Refreshments for erev zikaron

Several people have asked me if they can help out with bringing refreshments to the erev zikaron this Thursday. If you would like to help with this (and thank you!), you can enter your name and what you can bring onto the spreadsheet at this link.

If you have any questions about this, you can contact Idit Amir, who is organizing it, at this address.

Shavua tov, and see you on Thursday,

-- Moshe

Erev zikaron for Rivka: Details and some thoughts

As previously announced, we will be having an erev zikaron (memorial evening) for Rivka on the evening of the first anniversary of her passing. Everyone who would like to participate is welcome and invited to attend.

Here are the finalized details:

Date: Thursday evening, 21 Marheshvan / November 17
Time: 7:30 pm
Place: Shalom Hartman Institute
Main Beit Midrash
Rehov Gedalyahu Alon 11
Jerusalem
Directions are available here, and on Google Maps here.

In addition, we will be making an aliya l'kever (visit to Rivka's grave) on Sunday morning, 23 Marheshvan / November 20, at (tentatively) 9:00 am. (This is the date on which Rivka's yahrtzeit will be formally commemorated this year.) Details regarding the location and prayers can be found in the post about our last aliya l'kever, here.

I want to thank all the people who responded to my request for photos of Rivka, to be used in the presentation we're making. I apologize that I haven't had the time to thank everyone individually. And to anyone who has some good photos but hasn't sent them to me yet: I'm still interested, and would be very happy to receive them.

Finally, a few thoughts that I'd like to share about the upcoming evening:

All of us miss Rivka tremendously, so it is obvious (and fitting) that we will feel sadness and loss on the night that we gather to remember her together. But at the same time, I hope very much that there will be happiness as well, and an opportunity to smile and laugh as we remember all the good times that we had with Rivka.

In her blog post entitled No Droopy Eyes Please, Rivka wrote the following:

"Okay, so here is the deal: I don't want people to look at me with sad, 'droopy' eyes.
I don't want people to think of me and feel sad.
...
I know that when you first hear the news, it's a bit of a shock. So it's okay to be sad in the beginning... But don't stay there!
...
So here's what I want:
When you think of me, be happy.
When you see me, smile."

Of course, Rivka wrote the above words in reference to herself during her lifetime. But as all of us who knew Rivka understand, she would most definitely ask for the exact same thing after her passing as well.

Now don't get me wrong: On the evening of the erev zikaron, I don't expect that any of us will be able to fully comply with Rivka's request for "No Droopy Eyes". But even through our "droopy eyes", we can and should remember to also be happy when we think of her, and to smile when we see her (in photos, or in our memories).

I look forward to seeing you all in two weeks.

-- Moshe


P.S.: I am sending this message by email to a long list of Rivka's friends, but it is far from being an exhaustive list. So please, make sure to pass along this message to anyone who might be interested.

Save the date

As I mentioned a few days ago, there is going to be an erev zikaron (memorial evening) for Rivka. It is going to be held on Thursday evening, 21 Marheshvan (November 17). I have not yet finalized the location, but it will be in Jerusalem, and I will let you all know as soon as it's finalized (hopefully within the next couple of days).

Please pass along this message to anyone who might be interested.

Wanted: Photos of Rivka

Y and I are preparing a slideshow presentation of photos of Rivka, to be shown at the erev zikaron (memorial evening) that we will be holding in another month. (More info on that to come shortly.)

We are looking for good photos of Rivka. If you have any, we would very much like to use them. (We're particularly short on pictures of her from the old "frisbee chevra" days [late '80's and early '90's].)

Ideally, we'd like to get the photos in digital form. If you only have prints but are willing to scan them for us, you'd be helping us out tremendously. If you aren't able to scan the prints but can lend them to us, then we'll try to scan them ourselves.

So if you've got good pictures of Rivka for us to use, please send them (or links to them) to this address.

Thanks!

Moshe

12 months

This coming Friday (23 Tishrei / 21 October) [Isru Hag], marks the 12-month anniversary of Rivka's burial. (Note that this is not the yahrtzeit: The yahrtzeit is the one-year anniversary, which will be a month later, on account of the past Hebrew year having been a leap year.)

Family and friends will be visiting her grave Friday morning at 11:00 am, to recite Tehillim (Psalms) and Kaddish. All who wish to attend are welcome.

The Tehillim and prayers that will be recited can be found here. (For "שם הנפטר"/"Deceased name", enter "רבקה". For "העדה"/"Congregation", choose "אשכנז". Then click on "חפש"/"Search".)

Rivka's grave is at the following location in Har HaMenuhot (Givat Shaul):
גוש צ', חלקה ק"א, שורה ב', קבר 1
(block צ', plot ק"א, row ב', grave 1)
We will gather first by the gate at the entrance to the cemetary.

If you are planning on attending, please leave a comment on this post, or send an email, in order to help us ensure that there will be a minyan present.

Please pass along this message to anyone who might be interested.

A Celebration Honoring the Life of RivkA

The Jerusalem Twitter and Blogging Community Would Like to Invite You To

A Celebration Honoring The Life Of

RivkA Matitya

For the Benefit of Meneket RivkA
A New Breast Pump Lending Center (Gemach) and Consultation Service

Thursday, March 24
20:00 at the Inbal Hotel

Twestival 2011

A Fun Night of Comedy, Music, Games, Films, Socializing and More

Featuring

The Music of Kolot Jerusalem Women's A Cappella Comedy by Lisa Gold and Benji Lovitt Improv by Hahafuch

Kolot

Lisa Gold

Benji Lovtt

Hahafuch

Minimum Donation: NIS 50 Adult;

NIS 30 Child; NIS 200 Family

100% of the funds collected will be donated to Meneket RivkA

About Meneket RivkA Meneket RivkA is a memorial tzedakah (charity) project in honor of RivkA Matitya a Jerusalem blogger (Coffee and Chemo), activist and educator who died of breast cancer this year. To honor her life and as a tribute to all that RivkA gave to us, the Twestival organizers have decided to support Meneket RivkA at this year's Twestival donating 100% of the funds raised to help establish this worthy cause. Meneket RivkA was conceived of by RivkA's friends, students and teachers to serve a cause that she truly believed in, carried out in association with the Jerusalem Breastfeeding Center and the Eden Center, and with the blessing of RivkA's family. Among RivkA’s many passions was breastfeeding education and support. As a La Leche League leader she inspired many women, both to breastfeed their children as well as to become breastfeeding educators and lactation consultants themselves. RivkA believed very strongly that breastfeeding, and breastfeeding education, should be accessible to everyone. She did not receive payment for her services, and offered breastfeeding help to anyone and everyone, even in the final weeks leading up to her passing. As a tribute to RivkA's passions, and belief in the importance of women's body awareness and health, an unique new service: "Meneket RivkA", a "Gemach" (Lending Center) for top-of-the-range Breastmilk Pumps for new mothers in need of such equipment but unable to afford it was founded in her memory. For more information visit their website About Twestival Twestival® (or Twitter Festival) uses social media for social good by connecting communities offline on a single day to highlight a great cause and have a fun event. Twestival is the largest global grassroots social media fundraising initiative to date. Since 2009, volunteers have raised close to $1.2 million for 137 nonprofits. All local events are organized 100% by volunteers and 100% of all ticket sales and donations go direct to projects. Twestival was born out of the idea that if cities were able to collaborate on an international scale, but work from a local level, it could have a spectacular impact. Over 200 international cities from Buenos Aires to Bangalore, Seattle to Seoul and Hong Kong to Honolulu have participated in Twestival. For more information visit Twestival.com and Jerusalem.Twestival.com

Our Local Sponsors

Please daven (or send happy thoughts) for the memory of RivkA bat Yishaya HaLevi.

With love and optimism, RivkA's family