There are many reasons to make Aliyah. Some are spiritual, some are financial, some are for safety, some for ideological reasons. The list is endless. Today's blog ( a little bit tongue-in-cheek) gives another reason to pack your bags and move to Israel.
(The following is taken from the Jerusalem Post)
The whole adventure began in January 2009, when Joe Offenbacher went searching for a business to start in Israel.
“My family and I made aliyah in 2004 from Teaneck, New Jersey,” the 51-year-old says. “For 19 years, I had a business in Manhattan running a messenger, trucking and delivery service. Ultimately it was very successful, but for the first two years, I worked hard and lived the business. After that, I had good people working for me, and I became one of those fathers who could go to my kids’ 2 p.m. school programs.
“My family and I made aliyah in 2004 from Teaneck, New Jersey,” the 51-year-old says. “For 19 years, I had a business in Manhattan running a messenger, trucking and delivery service. Ultimately it was very successful, but for the first two years, I worked hard and lived the business. After that, I had good people working for me, and I became one of those fathers who could go to my kids’ 2 p.m. school programs.
“I figured bringing Freezees to Israel would be like that – only a lot more fun. I was right about the fun part, but it’s been a tremendous amount of work.” Freezee Israel Blog
What’s the fascination with Freezees? “It was my son Rafi’s idea,” Offenbacher recalls. “One day I overheard Rafi wishing that he could have a Slurpee here in Israel. The idea struck me as interesting – why not bring Slurpee machines to Israel? (Slurpee and Freezee are trade-names for the same drink)
With 10 Freezee machines now churning out sparking beverages in Modi’in, Ramat Beit Shemesh,Jerusalem, Efrat, Hashmonaim and Ra’anana – and fielding daily pleas for the installation of a Freezee machine from store owners as far away as Beersheba and Eilat – Offenbacher’s business plan appears solidly on schedule.
“The goal is to put Freezee machines all over Israel."
“The goal is to put Freezee machines all over Israel."
“One morning in the office we were reading some of the comments, and one guy wrote,
‘Finally! Israel has Freezees! Now I can make aliyah!’
“I never really thought of myself as an adjunct to Nefesh B'Nefesh," Offenbacher quips, “but, hey, if chillin’ with a Freezee will encourage aliyah, we’re delighted to help!”
December 19th 2010 (28):
ReplyDelete6 "I will strengthen the house of Judah, And I will save the house of Joseph, And I will bring them back, Because I have had compassion on them; And they will be as though I had not rejected them, For I am the LORD their God and I will answer them. 7 "Ephraim will be like a mighty man, And their heart will be glad as if from wine; Indeed, their children will see it and be glad, Their heart will rejoice in the LORD. 8 "I will whistle for them to gather them together, For I have redeemed them; And they will be as numerous as they were before. 9 "When I scatter them among the peoples, They will remember Me in far countries, And they with their children will live and come back. 10 "I will bring them back from the land of Egypt And gather them from Assyria ; And I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon Until no room can be found for them. 11 "And they will pass through the sea of distress And He will strike the waves in the sea, So that all the depths of the Nile will dry up; And the pride of Assyria will be brought down And the scepter of Egypt will depart. 12 "And I will strengthen them in the LORD, And in His name they will walk," declares the LORD." [Zech 10:6-12]
That word, "whistle," in v8 (Strong's: 8319) means: 'to whistle,' or, 'to pipe,' or, 'to hiss as a signal.'
In short, since the LORD has, 'compassion,' [(7355) in v6 ie: 'to love, love deeply, have mercy, be compassionate, have tender affection, have compassion,'] He will see, 'their gladness of heart,' and, 'rejoicing,' and will, 'gather them,' [(6908) in v8 ie: 'to gather,' or, 'assemble'] as a farmer gathers his grain harvest into his store-barn (ie Israel), through whistling for His people.
This desire is again reinforced in Jer 16:16 where the LORD states that He will both, 'fish,' and, 'hunt,' for His people to return back to the land from which they have been scattered:
"Behold, I am going to send for many fishermen," declares the LORD, "and they will fish for them; and afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and every hill and from the clefts of the rocks."
As we look back on the history of the Jewish people we can certainly see times when, through hunters, the LORD has caused His people to flee that persecution and seek the haven of the Promised Land. However the LORD is also gracious (ie the act of fishing) and in this way many of his people have responded to His heartfelt call. Today’s story classically shows just one family who have heard their LORD’s gracious whistling to return home. Hallelu Yah!
It is my prayer that as His people become more attentive to His voice there will be far fewer hunters that need to be summoned.
Steve Perry <><