SHEMA YISRAEL NOW! Project

ALL JEWS CAN HELP RIGHT NOW!   PLEASE READ AND ACT!

SHEMA YISRAEL.   WE ARE ONE PEOPLE.   THE TREMENDOUS POWER OF OUR UNITY.

A physical and spiritual assault was launched on humanity on 9/11/2001. The threat of terrorism still looms large. The tension in Israel continues to rise. Who knows what is coming next? What can we do?

Biblical and modern history demonstrate that, on several occasions, overwhelming Jewish unity has brought security to both the Jewish people and the world as a whole. Now, in our turbulent times, each of us - men, women, and children - can help in a simple, yet very powerful way: Every morning and evening, at 7 a.m. and at 10 p.m., take a 15 second break from whatever you are doing and say these words:

SHEMA   YISRAEL   A-DONOI   E-LOHEINU   A-DONOI   ECHAD

(TRANSLATION) HEAR, ISRAEL: HASHEM IS OUR G-D,   HASHEM, THE ONE AND ONLY.

(HEAR AND ACCEPT, ISRAEL: THE OMNIPRESENT IS OUR G-D, THE OMNIPRESENT IS ONE.)

Saying the age old Shema Yisrael prayer - a simple, six word sentence - with devotion and sincerity is a wonderful way for us to unite and help all peace loving people in the world at this unprecedented time in history. Don't delay. Join now the rapidly growing number of Jews throughout the world who have begun to act together. Say these six powerful and meaningful words every day, beginning today, at as close to 7:00 am and 10:00 pm as possible. You can also say this prayer when you wake up in the morning and when you go to bed at night. Whenever possible, parents should say Shema out loud along with their children. It would be extremely meaningful to begin Jewish occasions by reciting Shema together.

Life's most significant and meaningful moments have always involved the recital of the Shema prayer:

• The Shema was initiated by the twelve tribes of Israel, displaying their unity to our Patriarch Yaakov.
• Traditionally, every morning and night the Jew proclaimed Shema, declaring the oneness of G-d.
• When Israel would be at war, the recital of Shema gave them the merit to be triumphant in battle.
• We recite Shema when: preparing to read the Torah on Sabbaths and festivals; at the end of the holiest day of Yom Kippur when we reach the level of angels; at the end of our lives when our souls leave this earth.
• With The Shema prayer on their lips, Jews accepted martyrdom at the stake and in the gas-chambers.
• Shema is contained in all of the mezuzahs affixed to the door posts of our homes.

Make this a habit. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain! Thirty seconds a day, that's all it takes.

Please share this valuable message with your family, relatives, friends and community members via E-mail and posting it on your Websites. Become a partner in spreading this powerful message to all of the Jewish people across the globe. Please print this page up and post it at your synagogues, Hebrew schools, Jewish community centers and send it to local and national Jewish organizations, magazines and papers. Spreading this message is a win-win situation for us all. Our combined efforts will further unite the Jewish people and will help bring more spiritual light and good to our world.

May G-d bless you and may our efforts contribute to the realization of true peace speedily in our days.

Friends in the Jewish community

We, the organizers of SHEMA YISRAEL NOW PROJECT - UNITING ALL JEWISH PEOPLE, request that you confirm your participation in this effort by faxing us at (847) 674-4023, or E-mailing us at shema@skokiekollel.org. The goal is to reach six million Jews. Please bookmark our website, www.skokiekollel.org/shema/.

For more information on the Shema Yisrael prayer, please visit Shema Yisrael Torah Network