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Kislev 5775 | November 2014
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Dear over seas friends,
The recent weeks, filled with violence and tension, have been and continue to be very difficult for us here in Israel. Sometimes, it seems that one's soul loses hope that we truly can have a good life here, with justice and security. And sometimes we understand that we have no other country and that we must make it safe and inclusive for all who live here. Please continue to pray with us.
 The month of Kislev kindles little lights of hope. The blessed rain, which we have so longed and waited for, begins to fall and soften the ground bringing signs of hope into the political chaos we are experiencing here.
Everyone must know and understand
that within burns a candle.
No one’s candle is like another’s,
and no one lacks his or her own candle.
Everyone must know and understand
that it is their task to work to reveal the light of
that candle in the public realm.
And to ignite it until it is a great flame
And to illuminate the whole world.
(Attributed to Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook)
We would like to share with you some little and big lights which have been lighted in our community during the past few months.
One particular activity with which we have been engaged is "Tag Meir" [light tag] in response to the violent anti-Muslim actions made in the name "Tag Mechir" [price tag]. Tag Meir is a movement uniting Muslims, Jews and Christians against acts of bigotry and racism. These include desecration of mosques and vandalism of property. The Tag Meir event was headed by Rabbi Chen Tsfoni, Rabbi Yehuda Gil’ad and Shech Rassan Mannasra. It was inspiring to see the crowds that thronged our little meeting space for the occasion, with standing room only.
Watch the video from the evening
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After a long time of dreaming, we have finally launched the "Nigun'ale" program, which will enable teens from Nigun Halev to take an active part in prayer services and celebrations. Nigun Halev places the language of music at the center of our rituals, and in order to bring youth to take an active part, we have asked community members (all volunteers) to establish a youth orchestra. This past month, they began to meet and practice and in a short while, the young musicians will be able to share the fruits of their labor in our services and activities.
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Kol Bishul is a social action project of Nigun Halev. This is the fifth year that the project is operated by volunteers from Nigun Halev, in order to promote integration and to strengthen relationships between youth from Nahalal's Boarding school, immigrant youth from the Na'aleh project (immigrant youth before their parents) and youth from Jezreel Valley, who studying together at the WIZO High School in Nahalal.
At the first meeting to open the fifth year of activity, the girls traveled to Tel Aviv kitchen soup kitchen of "L'sove'a" (satiety). There the girls cooked a "mitzvah". Led by Chef Alon Gonen which enriched the youth with culinary knowledge, they prepared a fine meal. A huge dining room that was once a synagogue is now a soup kitchen, feeding hot meals to children of migrant workers from West Africa and the Philippines. Our girls, with the chef, prepared and served lunch for the children and their families. The excitement was very great.
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We thank you for your prayers, your concern and for the many ways you seek to "be with us" in both painful and joyful times.
 Happy Thanks Giving!
Your friends at Nigun HaLev
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