LOS ANGELES — In an effort to assist the public in avoiding possible traffic congestion during the Armenian Genocide Centennial March for Justice on April 24, 2015, the following areas of the City should be avoided when possible to prevent travel delays for community members:
Hollywood Boulevard between Western Avenue and Serrano Ave (8:45-10:00am)
Sunset Boulevard from Western Avenue to La Brea Avenue
La Brea Avenue from Sunset Boulevard to Wilshire Boulevard
Wilshire Boulevard from La Brea Avenue to 6300 Wilshire Boulevard, next to S Crescent Heights Boulevard
All areas will be closed starting at 8:00 AM, with only limited traffic allowed to pass through the following intersections:
Streets will reopen on a rolling basis as marchers pass through.
Due to street closures, the following bus routes will be rerouted to utilize alternate stops during the march:
MTA bus #2, #20, #212/312, #217
DASH bus Wilshire, Hollywood
Riders should contact the MTA or the Los Angeles Department of Transportation for any alternate locations. For parking locations or shuttles to/from the march, please visit www.March4Justice.org.
Street closures and security have been provided by the City of Los Angeles.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Greeting for Independence Day 2015:
“Israel’s Independence Day is an occasion for genuine celebration.
Jews celebrate the rebirth of our national freedom in our historic homeland, the Land of Israel.
We celebrate that the Jewish people are no longer stateless and powerless, but are once again masters of our own fate.
We celebrate the fact that Jews everywhere enjoy a right they were denied for so many centuries, the right to make aliya and be part of the modern State of Israel.
And we can also celebrate Israel’s many achievements.
We have integrated into our society immigrants from all four corners of the earth.
We have successfully defended our freedom against attacks by hostile neighbors.
We have literally made the desert bloom, building a vibrant and dynamic hi-tech economy.
We have built a robust and healthy democracy, where freedom is sacrosanct and human rights enshrined in our laws for all.
We have built a society in which all Israel’s citizens are equal under the law, Arab and Jew alike.
We have witnessed a real renaissance in our national culture.
we take pride in Israel’s achievements.
And even though there is still much work to be done,
on this day we can unite in celebration of Israel’s many successes.
From Jerusalem, the capital of the modern State of Israel for the last 67 years, and the historic capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years,
I wish you all a very happy Independence Day”.
Each YOU Grant winner was chosen by the fans and received a $5,000 grant to continue their great work in the Greater Los Angeles community.
Congratulations to the Friendship Circle on winning the March 2015 Lakers Youth Foundation YOU Grant!
The Friendship Circle’s purpose is to bring joy and companionship to children with special needs in a way that celebrates, rather than laments, their uniqueness and individuality. The underlying philosophy of the Friendship Circle is that every child is an entire world – worthy of the gifts of love, laughter, nurturing and connection regardless of what I s seen on the surface, at the core, children with special needs are not so different after all.
Funding Project: Miracle Sports League, a sports program that encourages children to participate in weekly sports games that challenge, yet accommodate, the individual needs of each child and helps them build skills, foster self-esteem, teamwork, responsibility and new friendships. The Miracle League is staffed by an experienced coach and our teenage volunteers are on hand to assist in all aspects of preparing for, and playing the games. Our goal is to expand the program every year to include a variety of sports.
Via NBA.com/Lakers
Congratulations to the 2014-2015 Lakers Youth Foundation YOU Grant Recipients! Each YOU Grant winner was chosen by the fans and received a $5,000 grant to continue their great work in the Los Angeles community.
Congratulations to the Friendship Circle on winning the March 2015 Lakers Youth Foundation YOU Grant!
A potentially explosive decision, proposed by Jordan, in the UN is likely to pass today. In danger of aggravating existing national and religious tensions in the Old City of Jerusalem, The United Nations body responsible for World Heritage sites (UNESCO) is poised to adopt a proposal condemning and limiting, Jewish and Israeli activity in and around the site of the Temple Mount.
Speaking to Tazpit News Agency, Lisa Rahmani, of the “Face of Israel” organization, registered her indignation at the supposed content of the document. “We are outraged with the proposal. It not only violates article 9 of the Israel-Jordan peace treaty, but also article 18 of the universal declaration of human rights, concerning the freedom of religion.”i
It is expected that this draft decision will pass today during the 196th session of the committee, due to the committee’s member composition and the automatic voting block that Jordan has in such UN bodies.i
Submitted by Jordan and pertaining to the Old City of Jerusalem, key sections of the proposition potentially condemn Israeli activity in the Old City and the access of Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount. In addition, excavation and archeological activity by Israel and Jewish organizations is condemned. i
The decision draft calls for the UNESCO committee to demand an immediate halt to all Israeli actions, allegedly impeding 19 projects proposed by Jordan on the Temple Mount and alleges that Israel is hindering Muslim and Christian access to the site.
Opponents of the pending UNESCO decision charge that the proposed text is filled anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli rhetoric, and is based on misinformation and misinterpretation of facts and international law.i
In an urgent letter of appeal to UNESCO by the “International Legal Forum” and “The Face of Israel”, the director of the Legal Forum, Attorney Yifa Segal, adds “[The decision] can cause a great deal of harm to all Israelis as well as Jews everywhere, and may endanger the very core values of which your organization is built on. We request that you withhold from passing this controversial resolution at this point, and allow us the possibility to present you with the facts
To commemorate Yom Hazikaron 2015, we present “Chai”, an original song from our new album “Vol. 6: Thirteen”.
Especially in these trying times, we salute all those that have perished.
Words, music and arrangement by Mike Boxer
Lead vocals by: Rob Operman and Craig Resmovits
Edited by Jeff Eames
Mixed by Alex Green
Mastered by Dave Sperandio
Video montage by Eitan Rubin
This and all Six13 music was created with only the human voice.
Turn on the TV news, the same thing every day
More of our brothers in despair
Just for being Jews, their lives taken away
Just hearing is too much to bear
But through the misery, we find a way to smile
Despite not knowing where it ends
True to our history, we’ll make it through the trials
Because on this we can depend
Am Yisrael Chai
We will say the words together
Od Avinu Chai
With a faith that lasts forever
Raising hands up to the sky
As we stand and sing out “Am Yisrael Chai”
Am Yisrael Chai
Pouring out our fears and sorrow
Od Avinu Chai
It’s our hearts our voices follow
Not just only you and I
We’re a nation strong and Am Yisrael Chai
“From the river to the sea” lurk those who want us gone
Is this what we were chosen for?
Unfazed and dutifully we march and carry on
We still believe, “gam zeh yaavor”
Our honor won’t be sullied, our strength won’t be slain
And soon will dawn a bright new day
Eyal, Gilad, Naftali were not lost in vain
Their memories, and six million before, will lead the way
Am Yisrael Chai
We will say the words together
Od Avinu Chai
With a faith that lasts forever
Raising hands up to the sky
As we stand and sing out “Am Yisrael Chai”
Am Yisrael Chai
Pouring out our fears and sorrow
Od Avinu Chai
It’s our hearts our voices follow
Not just only you and I
We’re a nation strong and Am Yisrael Chai
Am Yisrael Chai
We will say the words together
Od Avinu Chai
With a faith that lasts forever
Raising hands up to the sky
As we stand and sing out “Am Yisrael Chai”
Am Yisrael Chai
Let our souls resound in chorus
Od Avinu Chai
For all those that came before us
And for every tear they cried
Hashem Echad, v’Am Yisrael Chai
Nearly 13 years ago, a Ukrainian woman and her Palestinian husband drove a suicide bomber to Rishon Lezion, a city in central Israel. The suicide bomber entered a game club on the night of May 7, 2002, located on the third floor of a building and detonated a suitcase full of explosives, complete with shrapnel and nails. Patrons at the club had been playing card games, slot machines and snooker, as the explosion went off causing part of the building to collapse.
Ibrahim Hamda, the Hamas terrorist responsible for masterminding the game club attack and others like the Café Hillel and Hebrew University bombing, received 54 life sentences in 2012. The Ukrainian woman, Irina Polishchuk meanwhile received 20 years in prison and was freed in the Gilad Shalit deal, while her husband, Ibrahim Sarahme was given several life sentences.
Jacob Kimchy, a 24-year-old university student at the time of the attack, went to the club that night to help out and discovered a horrifying scene that he described as “the devil’s playground.”
Fifteen people were killed and over 55 others wounded in the attack, for which Hamas claimed responsibility. “Nothing prepared me for what I found,” recalls Kimchy, who had completed his IDF service. “It was a horrific site, an abnormal reality.”
But for Kimchy the terror attack hit much closer to home.
Among the 15 killed including a Christian Arab woman from Jaffa, was his father, Rahamim Kimchy, 58 who worked as a taxi driver and had gone into the Sheffield Club looking for a customer who had not come down to the taxi. Kimchy was an employee of the Israel Aircraft Industries, and had become a taxi driver after suffering a serious work accident where he lost his leg.
“I saw my father’s taxi outside the club at some point, called his cellphone, and no answer. At the end, the explosion had been so strong that we didn’t even have his body to bury,” said Kimchy.
Rahamim’s murder left the family in a state of shock and Jacob himself describes the feeling of despair that overtook him. Kimchy uprooted his life, moved to the US and opened a foundation called One Heart in 2005, dedicated to helping victims of terrorism around the world and became a public speaker on the subject. “I had a lot of pain but I wanted to do something positive with it,” he explained.
“When my father lost his leg during the work accident, he became the strongest man I have ever known,” explains Kimchy. “He showed me that with hard work and belief, we can rebuild our strength in our soul and create a better reality around us.”
“Eventually, I rediscovered meaning and purpose in my own life by helping other victims,” said Kimchy, who received a Masters of Science in Management from Polytechnic University in New York.
One Heart offers free counseling to help child terror victims and in March 2011, the non-profit brought together a group of teenagers from Liberia, Rwanda, Northern Ireland, Spain, France, the US and Israel to spend a week together in New York. Kimchy has worked closely with companies, government organizations, and non-profits on the needs of trauma victims, helping to build a better networking system to assist victims over the past 10 years.
“After working with victims of terrorism for nearly a decade, and through my own experience with losing my father to terrorism, I saw first-hand how important the message of surviving trauma was and how critical help can be to others who are suffering,” Kimchy told Tazpit News Agency in an interview.
“Trauma is an event that touches a very deep place in our soul and it’s an important subject that isn’t discussed enough today,” Kimchy told Tazpit.
It is one of the reasons why Kimchy decided to write a memoir about his life journey called “A New Sunrise.”
“My journey over the years with getting help, giving help to others, speaking about victims and surviving trauma, have all helped me to get to where I am today – and all this led me to publish this book,” said Kimchy who today lives in Los Angeles with his wife.
“This is my mission in life – to help others and empower them to find their new sunrise. While it’s easy to give up when something traumatic happens, there is another path where pain can be used to grow and find happiness.”
The Bullet Factory at Ayalon: “The Secret Beneath the Hill”
At a time when the future of Israel hung in the balance, 45 heroic teenagers secretly manufactured bullets hidden in an underground bunker. This secret ammo plant, called The Ayalon Institute-but widely know today as “THE BULLET FACTORY”- turned out 2 1/2 million bullets that were used to ensure Israels survival as a state. The story of these brave men and women-including the remaining survivors-is now being told for the first time, in a documentary called “The Secret Beneath the Hill”
Join us for a very special evening for a chance to get an exclusive look into this amazing story, and how it is being captured on film, with the filmmakers themselves.
Join Producer Laurel Fairworth and Director Michael Lopatin as they take us through their journey of documenting this inspiring story.
Enjoy a Q and A with the filmmakers after the presentation along with a private reception for this very special event. Dietary laws will be observed.
SPACE IS LIMITED—PLEASE MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
This project is in partnership with Yavneh Hebrew Academy and the Jewish National Fund. Any contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks to the bereaved families on the occasion of Remembrance Day for the Fallen of Israel’s Wars (Yom Hazikaron). GPO
Professional seminar for the chareidi community arranged by
The Ezer Mizion Mental Health Family Support Center
About 600 people took part in the annual seminar presented by Ezer Mizion’s Family Counseling Center entitled “A Bridge of Hope.” The seminar discussed the importance of hope both for the patient and his family.
The audience included prominent educators, among them Roshei Yeshiva, mashgichim, and professionals, as well as parents and other relatives of the mentally ill. Senior members of the Health Ministry staff praised the initiative and its value to the chareidi community.
The seminar was chaired by Rabbi Zev Schechter. Rabbi Chananya Chollak, International Chairman of Ezer Mizion, greeted the attendees warmly. Top lecturers in the mental health field presented their treatment approach and the latest innovations to the eager listeners. Among the speakers were Professor Yisrael Strauss, Deputy Director of the Department of Mental Health Centers in Beer Yaakov and Nes Tziona and Professor David Ro’eh, of the Mental Health Department in Haifa University.
Mr. Tzviel Rofeh, a group leader and author, who himself overcame mental illness, kept the audience spellbound with his personal story.
Dr. Uzi Shai, Tel Aviv Regional Psychiatrist, led a fascinating panel discussion, with the participation of Rabbi Chananya Chollak, Professor David Ro’eh, Professor Yisrael Strauss, Mr. Tzviel Rofeh, Rabbi Shlomo Stern, Rabbi Yehuda Silver, and Mr. Elad Milo, Director of Occupational Rehabilitation at Ezer Mizion.
As is well known, mental problems affect not only the patient himself but also his family members. At the same time, the family’s conduct and its ability to deal with the difficult situation have a strong impact on the patient’s progress on the road to recovery. Many of the families who encounter these challenges have no idea where to turn for help. As a result, the patient often receives treatment only after a significant delay, which can negatively affect his chances of a complete recovery.
The Family Support Center, a project of Ezer Mizion’s Mental Health Division, was established specifically in order to respond to these important needs. The Center’s staff helps the family determine if their concerns indeed indicate a real problem requiring treatment or if what they see is merely a fleeting phenomenon that will dissipate on its own. Families can also receive information about the particular disorder and its ramifications, referral to available services and therapy options, assistance in actualizing entitlements, tools to help them cope, and emotional support for the family members.
