Mr. David Bar-Illan
Advisor to the Prime Minister
The Knesset Jerusalem

Dear Mr. Bar-Illan,

Shalom. Seeing that no one among our leaders, neither political or religious, made a response to the spiritual warfare that Hamas set upon us last year, I took an ad out in the International Jerusalem Post announcing our response to Hamas' murderous acts, the Restoration of the ancient custom of donating a Half-Shekel to Jerusalem. (As was the case in Yoash's generation, this restoration will bring universal joy to Am Yisrael worldwide.) Your advertising department refused to print the ad without your explicit approval. That landed me in your office on March 30, 1996. You will recall I held up in one hand a Shmata Tzitzith and in the other hand a magnificent hand-woven Biblical Tallith and said to you; "this is 'Yiddishkeit' and this is 'Israelite', this is what I am trying to do." You took it in in one glance and okayed the ad. Since the publication of that ad I have worked night and day, without rest, to bring this to fruition. I am once again approaching you, this time to get your okay to bring my 'ad' to the Prime Minister's attention.

Why the Half-Shekel? Why now? The Half-Shekel comes to teach the unaffiliated 'YOU ARE AT LEAST HALF A SHEKEL' and the ultra-religious 'YOU ARE ONLY HALF A SHEKEL', without each other we are only halves. This will be the first time in our history that everyone in Israel, everyone, does their Mitzvah exactly the same. No Minhag Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Chabad vs. Satmar, Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, leftist, rightist. Just one way to fulfil this Commandment, and everyone is absolutely equal in its fulfilment. No room for even an Hidur. Absolutely equal!

And why now, because rather than be remembered for giving up Hebron, I am sure the Prime Minister would rather be remembered for restoring this precious gem to Am Yisrael. Besides putting into practice what the Prime Minister set out to do in bringing the people together, the restoration of the Half-Shekel right now, will bring great joy to our "Ministers and People", a worldwide universal joy the likes of which we have not yet experienced in this initial stage of Redemption. This will be a national joy that does not come on the back of any vanquished, and will lead us foward as the emphasis shifts from pioneering the Land to pioneering our culture to be in harmony with being on that Land.

At this time in our history, when we are forced to take something so precious from our people, it would behoove us to give something equally as precious back to our people. A coin. A small silver coin. Can we meet again?

G-d Bless,

Reuven Prager
Beged Ivri

February 26, 1997
19 Adar I, 5757
D6.1166

Mr. Reuven Prager
Beged Ivri
111 Agrippas Street
Jerusalem

Dear Mr. Prager,

On behalf of the Director of Policy Planning and Communications, Mr. David Bar-Illan, thank you for the copies of your letters to numerous Jewish leaders regarding your project to restore the custom of bringing half a shekel to Jerusalem.

I would be pleased to be kept apprised of your progress.

With warm greetings,

Sincerely yours,

Bobby Brown
Adviser to the Prime Minister
for Diaspora Affairs

Mr. Bobby Brown
Advisor to the Prime Minister for Diaspora Affairs
3 Kaplan Street
Hakirya,
Jerusalem

Dear Mr. Brown,

Shalom! I figured if I banged on the door long enough someone would finally say; "come in". Thank you for your letter of 19 Adar I.

My apologies for not responding sooner; I just returned from a two month coast-to-coast tour of the U.S. promoting the Half-Shekel project. In all modesty, we did it! The Half-Shekel is now a physical reality. Production commenced on 14 Adar, Purim. The only question now remaining is; How big?

As our ultimate goal is 100% participation, the Half-Shekel project will include an unprecedented outreach program undertaken by all streams of Judaism, that will have the added benefit of increasing donor pools by at least 30% in the next five years. We are also recommending that congregations modify their family memberships to provide separate membership for each family member, each person receiving a Half-Shekel as part of their membership dues, thereby creating a young generation that is accustomed to give to the synagogue, creating continuity into the next generation.

As a result of my meeting with Rabbi Jerome Epstein in Manhattan last week, we are one letter away from garnering the participation of the Conservative Movement's 800 synagogues in this project. Chabad was very helpful in supplying the list of their 756 institutions worldwide.

At this point I could use some "Prime Minister's Office"-size help. Can we please meet? There remain only 12 months until Purim of 5758, every day is precious.

Thank you in Advance,

G-d Bless,

Reuven Prager
Beged Ivri

Mr. Bobby Brown
Advisor to the Prime Minister for Diaspora Affairs
3 Kaplan Street
Hakirya,
Jerusalem

Dear Mr. Brown,

Shalom. Right now is the time to announce the restoration of the giving of the Half-Shekel.

The Union of Orthodox Rabbis' announcement concerning the Conservative and Reform Movements, as well as the whole related conversions affair, and the recent revelation of fiscal shenanigans in the Rabbinate can all be washed away with the announcement by the Prime Minister of the restoration of the custom of giving a Half-Shekel to Jerusalem, if it is done right now.

The Half-Shekel comes to teach the less affiliated that he/she is at least Half a Shekel, and it comes to teach the fanatically intolerant that they are only Half a Shekel. This should be the Prime Minister's goal, to create a plane where all are equal. That's the Half Shekel.

By establishing a Beit Din of Levi'im to take charge of the donated shekels, the Prime Minister can introduce the concept of fiscal integrity into religious matters, countering the common perception of a free-for-all-grab-bag as it exists right now.

It would also further establish the image of Prime Minister Netanyahu's ability to turn events around to a satisfactory and desirable path, and if done right now, quickly.

If the Prime Minister's Office does not take the initiative to make the announcement, then I will announce it on behalf of the State of Israel. If it receives the calculated response that we anticipate, then failure of the Prime Minister's staff to take the initiative will appear as ineptitude. We will wait until April 18 to make our announcement. I hope that I can do it from within the Prime Minister's Office.

G-d Bless,

Reuven Prager
Beged Ivri

Mr. David Bar Illan
Advisor to the Prime Minister
The Knesset
Jerusalem

Dear Mr. Bar Illan,

Shalom. Right now is the time to announce the restoration of the giving of the Half-Shekel.

The Union of Orthodox Rabbis' announcement concerning the Conservative and Reform Movements, as well as the whole related conversions affair, and the recent revelation of fiscal shenanigans in the Rabbinate can all be washed away with the announcement by the Prime Minister of the restoration of the custom of giving a Half-Shekel to Jerusalem, if it is done right now.

The Half-Shekel comes to teach the less affiliated that he/she is at least Half a Shekel, and it comes to teach the fanatically intolerant that they are only Half a Shekel. This should be the Prime Minister's goal, to create a plane where all are equal. That's the Half Shekel.

By establishing a Beit Din of Levi'im to take charge of the donated shekels, the Prime Minister can introduce the concept of fiscal integrity into religious matters, countering the common perception of a free-for-all-grab-bag as it exists right now.

It would also further establish the image of Prime Minister Netanyahu's ability to turn events around to a satisfactory and desirable path, and if done right now, quickly.

If the Prime Minister's Office does not take the initiative to make the announcement, then I will announce it on behalf of the State of Israel. If it receives the calculated response that we anticipate, then failure of the Prime Minister's staff to take the initiative will appear as ineptitude. We will wait until April 18 to make our announcement. I hope that I can do it from within the Prime Minister's Office.

G-d Bless,

Reuven Prager
Beged Ivri