A Brief List of Ways You Can Support Israel

For the benefit of our congregation, we have put together this list . It is intended for people at all stages of involvement with Israel , no matter how much history, politics, or Torah you know. Some ideas are quick and easy to implement; others take longer and require more involvement. You may disagree with some of these items, and that’s okay, but perhaps this list can give us all some ideas we haven't yet considered.

The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit is the Israel Defense Forces’ professional body responsible for media and public relations in Israel and around the world.

Check with an online Israeli newspaper at least once a day.

You can read (in English) the Jerusalem Post at www.jpost.com/ and Ha’aretz at www.haaretzdaily.com. The Jerusalem Report is at www.jrep.com.

Subscribe to E-Alert, JUF’s notification system with up-to-date Israel information. Sign up at www.juf.org/contact_juf/ealert.asp or send an e-mail message with your name and address to: e-alert@juf.org

Subscribe to Israel Update, an electronic newsletter offered by the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest. To join this list, e-mail the consulate at contactus@chicago.mfa.gov.il.

Read about the history of Israel

Make yourself knowledgeable so you can understand Israel's past and present, and its ongoing conflicts - and the geopolitical subtleties - and defend Israel in discussions. There is a great deal of history currently being rewritten by many in the Arab world, and the West. If you don't know our history, you can't tell fact from fabrication. You can order a copy of Myths and Facts: A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict (including events since Oslo) through the Jewish Virtual Library, www.JewishVirtualLibrary.org.

Visit the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs at www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/home.asp and the office of the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest at israelemb.org/chicago.

Visit the Israel Policy Forum at www.israelpolicyforum.org and familiarize yourself with the Mideast "Road Map" promoting peace initiatives for Israel and the Palestinians.

Subscribe to any of the media watch organizations. Join Camera:

www.camera.org/or subscribe to MEMRI: www.memri.org/. or Honest Reporting: www.honestreporting.com. Camera recently put out a paperback book called "A Record of Bias: National Public Radio's Coverage of the Arab-Israeli Conflict: September 26-November 26 2000." Call them and order one. Pass it along.

See the Academy award-nominated documentary Promises.

Promises is about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as seen through the eyes of Israeli and Palestinian children. promisesinfo@cowboypictures.com

Educate your family

Buy a map of Israel and frame it. Get a detailed map so you can follow the news – and get a regional map so you know where Israel is – in location and in size – in comparison with its neighbors.

Discuss Israel every night at the dinner table.

Reserve your seat at the Israeli Shabbat dinner at 6pm May 2^nd. Call the temple office to reserve your seat(s).

Go to Temple. Pray for a refuah shleimah for all in this conflict. Pray for peace. There is tremendous strength in communal prayer.

Order a poster of all the faces of all the Israelis who have died from terrorism at www.walk4israel.com/.

Subscribe to the American Zionist Movement newsletter: www.azm.org/subscribe.html

Give your money

Donate now to the UAHC Israel Relief Fund, which responds to Israel's need for relief for victims and their families; emergency medical equipment and supplies; and support of children and the elderly. New security costs - including guards at daycare centers and schools - are increasing. Your contributions now to the UAHC Israel Relief Fund and to ARZA/WORLD UNION, NORTH AMERICA help all Israelis and also respond to urgent needs of Reform congregations in crisis. To contribute online by credit card, go to uahc.org/israelrelief or mail contributions to UAHC Israel Relief Fund, Attn: Development Department, 633 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Please indicate clearly that your donations are for the Israel Relief Fund.

Donate to your local Federation. The funds you give go towards social services and the poor and immigrants, things that fall out of the limelight in times when Israel's security takes precedence. In Chicago, go to Jewish United Fund (JUF)/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago (JF), 1 S. Franklin, Chicago IL 60606, www.juf.org.

Buy State of Israel Bonds. You can buy bonds through your financial institution, or go to www.israelbonds.com for more information. In Chicago call the local Israel Bonds office at 312-558-9400.

Invest in Israeli Venture Capital Funds. By helping create a fertile environment for new businesses in Israel , we can sustain the health of the nation. One place to start is www.science.co.il/Venture-Capital-Funds.asp.

Give money to organizations that support Israeli victims of terror. See the

Website www.walk4israel.com/.

Buy goods made in Israel. Look for goods – especially cotton goods and sportswear – with Made in Israel labels. More and more American apparel sold at Gap, J.Jill, Talbots and Sportmart are Israeli made. Buy foodstuffs from Israel. Even if you don't keep kosher, chicken soup mix is chicken soup mix and jelly is jelly. You may as well buy Osem and help Israel-(The chocolate covered matzos are terrific!) Support Israeli artists, artisans and their works. Buy religious articles directly from Israel.

Another example: The Israeli company, Ahava, has lost its entire European market due to their boycott of Israel. It's a shame since they are excellent products. You can purchase Israeli products or Ahava directly online at www.ahava.com/. (AHAVA products cost the same as the products we already purchase.)

Better yet, buy goods from Israel online direct at www.shopinisrael.com/.

Support Yad L’Kashish, an Israeli workshop for the elderly and disabled. Buy their products at www.lifeline.org.il/.

Make donations to the major hospitals in Israel. Their emergency room staff members are stretched to the limit. Start with Shaarei Tzedek and Hadassah hospitals in Jerusalem.

Contribute to Efrat's Medical Center, which serves the entire Gush area after hours and on weekends for medical emergencies. You can contact them at kerenefr@inter.net.il

Plant a tree in Israel, for yourself or as a gift to family or friends. For each $18 donation (payable to JNF) a single tree will be planted. Additional information regarding JNF may be found at www.jnf.org/.

Organize an Israeli arts and craft fair. Several congregations could organize an Israeli arts and crafts fair, which would allow small Israeli vendors to sell to customers in our area.

Be visible and vocal in your support of Israel. Attend local rallies and take your kids. Participate in Israel Solidarity Day each year. . For information, go to www.juf.org/walk/ or call (312) 444-2905.

When you read or hear an incorrect news story or an example of unfair coverage, don't rant and rave. Do something. Deluge the newspapers, TV stations, radio stations with letters of protest. Send faxes. Make phone calls. Let all of those who support Israel know that we are not alone.

Write the White House. It is flooded with email and other messages of opposition to its support for Israel. Make sure it hears the other side. Don’t forget to send notes or emails of support and praise to the senators and congressmen who are such a bulwark of support for Israel. You can email the President at president@whitehouse.gov, the Vice-President at vice-president@whitehouse.gov, Senator Richard Durbin at dick@durbinsenate.gov, Senator Peter Fitzgerald at senator fitzgerald@fitzgerald.senate.gov. To find your congressman’s address, visit the Religious Action Center (RAC) at www.rac.org/leg-islate/legislate.html.

Get to know more Israelis.

Send condolence cards to the families who have lost loved ones to terror – you can find a list at www.walk4israel.com/.

Volunteer in Hadassah-The Women's Zionist Organization of America - www.hadassah.org/. Give your time (or money) to this women's organization, whose members are motivated and inspired to strengthen their partnership with Israel, ensure Jewish continuity, and realize their potential as a dynamic force in American society. Besides being a great organization, Hadassah is one of the best web sites on the internet, enriched with information and resources including volunteer groups in our area.

Ask your friends at local churches to join you in prayers and vigils for synagogues vandalized and destroyed in Europe.

Visit Israel. People are still going to Israel, though the numbers are small. Your guide’s and your host's very livelihood depend on your safety. The hotels and restaurants will be thrilled. You can still visit the Dead Sea, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Eilat, the Galilee, and Haifa. These places are beautiful and desperate for tourists.

Send your kids to Israel - high school programs, semesters abroad, summer camps. It is one of the most meaningful statements you can make to your children and your community.

For a limited time…Study for FREE in Israel

The State of Israel is now offering free tuition at many of Israel's finest universities, internationally recognized for academic excellence. Receive your Bachelor's, Master's or Advanced Professional Degree absolutely free of charge for up to three years. In addition, Israel will give you over $3,000 in cash to help make your decision easier. You will even fly to Israel for free. What's the motivation? Israel is investing in you - the Future of the Jewish people. Please note this is a limited time offer. Visit www.aliyah.org or call 212-339-6063.