Attending the UJC GA in Jerusalem - Nov 16-19, 2008?
If
you are going to be attending the United Jewish
Community General Assembly (UJC GA) in Jerusalem on Nov
16-19, 2008,
and will be in Israel either before or after the GA - consider
putting some "sweat
equity" in Israel on the VFI / Sar-EL program.
Only those attending the UJC GA can join the Sar-El program for ONE WEEK (off the regular schedule), either before or after the GA: November 9-13 or November 23-27, 2008.
Cell Phone Rentals in Israel
Volunteers for Israel encourages all volunteers to carry cell phones when they travel to Israel. Their cost is small; their value is incalculable, and they come with instructions that are easy to follow.
Volunteers for Israel has arranged special rates with three cell phone providers that have proven records of excellent service. Here are the companies we recommend:
| AMIGO Phones: | 1-888-264-4687 | www.amigo-us.com/vfi |
| Cell Talk: | 1-866-801-9623 | www.celltalk.co.il |
| IsraelPhones: | 1-866-897-9393 | www.israelphones.com |
If you call, be sure to mention that you are going to Israel as a volunteer with VFI.
On the 60th Anniversary of the State of Israel:
A Message from the President of Israel - Shimon Peres
May 2, 2008 / 27 Nissan 5768
Dear Friends,
As we stand poised to celebrate Israel’s 60th Anniversary, we can only but look back on our achievements with a great deal of pride. From its inception, practically rising from the ashes of the unspeakable horrors of the Holocaust, Israel has had to fight for its survival through 7 wars and relentless attacks on its very existence. Yet we persisted in turning the vision of a homeland for the Jewish people into reality. We have created a model democracy, an independent judiciary system and set ourselves at the forefront of fields such as science and technology, hi-tech, agriculture and medicine, to name but some of the areas in which Israel excels.
But we should not allow ourselves to rest on our laurels. We must seek to educate our younger generation for leadership roles in our 3 Tomorrows:
The Israel Tomorrow, The Jewish Tomorrow and The Global Tomorrow. We must bridge the growing social gaps in our country. We must cultivate stronger ties with the Jewish Diaspora and engage the young in these communities to connect with Israel. We must initiate breakthroughs in spheres such as nano-technology, desalination to alleviate water shortages, find alternative sources of energy, green the desert and make inroads in ever more sophisticated medical applications. During these years, we have made peace with Egypt and Jordan and peace negotiations with the Palestinians will bear fruit. We must be true to the values dictated by our Prophets, a united the Jewish people through the ages and that must continue as our beacon for the generations to come.
As Israel celebrates 60 years of independence I wish the country, the Jewish people and our friends throughout peaceful and prosperous anniversary year.
Shimon Peres
Save the Date: Sunday, June 1, 2008 - Israel Day Parade in NYC
Volunteers
for Israel® is happy to celebrate Israel's 60th birthday
at the Salute to Israel Parade!
Volunteers for Israel will be marching with the Jewish Agency.
We have planned a great day for everyone
who will be attending.
The parade will be on Sunday June 1, 2008 in NYC.
At 10:45
AM, everyone can enjoy breakfast together at Cafe
K. Cafe K is located
at:
8 E. 48th St., New York, NY 10017 (The cross streets are Fifth Ave and
Madison Ave.)
Each person will be responsible for paying for his/her own breakfast.
After breakfast we will take a short walk to the parade and begin marching.
If you can not make it to breakfast, the meeting
place for the Volunteers for Israel/Jewish Agency cohort will be 56th
Street between 5th and 6th Ave at 1:45PM. The parade ends on 79th St and
5th. Ave.
Everyone who marches with Volunteers for Israel will receive a VFI T-Shirt to wear at the parade, and will distribute promotional materials to the crowd.
Please RSVP your intention to join us at Cafe K and/or the Parade so we
can properly prepare.
For more information about the parade visit http://www.salutetoisrael.com/index.asp
The Salute To Israel Parade is the single largest gathering in the world in support of Israel! We are very excited to show our support for Israel at this wonderful event.
If you have any questions feel free to contact me via email or to RSVP:
or call 212-643-4848
Jaclyn Mishal
Volunteers for Israel®
Now is the time - YOU are the difference.
Purim '08 - Mishloach Manot - Connecting to IDF Soldiers
Due to the generosity of our volunteers, VFI was able to raise $7,000+ to purchase Mishloach Manot packages for IDF soldiers in Israel. We had VFI volunteers who signed up to be involved, with Brooklyn ZOA, with the distribution of those packages in Israel. These volunteers were led by Carol Hananel from VFI-LA. Approximately 2,500 packages were delivered to about 8 bases in the Jerusalem/Jordan Valley area and to bases in the Tel-Aviv / Beersheva area.
There were additional distributions at Tel Hashomir hospital, Kook Yeshiva and for the residents of Sderot.
Thank you to ALL who generously contributed to make this project a success.
Thank you to ALL who wrote the letters of encouragement that were delivered with the packages.
The photos of the IDF soldiers who received the Mishloach Manot packages are enough to tell you that the packages were well received and appreciated
Sar-El's call for Volunteers
Sar-El has a call out for volunteers from now till this summer.
- Special construction projects on bases in the North and South of the country
- Volunteers are needed on the regular bases as well
This year is the 60th year of Israel's independence - the best gift you can give Israel is YOURSELF!
Photo Gallery of VFI Volunteers now available
We have placed a Photo Gallery of VFI Volunteers in action on this web
site.
You can see the new Photo Gallery - by following this
link.
If YOU have photos from your recent volunteer experience that you want to share - please feel free to pass them forward.