323. The Joy of Hiding is Nothing Compared to the Fear of Never Being Found

faded bumper sticker, Tel Aviv

The joy of hiding is nothing compared to the fear of never being found.

This heart loves that it was found.

This heart seems to modestly says that if you dare to be present love will find you.

This heart would love for others to support The Center of Organizations of Holocaust Survivors in Israel http://www.survivors-holocaust.org/english.html

*Content and photo © Nomi Helene 2010. All Rights Reserved

276. Show Off

flower petals, Tel Aviv

As I walked by this flower it seemed to almost show off to me that it was in love.

This heart would love for others to find love http://www.levavot.com/home.php

*Content and photo © Nomi Helene 2009. All Rights Reserved

233. Lightbulb Moment

digital camera, Tel Aviv

Brad had a lightbulb moment and decided to make Aliyah from South Africa!

Since creating this heart for me, Brad has captured many more hearts on his camera - Brad clearly sees the love in Israel - I love that!

Brad's heart would love for others to support Nkosis Haven which helps children and mothers with HIV/AIDS http://www.emc.co.za/nkosi/nkosi.html

*Content and photo © Nomi Helene 2009. All Rights Reserved

221. Love is All You Need

bumper sticker, Tel Aviv

Do you agree?

*Content and photo © Nomi Helene 2009. All Rights Reserved

217. The Need for Love on our Streets

part of road, Tel Aviv

As my neighborhood is literally being torn apart and turned upside down, I am struggling to find parking. In my moment of frustration it dawned on me that to others these very streets are the place they call home.

This heart, standing tall, does nothing less than shout out the need for love on our streets.

This heart would love for others to support ELEM in helping runaway, homeless and neglected Israeli and Arab youth in distress http://www.elem.org/index.php

*Content and photo © Nomi Helene 2009. All Rights Reserved

212. Gilad Shalit

children's drawing, protest tent for the return of Gilad Shalit, Jerusalem

I took this photo on July 17 at the protest tent for the return of Gilad Shalit.

Today, a chilling video was released showing signs of life from Gilad Shalit.

This heart reflects the heart of the nation which is with Gilad Shalit.

This heart would love for others to help bring Gilad Shalit home. To sign the petition and find out more http://www.habanim.org/en/atzuma1_en.html

*Content and photo © Nomi Helene 2009. All Rights Reserved

210. Nearly Bursting with Love

Stiching on jeans, Modiin

Einat is an occupational therapist whose occupation will soon be put on hold, as tomorrow she enters the ninth month of her pregnancy.

This heart is nearly bursting with love!

Einat's heart would love for others to support CHEN Patient Fertility Association http://www.amotatchen.org/english/homepage/homepage.htm

*Content and photo © Nomi Helene 2009. All Rights Reserved

209. Monogamy

graffiti, Tel Aviv

In Tel Aviv anything seems to go.

This heart loves monogamy.

This heart would love for others to find love... perhaps on http://www.jdate.co.il/

*Content and photo © Nomi Helene 2009. All Rights Reserved

200. Assertive, Youthful and Optimistic

cloud, Kibbutz Hanita

Finding shapes in the clouds is a game played by children - while looking for hearts in the clouds is a game played by the optimistic and youthful.

Yifat is one of the most naturally radiant women I have met, both inside and out.

I love that Yifat asked me to post this heart she found - this demonstrates the assertiveness of a woman who can be both youthful and optimistic - now run with the wolves, baby!

Yifat's heart would love for others to help abused children via the Israel Association for Child Protection http://www.eliusa.org/home.htm

*Content © Nomi Helene 2009. All Rights Reserved

192. Asexual Love

leaves of sweet potato, Tel Aviv

My friend Ari is growing a sweet potato in his apartment in Tel Aviv.

After sending me this picture we read about sweet potatos, and who knew these sweet treats are asexual!

These heart-shaped leaves prove that asexuality is not devoid of love!

Ari's heart would love for others to support brain research to fight disease http://www.psychobiology.org.il/

*Content © Nomi Helene 2009. All Rights Reserved

174. Itzik (Accepting)

rock, Even Yehudah

A heart washed up on the beach

Passing hands

The possiblity of so much if we can accept it

This heart was given to me by Itzik, and I would love nothing more than to accept it - Thank you Itzik.

Itzik's heart would love for others to help children with cancer http://www.israelcancer.org/home.html

*Content and photo © Nomi Helene 2009. All Rights Reserved

173. Levavot

facebook profile picture, Tel Aviv

I have recently started a cause on facebook for Levavot. While I do not know how to make this cause visible to people who search for it (I have tried everything my untechnical self could think of), news is beginning to spread.

I was thrilled to find my heart for the day on a new member's profile picture - Thank you Maxime for supporting Levavot!

This heart loves Israel - I love that!

Maxime's heart would love for others to call on President Sarkozy to free Gilad Shalit http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fgroup.php%3Fgid%3D6427378556%26ref%3Dsearch%26sid%3D100000100786295.2765849748..1&h=72dcef56f9bafb7ba444d93a0273cf2a

Please join the Levavot cause on Facebook: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/337051/3951902?m=6f3db6f8

*Content © Nomi Helene 2009. All Rights Reserved

161. The Path to being Enlightened in Love

street lamp, Mevasseret

By day these hearts seem to be ignored. I hope that by night they are appreciated, for these hearts seem to have the potential to enlighten us in love.

*Content and photo © Nomi Helene 2009. All Rights Reserved

158. Eat your Heart Out

cookie, Givat Chen

While this cookie was actually captured yesterday, I felt that the protest was a more important heart to show.

In love we must learn to compromise. However, if we really love something we do not need to give it up altogether.

I love dessert, and was willing to compromise for this heart - that is why you see it a day later.

This heart would love for others to get involved with Table to Table in feeding the hungry http://www.tabletotable.org.il/english/

*Content and photo © Nomi Helene 2009. All Rights Reserved

157. I Love Me

t-shirt, Rabin Square, Tel Aviv

Following the heinous crime against GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender), more than 70,000 people showed up to protest against homophobia in Rabin Square.

Lahav showed up in solidarity wearing this shirt, which ironically reads"I love me", as it peaks through the vest worn over it.

This heart is out of hiding and is not afraid to love itself!

Lahav's heart would love for others to support Beit Dror's emergency center for GLBT youth in Israel http://www.bethdror.org/english.html

*Content and photo © Nomi Helene 2009. All Rights Reserved

155. Love Story - Leanne and Ofer

hands, while signing marriage register, Capetown, South Africa

Ofer and I "met" in 1991 when I was doing a teen program in Israel. The last 3 months of it was an army course called Ma'rva. Ofer was one of the commanders on the course. He was 20, and I was 18. After the course I left to go back to South Africa and kept in contact with some of the Israeli commanders that I met, but not Ofer. We were never even friends.

16 years later, I got a message on facebook from him - he just wanted to say hi and catch up. To be completely honest, I wasn't sure who he was as I didn't ever know his last name, and the picture wasn't very clear. I replied to him honestly, and asked him if he was the Ofer from the army. He replied that he was and we started chatting....quite a bit, in fact. He started calling me in South Africa and we just got along really well. We got into a quick habit of speaking to each other over skype, msn and phone for at LEAST 6 hours a day! My friends were amazed, and wanted to know what we could possibly be talking about.

4 days into our chatting, Ofer announced that he was booking his ticket to Cape Town - I nearly fell over. I was freaking out, thinking, what is this guy up to!?!? My friend Robyn even mailed a mutual friend of ours and Ofer's in Israel to ask if he could be trusted! I had a good feeling about it, but Ofer must have had some kind of gut feeling that this was going to work. In the two months that followed, we spoke every day for hours on end and fell in love without even meeting in person.

Many people were happy and excited; others skeptical. I myself, who had been single for over 5 years, happy, set in my ways, was extremely cynical about true love, quite content to be on my own forever and very specific in what I was looking for in a man - I came to believe that this person did not exist.

On 21 December 2007 Ofer landed in Cape Town. I fetched him from the airport, nervous as all hell, and took him to his hotel. But from the moment we "re-met", we just clicked.....and we were engaged 26 days later (to be precise)! We travelled back and forth to Israel and South Africa, and are now both living in Manchester, UK, about to celebrate our first wedding anniversary on 1 September.

Sometimes it just fits, so why not take the chance!

Leanne and Ofer's heart would love for others to contribute to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation for cancer research http://www.sirbobbyrobsonfoundation.org.uk/

154. Tu B'av/ Amukah/ Birthday

plastic bag tied to tree branch, Amukah, Galilee

Amukah sits in a forest, and is the burial site of Rabbi Yonatan ben Uzziel. What better place to go on Tu B'av (Israel's love day) as this Rabbi is traditionally believed to bless the unmarried with finding a marriage partner.

Near the tomb I found a section of brightly colored trees where believers tie fabrics and plastic bags to the branches in the hopes of tying their own knot. It was in this colorful patch of the forest that I found my heart of the day.

This heart believes in love!

*Content and photo © Nomi Helene 2009. All Rights Reserved

153. Early Celebration

almonds on cake, Modiin

Gali is one of my very special finds in Israel. Her curiosity, talents and modest wisdom inspire me on a regular basis, and I cherish our friendship very much.

Thank you Gali for these healthy hearts...I wish for....

Gali's heart would love for others to contribute to protecting Israel's environment through Adam Teva V'Din http://www.adamteva.org.il/?CategoryID=388

*Content and photo © Nomi Helene 2009. All Rights Reserved

152. Sucker for Love

pacifier, Tel Aviv

This heart belongs to my dear friend Libby, whose name means "my heart".

This precious heart loves that her mommy gets 3 months maternity leave.

Libby's heart would love for others to contribute to the gay community http://www.hod.org.il/?en=1

*Content and photo © Nomi Helene 2009. All Rights Reserved

151. Turned Off and Heartbroken

metal light fixture, Tel Aviv

Just like this light fixture I am turned off and heartbroken by the shooting at the gay center in Tel Aviv.

This heart mourns the lives of Nir Katz and Liz Trubeshi.

This Saturday, August 4, 20:00-23:00 there will be a protest at Kikar Rabin against homophobia http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=139352425929

*Content and photo © Nomi Helene 2009. All Rights Reserved