Blev Echad

Hello,
All i can say about last night is Amazing. I am like speechless. To be there was one of the most moving experiences in my life. I am running to a meeting now but i wanted to share this with all of you. This was written after the event by one of the Blev Echad team. Enjoy. I will write up a full synopsis later!

A once in a life time experience, and more, was truly what I experienced today. Having been part of the blev echad committee for the last 6 months, I had no clue going into today, what it would actually be like. ( I am going to steer away from the broadcasting aspect, and focus more on what took place at the actual event). I will try my best to put into words what exactly took place and how I felt, but no matter what I say, words cannot possibly explain how much emotion is inside of me. After arriving at 2pm, we (the blev echad committee) were able to go into a separate room to look at the 8 sifrei torah all together. 6 ashkenazi torahs, and 2 sefardi torahs, all extremely beautiful. Walking into a room in the library and seeing 8 sifrei torah lying out on a table, the first thing that automaticly popped into my head was the exact room of the 8 boys who were lying in tallesim exactly one year ago. Here, in their place, were torahs. The exact thing which they died for. These very torahs are to help them live on. After that, the torahs were brought to their respective places where the letters would be filled in. 2 in the yashlatz (high school) beit midrash, the exact place that one year ago was being set up for a rosh chodesh adar chagiga which forced these 5 out of the 8 boys to go to the mercaz library and continue learning. Most people I know would take the break from learning to go chill out in their rooms, however these 5 special boys would not even think of wasting any time learning and because of that were brutally murdered. 2 sifrei torah were in there, 2 were in the beit midrash of mercaz harav, and the remaining 4 were in the library, exactly where the attack took place. One thing that really struck me were the signs with the arrows indicating which boy’s torahs went where. Coincidental or not, 4 of the signs pointing to the library were perfectly aligned next to the bullet hole left by the merciless attacker. To me, that really hit home. This bullet hole could have signified many things, it could have said, you know we were attacked, we are done learning for good, however right next to it, were signs saying “in your face”. Yes we were attacked, however we were not defeated, because inside the very place you tried to bring us down, we are writing sifrei torah to continue our learning and to continue serving hkbh. Watching all the different families react was truly remarkable. The Meharte family from Ethiopa was probably the most inspiring thing for me to watch, and brought home the idea of “blev echad”. Many gedolim showed up to fill in letters including the Bostoner rebbe, all the Roshei Yeshiva, and many of the talmidim from the yeshiva. However, watching the anonymous family fill in the letters of each of the sifrei torah was amazing. Paparazzi following him everywhere, however when asked what his name is, he simply replied “it doesn’t make a difference, you’ve probably never heard of it”, and than continued to focus on the ketiva. The midah of anava that one man/ family can display is something that I cannot even put into words. Can you imagine being completely incognito at an event that you’ve spent tons of money on. Can you imagine being nothing more than an observer of something you’ve put your entire neshoma into. Spending shabbos with this family and learning from them was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. Following the completion of the final letters, the sifrei torah were brought to one location outside with each of the fathers of the boys gripping their torahs for dear life. It looked as if they were holding onto their son who they lost, and would do anything to have back. Watching these fathers exit the balcony into the streets was one of the most emotional parts of the night. One of the fathers who has a connection with the anonymous family, was walking down the stairs, made eye contact with them, mouthed “thank you” and kissed his torah. Tears startred streaming down my face. All I kept thinking was about how much this father must miss his son, and how this torah was something that was going to help him live on, and he was truly grateful for this. The inspiration the parents gave me, and everyone else at the event was something I will take with me forever. These are parents who were mamish sitting in the exact place where their sons were killed a year to the day ago. And instead of being angry with hashem, they were embarcing his greatest gift ever. It is so easy to be angry with god after he takes away your child, but instead, not only were they not angry, but they were taking something so tragic and turning it into something so positive. Instead of being mad at the torah which their sons died learning, they were continuing to embrace it, how special. Can you imagine fathers dancing on the yertzait of their son?, its probably hard to, but that is exactly what happened. Going outside to the chatzer was insane. The committee as a whole was incredibly nervous about the turnout for this event. Going out into the streets and seeing literally over 10 thousand people was so memorable. So many different types of jews. Chasidim, Israelis, Americans, Chilonim, Daati Leumi and everyone else, all there to celebrate the 8 holy neshomot and the torah to which they were so commited. Tens of thousands of people were in the same exact place last year for a levaya pouring their hearts out, bawling, whaling, for the tragedy which had occurred. However tonight was different. Tens of thousands of people were here dancing, singing, and celebrating. Yes the night had an emotionally sad aspect to it, but it was not meant to be a night of mourning. It was a night of celebrating. 2 completely opposite events with the same turnout, exactly 365 days apart. The torahs finally made its way into the streets were everyone was able to dance with them. Light trucks, children holding torches, yeshiva bochurim, women, and men were all able to celebrate. We made it over one block in one hour. Looking straight ahead down the block and seeing that many people really touched me. Mi K’Amcha Yisrael?? The torahs from inside the beit midrash came out to meet the new torahs and escort them inside. The Beit Midrash of Mercaz filled immediately. The 8 fathers were upfront with their torahs in the air singing, “avinu malkeinu ptach shaarei shamayim” Hashem, open the gates of heaven and listen to us. Thousands of People were pouring their hearts and begging hashem to listen them. Begging him for an adar filed with simcha, to end our pain and suffering, begging him that there should be no need for such an event, and to bring our geula bekarov. There were many points in the night where I was convinced that moshiach was coming and this was one of them. This exact time last year this room was filled calls out to hashem with screams of pain and this year we were screaming sounds of happiness, achdut and love for the torah. There were speeches and than the whole world together, 75,000 jews sang acheinu kol beis yisroel all together. I had chills up my spine. Hamakom yirachem alehem veyotzeaim mitzara levracha umeafea leora, lishibud leguala… are there any words more appropriate than this for tonight? Hashem please take us out of our tzaros and bring us bracha (he did, 8 boys were killed, 8 sifrei torah were brought into this world) and iyh we will be taken out of galus and brought to geula, and tonight made it all the more clearer that we are extremely close to that. So much ahavas chinam going around. After the rav of mercaz was misayem what was learned by all of klal yisroel. Tanach was finished 14 times, and shas 3 times. PLUS, all the mitzvos that were done liluy nishmasam. AM YISRAEL CHAI! NOHING CAN BRING US DOWN! For the last part of the ceremony, the roshei yeshiva presented a gift to the hero who shot the terrorist and everyone sang “siu shearim rasheichem”. He seemed so embaressed and not into the kavod, but he was treated like a true melech for what he accomplished. Chas vshalom more people could have been hurt. But this hero took the intiative, risked his own life, in order to save fellow jews. We are one special people. The last part of the night was meeting the families during the seuda. We did not have a seat there since it was not really our place, but you could really tell towards the end that there was some sort of nechama on their faces and a certain sense of closure, not that there could ever be true closure. But they were so thankful to us, and mostly to all of klal yisroel who participated in helping their son’s neshamos have aliyos. That’s how it ended, and that is why it is 5:45am and I am sitting here writing this. Way too inspired, way too many endorphins, and thoughts to possibly go to sleep. But it is Rosh Chodesh once again, and it is time to go to vasikin, so I am going to cap off what has been an icredible trip with shachris at the kotel.
Lshana habbah beyerushalayim habenuyah

Talk to ya soon!
Jesse

Pray for Rain

I am sitting on a bus traveling through a very powerful storm in the north of Israel. With the holy city of Tzfat behind us and nothing but the open road and the power of the storm ahead of us i watch as flashes of pure energy light up the sky.
This shabbos was spent in Tzfat with my Yeshiva, we went up north on thursday. The trip took about 3 hours total and we had stops built in to see different sights. Along the way we stopped off at the Kever of Rabbi Akiva, and Rabbi Moshe Chiam Luzatto. From there we went up into the mountains with the kineret on one side and the mountains on the other. We went horse back riding!!! Yay!! In case you couldnt tell I love horses. It was amazing, we went slow, yet it was nice to just be on the horses and enjoy the scenery. Some of the guys went ATVing and got all muddy. Suckers lol. Shabbos was amazing It has been raining on and off all shabbos, with a little bit of hail and maybe snow balls thrown in! Mount Chermon was closed due to the snow it received and it was sure cold enough there for some. This storm is the first real storm I have seen in Israel, it is amazing. We have little storms in Ramat Bet Shemesh but they are just a ton of rain for a few hours and thats it. This is a full blown storm, thank G-d. Israel really needs the rain. The water level is right now at its lowest in a long time and Isreal really needs water for the next years supplu. So include in your prayrs that we need rain. In Tzfat we davened in a breslov shul and that was fun. Beautiful shul, really big, newly built, and the structure was amazing.
We stayed at the Tel Aviv hotel in Tzfat, kinda ironic. ;-)

I have been doing a lot of work lately on Blev Echad. We really want the whole world to know about it, so if you could just send an email, or tell everyone about the event. If you will not be in Israel the details are as follows.
The event is this Tuesday, Feburary 24th. The event will be broadcast live over the internet begining at 12 noon, EST. To view the broadcast go to our newly designed website, www.blevechad.com and click on view. We recomend you go to the site before the broadcast to test your settings. We have a feed online which you can use to test your settings now. For more information please visit the website and click on FAQ.

If you are in Israel, then please join us at Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav in Jerusalem at 5:30 to dance with the Sifrei Torah in the streets of Jerusalem. Dress warmly as we will be outside the Yeshiva.

This will be an amazing event with many many people at the event itself and many thousands joining us online as well!

If you have any ideas about marketing please email them to me at jesse@blevechad.com or put them in the comments below!

In other news afther Blev Echad is done, I am going to be meeting with Lemaan Achai to figure out with them how I can assist them in doing events to raise money. I am also working to start with Stand With Us doing the same thing.

Learning in Yeshiva is improving I have started learning about purim and doing research on Dovid on my own. Good luck to everyone of my friends trying to get into the various Yeshivos, I remember it is a painful and annoying process. But so worth it my friends, so worth it.
Thats all for now folks! Have a great week!
Jesse

Events

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I have done it again. Another event about to come to fruition, because of many peoples hard work and amazing job well done. A friend of mine wanted to to a talent show, and we got to work. After quite bit of work we have done it. Tonight is the event and I shall let you know how it goes!

In other news ITS POURING IN JERUSALEM!!!! NOT JUST THAT BUT HAILING!!!! Baruch Hashem. Israel needs the water. its coming down in waves, its unbelievable.

Blev Echad Update: New site is live check it out www.blevechad.com!!!! We currently have over 31000 people signed up to watch it! Tell your friends family an others! Go to the site for the latest!!! Enjoy!
Jesse

Walking through the sands of time

Hey,
The past 2 days were kinda awol for the Yeshiva. We went into the desert for 2 days to watch the Superbowl. We went to some random place in the desert by the dead sea. In the end I did not end up staying up for the game cause the first quarter was boring, they werent showing the American commercials, and the Patriots were not even in it so what do I care? Besides I called the Steelers to win anyway.
Not to waste and oppurtunity to hike, the Yeshiva took us out into the desert to traverse the cliffs and canyons.

So we hiked down the never ending road through the sands of time, leading no where but taking an eternity to get there.

Fun stuff. I am uploading the pictures now! Enjoy!
Jesse