Shalom,

 

A New Year is here, and once again we have found ourselves in a heated situation here in Israel. Our Southern citizens are under constant fire, and our soldiers have been called up to continue on with a hard operation to defeat the Hamas terrorist regime in Gaza, stop the rocket fire on Israeli citizens, and to return our kidnapped soldier, Gilad Shalit, home after more than two years in hostile territory. 

 

This is why we would like to ask for your prayers for Israel and our Israeli soldiers, as we bring in the new 2009 year. While this, and other crises, whether they be financial, political, or social, may seem to put a damper on this new clean slate that we are given with each new year, I feel that it only gives us a chance to improve in the coming year.

 

We must remain strong in that with time and a little patience, things will get better. I have no doubt that peace, financial security, and social equality will one day be restored, even if this must happen one person, one city, or one country at a time. At Or Hadash, we really do believe in helping to change individual’s lives for the better, one person at a time. Whether it is be helping a child who does not have basic needs to live a healthy life, or helping a bereaved mother deal with a loss, or forging a long lasting friendship with Reform Jews overseas, we firmly believe in contributing to the world in a positive way.

 

In the meantime, we wish you a sweet and happy new calendar year. We hope that you ring in the 2009 year with happiness and health, and that the latter was not too affected by all of the fried foods and celebrations of the Chanukah holiday! We wish you good luck on your New Year’s resolutions, whatever they may be, and ask you to keep us in your hearts as we, the Jewish people, fight to protect the Jewish State and her citizens.

 

In Friendship,

Edgar