Special Prayes for Sderot

תפילה מיוחדת למען שדרות ועוטף עזה
הרב מרדכי אליהו חיבר תפילה מיוחדת למען תושבי שדרות, אשקלון ועוטף עזה. הרב ביקש לקרוא את התפילה כל שבת לפני פתיחת ארון הקודש.
ישי פרידמן
במהלך ביקורו של רבה של צפת, הרב שמואל אליהו בשדרות השבוע, בקש ממנו אלון דוידי, יו"ר המטה לביטחון שדרות, אם אביו הראשון לציון, הרב מרדכי אליהו יוכל לחבר תפילה לשלומם של תושבי שדרות ועוטף עזה. הרב שמואל אליהו מסר לאביו את הבקשה, למחרת חוברה תפילה מיוחדת על ידי הראשל"צ הרב אליהו. הרב אליהו ביקש לקרוא את התפילה כל שבת לפני פתיחת ארון הקודש.
הרב אליהו אמר גם שאין לסמוך על הנס ויש להחזיר מלחמה שערה. "אמרו חכמינו זכרונם לברכה 'אין סומכים על הנס', ובמיוחד שחלק מבני ישראל נהרגו וחלק נפצעו. ותושבי המקום חיים בפחד ובבהלה הם וילדיהם. רבים גלו מבתיהם. כבוד ישראל מחולל וממשלת ישראל כובלת את ידי החיילים שלא להשיב מלחמה שערה. ועוד זוממים לתת נחלת ה' בידי המחבלים שיעשו במרכז הארץ כמו שעושים בשדרות וסביבותיה, חלילה".
תפילה למען שדרות אשקלון וסביבותיהם

על-פי קריאת הרה"ג המקובל הרב מרדכי אליהו שליט"א

פסק מרן בשו"ע [סימן תקע"ו סעיף א'] "כשם שמתענים ומתריעים על הגשמים כך מתענים על שאר צרות כגון גויים שבאו לערוך מלחמה עם ישראל או ליטול מהם מס, או ליקח מהם הארץ וכו' הרי אלו מתענין ומתריעין עד שירוחמו.
וכתב הרמב"ם [בהלכות תענית פרק א' הלכה ב] "ודבר זה מדרכי התשובה הוא שבזמן שתבוא צרה ויזעקו עליה וירעו ידעו הכל שבגלל מעשיהם הרעים הורע להן ככתוב: "עונותיכם הטו אלה" וגו' וזה שיגרום להסיר הצרה מעליהם". ובסעיף ג' כתב: "אבל אם לא יזעקו ולא יריעו אלא יאמרו דבר זה ממנהג העולם אירע לנו וצרה זו נקרה נקרית הרי זו דרך אכזריות וגורמת להם להדבק במעשיהם הרעים ותוסיף הצרה צרות אחרות".

תפילה זו חוברה ע"י המקובל האלקי ציס"ע רבי סלמן מוצפי זצוקלה"ה והותאמה לצרכי הזמן והמצב

רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶל עוֹלָם. הִנֵה בָּאנו הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה לְהַפִּיל תְּחִנָּה לְפָנֶיךָ בְּעַד עמך בית ישראל וּלְבַקֵּש רַחֲמִים עָלֵיהם כִּי נִשְׁעַנְנו עַל רֹב חֲסָדֶיךָ כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶאֱמַר: וַיֹאמֶר אֲנִי אַעֲבִיר כָּל טוּבִי עַל פָּנֶיךָ וְקָרָאתִי בְּשֵׁם ה' לְפָנֶיךָ וְחַנֹּתִי אֶת אֲשֶׁר אָחֹן וְרִחֲמְתִּי אֶת אֲשֶׁר אֲרָחֵם.
וּמָה שֶבַח לְךָ נַעֲרוֹג, כִּי זָכִינוּ לִרְאוֹת עַיִן בְּעַיִן נִסִּים וְנִפְלָאוֹת שֶהִנְחַלְתָ לָנוּ נֶגֶד אוֹיְבֵנוּ אֲשֶר זוממים לְהַשְּׁמִידֵנוּ וְאַתָּה בְּטוּבְךָ הוֹשַעְתָנו והצלתנו מאלפי טילים שירו עלינו ובפרט על הערים שדרות, אשקלון וסביבותיהם. ומרובם הגדול ניצלנו ברחמיך המרובים.
אמרו חכמינו זכרונם לברכה 'אין סומכים על הנס', ובמיוחד שחלק מבני ישראל נהרגו וחלק נפצעו. ותושבי המקום חיים בפחד ובבהלה הם וילדיהם. רבים גלו מבתיהם. כבוד ישראל מחולל וממשלת ישראל כובלת את ידי החיילים שלא להשיב מלחמה שערה. ועוד זוממים לתת נחלת ה' בידי המחבלים שיעשו במרכז הארץ כמו שעושים בשדרות וסביבותיה, חלילה.
ריבנו של עולם עֵינֶנוּ לְךָ תְּלוּיוֹת שֶׁתְּחָנֵּנוּ ותתן לעמך ישראל חן ושכל טוב אומץ וגבורה להלחם ברשעים ולא לחזקם. להכות כל אויבינו שוק על ירך ולקיים תפילתו של דוד המלך ע"ה "אֶרְדּוֹף אוֹיְבַי וְאַשִֹּיגֵם וְלֹא אָשׁוּב עַד כַּלּוֹתָם, אֶמְחָצֵם וְלֹא יֻכְלוּ קוּם, יִפְּלוּ תַּחַת רַגְלָי".
אנא ה' סְתּוֹם פִּיוֹת כָּל הַמְקַטְרֵגִים וְהָצָרִים עָלֵינוּ בֵין מִלְמַעְלָה וּבֵין מִלְמָטָה. וְקַיֵּים בָּנוּ מִקְרָא שֶׁכָּתוּב: כָּל כְּלִי יוּצַר עָלַיִךְ לֹא יִצְלַח וְכָל לָשׁוֹן תָּקוּם אִתָּךְ לַמִּשְׁפָּט תַּרְשִׁיעִי זֹאת נַחֲלַת עַבְדֵי ה' וְצִדְקָתָם מֵאִתִּי נְאֻם ה'. וּתְקַיֵים בָּנוּ מִקְרָא שֶׁכָּתוּב עַל יְדֵי יְשַׁעְיָה חוֹזָךְ אַל תִּירָא כִּי עִמְךָ אֲנִי אַל תִּשְׁתַּע כִּי אֲנִי אֱלֹקֶיךָ אִמַּצְתִּיךָ אַף עֲזַרְתִּיךָ אַף תְּמַכְתִּיךָ בִּימִין צִדְקִי. הֵן יֵבֹשׁוּ וְיִכָּלְמוּ כֹּל הַנֶּחֱרִים בָּך יִהְיוּ כְאַין וּכְאֶפֶס אַנְשֵׁי מִלְחֲמְתֶּךָ. כִּי אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ מַחֲזִיק יְמִינֶךָ הָאוֹמֵר לְךָ אַל תִּירָא אֲנִי עֲזַרְתִּיךָ. אַל תִּירְאִי תּוֹלַעַת יַעֲקֹב מְתֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲנִי עֲזַרְתִּיךָ נְאֻם ה' וְגֹאֲלֵךְ קְדוֹשׁ יִשְּׂרָאֵל. הִנֵּה שַׂמְתִּיךְ לְמֹרַג חָרוּץ חָדָשׁ בַּעַל פִּיפִיּוֹת תָּדוּשׁ הָרִים וְתָדוֹק וּגְבָעוֹת כַּמוֹץ תָּשִׂים. תִּזְרֵם וְרוּחַ תִּשָּׂאֵם וּסְעָרָה תָּפִיץ אוֹתָם וְאַתָּה תָּגִיל בַּה' בִּקְדּוֹשׁ תִּתְהַלָל.
וְתִגְאָלֵנוּ גְּאוּלָה שְׁלֵימָה בִּמְהֵרָה. וְנִזְכֶּה וְנִרְאֶה מָשִׁיחַ בֵּן דָוִד מוּכְתָּר בְּכִתְּרוֹ וּמָשִׁיחַ בֵּן יוֹסֵף מְשׁוּכְלָל בְּהַדְרוֹ וְיָפְיוֹ בְּבִנְיָן מִקְדָשֵׁינוּ בִּמְהֵרָה בְּיָמֵינוּ אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
מצוות עשה דאורייתא לצעוק לפני ה' בכל עת צרה גדולה שלא תבוא על הציבור.

Fatah as 'Moderate'

"Fatah as 'Moderate': A Hard Look Post-Annapolis, published by the Center for Near East Policy Research at the Beit Agron International Press Center in Jerusalem. The booklet may be viewed in its entirety by clicking here.

An Authentic Jewish Response to an Orthodox Rabbi Who Wants to Divide Jerusalem

Question: How can an Orthodox Rabbi possibly reconcile advocating for the division of Jerusalem with Judaism?
-Loraine Meltz, Bakersfield CA

Answer: Thank you for that question Loraine, but unfortunately as Orthodox Jews we are unable to answer you so we are forwarding on the question to the Rabbi.

Shalom Rabbi,

This letter is being written with shivering hands and chattering teeth from a cold, wet tent on the border between Israel and Gaza. We have read and re-read your article published in the Jewish Journal “An Orthodox Rabbi’s plea: Consider dividing the Jerusalem.” As it is Jewish behavioral ethic to judge one’s fellow with the benefit of the doubt, we are trying to stifle our initial feelings of perfidious betrayal and thoughts that you are merely capitalizing on your status as an Orthodox Rabbi for opportunistic self-aggrandizement. With Israel’s fate being decided in Annapolis this week, we are trying to understand how you, an honest and sincere G-d fearing, Torah-observant Rabbi, could possibly advocate for the division of Jerusalem, the Capitol of the Jewish People.

In Israel today, there are hundreds of thousands of Arab Muslim citizens who proactively advocate for the destruction of Israel. Their elected Muslim Knesset members meet with terrorist leaders to conspire against us and consistently endorse policies that would lead to the eventual annulment of our Jewish State. We are surrounded by countries who have historically sought to destroy the State of Israel since before she was even created. Egypt, Syria, Iran, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and all the other countries in the Arab League have not given up the dream to put an end, once and for all, to the “Zionist Entity”. Honestly, these threats are nothing new and have simply become expected, but it is appalling for a self-described Orthodox Rabbi to advocate for the division of our sacred Capitol, and the undeniable moral and strategic weakening of the State of Israel that would follow.

Perhaps seeing the Middle East through the prism of CNN or the occasional solidarity mission to a five-star hotel would lead one to believe that simply relinquishing the Land liberated in 1967 would lead to peace. Please allow us to share a little bit of a different perspective. We are reservist soldiers who have left our lives and our families for up to a month every year to protect Israel and the Jewish people. For the past few years, we have been stationed in the Gaza region where we are located now. In 2005, the unilateral disengagement from Gaza evicted 8,000 Jews from their homes, and Gaza was ceded to the Palestinian Authority. Today, in place of the promised peace and calm that was to result from the disengagement, Gaza is now a war-torn territory controlled by the Hamas, and there are more guns, missiles, and artillery than ever before in history. Multiple rockets and missiles fall daily onto the helpless citizens of Sderot, within the 1948 borders of Israel! We recently visited with the people of Sderot to show our support, and a local teacher informed us that her young students, when asked why they thought snails had shells, unanimously replied “to hide from the Kassam rockets.” Is this the fate you wish upon the Jewish children of Jerusalem Rabbi Kanefsky?

While we could continue expending energy and focus on exposing the moral ambivalence, erroneous and specious historical assertions in your article, that would not be an honest depiction of our true difficulty with your proposals. If you were a politician or a journalist, perhaps such a discussion would be in order. But you, Rabbi Kanefsky, purport to be an Orthodox Rabbi. You know that Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in the Bible, while the Koran has not one reference to our holy city. You know that for more than 2,000 years our people have been praying daily for Jerusalem, solemnly breaking a glass in memorial of her Temple’s destruction, and leaving a portion of the walls in our homes unfinished because our cherished city lies in ruins. You know the words of King David who told us of the tears we shed “by the Rivers of Babylon… when we remembered Zion,” and both promised and warned of what would happen if we should ever forget our beloved Jerusalem. You know of our murdered ancestors who whispered Jerusalem with their last breath.

Rabbi Kanefsky, you call for honesty. You claim to believe in the Torah as the word of G-d, yet when composing an argument as critical as the division of our national and spiritual Capitol, you do not even quote one Jewish source! Rather than determining your stance based on Torah, Jewish Law, or the word of G-d, you quote “International Law” composed by many of the same nations who assisted or looked away as six million members of our family were slaughtered.

Intellectual Honesty, Rabbi Kanefsky. G-d demands it and your congregants, students, and followers deserve it. Please retract your article and stand with Jerusalem and the Nation of Israel. If you do not, accept our challenge to a debate and we will let the truth speak for itself. In these times of isolation and unparalleled danger, it is vital for us as a nation to unite with courage, clarity, and faith in G-d.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.
B’Ahavat Yisrael (With love of Israel),

Ari Abramowitz and Jeremy Gimpel

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT: WWW.THELANDOFISRAEL.COM

The Bostoner on Earthquakes

The earthquake here in eretz yisroel was felt sometime after midnight. In the morning one chossid jokingly said it was Hashem rocking us in bed like a mother rocking her child in a cradle.

During Shalosh Seudos the Rebbe shlit"a said that after feeling the earthquake in the middle of the night he was pondering the meaning of trembling and awe and fear of G-d what we call in lashon hakodesh, Yiras Shamayim with retes, ziya and ra'ada.

The Rebbe gave a mashal using the parable of a tuning fork, where once hit the fork resonates a tone. One tine of the fork is hit however the companion tine shkes as well. Scientifically this is due to sound waves which are oberservable phenomonen in water. If I throw a pebble into water the water waves ripple and I can see the movement. This is tru in air as well but our eyes cannot observe it.

The Rebbe explained that what is true in the physical world holds true spiritually as well. If my neighbor quakes and shakes the message is that I must be shaking and trembling as well. Sometimes Hashem's message is that we have to unite and feel eachother's pain and fear. Perhaps this is one of the lessons of yiras shamayim.

THE BIG ONE IS DUE? Earthquakes in Israel

THE BIG ONE IS DUE
The Jerusalem Post

Most Israelis can remember a day when their furniture started to
shake, and can also take credit for surviving that day with little
difficulty. But very few people are in a position to know firsthand
the effects of a truly disastrous earthquake, on a magnitude of seven
or higher on the Richter scale, as the last recorded such earthquake
in Israel occurred in 1033.

And that's the problem: Geology experts agree that Israel is long
overdue for the next "Big One," and it can happen at any time. This
poses a significant threat to population centers in the country, since
many buildings in Israel were erected prior to the formulation of
earthquake-resistant construction codes. There is also substantial
doubt that the codes are being strictly enforced. With the barrage of
immediate threats competing for Israelis' attention - whether
terrorism, car accidents, global warming or secondhand smoke - a major
earthquake may seem like an improbable, even paranoid fear.

While predicting the time of the next earthquake is nearly impossible,
says Dr. Amos Salamon of the Israel Geological Survey, "We know one
thing - we are sure there will be an earthquake in Israel."

This is because Israel is situated on two significant fault lines: the
Dead Sea Fault and the Carmel Fault. To understand which parts of the
country would be most vulnerable to a major earthquake, geologists
must base their knowledge on previous events - and in this case,
modern technology is of surprisingly little help.

"In modern times we usually monitor earthquakes by using
seismographs," explains geologist Dr. Shmuel Marco of Tel Aviv University.

But seismographs have only existed for about a century, whereas
geological processes develop over thousands, if not millions of years.
Therefore, there is a dearth of information on the major earthquakes
in Israel's past - and such information could be crucial to
determining which areas in Israel are in greatest danger.

This is especially true of the Carmel Fault, which poses a threat to
Haifa, among other places. Because the fault has been dormant in the
recent past, its potential threat is unknown.

For that reason, Marco has made it his mission to build a timeline of
Israel's earthquakes by delving into history and archeology, in
addition to geology. On the historical side, Marco has studied
hundreds of ancient documents that contain references to earthquakes,
in translations from the original Greek, Latin and Arabic. The
originals of some of these documents are assumed to reside in the
Vatican vaults. Even the Bible offers clues, as earthquakes are
sometimes mentioned as markers of time, Marco explains. For example,
prophets are often said to have become active a certain number of
years "after the earthquake."

With the aid of these documents, Marco has helped determine that a
series of devastating earthquakes hit Israel in the past two thousand
years. The major ones were recorded in the Jordan Valley in the years
31 BCE, 363 CE, 749 CE and 1033 CE, "so roughly," says Marco, "we are
talking about an interval of every 400 years. If we follow the
patterns of nature, a major quake should be expected any time because
almost a whole millennium has passed since the last strong earthquake."

Marco also uses archeological excavations to learn more about the
country's earthquake trends. For example, he is participating in the
excavation of Megiddo, the site of an ancient Canaanite city situated
on the Carmel Fault. He and geologist Prof. Amotz Agnon of the Hebrew
University are analyzing findings on the site, together with
archeologist Prof. Israel Finkelstein.

The geologists' focus on the archeological site stems from the hope
that archeological evidence will provide clues to the 5,000-year-old
city's geological past. The geological history of Megiddo would have
ramifications for the entire region situated atop the Carmel Fault,
Finkelstein explains.

"At Megiddo there's a sequence of cities. If one can keep track of the
earthquakes that damaged these cities, one can establish a timeline of
earthquakes in the north," he says.

Megiddo is an ideal candidate for such research because it is a site
with many layers of history, and each layer tells its own story of the
damage that took place. The most important - and only conclusive -
piece of evidence that researchers have discovered so far in the
investigation of the mystery that is the Carmel Fault, is damage to a
monumental temple, says Finkelstein, which corresponds to a biblical
reference to a major earthquake that occurred in the late fourth
millennium.

The nature of earthquakes is that they result from a buildup of
tension in the earth's crust along fault lines. The longer the period
between earthquakes, the more tension builds, with catastrophic
consequences upon its release. Since the last major earthquake was
1,000 years ago, "We are now in a deficit," Marco explains. "There's
been no release of tension, just buildup. It's like if you have a
strip of rubber between your hands and keep pulling it - you know that
it's going to snap eventually."

WHERE IS the next big quake most likely to hit? "We think that the
focus of major earthquakes will be in and around the Dead Sea Fault.
The seismic waves will spread around the epicenter and they will
affect buildings far away from the focus," says Salamon.

Places along the Dead Sea Fault include Eilat, towns in the North,
Kiryat Shmona, Tiberias and Beit She'an. "According to the historical
records we have, almost every place in Israel was damaged several
times in history [by earthquakes]," Salamon says. This is because
places that are not directly above the fault but are relatively close
to it, like Jerusalem, are still vulnerable to the effects of an
earthquake.

Tel Aviv is a good distance away from the fault and therefore may not
incur heavy damage, but on the other hand, Marco says that there is
evidence of earthquake damage to ancient Jaffa, possibly as a result
of activity along the Carmel Fault.

How much damage can we expect from the next earthquake? Salamon
explains that the extent of damage is determined by "a combination of
the effect of the earthquake and the strength of buildings."
[Tel Aviv as seen in Google Earth]

Tel Aviv as seen in Google Earth

Marco agrees that building quality is the most important factor in
preparing the country for an earthquake. "If you're out in a football
field, even a monster earthquake will not do any damage to you
physically. You might need a psychologist, but not a physician," he
says. "If you're in a building, your life depends on the quality of
construction."

Marco adds that in other parts of the world such as the US and Japan,
where the risk of earthquakes is high, seismic codes are strictly
adhered to. "All the skyscrapers in America are built with some
flexibility, so they're not too stiff," he explains. "Small or even
large earthquakes would make them sway a little, but not collapse."

The good news is that since 1975, Israel has instituted building codes
that are on par with international standards, in particular those of
California. Additionally, these codes have been revised and improved
over decades of accumulated research.

The question is whether these laws are actually enforced, and in that
regard, the issue becomes more uncertain. Building regulations are
issued at a national level by the interior minister, but the
responsibility for enforcement lies with local authorities. While
Interior Ministry spokesman David Pilzer states that building codes
are much improved and awareness of the problem is higher than it was,
he says that local enforcement of the codes "varies from place to place."

The reason for this variance, he explains, has to do with the seismic
calculations for buildings, which are the diagrams drawn up before a
building is approved to demonstrate its resistance to earthquakes.
These calculations are submitted to the local authorities before a
construction plan is accepted. But there's a snag, says Pilzer, which
is that most local authorities don't have professional engineers on
staff to check the calculations.

Even if the current building codes are enforced, that still leaves the
problem of older buildings that predate the 1975 laws. Pilzer agrees
that the prevalence of old buildings that do not comply with current
standards is a "substantial" problem.

Pilzer is a member of the Steering Committee for Earthquake
Preparedness in Israel, which was founded in 1999 in response to the
earthquake that year in Turkey. The committee comprises a diverse
assortment of government officials and researchers, and is responsible
for preparing the country for an earthquake. Such preparation extends
as far as training the IDF in search-and-rescue missions, as well as
in the retrieval and identification of casualties.

The steering committee is also responsible for revising building codes
as more information in the field of seismic resistance is discovered.

Even though geological discoveries are made all the time, enforcing
the corresponding changes to building codes is another story. "I don't
think [the municipal authorities] have enough manpower to physically
check that things are done according to the building codes," says
committee chairman Yael Kligman. "The engineer who plans the building
has to sign and commit, but most of the time no one else is checking."

ENFORCING BUILDING codes might seem daunting, but the issue of unsafe
older buildings is even more problematic. Geologist Dr. Hillel
Wust-Bloch, one of whose chief interests is earthquake prevention,
says that a large problem is that in places such as Beit She'an,
Kiryat Shmona and Tiberias - situated directly on the Dead Sea Fault -
there are entire neighborhoods built in the '40s and '50s that are
"cheap and vulnerable." Additionally, cities like Jerusalem and
Tiberias are rife with older buildings.

To counter this problem, the government instituted National Outline
Plan 38, a program granting extra building rights to people living in
pre-1980 buildings. Within these rights they are allowed the
construction of additions such as elevators, balconies or a penthouse,
adding value to the building.

"The concept is that the additions to the buildings provide revenue,
which can be used to strengthen the building," explains Pilzer.

One of the ways in which a building can be strengthened is by
enclosing its first floor. Many older buildings in Israel are built on
columns, which geologists say are an obvious hazard.

Plan 38 is currently being implemented in small sections of Tel Aviv
and Jerusalem, in the latter case as an "experiment" according to the
Jerusalem Municipality. There are a number of obstacles to putting the
plan into action on a broad scale, which Pilzer is hoping will be
solved with the introduction of additional incentives, such as tax breaks.

One of the reasons the plan has not been widely implemented is that
contractors are waiting for these incentives to be issued.
Additionally, at the present time a building can only take advantage
of Plan 38 if 75 percent of a building's residents consent. Pilzer
says that there is legislation under way to reduce that figure to 50
percent.

At a recent interministerial committee, incentive recommendations were
made that included granting low-interest loans for strengthening
buildings, says Pilzer. But this idea is controversial because of the
large costs involved, particularly when there are higher financial
priorities, he says.

As explained above, the success of Plan 38 is tied to the revenue that
is generated by the building additions. So what about places like Beit
She'an and Kiryat Shmona, where property prices are relatively low?

"That is still a problem," admits Kligman. Pilzer suggests that in
such places, erecting entirely new buildings would be of little cost -
but such a measure has not been implemented.

In addition to building safety concerns, Marco cites the chemical
industries in Haifa as a potential threat, estimating that the
breakage of one ammonia tank in the event of an earthquake would
result in the deaths of 10,000 people. However, Kligman is quick to
point out that the earthquake preparedness steering committee has
charged the Environmental Protection Ministry with the task of
checking the resistance of chemical containers in factories.

Even if a building is earthquake safe, there are additional measures
people can take to protect themselves. For example, Wust-Bloch, who
visits schools to teach earthquake preparedness, instructs students to
get under a table and hold onto the legs (otherwise the table may
slide away), or to protect their heads with their school bags. Also,
one should keep shoes by the bed because if there is an earthquake in
the night, the floor around the bed will be littered with broken
glass. Wust-Bloch also recommends bolting the fridge to the floor, so
that it doesn't topple.
[Tel Aviv as seen in Google Earth]

Tel Aviv as seen in Google Earth

Still, none of these measures are worthwhile if buildings aren't
secure, and both Marco and Wust-Bloch believe that building safety in
Israel is a matter for concern.

While Marco acknowledges that retrofitting all the buildings in the
country is preventively expensive, he says "We need money for research
that will tell engineers where to start, and which parts of the
country are more dangerous. We want to know if we should reinforce
first in Kiryat Shmona, Tiberias or Eilat.

"This is a heavy question," he continues. "It's impossible to enslave
the entire country's budget to retrofitting, but we need to start
somewhere. We should start from the most urgent place."

Israel's lack of progress in building safety is particularly
bewildering in light of the standards maintained elsewhere in the
world, he adds.

"The civilized state that we want to be should earmark some money for
this kind of research, that is not only scientific but also
applicable," concludes Marco. "We can and should do better."

Earthquakes in Israel continue

4.0 quake felt; no damage, injuries
By ASSOCIATED PRESS

The fourth earthquake in two weeks shook parts of Israel and the
Palestinian Authority on Sunday, causing no casualties or damage.

The tremor had a magnitude of 4.0, according to a statement from
Israel's Geophysical Institute. Its epicenter was north of the Dead
Sea, the lowest point on earth, on the active Syrian-African rift
fault line where earthquakes are common.

On average, major earthquakes hit Israel once a century. But the
recent tremors do not indicate that a large-scale quake is on the way,
said Dr. Uri Frieslander, director of the Geophysical Institute.

"What we're seeing are typical movements along the Dead Sea valley,"
Frieslander told Israel Radio.

"These quakes... don't foreshadow anything or indicate that something
is about to happen," he said.

The last major earthquake to strike the area was in 1927. It had a
magnitude of more than 6 and killed 500 people. Israeli experts say
that because of population growth and high-rise construction, an
earthquake of the same magnitude today would kill more than 18,000 people.

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Sderot Challot Project

Purchasing challot from the Eichut Mehadrin bakeryin Sderot is a great way to support a troubled cityin these hard times, and to enjoy good tasting challah and pastries, at the same time.

This service is brought to you by Standing Together;
see more info at http://www.stogether.org/.

Every week, you can order these items online, and they will be delivered to the local neighborhoodrepresentative (of your choosing) for pickup and payment on Erev Shabbat.

This service has been place for a number of months now,and continues to provide Shabbat delicacies forfamilies in Rehovot, Gush Etzion, Bet Shemesh, andJerusalem.

See http://www.stogether.org/sderotchallot for more information and ordering options!

Tizku l'mitzvot!-- Aryeh Koenigberg
Standing TogetherRegional Coordinator, Sderot Challot Project