Before rushing into action, remember the power of our Spiritual Activism:
o First -- pray. Say the tehillim for Israel from the OU, RCA and NCYI, each day: 20, 83, 121, 130, and 142
o Increase your kavana in tfilla, especially for Shema
o Refrain from speaking in shul, especially during chazzarat hashatz, kriyat hatorah and Kaddish. The respect shown in a Beit Knesset helps our tfillot ascend.
o Personal Note: I heard someone speak on the power of doing Teshuva, but instead of entirely remaking ourselves, just taking the smallest thing that we have control over and working on that.
The example he gave was that when he says Keriat Shema at home, he makes a point of saying it sitting down instead of standing up.
He quoted Rav Shach, Z"L who suggested saying Birkat HaMazon out of a bentcher instead of by heart.
Let's start working on ourselves, on the smaller things that will nevertheless have effects on ourselves and ultimately on others (BJR).
o A thought from http://www.geocities.com/buddychai/Religion/Mussar.html
In 1923, the Chafetz Chayim was asked to be the keynote speaker at the first Agudath Israel convention in Vienna. He was asked specifically to speak on the subject of how he became "a Chafetz Chayim." The Chafetz Chayim said that he saw the deficiencies in the Jewish world and he decided he had to change the Jewish world. So, he tried to change the Jewish world and he couldn't. So, he said he would change the Jews of his country, Poland. He tried to change the Jews of his country, Poland, and he couldn't. So, he said he would change the Jews of his town, Radin. He tried to change the Jews of his town, Radin, and he couldn't. So, he said he would change the Jews of his shul (synagogue). He tried to change the Jews of his shul and he couldn't. So, he said he would change the Jews of his family. He tried to change the Jews of his family and he couldn't. So, he said, "Let me change myself." And when he changed himself, he became the "Chafetz Chayim" and he changed the Jews of the world.

(4/6) Order Tefillah L'Chayalei Tzahal Cards
Help spread the daily recitation of the tefillah l'chayalei Tzahal. Order cards with the misheberach for each of your friends and family. The project and objectives are as follows:

Posters and pocket-sized laminated cards with the tefillah will be sold to individuals, through schools, and by synagogues for use daily during davvening, by women lighting candles, for posting in stores and homes, etc.

All proceeds will benefit rehabilitation and assistance for IDF soldiers.

This initiative is designed to help Jews outside of Israel, students especially, forge a stronger sense of identification with the young people defending Israel and to help all of us impact the current situation through the power of tefillah.

Help spread this tefillah in your community! Each card is $1, posters are $5 each and all proceeds will benefit rehabilitation services and assistance for IDF soldiers. Order for yourself, your synagogue, or school online or call 212-613-8226.

(3/19) Names of Israelis Injured by Palestinian Terror Attacks
This is a list updated weekly from Israel. You can view the list online or be put on the email list by contacting tefilla@netvision.net.il.

Yom Kippur Katan
Somone sent the following: According to the web-site http://www.walk4israel.com/ , since Sept. 2000, 545 Israelis have been murdered and 4150 have been seriously injured. As a Jew living outside of Israel who is daily frustrated by my feelings of helplessness, I realized that there is something that I can do – that Hashem has given me the ability to pray on behalf of our brethren in Eretz Yisrael. So I plan to say Psalms 20, 83, 121, and 142 every day as our Rabbis have urged.

But I want to do even more. As we approach the 17th of Tammuz, which begins the 3 week period commemorating some of the darkest times in our people's history, culminating with the 9th day of Av, I plan to take on a personal fast on Tuesday, July 9th, 29 Tammuz, Erev Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av. During that day, in memory of the murdered souls in Israel who died "Al Kiddush Hashem", and in honor of those who have been wounded, I plan to devote 10 hours and 10 minutes to prayer and Torah learning. 10 hours and 10 minutes is approximately 1 minute for each of those murdered and wounded by the terrorist murderers.

I am sending this email to my friends and relatives with a request that each of you do the same on July 9th. If you can't fast or learn the entire day, then at least fast and learn for 10 minutes and 10 seconds – one second for each of the murdered and wounded victims. And please forward this email to everyone you know so that we can join together on that day and ask Hashem to save us. The day before every Rosh Chodesh is called Yom Kippur Katan. The following from torah.org, explains the idea of Yom Kippur Katan: http://www.torah.org/learning/yomtov/assorted/ykkatan.html

(5/26) Free Tehillim
Free Tehillim to schools and synagogues. A 12-page booklet of the five specified psalms will be provided in bulk quantities to all schools and congregations on request. Simply specify the number of booklets needed on letterhead stationery and include a contact name and phone number. Fax to 718-680-1875.

(5/26) Tehillim Around the World Grass Roots Unity Campaign Activated
Many Jews feel helpless as hatred and anti-Semitism erupt time and again with fresh belligerence. While some Jews have become news junkies and others shun headlines altogether, a sense of foreboding has overtaken the worldwide Jewish community.

While political and military approaches have been tried to end the violence, there are some in the community who advocate galvanizing spiritual resources as well. What is needed now, they argue, is a grass roots unity campaign that will encompass every individual of every affiliation, or non-affiliation. What greater leader for this effort could there be than King David himself, the ancient king of Israel, slayer of Goliath?

According to Mesorah Heritage Foundation, the organization launching the campaign, the Book of Psalms [Tehillim], authored primarily by King David, has the spiritual clout not only to unite the Jewish people, but also to defeat the material enemies of the nation as well. "We have a highly effective spiritual weapon, and it can be activated at any time," said Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz, chairman of the foundation. "We have known for centuries that when we allow ourselves to experience the uplifting words of Psalms, we grow spiritually. That in turn influences the world around us. Our tradition assures us that Divine response always follows sincere prayer."

The aim, he asserts, is to rally world Jewry around the banner of King David¹s deeply spiritual verses. Background and affiliation don¹t matter, as anyone who can read English or Hebrew can join this movement.

Using communications technology, the foundation hopes to turn this fanciful hope into solid reality. After much consideration ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications launched Tehillim Around the World, a campaign whose modest goal is to put Psalms into the hands of every Jew. A three-pronged approach was initiated:

1) Free Tehillim via download and email. Five specific chapters of Psalms have been recommended by rabbinic leaders as particularly appropriate to the current crisis. They can be downloaded from www.artscroll.com or requested by sending a blank email to prayer@artscroll.com.(No internet connection required.)

2) Free Tehillim to schools and synagogues. A 12-page booklet of the five specified psalms will be provided in bulk quantities to all schools and congregations on request. Simply specify the number of booklets needed on letterhead stationery and include a contact name and phone number. Fax to 718-680-1875.

With all of these avenues open, it couldn¹t be easier to join Tehillim Around the World. Marches, speeches, and political pressure are activities done en masse. But they do not rule out the quiet, contemplative efforts of the individual. A grass roots movement of individuals, each anchored in his or her own way to ancient Jewish Psalms, may well harness the spiritual power captured by King David for all time.