Malka's+I-Face+Project

בס"ד

Table of Contents

Rationale ………………………………………..……Page 3

Profile ……………………………………...………..Page 4

Background Article………………………………….Page 6

Literary Connection…………………………………Page 8

Reflection……………………………………………Page 10

Bibliography ………………………………………..Page 11

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__Rationale__ // My expectations for this project are to show the readers the face of Israel to me. I love the land of Israel, I love living here, and I hope I will never have to leave, but I feel like it is very hard to figure out the one face of Israel. I don’t know what is going to happen in the process of my project, what I'm going to choose for as the face of Israel. So I decided I'm going to just start with the beginning of the whole development of out land; making Aliyah. And then move to learning about my background, and where my family came from. //   In the other hand I also want to learn //how to write articles, and express myself in the best way. So I hope it will all tern out in the best way and that I'm gong to find the face of Israel.//

__Interview questions__

1. What year did you make aliyah? 2. How many kids did you have when you moved? 3. Was it a hard year to make aliyah in? 4. How old where your kids? 5. Did you fit in with the environment in Israel? 6. What were the challenges that you had? 7. What were the hardest challenges that you had? 8. Did your family support you with your aliya? 9. Looking back is there anything you specifically regret? 10. If you could change one thing in your aliya experience what would that be? 11. What is your favorite part/place in Israel? 12. What inspired you to make aliyah? 13. What is your favorite thing about living in Israel? 14. What made you choose to live in Efrat? 15. Did you go to Israel a lot before you moved? 16. what do u think about me picking you as the face of Israel?

__Interview__

1. What year did you make aliyah? 1996.

2. How many kids did you have when you moved? four.

3. Was it a hard year to make aliyah in? It was a year when there many piguim. A year after Rabins assasination. And it was (is) difficult to make parnasa when you leavea place where you lived all your life. And we dont have family in Israel and we left a very large b'h and warm, close family in America.But it is all worth it in order to live in Israel and bring up a family here!

4. How old where your kids? Rachel-6 Malka- 4 Shlomo-3 Sarah- 1

5. Did you fit in with the environment/community in Israel? Efrat is a very easy community to fit in for Olim from America.

6. Could you tell me something about the Syrian-Jewish community in Brooklyn? Yes there are two main aspects to the community. From a traditional perspective it is very strong. There is little intermarriage with nonjews and the synogogues have very genuine and unique liturgy. But like all communities in the US they are being overwhelmedby the obsession for material wealth that there is a real fear of loosing touch with Hashem. In Israel we are blessed with a special providence which we experience evry moment of ones life.

7. What were the hardest challenges that you had? Being far away from our family.

8. Did your family support you with your aliyah? Yes. They were sad because the didnt see us very often but they were and are very proud of us and very supportive.

9. Looking back is there anything you specifically regret? No.

10. If you could change one thing in your aliyah experience what would that be? Nothing.

11. What is your favorite part/place in Israel? Jerusalem Har habayit.

12. What inspired you to make aliyah? The parashat hashavua which is a journey from creation of the universe leading up to our ancestors intering into the Land. Then the whole tanach. Tefila does a pretty good job inspiring me because we turn to Israel evrytime we mitpalel. And the deep love I felt for the Land that does not seem to stem from any "reason" seems to be the driving force. Ahava lo talui badavar...

13. What is your favorite thing about living in Israel? waking up and not believing that I am actually living here.

14. What made you choose to live in Efrat? The people, the level of education and the devotion to Tora and Misvot of the people.

15. Did you go to Israel a lot before you moved? No. Just eighteen times.

16. what do u think about me picking you as the face of israel? I feel that I am very proud to have an Israeli daughter of Israel like you. :__)__

__Profile__

__Maurice Zalta Profile__

My father (Maurice) was born in Virginia on August 13, 1958. He lived in New York most of his life with his parents three brothers and one sister, in the Syrian Jewish community. He wanted to make Aliyah most of his life and was inspired by his parents Zionistic views, later he was inspired by the Mitzvot and learning the Tanach. "The parashat hashavuah is a journey from creation of the universe leading up to our ancestor's entering into the Land". He says that the Tefila does a pretty good job inspiring him because "we turn toward the Land of Israel every time we pray on behalf of The People of Israel". Another thing that inspired him was the deep love that he felt for the Land "that does not seem to stem from any "reason" seems to be the Driving force" Ahava lo talui badavar..." (Unconditional love).

My father visited Israel a lot before he make Aliya (18 times!). One of the times that he went was for a few weeks, his rabbi, who is my mother's uncle, asked him to send my mother something from him, (which really meant that his rabbi wanted them to meet). They met, and then when my father was back in America and my mother went to visit her uncle, my father gave my mother a call, they went on a few dates, and got married.

They both always wanted to make Aliyah, and it was always part of their "life plan" (and everyone knew that). But eventually they thought that if they don't make Aliya now it would never happen, so they packed their things and flew to Israel. It came as a big shock to everyone they knew that they were planning to make Aliya but it was very sudden. Even though "they were sad because they didnt see us very often, they were and are very proud of us and very supportive".

The hardest challenge my father had was leaving our (whole) very large (B"H) and warm, close family in America, and not having any here to support us. It was April in 1996, when we made Aliya and moved to efrat. Then we were four kids, The oldest was 6 years old and the youngest was 1. My parents decided to move to Efrat because of "The people, the level of education and the devotion to Tora and Misvot of the people". 1996 was a hard year to make Aliya in because it "was a year when there were many piguim, (and it was) a year after Rabin's assassination (and) It was (is) also difficult to make parnasa when you leave a place where you lived all your life".

We moved from a very large house in Brooklyn to a very small apartment in Efrat. Four of us slept in one bedroom. After eight years we sold our house in Brooklyn and built a house in Efrat. When we first moved into the house there, we were surrounded by mud and had no telephone lines. The electricity was temporary wire connected to some temporary place and we were the only house in that part of town (Dekel Maarav).. Now B"H we are surrounded by wonderful neighbors and have all the facilities that we need. It was a hard and challenging thing to make Aliya "But it is all worth it in order to live in Israel and bring up a family here"!



__The Jewish Syrian community of Aleppo__

According to the book "Aromas of Aleppo", Aleppo sits right next to the Quweiq River in the northwest side of Syria.

Aleppo is one of the many Arabic communities around Syria.

"Aromas of Aleppo" tells us that, the Jews of Aleppo used to call Aleppo Aram- Tzova which is the first and most established names out of the many names Aleppo had throughout the years. The name comes from Aram which was Abraham's half brother – soba. Abraham was very wealthy and was the first to develop the land which Aleppo is on.

Jews settled in Aleppo from the time of King David, and lots of Jews thought the years immigrated to Syria from Spain which made the population grow.

The book says, a lot of Jews left Aleppo during the French Mandate but what really made them all leave, was when the French left and settled in their own country and the Arab nationalism and the U.N. mad them all leave. Some of the Syrian community moved to places like Mexico, Buenos Aires New Jersey, and some throughout Israel, but most of them established a big community in Brooklyn, New York.

According to the book, when they moved to those places the Syrians felt like strangers in the Jewish environment because of their Arabic accents and looks. The other Jewish communities didn’t really help and even claimed they weren't Jews because they didn’t speak Yiddish!

But the Syrian Jews didn’t care they stayed together and a lot of Syrian Jews imigrated from Syria and together they established a big and strong Jewish communities!

Now the exact population of the Jews in Aleppo throughout the world is probably over 100,000 Jews.

The Syrian communities are famous for their great food. The food is mainly different meat and milk dishes with a lot of special Syrian spices and flavors. Like laghmazine and kubbe.

Maurice Zalta, a Syrian Jew that lived in the community in New York says that "there are two main aspects to the community. From a traditional perspective it is very strong. There is little intermarriage with non-Jews and the synagogues have very genuine and unique liturgy. But like all communities in the US they are being overwhelmed by the obsession for material wealth that there is a real fear of loosing touch with Hashem".

The worldwide Syrian communities are very strong but still have a fear of loosing the most important thing in their lives, being close to Hashem.

And that’s why I believe very strongly that we all live in the chosen land of Israel.



**//__ Literary Connection  __//**  //__ בלדה __// //__ לחובש __//

// מילים: דן אלמגור // // לחן: אפי נצר //

// הם התקדמו לאט. הכל היה // // רגוע // //. //  // מנגד הנהר וגומא //  // מרשרש // //, // // פתאום רעם ברק // //, //// אחד צעק: פצוע // // ! //  // אני כבר בא- ענה //  // לו החובש // //. //  // עלינו על מוקש // // ! - //// צעק אז הפצוע // //, // // אני כאן, לצידך // // - //// ענה לו החובש // //. //

// ברד של אש ניתך, ברד כבד // // קטוע // //, // // מעבר לנהר // //, //// לגומא הרוחש // //. //  // הַשאירו אותי //  // כאן - ביקש אז הפצוע // //, // // עזוב שטויות - ענה אז // // החובש // //. //  // תציל את עצמך // //  - //// ביקש אז הפצוע // //. //  // אני נשאר איתך // //  - //// ענה לו החובש // //. //

// והם נותרו שניהם, והשדה // // פתוח // //. //  // והם נותרו //  // שניהם, והם גלויים לאש // //. //  // אנחנו אבודים - מילמל אז //  // הפצוע // //, // // אחוז בי טוב // // - //// ענה לו החובש // //. //  // נפצעת גם אתה // //  - //// מילמל אז הפצוע // // עזוב, זה לא // // נורא - ענה לו החובש // //. //

// האש כבדה, כבדה! קשה, קשה // // לנוע // //. //  // רק לא להתייאש // //, //// רק לא להתייאש // // , // // אזכור אותך תמיד // // - //// נשבע אז הפצוע // //. //  // רק לא ליפול // //  - //// מילמל אז החובש // //. //  // שלך עד יום מותך // //  - //// נשבע אז הפצוע // //. //  // היום הוא יום //  // מותי - ענה לו החובש // //. //

// פתאום ענן אבק, פתאום עלתה // // הרוח // //, // // וצל על הקרקע // //, //// והוא קרב, רועש // //. //  // ניצלנו! הם // // באים! - ייבב אז הפצוע // //, // // אך לא שמע מילה מן // // החובש // //. //  // אחי, אחי שלי // // ! - //// ייבב אז הפצוע // //. //  // מעבר לנהר הגומא //  // מרשרש // //, // // אחי, אחי // // שלי // // ... //  // אחי, אחי //  // שלי // // ... // // אחי!! //
 * __ Ballad for the (military) medic __**

words: Dan Almagor music: Effie Netzer They moved slowly, everything was calm. Across the river the water broke. Suddenly thunder struck and one shouted: "someone’s hit"! "I’m on my way" replied the medic "We hit a mine" yelled the wounded "I’m by your side" replied the medic

A hail of fire stormed in across the raging river "leave me here" asked the wounded "forget it" replied the medic "save yourself" asked the wounded "I’m staying here with you" replied the medic

And both of them were left, in the open field And both of them were left, exposed to the gun fire "we're lost" mumbled the wounded "hold me tight" said the medic "you too are wounded" said the wounded "forget it, its not that bad" said the medic

The fire is heavy, heavy, and its hard, hard to move on but just don’t give up, but just don’t give up "I will always remember you " swore the wounded "just don’t give in" mumbled the medic "I’m yours until the day you die" swore the wounded "today is the day I die" replied the medic

Suddenly a cloud of dust, suddenly a wind came strong, and there was shadow on the ground, it came closer, louder "we are saved, here they come" cried out the wounded but he didn’t hear a word from the medic "my brother, my brother" cried out the wounded, Across the storming river "my brother, my brother"…

**//__ Literary connection __//** // This poem is about two Israeli soldiers, who are together in the middle of a field in the midst of a battle. A solider is wounded and the medic risks his life to try and save him. During the whole poem there is a conflict. It shows how the wounded soldier, tells the medic, to go away and save himself. But the medic insists to stay and save the soldier, even when the medic got very badly wounded and they both got lost, he still insisted and didnt let go. In the end of the poem it says that the enemy hit them, and the solider felt how the medic protected him with his own body. Then he saw other Israeli soldiers coming toward them and he cried with happiness to the medic, we are saved, they are here! But he got no reply. The song ends with the solider crying out "my brother, my brother"! I really connect to this poem because it represents Am Israel and Eretz Israel! "Am Israel" is so special, we are all "brothers" (this is mentioned in the end of the poem). We are so special, and important to one another that the solider in the poem and many more were willing to give their whole lives, willing to make their mother and father bereaved, their wives widows, and their children orphans, for these special souls, their brothers. And were willing to do that also for this small, but special and unique land, that was given to us, the chosen people by Hashem. // **//__ Creative Connection  __//** // I chose to do a cookbook as my creative connection in my project. I chose it because I feel it represents the face of Israel to me. The cookbook, in a way, represents the community that my family and I made Aliyah from. We, all Jews come from different places, during the generations we all had to leave Israel and go to different places around the world. But when the Israel State was founded in 1984 there was finally a place for all of us to reunite, become united and live in Hashem's ways all together. We stand separate in small things like foods and community's with slightly different laws, but we still have a connection, and that connection is that we all believe in Hashem, and thanks to Hashem we have the land of Israel. I feel that this beautiful and Holy Land brings Jews from near and far together it keeps us united, and makes us strengthen, and prepares us for waits for us as the people of Israel, in the future. // **//__  Reflection  __//**

// My expectations for this project were to show the readers the face of Israel to me. I wanted them to understand why I chose the face I did and most importantly figure out what is my face, the face I interpret of Israel.. I wanted to learn how to write articles, and express myself in the best way. I wanted to learn about my past, and where my family came from and about my family and my Aliyah (because I was only 3 then and I wanted to hear my father's point of view after all these years). Thought the project I learnt a lot about my past and the community that my family came from. It was very interesting to hear about my father's point of view after all these years. I feel like I got better in my writing. I also think that I pretty much interpreted the face of Israel to myself. I feel like the face of Israel to me is mad of few main things. The firs is every ones family and backgrounds second, making Aliyah which is leaving everything to live in this holy land united with our people and third; committing to our land and people and doing great things for it, like being in our army or "sirut leumi". Now that I finished this project I strongly feel that I am much closer to Israel I feel like I did a whole process that helped me understand what the face of Israel to me. //

**//__ Bibliography  __//** // Dweck, Poopa, Aromas of Aleppo, new jersey: 2007. // // .jpg  // // http://www.shiron.net/documents/category/moadim.htm#3>//, "Shironet", 2003, 27/01/08 // // http://www.mainlist.hekko.pl/?title=Mizrahi_Jews ,unknown, unknown, 20/03/08.

// // http://www.torahmitzion.org/heb/resources/FilesView.asp?id=3687>, TorahMitzion Religious Zionist Kollels, 19/5/2005, 27/01/2008 //