Shoshi's+I-Face+Project

 **//....live the dream....//**

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= Rationale = I chose to write about my uncle, Rabbi Yehoshua Fass who founded Nefesh B'Nefesh. Nefesh B'Nefesh is an organization that encourages immigration by Jewish people to Israel from North America and other English speaking countries. In my opinion my uncle is one of the most important faces of Israel also because he made Aliya with his family from Florida but he also helped bring to Israel many other families and helped them live a dream of the Jewish people.

Until now, Nefesh B'Nefesh has brought over 12,000 immigrants to Israel! I think that the ideal Israeli is one who contributes the maximum he can to the state. One who cares for the Jewish nation and tries to unite the Jewish people in there home land. One who fulfils his own dream, his families dream and thousand of other people around the world! I think my uncle does a great job at that!

= Profile = Israel Faces: Rabbi Yehoshua Fass

"One who fulfills his own dream, his families dream, and thousand of other people around the world!"

Yehoshua Fass grew up in Healing Park New Jersey .at age eight Josh and his family came to Israel for a year. The family faced a lot of difficulties and made there way back to US. “I always new that the place for the Jews was in Israel and I hoped to live there with my family one day.

At a young age my mother had cancer and it was very hard for my family at the time. During her sickness she would talk and dream about living in Israel one day and I think her hopes and faith kept her strong during that hard period we went through.” He says. All though the Fass family couldn’t live in Israel the Israeli spirit and the love to the land was rooted deep inside them.

“Josh was always finding creative ideas; he loved to learn and had a great sense of humor. We all new he was going to be some big leader one day.” Atara Taragin, his sister says. After receiving his rabbinic ordination, degrees in biology and education from Yeshiva University rabbi Yehoshua Fass moved to Florida and joined the "Judaic Fellows program". During his tenure within the program, he touched the lives of hundreds. His classes were attended by all ages. He was awarded a rabbinic leadership at the Jewish communities- general assembly, Chicago. A year and a half later he was the assistant Rabbi of the Boca Raton synagogue. For one year during his Rabbinate he served as acting Rosh Beit Din (head of the rabbinical court). “The South Florida community is very warm, loving and accepting; it was a pleasant experience dedicating myself to teaching and inspiring over 500 families.” For 4 years rabbi Fass dedicated himself to the south Florida community, in addition to other influential projects. He joined the march of the living which is an educational program that brings Jewish teens from all over the world to Poland on "Yom Hashoa", Holocaust Memorial Day, to march from Auschwitz to Burkina, the largest concentration camp built during World War 2.

“The march of the living inspired me very much in many ways.” He says walking through the death chambers of my brothers and seeing and almost living the horrible humiliating thing that my nation when through, and then taking a plane straight from there to Israel to the Kotel gave me the feeling of pride for the Jewish nation and living the dream of my fathers who didn’t have the privilege to even see there home land. At that moment I new that the place for the Jewish nation is in Israel and that some day I was going to make Aliya. After an Israeli relative of his was murdered by a terrorist bombing he's decided to make Aliya with his family. But not only had his family rabbi Fass decided to begin a foundation that helps Jews from all over the USA to make Aliya.

It’s a hard concept to think of but it is almost as if we are filling in the places of the people who were killed in Israel. That is what we stand for Nefesh B'Nefesh-a soul in a spirit. we are not taking the place of these brave Israeli citizens we carry them in our thoughts and memories but in addition to that we should achieve and the best way to do that in my opinion is to bring more Jews home and to fulfill the dream of the Jewish nation.”

Nefesh B'Nefesh started out very small. People laughed at his idea and thought it was impossible. “You must fallow your dreams, your vision” through out his life rabbi Fass was breathing Zionism it was time to live it! As a leader as a producer rabbi Fass was able to raise a wonderful organization and to awake Jews around the world. The first year rabbi Fass came with his family and one plane of 200 olim to the holy land. It was still a small unknown organization. But from summer to summer Nefesh B'Nefesh is increasing. Up to now more then 12,000 immigrants were helped home!!

Yehoshuas family lives now in Israel. His 4 girls and a boy live happily in Beit Shemesh they are intergrading in to the community and are very satisfied here. “I love seeing them walking the streets of Israel and speak the language almost better then me.”

Rabbi Yehosha Fass also had the honor of bringing his parents and extended family with him on Aliya. One who fulfils his own dream, his families dream and thousand of other people around the world!



=Background Research:=

My uncle, Rabbi Yehousha Fass is one of the Nefesh B'nefesh founders. NBN is an organization that helps Jewish immigrants from all over the U.S make there way back home to the holy land. NBN has created a site were people from all over the world can come read and learn about NBN. This site also explains the mission of NBN: "The core mission of NBN is to revitalize Aliyah and to substantially increase the number of future olim by removing the financial, professional and logistical obstacles that prevent many individuals from actualizing their dreams. In the process of fulfilling our mission, we aim to educate and inspire the Jews of the Diaspora as to the centrality of the Jewish State to the Jewish people and its desirability as a Jewish home. Such enhanced awareness will send an unmistakable signal of Anglo-Israeli Jewish solidarity and of our mutual determination to strengthen the State of Israel and thereby increase the likelihood of an ever expanding Aliyah reality." To read more about NBN-[|http://www.nbn.org.il/nbn/mission.htm]

NBN provides support for olim after, before and during Aliya. In addition to that NBN is involved with communal help in the state of Israel and contributes to the development of the land. For example "The Jerusalem post" publicized an article witch demonstrate the contribution that NBN gives to the country. "A new Aliya campaign will provide up to $60,000 in grants to doctors under the age 40 who choose to leave their homes overseas and make Aliya. The campaign, launched by Nefesh B'Nefesh and the New York-based Legacy Heritage Fund, will be offered to British and North American doctors, who will be required to live in Israel at least nine months. The initiative comes to help compensate for an expected shortage in doctors, since Israel's medical schools aren't training enough doctors to maintain the current number of some 3.5 per thousand Israelis." © 1995 - 2007 The Jerusalem Post. All rights reserved.

My uncle Josh dedicated his life to increase the number of Jews living in Israel and to the ingathering of the exiles. But I thing the most amazing thing about NBN is the way it's done. Seeing the olim walk of the plane with a huge smile from ear to ear says it all. NBN managed to initiate a dramatic change in the Aliya experience. My uncle says himself: "It is a very special feeling and hard to express the atmosphere on the plane, NBN takes over the whole plan and it's a whole plan filled with olim who are all in the same situation, of beginning a new future and all very excited to be coming home. On the plane there is a lot of singing and clapping, all very friendly and warm almost like one big family. We land and all the olim come of the plane when a bunch of people wait to welcome them. It's a wonderful feeling... you really feel at home"!!

NBN has managed to initiate a big difference in the Aliya experience. Thanks to NBN over 12,000 Jews from all over the world have found there way home. B"h almost all the families who came to the land are very satisfied here. Shlomo and Robin Weinstein are one out of hundreds of families who made Aliya. They live in Chashmonaim and are thankful for every morning they wake up and breathe the spirit of the holy land. "We can’t believe it has been over two years since we made Aliyah from Lawrence to Chashmonaim. B”H things have been running smoothly, and everyone is adjusting. We even adopted two dogs. We feel so lucky to be able to actually live in Israel and not just come for visits. Making Aliyah was really a team effort. Everyone used their personal strengths to support each other during the transition, and it really brought us together as a family. When we decided to make Aliyah we knew that it was going to be hard, but we couldn’t imagine how much we would love living in Eretz Yisrael," t hey say.

__ [|http://www.nbn.org.il/video/index.htm] __ Inspiring video-aliya!! __ [|http://www.nbn.org.il/video/index. __<span] Nbn flight videos!!

= Literary connection = Jerusalem By: [|Yehuda Amichai] On a roof in the Old City laundry hanging in the late afternoon sunlight. The white sheet of a woman who is my enemy, the towel of a man who is my enemy, to wipe off the sweat of his brow. In the sky of the Old City a kite At the other end of the string, a child I can't see because of the wall. We have put up many flags, they have put up many flags, to make us think that they're happy. To make them think that we're happy.

I chose this poem as my literary connection because I feel it does a great job capturing the ambience in the Jerusalem city in particular and the atmosphere in the Israeli country in general.

This poem was written bye [|Yehuda Amichai] who was born in Germany and immigrated to Israel in 1936. His work has been translated into thirty-seven languages including Chinese, Estonian and Albanian. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Israel Prize, the country's highest honor. This poem indicates one of the most unique things about Jerusalem, capital city of Israel .the crowdedness and density of Jerusalem is something really special. Resident of the city could almost if not see in to there neighbors home. In my opinion that is one of thing that show the significance of the city and how crowded it is because of the high quest to live in the most holy place in the world. Another thing that really amazes me about the city is the way the Arabs and Jews live so close when both nations are so distant. In this poem the white sheet symbolizes honesty and the towel witch the enemy uses to wipe a sweat, indicates labor. I think this shows the peaceful felling witch exists in the city that the two separated nations, in fact have a joint purpose witch comes together in the city.

Another thing I love about the city is its location. Walking up on the roof tops of the city, overlooking down at the busy people each occupied with his duties. You feel way up in the sky were the spirit is dancing, close to god.

The poem continues describing a kite of a little boy witch seemingly looks so carefree but its source (the boy) is blocked bye a wall. The freedom and peacefulness is bounded bye reality. Yes there are many nations living in Jerusalem and yes many different flags in many different colors, many different languages but one goal-to live in peace and happiness. This all comes to life in the holy city, the capital city of Israel. To learn more about [|Yehuda Amichai] and other Israeli poets: http://www.wzo.org.il/en/resources/expand

= Creative Connection: = I choose to create a face mask for my Israeli faces project. In my eye Israel represents a very colorful land filled and built of many different shades in many different aspects. One of the aspects is the variation of people who live her. There are so many languages spoken in Israel and a lot of olim and tourists from all over the world who come to walk the beautiful streets of Israel and contribute to the extraordinary land. Walking down the Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem city really gave me the feeling of that, the different people, languages, foods smells colors. I really wanted to try and capture that feeling in my face made of plaster. It was hard to try and bring to life so much movement and noise that takes place naturally every day in the city on an inanimate mask but I think the colors and the pictures helped. On the other hand there is serenity in Israel that joins the noise. These two seemingly contradiction flow in the city with such great harmony. Another aspect is the beautiful landscapes that surround me in Israel. I feel like every place in Israel every area really has its own nature. The desert with its ongoing rolling hills colored with shades of brown yellow and gold. The Golan filled with green and tall growing trees, streams of water flowing, the sounds of the birds and the water. I truly believe that every place every "yeshuve" every city in Israel really has its own special personality and characterized with its unique view. In my project I also tried to capture that wonderful feeling when looking out the window of my house, or looking around me on a hike or a walk threw the beautiful nature of Israel. These entire beautiful things in Israel, I tried to express in my project. Israel has many different perspectives which demonstrate its beauty. Israel has many different people who live that beauty, make it come to life, adds and is defiantly a big part of that beauty. Every flower every mountain, tree, rock and Israeli adds to this beautiful land in its special way. Israel would never be the same with out these contributions. Every one who lives here paints, colors his land and what Israel says and represents for him. All of those little special painted Israel's are what tern Israel in to the colorful impressive land that we live in.



= Reflection: =

When I first heard of this project, I had a hard time deciding whom to write about, because I’ve been living in Israel for over 12 years and have met many ideal Israelis who contributed a lot to the country and the land. Many lives have been sacrificed for this land and it was very hard for me to choose one Israeli who I think represents the face of this amazing colorful land. So I’ve learned from this project that there is not one ideal Israeli because there are many colors and shades to Israel. From looking around the class and seeing the projects of my friends I only understand more how many people and very ideal people in fact it takes to build such a beautiful and blossoming country. Another thing I liked about this project is the different aspect we took upon ourselves to make it come together. Having an interview with an ideal Israeli in your eyes and hearing what his feeling are for the land, choosing and looking through meaningful poems, reading what the writers emotions are to the country, different organizations witch contribute reciprocity. That is the beauty of Israel and of the people living here. This project really gathered all of these things together in to a united country. IV learned a lot from this project about Israel and the more I know and learn the more I love this country.

= Bibliography: = [|http://www.nbn.org.il/nbn/mission.htm</] NBN live the dream. http://www.wzo.org.il/en/resources Israeli poems NBN CD- Aliya live the dream. 1995-2005, The Jerusalem Post - All rights reserved.

= Appendix = Brainstorming for the interview: Made Aliya to Israel with his family lives in Bet Shemesh the founder of "Nefesh B'Nefesh" degrees in biology education from yeshiva university living in Florida Judaic fellows program assistant Rabbi of Boca Raton synagogue march of the living = Interview =

1) What degree did you receive in the "Yshiva University"? A rabbinic ordination and degrees in biology.

2) What were some of the great things that you did when living in Florida? I was in the "Judaic Fellows program". I was awarded a rabbinic leadership at the Jewish communities- general assembly, Chicago. a year and a half later I was the assistant Rabbi of the Boca Raton synagogue. For one year during my Rabbinate i served as acting Rosh Beit Din (head of the rabbinical court). The South Florida community is very warm, loving and accepting; it was a pleasant experience dedicating myself to teaching and inspiring over 500 families.

3) What is the Judiac Fellows program? The Judaic Fellows program is the Boca Raton community kollel.

4) Can you tell us about the "march of the living"? March of the living is an international, educational program that brings Jewish teens from all over the world to Poland on "Yom Hashoa", Holocaust Memorial Day, to march from Auschwitz to Burkina, the largest concentration camp built during World War 2.

5) How did that inspire you? The march of the living inspired me very much in many ways. walking through the death chambers of my brothers and seeing and almost living the horrible humiliating thing that my nation when through, and then taking a plane straight from there to Israel to the kotel gave me the feeling of pride for the Jewish nation and living the dream of my fathers who didn't have the privilege to even see there home land. At that moment I new that the place for the Jewish nation is in Israel and that some day I was going to make Aliya.

6) What else inspired you to make Aliya? After an Israeli relative of mine was murdered by a terrorist bombing IV decided to make Aliya with my family. It's a hard concept to think of but it is almost as if we are filling in the places of the people who were killed in Israel. That is what we stand for Nefesh B'Nefesh-a soul in a spirit. we are not taking the place of these brave Israeli citizens we carry them in our thoughts and memories but in addition to that we should achieve and the best way to do that in my opinion is to bring more Jews home and to fulfill the dream of the Jewish nation.

7) How are your kids and family coping with Aliya? My kids are very happy here I love seeing them walking the streets of Israel and speak the language almost better then me.

9) Are most families who came to Israel on Nefesh B'Nefesh happy here? Yes, 99% of the olim are very happy here. They all got a job and a good place to live; their kids are happy in school and slowly intergrading in to the community.

10) Where did you grow up? I grew up in Healing Park New Jersey.

11) How many siblings do you have? I have 4 sibling 2 older sisters and one younger one.

12) Where do all of your siblings live? All of my siblings live in Israel!!! My parents now made Aliya to and live in Jerusalem. They all came with me on Nefesh B'Nefesh! It is a big "zcut" for me to be able to bring my family home!

13) Did you always want to make Aliya? Yes, my parents wanted to make Aliya their whole life. When I was younger my family cam to Israel for a year, it wasn't the best experience but I hoped that one day i will live here with my family!

14) What was NBN in the beginning? In the start people didn't really like the idea and they laughed and thought it was never going to work! The first year we cam with one plan of olim and now we are up to more then 10 planes a summer!

The Jerusalem Post published an article saying that North American Aliya figures for 2005 should surpass the already high 2004 mark of roughly 3,000, according to Nefesh B'Nefesh. Over the past few months, some 6,500 Jews across North America turned out to hear recent immigrants return to their home communities to promote Aliya through Nefesh B'Nefesh-run 'ambassadors programs', which have spurred interest in Aliya. The three-year-old organization, which now works closely with the Jewish Agency, has helped reverse a long-time downtrend in North American Aliya. The organization has at least six Aliya flights planned for this summer, with more possible later in the year. By comparison, Nefesh B'Nefesh brought three planeloads of new immigrants last summer and another in the winter.

15) How many kids do you have? 1 boy and 4 beautiful girls.

16) Was it hard being the only boy in the family? When it came to choosing schools and yeshivas it was a little bit hard but it wasn't so bad. I guess I wasn't the sportiest of the boys.

17) I heard that the atmosphere on the plane is very extraordinary, can you tall us about it? It is a very special feeling and hard to express the atmosphere on the plane, NBN takes over the whole plan and it's a whole plan filled with olim who are all in the same situation, of beginning a new future and all very excited to be coming home. On the plane there is a lot of singing and clapping, all very friendly and warm almost like one big family. We land and all the olim come of the plane when a bunch of people wait to welcome them. It's a wonderful feeling... you really feel at home!!**