In line with our new policy of highlighting the positive side of Diaspora Judaism, what could be more spiritual than spending the upcoming festival of Shavuot in a Zen Monastery in Japan?

This year - Shavuot in Japan!

Especially recommended is Kyoto, where the friendly Jewish community promises kosher food, a daily minyan, and a unforgettable Shavuot night mikvah! With an astonishing 1600 temples, Kyoto is the worshippers dream come true!

Your choice of temples.

The holiday, which commemorates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai, is just five days away, so make your reservations now!

Holiday guest house

Your tour guides, Rivka and Sarah Cohen

Daily exercise class

All the raw fish you can eat.

Festival candles

Sculpture gardens abound!

World famous Cantor Moshe Hiyotito

You'll meet guests from all over the world.

Make Your Reservations Today!

The holy return of the Jewish People to Jerusalem, in fulfillment of the words of the Prophets of Israel, evolves from the promise of the Torah, as it says in the Song at the Sea:

"Thou in Thy mercy has led forth the People which Thou hast redeemed; Thou hast guided them in Thy strength to Thy HOLY HABITATION...

"Thou shalt bring them in and plant them in the MOUNTAIN OF THY INHERITANCE, in the PLACE, O L-rd, which Thou hast made for Thee to dwell in; in the SANCTUARY, O L-rd, which Thy hands have established."

The Torah and Yerushalayim go hand in hand. So it was a fitting beginning to Jerusalem Day that a new Torah scroll was brought into the yeshiva of the holy Kabbalist and Tzaddik, HaRav Eliahu Leon Levi, along with a gala dinner celebration abounding in Torah and the blessings of Torah sages from all over Israel, who came to pay respects to the Torah and to HaRav Levi on his birthday.    

New Sefer Torah

Jerusalem Decoration

Looking at the face of the Tzaddik brings joy

The Kabbalist, HaRav Eliahu Leon Levi

With Chief Rabbi Yonah Metzger

With Former Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau

The gala dinner celebration

Watching video screen blessing from HaRav Ovadia Yosef

The Hazan Rav Shmuel Levi

Little Fish gets a blessing

Participating with the myriads of Am Yisrael in the march to the Kotel, surrounded on all sides by waves of flags, and happy faces, one cannot help but feel the joy of the Song at the Sea, being a part of the continuation and fulfillment of G-d's promise to His People to return us to Jerusalem, His chosen abode. The march was initiated by Rabbi Yehuda Hazani, my first rabbi in Israel, may his memory be for a blessing.

Little Fishes - true Jewish education

Shechem Gate

Sign of a righteous gentile

Thanking Hashem for the gift of Jerusalem

Jerusalem, My chosen

May you all have the unparalled blessing of being with us here next year, and marching along with us, and all of the Jewish People, to G-d's sanctuary, may it be speedily rebuilt. Amen.

See breaking INN news article: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/126339

TALKBACK 23

To all my Father's friends:

This morning My family and I went to Dovin this morning as we do always at our Shul. Our great Rebbie, Rabbi B'Shemta has been saying a Mishbayach for my father every day along with our congregation.
A very strange thing happened today when all of us went to the hospital to see my dad. They had taken him off the oxygen he was on, and he was sitting up, but most important the great smile that is always in his eyes was back (Baruch
Hashem). I am a Neurosurgeon,who does mostly research,but with all my medicine, and cutting edge technology I can not answer you to how this has happened. I have seen many miracles in my life, and my father is truly one. I learned a long time ago that their are no coincidences, everything happens for a reason. My father is living proof. If this were not so my father would have died long ago.
My father told me that he had a very strange dream that night. I really want to explain this to you, the best I can. My father usually speaks in Hebrew. He said that in his dream he was standing in a very busy intersection, waiting for the light to change. A old man, dressed in a all white robe and hood was all of a sudden standing next to him. He could not see his face, but he heard his voice. My father said the voice was soft and very familiar to him. The old man asked if my father would help him cross the intersection.
My father took the mans arm and started to walk very slowly through
the street. When they got half way across the old man stopped. My father said we must hurry, but the man took his arm from my father and said I have helped you this far, the rest is now up to you. Then the man just disappeared.
My father said he woke up, and was feeling better. I knew he was because he said to us he wanted to go home.
I swear I have no explanation to give
you, but we are so happy, overwhelmed would be a better word.
I believe that your concern, your overwhelming concern has done more than any medicine I could prescribe.
We do not know how to express our appreciation to all of you. You have done for my father what no medicine
can do. You truely are our Jewish brothers and sisters. May Hashem bless all of you.
I will leave you with this bit of prose from my beautiful father.

From those I love
I ask much
Because I care much.
That which I ask
Is not more than you are
But what you are.

Chazak Ve-Emetz
With Love of Zion
Dr. Moshe Ben Dovid
Novi Michigan USA

HaRav Mordechai Eliahu - Presenting my son's class with their first siddur.

This testimony illustrating the power of prayer is especially important now when we are fervently praying for an immediate and complete recovery for the revered Rabbi Mordechai Eliahu (Mordechai Tzemach ben Mazel Tov) and our talkback comrade and great lover of the Jewish People and Eretz Yisrael, who time and again has risked his life defending G-d’s Land and His Heritage, the brave soldier, David ben Sosha, HaKohen. May they have a full and speedy recovery, along with all of the ailing of Israel.  Amen.

I am writing this talk/back for my very best friend. I have never been on this blog before. My name is Major Dr. B'zalel Ben Ya-akov.

Lt. Col. Dovid Ben Leizer was rushed to the hospital 9 days ago. He is in critical condition and is not expected to live. I say this with the greatest sorrow in my heart. I had served with this hero for 13 years.
There is no way I can explain in this short talk/back what he has meant to me, and so many other fellow soldiers. He is the most humble, honest, religious, toughest, and the most incredibly intelligent man I have ever met. Did you know that the Col. Has four Master degrees and a PHD in Econmics. He is to humble to brag, so I will say it for him. The Col. before he was rushed to the hospital wrote a long answer to this talk/back. He asked his sons to remeber to post it on this particular t/b. His youngest son is a well known Doctor and has been at his side everyday.

His family is extremely close knit. It seems funny to me as sick as he was, he refused to go to the hospital until he finshed his writting. The letter he wrote is quite long and I will probably have to finish it in a 2nd t/b.

I have had to go back and read these blogs from Mr. Fishman and these t/bs. Much of what the Col. has written is to specific people on this blog.

As for now I would ask you all regardless to how you feel about Col. Leizer, that you say a prayer for his recovery (Baruch Hashem).

The Col. Is the toughest man I know, and I am sure he will pull through this, as he has done so many times before. I do not know what Hashem has planned for this old soldier, but I do know it is significant.

Yours
Major Dr. B'zalel Ben Ya-akov
Chicago, Ill USA

B'zalel Ben Ya-akov, Chicago ILL. USA (26/05/08)