Where do I start? | Imamother

Akeres Habayis

Wed, Oct 29 2008, 4:44 am

This guide has been prepared as part of the ‘Welcome Home’ project
of N’Shei Chabad English Division

New in Jerusalem ? English speaking Neshei Chabad extends a warm welcome to you and hopes this guide book will make your transition from Chabad in the Diaspora to Chabad in the Holy Land a pleasant one. Please do not hesitate to call the 'contact people' mentioned below, who are ready and willing to help you.
We start with a tour of the neighborhoods of Jerusalem and its environs as you try to find your niche.
BETAR

Betar is actually over the 'green line' but it is probably the largest, and self-contained, English speaking Lubavitch community within the environs of Jerusalem. In fact it is probably the largest Chabad community in the world The rest of the community in Beitar are all hareidi and chassidic, with many English speakers. Beitar has its own Lubavitch kindergarten,cheder, girls' school and junior yeshiva. In the afternoons there is an English speaking Lubavitch kollel. There are no less than 5 Lubavitch minyonim. One of the rooms of the mikveh is built according to the shita of Lubavitch. There is a library where seforim can also be purchased (tel:5806249). Beitar has its own English division of Nshei Chabad which is very active with classes on Shabbat, weekdays and Rosh Chodesh; they have their own division of Shifra and Pua which assists women after childbirth. They also have their own posek who is the Rav of the community; he speaks Hebrew and Yiddish. Many people live in Beitar and work in Jerusalem and they are served by a frequent bus service which takes about 30 minutes to the centre of Jerusalem, 20 minutes to the Kotel and by car it is only 10 minutes to Gilo.
Contact: Dr. Tuvia and Mrs. Reva Schertzman: 5807869
Dr. Ephraim and Mrs. Raizel Zisk: 5806461

HAR NOF

A very large English speaking Lubavitch community, with its own Chabad shul . There is organised transport to the Lubavitch kindergarten, school and cheder. Buses run very regularly to town which is half an hour away. Rabbi Meir Sacks gives a class in Halacha in English to men on Monday evenings at the Chabad shul on Kanfei Nesharim St., (behind Cheaperkol ). Rabbi Elyahu Touger gives a shiur to men in English every morning, on Maamarim of the Rebbe, from 7.45 to 8.15 am at his home, 8 Shaulson. The women have melave malke farbrengens every Motsai Shabbos Mevorachim in various homes. Yehudis Wisnefsky is willing to learn with anyone who is interested. She gives a bi-lingual Tanya class on Tuesdays, 9.00 pm at the home of the Alpert family, 68 Shaulson.
Every Friday, ladies from this community go out to the Mall to distribute Shabbat candles.
Contact: Rabbi Moshe and Yehudis Wisnefsky: 6511691
Mrs. Shaina Tanenbaum: 6537701

KIRYAT MOSHE and GIVAT SHAUL

These are both within walking distance of, and therefore served by, the large warm English speaking Lubavitch community of Har Nof.
Contact: Rabbi Peretz and Shaindel Malka Blasberg: 6513840

RAMAT BEIT SHEMESH

A 25-minute drive from Jerusalem, Ramat Beit Shemesh has a small but ever-growing, warm English speaking Lubavitcher community, among the 50 or so families of Anash. The weather here is not as cold as in Jerusalem but not as hot as the centre of the country. They have their own kindergarten for 3-6 year olds, their own Lubavitch cheder and a girls' junior school. There is a Chabad House, run by an English speaker, Rabbi Eliezer Winer, tel: 9918127, mobile: 054770571. There is a Lubavitch mikveh on rechov Rashbi in Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet and there is a branch of Shifra and Puah here for new mothers. Many English speakers duvern at the Lubavitch shul in Ramat Beit Shemesh Alef. In Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet, there are 2 smaller Lubavitch minyonim, Buses to Jerusalem run regularly and the journey is about 45 minutes. Kfar Chabad is 40 minutes away by car. The 411 bus goes to Tel-Aviv via the old road and therefore stops outside Kfar Chabad. There is organised private transport to Bnei Brak and Jerusalem.
Contact: Avraham and Rina Roston on 9920115.

RECHAVIA AND SHAAREI CHESED

These neighborhoods are both very close to town and also close to the active neighborhoods of Katamon and the German Colony with which there is a lot of interaction. About 10 English speaking Lubavitch families live here and as they are a 10 minute walk from town, all the facilities of the town center are local. The Mayanot Shul is here, on Narkiss Street 28, tel. 6236563, with minyanim on Shabbat and Rabbi Brodchandel has a Lubavitch shul on Ibn Shprut Street with a minyan every morning. Both shuls have classes and activities.
Contact: Yossi and Hindel Swerdlov: 6235759

TOWN CENTER

There are a few English speaking Lubavitcher families who live in the town center, mostly in the neighborhood of NACHLAOT which is behind the Machne Yehuda Market. Some live closer to Geula which borders on Mea Shearim. In Mea Shearim St. itself there is the Baal HaTanya shul. Of course you are walking distance from the main schools, kollels, shops and the Old City with the Kotel. On Shabbat only, there is a Lubavitch minyan near the Machne Yehuda market, run by Rabbi Segal. At 22 Yeshayahu Street is Heichal Menachem which houses a magnificent library with separate hours for men and women, tel: 5384928. Shiurim and farbrengens are also held here.
Contact: Rabbi Herschel and Freidel Tzukker. 5381731

KATAMON AND THE GERMAN COLONY

This is a beautiful, pleasant neighborhood, within walking distance from the town center, with very many young single people. It is not therefore a community to help new families but is ideal for people looking to do general outreach especially with singles. A lot of young Lubavitch couples make their first temporary home here. There are just a handful of English speaking Lubavitch families. There is a Lubavitch minyan with mostly Hebrew and French speakers. There is a Beit Rivka high school for French speaking girls in Katamon and there is organised transport for younger children to the Talmud Torah in Gilo, as well as to the kindergartens and schools. These neighborhoods are within walking distance of the all English speaking Mayanot shul as well as the Shaarei Chessed shul and community both of which have a lot of English speakers.
There is a Chabad House in Katamon run by Rabbi Tamir Kastiel.
Contact: Avraham and Tzippy Glick: 5617480

RAMAT SHLOMO

Even though there are at least 70 Lubavitcher families in this community, very few of them speak English. There is a Chabad shul which is a beautiful replica of the original 770 in Crown Heights, as well as a Chabad mikveh. They have their own girls' school for grades 1 through 4, after that girls take the bus to the schools in town which is a 20 minute ride away. The boys are served by two private buses, one to the cheder in shikun Chabad in the town center and the other to the cheder in the neighboring community of Ramot which, like Ramat Shlomo, is in North Jerusalem.
Contact: Menachem and Sarah Galitz: 5714189

RAMOT

As Ramot is a very large neighborhood, it is divided into Ramot Aleph, Ramot Bet, Ramot Gimmel, Ramot Daled and Ramot 06. There are no less than four Lubavitch shuls and there is a Lubavitch mikveh. Ramot is about a 45 minute bus ride from town and is very well served by buses, going to all parts of the city as well as to the town center. There is a Chabad House run by Rabbi Yaakov Zonnenfeld, tel:5860067 which organises summer camps for children, public Chanuka candle lightings within Ramot and various other activities. Ramot has its own Lubavitch cheder for boys as well as organised transport for small girls to the kindergartens in Sanhedria and the school in Ramat Shlomo. There are about 20 English speaking Lubavitch families who are not together in any one part of Ramot, but rather are intermingled with the Hebrew speaking Lubavitchers. There is however a large group of Russian Lubavitchers in Ramot who all live on the same street and a lot of them speak English. They organise activities in Hebrew so that everyone is welcome There is a weekly Tanya shiur in English for women given by Rabbi Y. Gold at his home, 75/8 Nof Ramot, tel:5868068 for details. There are Shabbat Tehillim groups and an evening yeshiva for the boys.
Groups of ladies from this community make door-to-door visits in the neighborhood for outreach work and others give out Shabbat candles both within Ramot and in other areas.
Contact: Mendel and Ruth Weinberger, 5860162
Yaakov and Sarah Katz, 5866331

NEVEI YAAKOV
Almost no English speaking Lubavitchers, but every Lubavitch facility is here. Mainly Israeli, lots of Russians, although there are many non Lubavitch English speakers. There is a Chabad shul and mikveh . There is a regular bus to town which takes 45 minutes. There is organised private transport to the cheder in Shikun Chabad and to the girls' school in Ramat Shlomo. There is a weekly shiur in English for women on Chassidic Insights into the weekly Sedra. From time to time there are farbrengens in English for men.
(one of our imamothers can help u here)

OLD CITY
There are a few Lubavitch families in the old city but the beautiful, historic Zemach Zedek shul, with its own kollel, is located here, on Chabad Street. There is Chabad of the Cardo (6272217) with Rabbi Mendy Deren in charge. It houses a shop selling Chabad seforim and Judaica and it runs outreach programs. Rabbi David Stern runs a Tanya program in English for college students called Jerusalem Connection (6271283). Rabbi Menachem Mendel Osdoba runs a Chabad House which has a class for women in English every Wednesday evening at 8.15 and chavrusas by arrangement for men, tel: 5812728. From the parking lot of the Jewish quarter, one can take the 38 bus and be in the centre of Jerusalem in 10 minutes. Alternatively, a 10 minute walk leads down to the Kotel, and just beyond the Kotel are regular buses to all parts of Jerusalem.
Contact: Rabbi Moshe and Leah Schloss: 6285808

EZRAT TORAH and GUSH 80
These are totally religious neighborhoods, very close to town. They border on Shikun Chabad and are therefore served by the Chabad minyan in Shikun Chabad as well as the cheder and yeshivot there. There are almost no English speakers among the large Chabad community which comprises of these three areas.
Contact: Shmuel and Dalia Sidicaro: 5376794

GILO
No English speaking Chabad community but Gilo has a Chabad House which houses a library for new immigrants and children and is situated in the Gilo Shopping Center, #800, tel:6760984. Gilo has all the educational facilities for young children (see section on education below). These kindergartens and schools serve many of the Lubavitcher children from the neighboring communities as well as Gilo.

BAT AYIN

Situated over the 'green line', Bat Ayin is a beautiful agricultural yishuv one hour away by bus from Jerusalem but has only a handful of English speaking Lubavitchers, most are Russian or Israeli. There is organised transport for both the boys and the girls to the Lubavitch schools in Gilo and Beitar, both of which are only 15 minutes away. There is a Chabad House run by Rabbi Ramiel and Silvia Maor, 9932110. There is a Chabad minyan and farbrengens both for men and women, with guest speakers.
Contact: Gershon and Rachel Ferency: 9932490

GIVAT ZE'EV
This is a yishuv in Yehuda and Shomron just north of Jerusalem, 25 minutes from the centre of town. It is not a Lubavitch community and therefore not for families with young children, rather for shlichut. There is a Beit Chabad and a Lubavitch minyan. There are ongoing activities for women with guest lecturers and shiurim.
Contact: Rabbi David and Chana Bluma Boas: 5734442
Avraham Hillel and Hinda Schryber: 5363765

RAMAT ESHKOL and SANHEDRIA

Even though this is a vibrant community of young English speaking religious families, there are hardly any English speaking Lubavitchers. There is a Lubavitch shul in Sanhedria at 5 Uriel St. as well as one in Sanhedria Murchevet, which is a ten-minute walk away. Every Wednesday at 8.15 pm there is a Tanya shiur in English for young men given by Uri Kaploun in Ramat Eshkol, tel: 5818269.
Contact: Rabbi Uri and Mrs. Aligail Kaploun: 5818269

EDUCATION

PRE-SCHOOL

Girls' kindergarten: 3-4 year olds: Uziel St., Sanhedria; 5817758.
Girls' kindergarten: 5 year olds: Bloi St., Sanhedria; 5818259.
Girls' kindergarten: 3 year olds, Margalit St.,Gilo, tel: 6760984
Principal: Rabbi Hersh Farber
Girls' kindergarten: 4 year old, Hadoleb St., Gilo, tel: 6760984
Principal: Rabbi Hersh Farber
Girls' kindergarten: 5 year olds,Margalit St.,Gilo, tel: 6760984
Principal: Rabbi Hersh Farber

Boys' kindergarten: 3 year olds, 1Tarshis St., Gilo, principal: Rabbi Hersh Farber, tel: 6760984
Boys' kindergarten: 4-5 year olds, 1 Tarshis St., Gilo, principal : Rabbi Hersh Farber, tel: 6760984

GIRLS' JUNIOR SCHOOLS

1) Beit Chana, 41 David Yellin St.,Town Center, Tel:5382653
Principal: Mrs. Rivka Bloi
2) Beit Chana, Ramat Shlomo branch (1-4 grades only), principal: Mrs. Rivka Bloi, Tel: 5382653
3) Ir Ganim, Nurit 18; tel: 6412510, principal: Rabbi Shimon Yadgar
4) Beit Chaya Mushka, grades 1 through 3, Yaferom St.,Gilo
Tel: 6455770, Principal: Penina Volpo.

Girls' High Schools

1) Beit Chana, Shimon Hazadik 23, tel:5824955, Principal: Rabbi Tuvia Bloi
2) Ateret Rivka, 24 Halamed Hai St., Katamon, tel: 5631966. Principal: Mrs. Chana Kiel

Chedorim for Boys

1) Torat Emet, 16 Yirmiyahu St., Shikun Chabad, Town Center tel:5371202, principal: Rabbi David Kot
2) Branch of Torat Emet in Ramot Daled: 17 Mintz St., tel:5860902
Principal: Rabbi Yaakov Dov Steinberg
3) Ner Yisrael, Shabtai Hanegbi 63, Gilo, Tel: 6768071, principal: Rabbi David Dahan

Junior Yeshiva

Torat Emet, 21 Chana St., Town, tel:5375404, principal: Rabbi Yitzhak Yaakov Rozenschein

Senior Yeshiva

Torat Emet, 16 Yirmiyahu St., Town, tel: 5384755, principal: Rabbi Binyamin Ze'ev Segal

Classes for women

Or Chaya

Or Chaya is a women's institute in the centre of Jerusalem, mostly for Israelis but it does have some wonderful classes for English speakers. There are regular evenings and mornings devoted to English speakers as well as guest lecturers. Classes are given in English by Rabbi Yehoshua Appel as follows:
Sunday evenings at 8.30 on Tanya, Tuesday mornings at 10.00 on Moshiach and Geula and Wednesday mornings on Halacha at 11.00 followed by Chassidut on the parsha at 12.00. Or Chaya is situated on Blilius St. almost on the corner of Yeshayahu St., tel: 5374927. There is a small charge.

MALCUT

Malcut is a seminary for English speaking older girls. It does not have a dormitory but meets at Or Chaya or in Heichal Menachem every aftertnoon and has classes given by various excellent teachers on chassidut, nigunim, hashkafa, Moshiach and Geula, halacha and many other subjects. Further information can be obtained at the reception desk of Or Chaya.

MACHON CHAYA MUSHKA
Situated in the building of Heichal Menachem 22 Yeshayahu, town center, classes are given free of charge in English to women on Tuesday mornings at 11.00 by Yehudis Wisnefsky and Chana Boas. For further details call 5323156.

MA'AYANOT SHUL

The Ma'ayanot Shul is situated at 28 Narkiss St which is very close to town. Every Tuesday, currently from 2.00 to 6.00 pm, classes are available for women in English. For details please call 6236563.
classes for men
ma'Ayanaot institute
The Ma'ayanot Institute is situated on David Yellin St.in the center of town,
tel: 5388770: Chavrusas and classes are available by pre-arrangement.
For details please call Rabbi Shlomo Gestetner at 5672186.

BEIS MEDRASH TOLDOS AVRAHAM AND YITZHAK

This Beis hamidrash is in Meir Shearim Street next to Kollel Chabad. Every day from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm, Rabbi Meir Sacks gives classes in English to men on Gemorrah, Halacha and Chassidus. For further details call Rabbi Sacks on 6525508.

SHUL IN HAR NOF

A short journey from town, this shul has a class in English for men given by Rabbi Meir Sacks on Monday evenings in Halacha. For details, call Rabbi Sacks on 6525508.

OLD CITY

Chavrusas available by arrangement with Rabbi Osdoba, tel. 5812728

For further details of classes, contact Moshe Grossman on 058-655177 or at his home on 6568179 or at his Chabad House on 6564375.

CLASSES ON THE TELEPHONE

Dial 02-5381111 and then press 4. Then by pressing 1 you will have a class on the Tanya, 2 will give you Geula and Moshiach, 3 Parshat Hashavua, 4 Sefer Hamitzvot, 5 Chassidus, 6 stories and 7 songs
All in English
For further information about this, call 5370770.

ACTIVITIES

N'shei Chabad, English Division

Founded nearly 20 years ago by Nechama Greisman,3 % this branch of N'shei Chabad of Eretz Yisrael organises national conventions four times a year in different parts of the country, as well as regular local classes and farbrengens. N'shei Chabad has a Shabbat Mevorchim Tehillim arrangement and you can join members who go regularly to do mivtsoyim in various places, mostly mivtza neshek. There are over 400 names on the Jerusalem mailing list alone and to join the mailing list, please call Sarah Katz on 5866331. You will then be notified, P-G, by mail or by phone of upcoming events. Becoming a member entitles you to go to events at a reduced rate.

MIVTZOYIM

Mivtza Tefillin: Rabbi Katorza 5380717
Mivtzoyim at the Kotel for women: Chana Boas 5734442

Brisim for Russians: Rabbi Lopian 5711231, ask for Rabbi Yaron Amit

STUDENT CENTER
Chabad House at the University, tel: 5814353, run by Rabbi Yosef Ibert of French Hill, tel: 5813914, 052-874208 and Rabbi Gil Yair, 052-874203

Mikvaot which INCLUDE A room built according to Lubavitch specifications

KIRYAT YOVEL, 8 Florentein St., 6417110.

RAMOT GIMMEL, Shalom Sivan St., opposite no. 24, Ramot Gimmel, 5866357

RAMOT DALED, Hizkiyahu 12, Tel:5863176

FRENCH HILL, 27 Hahagana St.(next to the 'Supersol'), 5811175

NEVE YAAKOV, Harav Zevin 2, Tel:5849889

GILO, Hasnonit, Tel:6767779

RAMAT SHLOMO, Kahanaman 16, Tel: 5863121

PISGAT ZE'EV MIZRACH, Reuven Arzei opposite #26, Tel: 5856990

English speaking Lubavitcher Poiskim
There are currently no English speaking Lubavitcher Rabbonim in Jerusalem who will paskin sheilas so we turn to Rabbi Yurkowitz in Lod, 08-9256070 or Rabbi Gluckowsky in Rechovot, 08-9491401. Others include Rabbi Hecht of Eilat (07-6373713), Rabbi Reices of Yesod Hamaalah (06-6936186) and Rabbi Gurary of Holon.

For questions on Taharat Hamishpacha, one can also turn to Rabbi Fishel Jacobs on 08-9-787319 until 5.00 pm and can even e-mail the question to rabbij@bezeqint.net. That's if you still have a question after reading his very comprehensive book, Family Purity, available at Heichal Menachem.

WHAT TIME DOES SHABBAT COME IN ?
Attached with this brochure is a chart of the times for candlelighting in Jerusalem. Note: In accordance with the increased holiness of this city, Shabbat is brought in 22 minutes earlier than in the rest of Israel and the rest of the world. The times of candlelighting in Israel are published in the Friday newspapers and in every Israeli calendar, of which there are numerous kinds. The vast selection is available just before Rosh Hashana, not in December

SHOPPING - THE LUBAVITCH WAY
Books
Most of the Chabad publications can be purchased from the shop inside Heichal Menachem which is located in the centre of Jerusalem at
22 Yeshayau Street, tel: 5384928. It sells Sifrei Kodesh, books in English and Hebrew, also for children, full range of music tapes, videos, posters, charts and charity boxes. It carries some exquisite gifts and is open all day and in the evenings.

Gal Einei, tel: 6514460. From this organisation, one can purchase Rabbi Yitzhak Ginsberg's books on Mysticism in English, tapes of his lectures in English, his musical works, as well as his Kabbalistic jewellery.

MAGAZINES

The magazine Bet Moshiach which has a large English section, and is published every week, can be delivered to your home if you take out a subscription on: 03-5795703. It is also sold in a store on Malchei Yisrael in Geula, very near the Brooklyn Bakery.

The magazine The Community Bulletin , not a Lubavitch publication, is delivered free to your door and contains advertisements about almost everything in Jerusalem. It comes out about 6 times a year. Tel: 6510732, Fax: 6510695

A larger publication, the Newcomer's Guide, is published about twice a year and contains just about everything for the religious English speaker new to Jerusalem, except information on Chabad. Telephone: 6249141. Email: newcomer@netvision.net.il.

Judaica
Heichal Menachem: as above.
Hamafitz which is in the centre of Jerusalem: 70 Mea Shearim Street, sells Chabad Judaica, mezuzot, tallesim, tzitzit etc.
Lubavitch Tefillin: Tefillin ;.8.*. Industrial Center, Makor Baruch, Jerusalem, 5376720 ask for Rabbi A.Y. Krishevsky.

FOOD
Dag Hazahav which is on Nechemia Street 14 in central Jerusalem, has a variety of fish and a large variety of frozen meat, chicken and turkey all with the hechsher of Rav Ashkenazi of Kfar Chabad, all 'Shechitat Lubavitch'.

Both 'Off Anash' in Rishon LeTzion and 'Shaykevitz' in Kfar Chabad will deliver shechitat Lubavitch products to your door, to almost every part of Israel. Make sure to check which day of the week they deliver to your town 'Off Anash' carries the hechsher of Rabbi Yurkowitz of Lod, orders can be placed at 03-9521649. Shaykevitz is under the hechsher of Rav Ashkenazi and can be reached on 03-9606187.

FISH: There is a fishmongers in Kfar Chabad which sells extra fresh and delicious fish at very reasonable prices as well as their own home-made honey. Given that they are Lubavitchers and they produce it themselves, their kosher-le-Pesach honey is not considered manufactured when it comes to Pesach for those wishing to keep the Lubavitch custom of no manufactured products on Pesach. Their especially polite and courteous service is worth mentioning. Family Shneerson: 03-9606281.

MATZOT: Lubavitch Matza Bakery, Kfar Chabad 72915
phone: 03-9607308, 03-9606459
under the kashrut supervision of Rabbi M.S. Ashkenazi
Distribution in Jerusalem from Kollel Chabad on certain days at certain times just before Pesach.

SHOPPING FOR OTHER FOOD AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS WITHIN JERUSALEM

Jerusalemites are spoilt for choice with shops carrying exclusively kosher lemehadrin produce. The supermarket we have found to be the cheapest by far is Zol Po which opens at 11.30 am and stays open until 11.30 pm and on Fridays from 8.00 am to 12.00 pm. It is not open motzai Shabbat. It is located at 25 Yirmyahu St., Romema, tel: 5001256. They deliver as well.

A block away from Zol Po , at Yirmiyahu St. no. 9, is a large store with prices more or less the same as Zol Po but it does not stock as many items as Zol Po . It only sells non perishables and frozen food and they do not deliver. This is Shaarei Ezra , phone: 5374447. It is great for making a party, farbrengen or children's birthday as it sells packets of sweets, crackers, napkins etc. at low, low, low prices Shaarei Ezra is open from 12.00 noon until midnight, Fridays from 10.00 -1.00 and is also open on motzai Shabbat.

When buying fruit and vegetables, whether from the market or from a greengrocer's shop, be sure to see a sign hanging with the logo of the Beis Din of the Aida Hacharedit of Jerusalem or of the Beis Din of Agudat Yisrael because in Eretz Yisrael, one has to be particularly careful about produce from the shmitta year, 'orla' and whether terumot and maaserot have been taken. Buying from a greengrocer with a proper hechsher makes life a lot easier, even if the produce is not as good as in other greengrocers Once you get to know on which days the best produce is delivered and when the prices drop, you will be able to get fruit just as good and have peace of mind too.

EXACTLY WHAT IS A MEHADRIN HECHSHER OVER HERE ?

Apart from products from Chabad, Lubavitchers try to buy only products carrying the hechshers of :

1) Rabbi Landau of Bnei Brak Logo:
or
2) Bedatz Aida Hacharedit Logo:

A lot of Lubavitchers prefer only to eat meat or chicken that is shechitat Lubavitch. As for other food products, with the above two hechshers, you cannot possibly go wrong. There are other hechshers, however, which are also mehadrin, which a lot of Lubavitchers use and others do not:
1) Agudat Yisrael Logo:
2) Chug Chatam Sofer Bnei Brak Logo:
3) Rechovot Mehadrin Logo:
4) Jerusalem Rabbinate MEHADRIN Logo:
5) Others that you are used to from abroad

RESTAURANTS AND TAKE-AWAY

The area of Geula is full of take-away shops and eateries and most have the hechsher of the Bedatz Aida Hacharedit.

When frequenting restaurants around the rest of the city, as a Lubavitcher one has to be careful to check they have one of the above hechshers and that it is up to date. Most carry the hechsher of the Jerusalem Rabbinate, but one has to look out for Jerusalem Rabbinate MEHADRIN. In the case of meat, even this hechsher will not be suitable for those who seek Shechitat Lubavitch.

HELPFUL PLACES
THE ISRAEL CENTER, situated at 22 Keren Hayesod, opposite the Dan Panarama Hotel, has varied facilities and information for English speakers, most of which are lectures and ongoing classes. We highly recommend the women's class on 'Chabad Insights into the Weekly Parsha' given by Raizel Zisk on Tuesday mornings at 11.45.
THE BRITISH OLIM SOCIETY is a lifeline for immigrants from Britain and Australia with advice on every aspect of absorption as well as job recruitment.
THE AACI offers the same type of service as the British Olim Society but is geared more to Americans and Canadians.
USEFUL INFORMATION

Airport Flight Arrivals in English: 03-972-3344

NESHER which is a shared taxi service that will pick you up from anywhere in Jerusalem and take you to the airport for $10. Book in advance on 6257227

MAY WE NOT NEED:

EMERGENCY

Police: 100
Fire: 102

Ambulance (Magen David Adom): 101
Poison Center (Haifa): 04-852-9205

Bikur Cholim Hospital: 6701111
Hadassah Hospital (Ein Kerem): 6777111
Hadassah Hospital (Mount Scopus): 5844111
Shaarei Zedek Hospital: 6555111

In case of emergency, each of the above hospitals is on duty at different hours for different departments therefore one has to call any one of the hospitals before leaving to find out where to go, unless G-d forbid you have to call an ambulance.

Accidents:

To avoid having to go to hospital, if the patient is not too seriously wounded but needs stitches or an X-ray or the like, there is an emergency room called Terem which is located in the building of the Magen Adom ambulances on HaMemGimel St., very close to the Central Bus Station. They always have a pediatrician on duty and all the staff are English speaking. If they are unable to treat you, they will send you straight to hospital but if they are able to treat you, it is a very convenient way to avoid the long wait and trauma of a hospital.

YAD SARA has branches all over Jerusalem and provides medical equipment such as crutches, breast pumps. Main branch:

EZER MITZION provides various kinds of assistance to the sick from ferrying to the hospitals and back in their ambulances to visiting the hospitalized
Tel: 5002111

COUNSELLING

Jerusalem is full of religious counsellors, both men and women, for all kinds of situations.

MILEV is a crisis hotline for English speakers and is open 24 hours, on 6522461. Warren Zuer, from Australia, is there from 9-6 on 6521970.

The Community Bulletin mentioned above, lists several other support groups and counsellors.

GEMACHIM AND ASSISTANCE

There are gemachim for almost everything:-
libraries carrying books about special education
sewing patterns
second hand clothing

to name a very few. For a detailed list, get hold of The Community Bulletin mentioned above.