Good Deeds Day this year coincided with Melabev’s Annual Virtual Dinner held in all nine day-care centers in Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh.
By GREER FAY CASHMAN, SYBIL EHRLICHMelabev’s Virtual Dinner 521(photo credit: Courtesy)
■ FOR SEVERAL years Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, chief rabbi of Efrat, has delivered a Shabbat Hagadol lecture at the Yeshurun Synagogue.Even though these annual Saturday night lectures take place only a few days before Pessah, Riskin is so popular that many people who have still not completed their Pessah cleaning take time out to listen to his lecture.There is usually an overflow audience, which may be the explanation for the change of venue this year. The lecture this coming Saturday night will be at the Great Synagogue and not at Yeshurun. Fortunately the two synagogues are on the same street, less than a block away from each other, so even if a few people go to the wrong place, it will take only a few minutes for them to make their way to the right one. Riskin will talk about conversion in Israel today and what can be learned from the biblical story of Boaz and Ruth, who is the symbol of inspiration for converts to Judaism.■ GOOD DEEDS Day this year coincided with Melabev’s Annual Virtual Dinner held in all nine day-care centers in Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh. As this year marks the 30th anniversary of Melabev’s service to the senior community, especially that sector experiencing symptoms of Alzheimer’s, volunteers and Friends of Melabev activists Ida and Richard Fry put on their thinking caps with the aim of finding a tangible way of honoring contributors to the virtual dinner.Together with other leading members of the Friends – Nancy Brown, Jan Sokolovsky, Susan Fried, Estelle Fink and Melabev directorgeneral Motti Zelikovitch – they managed to get sponsors to donate 30 prizes for a 30th anniversary raffle. Each contribution of $50 or NIS 180 received at the Melabev office by April 28 entitles the donor to participate in the draw.Multiples of these sums give each donor an additional chance to win a prize. The first prize is a travel package for two valued at $2,000.Further details are available at 655-5826 or at www.melabev.org/posts/404.Every year, on the first day of Nisan, Friends member Sylvia Wallis organizes a special brunch, replete with entertainment, for the people who are cared for by Melabev. It’s not the donors who are wined and dined but the beneficiaries of their generosity.■ LOVERS OF Jewish music and of high-quality performers are in for a treat on May 31, which is Jerusalem Day. The OU Israel Center will present its annual Jerusalem Concert in the Mexico Auditorium of the Mount Scopus campus of the Hebrew University. The line-up includes Yossi Green, Ohad Moskowitz, Yitzhak Meir Helfgot – and Yishai Lapidot as master of ceremonies.Tickets range from NIS 250 to NIS 1,000 per person. Proceeds from the concert will go towards the Pearl and Harold Jacobs Outreach Zula Center, which provides an unconditional warm welcome, a willing ear and sound advice to troubled youth. Full details are available at www.OUconcert.com.
■ RESIDENTS OF the Old City are familiar with Aba Claman and his wife, Pamela, who give to many causes but who give their hearts and souls, as well as their money, to boosting the morale of soldiers in the IDF. They have recruited many of their friends to the cause and open their beautiful home to soldiers on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. They were also in the forefront of the construction of a club house for soldiers in the Old City.In a bid to create more awareness of how thankful the public should be to each and every soldier and with the aim of raising more money for the cause, last Friday Aba went to Tel Aviv to participate in the marathon and rollerbladed 21 kilometers, together with wounded IDF war hero Assaf Lubotzky on a hand bike, and runner Lt. Ya’acov Selevan of the Tank Corps. The money they raised from sponsorships will be used to send 184 food packages to needy soldiers and their families.ReroutingBy Sybil EhrlichAnother shake-up of the city’s bus routes took place on April 1 as many readers will have discovered to their bemusement or perhaps anger.The 17 now goes from Malha (as before) to Mount Scopus instead of to Ein Kerem. The route is the same as the old 17 as far as King George Avenue, but it now turns right onto Rehov Hanevi’im and left to Rehov Heyl Hahandasa, continuing the same as route 23.The 39 and 39-alef no longer pass through the city center but go along Sarei Yisrael and Malchei Yisrael streets.A new route to Ma’aleh Adumim, No. 126, goes from Binyenei Ha’uma via Eliash, Kiah, Hanevi’im, Monbaz and Shlomzion Hamalka streets and continues the same as route 124.There is a change in route 23. It now goes from the Israel Arts and Science Academy to the corner of Shmuel Hanavi and Sachs streets, then straight on Rehov Shivtei Yisrael, right to Rehov Hanevi’im, right again to Rehov Heyl Hahandasa and terminating at the corner of Hatzanhanim and Ha’ayin Het streets.Route 50 has been shortened, now going from Ramat Beit Hakerem only as far as Binyenei Ha’uma instead of Morasha.The new 36-alef goes from Rehov Shmuel Hanavi to the tomb of Samuel the Prophet (Nebi Samwil).In addition, Egged announced on its website a “new route 28.”That is somewhat surprising, as there has been a 28 route for as long as anyone can remember, from Mount Scopus to Givat Ram. But no, this new 28 route is from Ein Kerem to Ramat Beit Hakerem. In what sounds like an April Fool’s joke, the old 28 has been renumbered 68.Why didn’t Egged simply leave the 28 as it was and use the number 68 for the new route? A spokesman on behalf of Egged said the decision was not Egged’s but is part of the Transportation Ministry and Jerusalem Municipality’s master plan. He said there is some logic in it because the city will be divided into areas, with “20-something” buses serving one area, “30-something” another area, and so on.
