Shalom all,

118 years ago, a dedicated Jew called Moshe Montifiory invested all his time and energy in the affairs of the Jewish people, so much so that he was granted a nickname - "The Minister of the Jews", and he even received the title "Sir" from Queen Victoria for his actions on behalf of the Jewish people.

Much of his effort was invested in the land of Israel: he visited Israel 7 times (a remarkable achievement, when you remember the state of transportation those days...), established businesses in Jerusalem, and built the first Jewish neighborhood outside the walls - known today as "Yemin Moshe". Moshe Montifiory lived to be 101 years old, and these are only part of a wide range of activities he established, donated and developed; his influence, commitment and involvement are still very well recognized, so much so that a famous Israeli song describes everything he did in the following way: whenever Death came to visit and ask him to come to heaven, he always found an excuse why he still needs to stick around on earth - there is still a hospital to build, still a group of Jews in Tiberias that need his help...each time Death gave in, until finally, at the age of 101, Death said: enough, let someone else enjoy continuing the job...

I was reminded of Moshe Montifiory many times this past week, as I learned more and more about the amazing, dedicated work that so many good people are doing here in Israel; And I also realized that we still have so much to do, that we need the help of many more Montifiorys - people who understand the shared responsibility of our job, who are dedicated to doing it, and who believe, like he did, that "Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Bazeh" - all of Israel, the entire Jewish world, is responsible for each other.

Who knows - maybe it's the secret for a long life, the fact that there is still too much that needs to be done; after all, 101 years of making a difference isn't bad...

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach,

Liat