Advocate News March 31, 2011 by TheAdvocate

Cor

THE ADVOCATE Ingrown Toen ai

The Dental Department will be open until 10pm starting April 4th. Please call 352-6800 x6840 for an immediate appointment

O rth o tics

Vol. 26 No. 13 Rockland’s Independent Jewish Community Newspaper 25 ADAR a - 5771

D ia b

e te s

RAMAPO GROWS BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS By: S. Mandelbaum

GLASSES

PAGE 17 COPING WITH ADHD

PAGE 18

ghrz,

The #1 Judaica source in Rockland 27 Orchard St. 845-352-7792

7:03

PAGE 16

Fun g

HEART HEALTHY DIET

es r To

PAGE 16

SINUS PROBLEMS

HEALTH HIGHLIGHTS

Throughout New York State, or 9%. As a whole, New York a collective sigh was heard State’s population increased around New York State when 2% to about 19.3 million. the U.S. Census Bureau at long The bulk of last revealed its findings. The R o c k l a n d Census, which collected infor- C o u n t y ’s mation on the population of i n c r e a s e every area in the nation, found came from that on the whole, communi- within the ties across New York State grew Town of in very small numbers, and in Ramapo. In some areas, lost residents over 2000, the the previous decade. our patients, To better serve populaWhile most counties had littlehas tion of RaDr. Baldinger or no growth, and New York mapo was increased his hours. City reported an increase of 1 0 8 , 9 0 5 . He is now available every Dr. B. Albetter only about 160,000 residents in In Thursday. 2010, the last decade, leading Mayor the Census suggests you Bloomberg and others to chal- had it at 126,595, an increase LEARN MORE ABOUT: lenge the Census and ask for a of over 16%, or almost 18,000. recount, Rockland County grew Every village in the town saw an THRUSH IN INFANTS by almost 25,000 residents, increase in population except PAGE 17

8:35

March 31, 2011

STATE LEADERS AGREE ON A BUDGET BEFORE DEADLINE

In the northern areas of Ramapo, New Hempstead grew by almost 8%, from 4,767 to 5,132. Wesley Hills saw a larger increase of over 16%, or about 800 residents. Their population was 4,848 and it is now 5,628. The villages of Airmont and Montebello, which have been longtime advocates of controlling population growth by limiting development in their area, grew in large numbers. Airmont’s population rose by over 10%, from 7,799 to 8,628. The Village of Montebello grew by 23%, from 3,688 to 4,526. Montebello Mayor Jeffrey Oppenheim stated that he saw the growth as manageable. SEE TOWN PAGE 6

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN COULD SLOW TAX REFUNDS By: Aaron Moeller

By: S. Mandelbaum

New York’s government is infamous for two things – a dysfunctional legislature, and a budget that never gets passed on time. This year, the political establishment in the state shocked everyone when the “Three Men In A Room,” the term given to the trio of Governor Cuomo, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, and Senate Leader Dean Skelos, emerged from a joint meeting five days before the budget was due, to say that a budget compromise had been worked out and would be passed.

for Sloatsburg and Suffern. New Square saw the biggest increase of any municipality in Rockland, and what may be the biggest in the state. The population increased from 4,624 to 6,944, an increase of over 50%. Kaser grew from 3,316 to 4,724, or by 42%. Spring Valley, the county’s biggest village, saw its population rise from 25,464 to 31,347, an increase of over 23%.

There were several issues that the three disagreed on during the budget process over the last few months, and those were hammered out between themselves in private meetings. Looming over negotiations was the threat that Cuomo leveled to the legislature, namely, that he would essentially shut the government down entirely if a budget was not reached on time. Cuomo’s overwhelming popuSEE STATE PAGE 6

A prolonged government shutdown could deliver a blow to many poor American families by limiting or delaying access to the federal government's largest anti-poverty program, the Earned Income Tax Credit. Last year, 26 million families received about $59 billion from the EITC, according to the Treasury Department. While a broad majority of recipients may be unaffected by a possible government shutdown, which at the earliest could come little over a week from this year's April 18 deadline for individual tax returns, the sheer scope of

EITC recipients means a vast number of households can still be hurt by any problems with poverty-relief payments. Such pain could throw a wrench into federal efforts to fight poverty during the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. The details of a potential shutdown -- including its possible duration and effects -- remain unclear. And even if Congress cannot strike a deal to continue government operations, some programs would still be designated as "essential" functions and perSEE TAX PAGE 6

THE ADVOCATE March 31, 2011

‫ תשע״א‬ghrz, ‫דער אדוואקאט‬

AS WE GO TO PRESS... The state legislature voted to pass an on-time budget in the early morning hours Thursday, overshadowing the opposition of hundreds of protesters whose voices could be heard ringing through the State Capitol's halls.

A Weekly Editorial By:

Mendel Hoffman

It is not every day in New York when we see government officials working together to solve the greatest question in one of the most difficult times in our state’s history, but this week we were witness to just that. The critical issue of the state budget, which haunts New York government year after year, often causing entire legislative session to be wholly dedicated to the issue with little time for other problems, has been resolved by the governor and state legislative leaders – ahead of schedule.

The State Assembly cast its final Everyone involved should be applauded for their work in making it happen. How it happened is likely to never be public information, vote just after 1 a.m. on the $132.5 as all the meetings that led to this conclusion are clouded in secrecy. We know the usual horse-trading went on – one party would billion budget plan, which slashes compromise on one issue so that they can get what they wanted in another issue, and so on. state spending across the board. The budget itself isn’t pretty. Millions in cuts to schools and health programs will hurt a great deal of people, but as was said before, not "Tonight the Legislature not only making the necessary cuts would hurt everyone down the line. What needs to happen now is for legislators to get used to two things – passed an on-time budget, but a working together and being more responsible. historic and transformational budget for the people of the state of New York," Governor Andrew The legislature has always advocated for greater spending – even on worthwhile issues- at the expense of the sustainability of our state. Cuomo said in a statement just af- Huge spending increases have driven residents and businesses out of the state, making all these cuts necessary this year. We need to work to get them back and rebuild this state. Hopefully, this budget deal is the beginning of something great – an era of cooperation and ter the vote. responsible governing that can bring New York back from the brink and make it the Empire State once again. The budget, which Cuomo has hailed as representing a new era in Albany, reduces spending by WRITE TO US more than two percent, including a The Advocate welcomes Letters to the Editor & the Action Desk about relevant topics and issues. $1.3 billion cut to local school aid. Letters must include the writer’s name, address and phone number. Negotiations over recent weeks The name may be withheld from publication at the writer’s request. had restored about $250 million in The Advocate reserves the right to edit for clarity and good taste. To voice your opinion, cuts from the governor's original executive budget. But it wasn't uncall: 845-770-1950; Fax: 845-352-5290 til late Wednesday night that lawmakers finally came to an agreement about how to divide restorations between district schools. New York City will now receive $51 million, while upstate schools will get $134 million.

ADVOCATE ACTION DESK

THE JEWISH ADVOCACY COUNCIL, INC.

Dear Action Desk,

is an astounding achievement, and their celebration is well deserved.

On Friday April 1st Rockland County organization STOP DWI, short for ‘Stop while Driving While Intoxicated’ will celebrate the 1,146 arrests that the Town and Village police departments have made respectively. Together with local officials, the Sheriff’s Patrol and New York State will gather and congratulate their effort in stopping and confronting drivers who are breaking the law, and putting everyone at risk. This

But this many arrests has me wondering how many people are out there on the roads, driving while intoxicated, but never get caught? This is what worries me, while it is great that these drivers are being brought to justice, I still do not feel safe. I think the the County and towns ought to get together and create a campaign to prevent drunk driving in the first place.

22 Main Street • Monsey, NY 10952 Tel (845) 352-1725

Fax (845) 352-5290

E-mail: Theadvocatenews@cmadc.com ******* Mendel Hoffman | President & Publisher A. Schwartz

| Sales Director

A. Moeller

| Design/Public Relations

S. Mandelbaum |Contributor M. Rubin

|Contributor

********** •THE VOICE OF THIS PAPER DOES NOT REPRESENT ANY GROUP. •THE ADVOCATE IS AN INDEPENDENT ENGLISH AND YIDDISH NEWSPAPER. •THE ADVOCATE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE KASHRUS OF ANY PRODUCT IN THE NEWSPAPER. • COPYRIGHT 2011 ISSN 1055-9132

• All material in this paper is the exclusive property of THE ADVOCATE and cannot be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed by our columnists do not necessarily reflect the publisher’s. • Any article submitted to the newspaper can be edited at the discretion of the publisher. • The newspaper will not be liable for errors appearing in an advertisement beyond the cost of space occupied by the error. The advertiser assumes the responsibility for errors in telephone orders. • In-house design: All advertisements designed and prepared by The Advocate are the property of the newspaper and cannot be reproduced without consent of the publisher. • The health information articles contained in this publication are for information only and not intended as medical advice. For health care advice and information contact your health care provider. • Editorials related to political endorsements or support are written by an independent committee. They do not represent the views of The Advocate staff. It should not be considered as endorsements or support by this paper. ***********

Five Day Forecast for Rockland Thursday Mar. 31

Friday Apr. 1

High 49° High 50o Low 34° Low 22o

Shabbos Apr. 2

Sunday Apr. 3

Monday Apr. 4

High 55° High 48o Low 23° Low 26o

High 45o Low 26o

Preventing driving while intoxicated will benefit everyone, including the police who use so much of their time an energy scoping out the drivers. Stricter laws work only to an extent. It is education which should be the main goal of the law enforcement agencies. It should put an end to the mere thought of a resident getting in a car while intoxicated. Stephen M. Ramapo

THE ADVOCATE

March 31, 2011

‫ תשע״א‬ghrz, ‫דער אדוואקאט‬

New Around the Region Bronx Zoo Snake Escapes

A poisonous cobra has vanished from an enclosure outside public view at the Bronx Zoo, and its Reptile House remained closed Sunday as a precaution while zoo workers searched for the missing reptile. While the roughly 20-inch-long Egyptian cobra – a highly venomous species of snake – has been unaccounted for since Friday afternoon, zoo officials say they're confident it hasn't gone far and isn't in a public area. Its enclosure was in an isolation area not open to visitors. "To understand the situation, you have to understand snakes," zoo Director Jim Breheny said in an email Sunday. "The animals seek out confined spaces, so this one has doubtless hidden in a place it feels safe," he said. "Once the snake gets hungry or thirsty enough to leave its hiding place, workers will have their best opportunity to recover it," Breheny said. In the meantime, the Reptile House remained closed indefinitely. The missing cobra is an adolescent of its hooded species, which is believed to be the type of snake that was called an asp in antiquity. Cobra bites can be deadly if not treated properly, but the snakes aren't likely to attack people unless the reptiles feel threatened, according to a fact sheet on the San Diego Zoo's website. Opened in 1899, the Bronx Zoo is run by the nonprofit Wildlife Conservation Society.

Legislators Propose Local Law to Require Smoking Policies for Multiple Dwelling Units Rockland County Legislators Alden H. Wolfe and Connie Coker are proposing a local law which would require owners of multiple dwelling rental properties to develop a smoking policy for their properties that details where and when smoking is permitted. The proposed law would require owners or their agents to provide all tenants with a copy of the established policy, to inform prospective tenants of the policy during lease or rental ne-

gotiation and post copies of the policy in public areas of the multiple dwelling. A 2006 report by the U.S. Surgeon General states that secondhand smoke, inhaled by non smokers, can cause or worsen adverse health effects, including cancer, respiratory infections and asthma. Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and more severe asthma. Current county sanitary codes prohibit smoking in all multiple dwelling common areas such as hallways and laundry rooms. “This is a longstanding issue for renters concerned with health and air quality,” said Vice Chairman Wolfe. “Secondhand smoke has no boundaries, traveling through heating, air conditioning and ventilating systems and lingering in the air. I believe this proposal to require a smoking policy and mandating distribution will bring awareness of where and when smoking is permitted in a particular multiple dwelling and will allow existing and prospective tenants the opportunity to make an educated decision about their living arrangements. I'm also hopeful that awareness of this issue will encourage landlords to make smoke-free housing available for their tenants.” Legislator Coker said, “I think this is a fair and reasonable proposal that respects the personal rights of nonsmoking and smoking tenants. It will also promote awareness of the dangers of second-hand smoke and one can hope - a catalyst to kicking the smoking habit. “ Chairwoman Harriet Cornell applauded the proposal which was one of the principal “wellness” recommendations of the Legislature’s Report, Project Tomorrow. “It is important to address the health risks of second-hand smoke in multi-unit facilities. Our report made several recommendations, both for new construction with designation of some buildings as non-smoking and for existing housing complexes where owners could be encouraged to establish smoke-free buildings,” Cornell said. Owners of multiple units of more than 5 units would be required to file a copy of the smoking policy with the Rockland County Department of Health and that agency would be responsible to enforce the policy requirement and impose a civil penalty on owners who fail to establish a policy. A discussion of the proposed law will take place at an upcoming meeting of the Multi Services Committee. All meetings of legislature committees are open to the public.

Need some extra income? Want to work from home?

Sales Person needed to sell Advocate ads Please call

845.770.1950 Or e-mail sales@AdvocateNews.org

THE ADVOCATE March 31, 2011

Long Blackouts Pose Risk To U.S. Nuclear Reactors

‫ תשע״א‬ghrz, ‫דער אדוואקאט‬

Spring Cleanup 2011 An Important Message

WASHINGTON -- Long before the nuclear emergency in Japan, U.S. regulators knew that a power failure lasting for days at an American nuclear plant, whatever the cause, could lead to a radioactive leak. Even so, they have only required the nation's 104 nuclear reactors to develop plans for dealing with much shorter blackouts on the assumption that power would be restored quickly. In one nightmare simulation presented by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2009, it would take less than a day for radiation to escape from a reactor at a Pennsylvania nuclear power plant after an earthquake, flood or fire knocked out all electrical power and there was no way to keep the reactors cool after backup battery power ran out. That plant, the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station outside Lancaster, has reactors of the same older make and model as those releasing radiation at Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, which is using other means to try to cool the reactors. And like Fukushima Dai-ichi, the Peach Bottom plant has enough battery power on site to power emergency cooling systems for eight hours. In Japan, that wasn't enough time for power to be restored. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Energy Institute trade association, three of the six reactors at the plant still can't get power to operate the emergency cooling systems. Two were shut down at the time. In the sixth, the fuel was removed completely and put in the spent fuel pool when it was shut down for maintenance at the time of the disaster. A week after the March 11 earthquake, diesel generators started supplying power to two other two reactors, Units 5 and 6, the groups said. The risk of a blackout leading to core damage, while extremely remote, exists at all U.S. nuclear power plants, and some are more susceptible than others, according to an Associated Press investigation. While regulators say they have confidence that measures adopted in the U.S. will prevent or significantly delay a core from melting and threatening a radioactive release, the events in Japan raise questions about whether U.S. power plants are as prepared as they could and should be. "We didn't address a tsunami and an earthquake, but clearly we have known for some time that one of the weak links that makes accidents a little more likely is losing power," said Alan Kolaczkowski, a retired nuclear engineer who worked on a federal risk analysis of Peach Bottom released in 1990 and is familiar with the updated risk analysis. Risk analyses conducted by the plants in 1991-94 and published by the commission in 2003 show that the chances of such an event striking a U.S. power plant are remote, even at the plant where the risk is the highest, the Beaver Valley Power Station in Pennsylvania. These long odds are among the reasons why the United States since the late 1980s has only required nuclear power plants to cope with blackouts for four or eight hours, depending on the risk. That's about how much time batteries would last. After that, it is assumed that power would be

For Residents of Unincorporated Town of Ramapo from

Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence

Deputy Supervisor Frances M. Hunter Councilmembers Yitzy Ullman, Patrick J. Withers and Daniel Friedman Between Monday April 4th and Monday April 18th, the Town will provide extra garbage pickups in addition to regularly scheduled pickups. Please cooperate by discarding bulk items as soon as possible. Please do not wait until the last minute because it becomes difficult to service the community in time for the holiday. DUE TO THE ENORMOUS VOLUME TO BE COLLECTED, YOUR COOPERATION, FLEXIBILITY AND PATIENCE WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. FOR ALL QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AT 845-357-0591, MONDAY– FRIDAY BETWEEN 8:00 A.M. — 3:30 P.M.

COMMUNITY-WIDE CHOMETZ BURNING

Date: Monday April 18th, 2011 Time: 6:30 a.m. — 11:45 a.m.

Sgt. Michael Colbath can arrange safety presentations at schools. To schedule an appointment call Sgt. Colbath at 845-357-2400 Ext. 4321

Location: Monsey Park & Ride/Drive-In, Rte 59

CHILDREN CAN VISIT THE BURN SITE ONLY IF ACCOMPANIED BY A RESPONSIBLE ADULT The burning is for bedikas chometz only. * Please wrap chometz in paper bags only. * You will not be allowed to burn any chometz that is brought in plastic bags or aluminum foil. * Accelerants will not be allowed. * Plastic bottles, glass bottles and aerosol cans won’t be permitted at burn site. FOR SAFETY PURPOSES, WE URGE THE COMMUNITY TO USE THE DESIGNATED CHOMETZ BURNING SITE restored. And so far, that's been the case. Equipment put in place after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks could buy more time. Otherwise, the reactor's radioactive core could begin to melt unless alternative cooling methods were employed. In Japan, the utility has tried using portable generators and dumped tons of seawater, among other things, on the reactors in an attempt to keep them cool. A 2003 federal analysis looking at how to estimate the risk of containment failure said that should power be knocked out by an earthquake or tornado it "would be unlikely that power will be recovered in the time frame to prevent core meltdown."

The Rockland County Solid Waste Management Authority’s Hazardous Household Waste Facility is located at the Fire Training Center, Firemen’s Memorial Drive, Pomona. Their hours of operation are Monday-Friday between 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Call

845-364-2444 for special weekend dates, directions, and a list of items that must be brought there.

Best wishes for a safe, healthy and happy holiday.

EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES Educational Consultants

• in-school support • • comprehensive educational evaluations • • individualized instruction • " helping children to help themselves " Eliezer Vilinsky, M.A. Miryam Vilinsky, M.Ed.

(845) 426-3673 www.TReaching.com

THE ADVOCATE

March 31, 2011

‫ תשע״א‬ghrz, ‫דער אדוואקאט‬

4-18-11

THE ADVOCATE March 31, 2011

STATE FROM PAGE 1

TOWN FROM PAGE 1

larity with New Yorkers – over 70% made him a strong negotiator. In the past, the strength of a governor at the negotiating table has only been as great as their popularity. When David Paterson was governor, his low approval ratings gave him little leverage with legislative leaders, and resulted in budgets and laws that reflected the will of the legislature. This year is different. Governor Cuomo proposed the budget with an initial cut of $1.5 billion for education spending. Cuomo ended up preserving almost all of those cuts, and about $272 million was restored to education. The most fundamental part of the budget is that it closes a $10 billion gap without raising income taxes. Cuomo, with the support of Senate Republicans, successfully fought back against a plan that was heralded by Assembly Democrats and Speaker Silver as a way to balance the budget more easily: the renewal of a tax on the wealthiest earners called the “millionaire’s” tax, which would affect roughly the top 3% of New Yorkers. That provision is seen by many Albany insiders a blow to the power of Speaker Silver, who since 1994 has led the Assembly, and has been the largest force at the table during recent years. Silver called the entire budget “sobering,” a description that could be referencing more than just the numbers in the bud-

get. The budget also cuts year over year spending by $3.4 billion, or about 2 percent, which is seen as a tremendous accomplishment because government budgets always seem to grow due to public employee contracts and the inflationary increase of expenses. The budget will also cap growth in education and Medicaid spending at 4 percent in 2012, helping to trim an expected 2012 deficit from $15 billion to $2 billion. Part of the budget also gives the governor the authority to close six state prisons. The number of inmates in prisons has fallen, and Cuomo wants to see 3,700 beds cut from the expenditures of the correction system. At the budget announcement, Cuomo stood by legislative leaders with an earto-ear grin. “It's a new day in New York,” Cuomo said at the news conference. “We set out to build a new New York. It's the first step down that road.” “It is a big deal when this state passes a budget on time,” Cuomo said. “It is an exceptionally big deal when the state passes the budget on time under these circumstances because this was a very, very hard budget to do.” Not since 1983, the first year of his father, Mario Cuomo’s administration, has the state adopted a budget before it was due.

Taxes and state budgets

Proposing major tax cuts for fiscal year 2012; no shortfall Proposing major tax cuts for fiscal year 2013

Smaller tax revenue Falling state corporate income tax means lost revenue As a percentage of total state tax revenue 1980 1990 2000 2010

9.7% 7.2% 6.0% 5.4%

Source: Gallup poll of 1,021 of adults, March 3-6, 2011; margin of error: +/- 4 percentage points, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Chestnut Ridge saw a modest 1% increase in population, and they have 7,916 residents, up from 7,829. Hillburn saw an 8% increase, as the town’s smallest village rose from 881 residents to 951. Suffern lost almost 300 residents in the past decade, and their population shrank by almost 3%, and now stands at 10,723. Sloatsburg also lost 2.5% or 78 residents, and the population of the village now stands at 3,039. The numbers gave new life to the issue of the year: redistricting. In Rockland, the county legislature now needs to analyze the Census results and calculate how its new districts will be formed ahead of the elections this year. With the population of Rockland County at 311,687, each of the 17 legislative districts will need to have about 18,335 residents. With Ramapo’s population at 126,595, almost seven entire districts – out of the county’s 17 – will need to be in Ramapo. Redistricting for the state legislature will also be an issue at the forefront of state government shortly. With state senate districts being realigned to contain about 312,000 residents, it is almost certain that any plan to redistrict the local senate district would include a district for Rockland County alone, which has almost the same amount of people that each district would need to contain. Currently, the senate dis-

Where to get the money

trict includes all of Rockland and a few towns in Orange County. Locally, elected officials have called on the legislature to create an independent process of redistricting for state legislative lines. Ramapo Councilman Daniel Friedman also issued a statement calling on any redistricting plan to make the Town of Ramapo into its own State Assembly district. Currently, Ramapo is the only town outside of Long Island to be split into different districts. Parts of Ramapo are in three Assembly districts, while the population of Ramapo justifies the district lines to be redrawn to include the Town of Ramapo alone. The average State Assembly district will have 129,187 residents, and with Ramapo’s population at 126,595, Friedman says it makes sense to have the borders of the town also be the borders of the State Assembly district. “It is time that the people of Ramapo be heard in the Assembly chamber with one voice, and I believe that a truly independent process will see to it that they get it,” stated Councilman Friedman. “Ramapo ought to be in one State Assembly district and is entitled to be, by law, based on its population,” Friedman continued. “It is illogical that the residents of the 10901 zip code, for example, are divided in three separate districts. That is impractical and according to the State Constitution, illegal.”

TAX FROM PAGE 1

mitted to continue running. But it remains to be seen exactly which programs would be considered essential, and some operations of the Internal Revenue Service may not be. The Maine IRS and the Treasury Department declined to comment for this report, but N.D. policy observers say that while it is very unlikely that a shutdown Mich. Idaho Wisc. prevent the govN.J. would ernment from collecting tax money, other key IRS functions -- including N.C. the delivery of billions R.I. in tax refunds -- could be Ariz. affected. Conn. Democrats have readDel. ied a proposal to cut Fla. $20 billion more from this year’s budget, a party official said, but they haven’t yet sent it to House Republicans because they say it’s unclear whether the majorProposals to balance state budgets ity Republicans would Percent favor accept a split-the-difference bargain or will yield to demands for a tougher Reduce/eliminate programs 65% measure. “Republicans refuse to negotiate,” SenReduce number of state workers 62 ate Majority Leader Harry Reid declared Monday. “The infighting between the Limit bargaining power 49 Tea Party and the rest of the Republican Party — including the Republican leadof state unions ership in Congress — is keeping our negotiating partner from the negotiating Reduce state worker pay/benefits 43 table. And it’s pretty hard to negotiate someone else on the other side Raise state business taxes 39 without of the table,” the Nevada Democrat said. countered that it’s the Raise state income/sales taxes 33 Republicans Democrats who have yet to offer a seGraphic: Melina Yingling © 2011 MCT rious plan to wrestle spending under

Some governors facing budget shortfalls are calling for large tax cuts that drain valuable revenue. To close budget gaps, states must either reduce spending, cut jobs or increase taxes or other revenues. Proposing major tax cuts for fiscal year 2012 despite budget shortfalls

‫ תשע״א‬ghrz, ‫דער אדוואקאט‬

control and that a Democratic offer from last week to cut $11 billion from the budget was laced with gimmickry. House Republican leaders are back where they started in negotiations over funding the federal government for the rest of the fiscal year. Concerned about a revolt by the conservative, tea-party wing of the party, GOP leaders have pulled back from a tentative deal to cut roughly $30 billion in cuts from current spending levels. The influence that teaparty conservative now exercise over the process put the chances of a compromise seriously in doubt. A congressional aide briefed on negotiations said Monday that Republicans had -- at one point -- agreed to work on a deal with the White House that would cap discretionary spending for fiscal 2011 at $1.055 trillion, which is $35 billion less than the fiscal 2010 level and $74 billion less than what was requested by President Obama's fiscal 2011 budget. One option circulating among Republicans is to use the Pentagon’s budget to pass a short-term measure to avoid a shutdown. It would carry stiffer spending cuts than the $10 billion in bipartisan cuts to earmarks and domestic accounts achieved so far.

THE ADVOCATE

‫ תשע״א‬ghrz, ‫דער אדוואקאט‬

March 31, 2011

OUR READERS WANT TO KNOW

Gamara in South Korea. According to Who? By: Aaron Moeller

According to recent fascinating news reports in Israel more people are learning Gamara in Asia than in Israel. There are 50 million people living in South Korea, and almost everyone was taught the Talmud at home by their parents the alleged finding show. “We tried to understand why the Jewish people are geniuses and we think that it is because they study Talmud”, said Korean Ambassador to Israel, Mr. Young Sam Ma. The disclaimer which does not come attached to these recent reports is that the Gamara that we know, is not the Talmud that 50 million South Koreans know. A brief look at the text’s translation of the “Korean Talmud” reveals that they are indeed studying Jewish texts, but neither I, nor anyone who attended yeshiva, would consider that ‘learning a Blatt Gamara”.

much higher percentage of Nobel Prize winners in all fields… what is their secret?… one of your secrets is studying Talmud,” continued ambassador Young-Sam-Ma.

There might be now more (translated) Talmud volumes in South Korean homes than in Israel. Koreans such as the place of the family, respect for elders, education and culture. He was impressed with the fact that even in a small kibbutz there is a cultural center with on-going cul- Koreans don't only tural activities. like the Talmud because they see it as The ambassador found other simi- promoting genius, larities between South Korea and Is- but because they rael: both were found values that established in are close to their 1948, are sur- hearts. "You see it even today, your rounded by practice of the Friday evening famenemies, are ily meal. In my country we also fopoor in natu- cus on family values. The respect ral resources for adults, respect and appreciation and notorious for the elderly parallels the high esfor bad driving teem in my country for the elderly." habits: “I feel right at home driving in Israel.”

Based on the Almost every Korean "Talmud" translation, what home in South Koappears to be the version cirrea now contains a Korean-translated culating in Korea are small pieces of aggadita stories, and some pas- Talmud. “This understanding led us sages of Perkei Avos. The absence to teach our children as well at home. of thoughtful analytical approach is We believe that if we teach our chilnot preserved in the text nor is it be- dren Talmud, they will also become geniuses. This is the rationality to lieved to be practiced. make Talmud a part of home educaBut the Korean Ambassador to Is- tion in Korea”, says the Ambassador. rael insists their Talmud learning is legitimate, and believes that it "Jews have a high percentage of makes a person smarter. “We were Nobel laureates in all fields: literacurious how come the Jews are so ture, science and economics. This is successful academically and have a a remarkable achievement. We tried

Healthy Living

Ripe with nutrients Grapefruit offers nutrients that help prevent kidney stones, heart disease, and certain cancers, all while strengthening your immune system.

Fruit for the cure • One serving of grapefruit contains 78Êpercent of the recommended daily vitamin C intake • Grapefruit juice livens the enzymes in your liver that work to eliminateÊcarcinogens • Limonoids in grapefruit preventÊ tumors from forming by boosting the creation of detoxifying enzymes • Grapefruit may prevent certain types of medication from working properly, such as antidepressants,Ê statinsÊandÊantihistamines Source: World’s Healthiest Foods, Mayo Clinic, MCT Photo Service

to understand what is the secret of the Jewish people? How they - more than other people - are able to reach those impressive accomplishments? Why are Jews so intelligent? The conclusion we arrived at is that one of your secrets is that you study the Talmud."

Another very significant issue is the respect for education. In the Jewish tradition parents have a duty to teach their children, and they devote lots of attention to it. For Korean parents, their children's education is a top priority. The Korean people may never fully understand what it means to learn Gamara, but at least in the meantime this shocking discovery may serve as a wakeup call for Jewish educators in Israel. Even if secular Israeli schools began to include aggadita into the curriculum, that would boost the Israeli national IQ. At least that seems to be the case according to ‘Base’ Young Sam Ma.

THE ADVOCATE March 31, 2011

Washington Geraldine Ferraro Dies At 75 Geraldine Ferraro, who was the first major party candidate for vice president, when she ran with Walter Mondale against Ronald Reagan in 1984, died at the age of 75. Ferraro had been sick with skin cancer. Ferraro was chosen after Mondale’s campaign appeared to be faltering. The choice of Ferraro was considered to be a game changer and gave some temporary hope to Mondale’s campaign, who ended up losing the election. Ferraro was a strong supporter of Hillary Clinton’s campaign, but was edged out near the election for comments she made suggesting that Hillary was losing to Obama because of her gender and his race. Obama put old fights aside and mourned Ferraro’s loss with the rest of the country.

Republicans Polling Worse Over Time Polls show that the four major Republican contenders for the presidency seem to be growing more unpopular as time passes. Two years ago, Mike Huckabee posted a +8 favorable rating, with 42% of voters nationwide holding a favorable opinion of him, versus 34% who had an unfavorable opinion. In the latest poll, Huckabee had a -7 favorable rating. Similarly, Mitt Romney went from a +5 to a -12 (40/35 to 32/44), Sarah Palin dropped from -7 to -22 (42/49 to 35/57) and Newt

By: S. Mandelbaum

Gingrich fell from -8 to -31 (36/44 to 26/57). Conservative pundit Bill O’Reilly said this week that Sarah Palin’s falling approval is her own fault. O’Ereilly said Palin shuns the media and does not communicate openly with the public, preferring venues with only loyal supporters to more open events, where anyone can interact with her.

Trump Raises Birther Issue In an effort to get his presidential campaign off the ground, Donald Trump has jumped on the bandwagon of those arguing that President Obama was not born in America, as is constitutionally required. The so-called “birther” movement has been disproven numerous times, though many still believe Obama is not an American. In an effort to get attention, Trump has been supporting the birther movement, arguing that Obama was not born in America. Trump also released his own birth certificate showing that he was born in New York City.

Government down Looms

‫ תשע״א‬ghrz, ‫דער אדוואקאט‬

Shut-

A few weeks ago, Congressional leaders and the White House were close to finishing a budget deal, but needed to pass a bill that would continue to fund the federal government while they completed their talks. Now, it seems that Republicans, who had just re-

cently been close to a final deal on the budget, have changed their minds about what they want, making a deal seem further away. Many Members of Congress said they would only support one extender for the budget, which means that when the current extender they just voted on runs out, the government will shut down if a budget deal is not made. The Tea Party wing of the Republican Party in the House is demanding more concessions for the White House and may force a shutdown. Meanwhile, former DNC Chair Howard Dean, who ran for president in 2004, said if the government shuts down it will be the Republican’s fault, and will help Obama and the Democrats, he said he is “quietly hoping” for a shutdown caused by Republicans leaving the negotiation table.

Schneiderman

Tough Point

Gets Indian

State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has begun a crackdown on Indian Point, and has called on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to review the plant’s procedures on fire safety. Schneiderman said that the power plant sought to get dozens of exemptions from important fire and safety codes, which are now placing people at risk. State leaders and others have called for Indian Point to be closed, especially in the wake of the earthquake in Japan and the devastation that fol-

albany

lowed with their nuclear plant there. Even President Obama has expressed concern that an incident at Indian Point could cause untold damage in the region.

Kruger Got Friends Police Placards As the investigation into the corruption case involving Senator Carl Kruger widens, more information is coming out about the things Senator Kruger did for the Turano’s, the family with which he used to accept bribes through. At one point, Senator Kruger worked hard to lobby members of the Bloomberg administration to give the Turano’s their own police placards, identifying them as police surgeons. Certain doctors were given these honorary badges so they could park in any spot in the city without a problem. The Turano’s received the badges, but after their arrest, they were taken away.

Senate Republicans Make Rules Changes Republicans in the state senate have pushed through more rules changes relating to the way the senate operates. Republicans, who have the majority, can push through any new rules they want since they have the majority. The newest rule changes include increasing the number of seats on the Finance Committee and the Rules Committee, two vi-

tal committees. The extra seats would be given to members of the majority party, i.e., Republicans. With more seats they guarantee themselves an easier time passing or opposing resolutions on partisan issues. The rules changes also included a provision that would allow a party to substitute a committee member in their absence. For example, should Republicans have 7 seats on a committee, but two can’t show to a meeting where things are being voted on, the leadership of the party would be able to send two substitutes to take their place and vote as if they were members of that committee. This ensures that their agendas will always pass, even when a member is absent, an issue that recently arose.

Hevesi Faces Sentencing Former New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi is facing sentencing for accepting bribes as the head of the state’s financial machinery. The case was supposed to conclude but had to be delayed because Hevesi suffered internal bleeding and needed medical help just before sentencing was to take place. Many have pleaded for leniency, arguing that the leader of the scandal, who took $19 million, was recently sentenced to four years. Hevesi profited to the tune of $1 million.

RELIABLE BROKERAGE INSURANCE *******************

Henry Kellner 845-783-6286

THE ADVOCATE

‫ תשע״א‬ghrz, ‫דער אדוואקאט‬

March 31, 2011

HEALTH CARE NEWS UPDATES 2011 COUNTY HEALTH RANKINGS REPORT RELEASED ROCKLAND COUNTY IS HIGHLY RATED FOR HEALTH FACTORS AND OUTCOMES IN NY Pomona, NY –The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute released its 2011 County Health Rankings and Rockland County is highly rated in several areas. The Rankings examine multiple factors that influence health, and allow people to compare the overall health of their county with the health of the rest of the counties in the state. The report demonstrates that where we live, learn, work and play influence how healthy we are and how long we live. Rockland County ranked 5th of 62 counties in the state for health outcomes based on measures of mortality, healthrelated quality of life, and birth outcomes. Rockland County ranked 6th of 62 counties in the state for health factors which includes health behaviors, clinical

care, social and economic factors, and the physical environment. One of the areas where Rockland made great strides was for physical environment, which includes access to healthy foods and air quality. We rank 8th in the state, an improvement from 29th last year. Dr. Joan Facelle, Rockland County Commissioner of Health said, “This report is important because it helps us to identify factors that are making our residents unhealthy, and understand how we compare to other counties in the state. It also presents an opportunity to work together to create solutions that

will lead to healthier communities and to the achievement of our public health goals.” Further improvements will hopefully be made in the areas of nutrition and physical activity. Through the “Creating Healthy Places to Live, Work, and Play“ grant, an award from the New York State Department of Health, the Health Department will establish additional programs and partnerships to prevent obesity, diabetes and other chronic illness in high-risk communities in Rockland.

Rockland County ranked 5th in the state for health behaviors which is based on smoking, diet and exercise, alcohol use, and risky sexual behaviors. Of note, is Rockland’s low adult smoking rate of 9.5% - the lowest in the state, according to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. This rate surpasses the goals of both the national Healthy People 2010 and statewide 2013 Prevention Agenda, and demonstrates the impact of comprehensive efforts like the Put It Out Rockland tobacco prevention, education, and cessation program enacted in 2001. “Clearly as a county we are making strides, and we will continue to work to improve the health of our residents,” said Dr. Facelle.

Tuberculosis Declines In The U.S., Affecting Mostly Those Born Overseas

Severity of the break

Cor

e te s D ia b s

Some of the ways fractures, or breaks in bones, are classified:

Broken bones

Kids Health Matters

Fun g

Castro adds that many people who fall ill

Ingrown Toen ai

es r To

How does the CDC know that these folks got sick outside the US? "We don't know with certainty, but everything leads us to believe they were infected in their home country," says Castro. "For one, tuberculosis is very uncommon in our country contrasted with the countries of origin of these people."

"If we're not tackling this globally, we're going to see reversal of trends in this country," said Carter at a press conference Thursday.

O rth o tics

It seems that the biggest source of new cases is foreign-born people who bring it with them from home countries or pick it up when they go home to visit. In 2010,

These cases were also clustered in the places you'd expect to find lots of immigrants. Nearly half of all the TB cases in the country came from four states: California, Texas, New York, and Florida. Each one each reported more than 500 cases for 2010.

JoAnn Carter, a board member of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, an international funder of public health efforts, says that the new

profile of TB in America exposes the link between the global epidemic and the domestic epidemic.

All told, there were 3.6 cases of TB per 100,000 people in the U.S. last year. A lot of the 11,181 people affected have something surprising in common: they probably didn't pick up the bug in this country.

A lot of them were minorities, too: Some 95 percent of the Asians, 75 percent of the Hispanics, 34 percent of the blacks, and 20 percent of whites with TB in 2009 were foreign-born.

with TB in the U.S. may have had latent, or inactive TB for years, but never knew it, and so never had the chance to take drugs that would prevent the disease from getting worse.

But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had an update this week, suggesting that efforts in the U.S. to control TB are going pretty well. In the latest issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the CDC showed that TB rates declined 3.9 percent in 2010 from the year before, and were the lowest they've been since 1953, when it first began tracking them.

the TB rate among foreign-born people in the United States was 11 times greater than among people born on U.S. soil.

If you follow tuberculosis news, there isn't a lot that's uplifting. It remains a stubborn menace in much of the world, and sickened 9.4 million people and killed 1.7 million in 2009.

To better serve our patients, Dr. Baldinger has increased his hours. He is now available every Thursday.

Simple Single fracture line through a bone

Greenstick Incomplete fracture; bone bends

Angle of the break

Comminuted Bone breaks into two or more fragments

Open or compound Broken bone breaks the skin

THE ADVOCATE March 31, 2011

‫ תשע״א‬ghrz, ‫דער אדוואקאט‬

PCTC

Since 1989

f o s ar l e Y “21 essfu c c ” u g S n i n i a r T

proFessional coMpuTer Training cenTer Under the Directorship of Mrs. Henny Frankel • Monsey, New York • Brooklyn, New York

Training cenTers now in Monsey anD Brooklyn

Accepting Registration Now for

SPRING Schedule

spring courses Beginning May 2, 2011

graphics/weB Design: • graphics

• graphics advanced

adobe inDesign adobe illustrator adobe photoshop

layout photostyling packaging, etc.

• web Design

• web advanced

hTMl adobe Dreamweaver adobe Fireworks

introduction to Flash advanced Dreamweaver introduction to e-commerce

oFFice aDMinisTraTion: • word processing Microsoft word

• spreadsheets Microsoft excel

• computerized Bookkeeping QuickBooks premier

For further information and registration, please call: 845•425•0884 800•425•0884 • Separate classes for men and women •

. . . Training for success

THE ADVOCATE

March 31, 2011

N'shei Bais Tefilla Invites

Ladies and Girls To the Annual

PESACH SHIUR

BY: Rav

Shlomo Breslauer

DATE: Tuesday April 5th, 2011

At Bais Tefillah Maplewood Lane 8:00pm

‫ תשע״א‬ghrz, ‫דער אדוואקאט‬

THE ADVOCATE March 31, 2011

‫ תשע״א‬ghrz, ‫דער אדוואקאט‬

March 31, 2011

‫ תשע״א‬ghrz, ‫דער אדוואקאט‬

Specializing in personal injury with over 50 years combined experience. Also admitted in Florida. NO FEE IF NO RECOVERY Expenses payable at conclusion. We speak your language. (ENGLISH, YIDDISH, HEBREW)

Call for a free consultation

845 356-5500 845 368-4999

Dreamworks Designs / 845-738-2987

THE ADVOCATE

THE ADVOCATE March 31, 2011

‫ תשע״א‬ghrz, ‫דער אדוואקאט‬

OBAMA SEEKS TO CUT OIL IMPORTS BY ONE-THIRD WASHINGTON- President Barack Obama outlined a plan Wednesday to reduce oil imports to the United States by one-third over the next 10 years by relying on further oil and gas drilling at home, development of biofuels and greater fuel efficiency in new cars and trucks. With gas prices climbing because of unrest in the Middle East, the White House seemed to be responding to Republicans who have been complaining loudly for two months about the pain high fuel prices are bringing average Americans. The GOP has focused on opening more domestic territory to oil and gas drilling, projects that would only begin delivering fossil fuels several years from now. In his speech before students at Georgetown University, Obama agreed that more domestic oil and gas production was a must, though he said that companies needed to develop the millions of acres they've already purchased in federal lease sales over the years before any new territories would be opened. Obama sketched a picture of future imports that would rely more on producers _ and allies _ in the Western hemisphere, like Canada, Mexico and Brazil. Canada and Mexico are already

Health Matters

Diabetes in MENA countries

The prevalence of diabetes is expected to double among Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries by 2025.

Prevalence of diabetes, 2010 Algeria

8.5% 15.4%

Bahrain 5.3%

Djibouti Egypt

11.4% 8% 10.2% 6.5% 10.1%

Iran Iraq Israel Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Libya

6.4%

of world population in 2010

151 million 2000

2010

7.9% 9% 6.9% 8.3%

Malta Morocco Oman Qatar

Diabetes worldwide

285 million

14.6%

13.4% 15.4% 16.8% 10.8% 9.3%

Saudi Arabia Syria Tunisia U.A.E. 438 million

18.7% 8.6%

West Bank Yemen

In the U.S. 10.3%

2030

Source: International Diabetes Federation

Graphic: Lee Hulteng

major exporters to the United States. Brazil, which the president visited recently, is on the verge of developing major new oil and gas reserves. Implicit in the speech was the U.S. desire to lessen its dependence on the autocracies of the Middle East, which account for a major share of global oil production and some of which are facing pressure from their citizens for more democratic reforms. Successive administrations since President Richard Nixon's have issued similar calls for energy independence _ or at least reduced dependence. But as Obama himself acknowledged, those plans have gone nowhere, and the U.S. imports a greater percentage of its daily oil consumption now than it did 40 years ago. Moreover, the president faces a toxic political climate where the chances of bipartisan cooperation remain terribly remote. As a result, the administration may have to rely on executive orders to carry out some of its plans. In one realm, increased fuel efficiency, the federal government has worked with car companies and California to boost gas mileage in new cars after decades of congressional inaction on the issue.

THE ADVOCATE

USDA Awards Grant to Improve Nutrition Assistance to Low-Income Children During Summer Months USDA announced the recipients of grants to improve the delivery of nutrition assistance to low-income children during the summer months. The grants will be used to test innovative alternatives to enable children from low-income households to access healthy food during the summer and will boost participation in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), which provides meals to children from low-income households during summer months.

‫ תשע״א‬ghrz, ‫דער אדוואקאט‬

March 31, 2011

Try the new herbal supplement, which is a proven formula that combines natural female hormone enhancers. “KTM Relief ” is effective in regulating and strengthening the cycle, and effectively eliminating mid-cycle staining. Great for nursing clean. Thousands of users have been helped with this wonderful product in Israel!

KTM Relief DIETARY SUPPLEMENT ‫בהמלצת גדולי הרבנים שליט"א‬

"Hunger doesn't end when the school bell rings and gap periods, like the summer months, often present nutritional challenges to children from low-income households," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "USDA's Summer Food Service Program, with support from vital partners in our communities, ensures that healthy foods are available throughout the year to help youth reach their full potential and win the future."

The Home Delivery demonstration project will provide funding to develop ways to deliver summer meals to eligible children in rural areas at a sustainable cost. For example, the Cape Cod YMCA will develop delivery routes in rural Barnstable, Massachusetts and will deliver up to two days worth of breakfast and lunch meals to approximately 100 children each day. The meals will include a variety of nutritious foods including lowfat milk, locally grown fruits and vegetables and fresh or frozen entrees that are easy to prepare. Begun as a pilot program in 1968, today's Summer Food Service Program provides nutritious meals and snacks to children in low-income areas during the summer months and long vacation periods for schools on year-round schedules. Program sponsors, which include schools, government agencies, residential and non-residential camps and faithbased organizations, served nearly 134 million meals at eligible sites in 2010. Improving child nutrition is also a focal point of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act that was signed by President Obama on December 13, 2010. This legislation reauthorizes USDA'S child nutrition programs, including the Summer Food Service Program and the National School Lunch Program, which serves nearly 32 million children each day. It will allow USDA, for the first time in over 30 years, the chance to make real reforms to the school lunch and breakfast programs by improving the critical nutrition and hunger safety net for millions of children. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act is the legislative centerpiece of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative. cont--> USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) oversees the administration of 15 nutrition assistance programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the child nutrition programs, that touch the lives of one in four Americans over the course of a year. These programs work in concert to form a national safety net against hunger.

Don’t let hormonal inconveniences affect your life! Dart Design | 845.782.6558

Four sponsors in New York, Massachusetts and Delaware were chosen to receive funds to implement the Home Delivery demonstration project, while 16 sponsors in Arizona, Ohio and Kansas were selected to implement the Food Backpacks demonstration project.

“KTM Relief ” will make the diffrence. 100% heRbs fasT acTing

Sunshine Health Products are known for its rich formulas and great results!

‫כשר פארווע‬ Kosher Parve A product of USA

available in your local health food store & pharmacy For more information, call: 1877-782-9501 Visit us at: www.sunshinehealthway.com

How earthquakes compare

In the system describing earthquake strength, each whole-point jump in magnitude Ñ from 6.0 to 7.0, for example Ñ means almost 32 times more energy was released. A two-point jump signals in increase of about 1,024 (32 x 32) times the energy.

Earthquake strength, based on energy released

Japan (2011)

8.9

Haiti (2010)

7.0

FridayÕs quake in Japan was about 1,000 times stronger than the quake that devastated Port-au-Prince

San Francisco (1906)

7.9

Mag. 7

Magnitude 8

Sources: USGS Graphic: Eryn Brown, Khang Nguyen, Los Angeles Times

THE ADVOCATE March 31, 2011

‫ תשע״א‬ghrz, ‫דער אדוואקאט‬

FAMILY HEALTH TALK

Sponsored By Monsey Medical & Dental Center 40 Robert Pitt Drive, Monsey, NY 845-352-6800

March is National

DEPARTMENTOF OF DEPARTMENT PEDIATRIC MEDICINE PEDIATRIC MEDICINE: Dr.Esther EstherBekritsky Bekritsky Dr. Dr.Paul PaulBloom Bloom Dr. Dr. Gerson Gluck Dr. Gerson Gluck ADULT MEDICINE Dr. James Israel ADULT MEDICINE: Dr. Arthur James Landau Israel Dr. Arthur Debra Grohman Landau Dr. Eric Grohman Goldman Dr. Debra Blitz, PA Dr.Brian Eric Goldman ElanaBlitz, Klein,PA PA Brian FAMILYMEDICINE: MEDICINE FAMILY Dr.Ryan RyanBanach Banach Dr. OB/GYN OB/GYN:

Dr.Joel JoelW. W.Allen Allen Dr. Dr.Debra DebraKirschner Kirschner Dr. Dr.Karina KarinaZhuravleva Zhuravleva Dr. MelissaA. A.Carco, Carco,PA PA Melissa

DENTAL DENTAL

Dr.Genady GenadyBenyaminov Benyaminov Dr. Dr. Leonard Kundel Dr. Leonard Kundel Dr. Stacey Lubetsky Dr. Stacey Lubetsky Dr.Jacklyn Ramin Kashani Dr. Tadros Dr. Tadros Dr.Jacklyn Mark Raider Dr.Sarah Mark Hanna Raider Dr. SarahHygienist Hanna JanaDr. Barkin,

Jana Barkin, Hygienist SPECIALTY: Dr. HarrySPECIALTY Baldinger - Podiatry Dr. Harry Baldinger--Podiatry Podiatry Dr. Stuart Birnbaum Dr. Stuart Birnbaum Podiatry David Schwalb - Urology DavidWitkowska Schwalb - Urology Dr.Dr. Renata - Allergy Renata Witkowska - Allergy Dr. Dr. Samuel Wong - Ophthalmology Dr. Samuel Wong Ophthalmology Dr. Alfred Hellreich - Dermatology Dr. - Dermatology Dr.Alfred PhilipHellreich Fried - Dermatology Philip Fried - Dermatology Dr.Dr. Yoel Kantor - Endocrinology Dr. Yoel Kantor - Endocrinology Hanna Raice - Nutrition Counseling Hanna Raice Nutrition Counseling Aaron Muller, Speech Therapy Aaron Muller, Speech Therapy Melech Karp, Speech Therapy Melech Karp, Speech Therapy

SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY: Monsey Medical & Dental Care 40 Robert Pitt Dr. Monsey, NY 10952 (845) 352-6800

SINUSITIS Department of Allergy & Immunology

Sinuses are the air chambers in the bone behind your cheeks, eyebrows and jaw. They make mucus, a fluid that cleans bacteria and other particles out of the air we breathe. Tiny hairs called cilia, sweep mucus out of the sinuses so it can drain out through the nose. Anything that causes swelling in your sinuses or keeps the cilia from moving mucus can cause sinusitis. This can occur because of changes in temperature or air pressure. Allergies can cause sinusitis. Using decongestant nasal sprays too much, smoking, swimming or diving can also increase your risk of getting sinusitis. Some people have growths called polyps that block their sinus passages and cause sinusitis. The symptoms of sinusitis include: Pain or pressure in the forehead, cheeks, nose and between the eyes Headache Fever Nasal congestion Reduced sense of smell and taste Cough, which may be worse at night Bad breath (called halitosis) An ache in the teeth Most of us dread the sinus drainage and congestion that comes with the annual cold. These symptoms become very bothersome when they occur on a daily basis.

Nutrition Month

HOW DOES WHAT I EAT AFFECT MY HEART?

Dept. of Nutrition Counseling The food you eat can affect the way blood flows through your heart and arteries. A diet high in "bad" fats (saturated and trans fats) and cholesterol can gradually cause buildup (called plaque) in your arteries. That buildup slows down blood flow and can eventually block your arteries. If the blockage happens in an artery that carries blood to the heart muscle, a heart attack can occur. If the blockage happens in an artery that carries blood to the brain, a stroke can occur. The right diet can help keep your arteries clear and will reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Keeping your heart healthy by making healthier food choices isn't as difficult as it sounds! If you're overweight, the extra pounds put extra stress on your heart. Losing weight can help your heart stay healthy. If you need to lose weight, remember that losing just 10% of your body weight will reduce your risks for diabetes and heart disease. Exercise makes your heart stronger, which helps it pump more blood with each heartbeat. This delivers more oxygen to your body, which helps it function more efficiently. Exercise can also lower blood pressure, reduce your risk of heart disease and reduce levels of LDL ("bad" cholesterol), which can clog the arteries and can cause a heart attack. At the same time, exercise can raise levels of HDL ("good" cholesterol), which helps protect against a heart attack by carrying fatty deposits out of the arteries. When combined with a healthy diet, exercise can speed up weight loss. Regular exercise also helps you burn calories faster, even when you're sitting still, because exercise builds lean muscle (which burns more calories than fat). Aerobic exercise causes you to breathe more deeply and makes your heart work harder to pump blood. Aerobic exercise also raises your heart rate (which also burns calories). Examples of aerobic exercise include walking, jogging, running, dancing, swimming and bicycling. In general, if you haven't been exercising, try to work up to 30 minutes, 4 to 6 times a week. Your doctor may recommend a different exercise regimen based on your health. To prevent injuries, it is best to alternate exercise days with rest days to prevent injuries.

Unfortunately, patients can have regular sinus issues that interfere with their day-to-day activities. Treatments can be daily medications to ease symptoms, and possibly sinus surgery. For those with structural problems, the inability of the sinuses to drain can cause a build up of pressure. In these cases, surgery can be very successful. For many, surgery is not an option, or not enough to alleviate symptoms. These patients need to evaluate specific factors in their diet, and consider nutrients to improve their sinus symptoms.

There are lots of ways to raise your heart rate during your regular day. Some examples include:

Most patients with chronic sinus difficulties will experience periods throughout the year when their symptoms are worse than others. These typically occur from exacerbations from spring and fall allergens. An individual’s allergies build up until they reach a threshold, at which time symptoms, like nasal congestion, begin. Environmental allergens like pollen and pet dander are not the only contributors. Food triggers, poor digestive health, inadequate sleep and lack of good nutrition can all aggravate sinus problems. By improving each of these factors, the overall allergen load can move below the sensitivity threshold.

-Do housework at a quicker pace and more often (for example, vacuuming every day).

To discuss this and other healthcare issues with our allergist, Dr. Renata Witkowska Please call the Medical Center 845.352.6800

-Take the stairs instead of the elevator.Walk during a coffee break or lunch. -Walk to work, or park at the end of the parking lot so you have to walk farther. -Walk more briskly.

-Rake leaves, push the lawn mower or do other yard work.

Because every person is different, you may consult the Department of Nutrition Counseling to help you calculate your ideal weight. To discuss this and other healthcare issues with our providers Dr. James Israel, Dr. Arthur Landau Dr. Debra Grohman, Dr. Eric Goldman, Dr. Ryan Banach, Family Medicine, Brian Blitz, or Elana Klein, with our Department of Nutrition Counseling Hanna Raice, MS, CDE, RD please call the Medical Center 845.352.6800

THE ADVOCATE

March 31, 2011

Sponsored By Monsey Medical & Dental Center 40 Robert Pitt Drive, Monsey, NY 845-352-6800

‫ תשע״א‬ghrz, ‫דער אדוואקאט‬

FAMILY HEALTH TALK

DO I NEED GLASSES? Department of Ophthalmology

THRUSH IN INFANTS Department of Pediatric Medicine

Thrush is the term we use to describe an overgrowth of yeast in a baby's mouth. This yeast, called candida, normally lives within our mouth, intestines, and genital area. It thrives in moist, warm environments. Occasionally this yeast is allowed to overgrow so much it becomes visible as white patches. Light rays enter the eye through the cornea, pupil and lens. The cornea is the clear, round dome covering the iris, the colored ring in the center of the eye, and the pupil, the black circle in the middle of the iris. The light rays then pass through the vitreous, a clear, gel-like substance that fills the middle of the eye, and are focused on the retina, a lightsensitive tissue lining the back of the eye. The macula is a very small area at the center of the retina that gives us our fine, pinpoint central vision. The area of retina surrounding the macula gives us our peripheral — or side — vision. The retina converts light rays into impulses that are sent through the optic nerve to your brain, where they are recognized as images. By helping to focus light as it enters the eye, the cornea and the lens both play important roles in giving us clear vision. In fact, 70% of the eye's focusing power comes from the cornea and 30% from the lens. In the normal, healthy eye, the cornea is clear, smooth and round and the lens is clear, allowing light rays to pass through unobstructed and be focused sharply on the retina. However, if the cornea is not as smooth, clear or round as it should be, or the eyeball is too long or too short, light rays will bend (or refract) at odd angles, leading to blurry or distorted vision. This inability to achieve sharp focus is called refractive error, and is the most common eye problem. Refractive errors include nearsightedness, or myopia; farsightedness, or hyperopia; or astigmatism. Similarly, the eye will have focusing problems if the naturally clear lens is cloudy due to cataract, isn’t as flexible as it should be (causing presbyopia), or has other problems with the way it functions. There are several alternatives for correcting your vision: The best way to determine if you need glasses is to visit an optometrist for a thorough eye exam. The optometrist will check for common conditions such as astigmatism, nearsightedness, and farsightedness. The exam may also include tests for some other abnormalities which can cause impaired vision. There are some signs you can watch for that suggest testing by an optometrist is needed. The most common signs include blurry vision, excessive eyestrain, headaches, not seeing well at night, frequent squinting or blinking, and seeing “floating” spots. If you can see distant objects clearly but have blurry close-up vision, farsightedness may be the problem. Other signs of farsightedness are headaches, eyestrain, and blinking excessively. If you see things up close just fine but have trouble seeing objects at a distance, you may have nearsightedness. Other symptoms of this condition include frequent squinting and trouble seeing at night. If your vision is blurry both close up and at a distance, astigmatism may be the cause. If you have astigmatism you’re also likely to experience extreme eye fatigue and watery eyes. There are additional signs to indicate that children may need glasses. For example, sitting holding a book or other object very close to the face, tilting the head, closing or covering one eye to see an object more clearly, and excessively rubbing the eyes are all indications that a child may have a vision problem. To discuss this and other healthcare issues with our opthamologist, Dr. Samuel Wong, Please call the Medical Center 845.352.6800

FOUR WAYS TO TELL IF YOUR BABY HAS THRUSH Thrush is usually visible on the inside of the cheeks and lips, on the gums, and on the tongue. If present, it will usually spread to 3 or 4 of these places inside the mouth. A thin coating on the tongue only may simply be milk. However, a thick white coating on the tongue is probably thrush. Thrush will usually hang around for weeks. Milk patches inside the cheeks and lips, on the other hand, will come and go with feedings. A milk coating on the tongue, however, can be more stubborn, often staying there for weeks as well. Use your finger and try to wipe away the white patch. If it comes off easily, it's probably milk. Thrush is harder to scrape away, and can even bleed slightly when removed. If either baby or a nursing mommy has recently taken antibiotics, or your baby has a stubborn, raised, red diaper rash with outlying red spots (yeast diaper rash), then any suspicious white patches in baby's mouth are much more likely to be thrush. Thrush is not passed from baby to baby. It is an overgrowth of your baby's own yeast. There is usually no identifiable cause for thrush. It just happens. Antibiotics may cause thrush. The normal bacteria that live in the mouth usually keep the yeast from overgrowing. They compete for space. Since antibiotics kills these normal bacteria, the yeast is allowed to overgrow unchecked. Thrush is not harmful. It is more of a nuisance than a medical problem. It can, however, irritate baby's mouth during feeding, and when severe, can be painful. Occasionally, yeast can become very stubborn ,persistent or recur. Here are some steps you can take to eradicate the yeast from you and your baby. Some of these steps are extremely time-consuming. Take the steps that you feel are most appropriate for you. • Hot water over 122º F will kill yeast, either in the laundry, dishwasher, sink, or on your skin (not infants – too hot!). • Sunlight kills yeast. Hang infected clothing outside to dry in the sun. • Dishwashers – use the hot water setting when washing infected items. • Towels and washcloths can harbor yeast so they should be used once and then washed in very hot water and sun-dried. • White vinegar added to baths or washing machines can help kill yeast To discuss this and other healthcare issues with our pediatricians, Dr. Esther Bekritsky, Dr. Paul Bloom, Dr. Gerson Gluck, or Dr. Ryan Banach of the Dept. of Family Medicine. Please call the Medical Center 845.352.6800

THE ADVOCATE March 31, 2011

‫ תשע״א‬ghrz, ‫דער אדוואקאט‬

MENTAL HEALTH TIPS 6 WAYS TO BUILD RESILIENCE 1.Take Decisive Actions Act on adverse situations as much as you can. Take decisive actions, rather than detaching completely from problems and stresses and wishing they would just go away. 2. Look for Opportunities for Self-Discovery People often learn something about themselves and may find that they have grown in some respect as a result of their struggle with loss. Many people who have experienced tragedies and hardship have reported better relationships, a greater sense of personal strength even while feeling vulnerable, an increased sense of self-worth, a more developed spirituality and a heightened appreciation for life. 3. Nurture a Positive View of Yourself Developing confidence in your ability to solve problems and trusting your instincts helps build resilience.

4. Keep Things in Perspective Don't take it personal. Even when facing very painful events, try to consider the stressful situation in a broader context and keep a long-term perspective. Avoid blowing the event out of proportion. 5. Maintain a Hopeful Outlook An optimistic outlook enables you to expect that good things will happen in your life. Try visualizing what you want, rather than worrying about what you fear. 6. Take Care of Yourself Keep your mind and body in tip-top shape.Pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Engage in activities that you enjoy and find relaxing. Exercise regularly. Taking care of yourself helps to keep your mind and body primed to deal with situations that require resilience.

ADHD: WHAT PARENTS SHOULD KNOW Reviewed by: Naomi Franklin, LMSW

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the name of a group of behaviors found in many children and adults. People who have ADHD have trouble paying attention in school, at home or at work. They may be much more active and/or impulsive than what is usual for their age. These behaviors contribute to significant problems in relationships, learning and behavior. For this reason, children who have ADHD are sometimes seen as being "difficult" or as having behavior problems. ADHD is more common in boys than in girls. You may be more familiar with the term attention deficit disorder (ADD). This disorder was renamed in 1994 by the American Psychiatric Association. The child with ADHD who is inattentive will have 6 or more of the following symptoms: -Has difficulty keeping attention on work or play activities at school and at home -Loses things needed for activities at school and at home -Appears not to listen -Doesn't pay close attention to details -Seems disorganized -Has trouble with tasks that require planning ahead -Forgets things -Is easily distracted The child with ADHD who is hyperactive/impulsive will have at least 6 of the following symptoms: -Fidgety -Runs or climbs inappropriately -Can't play quietly -Blurts out answers -Can't stay in seat -Talks too much -Is always on the go Children who have ADHD have symptoms for at least 6 months. Children who have ADHD do not make enough chemicals in key areas in the brain that are responsible for organizing thought. Without enough of these chemicals, the organizing

centers of the brain don't work well. This causes the symptoms in children who have ADHD. Research shows that ADHD is more common in children who have close relatives with the disorder. Recent research also links smoking and other substance abuse during pregnancy to ADHD. Exposure to environmental toxins, such as lead, can also be a factor. Things that don't cause ADHD:

PROJECT OHR

-Bad parenting (though a disorganized home life and school environment can make symptoms worse)

Behavioral Health

-Too much sugar -Food allergies or other allergies -Lack of vitamins -Fluorescent lights A team effort, with parents, teachers and doctors working together, is the best way to help your child. Children who have ADHD may be difficult to parent. They may have trouble understanding directions, and their constant state of activity can be challenging for adults. Children who have ADHD also tend to need more structure and clearer expectations. You may need to change your home life a bit to help your child. Here are some things you can do to help: Make a schedule. Set specific times for waking up, eating, playing, doing homework, doing chores and going to bed. Post the schedule where your child will always see it. Reward good behavior. Congratulate your child when he or she completes each step of a task. Set a homework routine. Pick a regular place for doing homework, away from distractions such as other people. Break homework time into small parts and have breaks. Focus on effort, not grades. Reward your child when he or she tries to finish school work, not just for good grades. You can give extra rewards for earning better grades. Talk with your child's teachers. Find out how your child is doing at school--in class, at playtime, at lunchtime. Ask for daily or weekly progress notes from the teacher. To learn more you should consult a professional. Talk to a therapist at Project Ohr Department of Behavioral Health to learn about whether you need to make any changes to your children’s daily routine, or if therapy is an option.

Department of

ADULT PSYCHIATRY Seymour Kushnir, MD Allan Flaggman, MD CHILD PSYCHIATRY Zvi Weisstuch, MD SOCIAL WORK Individual, Couple Child & Family Therapy Malka Susswein, LCSW Gelly Asovski, LCSW Shoshana Weisz, LCSW Gila Zelinger, LCSW Chana Simmonds, LCSW Rabbi Aryeh Frankel, LMSW Sharon Kronenberg, LMSW Naomi Franklin, LMSW Avi Riber, LMSW Esther Rothbaum, LMSW Tziporah Spira, LMSW For a confidential consultation call PROJECT OHR Tel. 845.352.6800 Ext. 6849

THE ADVOCATE

‫ תשע״א‬ghrz, ‫דער אדוואקאט‬

March 31, 2011

HEALTH NEWS YOU CAN USE

Japan Finds More Foods Tainted By Radioactive Material

As more radioactive material from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant finds its way into the environment, Japan's health ministry is compiling a growing list of foods that have been contaminated. First came reports of tainted milk, spinach and other leafy greens. Then on Sunday, the health ministry released a new list with a total of 99 different products that had tested positive for radioactive iodine-131 and cesium-137 in Tokyo and five other prefectures. Some of those foods might surprise you. The allowable government limit is 2,000 becquerels per kilogram for iodine-131 and 500 Bq/kg for cesium-137. Most, but not all of, the readings showed the foods were still below the legal limit. Wasabi (Japanese horseradish): The Japanese horseradish plant, best known as that mushy, firey green blob on the corner of your sushi plate, had some of the highest reported radiation levels. The reading from Fukushima prefecture showed iodine-131 with 2500 Bq/kg and Cesium-137 with 340 Bq/kg. Cucumbers: The slender green vegeta-

ble had iodine-131 levels of 14 Bq/kg in one prefecture. No cesium data were available. Chrysanthemum (Shungiku): The leaves of the garland chrysanthemum have a bold flavor and are eaten as a vegetable in salad. Shungiku tested in Miyagi Prefecture had iodine-131 levels of 623.9 Bq/ kg and cesium-134/137 levels of 5.8 Bq/ kg. Mustard greens (Mizuna): The spiky mizuna leaf is a tasty, decorative green. Niigata Prefecture readings show levels of 100 Bq/kg for iodine-131 and 36 Bq/kg for Cesium. Chiba prefecture had iodine-131 levels of 630 Bq/kg and Ceseium of 14.6 Bq/kg. Green onions: Lastly green onions in Gunma Prefecture had iodine-131 levels of 64 Bq/kg. Cesium wasn't ttested. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that once iodine-131 hits levels of 170 Bq/kg in foods the agency recommends that "protective measures" be taken so that no one receives a significant dose. According to the FDA, all milk and milk products and vegetables and fruits produced or manufactured from the four Japanese prefectures of Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma will be detained at U.S. ports and tested for radionuclide contamination. Radioactive iodine is short-lived, with a half-life of eight days — the length of time it takes for half of it to break down without causing harm. However, experts say infants are particularly vulnerable to

COMPLETE COMPUTER SERVICES FOR YOUR HOME OR OFFICE Virus & Spy Ware Removal

WE WILL HELP YOU WITH YOUR SLOW RUNNING COMPUTER WE NOW OFFER

WE NOW MAKE HOUSE CALLS! Install and configure your network Wired and wireless network support Desktop and server support Data recovery for crashes hard drives Set up and support for e-mail Training available IF YOU REQUIRE EMAIL WITHOUT INTERNET PLEASE CONTACT US We will come to your home or office If your company does not have full time IT. Staff we are for you Video editing and DVD transfer Transfer your wedding video or home movies to CD or DVD

ROCKLAND NETWORKS 845.352.6140

pchelp100@optonline.net

the isotope, which can cause thyroid cancer.

If you are in a new insurance plan, insurance companies cannot charge you a deductible or co-pays for recommended preventive services, like Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, the mammograms and flu shots. health care law passed by Congress If you are in a new insurance plan, you and signed by President Obama, you can choose the primary care doctor or and your family may be eligible for im- OB-GYN in your insurer’s network withportant new benefits that will ensure out a referral. Go to your insurer’s webyou get the care you need and deserve site or call the customer service number to find out which providers are in for a lower cost. Most young adults can stay on their your network. parent’s family plan until they turn 26. Insurance companies are prohibited It doesn’t matter whether you’re mar- from capping the dollar amount of care ried, living with your parents, in school, you can receive in a lifetime, or dropor financially independent. For more ping your coverage due to a mistake on information on how to stay insured, call your application when you get sick. the customer service number for your Seniors who are in the Medicare preor your parents’ insurer and explain scription drug coverage gap known your situation. as the donut hole will receive a 50% Most health plans cannot deny cover- discount on covered brand name preage to children under age 19 because scription drugs and lower copays for generic drugs. You don’t need to take of pre-existing conditions. If you have been uninsured because of any action to receive this benefit. a pre-existing condition, like cancer or Anyone can visit HealthCare.gov and having been pregnant, you may be eli- access a personalized list of private gible to join the Pre-Existing Condition insurance plans, public programs and community services that are available Insurance Plan. to you.

Better Benefits, Better Health for Women

$200 first hour and $100 each additional hour

THE ADVOCATE March 31, 2011

‫ תשע״א‬ghrz, ‫דער אדוואקאט‬

FORECLOSURE COUNSELING

RCDC Housing, Inc. would like to help you...

We have a certified foreclosure counselor on staff who can assist you Call us for more information

(845) 352-1400 ext. 3243

Please note: The HEAP department is now open. Call RCDC Housing for your application

845-352-1400 ext. 3240

WEATHERIZATION WORKS! CALL DEPT. OF HOUSING AND WEATHERIZATION FOR INFORMATION

845.352.1400

RCDC HOUSING DEPARTMENT The following information is provided to the community by the RCDC Housing Department as a public service

PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR SPRING During the winter, your home may have been closed up to stay warm. Over those winter months, with the windows and doors shut, your home may want to breathe in the cool outside air. Lack of air circulation may have left your home stuffy and may have trapped common allergens that normally get circulated out of the home. Below are some tips for opening up your home and preparing it for spring.

Thoroughly clean your ceiling fans, floor vents, and ceiling vents. If your home has a ceiling fans, or other vents, that is a prime area for dust to collect. It can then circulate through the room when you turn them on.

Open windows and doors. This lets in the fresh spring air and sunshine. By opening the doors and windows, stale air and stuffiness will be reduced and will give your home new life. Clean window screens and windows.

Clean your carpeting with an organic rug cleaner. Cleaning your carpets thoroughly will help to remove any dust mites that can cause allergic reactions and leave lingering stale air.

RCDC HOUSING, INC. IS PROUD TO PRESENT… THE FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS’ WORKSHOP

RCDC Housing, Inc. will sponsor a homebuyers’ workshop to educate first-time homebuyers on low interest rate mortgages, local programs available, the steps involved in purchasing a home, etc… We will be having the VP of Joyce Financial presenting, who will help you to get prepared to achieve your dream of homeownership. Date: April 14, 2011 Time: 6 pm

Over winter, dust and other particulates can collect on the windows and screens, reducing visibility and light that enter the house. Cleaning the windows and screens will give you a more open and airy feel to it.

Place: Nanuet Library 149 Church Street Nanuet, NY 10954

Vacuum and clean your upholstery, furniture, and draperies.

Workshop will run approximately 2 hours.

Dust that hadn’t had a chance to escape will collect on surfaces that don’t get cleaned as often as others. Furniture and draperies are a prime place for dust and allergens to collect. Vacuuming and cleaning them will help to remove latent and hidden dust.

***RCDC Housing, Inc. is a notfor-profit organization***

Walk-ins are welcome, however seating for workshop is limited. Please call (845) 352-1400 ext. 3243 to reserve a seat.

Dust thoroughly. Dusting will further reduce airborne allergens that may have accumulated over the winter.

THE ADVOCATE

‫ תשע״א‬ghrz, ‫דער אדוואקאט‬

March 31, 2011

EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS Beware of the Betrayal Factor By: Eliezer Vilinsky, M.A. Miryam Vilinsky, M.Ed. EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES © 2011 All rights reserved. Permission to print granted to The Advocate

Let’s suppose that your child’s school just administered a school-wide English writing skills test to determine which students will join an advanced skill track, which will stay on in the mainstream, and which will receive special support. A team of teachers will score the tests. Students were given an interesting option. Each student could choose to have his own teacher score his test, or he could opt to have a random teacher score it. Writing tests by nature are open to some flexibility by the evaluator. There are minute errors that may or may not garner attention from the person who checks the writing. Jonathan is in grade four. Either Mrs. Mitchell, Jonathan’s teacher, can score his test, or a teacher from another class or grade could do it. If Mrs. Mitchell scores Jonathan’s exam, she will take into account his skill level and probably grade his test more leniently than another teacher would. At the same time, Mrs. Mitchell knows how less-than-responsible Jonathan has been in completing his assignments for her. This may be an opportunity for Mrs. Mitchell to take Jonathan’s work habits into account and mark his test more conservatively. This is what is called the “betrayal factor.” Because of this perceived betrayal factor, Jonathan will most likely forego Mrs. Mitchell’s possible liberal marking and choose to be evaluated by another teacher. Let’s play that again. Jonathan would rather be evaluated by someone who does not know him and who would not take into account his usual writing abilty just because

of the slight possibility of being “betrayed” by Mrs. Mitchell. Otherwise, he would definitely end up better with his test in her hands. This sounds irrational. Yes, as irrational as it is, it seems that adults experience the same phenomenon. Drs. Jonathan Koehler and Andrew Gershoff, from the University of Texas at Austin, concluded that the betrayal factor does affect how rationally people make decisions. They found that consumers would rather buy a car equipped with a good, but inferior and less safe airbag system, than buy a car equipped with a clearly superior airbag system that has a very minor chance of injuring or killing the car’s occupant. The betrayal possibility inherent in the superior airbag system deters consumers from buying the safer car. So we see that both adults and kids share this phenomenon. This is obviously worthwhile for parents, educators, and therapists to be aware of. Children can make irrational decisions if they suspect potential betrayal. Our job is to help children evaluate choices rationally. We need to monitor how our children interpret messages that come their way via the media, friends, or lessons that we teach them. We should be aware that what they receive may be interpreted irrationally and lead to poor decisionmaking. This can affect their choices of friends, activities to pursue, paths to follow, or leaders to embrace. How can adults guide children without denying them their decision-making privileges? Gershoff and Koehler mentioned two things that we believe parents and educators can keep in mind as they present material to children or steer children toward appropriate resources. One thing that Gershoff and Koehler

Health Matters

Most are living longer According to World Health Organization figures, life expectancy for men and women in all world regions increased between 1990 and 2007, but life expectancy for some countries showed no change or declined.

Life expectancy at birth In years, men and women combined 1990

2007

Southeast Asia

Americas

58 65

71 76

Africa

Europe

Countries with high, low life expectancy

Western Pacific

69 74

Eastern Mediterranean

51 52

72 74

Afghanistan

41 41

Australia

77 82

Japan

79 83

Niger

Swaziland

Zimbabwe

61 60

discovered is that if you want to maintain rational decision-making about safety, surround people with positive images about safety. Environment teaches. Even walls can teach. Also, they suggested presenting information in a graphic format that clearly shows the facts. This helps keep people’s emotions at bay and out of the decisionmaking mix. The same can be applied to the school or home setting regarding choices we hand to our children. If you want children to be truthful, then make that experience risk-free. Ensure that when they own up to the truth about something negative they may have done that they get only the share of consequences that they deserve. If they believe that their admission of the truth will earn them a worse reaction than they deserve, they will not “betray themselves” again in the future.

"Our job is to help children evaluate choices rationally." The University of Texas folks shared a second interesting tidbit. They found that people are less emotional when they suggest choices for strangers than when they choose for themselves or for those about whom they care. When a choice does not affect them personally, their emotions do not kick in during the decision-making process. Such emotional biases are probably why jury cases are relocated to places where there are people who are less familiar or personally connected with the case. Parents and educators should learn from

this that emotions are attached to personal decisions. Emotions are not easily set aside. It may be unreasonable to expect someone, especially a child, to “wear a different hat” while making an important choice. This does not mean that children should not be asked to make decisions; it merely reminds us that purely factual and emotionless decisions are unrealistic. That brings us back to an earlier point. It is the responsibility of adults to expose children to resources and information that accurately convey the intended message. Be aware of how broadly what you’re presenting can be interpreted once emotions are involved. Teachers are responsible for the interpretations and perceptions that children bring home, not just the facts of the matter. The same goes for what kids bring from home to school. That’s why it is a sound practice for teachers and parents to discuss things with their kids. Yes, talk about what is happening in the world and about the choices that individuals and whole nations are making, and guide your children as they digest the goings-on in our world. Knowing how to size up situations and interpret what goes on around us is a most valuable life skill. Those who teach children to do so by carefully blending cognition with emotion will be “helping children to help themselves.” Eliezer and Miryam Vilinsky are educational consultants in private practice. They conduct teacher-training seminars and consult with schools and families locally, nationally, and internationally. They can be reached at Educational Support Services at 426-3673 and at www.TReaching.com. The weekly edition of Educational Insights is available via subscription. Call for details.

THE ADVOCATE March 31, 2011

‫ תשע״א‬ghrz, ‫דער אדוואקאט‬

Science Matters

Heavy metal in ‘green’ lights Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), which are gradually replacing less energy-efficient incandescent bulbs, contain a bit of poisonous mercury.

How they work Glass tube

contains argon gas and mercury vapor

Tube’s interior

is coated with phosphor

Base (ballast) contains

Electrodes

circuits that control deliver electric flow of electricity charge to gases

Argon

Mercury

2 Ultraviolet 1 Electricity

excites mercury, which releases ultraviolet light

light collides with phosphor, which glows with white light

Recovering the toxic mercury In many places, law forbids CFLs from being thrown in the trash; stores and community centers collect them for recycling

Crusher

Recycled lights are crushed at processing plant

Separator

Oven

Screens separate phosphor-mercury dust and solids

Dust is heated in a vacuum

Metal Glass Plastic

Mercury metal

Mercury vapor is cooled and captured for reuse

THE ADVOCATE

‫ תשע״א‬ghrz, ‫דער אדוואקאט‬

March 31, 2011

CLASSIFIEDS SALES POSITION

347-76-CHAIR

Heimishe chair company is looking for an experienced sales rep. 100k+ annually. fax resume 888-737-0911

PROFESSIONAL

REUPHOLSTERY VINYLS, TAPESTRY FABRIC, PLASTIC,AND SLIP COVERS.

for mature student or adult in the home of a respectable male senior citizen. Character references must be provided. Call Rachel at RCDC

Professional service & quality. That’s all you get. Free Estimates • Fully licensed & Insured

We start with design • Continue with quality • End with satisfaction!

845-352-1400 ext 3245.

CONDOS FOR RENT-SALE \ MONSEY BLUEBERRY HILL 1 BR FROM 139K - 2 BR FROM 239K PREFERRED PROPERTIES

845.352.4440

HOUSE FOR SALE-FORSHAY

2004 Honda Odyssey EXL allpower,leather,built in navigation system,one owner, rides great, never been in an accident, 95,000k miles asking 11,400 call 914-714-3038

Value is in the land, over a half an acre. For more info please call Rivky Kagan 845.659.2056.

CHILDBIRTH CLASSES

Commercial Industrial • Residential

FREE ROOM & BOARD

Mini-Van for Sale

Bruchy Mayers Small Childbirth Class will leave you feeling confident and ready for birth. Private Classes are available Call now and join our class!

(917) 776 – 8542

ART INSTRUCTION CALL NOW for The Best Fine Art Classes In Rockland. Classical teaching method, ALL students are taught to paint on a personal level to make your art your own. You want to do it but have various excuses not to take time for yourself. NOW is the time and my unique studio is the place. Classes ongoing, all levels, references available from happy, creative students.

SENIOR GROUP

I AM AVAILABLE 24/7 TO PROVIDE CAREGIVING FOR THE ELDERLY. HOUSEKEEPING, DOCTOR’S APPOINTMENTS, MEDS, MEAL PREPARATION, ETC. REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.

RCDC WOMEN’S SENIOR GROUP

Call Angela at

CONDOS FOR RENT-SALE MONSEY BLUEBERRY HILL APARTMENTS FOR RENT 1 Bedroom from $1,140 2 Bedrooms from $1,630 3 Bedrooms from $2,025 NOT TO BE COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER OFFER CALL BLUEBERRY HILL

845.352.4440

FURNITURE 4 SALE Good Wood has quality pre-owned furniture at great prices

At a fraction of the original price! 40 Robert Pitt Dr. (near School Depot, Monsey)

(845) 270-4402 Sundays 12-4 Monday-Thursday 12:30-2:30 Or by appointment

GEMACH Childrens Gowns Beautiful new gowns for your simcha Please Call: 845 426 5506

call: 845 425 1780 email: artisme436@yahoo.com

POSITION WANTED

845-425-6051 803 261 6331

Kagan Realty

Looking to buy or sell-? Give the Kagan Team a call -Rivky Kagan 845.659.2056 Yaakov Miller 914.414.3619 Kagan Realty

PROGRAM 12:30 - 3:00PM MONDAY & WED. FREE TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE FOR INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 845.352.1400 x 3245 A PROJECT OF OFA OF ROCKLAND COUNTY

TAXI AVAILABLE Cheapest In Town Mini Vans Available Pay after Shabbos or Yom Tov 24 hour service Local or Long Distance

425-4411 LA FAMILIA TAXI

Custom Plastic Design We do custom & stock items You name it, we make it.

For: home, shulls, stores, Etc. Order you Pesach countertops early, to ensure to have it finished in time.

(347) 92.Plast-ic

STAR 1 TRANSPORTATION - CAR SERVICE STAR 1 TRANSPORTATION CAR SERVICE & AIRPORT SHUTTLE

Local and Long Distance Service 15 Passenger Van, Minivan, Town Car $7 Monsey to 222 Rt. 59, Suffern - $9 Monsey to Good Sam Hospital $11 Monsey to Palisades Mall - $14Monsey to Nyack Hospital $5 Monsey to College Road

Pay after Shabbos or Yom Tov 845-356-2602

To place a classified ad please call 845.352.6800 x 6806 or email theadvocatenews@ cmadc.com

THE ADVOCATE March 31, 2011 DATED MATERIAL

‫ תשע״א‬ghrz, ‫דער אדוואקאט‬