Rav Mordechai Eliyahu can be found at http://www.israelnationalnews.com/SendMail.aspx?print=print&type=0&item=129189.

Those who want to learn Torah, especially as it applies to the current situation, might want to link to the 35-minute inspiring shiur delivered by Rabbi Yisroel Reisman. Every Saturday evening, Rabbi Reisman gives a shiur, which is available by satellite at venues across the country.

The shiur given on Sat, January 3, can be accessed at http://www.s213209882.onlinehome.us/r01039dist.wmv.

Another way to help Israel’s cause was the brainchild of Marek Bibichkov, a former advisor to Israeli President Shimon Peres and former Prime Minister, now Defense Minister, Ehud Barak. Mr. Bibichkov maintains a blog in Russian that receives more than 20,000 hits each day, mostly from the Former Soviet Union.

Mr. Bibichkov suggested that all pro-Israel bloggers counter the efforts of left-wing media by explaining why Israel is striking Gaza.

Several hours after he made his suggestion, there was a plethora of pro-Israel blog-sites in English, Belarusian, and Spanish.

Tzvi Fishman, a popular Israeli columnist who, before making aliyah in 1984, was a successful Hollywood screenwriter, asked Jews, "far away from the ‘red alert’ sirens and falling rockets," to donate money.

"If Diaspora Jews give up their expensive winter vacations to the Caribbean, to Disney World, to Hawaii, to Aspen, to Florence, and the South of France, the money contributed to Israel could provide the IDF with enough fuel, bombs, and reserve manpower to annihilate the terrorist haven in Gaza, once and for all, and thus make Israel a truly safe haven for all the world’s Jews," he said.

On the occasion of his birthday this year, Mr. Fishman asked that well-wishers make a contribution to the organization "Thank Israeli Soldiers," which has an arrangement with the IDF to send gift packages. The website is www.thankisraelisoldiers.com.

"I am personally going to deliver these packages to injured soldiers in the hospitals and also get them transported to soldiers on the front lines," said Mr. Fishman, whose goal is to accumulate 180 packages.

The packages, which start at $18, can be ordered through the website or Mr. Fishman. He can be reached on his New York number in Israel, 646-415-8678. His email is tzvimail@aol.com.

"Please, thank an Israeli soldier today. They are fighting with their very lives," he said.

Those who feel more extravagant can contact Torat Reva Yerushalayim, which, for $54, also puts together a care package full of goodies for recovering soldiers.

Spokeswoman Sharona Margolin Halickman asked that those who contribute also "take a moment to write a note to the recovering soldier that we will include in your package."

The organization will get back to donors with the name of the soldier to whom the package and note was given.

"When you say Tehillim for the injured soldiers, you will know that you had a direct impact on their wellbeing," said Ms. Halickman.

The website can be accessed at http://www.toratreva.org/Joomla/index.php.

All Jews in Israel on Wed., Jan 21, have been asked to take an hour and donate blood to Magen David Adom in its "Sharing for Life Blood Drive."

"There’s no more meaningful way to do something hands-on to help all Israelis," said Jonathan Feldstein, a former resident of Teaneck who made aliyah and works for American Friends of Magen David Adom.

Those who want to participate in the drive, should come to the King David Hotel in Jerusalem between 5 and 8pm, with a driver’s license, passport, or an Israeli identity card.

For more information, Mr. Feldstein can be reached in Israel at 057-761-4220.

David Siegel of Teaneck is hoping some supporters of Israel will take advantage of the opportunity offered by Sar-El, an organization that allows volunteers to work at army bases throughout Israel.

"Behind every soldier on the front lines, there are many more citizens performing very important roles in support, which enables the soldier to perform more effectively and safely. As many soldiers have been forced to the front line, others have taken their places at checkpoints and other duties. There is a tremendous need for volunteers to fill roles left vacant by the sudden need for trained army personnel," he said.

An attorney, he is untroubled by the notion of undertaking menial tasks, such as sorting uniforms or discarding old materials to make room for new.

"It is necessary work that we can perform in service to the people and state of Israel," he said.

Mr. Siegel has been in touch with Sar-El and has learned that the need is indeed real.

He is hoping to encourage people to fly with him to Israel for this purpose for a week or even longer. Because the primary cost is the airfare, he is hoping to secure discounted rates for those who want to go.

To find out more, the website is www.vfi-usa.org.

Mr. Siegel can be reached at DSiegel@niagroup.com.

"We have an opportunity to play an active role in service to our people," he said.

Zvi Landsman, another Teaneck resident who made aliyah, has another concern. A small-business consultant in Israel, he is hoping that between the economic crisis and the war, investors will not be afraid to remain involved financially in Israel.

"Obviously, we’re not in a good bargaining position now, but you know that Israel will prevail, that goods are being produced and that services are being rendered. Some of the usual workforce may be doing Reserve duty at the moment, and others may be monitoring the news a bit closer than usual, but there are still bills to be paid, so the show must go on," he said.

As a consultant with Job Shuk, Israel’s freelance and business network, Mr. Landsman offers free consultations to anyone considering hiring a freelancer or outsourcing, "commercial or private, individual or team, big or small."

"We’ll help you find the best solution for your needs. Remember, the highest form of tzedaka is helping someone earn an honest living," he said.

Mr. Landsman can be reached at zvi@jobshuk.com. The website is http://JobShuk.com.

About a week before Operation Cast Lead began, Dan Peguine began using Twitter, an Internet program, to help people understand how often rockets were hitting southern Israel in the Western Negev.

Within three days, 600 followers had signed up.

He then took the idea to the larger social network FaceBook, where he started QassamCount, letting people there who sign up know when each Qassam hits.

Within the first three days of operation, 10,000 people were involved.

"When you live in Tel Aviv and you read at the end of the day that ‘20 Qassams hit Sderot, Ashkelon,’ you do not really understand what it means to live through this. So by having a feed that pops up every time a Qassam hits, I thought it would be a good way to convey this," he said.

Using the Internet works, he said, because it reaches audiences "that are not usually aware of the situation in Israel."

"We hope to bring to the world’s attention the fact that Hamas fires rockets at Israel daily," he said.

He is not alone on the Internet. The Jewish Internet Defense Force (JIDF) is another group actively fighting antisemitism and terrorism on-line.

Active since 2000, JIDF functioned at first through email campaigns. Now its members operate on various web sites, discussing Israel and Jewish issues.

"When it comes to bias against Israel, it’s very easy for our enemies to be on the constant attack," said JIDF’s spokesman, known only as "David." He said he has received death threats after he started JIDF.

He characterized his organization as "one of the most cutting-edge pro-Israel advocacy organizations," effectively using email, Twitter, Myspace, Facebook, YouTube, DIGG, Del.icio.us, and other areas of the web in order to spread important news and information about Israel.

"This work is especially important during times of war," he said.

He began his organization after years of frustration, trying to get the Jewish establishment to "do things differently, that is efficiently, effectively, and in an innovative manner."

"In this day and age, we feel that clear, concise, direct, and honest messages are very important, and we want our people to know exactly where we stand on the issues," he said.

JIDF’s job was made easier this time around when, as soon as Operation Cast Lead began, the IDF itself began an Internet presence, making use of YouTube and a blog to post official army videos and information about the situation in Gaza.

Before the first week, the IDF’s YouTube site had 11,500 subscribers, and its videos had been seen more than 750,000 times.

"David" said he was pleased to see that Israel itself was taking an active on-line role. He said the videos, which show secondary explosions, as well as those which feature photos of Israel’s humanitarian efforts for the Palestinians in Gaza "have had a major impact."

"Israel and the Jewish people have always faced bias in the media," he said, citing antisemitism and a false perception of Israel as an aggressor.

To keep the group’s activities going, David is now asking for donations, even though JIDF is not a tax-deductible organization.

"If we were a 501c, we would probably have to alter our message, and we don’t want to do that," he said, adding that even "$5 per month could keep us going strong."

His website can be accessed at http://www.thejidf.org. There is a "Support the JIDF" section on the left-hand side.

"Only support us if you truly believe in what we are doing," he said. "If you have any thoughts, questions, suggestions, or would just like to correspond, please to not hesitate to contact me, as another major difference is our personalized approach. Each one of our members and supporters is infinitely valuable to us, no matter how you show your support."

Another website was also established to help Israel win the media war being waged against it and its campaign to halt the daily rocket fire by Hamas on the Jewish state and its citizens. The site, http://www.helpuswin.org, provides ways to contact the media "in an effective way, using your own virtual presence to assist in disputing the negative information that is being printed about Israel in the world press."

Also on-line is Project Solidarity Messages for Sderot, which is geared towards helping participants understand just how little time the people of Sderot and all of Southern Israel and the Western Negev have to react each time a rocket is fired at them.

Project SMS enables people to receive a real-time text message whenever a rocket is fired at Sderot or anywhere in Israel.

To subscribe, go to www.smsderot.org or www.youngisrael.org.

While many Jews faulted the establishment organizations, such as the Jewish Agency, for not doing enough to help families in Sderot all along, as soon as Israel’s operation in Gaza began, the Jewish Agency announced that it opened a Victims of Terror Fund to issue checks to individuals families. People who have been physically injured or whose homes were badly damaged in rocket attacks are eligible for assistance.

Another Jewish Agency project is respite for youth living in the areas under attack. According to spokesman Jacob Dallal, the agency has been providing day and overnight activities to keep the area’s 8,000 young people out of rocket range.

"Now that Hamas has lengthened the reach of its rockets, the children in this program now number in the tens of thousands," he said.

In addition, for a cost of $53 per day per child, the agency will take the children on trips, such as a recent visit to Jerusalem.

According to Mr. Dallal, approximately 370 families have offered to host families from the south, with additional offers pouring in every day.

About 150 children participate in Net@, a Jewish Agency computer-training program for high school students in Sderot, Ashkelon, and Beersheba. These children are being hosted at the homes of other Net@ families in the center and north of the country.

With schools cancelled in order to keep children out of danger zones, the Jewish Agency has partnered with several Israeli companies, including Amdocs Israel and Electra, to purchase computers and deliver them to families in need so that children can continue their studies.

The art of letter-writing is also making a comeback for Israel’s supporters, who have been asked to write letters-to-the-editor of newspapers, magazines, and other outlets, protesting biased media coverage of the war in Gaza. Jewish leaders suggested that those who wished to participate in this way contact organizations such as CAMERA, Honest Reporting, and Take a Pen, which monitor the media and help the public contact media outlets in a professional and useful manner.

Writing to elected officials was also suggested, asking Congressmen and Senators to support Israel’s defense of its citizens.

Rabbi Lerner said it was important, too, to call the Israeli Embassy at 202-364-5500 and the White House at 202-456-1111 or 202-456-1414.

"Express your support for Israel’s right to defend her people against acts of terrorism," he said.

And there were rallies. At the beginning, Hamas supporters recognized the value of holding demonstrations on Saturday afternoons, precluding the presence of Sabbath observers who often make up the bulk of those who participate.

On Tuesday, January 6, several organizations combined to hold a large demonstration at noon across from the Israeli Consulate at 2^nd Avenue and 42^nd Street in Manhattan.

The participating organizations included Act for America, Aish HaTorah, AMCHA-Coalition for Jewish Concerns, Americans for a Safe Israel, Betar, Coalition for Israel, The David Project, Fuel for Truth, Global Hindu Heritage Foundation, Hasbara Fellowships, Hindu Human Rights Watch, Indian American Intellectuals, Jewish Action Alliance, Jewish National Fund, Mothers against Terrorism, National Council of Young Israel, North American Coalition of Ethiopian Jews, Riverdale Jewish Community Council, Students for Peace in the Middle East, Westchester Jewish Conference, Yeshiva University Center for the Jewish Future, and the Zionist Organization of America.

The keynote speaker was Robert Spencer, director of Jihad Watch, a Muslim-extremist monitoring website, and the author of eight books on Islam and jihad.

At this rally, Jews were joined not only by Christian groups, but also by Indian activists.

American-Hindu activist, Satya Dosapati, of central New Jersey, urged Indian-Americans to come to the rally, reminding them that "Jewish people, along with other groups, have joined in large rallies in support of India after the Mumbai attacks."

"Thousands of rockets have been launched into Israel by Hamas, and Israel has a right to defend itself. We should commend Israel, a tiny nation—as small as Goa in India—that has stood up to terrorism from all sides, from those who harbor intentions to destroy it," he said.

He reminded his supporters that the kind of terror Israel faces is "nothing new to us."

"In spite of giving away so much in attempts at appeasement, we continue to lose thousands of soldiers and civilians. In just the last four years, the number of lives India lost to terrorism is second only to Iraq," he said.

"The time has come for us all to join hands and face the dread of radical Islam, which, if it succeeds in its intentions to Islamize the whole world, will strip away our human rights, treat women as second-class citizens, and out the world back into its barbaric medieval period," he said.

There was also a Hindu presence among the 2,000 demonstrators at a pro-Israel rally on January 4 in Miami, organized by Shalom International.

"We could have had even more people if we had met later in the day, after church, when our Christian supporters would have joined us," said Bob Kunst, one of the organizers.

Later in the day, many of those participating were watching the local Miami Dolphins football team in the playoffs.

"While the Dolphins lost, we were already planning the next rally in Broward County the following week," said Mr. Kunst.

His group’s emblem contains the words "Defend and Destroy" and features the Israeli and American flags.

On the Shabbat before the pro-Israel rally, there had been a violent pro-Hamas demonstration. Some of the mostly Muslim demonstrators threatened, despite heavy police presence, to disrupt the pro-Israel event, but, instead, about 150 of them showed up and quickly retreated to the Israeli Consulate, several blocks away.

A Chabad bus reportedly tailed the pro-Hamas group.

The Miami pro-Israel rally featured a motorcycle contingent, Holocaust survivors, six major rabbis, and Miami Mayor Matti Bower.

In addition to the Hindus, the demonstrators included the head of the Hispanic coalition and members of the Christian and African-American communities.

Mr. Kunst said the rally was a message to President-elect Barack Obama. "Do not back away from Israel or appease the terrorists, who were the same people dancing in the streets after 9-11 and who also voted for Hamas to do its 10,000 rockets and are now suffering the consequences," said Mr. Kunst.

To support Mr. Kunst and his organization, Shalom International, go to www.defendjerusalem.net. Mr. Kunst can be reached at 305-864-5110.

In Nashville, TN, Christian supporters of Israel are expected to far outnumber Jews at a rally on Jan 11 sponsored by the non-profit group Proclaiming Justice to the Nations (PJTN). The rally was to "promote the end of Islamofascism and the terrorist group Hamas’s control in Gaza."

The purpose of the rally is to "call our community to prayer; call for an immediate cessation of the organization, Hamas, and all their activities, including bombings; call for the immediate cessation of using women and children as human shields; to stop using schools, hospitals, universities, and government buildings to launch their reign of terror on innocent civilians; and using charity to hide their hideous ideology; to call on people of conscience to condemn Hamas and their supporters as they watched over 10,000 bombs reign down on civilians in Israel; to call on our government to help the Palestinians who want peace to find a non-terror sponsor to represent their people; to thank Israel for their continued humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian victims of Hamas terrorism; and to remind Israelis and the Jewish community worldwide of the State of Tennessee’s unwavering commitment to stand with them in their war on terror."

Those participating are asked to bring Israel and US flags and placards with slogans such as: "Israel sends humanitarian aid; Hamas sends missiles;" "Tennessee loves Israel;" and "Where was the outcry for peace from the Muslim community during the last 2½ years?"

Other rallies across the country can be located through StandWithUs, whose website has ideas for educating neighbors and friends as well as for banners and signs for demonstrations.

"Please help educate your surrounding community about the war crimes of Hamas, about the rockets that have terrorized the Israeli citizens of Sderot and Ashdod," said a Stand With Us spokesman.

The website can be accessed at www.standwithus.com.

Rabbi Lerner agreed. "With more than 10,000 rockets having been fired into Israel by Palestinians in Gaza over the past several years, Israel’s right to defend itself cannot legitimately be questioned by anyone. Hamas’s relentless attacks on innocent men, women, and children have been met with a great deal of restraint by the Israeli government, but the time has come for Israel to put an end to the deadly rocket attacks and sent a message to Hamas that its terrorist activities musty stop. We must do our part and use the power of prayer and advocacy to stand together with our Israeli brothers and sisters during this difficult time," he said.

Israeli Welfare and Social Services Minister Isaac Herzog welcomed the news about Diaspora efforts to help Israel, even as he acknowledged threats to Jews throughout the world.

"We are all in this together," he told 500 American and Canadian Jewish leaders on a conference call on Monday, Jan 5. "Don’t be shy."

His suggestions reflected the new Internet reality. Israel’s supporters should blog entries, call radio shows, participate in Internet chat rooms, all to make certain that Israel’s case is made to the media.

"It’s important that people see the Israeli viewpoint," he said.

The Jewish Voice and Opinion is a politically conservative Jewish publication which present news and feature articles not generally available elsewhere in the Jewish or secular media. Articles may be reprinted in their entirety with attribution.