[HANASHIR:14900] Update on Tofa'ah

[rahel <rahel...>]

Shalom List members,

You have been sending me beautiful letters in response to my letter about 
Tofa'ah, the woman's band in Israel that adheres to the Halachic ruling of 
"Kol B'Isha Ervah". I would like to update you about the band. and I will 
quote from a letter I received yesterday from Yona, the group's founder:

"Your writing was so beautiful a reflection of your self... I hope many 
readers will seek this truth and find inner peace... We now have 7 CDs. We 
just put together an instrumental version of our music - a double CD mostly 
of [our latest CD] "B'Simcha" and the CD "For All Time". This we hope will 
help us get on the radio more if nothing else.. good dentist music! ... Tof 
Miriam still is in operation... just no more festivals.. more helping other 
artist here and there with individual projects.  Tofa'ah still trys to play 
on, or near, Rosh Chodesh at the NCSY center [in Jerusalem], and we still 
do schools, prisons, hospitals, women festivals, holiday shows and big 
shows around the country for various events... lots of new songs... you 
would like them... "

I would like to insert here that Yona, a drummer who has lived with 
Rheumatoid Arthritis for most of her life, gave birth to two sons, both of 
whom live with a menagerie of health problems. Yona's strength and courage, 
not only in forging a new path for (orthodox) women, but also today as 
mother and caregiver to these boys, reflects an "Eshet Chayil" (woman of 
valor) to the utmost. She writes:

"I am in hospital - if not one boy its the other.,.. we have a membership 
to Hadassah Ein Kerem instead of the pool this summer.... oy vay blues... 
It is hard for me to get to the computer.. but Chaim told me about these 
letters so I felt I had to write. I think of you often. Dont get insulted 
if I don't write .. we need healing now so my time is first put there.. I 
hope you understand. A neighbor of mine is helping me to write a book about 
my son, Yisroel Meir, and all we have gone through(and still are). More 
like how to get through it. Positive attitude, good friends, lots of 
laughter, a ton of chocolate, and music...etc. We are adding a few things 
about the band.. Since she is a neighbor she hears everything. She come to 
all our shows. Always did anyway. She helps me a lot with Yissy and we 
already have the first part of the book with the publisher. We are trying 
to finish it up by the fall..(G-D Willing). I would like to ask permission 
to add some of what you wrote about the band. Since the book is not 
directly about the band I am limited to what I write about it. But this 
kind of sums up the whole thing. I wish you joy, happiness, love, laughter, 
wisdom strength and peace. You GO GIRL>>>>> Happy days and nights full of 
song.... I love you dear friend and always will..... Blessing and Prayers 
WE WILL SING TO THE L-RD!! YONA"


If you would like to know more about Tofa'ah, or purchase CD's, please let 
me know and I will forward your letters to Yona directly!

Please send your prayers for healing.

Rahel

"It is a great mitzvah to be happy all the time." - Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
"The Holy One, blessed be He, will be the Head of the dance circle of the 
tzaddikim in time to come."
- Yerushalmi Succah, Lulav veAravah and Vayikra Rabbah 11 end

www.geocities.com/rahelmusic, www.geocities.com/bneishalom