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How Jewish prayer can improve your mental well-being—even if you’ve never set foot in a synagogue:

10 Surprising Ways Jewish Prayer Boosts Mental Health | Aish How Jewish prayer can improve your mental well-being—even if you’ve never set foot in a synagogue.

My husband handed me the book, A Thousand Places to See Before You Die and said, “Make a list and let’s go.”

In the ensuing 23 years we have had amazing experiences including snorkeling with sea lions in the Galapagos, attending a ballet at the Bolshoi, and going on safari in South Africa. I just kept ticking off a long list of once-in-a-lifetime trips.

And then we went to Israel.

While in Jerusalem we stopped by our hotel lounge for a quick drink. Sitting near us were two middle-aged couples from New York. They told us that they vacation together in Israel every year and stay for two weeks. The ladies said they bring an empty suitcase to fill with gifts they will need for the year and for fresh spices from the shuk. They said they always fly El Al and consider the vacation an important way to support Israel.

And nothing stops them from coming. They came even during the intifada. They told us Israelis need to know we support them; our presence matters especially in the most difficult times.

What seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime trip to us was their annual vacation. I wondered, “Could we do that, too?”

My husband, Ben, and I said our goodbyes and started walking to a nearby restaurant. We saw an ambulance parked on the street. On the doors of the ambulance was a dedication. I had no idea that ambulances could be donated in memory or in honor of someone. We stood in front of the ambulance and I felt such strong emotions. I thought of my wonderful father who died very young and never made it to Israel. It would be incredible to be able to donate an ambulance in his memory.

I thought of that brief conversation in the hotel lounge often and a few years later we started going back to Israel. On one trip we stayed at the extraordinary Beresheet hotel in the Negev and watched Ibex drinking out of our plunge pool overlooking the spectacular Ramon crater.

On another vacation we had dinner with a 25-year-old IDF reservist who was given a short break from Gaza. He received a college scholarship we sponsored through Friends of the IDF (FIDF). Such an impressive young man; while defending Israel he was also trying to keep up with his studies and plan his wedding.

I’ve taken cooking lessons in a private home and Ben has done anti-terrorism training at Caliber 3. We got to visit an adorable grey standard poodle puppy we named in memory of our beloved dog Daisy. She was being trained as a PTSD support dog through a special FIDF program.

Read the full article: https://aish.com/of-a-thousand-places-to-see-before-you-die-only-one-actually-needs-you-there/

Especially in the Ashkenazi Jewish world, gefilte fish is an important part of the Shabbat cuisine. Love it or not, it's an important traditional food that Jews have been eating for centuries.

Amit Man, a 22-year-old paramedic, saved lives up until her last breath. She was murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7th, 2023. Amit loved healing people with her medical expertise, as well as with her own voice. The singer/actress decided to put her talents to the side in order to focus on learning the art of life-saving. Her family was the last to hear her voice as she screamed into her cell phone.

Amit’s sister Haliva was with her by phone until the last moment, when Amit said Hamas terrorists had broken into the clinic where she was operating. One voice message was recovered and shared with Aish.com. In the 14 second clip, Amit screams, pleads for her life and you can hear rapid gunfire sounding off around her.

Assigned to the Be'eri Magen David Adom (MDA) team, Amit found comfort in a small house provided by the kibbutz she worked on. She fell in love with the place and forged a deep connection to the community. On Saturday, October 7th, she and her boyfriend awoke to sirens blaring. He was also an emergency responder, working just a few kilometers away in Netzibot. He offered Amit to join him where he was stationed, but she had been on call that day and decided to man her post. Despite the danger, her dedication took her to the dental clinic where Be’eri’s MDA team operates.

When the attack began, Amit, according to her colleagues, acted with unwavering competence. For six and a half hours, she worked tirelessly alongside a doctor, doing her utmost to save lives as countless victims poured into the clinic in need of emergency services. She stopped many from bleeding to death using a tourniquet, all while relaying the horrors to her superiors via phone. She described the chaos and violence unfolding around them, just beyond the clinic door, where two soldiers stood guard.

As the hours wore on, Hamas terrorists continued their assault on the community and eventually breached the clinic. She staunchly aided a wounded soldier, who had been outside protecting her grounds. He was shot. She stopped his bleeding and rested him under an air conditioning unit, soothing him with her words and assuring him it would be okay.

Amit’s cousin Iftach Ophir relayed the story to Aish.com.

“It's always hard when you lose someone close. But when that person cares about saving other people. Standing up to immense darkness and evil. It is bitter. It is more unfair,” Ophir said.

Amit’s family was left in agonizing uncertainty for more than two days after the event. They did not know if she was dead, alive or if she had been taken to Gaza. Some 60 hours after the final contact with Amit, news came that her body had been identified in the dental clinic where she had stood her ground. The weight of the loss reverberated through the community.

Read the full article: https://aish.com/the-paramedic-who-was-murdered-while-saving-others/