We in Bet Shemesh (and Ramat Bet Shemesh) were not hit too badly by the recent storm. Torrential rains but not much more than that.. We were not shut down for days like some other places, roofs were not collapsing - mostly just rain and occasionally some electricity outages. Despite that, some people still found opportunities for great chessed..

The following email was sent to the local email list:

This is the kind of community that, at a local Thursday night Sheva Brachot,
the attendees realized that the kallah's Jerusalem-based family might not
make it home and started offering sleeping accomodations - for days, if
necessary.
And this is the kind of community that, when I got the call that indeed the
family wouldn't make it to J'lem and they were turning back because of the
snow - within 10 minutes we had sleeping accomodations for all 10 of those
people.
And this is the kind of community that on Friday morning, recognizing that
suddenly we'd be making Shabbat Sheva Brachot for our son, his kallah, much
of her now-stranded family, and our family (since we had all expected to be
THERE for Shabbat) OVERWHELMED us with so many offers (one of which we took
- which meant that they forfeited a quiet Friday night family Shabbat meal
to host 24 more people on a moment's notice) and so much food that by 11amFriday morning, my wife and I looked at each other and said we have no need
to prepare any more food.
This is the kind of community that is best reflected by the following story
involving one of my neighbors.  She was visibly saddened when we declined
her offer to do more for us, meaning that she had *only* hosted 2 of our
stranded 10 and cooked us a tray of rice.  Shortly thereafter I discovered
that she was simultaneously making Shabbat for ANOTHER neighbor who had
totally lost power.
Our little city is going to be in the news sooner or later, election-related
or otherwise, invariably painting our community with a very negative brush.
To those who are on this list but aren't familiar with our communities in
Beit Shemesh and Ramat Beit Shemesh, and to those who might discover
negative posts about our community while googling - I hope you see this
post.  You should know that the preceding 96 hours, as experienced by me, my
family, my newly married son, daughter-in-law and her family - demonstrate
(not for the first time) what a WONDERFUL community we live in.  Does this
sort of thing happen everywhere?  It probably should, but my mechutan said
point-blank that it would NEVER happen where he lives; that he doesn't even
know his neighbors (with whom he's lived for years); and that 3 of his
children, despite desperately and understandably wishing to be home, asked
if they could consider moving here to make THIS place their home.
And for the many, many of us here in R/BS reading this - take pride in the
communities that we - which means you - have built.  I know I wouldn't want
to call any other place home.
A very, very proud and thankful R/BS resident

The following email was sent out to the local community email lists, after it was first passed out in shul on Shabbos... and I am a firsthand witness to the events described within..

At 13:50 on Friday, my wife was passing the RBS Alef shopping center, where she saw scores of religious boys (she estimates over a hundred)pelting Mr. Eli Cohen with papers and hounding him into a hasty retreat into a nearby car. There were numerous adults watching this incident, and apparently none of them saw it as their business to intervene.

This spontaneous outpouring of sina’ah has deeply shocked me. It wasn’t that these lovable 10 year olds are disillusioned with Mr. Cohen’s plans for urban development, or even have any idea who this person is. It was just a pure, spontaneous outpouring of hatred. It seems to balance quite well as the flip-side of the barbed-wire imagery from last week’s Chadash.

PLEASE, for the sake of our city, let’s ask our politicians where they think this hatred comes from, and what they are going to do to see to it that it is wiped off the face of our city BEFORE these overenthusiastic 10 year olds turn into a next generation of 20 year old thugs.

Daniel Michaels

-------------------------------------------------------------
Donate to the Schneider Hospital so I can run the Schneider benefit marathon..

The following email went out today on our neighborhood email list...enjoy!

We have purchased a donkey for the mitzvah of Peter Rechem Chamor (redeeming the firstborn male of a donkey).

The donkey is at Davida's farm and according to Davida she is now pregnant. Gestation takes about a year and we do not have a due date yet. For anyone who wants to join in the Mitzvah, you can become a partner by giving 100 shekels to the group and making a kinyan with me. Proceeds will go to Bet Knesset Feigenson. You only have to do this once, so if the donkey (named Shoshanna) gives birth to a girl she and her baby will be sold and we will start again with the group's money transferred over as shares in a newly purchased donkey.

Of course this Mitzvah is only for Yisraelim as Cohanim and Leviim can NOT join the group (but for those Cohanim or Leviim interested, you can volunteer to give Shoshanna a bath). I can be reached at 054xxxxxxx and I look forward to expanding Our Mitzvah group.

Email Of The Day

The following email was sent to the community email list the other day:

Just had a report back from participants in the London Israel Fair.
Beit Shemesh was the only city that paid for a double booth. All other cities had one
Beit Shemesh was the only city that had the mayor there. He does not speak English
Beit Shemesh was the only one that had more than 2 staff. The mayor took 4 other people with him


In total they had less than 30 people that came to their booth throughout the day.


Beit Shemesh spent more of our tax money on this fair than did Jerusalem, Modiin, Ra’anana, Ashdod and Haifa.
How can we publicize this travesty and attempt to stop it?
This is only one amongst many trips that the mayor had us pay for that he had absolutely no impact.
If we don’t voice our anger at his abuse of our tax shekels it will only continue.
All helpful input welcome

Now, I have not been shy about criticizing the mayor when I think he deserves it, which has been often enough. (On occasion I have even praised him for some good things he has done (such as actually getting construction going on Road 10, finally getting the government to begin the approval process for upgrading Highway 38, renovating the entrance to the city, etc).)

I wrote back to the author a brief message saying:

when he doesnt try to attract buyers from the general public we are upset at him, and now when he does try to attract buyers we are also upset at him?


The fact that he met with poor results should be addressed. Perhaps he needs better advisers, different marketing strategy or whatnot. I would not exactly want to accuse him of trying too hard.

By this I meant that the fact that he went, brought others with him, and got a good booth should not be an issue to complain about. One could complain that perhaps there isn't enough oversight in the City Hall to ensure money is being spent properly, proper marketing strategies are being developed, and the like. The initial complaint sounded more like the mayor is wasting our money by going to these things. Reading it again now, it might just be the additional point that they mayor went as well despite not speaking any English.

In general, we accuse the mayor of not trying to attract people to the city. When he does actually go (again, it should be with the right people who can talk to potential olim, with the right marketing strategy), we should be proud that he is trying and not accuse him of abusing us. He might not be perfect even when he does try, but at least he is trying, or making the attempt to show he is trying.

The original author wrote back to me that his complaint was really about how the money was wasted. My initial reading had not left me with the impression that that was the only complaint, but so be it.

After that, the issue seems to have mostly been resolved, I assume, by a posting from the Acting Director, Dept. of International Relations in the Municipality of Beit Shemesh that said:

I organised the Beit Shemesh delegation to the Aliyah Fair in London.


I feel you should IMMEDIATELY retract your statements about the City paying for a double booth. What you are saying is based on hearsay evidence and may be libellous. Beit Shemesh paid for a single booth and the organiser of the event, the Aliyah Chief in the UK Mr. Rafi Nasi GAVE us the double booth AT NO EXTRA COST. If you do noot believe me then please contact him.


As to your other points - I received approval from the Municipal Council to arrange our delegation which included: Mrs. Tami Elmaleah Co-ordinator for English speaking Aliyah at the Municipality, and Mrs Miri Shalem the director of the RAMBASH MATNAS who while living in the UK was a youth aliyah Bnei Akiva co-ordinator. I myself made aliyah from the UK.


Mayor Abutbul does not speak English but he spoke Hebrew to former Israelis living in the UK and who expressed interest in possibly living in Beit Shemesh. He also spoke in 7 synagogues between Friday morning when we landed and Sunday. The mayor also answered questions from parents of people living in Beit Shemesh who are concerned about the situation here. I translated for him. Since our Foreign Minister did not for a very long time speak English that is why he has translators.


You may not like or agree with the policies of the Mayor, but these fairs are important to ensure the city attracts young, educated professional people and families who work for a living, otherwise they really will go to Modiin, Jerusalem and Haifa and we will be left with the rest.

Someone forwarded to me the following email from some list...

What is the metaphysical significance of the number 26 (see below)? Or is it men from Mars who did this.
For each day the Stock Market closed this week, the total of the digits of the change on the dow jones is the number 26. 

Monday close - 634.76 = 26
Tuesday close + 429.92 = 26
Wednesday close - 519.83 = 26 

An actuarial said the odds of this are millions to one 

For those not familiar, the number 26 is the sum of the name of hashem - yud=10, hay =5, vav = 6 hay = 5 grand total 26

Email Of The Day

The Arabs are not happy! 

• They're not happy in Gaza .
• They're not happy in Egypt ..
• They're not happy in Libya ..
• They're not happy in Morocco ..
• They're not happy in Iran .
• They're not happy in Iraq .
• They're not happy in Yemen ..
• They're not happy in Afghanistan ..
• They're not happy in Pakistan ..
• They're not happy in Syria ..
• They're not happy in Lebanon ..

So, where are they happy? 

• They're happy in Australia ..
• They're happy in England ..
• They're happy in France ..
• They're happy in Italy ..
• They're happy in Germany ..
• They're happy in Sweden ..
• They're happy in the USA .
• They're happy in Norway ..

They're happy in every country that is not Muslim.

And who do they blame? 

• Not Islam.
• Not their leadership.
• Not themselves.

THEY BLAME THE COUNTRIES THEY ARE HAPPY IN!

And they want to change them to be like the country they came from.

How dumb can you get?

Email Of The Day

My son and daughter-in-law will not get their gas masks unless they are given the names of rebbeim - especially gedolim - who are sanctioning the gas masks and telling their followers to get them. Could someone please give me some names so that I could tell my kids.

This email was sent to one of the local neighborhood email lists. I will add that after some personal communication with the sender of the above email, the children who are the subject of the email live elsewhere, and not in RBS.

Email Of The Day
The following email was sent to the local community email list. It says a lot of what I said the other day about the cleanliness of the park in Ramat Bet Shemesh.

Attention Parents:


The new park on the corner of Arugot & Ein-Gedi (across the street from Bank
Hapoalim) was completed about aprox . 3 months ago. since the park opened,
it has not been cleaned whatsoever!


The garbage cans are completely overflowing w/ garbage: foul smelling dirty
diapers, broken glass bottles, rotting food etc.strewn everywhere. I called
the Iriyah to complain. I was told the park has not yet been "handed over"
to them, therefore it is not their responsibility to clean the park.


The person who is responsible is a man named: Yoram from the "Beit
Shemesh Misrad Hashikun" branch, his office is located on Ayalon 10 the #
is 991-9259 , to speak to him directly , It is not difficult to reach him,
he usually answers.


I called him three times , over the past 2 weeks about this problem. He said
he would send cleaners to empty the garbage cans and to clean up , It has
yet to be done.


I strongly suggest that before the summer vacation starts, the MORE people
that call & put PRESSURE to clean up the park..the better!


This past Thurs. mid-morning I was walking in the park (to see if indeed
it has been cleaned - which not surprisingly was not!) What I saw was
pretty disturbing..right smack in the middle of the park near the play
slides two very ugly brownish/grayish looking mouse that was huge and right
there feasting it's heart out in middle of all the garbage oblivious to my
presence. I did some research (thanks to Google!) and I am almost 100% sure
it was a rat or perhaps a possum - most definitely NOT the kind of playmate
you want your kids interacting with!!!!! A huge chaval that this new park
that they put so much effort in making is starting to look like a completely
unacceptable neglected dump!


Bottom Line is: Please a moment to call YORAM 991-9259 to complain
every day until he arranges that cleaners come on a consistent basis to
'up-keep' this park, this is for your safety too

I didn't see rats or mice, but that is disgusting. I passed by this park again on Shabbos, and we stopped for a few minutes for the kids to run in and play, and man was it disgusting! We were on the other side of the park this time, and it was probably even worse than what i saw the other day!

Email of The Day

Seeking black boys shoes (borrow or buy) for a simcha.
Size 28-29 (same as US size 11-12)
Thank you!

---

are the shoes of a white boy not good enough for the simcha?

It is amazing how people are so fraught with worry that they might have to go a week without mayonnaise.

Over the past 2 weeks, the local email lists have had numerous postings daily:

• asking where one can buy locally Kosher for Pesach non-kitniyot mayonnaise
• informing the public which store has non-kitniyot mayonnaise
• updates on how much/little of such mayo is still on the shelves at said stores
• more begging for info on where it can be bought because said store has sold out.

The following email was sent today to the RBS email list...

--------------------
Yesterday in my class at Hebrew University, a professor spoke about his visit to Ramat Beit Shemesh. He had met with both Lemaan Achai and Hakshiva and was hugely impressed with their professionalism, goals, achievements and the community support. He ended off by saying that if you want to know the true meaning of chesed, this is the community to visit!


RBS gets a lot of bad press, it was a true Kiddush Hashem to hear someone like
this sing its praises!

The Email Of The Day goes to an email responding to an email to the local neighborhood email list informing the public of some new graffiti painted on garbage cans in RBS B stating "Zionists Out!".

The email in response, that gets the EOTD award said that [to counter the anti-zionist signs] "people should paint on their own garbage cans "Zionists In!""

The following was an email sent to one of the local email lists...

Anyone want pun delivered to The Ohel of Lubavitch Rebbe before Tishrei...

We are travelling to The Ohel [leaving this Thursday night] and are happy to take with your puns

I didn't know it was a custom to send puns to the Rebbe zt"l..

Young, Good-Looking Donkey for Sale

Hi,

I am in need of protecting a building from having access to unsecured WIFI connections from surrounding buildings.

If anyone can give me information on where to buy WIFI blockers/Jammers or how else to resolve this, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks,

It's not enough that he doesn't want internet access for himself (though he clearly has it as he is sending out email), but he wants to jam it for the whole building... and why would a jammer care whether it is a secured WIFI or unsecured WIFI connection? He should just put a password on his router and connection if he is worried about other people using his WIFI...

The following email was sent to the local communal email list... and it definitely qualifies for "email of the day" commendations...

If you want to improve the quality of your house plant and garden, I have for sale 100% pure earthworm castings, the ultimate fertilizer, that I have developed on my earthworm farm. I also have earthworms for sale. It is a wonderful hobby and a great way to dispose of your organic garbage in an ecological manner. By raising earthworms you can make your own castings. It is easier than you think.

So contact me at the Eretz HaKodesh Earthworm Farm. And remember, Ain Lanu Eretz Acheret.

Contact me @ 050-xxx-xxxx

I sometimes like to post emails that get sent out to the local community email list that I get a kick out of... This one was sent yesterday to the local list... and I get a kick out of it...

To the Ladies of RBS from Shmiras Einayim
Mon Feb 16, 2009 11:36 pm (PST)

During these weeks of Shovavim over one hundred men have committed to
knowing more aboutthe Halachas of keeping Kosher Eyes and improving our
habits by enrolling in the Shmiras Einayim Program and going to shiurim.

Obviously none of us were born in RBS and all have been in many other
neighborhoods to compare. We realize that women of RBS have chosen a
higher standard of modesty than other communities and have made RBS far
superior than virtually every other community we have lived in with
this regard

We all express sincere gratitude for women in RBS being extra careful
in dressing and acting in a modest way. Each of us express greater
pride and appreciation for our own wife.
Thanks so much for each women in the communty taking extra effort to
make RBS grow to even greater heights in Ruchniyus. Yasher Koach

What do you think about it?

-----------------
UPDATE:
The following email response was just sent to the list. I have no idea if it is sarcastic or honest. I think it sounds like the author is being honest, but maybe I am wrong.

I would like to say a public Kol Hakavod to the writers and supporters of this post. Such a positive, appreciative, acknowledging, respectful and grateful letter written to half of the public of RBS.

Clearly the authors of this post acknowledge the efforts and individual choice made each morning by women to dress in a certain way and instead of derision, choose appreciation as their mode to encourage such choices. I personally applaud your efforts and your acknowledgement of others.

This morning I asked my husband why he thought Hashem was sending the rains- what have we done differently to deserve them all of a sudden? I am sure that attitudes of ahavat yisroel such as these are the reasons for the Gishmai Bracha we have been receiving.

Today's "Email of the Day" on the local email list...

From: "w"
Subject: [BS/RBS list] FW: Looking for an unlocked or Orange-locked
cell phone
To: "RBS_List" , "BS_List" ,
"RBS_huji"

I'm a student in Yeshivat Lev HaTorah, and I am looking to purchase or rent
a new or used Orange cell phone. Please contact me if you can help. I can
pay in money or Torah learning. Thank you.
phone: 054-123-4567
e-mail: w@gmail.com


i love the concept of paying 'in Torah learning'. I wonder what would happen if this became an acceptable 'currency' in Israel.
Would supermarkets accept mishnayot in return for a loaf of bread? How many blat of gemara for a chicken?
Would there need to be different levels of learning depending on whether you are a student of the Mir or another institution??
Would you be able to pay your arnona bill in hours learned? The possibilities are endless!

(HatTip: RW)

The following was sent to the local community-wide email list... take it as you wish, but its content qualifies for being posted here...

My husband went to his rebbe for chanukah lighting. The rebbe told everyone
that there was a man who was recently niftar in beit shemesh. soon after,
the deceased man appeared to his brother in a dream. In it he told him that
there are now kitrugim(prosecuters) against Am yisroel because ppl are not
davening enough for the three bachurim that are being held captive in jail
in Japan (if u dont know the story not long ago 3 bachurim were promised 3
free tickets to visit a Rav if they would do a favor and bring a package to
someone in Japan, they agreed and unknowingly the package contained drugs.
The penalty for drug smuggling in Japan is one of the most severe in the
entire world. These boys are still being held captive.

this is a very legitimate story so please pass this message around and give
ppl the names of these bachurim to daven for their release. :

Yoel Zev ben Michal Reisa Chaya
Yackov Yosef ben Reizel
Yosef ben Eita Rivka

E.

I like how they are described as "being held captive". They are in jail because of a crime they committed. They are not being "held captive". I have no problem with people trying to work for their release or for lightening their sentence, or whatever, but let's not portray it as if they were taken hostage in a midnight raid in their quiet village.