Happy Chanukah!

As we all know, the light is the theme of this holiday and it is the light we should always be looking for.

Shabbat for Singles 2011

We had our first and - thanks to Hashem – very successful Shabbat for singles. The goal was not “matching” (of course we would be happy if we are invited to a wedding in a near future), but “integration” between different people from different backgrounds and mentalities. We did learn a lot about the issues these young (and some not that young) people are struggling with.

We heard everyone’s opinion on what was the most dysfunctional area in the Israeli society, the best of it, and the best & worst Israelis. Amazing how some problems were “common” to every one of the participants.

Because we are a Non-Profit Organization without a budget and do not accept any type of financial donations, we have to limit ourselves on only two of these Shabbatot a year. The next one will be in the Summer (Bli Neder).

Testimonials

from Hershell Goldman

For someone who is working without fees and for so many varied clients with so many varied problems Tzvi is just amazing. He readily grasps the issues, is cool and calm in his analysis and straightforward with his advice.

He answers emails the same day, usually within an hour; and calls back on the telephone when he has promised to do so. I don’t know how he does all this. I expected to be passed on to a junior colleague but no, Tzvi dealt with my problem himself.  Thanks.

More Testimonials…

Spotlight on You!

In our continual efforts to help new olim successfully assimilate, we’d like to invite you to promote your business, organization, community or blog to Voleh’s audience. Here’s how:

1. Submit a video link, or photo and story, about how Voleh helped you to tehillah@voleh.org
2. Either in the introduction of your story (e.g., “Hi, I’m xyz from yourcompany.com and I want to thank Voleh for…”), or at the closing of it provide your contact information and web link.

Your story will be published on Voleh’s site, Facebook page and/or in a future newsletter – and hopefully this exposure will help improve your Aliyah experience.
* All submissions are subject to copy edit (for spelling and grammar) prior to posting.

Teamwork: Help Us Help You!

Every new immigrant has times of light and unfortunately times of darkness. This is the reality. Moving to a new country, new language and especially a new mentality is very stressful. We at VOLEH can offer a better way to deal with the dark part of your Aliyah – this is our job. Your job is just to be willing to see the light, let US help YOU.

We deal with small and big issues concerning every aspect of the legal system, every day we have a new case (sometimes a few cases) and every new case is for us the most important because we understand the impact the results (good or bad) will have in this new immigrant’s life.

We have done a great job helping people to “stay in Israel”, to “accept” the system and to adapt to it. We may have done wonders, but we’re not miracle makers. We have had our failures/lack of successes (depending on one’s point of view) with a few cases because not every single case can be solved with a “happy ending”.

There are four major problems when dealing with a new immigrant’s legal problem:

“Timing”: Not looking for help on time, before things get really nasty can be crucial. Procrastinating will cause more harm and eventually put you in a situation where it is almost impossible to solve your issue in a desired manner in where you can “start clean” from the beginning. This is especially true in two areas:

1) Divorce: In a divorce case, timing is crucial (but it is not the only important factor). Every delay can cause turmoil and increase the chances of irreversible damage regarding the legal process, causing you to reach a “poor agreement” in the end.

2) Dealing with Debts: In a “debt related case”, timing is very important in order to avoid receiving a “ban to leave Israel”. But being very organized is also very important; one must know what is being asked of him, to whom he owes money, his real income and expenses. All this is crucial to building a plan to rescue a person from his debtors.

“Denial”:  Living in denial to avoid despair is very common. Believing that “everything will be fine in the end” is a good cure for the “debt disease” and a better one in a “domestic violence or divorce case”. Who wants to admit he/she failed in the marriage? Who wants to admit he/she could not handle the finances properly?

“The language factor”: Command of the Hebrew language, the ability to understand what is being said to you, to communicate fluently and especially to be understood, can have a major impact in your life and certainly in a legal process or even before it becomes a legal process.

“The trust factor”:  How many times have we been turned down when asking for a power of attorney? How are we expected to help you without having a power of attorney? In Israel a lawyer can represent (or even write a letter in someone’s name) if he has a power of attorney and in Hebrew!

If you need help and don’t trust us, it will be impossible to work together. There are no exceptions – we need your cooperation and yes, we need your trust as well. You will have to trust us and your debtors if you want to reach and good agreement. You will have to trust the legal system and the judge if you want a better deal in your divorce. You must understand that your own benefit is also our best interest, our success and proof that we have achieved our goals.

In conclusion: If you seek us for help please remember we are a “team”. We must work together and in full coordination in order to achieve your objectives as best as possible – and as soon as possible!

Sincerely,

Tzvi Szajnbrum, Attorney at Law

Happy Chanukah!