Wednesday, May 5, 2010

18 Days

The number 18 is numerologically equivalent to the Hebrew word "Hai" or "Life" (literally, "living," "you live" or "he lives"). It is thus often a suggested donation to Jewish causes for good luck. You may wear or may have seen people wearing necklaces with the Hebrew word "Hai" (pronounced "Chai" by most Ashkenazic Jews, substituting a "kh" sound for the guttural "H"), including Jewish poker pro Mike Matusow (and, allegedly, Elvis towards the end of his life).

There's a beautiful charity called Chai Lifeline, a cancer support organization that also runs Camp Simcha (Joy), a summer camp for children battling cancer and other hematological illnesses. Another charity I'm fond of, the FIDF, or Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces, "initiates and helps support social, educational, cultural and recreational programs and facilities for the young men and women soldiers of Israel who defend the Jewish homeland." The FIDF also provides support for the families of fallen soldiers."

As you may know, because Israel has always been a nation under threat, there is mandatory conscription there. When an American high school senior is applying to colleges, an Israeli one is thinking about which army unit he or she will have to join next year, because Israeli boys and girls are drafted to defend their people at the age of 18 for three years of service. The sacrifice these young adults make -- imagine, giving three years of your life to defend your country during what for many people are the best years of life -- comes at a cost. FIDF (and many other charities, like Pizza IDF) helps them shoulder this cost by reminding these teens and young adults that the Jewish people (and other well-wishers) stand behind them, and sometimes providing more concrete services for their physical and emotional needs.
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Be Proud! Celebrate! Stand With Israel! Come to the Salute to Israel Parade on Sunday,May 23rd (wow, less than three weeks away)... send a message to the world that the Jewish State and the Jewish Nation live - Am Yisrael Chai!

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