Avichayil+Rubin

__** Rationale :  **__ When we were asked to do a project about a person we think shows the Israel Face, I chose Sharon Katz. In this project I want to show what a good person Sharon is. I know she is involved in some charity projects, but I don't know what made her do all of those things? Are there more than I think? My parents and grandparents made Aliya to Israel, and I know it's a big step. I heard Sharon made Aliya from America: when? Why? Did someone convince her? If so, then who? All and more of those questions I want to resolve in this project, and I'm sure that I have something to learn from her.

**__ Profile: __** Sharon Katz is an amazing person. Sharon, who is marred to her husband Israel, mother of five and grandma of five, was born in Brooklyn NY. In her years in high-school she talked in other high-schools about Judaism, after she got married she was the president of "Torat Chayim" a woman's organization. They raised money for everything the school needed (sport, science etc). In America she worked as a news reporter for "Newsday", editor of "Show Business", East Coast Editor of "The Hollywood Reporter", and freelancer for many national and local publications. She also worked as associate coordinator of public relations in the Astoria Motion Picture. In 1992 Sharon and her family came on aliyah with 5 children. Her husband came with their 4 kids to start school and Sharon came after she gave birth to her little girl. Apart from being a mother Sharon believes that as a person we need to help each other and make the world a better place therefore she is involved in many charity projects. She started the "Raise Your Spirits" shows, the "Gush-Katif Bridal Showers" and the "Dames of the Dance"- The purpose of those things is to help people in different ways. She also volunteers in the "Pina hachama" and for Shderot she organized a concert to raise money to renovate a bomb shelter and from the money they raised they gave some money also to build a park outside of a bomb shelter so that the kids can play near the shelter and it's safe, and it doesn't end there. Sharon also went 14 years ago with a couple of friends and Nadia Matar up to the "Dagan" hill. She lived there all summer, because the government wanted to give it to the Palestinians as a result of their actions and they succeeded in keeping the "Dagan" to ourselves.

She was the head of "Orot Etzion" womens organization together with Leora Bejell. She did all kinds of projects for the school and with the money, they built a library, a pedagogical library, a laboratory and more things the school needed. She was the head for 8 years, between 1993 – 2001. She organized a group of Yeshiva boys to learn at Rachel's Tomb every day (Mercaz Harav took the idea so she left it). When the Ethiopian Jews came on Aliyah, she gathered coats from people and sold them to the Ethiopians for a Shekel a coat.

Before the war in Gaza, she organized two evenings for people to buy things from the sellers from Shderot because the business was down from the kassamim. The storeowners came to Alon Shvut and sold their things and made money. During the war in Gaza Sharon organized food for the soldiers and a group of people who made "sand-bags" for the soldiers. "Every time I ask someone to help they agree, always" says Sharon. Beside all that Sharon is the editor of "Voices" magazine, this magazine shows what's good about living in Israel because when you come on aliyah to Israel from a good & wealthy community they thought she is crazy so in this magazine she shows them that you can live here and this place is GREAT! And we are lucky that we are here. In the magazine they interview people who do good things for Israel and she writes articles on Jewish things. Doing all of those projects makes Sharon feels that every day in her life she's doing something good for other people, community, Am Israel. She said, "As a Jew that is responsible for his surroundings we need to do everything to make Eretz Israel a better place."

"My mother inspired me" said Sharon "she did a lot of charity work," she was her 'sisterhood' president and she raised me to do charity work and to help others." Sharon says that her mother taught her to do chessed to others all her life.

When she is not helping others, Sharon loves spending time with her family and especially with her grandchildren. In the future Sharon would like to do a video on Eretz Israel for children in America because they don't know enough about Israel.

Sharon's message for everybody is: Everything comes in it's time; you need to go with the flow. " If you want to do something good for other people- You need to look around yourself (family, friends, and neighbors) and recognize what's bad\ wrong there and HELP them\her\him.  God brought us talents and we need to show them in the best way we can and that God will like it. We learned that God wants us to follow him in a chessed and in a good way, like a parent wants his kid to be happy and healthy, in order to be like that we need to do chessed."

__ **Background article - the "VOICES" magazine:** __

Is it really that good living in Israel?? That question Sharon Katz answers every month in the "Voices" magazine. When Sharon made Aliyah from a good & wealthy community in America her neighbors thought that she was crazy! But she wasn't. She knew that this is the right thing to do and wanted to show everybody what's right about living in Israel. Therefore in January 1996  the  "VOICES  " magazine came to life. In the magazine they show that you can live in Israel and this place is GREAT! This magazine gives a voice to those individuals in Eretz Yisrael that you rarely hear from - the "red string" lady at Kever Rachel, the bus driver who has driven through gunfire and roadside bombs, the founder of a hilltop outpost, the head of agriculture for religious kibbutzim, the lone soldiers guarding the outskirts of a community, and the mother of seven who slept on the streets outside the Prime Minister's home to protest his concessions to the Arabs. The magazine started in Efrat for Efratians, but it has expanded and also covers stories that would interest people living in Beit Shemesh, Gush Etzion, Ra'anana and other places. The stories are mostly written by Sharon and the pictures are often taken by her husband, Izzy, but there are regular columnists, like Rabbi Riskin who writes a question and answer column, Sue Epstein who writes a recipe column, a counseling column and so on. There are many ads for services and products that would interest the people of the community. The paper is written in English and is published every month. It is free. The paper is published in Jerusalem. It is distributed to families from Kiryat Arba/Chevron throughout Gush Etzion/Efrat, throughout Ramat/Bet Shemesh, in many different neighborhoods in Jerusalem, and also in Bet El and Gush Shilo. There are also readers who subscribe to VOICES throughout Israel (Raanana, Tzfat, etc.) and in chutz la'aretz. VOICES  is very successful and has 10,000 readers, and has been published for 13 years,  It's also on the internet -  [|www.voices-magazine.com] . Anyone can submit an article. If it is well-written, and it gives a positive or important message, it can be printed in VOICES. "We have many VOICES readers who have become writers" says Sharon, "I love them." When I asked Sharon what she thinks that VOICES contributes to the readers, she answered that many of VOICES readers left behind their homes all over the world. They have come to Israel, where they speak a FOREIGN language, and have had to readjust their lives. Why did they leave wonderful lives behind for this country that they're not familiar with, where the politics are in conflict with everything they were raised with, where they feel like an outsider?. VOICES provide them with stories that help them discover and rediscover what's RIGHT about living in Israel. It interviews folks like them who are English-speakers and yet make great positive changes in Israel. It interviews native Israelis who work to make Israel a better place. It describes different locations in our beautiful country, so they can find out more about the land in which they live. It talks about important topics and events so that they understand and feel connected with the present in Israel, as well as the past. It gives its readers a kind of community, the VOICES community, where English-speakers can feel comfortable and at home. Sharon interviews in her work a lot of different people with different directions. For instance, she interviewed a 98-year old man, Dr. Morris Mandel, o'h, who just passed away two weeks ago. He talked about how he made Aliyah in his late 70s, and how he has tried to be productive here in Israel, even at an older age. He joined Mishmar Ezrachi and walked through the streets looking for a "chefetz chashud". He also kept working as a psychologist. He told her, "I will NEVER retire. Our purpose in life is to be active and accomplish." He certainly did for 97 years. Another example is a Chassidic rebbetzin that she interviewed during Operation Cast Lead. She explained to Sharon how the chareidi population of Mea She'arim was so involved with the war effort – that they volunteered in so many capacities, prayer, handing out tzitzit and prayer books at the border of Gaza, transporting food, etc. That was an eye-opener. // "EVERY PERSON is a STORY, if you will only listen with your heart." //

אם רק תרצה אני אראה לך מקום שאף אחד, שאף אחד עוד לא ראה אם רק תרצי אז אספר לך סיפור שאף אחד, שאף אחד עוד לא שמע אם רק תרצה לדעת מה אני חושב כי יש המון המון דברים יפים אם רק תרצה אז תספר לי גם אתה כי בסך הכול אנחנו די דומים
 * __ הקשבה: __**

להקשיב למילים להקשיב למבט להקשיב לחיוך שצומח ככה להקשיב זה כמו לקבל מתנה להקשיב זאת בעצם כל החוכמה להקשיב - זה לא רק אני להקשיב זה להרוויח אחד את השני. If you would like I will show you a place That no one, no one had ever seen. If you would like I will tell you story That no one, no one had ever heard. If you would want to know what I think Because there are a lot of beautiful things If you would like so you also tell me Because in all we are the same. Listen to the words, Listen to the look, Listen to the smile that grows just like that, Listening is actually all the wisdom, Listen – it's not just me, The song is written by Dana Stz and Danni Ruchntal, the children TV channel moderator's song it, to encourage children to listen to each other. This way we will have a better place to live in, by way of singing it nice and friendly.
 * __ Listen: __**
 * Listening is like getting a gift, **
 * Listening is earning each other. **

The author's main point is that – we need to open our eyes, ears and heart in order to meet people, to understand and feel, to see new things and to know each other better. It's not that hard: you just need to be open to give and get. There are so many people out there that have things and story's to share. In the chorus of the song there is a line "Listening is like gating a gift…" – I believe that when you share a story or experience or anything else you help someone (and your self), you can open someone eyes to other things and "giving him a gift". Its helps in many ways – just open you’re self to gat and you will see a new, different world that you didn't pay attention to.

This song is a great tribute to Sharon Katz because Sharon believes that every person is a story and we as humans need to listen with our heart. As the editor of "VOICES" magazine, Sharon interviews so many different people. Today in our crazy times when we have lots of difficulties in the daily life, exactly because our situation we need to be untied together so that we will overcome our problems. In order to do it we need to be open for one another: listen, care and be willing to help each other despite all the problems.

** א ** מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד: יְהוָה רֹעִי, לֹא אֶחְסָר. ** ב ** בִּנְאוֹת דֶּשֶׁא, יַרְבִּיצֵנִי; עַל-מֵי מְנֻחוֹת יְנַהֲלֵנִי. ** ג ** נַפְשִׁי יְשׁוֹבֵב; יַנְחֵנִי בְמַעְגְּלֵי-צֶדֶק, לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ. ** ד ** גַּם כִּי-אֵלֵךְ בְּגֵיא צַלְמָוֶת, לֹא-אִירָא רָע-- כִּי-אַתָּה עִמָּדִי; שִׁבְטְךָ וּמִשְׁעַנְתֶּךָ, הֵמָּה יְנַחֲמֻנִי. ** ה ** תַּעֲרֹךְ לְפָנַי, שֻׁלְחָן-- נֶגֶד צֹרְרָי; דִּשַּׁנְתָּ בַשֶּׁמֶן רֹאשִׁי, כּוֹסִי רְוָיָה. ** ו ** **אַךְ, טוֹב וָחֶסֶד יִרְדְּפוּנִי-- כָּל-יְמֵי חַיָּי**; וְשַׁבְתִּי בְּבֵית-יְהוָה, לְאֹרֶךְ יָמִים. ** 1 ** GOD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: ** 2 ** he leadeth me beside the still waters.  ** 3 **   He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.  ** 4 ** Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  ** 5 **  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.  ** 6 **  **Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life**: and I will dwell in the house of GOD for ever **__ Creative connection: __** In the psalms book chapter 23 David gives two proverbs on the relationship between GOD and David. In the first proved David models GOD to a Shepard who lets his sheep rest on a comparable grass and drink in quiet water. The sheep is David, GOD sustenance his soul and take him in start ways. David believe so much in GOD that he says even in dangers places I will not be afraid because I knows that GOD is with me. Even if sometimes GOD is "hitting" David with his stick so that he could go back on the right way or if he uses this stick to be his leant on, David says that he is sure that GOD loves him and care about him. The second proved David brings is about GOD being a host. The host treats the guest very well, he gives him a massage head that he forgets the long way he walked. He gives him to drink on tell he was health and protect the guest from his enemy, guest = David. In the last verse (6) David ask GOD one wish – that good & kindness will chase him all his life this way he could stay in God's home in peace.

I feel that this psalm is connected to Sharon Katz, because all of Sharon life is about doing good. She helps so many people in different ways, Sharon shows the good and beautiful "face of Israel," the face that love and care for that people around here with out any difference. In the end of this psalm, David pray to GOD and wishes the world will be a good place and that he will not have any problems, so that he can stay in GOD's home for the rest of his life. I think that Sharon is filling David wish by doing all the goodness. "//Surely// // goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life //// ," // doesn't just refer to Sharon, but to Tuiret Yaron Z"L, who died in a traffic accident and was my consoler in B"AK. Tueit was all good, she helped everyone who needed and always with a smile, on here graved signed that last sentence.

In this project, we needed to interview a person that we think shows the Israel Face. I choose Sharon Katz to be my Israeli Face, because I wanted a person who does something for others, and in the beginning I already knew that she is involved with a few charity projects, but it surprised me how many charity projects Sharon does in her life and how good of a person she is. I'm happy that I had the chance to meet Sharon, and I have learned from her a lot. I have learned to look around and see if someone needs help, to open my ears and listen to people's needs, and made me understand what is so great about living in Israel. We sometimes take for granted the people around us, and are comfortable in our lives, and it was inspiring to meet someone who looks beyond their own life and family and sees how to improve the lives of other people with original ideas. In the course of doing this project I improved my writing skills and my research skills, by writing a lot and writing correctly, and searching for information in different places. It was a challenge to interview someone in English. ** __ Bibliography: __ ** __ Bible-Art Production __, 16/03/07, 13/04/09.  Katz, Sharon, editor of "voices" magazine. __Personal interview.__ Efrat, 27/02/09. __ Morfix __, 27/05/09.  Raise Your Spirits, 10 /03/09, 27/05/09.  Sharon Katz. "About VOICES." //WHAT´S RIGHT WITH ISRAEL//. 26 Apr 2009. 11 May 2008. . __ Shiron net __, 11/05/09, 13/04/09.  Version, James. "The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want", __Bible__, 12/12/2006, 13/05/2009  Ze'ev, m'. Bible. Jerusalem: chorv, 1995.
 * //__ Reflection: __// **