This past week, I had the privilege of meeting two Israeli soldiers who came to America as ambassadors, raising awareness and support for the hostages held by Hamas. One of them, Yair Mor, is the brother of Eitan Mor, who remains a captive after being taken during the horrific October 7 attacks. The other, Bnaya Tam, was the next-door neighbor of Tzeela Gez, a young mother who was tragically murdered just last week. Their visit was more than a plea for awareness, it was a firsthand account of the real, personal pain that they carry every day. Yair and Bnaya’s stories brought the reality of the situation into sharp focus, showing us what it truly means to endure loss and hardship on a deeply human level.
Yair and Bnaya weren’t just sharing facts; they were sharing their lives. Yair, still reeling from the uncertainty and anguish of knowing his brother Eitan remains in captivity, spoke with a rawness that reminded us of the emotional toll war and captivity take on families. Bnaya, as Tzeela’s neighbor, shared memories of a woman who had devoted her life to helping others. Despite the grief they carry, they both radiated a quiet strength, giving us a glimpse into the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable hardship.
Tzeela Gez’s story is one of heart-wrenching loss. A devoted wife and mother of three, Tzeela was shot and killed in a sniper attack just a short time before she was due to give birth to her fourth child. She
had been traveling with her husband, Hananel, to the hospital to give birth when the tragedy occurred. Despite efforts to save her, Tzeela passed away, leaving behind a grieving family and community. Her death, like so many others in these tragic times, has left an irreplaceable hole in the hearts of those who knew her. Just a couple of weeks before her death, Tzeela recorded a powerful video message, speaking directly to her community. In it, she urged people to continue living with meaning, despite the pain, fear, and loss surrounding them. Her words were a call to action, reminding us all of our responsibility to honor the fallen by living lives of purpose and integrity.
The stories of Yair, Bnaya, and Tzeela, though filled with profound sorrow, are also stories of inspiration. In the face of unspeakable loss, Yair and Bnaya continue to push forward, raising awareness and sharing their personal pain to help others understand the gravity of the situation. Tzeela, too, left us with a legacy of strength as her final message urges us to live fully, despite the darkness. In their actions and their words, they all embody resilience – not as an absence of pain, but as the ability to carry that pain forward and use it to inspire others. Through their grief, they have taught us that we are all responsible for living lives that honor those who have fallen, just as they continue to live on in our hearts and memories.
Wishing you a peaceful Shabbos, Aaron M. Friedman
Send us your: community events, articles & photos, and mazal tovs to editor@baltimorejewishhome.com to be featured in coming editions!
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Around the Community
TYA Lag B’Omer Bonfire
By: BJLife Newsroom
The annual TYA Lag B’Omer bonfire at Shomrei Emunah brought together more than 70 high school young men for an evening of ruchni-
yus and gashmiyus. With sparks flying from the medura and voices high, the group is also enjoying a festive spread of deli roll, chicken, and of course, plenty of sizzling poppers.
Yeshivas Toras Simcha’s Lag B’Omer Bonfire
Lag
B’Omer
At Torah Institute
All grades of the Cheder enjoyed a Torah and fun filled day celebrating Lag Baomer.
Prizes, games and dancing around the fire were just a few of the activities, with everyone, Rebbe and Talmid, enjoying immensely!
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Lag B’Omer At Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim
Rabbi Shmuel Silber, Rav of Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim, ignited the Lag B’Omer medurah, launching the 5785/2025 celebration in the shul’s brand new parking lot, just outside its newly completed Mikdash M’at.
TA 8th Grade Father-Son Lag B’Omer Medura And Kumzitz
Mesorah Baltimore Tours Forget-Me-Not Exhibit
Mesorah Baltimore: the Center for Women’s Torah Studies sponsored an educational excursion to the Sandra R. Berman Center for Humanity, Tolerance & Holocaust Education at Towson University. Mesorah Baltimore is well known for its cadre of in-person and online classes, and periodically offers quality off site educational and cultural opportunities. Previous trips included a private tour of the Bais Yaakov Exhibit and a white glove presentation of the rare books collection from the Baltimore Hebrew Institute at Towson University.
Mrs. Sharon Zuckerbrod, Mesorah Baltimore President, organized the event with the assistance of Mesorah Executive Board Member Mrs. Elaine Mael, a Towson University librarian. Dr. Chris Chulos, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, and Dr. Karen Eskow, Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, welcomed the 30 women in attendance. Several librarians addressed the women and prepared them for the Forget-MeNot exhibit displayed especially for their visit. Dr. Hana Bor, founder and director of the Berman Center, shared her warm greetings, explained more about the Center and its objectives, and spent the morning speaking with the group as a whole as well as with the attendees individually. Additionally, to the delight of the women, the Center provided a kosher buffet lunch.
The excursion featured ForgetMe-Not, a traveling exhibit whose permanent home is the Towson University Library. The exhibit includes life size panels depicting the fates of 24 German Jewish children, before, during, and after the Holocaust.
“Very affecting and thought provoking,” said one attendee, “especially in these hard times, and especially considering the origin of the exhibit.”
In 2016, a German librarian named Cordula Kappner directed her expertise in genealogical research into a research project for a group of German high school students. Over two years, under Ms. Kappner’s supervision, the students gathered information regarding the fate of local (to them) Jewish families during the Holocaust. The stunning result is the 24 panels of the Forget-Me-Not exhibit, now translated into English, which include photographs, details of the children’s day-to-day lives, schools, friends, families – and their deportations. Poignantly, the panels are colored coded: Green for survival, red for those who did not survive.
The Center for Humanity, Tolerance and Holocaust Education opened in March 2024, and is endowed by local philanthropist Sandra Berman and her husband, Malcolm Berman. In spite of the institutionalizing of Holocaust memory--including the creation of museums and monuments in cities worldwide--the Center cites an appalling lack of public knowledge about basic Holocaust
facts. A recent nationwide poll revealed that 63 percent of Millennials and Generation Z respondents (people born between 1965 and 1996) did not know that 6,000,000 Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, and many of the respondents could not name one concentration camp or ghetto. This is a sobering fact, even before one considers the current climate of increasing antisemitism and the willful and ever increasing scourge of Holocaust denial.
The mission statement of the Sandra Berman Center seeks to “pro-
mote education on humanity, tolerance and the Holocaust, to highlight the dangers of bigotry and intolerance.” To that end, the Center offers private and group tours, events, and programs, and additionally offers, under the supervision of Dr. Bor, an extensive and curated reading room of related books. Along with housing the Center, Towson University now offers a Holocaust Education Graduate Certificate. The women of Mesorah Baltimore left the trip feeling inspired and have been sharing what they learned from the Forget-Me-Not exhibit with their friends and family.
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TA Fifth Grade Presents Gadol Fair
Serving Ner Israel More Than Food: Bill Goldberg’s 40-Year Feast Of Friendship
By: BJLife Newsroom
Aremarkable milestone took place at Ner Israel—Bill Goldberg joined Ner Yisrael 40 years ago, on May 15, 1985. Since then, he has faithfully served thousands upon thousands of meals to generations of bachurim, always with a smile, a kind word, and unwavering professionalism.
Bill’s office has become much more than a workspace—it’s a welcoming haven where boys come not only to
grab a bite but also to relax, talk, and enjoy a moment of connection. His genuine love for the bachurim is felt deeply, and the feeling is mutual.
We thank Bill for his incredible dedication and wish him many more years of good health, happiness, and continued service to the yeshiva.
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A Red Carpet Tribute To Educators: JES Celebrates The Heart Of Jewish Education In Baltimore
By: JES Staff
They walked the red carpet with cameras flashing and cheers ringing through the air — a well-deserved moment in the spotlight for Baltimore’s educators. On Monday, May 12, Jewish Educational Services (JES), a program of The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, hosted the Educator Awards Celebration, an evening dedicated to honoring and uplifting the teachers who shape the future of our community.
While 10 outstanding educators and one exceptional student received formal awards, the evening was designed to celebrate all educators in Baltimore’s Jewish day schools, preschools, and congregational schools. Over 150 attendees gathered to show their support for the incredible work being done across our educational institutions.
“Tonight, we shine a light on a group of professionals whose work is both timeless and transformative,” said Avi Greenlinger, JES Board President. “Teaching is not just a profession, but a calling that demands heart, creativity, resilience, and an unwavering belief in the potential of every child.”
A Celebration with Style and Substance
The celebration began in grand fashion, as guests made their way down a red carpet lined with cheering colleagues and supporters — setting the tone for a festive and memorable evening. A photo booth offered fun moments throughout the night, and guests enjoyed a beautifully presented dessert buffet by Jon Kaplan: The Wandering Chef. Each educator received a thoughtful (and timely!) gift — a JES-branded umbrella, perfect for the week’s rainy weather.
The program began with opening remarks from Rabbi Aaron Levitt, Executive Director of JES, who spoke passionately about the essential role of Jewish education in sustaining our community. Ruth Miller, Chief Planning Officer for Community Planning & Allocations at The Associated, wel-
comed guests and expressed gratitude to educators on behalf of the broader community. Ruth also took a moment to recognize Avi Greenlinger, who is stepping down as JES’s inaugural board president after three years of dedicated service.
Honoring Educators and Building Tradition
Before the awards were presented, JES took a moment to honor its six Shinshinim — young Israeli emissaries who have spent the past year volunteering in Baltimore — as well as Maian Rahvalschi, Senior Community Shlicha from the Jewish Agency for Israel, who is concluding her three-year service. The Shinshinim shared a heartfelt original poem reflecting on their experience and the bonds they’ve formed in Baltimore.
With more than 60 community nominations, JES staff had the difficult task of selecting this year’s honorees. Each award was presented by JES staff members, highlighting how the organization’s mission connects to the recipient’s work.
This year’s Sam Kahan Distinguished Educator for Excellence in Jewish Education Award was presented to Ahuva Schachter, an elementary school teacher at JEWELS The award, established by the Kahan family, honors Sam Kahan’s legacy and commitment to Jewish education.
Honorees:
• Early Childhood Teaching Excellence Award: Maia Bar-Am (JCC Stoler Early Learning Center) and Gladys Ricklis (Ohr Chadash Academy)
• Excellence in General Studies Award: Rachel Shar (Ohr Chadash Academy) — presented by her mother, Gladys Ricklis, who also received an award, in a powerful moment of Mesorah in the tradition of Jewish education.
In addition to the educators, one student was honored with the Robin F. Jacobs Student Achievement Award, which is given to a student who demonstrates a high level of motivation and increased self-advocacy and awareness. This year’s recipient, Chaim Leeder, a fifth grader at Talmudical Academy, accepted the award by video and encouraged his peers with a heartfelt message: “If I can do it, you can do it!”
His mom reflected at the event, “JES is an amazing organization that makes a huge difference. We’re so grateful for their support. Chaim
was so proud to be an award winner this year – such a special moment.”
A Grateful Community
The program concluded with a tribute to Avi Greenlinger, honoring his three years of visionary leadership as JES Board President and his instrumental role in guiding the organization in its formative years. His dedication has helped shape JES into a cornerstone of Jewish education in Baltimore. As he handed off the leadership to Ari Krupp, the sense of continuity and shared purpose in the room was evident.
“Everything was so well planned and decorated…and it was so special to see these educators get recognized for the amazing job they do,” shared Fallon Saposnik, a teacher at Krieger Schechter Day School.
As the guests left — smiling, snapping final photos, and toting umbrellas — the energy of the evening lingered: one of joy, appreciation, and community. The JES Educator Awards Celebration wasn’t just about recognizing excellence; it was a reminder of the vital role educators play in shaping the next generation and the strong community that stands behind them.
Photos: Steve Ruark
Around the Community
JCSL By MDSC – Week 3 Recap: 2025 Season Hits Its Stride
With the commissioner away and several regulars taking the week off, Week 3 of the JCSL 2025 season still unfolded smoothly, highlighting the league’s growing momentum. As teams begin to find their rhythm, the early contenders are starting to emerge in the race for a coveted spot in the RenoSafe Homes postseason.
All photos courtesy of Josh Finkelstein.
Web Interactive Technologies 20 – Donny Ankri Architects 13
Despite windy conditions on Sunday morning, Web Interactive Technologies (WIT) wasted no time setting the tone. Power hitting from Yitzchok Sheen and Aron Meister propelled WIT to an early lead, energizing the dugout and giving them control out of the gate.
Donny Ankri Architects didn’t go down quietly, chipping away at the lead with a steady offensive response. The game remained tightly contested until Yaakov Meister and Eli Dollman delivered back-to-back home runs in the late innings, sealing the win for WIT in emphatic fashion.
The Friendship Circle 8 – YL Waitering 6
In one of the weekend’s most thrilling matchups, The Friendship Circle edged YL Waitering in a hard-fought 8–6 victory defined by clutch performances and defensive excellence.
Offensively, Meir Parry and Howie Friedman led the charge with timely RBIs, while Donny Donaty set the tone at the top of the lineup. A pivotal moment came in the seventh inning when Ariel Kramer delivered a bases-clearing single, swinging momentum firmly in The Friendship Circle’s favor. Additional contributions from Avi Yudkowsky and Binyamin Gutman kept the pressure on throughout.
Defensively, Meir Parry showcased his range at shortstop, and Moshe Miller made a game-saving catch with runners in scoring position. Mayer Goldsmith and Dovid Gelberman anchored the battery, keeping YL Waitering’s bats in check.
Despite a final-inning push by YL Waitering to close the gap, The Friendship Circle held firm. A smart defensive play by Howie Friedman tagging a runner overrunning first base—upheld after a challenge—was followed by a flyout to Gutman, securing the win. Notably, Gutman celebrated the victory just in time to make it to his son’s Gadol Fair.
With grit and teamwork, The Friendship Circle lived up to their name, delivering a complete and spirited team performance.
Lazar Real Estate 18 – GB Homes 1
Lazar Real Estate (LRE) turned in a commanding performance, routing GB Homes 18–1 in a five-inning, mercy-rule victory. The offense combined patience at the plate—drawing a league-record 17 walks—with sharp hitting and smart baserunning.
DY Green got things started with an RBI single as LRE posted five runs in the first. Baruch Glazer paced the offense, going 3-for-4 with a double, four runs scored, and an RBI. Captain Chaim Finkelstein added multiple RBIs with key hits in the first and fourth innings, while Gershon Vegh, Donny Basch, and team owner Mordy Rubenstein Lazar all contributed to the scoring effort.
The scoring barrage continued across the middle innings, with consistent pressure applied from top to bottom of the lineup. On the mound, Ahron Adler was dominant, allowing just one run without issuing a single walk. Supported by crisp defense and several highlight-reel plays, LRE showcased their depth and discipline in a statement win.
Ambush Law 15 – Orshan Legal Group 3
In a highly anticipated legal-themed showdown, Ambush Law powered past Orshan Legal Group with a 15–3 victory on historic Field #4.
After falling behind 1–0 early, Ambush Law responded emphatically with five two-out runs in the first inning. Moshe Stal sparked a third-inning rally with an RBI double,
and Yehudah Roll extended the lead with a two-run homer—his second in as many games. Adam Ben-Zev delivered consistently with runners in scoring position, while Yeshayahu Schwartz and Avrohom Frost each contributed a pair of doubles to keep the offense rolling.
Eli Kelemer continued to excel as a leadoff hitter, going 4-for-4 and creating havoc on the basepaths.
Gedaliah Gelb capped the game with a walk-off RBI double in the sixth.
On the defensive side, Yaakov Benzaquen delivered a composed pitching performance, backed by standout defense including a Gold Glove-caliber effort from Aharon Loiterman in the outfield. In a comprehensive team effort, Ambush Law left no doubt, asserting their dominance and improving their postseason prospects.
W E D D I N G P A C K A G E
Embracing Kindness And Inclusion: Fourth Grade Chesed In Action At Beth Tfiloh School
How do you teach children that kindness isn’t just something you talk about - it’s something you do? Our fourth graders recently had the chance to bring these values to life, welcoming guests from Jewish Community Services (JCS) and Chimes for a morning filled with laughter, teamwork, and meaningful moments. Partnering with Spirit Club - where BT parent and alum Henry Sheller ‘06 serves as Operations Manager - our students deepened their understanding of inclusion and empathy through games, movement, and conversation.
Understanding and respecting those who are different begins with empathy - imagining what it might feel like to walk in someone else’s shoes. Our fourth graders explored this idea through open discussions about what sets us apart and what brings us together. This journey began with their study of Wonder, R. J. Palacio’s novel, that opens students’ eyes to the importance of seeing beyond disabilities. Our students’ teachers reinforced these lessons by inviting guest speakers who shared personal stories of resilience and inclusion.
Judge Tara Posner, a disabilities judge, spoke about the fair and sensitive handling of disability cases, emphasizing that every person deserves to be treated with dignity.
Ryan Levin ‘18, a BT alum and the son of kindergarten teacher Morah Emily, shared his experience of living with cochlear implants. Diagnosed with hearing loss as an infant, Ryan explained how his implants work and how his hearing loss makes him feel unique, rather than limited. When asked if he would change anything about himself, he confidently said he wouldn’t - reinforcing the powerful message that a disability does not define a person.
Another BT graduate, Michael Millstein ‘16, joined the class via Zoom to share his experience of living with Tourette’s Syndrome. Diagnosed at age seven, he spoke about the challenges he faced and the special teacher who encouraged him
to strive for his best despite obstacles. He left students with an empowering quote from Isaiah Austin: “You can make it your excuse, or you can make it your story.” His words inspired students to view their struggles as opportunities for growth.
These lessons and perspectives were put into action when our fourth graders welcomed 25 adults with disabilities from JCS and Chimes for an unforgettable morning of shared experiences. Together, they played bingo, exercised side by side in a Spirit Club-led class, and, most importantly, built connections through conversation and laughter. Watching our students engage with their guests - asking questions, participating in activities, and sharing snacks - was values-based education at its finest.
Through these interactions, our students embodied the principle
that every person is created b’tzelem elokim - in the image of God. They demonstrated kindness, patience, and genuine interest in learning from those with different abilities, reinforcing that true inclusion is about meaningful connection.
Henry Sheller ’06 brought Spirit Club to this event, while Amee Cookler, BT’s Outreach Associate, coordinated a meaningful experience that brought joy, learning, and connection to both BT students and their guests - a day they will remember for years to come.
Through experiences like this, Beth Tfiloh students aren’t just learning about chesed they’re living it, embracing a lifelong lesson in kindness and community. Through experiences like this, Beth Tfiloh students aren’t just learning about chesed - they’re living it, embrac-
ing a lifelong lesson in kindness and community. The experience left a lasting impression on the students, with one fourth grader asking, “Can we please come back to fourth grade next year so we can do this again? It was fun and felt good to help others!” Moments like this show just how meaningful this experience was - not just for those they helped, but for the students themselves.
Could a Beth Tfiloh education be perfect for your student child? Visit bethtfiloh.com/admissions to visit their campus or schedule a tour.
Greater Washington: Around the Community Lag B’Omer Around Silver Spring
Greater Washington Weekday Minyanim Guide
6:15 am Young Israel Shomrai Emunah M-F
6:25 am Southeast Hebrew Cong., Knesset Yehoshua M-F
6:30 am Beth Sholom Congregation M-F
Beit Halevi (Sfardi) M, T
Chabad of Silver Spring M-F
Ohev Shalom Talmud Torah OLNEY M-F
Young Israel Shomrai Emunah S YGW M, Th
6:35 am Ohr Hatorah M, Th
6:40 am YGW S, T, W, F
Magen David Sephardic Congregation M-Th
6:45 am Beit Halevi (Sfardi) S, T, W, F
Kemp Mill Synagogue M, Th
Ohr Hatorah T, W, F
Young Israel Shomrai Emunah M, Th
6:50 am Woodside Synagogue/Ahavas Torah M, Th Silver Spring Jewish Center M-F
Chabad of Upper Montgomery County M-F
6:55 am Young Israel Shomrai Emunah T, W, F
7:00 am Kemp Mill Synagogue T, W, F
Southeast Hebrew Cong., Knesset Yehoshua S Silver Spring Jewish Center S
Woodside Synagogue/Ahavas Torah T, W, F
Young Israel Ezras Israel of Potomac T, W, F
7:05 am Kesher Israel M, Th
7:15 am Kemp Mill Synagogue M, Th Kesher Israel T, W, F
Ohev Sholom Talmud Torah/The National Synagogue M-F
Ohr Hatorah S
7:30 am Chabad of DC M-F
Chabad of Potomac M-F
JROC M-F
Kemp Mill Synagogue T, W, F
Southeast Hebrew Cong., Knesset Yehoshua M-F
Young Israel Shomrai Emunah S
Young Israel Shomrai Emunah (Sfardi) M-F
7:45 am YGW (Yeshiva Session Only) S-F
8:00 am Beth Sholom Congregation S
Kemp Mill Synagogue S Kesher Israel S
Ohev Shalom Talmud Torah OLNEY S
Southeast Hebrew Cong., Knesset Yehoshua S
Chabad of Upper Montgomery County S Woodside Synagogue/Ahavas Torah S
8:00 am YGW (High School; School-Contingent) S-F
Young Israel Ezras Israel of Potomac S Young Israel Shomrai Emunah (Sfardi) S
8:05 am Ezras Israel Congregation of Rockville M, Th
8:15 am Ohr Hatorah S Ezras Israel Congregation of Rockville S, T, W, F Kehilat Pardes / Berman Hebrew Academy S-F
Silver Spring Jewish Center M-F
8:30 am Chabad of DC S Chabad of Potomac S JROC S Ohev Sholom Talmud Torah/The National Synagogue S
Silver Spring Jewish Center S YGW (Summer Only) S-F
8:45 am Young Israel Shomrai Emunah S-F
9:00 am Chabad of Silver Spring S Kemp Mill Synagogue S
mincha
2:15 pm Silver Spring Jewish Center S-F
2:20 pm YGW M, T, W
2:45 pm YGW M-Th
3:00 pm YGW Middle School School Days
mincha/maariv
Before Shkiah (15-18 minutes), S-TH
Beit Halevi (Sfardi)
Beth Sholom Congregation
Chabad of Potomac
Chabad of Silver Spring
Chabad of Upper Montgomery County
Ezras Israel Congregation of Rockville (20 min before, S-F)
JROC
Kemp Mill Synagogue
Kesher Israel
Magen David Sephardic Congregation
Ohev Sholom Talmud Torah/The National Synagogue
Ohr Hatorah
Silver Spring Jewish Center
Southeast Hebrew Congregation
Woodside Synagogue/Ahavas Torah
Young Israel Ezras Israel of Potomac
Young Israel Shomrai Emunah (Asheknaz)
Young Israel Shomrai Emunah (Sefarhadi) maariv
8:15
8:45
9:30
shacharis
Chabad of Silver Spring
Kehillas Shaar Simcha
Celebrating Israel Independence Day and Lag Baomer at YISE
Greater Washington: Around the Community
“All
In” For Education: TSGW Kicks Off Annual Fundraiser With A Day Of Fun, Family, And Community
The Torah School of Greater Washington (TSGW) kicked off its annual “All In”fundraiser with a spirited Community Day that brought together families, faculty, and friends for an afternoon filled with connection, celebration, and shared purpose. Held in the heart of Silver Spring, the event served as the perfect launch for a campaign rooted in unity, commitment, and a collective investment in the future of Jewish education.
Community Day was packed with fun for all ages, featuring inflatables, classic tailgating games, and a mouth-watering BBQ that had attendees lining up for seconds. Children cooled off with delicious Rita’s Italian Ice, adding to the festive atmosphere.
The highlight of the day was an intense and exciting 3-on-3 basketball tournament, organized by Moshe Segal. Parents and Faculty members formed teams and hit the court for fastpaced games full of energy and enthusiasm. Spectators gathered to cheer on their favorite players, turning the event into a true community spectacle.
“This event embodies what it means to be ‘All In,’” said Rabbi Lichtenstein, Head of School at TSGW. “It’s not just about raising funds—it’s about every family, every educator, and every student coming together with the understanding that we all play a role in our children’s education. Parent partnership is essential, and events like this help families feel deeply connected to our mission.”
The success of the day was made possible by a dedicated group of volunteers and staff. Mr. Matt Manes, Director of Development, helped shape the event in line with the “All In”campaign’s theme. Planning and logistics were overseen by a devoted parent committee, led by Dr. Aviva Kramer, and joined by Malka Florans, Judith Taragin, Shoshi Panitz, Stacey Cohen, Becky Keller and Yaffa Koff—each bringing passion and care to every detail.
The Week In News
The Week In News
Russia
and Ukraine Talk
For the first time in just over three years, Ukrainian and Russian officials met face-to-face for talks. The United States and Turkey pushed the two sides to participate in the negotiations, which took place on Friday in a palace in Istanbul.
The talks, which lasted under two hours, were far from warm, with delegations from Russia and Ukraine refraining from shaking hands. Half of the Ukrainian officials wore camouflage combat uniforms, which symbolized that their country is at war.
By the end of the meeting, the two sides were unable to reach a ceasefire agreement. According to a Ukrainian official, Moscow’s demands, which included Ukrainian troops withdrawing from large parts of Ukraine, were “new and unacceptable.” However, Moscow and Kyiv did agree to free 1,000 prisoners in an upcoming prisoner swap.
Rustem Umerov, the defense minister and delegation leader of Ukraine, said that “we know the date” of the prisoner exchange, but “we’re not announcing it just yet.” Umerov said that a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin would be “the next step” — a request that was “noted,” according to Vladimir Medinsky, a presidential aide who led the Russian delegation.
A day before the talks, the foreign ministry of Russia said Zelensky was “a clown and loser.”
Ukraine and some of its allies are concerned that Russia isn’t genuinely interested in a ceasefire but is only trying to buy time, as Moscow braces for the 18th round of European sanctions.
While on Air Force One, U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that “nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I get together.”
Trump’s Middle East Trip
President Trump spent four whirlwind days in the Middle East last week, visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
The trip highlighted evolving relationships in a region marked by complex conflicts and shifting alliances. During the trip, Trump inked massive business deals for the United States, showcasing his evolving approach to Middle East conflicts with a shift toward transactional, less ideologically driven partnerships. These developments could reshape regional power dynamics and set new precedents for American involvement.
Central to the trip were agreements amounting to over $2 trillion in combined commercial and defense contracts with the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia committed $600 billion in investments, including a $142 billion military procurement deal and $20 billion in artificial intelligence and energy infrastructure projects involving American companies such as Google, Nvidia, and AMD. Qatar’s agreements totaled more than $243 billion, with plans to increase investments to $1.2 trillion. Highlights included a $96 billion Boeing jet purchase by Qatar Airways, $42 billion in U.S. weapons acquisitions, and $3 billion in advanced defense technologies. The UAE secured over $200 billion in deals, including a $14.5 billion Etihad Airways Boeing order and a massive AI data center in Abu Dhabi. These deals underscore a strategic alignment around U.S. technology exports and defense partnerships.
During the trip, Trump also met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. He lifted sanctions on the country. He also noted that the United States is urging Iran to lay down its nuclear ambitions.
Most notably, the American president did not visit Israel during his trip. His administration has engaged with talks directly with Hamas and has pursued diplomatic channels with Tehran and Damascus without Israeli involvement – moves that challenge longstand-
ing regional dynamics.
A trip to the Middle East can be a class on different cultures. In Saudi Arabia, Trump joined the Ardah sword dance and was presented with a traditional thobe and ghutra while visiting historic sites like the Al Masmak Fortress. In Qatar, he shared coffee and dates at a majlis and watched the Bedouin Al-Razfa dance. In the UAE, Trump visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, praising Islam’s “incredible culture.” Before leaving the Middle East, he hosted a breakfast with business leaders and toured the Abrahamic Family House—an interfaith complex named after the Abraham Accords he helped negotiate, which led to the UAE’s recognition of Israel. He also received the Order of Zayed, the UAE’s highest civilian honor, before departing Abu Dhabi.
Saudi Arabia had set up a double-decker mobile McDonald’s truck outside the Royal Court, a playful nod to Trump’s famous fast-food preferences.” At Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base, Trump delighted troops by breaking into an impromptu dance to “G-d Bless the USA,” complete with fist pumps and foot shuffles. Trump’s motorcade from Qatar’s Doha airport was flanked by bright red Tesla Cybertrucks and riders on horseback. A parade of royal camels also welcomed Trump outside Qatar’s presidential office.
Phone Outages in Spain
Just a few weeks ago, Spain was hit by a power outage that plunged the country into darkness. This week, the nation was hit by phone and internet blackouts, which cut off landline and mobile services for residents.
The outages came about after a botched system upgrade by Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica. Even emergency call operators were affected by the outages.
Problems first began at about 2 a.m. on Tuesday, according to the
Downdetector website, with fixed-line internet services most affected. Most people affected said they had no signal; others said that there had been a “total outage.” By lunchtime, the issue seemed to have been resolved.
A spokesman for Telefonica said, “This morning we had an incident that affected the fixed communications services of some companies and public services. We have been working from the outset to restore these services, which have now been fully recovered.
“We have activated the incident management committee, we have isolated the affected nodes, and we have deployed field staff to resolve specific cases arising from this incident, which has now been resolved.”
Headquartered in Madrid, Telefonica is one of the world’s largest companies in Spain.
The phone and internet outage comes just weeks after Spain, Portugal, and parts of southern France were plunged into chaos amid mass blackouts in late April, which affected around 50 million people and turned public transportation chaotic. ATM machines and phone services were also affected by the power outages.
Hungary to Leave ICC
This week, Hungary’s parliament approved leaving the International Criminal Court, which it calls “politically motivated.”
Hungary is now the third country –after Burundi and the Philippines – to exit the Court.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced during a visit by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month that his European Union country would leave the ICC. Orban hosted Netanyahu despite an ICC arrest warrant against Bibi. The global tribunal accuses the Israeli leader of war crimes in Gaza — allegations he rejects.
In Hungary’s parliament, 134 lawmakers voted in favor of the proposal to
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leave the ICC, while 37 voted against and seven abstained.
Once the decision is promulgated, Hungary will notify the United Nations, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said. He alleged the ICC had become a “politically motivated judicial body,” which was “unacceptable.”
“It’s clear that Hungary has no place in such an organization,” he said in a statement.
Withdrawal from the ICC takes effect one year after the deposit of the withdrawal’s instrument — usually a formal letter declaring the pullout — with the UN secretary general’s office.
Established in 2002, the ICC, based in The Hague, seeks to prosecute individuals responsible for the world’s gravest crimes when countries are unwilling or unable to do so themselves. A total of 125 countries have ratified the court’s founding Rome Statute, meaning they recognize its jurisdiction.
The United States and Russia are not members of the ICC. Nor are Israel, China and Myanmar. So far only Burundi and the Philippines have become members and have then withdrawn from the court. Hungary is set to join them.
Hungary had signed the Rome Statute — which established the court — in 1999 and ratified it two years later during Orban’s first term in office.
13 Killed in Bombing in Somalia
At least 13 people were killed and 21 others were wounded when a suicide bomber detonated a device in the Somali capital on Sunday. The people targeted were young recruits who were waiting to register at a military camp.
Mogadishu has been repeatedly targeted by the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group, which has waged an insurgency for over a decade. The group frequently attacks military and government sites as part of its effort to impose its strict interpretation of Islamic law.
“There was a loud explosion, and immediately people began running in all directions. Bodies were everywhere,” said Abdulkadir Hassan Mohamed, a witness.
A soldier who had been guarding the camp said, “The explosion was devastating. I saw many casualties. The attacker disguised himself as a recruit before blowing himself up.”
Five people who were killed were civilians who had been passing by.
A similar attack in July 2023 at the Jaalle Siyaad Military Academy in Mogadishu killed 25 soldiers and wounded 70. Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for that attack. For now, no terror group has claimed responsibility for this attack.
Britain and EU Strike Deal
Britain and the European Union on Monday struck a landmark deal to remove some post-Brexit trade barriers and to bolster cooperation on security and defense as they reduce their reliance on an unpredictable United States.
The agreement, unveiled by Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, in London, is a significant reset for the two allies.
But the final details of several important policies were not in place, and Britain had to make some concessions that could prove politically costly for Starmer.
“It’s time to look forward,” Starmer said, “to move on from the stale old debates and political fights to focus on delivering common-sense, practical solutions which get the best for the British people.”
The immediate, hostile reaction from Starmer’s opponents, however, illustrated the political perils for almost any politician in revisiting Brexit, the most fraught and divisive issue in recent British politics.
Under the agreement, European countries will be encouraged to allow British people to use electronic gates in Europe when crossing borders, and traveling with pets will be easier, too. The sale of some British meat products in the EU — Britain’s biggest trading partner — will be possible again, and some border checks on animal and
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plant products will end.
But the most important part of the deal is a security partnership that will bolster defense cooperation between the partners. It will allow them to better pool resources and share technology and intelligence at a moment when a more aggressive Russia — and a more reluctant United States — has left Europe scrambling to defend itself better. The fresh agreement could also pave the way for British companies to fully participate in the EU’s new 150 billion-euro ($168 billion) loan program for defense procurement.
One of the most delicate issues in the trade talks was an extension of the right of European trawlers to fish in British territorial waters, in exchange for reduced trade barriers for British food products entering the EU’s giant single economic zone.
On Monday, Sgt. Yosef Yehuda Chirak, 22, was killed fighting in northern Gaza. According to the IDF, Chirak was killed by friendly fire.
Combat engineers operating in northern Gaza under the 401st Armored Brigade had located a tunnel shaft and were working to map it out ahead of its demolition. During the operation, another company was securing the surrounding area. Chirak, who was next to the tunnel, was hit by fire from the company secur-
ing the area, the investigation found.
Chirak served in the Combat Engineering Corps’ 601st Battalion and was from Harasha in Judea and Samaria.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier Monday that Israel would “take control” of the whole of Gaza as it intensified attacks across the territory, where aid trickled in for the first time in over two months after the easing of a total blockade.
Chirak married his wife Emunah only seven months ago and left behind his parents and three sisters.
“I wish you would come now with your huge smile and say that everything was just a joke and how fun it is to come home,” Emunah said at the funeral on Har Herzl. “It feels like a bad movie that I just want to wake up from. I asked you when you would come back and you told me that only G-d knows and that you would let me know when you will be returning.”
She added, “You were a messenger for all of us, a messenger for the entire people of Israel to eradicate evil. What a privilege it is that you were given this mission. You are the greatest gift I have
ever received in my life. You have a huge heart—everyone loves you the best.”
Yehuda Eliyahu, Emunah’s father and Director General of the Settlement Administration at the Ministry of Defense, addressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the funeral. “I met with you only the day before yesterday. Now we have paid a terrible price— we have joined the bereaved families who are bearing a terrible price,” he said.
Eliyahu demanded a resolute response to terrorism, urging the government to intensify military efforts against Hamas.
“Wage war with all your might until we eliminate this evil from the world and strike it with all your might,” he urged. “Conquer Gaza completely. Expel every last one of them from there and settle the land of our ancestors.”
Tzeela Gez, HY”D
Tzeela Gez, a 30-year-old woman, was in labor last Wednesday night as her husband drove her to a hospital to deliver the baby. While the couple drove through
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northern Judea and Samaria, a Palestinian terrorist shot at cars, hitting Tzeela and her husband.
Tzeela, in critical condition, was immediately driven to Petah Tikva’s Rabin Medical Center. Doctors delivered Tzeela’s baby via an emergency C-section. Early Thursday morning, Tzeela tragically passed away. Her newborn baby boy was in serious condition and was transferred to Schneider Children’s Hospital. Her husband, Chananel, sustained minor injuries and survived the attack.
“Today is a sad day. Last night, my wife was murdered. We were on our way to the hospital to give birth to our fourth child,” Chananel wrote on a family group chat.
“Obviously, I am broken,” he added. “This is natural. But I thank [G-d] that I am alive, and I will be strong in order
to continue to be a light to the world. Because we will never let them break us.”
Tzeela, a mother of three who lived in the town of Bruchin, was a trauma, anxiety, and relationships therapist.
Following the attack, the Israeli army immediately sprang into action, launching a search for the terrorist, whom authorities believe acted alone. Without taking responsibility, Hamas hailed the murderer attack as “heroic.”
On Saturday, the IDF said that it killed the terrorist responsible for the attack. Nael Sami Samara, a 36-year-old Palestinian, is suspected of being connected with the terror attack, although it is unclear if he was the shooter.
Samara’s brother was also captured by the forces for interrogation, as well as several members of his extended family.
“As part of the manhunt for the terrorist who carried out the shooting attack in which Tzeela Gez was killed, targeted sweeps were performed by IDF soldiers directed by the Shin Bet in the village of Bruqin, close to the scene of the attack,” the IDF and Shin Bet spokespersons said in a joint statement. “This morning, several suspects were arrested for involvement in the attack. During the arrest of
one of the suspects, a terrorist was identified running towards the forces while holding a bag carrying suspected explosives and shouting ‘Allahu Akbar.’ In face of the immediate threat, the soldiers engaged and neutralized the terrorist. None of our forces were injured.”
“This abhorrent incident precisely reflects the difference between us, who desire and bring life, and the reprehensible terrorists, whose goal is to kill us and destroy life,” stated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding that he was “deeply shocked by the horrific terrorist attack.”
Since the October 7 massacre, when Hamas murdered 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped 251 others, terrorist attacks in Israel have killed 52 people, including Israeli security personnel.
Israel-Syria Peace Talks
According to reports published Thursday, Israeli and Syrian officials have been holding talks in secret. During the talks, the two sides reportedly dis-
cussed the prospect of Syria joining the Abraham Accords. According to Channel 12, the United Arab Emirates was mediating the talks. Haaretz, however, said that Qatar has been the mediator.
The report was published a day after U.S. President Donald Trump asked Ahmad al-Sharaa, the new president of Syria, to join the Abraham Accords, thus normalizing relations with Israel and exiting Iran’s axis of evil. Trump and Sharaa met in Riyadh on Wednesday, marking the first time the presidents of the U.S. and Syria have had direct talks in 25 years.
“I told [Sharaa], I hope you’re going to join [the Abraham Accords] once you’re straightened out, and he said yes,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One. “But they have a lot of work to do.”
Last week, Sharaa said that Israel and Syria, through mediators, were engaged in security-related talks. However, he did not mention diplomatic talks.
According to Channel 12, a recent meeting between Israeli and Syrian officials took place in Azerbaijan. Turkish representatives were at the meeting, and Israel was represented by Maj. Gen. Oded Basiu, the chief of the IDF Opera-
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tions Directorate.
Sharaa once led a branch of al-Qaeda in Syria. Sharaa, whom the U.S. had a $10 million bounty on until recently, led the successful effort to overthrow the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Syria has generally been well received by Israel, which is still cautious but is considering a potential relationship with Syria. Since rebels ousted Assad, Israel has been bombing Assad-affiliated military targets in Syria. Israeli soldiers are also stationed near Syria’s border at the Golan Heights.
Gaza Aid Resumes
On Sunday evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered basic aid to be allowed to flow into the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu’s decision was made “at the recommendation of the IDF and due to the operational need to enable the expansion of intense fighting to defeat Hamas,” according to the Prime Minister’s Office. By allowing aid into the Strip, a hunger crisis, which “would endanger the continued operation to defeat Hamas,” will be prevented.
“Israel will act to deny Hamas the ability to seize control of the distribution of humanitarian aid in order to ensure that the aid does not reach Hamas terrorists,” Netanyahu’s office added.
According to reports, Netanyahu did not give his ministers the opportunity to vote on the issue, as he normally would, as many right-wing ministers, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, would have objected to the resumption of aid to Gaza. The prime minister is not required to call a vote.
Someone identifying as a “senior official” claimed that the aid would only be given for about a week. After that, new Gaza aid distribution centers, run by private U.S. companies and supervised by the IDF, are expected to be operational. In other words, initially, aid will be distributed by organizations such as the U.N. World Food Programme and the World Central Kitchen. Then, the Gaza
Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), run by the U.S. and Israel, will commence. The foundation said it would begin operating by the end of the month. However, that has yet to be confirmed by Israel.
Israel halted aid into Gaza on March 1, because most of the aid wound up in Hamas’ possession, and, during the sixweek Gaza ceasefire, enough aid was delivered.
Eli Cohen’s Possessions Brought Home
In the early 1960s, Eli Cohen became a spy for the Mossad, gathering intelligence for Israel while undercover in Syria. Cohen rose the ranks in Syria and passed on strategic and vital information to the Israelis. Tragically, on May 18, 1965, the Syrian government executed Cohen after trying him for espionage. Cohen’s body was never recovered. However, on Sunday, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that the Mossad had, in a “historic” secret operation, recovered around 2,500 of Cohen’s documents and personal items from Syria.
The items were presented to Cohen’s widow, Nadia Cohen, by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad Director David Barnea on the 60th anniversary of his death. The recovered items include the Syrian intelligence archive on Eli Cohen, handwritten letters he sent to his family, proof of communications between top Syrian officials and Cohen, forged passports, and pictures captured during his time in Syria.
Additionally, the Mossad also recovered the keys to Cohen’s apartment in Damascus and his original will, which he wrote a few hours before his execution. Israeli officials also found the original death sentence document, along with a letter permitting the then-head of Damascus’s Jewish community, Rabbi Nissim Andabo, to keep Cohen company in the hours before his hanging. The Mossad also uncovered a thick orange folder called “Nadia Cohen,” which included surveillance records tracking her and
her attempts to convince international parties to save her husband.
Barnea said the operation was “another step in advancing the investigation to locate the burial place of our man in Damascus.”
The findings, Netanyahu said, “will educate generations and expresses our tireless commitment to returning all of our missing persons, prisoners of war and hostages.”
New GeneEditing Therapy Treats Baby
A baby born with a rare genetic disease was, for the first time, treated with a gene-editing therapy made to target his specific liver mutation. While it is too early to fully assess the treatment’s effectiveness, it appears to have worked, at least partially.
KJ, the baby boy, was born with a genetic disease called carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1), also known as urea cycle disorder. Whenever a child with the condition eats protein, a poisonous amount of ammonia builds up in their body, increasing their risk of brain damage or death. The condition’s current treatment may only work partially. If a patient is over a year old and has a donor, they may undergo a liver transplant. However, many children with the condition suffer from irreversible brain damage before their first birthday.
While treating KJ, researchers used a technique called “base-editing,” which specifically targeted the baby’s genes.
The treatment, which included three infusions, was administered on February 25. On Thursday, the research team, which was led by Dr. Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas, an assistant pediatrics and genetics professor at the
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania, published its findings in The New England Journal of Medicine and at an American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy meeting.
“This is an important first step towards an entirely new type of personalized medicine. I think it’s going to utterly transform the way we practice medicine, particularly in the area of rare diseases,” said Dr. Kiran Musunuru, a translational research professor at the University of Pennsylvania, who was part of the research team.
The FDA made an exception for the researchers, allowing them to administer the experimental treatment, since it was an emergency.
“The first time you’re putting a new drug into a baby is scary,” Ahrens-Nicklas said. “No one has done this before. No one has developed a personalized gene-editing therapy for an infant. It was quite a nerve-wracking but exciting day. And it was quite a momentous day.”
Since receiving the treatment, KJ has only needed half the normal medication he would take to fight the disease.
Another member of the research team, Fyodor Urnov, the scientific director of the Innovative Genomics Institute at the University of California, Berkeley, called the case “one of those watershed moments in medicine.”
“Ultimately, we hope this has set a precedent where we have firmly entered a world of genetic cures — CRISPR cures — on demand. I think we can say: This is the year when CRISPR-on-demand is truly born,” Urnov said.
“Seeing him reach milestones that are important for any infant as they’re developing blows us away,” said KJ’s mother, Nicole Muldoon.
“Even today, he’s eating avocado. And we were like, ‘We never thought that this was going to happen,’” Muldoon said. “I walked in today and he’s sitting upright all by himself in a crib. And we didn’t even know if that was going to be something he was going to be able to do independently.”
The baby has not yet experienced side effects from the treatment. According to his doctors, KJ is eating more protein and gaining weight.
The treatment’s cost is unclear, since the research project was supported by the National Institutes of
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Health. However, researchers hope that this breakthrough will allow for both the quick and inexpensive creation of gene-editing treatments.
SCOTUS on Birthright Citizenship
On the first day of his second term in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order ending birthright citizenship. Children born in the United States are automatically granted citizenship, regardless of their parents’ legal status. If enforced, Trump’s order, which bans agencies from issuing citizenship documents for babies born to non-citizens, would end that policy.
However, district court judges quickly issued injunctions blocking Trump’s order. On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on the issue. The case has two parts: Is it constitutional for the president to end birthright citizenship, which was seemingly established by the 14th Amendment? Secondly, is it legal for a single district judge to issue a nationwide injunction against the president’s policies? Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas noted that until the 1960s, courts generally only issued injunctions that impacted those who brought forward the litigation, unless it was a class-action lawsuit, in which case, a few individuals represented a larger group.
Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh brought up that issue, suggesting that class-action lawsuits would be more effective than universal injunctions at blocking Trump’s order.
Other justices asked Solicitor General John Sauer how the executive order would take effect practically.
“The president is violating not just one, but in my count, four established Supreme Court precedents,” liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor told Sauer. “And you are claiming that both the Supreme Court and no lower court can stop an executive, universally, from violating those holdings.”
“Let’s just assume you’re dead wrong,” liberal Justice Elena Kagan suggested. “Does every single person that is affected by this EO [executive order] have to bring their own suit? Are there alternatives? How long does it take? How do we get to the result that there is a single rule of citizenship that is the rule that we’ve
historically applied rather than the rule that the EO would have us do?”
Kavanaugh, too, weighed in, asking Sauer: “On the day after it goes into effect – this is just a very practical question –how it’s going to work? What do hospitals do with a newborn?”
Conservative Justice Samuel Alito asked, “What is the point of this argument about universal injunctions” if those challenging the executive order could just file a class-action lawsuit?
Sauer, who represents the federal government before the Supreme Court, admitted that the legal arguments in favor of Trump’s order were “novel” and “sensitive.” Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett also asked why the Trump administration took issue with nationwide injunctions if class-action lawsuits would work just as well against the president’s agenda. Sauer noted two differences between nationwide injunctions and class-action lawsuits: the latter would be harder to win and riskier for those bringing the suit.
It is unclear when the Supreme Court plans to rule on the case, though it might take until next month, when the court’s term is scheduled to end.
Dem. Rep. Charged
Rep. LaMonica McIver has been charged by the U.S. Attorney for assaulting, impeding and interfering with law enforcement during an incident at a Newark immigration facility on May 9.
Three Democratic lawmakers from New Jersey − Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez, and McIver – had faced off against DHS guards outside the Delaney Hall detention center shortly after officers arrested Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. Members of Congress, by law, can visit immigrant detention facilities unannounced.
Baraka had come to the facility to inspect the former prison that was converted into an immigrant detention center. McIver had assaulted the ICE agents in charge of guarding the facility.
Interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba,
formerly a lawyer for President Donald Trump, said in a statement after announcing the charges against McIver that “I have persistently made efforts to address these issues without bringing criminal charges and have given Representative McIver every opportunity to come to a resolution, but she has unfortunately declined.”
In a statement, McIver called the charges political. The other two lawmakers who visited the detention center have not been charged.
“We were fulfilling our lawful oversight responsibilities, as members of Congress have done many times before, and our visit should have been peaceful and short. Instead, ICE agents created an unnecessary and unsafe confrontation when they chose to arrest Mayor Baraka,” McIver said. “The charges against me are purely political — they mischaracterize and distort my actions and are meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight.”
Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin had initially said that multiple members of Congress had assaulted officers and that arrests were possible.
“We actually have body camera footage of these members of Congress assaulting these ICE enforcement officers, including body slamming a female ICE officer,” she said.
After the incident, the members of Congress took an hour-long tour of the facility.
“They didn’t assault anyone, but were themselves aggressively mistreated by illegally masked individuals,”
House Democratic leaders said in a joint statement. “There is no credible evidence that Rep. McIver engaged in any criminal activity, and she would not have been permitted to tour the facility had she done anything wrong.”
Habba said the misdemeanor trespassing charge against Baraka, a candidate for governor, has been dropped “for the sake of moving forward.”
SCOTUS: Protective Status for Venezuelans Can End
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it allowed the Trump administration to terminate Tempo-
rary Protected Status for approximately 350,000 Venezuelans who were protected from deportation and allowed to work in the United States.
The court approved the administration’s emergency request to lift a lower court’s order that barred it from ending the protections while other legal proceedings continue.
In their application to the high court, lawyers representing the government had said the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California undermined “the Executive Branch’s inherent powers as to immigration and foreign affairs,” when it halted the administration from ending protections and work permits in April 2025 as opposed to the original date in October 2026.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson called the court’s decision a “win for the American people and the safety of our communities.”
“The Biden Administration exploited parole programs to let poorly vetted migrants into this country – from MS-13 gang members to known terrorists and murderers. The Trump Administration is reinstituting integrity into our immigration system to keep our homeland and its people safe,” the spokesperson added.
Ahilan Arulanantham, who is representing TPS holders in the case, said, “This is the largest single action stripping any group of non-citizens of immigration status in modern U.S. history. That the Supreme Court authorized this action in a two-paragraph order with no reasoning is truly shocking. The humanitarian and economic impact of the Court’s decision will be felt immediately and will reverberate for generations.”
Days before leaving office, the Biden administration announced an 18-month extension of TPS benefits for Venezuelans who obtained the status in 2023. It had created protected status for Venezuelans, in part, because conditions in Venezuela under President Nicolás Maduro made it risky to deport migrants there.
Three days after being confirmed in February, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem vacated the decision.
In its lawsuit, the National TPS Alliance and seven Venezuelan nationals labeled Noem’s decision to vacate the extension as being motivated “at least in part by racial animus” toward Venezuelans. The lawsuit claims Noem has repeatedly called Venezuelans “dirtbags” and gang members during news interviews.
The ruling might have major repercussions for hundreds of thousands of
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other people. At the moment, DHS’s termination of TPS for Haiti, Cameroon, and Afghanistan is being challenged in courts across the country with similar arguments as those for Venezuela.
Ship Crashes into Brooklyn Bridge
On Saturday, a Mexican navy ship veered off course and struck the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. Two sailors on the ship were killed, and more than a dozen others onboard the vessel were injured.
Videos shared online captured the training vessel Cuauhtémoc sailing toward the iconic bridge, which connects the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan. The ship’s 147-foot masts, which were shining bright with decorative lights, couldn’t clear the arched bridge and were sheared off upon impact.
Naval cadets dressed in white uniforms could be seen dangling from the ship’s crossbeams. Meanwhile, bystanders at one of the suspension bridge’s bases, located near New York City’s South Street Seaport, fled in terror.
Of the 277 people on board, two were killed and 22 were injured, including three who were seriously hurt, the Mexican navy said on social media.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the @SEMAR_ mx training ship Cuauhtémoc incident at the Brooklyn Bridge,” the U.S. ambassador in Mexico, Ronald Johnson, said in a post on X. ”We are monitoring closely and are in touch with the Government of Mexico via @SRE_mx to provide support as necessary. You have our full support.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the Cuauhtémoc lost power just before crashing into the bridge at about 8:20 p.m. ET.
The training ship had arrived at New York’s Pier 17 and was open to the public to visit from May 13 to 17, according to the Mexican Consulate in New York. The Cuauhtémoc was supposed to head south out of the New York Harbor and on to Iceland, but it went in the wrong direc-
tion and sailed under the bridge.
Thankfully, the bridge sustained no damage.
A female cadet and a male Marine died from their injuries. They were identified as América Yamilet Sánchez, 20, and Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos.
More Measles Cases
According to data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday, the number of measles cases in the U.S. has risen to 1,024.
Cases have been confirmed in 30 states including Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
The U.S. is nearing the total of cases seen in 2019, of which there were 1,274 confirmed infections across the country over the course of a year, CDC data shows.
Thirteen percent of those who had the measles this year have been hospitalized, the majority of whom are under age 19.
“The key thing about all of this is that the cases of measles that we’re seeing today and that we typically see are nearly 100% in people who have not received the vaccine,” Dr. Roy Gulick, chief of infectious disease at New York-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine, noted.
The CDC currently recommends that people receive two doses of the MMR vaccine, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective against measles, the CDC says.
Measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000 due to a highly effective vaccination program, according to the CDC. But vaccination rates have been lagging in recent years.
During the 2023 to 2024 school year, 92.7% of kindergartners received
the MMR vaccine, according to data. This is lower than the 93.1% seen the previous school year and the 95.2% seen in the 2019 to 2020 school year, prior to the Covid pandemic.
With vaccination rates declining, “that leaves more of the population susceptible to measles and means that it could be passed in the population more easily,” Gulick said. “Sustained transmission which if it occurs in enough people and for long enough then we will lose status of eradication.”
Fowl Play
Recently, a USPS postal worker made a shocking discovery when he opened a postal truck and found thousands of baby chicks.
The little creatures had been stuck in the truck without food and water for three days. Thousands of them died before they were discovered.
They had been sent by a hatchery by postal service to clients around the country. Unfortunately, they never made it to their destination.
Once the postal service realized its mistake, it never sent the remaining 12,000 chicks to their to-be owners. Now, an animal shelter in Delaware is wondering what to do with these fluffy babies, who, out of biosafety concerns, cannot be sent back to the hatchery from where they came from.
Last Tuesday, the shelter began offering the birds for adoption, but only a few hundred out of thousands have been picked up. Among the birds were young turkeys, geese and quail, but the vast majority were Freedom Ranger chicks.
The shelter taking care of the birds is overwhelmed and has had to hire more staff to care for these little ones. Freedom Rangers take about ten weeks to reach maturity.
Sounds like the feathers are flying.
Finally Found
A woman from Georgia went missing for three weeks in the icy wilderness until she was finally found last week.
Tiffany Slaton had been reported missing on April 29 after her parents didn’t hear from her for over a week. The
27-year-old had been hiking in the Sierra National Forest. Rescuers combed the area but were unable to find her as they were hampered by heavy snow blocking many roads.
Last Monday, rescuers began to scale down the search. But then, a miracle occurred.
Christopher Gutierrez, who owns Vermilion Valley Resort, began to reopen the resort for spring. When he approached one cabin, he saw a pair of shoes from the open door. Suddenly, a young woman appeared in the doorway.
“She pops out, didn’t say a word, just ran up and all she wanted was a hug,” Gutierrez said. “It was a pretty surreal moment, and that’s when I realized who this was.”
Gutierrez leaves the cabin doors open during the winter in case a wayward hiker needs to find shelter.
Gutierrez gave Slaton a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and called authorities, who brought her to a hospital for evaluation. She was hungry and dehydrated, but otherwise in good condition, sheriff’s officials said.
According to Sheriff’s spokesperson Tony Botti, it was the longest period of time he’s seen someone go missing in the wilderness and survive.
“Three weeks, it’s unheard of,” he said. “It speaks to the tenacity that Tiffany has, that she’s a fighter.”
After the rescue, Tiffany’s father, Bobby Slaton, said “a ton of weight has been lifted.” He thanked the search-and-rescue team and all the community members who helped in the effort to find her.
Sheriff’s officials said snowplows cleared a key mountain pass earlier last Wednesday, which allowed Gutierrez to access the resort on Lake Edison for the first time this year. Gutierrez said he had to spend about an hour and a half breaking up ice before he could get into the property.
Slaton’s parents said Tiffany was raised with a love of the outdoors, and they always stressed the importance of being able to fend for yourself in a tough situation.
“So, it’s nice to know, as parents, that all the things that we’ve taught her, she actually did,” her mother said. “We believe that life is an adventure.”
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Torah Thought You Are Priceless!
By Rabbi Zvi Teichman
If a man articulates a vow, 'דל תושפנ ךכרעב — regarding a valuation of living beings to G-d. (ב זכ ארקיו)
So begins the portion that deals with a person desiring to offer his ךרע — ‘value’ to G-d. The Torah goes on to detail the exact amount a person must give based solely on one’s age and gender, not factoring the individual’s health, talents, or strengths in determining that value.
The Holy Alshich sees in this person’s intent to vow the value of 'דל תושפנ, a desire to consecrate his very being to G-d, no different than sanctifying an animal as an offering in the Temple.
Rashi wonders about the grammatical appropriateness in referring to his volunteering his ‘worth’ as ךכרעב — literally translated as ‘your worth’. Being that the verse introduces the vower in the third person, “if a man articulates a vow…”, why would it suddenly transition to speaking to him directly, in the second person, “your worth”?
Rashi, baffled by this inconsistency confesses and states “I don’t know!”
This discrepancy is repeated throughout the entire portion so that whenever it refers to one’s undertaking a vow of valuation, despite speaking in the third person, it never continues by correctly referring to ‘his’ vow, and always switches to ‘your vow’.
Both Rav Mordechai HaKohen of Safed, the Sifsei Kohen, a great 16th century Kabbalist and purveyor of the Torah of the Arizal, and Rav Moshe Dovid Valle, 17th century Italian scholar and renowned disciple of the Ramchal, independently offer a very insightful solution to this anomaly.
Rav Valle first asks, how can the Torah place any price tag on a Jewish soul, don’t we learn that if saves any
Jew it is as if one has saved an entire world, and is truly priceless?
They both answer saying that is precisely the point. G-d when referring to the ‘value’ intimating a finite worth is only true in the realm of man on earth and his limited perceptions, who lives by assessing constantly relative values in formulating what is truly worthy in this world. The Torah therefore reasserts each time reference to man’s worth is mentioned, that it is only in the world of ‘your values’ that one can relate a price, because in G-d’s eyes we are indeed invaluable.
It is precisely because of this reality that the Torah does not factor in any physical or even spiritual strengths of the individual being ‘assessed’, since in G-d’s eyes each and everyone of us is equally precious, deficiencies notwithstanding.
Rav Mordechai HaKohen interprets the verse that discusses the situation of a man who undertook a vow of valuation but cannot afford to pay that full price — where the Torah states: ‘But if he too is poor, ךכרעמ — for the valuation’, the Kohen will adjust his obligation based on his financial status — in a most novel way.
If a man feels unworthy, it is only because you are basing it ךכרעמ — from ‘your’ limited and inaccurate assessment of what your true worth is in G-d’s eyes.
He then points out that this portion is strategically situated directly after the החכות — the Admonition, where the Torah foretells of the terrible tragedies that will befall the nation due to their many sins. A person may be misled to think that G-d no longer cares for us, nor cherishes us as he did in the glory days of our history. To quash that notion the Torah states clearly that such a conclusion is preposterous and only due to our poor vision. We must know with certainty, that ‘every single member of
the Jewish people are beloved by the Holy One, blessed be He.’
The Holy Kohen teaches that all the difficulties G-d sends upon us is lovingly sent to cleanse and preserve us, prodding us to rediscover our true worth in His eyes.
Rav Valle notices a similarity between the opening verse in this portion and that of the Nazir who undertakes a vow, by both it states שיא — a man, אילפי יכ —that articulates a vow
The Torah is seeking to instruct us that when we quest for holiness, appreciating who we are and the ‘value’ we each possess, G-d will confer upon us His sanctity, as by the Nazir.
This past Lag BaOmer I pondered the uplifting piyyut we sing entitled Bar Yochai. Each stanza seems to describe the greatness of Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Yet, strangely he is only referred to as Bar Yochai, the son of his father Yochai. Why?
One sentiment expressed troubled me. We say there, םדא השענ — Let us make Man, ךרובעב רמאנ — was said for you. This would seem to indicate that Rebbi Shimon was the epitome of all creation and in a sense a reincarnation of Adam. Echoing the earlier question of Rav Valle, but aren’t we taught that every man is obligated to affirm, םלועה ארבנ יליבשב — because of me the world was created, each one of us is worthy of the universe being purposed for our individual accomplishment? (זל
The Great Reb Nachman of Breslov reveals that the father of Rebbi Shimon, Yochai, name is alluded in the verse that Rebbi Shimon taught is a promise of G-d that Torah will never be forgotten from our seed. אל יכ — for it shall not, חכשת — be forgotten, וערז יפמ — from the mouth of its offspring. (אכ אל םירבד)
The last letter in each of these words combine to spell out י-א-ח-ו-י.
Perhaps this song is not about Rebbi
Shimon per se, but about all ‘children’ of parents, Bar Yochai being the paradigm for every one of us in conveying the greatness we possess, about whom G-d uttered, “Let us make Man” — each one of us, who is worthy of being the purpose of creation.
My dear friend, Rabbi Yechiel Spero, related a touching story about a young woman, Rifky, who forsook the traditions of her parents, rejecting Torah and leaving home. Rifky quickly became Randy and despite occasionally returning home for the holidays on occasion over the first few years of her rebellion, eventually drifted totally away from her very frustrated parents.
Twenty years later, her father approached Reb Naftulchik, the Bobover Rebbe, presenting him a kvittle with all his family members’ names requesting a blessing. The Rebbe slowly read the petition, then inquiring to the father that one of his children’s names was missing. The father sadly related the history of his ‘lost’ and estranged daughter. The Rebbe looked deeply into his eyes and said, “A Kind bleibt aleh muhl a kind — A child always remains a child.”
He took the message to heart, lovingly and longingly adding his daughter’s name to the kvittle.
Upon his returning home, his wife excitedly greeted him telling him that for the first time in decades Rifky ‘called home’.
Perhaps it was the Rebbe’s blessing that prodded her interest. I would like to think that it was the father’s rekindled appreciation for his daughter’s priceless ‘neshama’, no matter how far removed, that provoked G-d’s embrace in turn to his beloved children.
May we realize how cherished we are and merit to arouse G-d’s tangible presence in our lives. After all, we are all His children, and ‘a kind bleibt aleh muhl ah kind!’
You may reach the author at: Ravzt@ ohelmoshebaltimore.com
OVERVIEW PARSHA
Behar begins as Moshe hears Hashem's voice in the Mishkan at the foot of Mt. Sinai, commanding him to convey the laws of Shemita and Yovel to the Jewish people.
Bechukosai discusses the blessings and curses, and ends with the laws of Erchin.
Quotable Quote “ ”
“The history of my family is where my identity begins.”
TSorahparks
Parshas Behar/Bechukosai on
Rabbi Lord J. Sacks zt”l
GEMATRIA
The gematria of ךרע (which means value; see end of Bechukosai) is 290, which happens to be the same as ץר , which means: run. Passionate Judaism is in the realm of ץר , running to do the will of Hashem. And this type of lifestyle is what provides us the most value!
Rabbi Ori Strum is the author of “Ready. Set. Grow.” “Dove Tales,” and “Karpas: The Big Dipper.”
His shiurim and other Jewish content can be found on Torah Anytime and Meaningful Minute.
He can be reached at 443-938-0822 or oristrum@torahsparks.com
Pesukim - 57/78
Words - 737/1,013 PARSHA STATS
Letters - 2,817/3,992
Mitzvos - 24/12
QUICK VORT Chassidus
The Torah tells us that the תוללק (curses) come, םולשו סח , when the Jewish people are in the realm of ירק ; when they serve Hashem with casualness. No relationship. No passion. No real “umph.”
Ironically, after discussing the curses, the Torah speaks about the laws of Erchin, which highlights and pinpoints the value of each person. The connection is so clear.
When people start to thin k that what I do doesn't really matter, they start acting more casual. Does Hashem really need my prayers? Is Hashem really interested in my learning? Does my shaking a lulav have value? Do my Shabbos candles really illuminate anything? Does my Beracha before eating really make any difference?
The placement of Erchin (laws of value) right after the curses, perhaps, teaches us that in Judaism, we must first and foremost realize our inner value; our immense greatness.
And when we do this, we will live with passion, fervor, and meaning. Belief in ourselves and our greatness is a the way in which we live a life of tremendous blessing!
Have a holy Shabbos!
Rebbe Yaakov Abichatzeira, in his Sefer Machsof HaLavan, says that when the Torah discusses Erchin, it says ךכרע - your value, and the number amount given in the Torah is small.
This is because it's talking only about the value of the physical body.
The value of the Jewish soul, however, knows no bounds!
Points to
Ponder Thoughts in
The names of the Parshios always have meaning and importance. This week, we read Acharei Mos, a reference to death, and Kedoshim, a reference to holiness.
Can you draw a parallel between the names of the Parshios? What lesson does “Acharei Mos” teach us that will enable us to live as “Kedoshim” people?
Scan the QR code to view Torah classes from R’ Ori Strum on Torah Anytime!
The Economy is Key in Middle East Diplomacy. Israel is Unprepared
By Tzvi Lev
In a landmark visit underscoring the deepening economic ties between the United States and the Gulf States, President Donald Trump concluded a high-profile tour last week across Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The trip, his first to the region since returning to office, was marked by a series of headline-grabbing summits and multibillion-dollar agreements aimed at boosting bilateral trade, investment, and energy cooperation.
Trump was received with full state honors in each capital, where he met with heads of state, top business leaders, and sovereign investment officials to advance what he described as “a new era of prosperity through strength.”
The historic nature of the visit was illustrated by a raft of major deals signed during the trip, including infrastructure and defense contracts, strategic energy investments, and joint ventures in advanced technology sectors. In Riyadh, Trump helped unveil a $22 billion investment pact focused on U.S.-Saudi collaboration in semiconductors and clean tech. In Doha, Qatari and American firms signed a landmark agreement to co-develop LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) infrastructure for export to Europe.
Meanwhile, in Abu Dhabi, Trump keynoted a private investment summit where U.S. and Emirati funds announced plans to co-launch a $10 billion innovation-focused investment platform. Regional leaders hailed the visit as a turning point in U.S.-Gulf economic diplomacy, and Trump himself called it “a moment of enormous potential for the future of the region and for American business.”
Yet the high profile visit to the Arabian Gulf last week wasn’t just another run-ofthe-mill diplomatic visit by a foreign leader. It marked the beginning of a massive shift in the international order, in which
the economy has now taken center stage.
Israel finds itself highly vulnerable to this change. As evidenced by the mercurial president’s decision to skip over the Jewish State entirely, Israel is not well placed to position itself in this new reality and risks becoming an afterthought. Israel’s strategic failure was on full display as the Arabs skillfully leveraged their massive oil wealth to align themselves with the United States. Recognizing the paradigm shift in U.S. foreign policy, Qatar, Saudi, and the rest of the Gulf pivoted to playing the game in which they have a decisive strategic advantage in a way that Israel can never even compete.
Historically, the battle between Israeli leaders was to extract as much value as possible from the U.S. This currency took many forms: diplomatic support at international forums, running interference to block anti-Israel measures at the ICC, and of course, handouts for purchasing American weapons. A successful Israeli statesman was, traditionally, the one who raised the most cash.
This dynamic was epitomized in 2016, when then-President Barack Obama signed another decade-long military welfare package in which Israel would get $3.8 billion annually. The largesse immediately set off a round of finger pointing amongst the political set, as opposition politicos such as Ehud Barak contended that they would have succeeded in pulling down “more.”
This was a game in which Israel generally, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu specifically, have always excelled. Politicians, military leaders, and heads of powerful NGOs such as the Jewish Agency knew how to move the levers of hard and soft power to ensure that intel agencies, government officials, and VCs would dial the +972 area code when they needed something.
And when Trump returned to the White House, Netanyahu thought that his mastery of pulling the different social levels in the United States together with his penchant for stroking the president’s ego would be enough to bring home the bacon.
Pax Israeliana. The money would flow.
Yet Netanyahu and Israel completely miscalculated and failed to read the room – primarily, the sudden and sharp turn American foreign policy took. Overnight, Washington began putting a premium on what other countries could do for the U.S., where the ultimate arbiter of this was the economy – Foreign Direct Investment, jobs created, and colossal purchases of American weapons.
This is a game in which Israel cannot compete, where it is set up to fail while the oil-soaked Arab states harbor a decisive advantage. As mentioned, Israel extracts value; it labors to take out money and inputs from the United States and does not focus on creating factories and jobs in the Land of the Free.
The opposite is the case. Any Israeli economic attaché convincing an Israeli company to move abroad would be fired. Israeli scientists relocating to the U.S. are seen as a national tragedy, and it’s unheard of for American investors to raise money from Israeli family offices.
Since the induction of the Abraham Accords, there has been a fundamental disconnect in how Israel and the Gulf states each view the goal of this treaty. While the Emiratis and Bahrainis expected Israel to scale up tech companies and establish factories in their respective countries, the Jews flooded the Gulf with suitcases looking for funding while mumbling something vague about the “Start Up Nation.”
Recent events have only further proven this point. Over the course of President Donald Trump’s recent Arabian Gulf tour, the wealthy GCC states inked MOUs worth over a trillion dollars in business with American companies.
The Saudis kicked off the visit by announcing a massive $143 billion weapons deal with U.S. defense primes, alongside another $600 billion of investment into the American economy. Then there was the launch of multibillion dollar Saudi-U.S. research funds in strategic sectors like defense tech, energy and artificial intelligence.
The Saudi government was well prepared for Trump’s visit to Riyadh, organizing the Saudi American Investment Forum that brought together the Kingdom’s top companies and government officials with titans of industry that includ-
ed the CEOs of American heavyweights such as Meta, Amazon, Walmart, Oracle, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing.
Meanwhile, Qatar gifted the president a shiny $400 million private jet and announced a mammoth purchase of 200 passenger jets by Qatar Airways that will be manufactured inside of the United States. “This deal alone is worth 35,000 jobs in North Carolina,” exulted Trump at the ceremonial signing.
turing, national security interests, and job growth in line with Trump-era economic and geopolitical goals.
This, while Israel begs pitifully for alms and still hasn’t stopped whining that the Pentagon refuses to let it spend the enormous annual military aid it affords on Israeli-made weapons. Not only that, it is working to stop the U.S. from making even more money, desperately trying to scrap plans to build the Saudis dozens
Netanyahu thought that his mastery of pulling the different social levels in the United States together with his penchant for stroking the president , s ego would be enough to bring home the bacon.
Riyadh and Doha were topped by the United Arab Emirates, who turned the U.S. president’s visit to the region into a showcase of the Sheikhdom’s commitment to deploying its massive oil wealth in ways that would benefit the U.S.
Among the highlights was the $14.5 billion commitment by Etihad Airways to purchase 28 U.S.-made Boeing 787 and 777X aircraft, powered by GE Aerospace engines. In the subsequent press interviews in Abu Dhabi, ministers predicted that the deal would support over 60,000 jobs across the United States and reinforced the longstanding aviation partnership between the UAE and the U.S.
Beyond aviation, the UAE’s Emirates Global Aluminum launched a landmark $4 billion aluminum smelter in Oklahoma – the first of its kind in the U.S. in nearly half a century. The project is set to create 1,000 jobs and double current domestic production capacity, bolstering America’s industrial base and critical mineral supply chains.
In the energy sector, Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC is working with ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum, and EOG Resources on a $60 billion plan to expand oil and gas production, in line with President Trump’s push to cement U.S. energy dominance globally.
Throughout the week, the Gulf States made a show of doubling down on U.S. investments in a show of economic alignment with the Trump administration’s “America First” agenda. They did everything to underscore how Gulf investments are not only commercial but increasingly strategic—supporting high-tech manufac-
How Israel Can and Should Respond
Now, let’s shift focus to what Israel should do – not only to describe how bad of a position we find ourselves in but possible solutions to rectify the problem. While this writer is now a private citizen, he spent years working as a diplomat in a slew of economic- and diplomatic-based roles, focusing on both attracting foreign investment into Israel and embedding Israeli companies into similar efforts by other countries.
“It’s the economy, stupid,” former President Bill Clinton famously said. To contend in a world where the economy is paramount, Israel needs to put a premium on hiring talent with extensive private sector experience.
of nuclear reactors and purchases of the F-35 that would put piles of money into the till of the American taxpayer.
Israel’s predicament is worse than it might appear. This is a game in which it is completely unready to play, in which the Jewish State finds itself at a severe disadvantage and that it will continue to lose until the entire strategic edifice undergoes a facelift.
And there lies the solution: a complete revamp of the manpower running Israel’s foreign and defense establishment. This starts with Prime Minister Netanyahu, the veteran and wily politician made his chops over the past four decades in a game that is no longer relevant.
When you play the Game of Thrones, you better win. It’s time for new blood.
This is not the case today. The main decisionmakers in Israel’s defense and foreign policy establishment don’t have any business or private sector experience.
The dominant entity for anything defense and military related was and remains the IDF. There, colonels and generals who have never held a job outside of the military are expected to brief the Prime Minister and the cabinet.
The situation isn’t much better in the National Security Council, which is stacked by those same colonels and generals. Other entities with significant influence over decisionmakers are think tanks such as INSS and academia, also stacked by ex-military figures or career researchers who have never had to sit with a customer.
Having Middle Eastern Affairs experts and major generals making decisions
made sense when Israel was surrounded by five Arab armies armed with the latest in Soviet weaponry. It doesn’t fly when the economy takes center stage, and where the leader of the free world decides whether to visit a country based on its trade balance with the United States.
The change needs to start from the very bottom. For example, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Foreign Trade Administration should prioritize candidates with business experience when interviewing for their prestigious Cadets’ Course.
Currently, these roles are dominated by people with a background in media and law. Furthermore, the National Security Council should create an entire new division focused exclusively on economic issues staffed entirely by successful business people.
The next step is to prioritize attracting foreign companies to invest in Israel. Today, the main governmental entity tasked with promoting Israel’s economy globally is the Foreign Trade Administration.
There, Israel’s network of economic attaches focus almost entirely on assisting Israeli companies to sell in new markets. This, as opposed to convincing foreign corporations like Costco or Uber to set up shop in Israel itself.
It says something when there is the government-funded Israel Export Institute but nothing for assisting importers. I’ve never understood why the government doesn’t feel that it’s important to attract corporate behemoths to enter the country.
As a diplomat, this writer invested mammoth efforts to move Israel’s trade from Islamist Turkey to friendly Dubai
after Turkish President Recep Erdogan banned all exports to Israel. Yet at the time, there was no one to talk to; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Security Council were busy with weighty strategic matters like Iran and scuttling a Palestinian state, while the Ministry of Economy dealt only with exports.
The various Chambers of Commerce and Trade Unions, of course, were and remain corrupt entities that exist to hand plum jobs to political operatives. I assume that the Bermuda Triangle of the Israeli Economy results from protectionist in-
are dispatching high level delegations to seduce European manufacturing plants buckling under onerous environmental regulation to relocate.
Israel needs to be a player in this. The rules of the game have changed; the economy now reigns king and we can’t afford to be asleep at the wheel.
This leads into the next point: Israel needs to become the best place in the world to do business.
On paper, Israel is a dream market for foreign corporations. With one of the world’s strongest economies, Israel is the
Israel needs to undergo a paradigm shift and realize that it is no longer a poor and cash-strapped economy dependent on foreign handouts.
stincts designed to protect Israeli companies and special interests determined to reduce competition.
Yet encouraging foreign corporations to enter Israel would create jobs and lower the cost of living by increasing competition. More importantly, it would effectively create a global lobby of Israel supporters, as these same companies would pressure their governments to go soft on Israel so as not to hurt their bottom line.
There’s a global arms race out there to attract Foreign Direct Investment. The Emiratis and Saudis are providing enormous subsidies for international companies to set up shop; India and Vietnam
only Western nation with a positive birth rate, a (somewhat) trustworthy judicial system, and a GDP that goes only up.
Translated into layman’s terms, this means that Israel has the money to purchase whatever it is that you’re selling, will have more money to buy more of it in a few years, and will likely need more of it due to the high birth rate. And if someone cheats you, you will get your day in court and have a good chance of getting your money back.
This should be very attractive to foreign businesses that have large capital expenses. Once they pay off the cost of entering a new market, hiring staff and building a factory, they will sell to a market that is both ex-
panding and making more money.
So why isn’t every foreign company flocking to Israel? Simple – the seven circles of Gehinnom the government puts the private sector through. “Five years until I can operate? I’ve built entire skyscrapers in Dubai in half of that time,” said the shocked CEO of a Dubai-based construction company I was trying to convince to operate in Israel.
In a world where defense and saber-rattling has the last word, you invest in building military power. When the United States focuses on the economy, you build economic power and transform your economy into something that is the envy of the world.
Obvious examples would be Dubai and Singapore, two small countries established a little over half a century ago with no natural resources. They overcame their limitations by creating an extremely business-friendly regul atory environment, a fair and efficient judicial system, and strong property rights.
There is a lot of work to be done. Becoming the most attractive place to do business entails a massive revamp of the economy, including but not limited to doing away with the Communist-era labor laws that cripple competition and taking an axe to the endless thicket of bureaucracy.
The choking progressive income tax regime needs to be a thing of the past, and corporate tax should be cut by at least 10%. More importantly, bringing in labor from around the world needs to become substantially easier than the current layers of red tape that companies are dragged through.
As mentioned, there’s a global war for
companies and talent. A foreign CEO deciding where to establish his EMEA hub can choose Croatia, Israel, or Greece.
What should Israel do to make itself climb to the top of the list?
Diversify, diversify, diversify. Broader economic diversification would strengthen resilience, create more inclusive job opportunities, and ensure sustainable long-term growth across industries.
This begins by building up other sectors that are not related to tech, be it manufacturing, tourism, or professional services. Today, Israel’s economy is dominated by its world renowned tech scene that has led it to proudly wear the moniker of the “Start Up Nation.”
Technology makes up 53% of total exports, despite the sector employing a little over 10% of the total workforce.
Yet there are major drawbacks to having all of your eggs in one basket. First, it leaves the country vulnerable to boom and bust cycles. To illustrate, a global tech downtown and higher interest rates in 2022 resulting from the emergence from the COVID pandemic left the ecosystem reeling as VCs cut back on investment.
While a key growth engine, the overreliance on tech leaves the country vulnerable to global market fluctuations and
sector-specific downturns
The need to diversify is true within Israel’s tech ecosystem as well, as cybersecurity is the main cash cow that pulls in 36% of total funding. Israel needs to prioritize the emergence of more sectors, more companies, and more the development of fast-growing verticals like Digital Assets and Food Tech in which Israel boasts cutting edge innovation.
There is enormous potential for growing the overall pie. For example, Israel is a three hour flight from most European capitals and has hundreds of historical and religious sites; why shouldn’t the Jewish State become an international hub for conferences and exhibitions like Las Vegas and Dubai?
With London suffering from skyrocketing crime and having left the European Union, why shouldn’t Israel become a global center for financial services? Why can’t we take advantage of our strategic geographic location to become Hong Kong to Africa, a safe and stable way for international companies to access the world’s fastest growing economy?
Finally, Israel needs to undergo a paradigm shift and realize that it is no longer a poor and cash-strapped economy dependent on foreign handouts but a
red-hot market that is one of the world’s economic success stories.
“We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them,” recounted the Biblical spies dispatched to scout out the Land of Israel. Describing the intense inferiority complex prevalent amongst the Jews who still viewed themselves as Egyptian slaves, this passage accurately describes the feeling amongst many Israeli decisionmakers.
Yes, Israel began as a poverty-stricken country so in debt and destitute that it implemented a draconian regime of food stamps throughout its early years. Yet today Israel is a wealthy nation, with a GDP ahead of Singapore, Austria, and only slightly behind the UAE with its significant oil wealth.
Israel’s economy is larger than the global economic powerhouses of Norway and Denmark, while the top financial institutions in London, the UAE, and Switzerland routinely target Israel as a key international pool of High Net Worth Individuals. Israel is home to one of the world’s most dynamic and resilient economies, consistently ranking among the top in GDP per capita globally.
Despite suffering from a complicat-
L CHAIM
ed geopolitical environment, Israel has maintained robust economic growth, fueled by its innovation-driven industries, strong exports, and a thriving tech sector. Its high-income economy is supported by world-class human capital, advanced infrastructure, and an entrepreneurial ecosystem that attracts substantial global investment.
“If you want to be a leader, act like one,” says the motivational speaker Robin Sharma. The economy has become the main arbiter on the global stage; playing the game successfully means acting not like a poor country filled with refugees but like an international economic power.
The road to wielding economic power effectively starts with realizing that you have it, and then working to grow it as quickly as possible.
Born and raised in Far Rockaway, NY, Tzvi Lev has extensive experience working throughout the Middle East. Previously an Israeli diplomat, Tzvi served on the Abraham Accords Task Force and established Israel’s Economic team in Dubai, leading it while living in the UAE for three years. Today, he is a businessman and the CEO of the Dubai Israel Business Council.
WEEKLY CALENDAR MAY 26TH - MAY 30TH
Stimulating Activities For Adults - Delicious Kosher Meals
Monday May 26th Wednesday May 28th
9:00 am
Breakfast Club
9:30 am
Yoga with Deborah Bandos
11:00 am
Discussion Group with Rabbi KarpShavuos History
12:00 pm
Lunch & Learn
1:00 pm
Arts & Crafts with Shifra
2:00 pm
Music with Mr. Fried
Tuesday May 27th
9:00 am
Breakfast Club
9:30 am Yoga with Deborah Bandos
10:15 am
Anagrams with Malka Zweig
11:00 am
Discussion Group with Rabbi KarpShavuos Customs
12:00 pm
Lunch & Learn
1:00 pm BINGO
1:45 pm
Guitar with Yossi K
9:00 am
Breakfast Club
9:30 am Yoga with Deborah Bandos
10:15 am
Anagrams with Malka Zweig
10:30 am Bais Yaakov Middle School Visit
11:00 am
Discussion Group with Rabbi Karp- Shavuos Stories
12:00 pm Lunch & Learn
1:00 pm
Arts & Crafts with Shifra
1:45 pm
Guitar with Yossi K
2:00 pm
Chizuk Roundtable (women only)
Thursday May 29th
9:00 am Breakfast Club 9:30 am Yoga with Deborah Bandos 10:15 am Anagrams with Malka Zweig
12:00 pm Lunch & Learn 1:00 pm Arts & Crafts with Shifra 1:45 pm Guitar with Yossi K
Friday May 30th
9:00 am
Breakfast Club
9:30 am
Yoga with Deborah Bandos
11:00 am
Discussion Group with Rabbi Karp- All about the Aseres HaDibros
12:00 pm
Lunch & Learn
1:00 pm
Music with Aharon Grayson
BABL By Town Appliance 2025 Mid-Season Report
Another incredible season of the Believe And Achieve Baseball league is in full swing. Over 475 kids, spanning across 7 divisions and 42 teams are coming out each Sunday and having an incredible time.
We would like to give a huge shoutout to BABL’s Corporate Sponsor TOWN APPLIANCE. With a showroom here in Baltimore with all your appliance needs, make sure to check them out!
A big thank you to all of our volunteer coaches, who we cannot appreciate enough for their time in assisting with the smooth running of the league. A huge thank you to our league commissioner Eliezer Katz, who runs the league with precision and grace, as well as assistant commissioners Yoni Levin and Yoel Hettleman. Also a thank you to Mr. Bomar who leads a crew of people each week cleaning the fields of water and getting them ready for play. Thank you!
Our Peewee and Pre1A divisions primarily focus on teaching baseball fundamentals, allowing the kids to better learn the game of baseball and develop the necessary skills. The 1st grade division and 2nd grade division are very obviously stepping up their game week after week. By playing real, yet less competitive games, this allows the kids to improve their baseball skills in a game setting. The 3rd/ 4th grade division underwent a slight pitching change which is allowing the batting team to produce more offense, and the fielding team to see more action come their
way, while still allowing the kids to control the game and work on their pitching form. Meanwhile, the 5th/ 6th and 7th/ 8th grade divisions are playing ball at the highest level, with fast pitch baseball, really challenging
efitted from clinics that were held by the league on weeknights. Some got to practice hitting in the batting cages, others were given fielding and pitching drills by instructors, but everyone came out with a tip or two
We have passed the midway point are extremely tight, with multiple teams neck and neck. Currently, in the 3rd/ 4th division, the Redwings and Riverdogs and holding onto the two top spots, with multiple teams hot on their heels. In 5th/ 6th grade, it’s the Lugnuts leading the pack, with a 3 way tie for second place. In 7th/ 8th grade, the Redwings are still managing to do just enough to hold onto first place. With Playoffs just around the corner, the competition is mounting, as each team fights to make their way into a playoff spot. Let’s see who can hold out through
It is really amazing to see that in a competitive league, with all teams vying for the top spot in the standings, there is such a priority on playing with good middos, and respecting the opposing team, as well as the umpires. Players and coaches alike make a point to create a healthy balance between competitive ball playing, and making sure everyone is having a fun time, and playing with great sportsmanship. To further help with this goal, the league has begun to give out middos awards to players who have shown exceptional middos during a game. We would like to thank our middos award sponsor YESH HUMMUS AND GRILL, for providing us with coupons for the kids, awarding them with a free hotdog and drink, as an incentive for their amazing display of middos.
With a few weeks to go, the competition is growing, and everyone is looking forward to Sunday each week, to come out and compete in this amazing atmosphere, but more importantly, to be out with friends, and have a great time!
To Raise a Laugh
Ai Ai Ai!
Is AI a useful tool? Is it something we should be worried about? Will it replace us?
These are all questions it’s important to be asking nowadays, but we can’t ask the internet, because frankly its answers will be suspect.
I think that’s why I’ve gotten a lot of requests in the past year to write about it. I don’t want to, because I’ve only tried using it about 3 times.
The first time was a little over a year ago, when I was writing an article about painting a wall. And I kept hearing that AI can write whatever, and even imitate the style of a specific writer.
So I typed, “Please write a funny article of 1,500 words in the style of Mordechai Schmutter about how to paint a wall.”
So first of all, what it produced was not 1,500 words. I’m not as good at math as computers are, but I say it was 400.
So I wrote, “That wasn’t 1,500 words,” and it said, “Oh!” and it produced a second version that was 700 words.
If I wanted to argue about word count, I would ask my students to write my articles.
In fact, my students are always asking me, “Why do I have to learn to write? Can’t I just use AI? If my essay was AI, how would you know?”
Well, if it’s dead boring but has perfect grammar, then I’ll know. No student who’s that good at half of what I teach is that bad at the other half.
I had to read through several versions of this article, and it was bad writing. What I write is bad writing, but at least I disguise it with jokes. AI doesn’t know what jokes are. There weren’t any jokes. It was an upbeat article about how to paint a wall, and then it said, “And now you know how to paint a wall the Mordechai Schmutter way!” And I said, “That’s just… the regular way.”
Also, one version, for example, contained a story about how my little dog walked across the paint and left footprints everywhere. I don’t have a little dog. I can’t mention a dog once and then never mention it again.
But how’s it supposed to know everything you need it to? It doesn’t know all your stories. Basically, what I found was that if you want to write something using AI, you have to put in so much information and so clearly that you’re basically writing the piece yourself. You’re just writing it out of order. The AI is putting it in order, and also inserting a story about a dog because you forgot to tell the AI -- in your prompt that was longer than the piece of writing it spit out -- “And I don’t have a dog.”
So I said, “This piece is not in the style of Mordechai Schmutter.”
And it said, “Mordechai Schmutter is a fictional character I made up for the purposes of this article.”
And I said, “I gave you that name.”
So it said, “Then you made him up.”
And I said, “I am Mordechai Schmutter.”
So I had to have this whole fight about whether I exist in the real world with a computer program that doesn’t exist in the real world.
But it does learn. I recently asked about myself again, to see how I’m doing, and apparently at some point someone taught it to say the following:
“Mordechai Schmutter is an Orthodox Jewish humor writer known for his witty and humorous observations on family life, Jewish traditions, and everyday experiences. He has written for various publications, including Ami Magazine, and has published several books.”
Which… Okay, they’re getting there. I’ve never written for Ami. There was someone who wrote for Ami who in one article several years ago claimed to be Mordechai Schmutter, as a joke. That’s the guy the AI picked up on.
My second attempt at using AI was for my Presidents’ Day column. Every year, I write a “fun facts” article about a given president, and last year I was writing about James Monroe. So I asked it, “Please tell me a true, funny story about James Monroe.” And it gave me a story about how Monroe was once at a formal dinner in France, and he was served an exotic bird and he choked on the bone, and the bone went flying into the plate of a foreign dignitary, and Monroe quipped, “Monsieur, it appears your bird is not only difficult to swallow, but also difficult to digest!”
Get it? Me neither. But at least it’s a story. And I said, “Wow! I couldn’t find this story anywhere else! It’s a good thing I used AI!” And then I said, “Wait. I couldn’t find this story anywhere else.”
Only AI knew this story, from 200 years ago.
So I asked, “Is this story true?” and it said, “It’s often recounted in historical literature about Monroe, but like many tales from the past, its accuracy may be uncertain.”
So I asked, “What’s your source?” and it said, “The story is a common anecdote found in various historical accounts. It’s often cited in discussions about Monroe’s life and presidency.”
So I wrote, “Did you make it up?” and it said, “I apologize for the confusion. Yes, the story presented was a fictional creation intended to illustrate the kind of light-hearted anecdotes that might be associated with historical figures like Monroe.” Apparently, when I said “give me a true story” and it gave me a story and I asked, “Is this true?” and it said yes and I asked for sources and it said there are many sources and it’s often cited, I was just confused.
So I said, “I told you to find a true story,” and it said, “There are no funny true stories about James Monroe.”
So I said, “You could have said that,” and it said, “I apologize for the confusion.” Which is not an apology.
So it doesn’t understand certain words, like confusion. Or true. Or apologize
By Mordechai Schmutter
But then how do I ever know it’s not making up answers? Like if I ask it how to safely change an electrical socket, how do I know this is the real way, and it’s not just guessing?
So I gave up asking it for help with articles, around the time some rabbanim were warning us against AI, possibly because of similar experiences. Or they didn’t want people asking it shaylos. It’ll make up halachos, and then when you go to Gehenom, it’s gonna say, “Oh, sorry for the confusion.”
(It’ll be there too, obviously.)
And then I heard there was a kosher AI. So I decided to try that out. And what am I going to try with a kosher AI? I asked it for a recipe.
I wrote, “Please give me a moist, zero-carb chicken cutlet recipe that I can make ahead of time for a Shabbos night seudah.” And it gave me a recipe that included parmesan.
Should I have specified that I wanted the Shabbos seudah to be kosher?
So I wrote, “I can’t put parmesan in a chicken recipe.” And it said, “Oops! Here’s another recipe.” And then it gave me the exact same recipe, but without parmesan.
Wow, thank you. A fleishig recipe is not just a milchig recipe without cheese. You can’t say “Fleishig lasagna recipe: Noodles, sauce, noodles, sauce, noodles, sauce.” That’s not lasagna.
So is AI like people? Let’s see:
- It has to be told a million times what to do
- It lies
- It resorts to things like, “They say” when it makes up a story
- It doesn’t know how to apologize
- It’s easily confused and accuses the other party of being confused
- It doesn’t believe Mordechai Schmutter’s a real person
So basically, it is like people, but the worst people. Not the people you want to be around.
You don’t have to hire those people; you can use AI!
Sure, it can improve to eventually be the secondto-worst type of person, and so on. We should keep an eye on it. So I’ll probably revisit the topic at some point, unless AI has come for my job by then.
Good luck. It doesn’t pay a whole lot.
Mordechai Schmutter is a human Orthodox Jewish humor writer known for his witty and humorous observations on family life, Jewish traditions, and everyday experiences. He has written for various publications, including Ami Magazine, and has published several books. You can contact him at MSchmutter@gmail.com.
My Israel Home The Street Named for Humility
By Gedaliah Borvick
In Jerusalem, every street tells a story. Some are named for kings, queens, and prophets; others for warriors, revolutionaries, and political giants. And then there’s Benei Beteira Street – a quiet road in Katamon that honors a group of sages remembered not for power or victory but for something far rarer: intellectual honesty, humility, and the willingness to step aside for someone greater.
The Benei Beteira (Sons of Beteira) were prominent Torah scholars during the Second Temple period. They are described in the Talmud as the leading sages of their time, serving as the Nasi (president) and Av Beit Din (head of the rabbinic court) of the Sanhedrin.
As the recognized halachic authorities in Eretz Yisrael, the Benei Beteira had the final say on Jewish law and practice. Their wisdom and stature made them the highest rabbinic figures of their generation. Yet, despite their greatness, their enduring legacy comes not from a ruling they made but from a ruling they couldn’t make.
The Talmud (Pesachim 66a) tells the story. It was the eve of Passover, and a
critical legal question arose: if the 14th of Nissan – the day designated for offering the Korban Pesach – falls on Shabbat, is it still permitted to bring the offering? The Benei Beteira were unsure.
Enter Hillel Hazaken (Hillel the Elder), a scholar from Babylonia who had only recently arrived in Eretz Yisrael. When asked, Hillel stepped forward and
ately recognized his superior knowledge and stepped aside, appointing him as the new Nasi. That moment of humility captured their essence. They understood that leadership is not about ego – it’s doing what is best for the people and the Torah. It was their “Moses moment”: like Moshe, known as both the greatest prophet and the humblest person in history, they
Despite their greatness, their enduring legacy comes not from a ruling they made but from a ruling they couldn’t make.
delivered a brilliant response. Drawing on Torah sources and halachic reasoning, he proved that the Korban Pesach does override Shabbat – just like other communal offerings.
Rather than feeling threatened by Hillel’s wisdom, the Benei Beteira immedi-
showed that humility is not a weakness but an essential trait of true leadership. From that day forward, Hillel became the leader of the Jewish people, shaping halachic thought forever. His approach to Torah study, humility, and kindness were legendary.
And yet, the Benei Beteira are not forgotten. Their willingness to step aside is remembered as an act of greatness in its own right. They taught an invaluable lesson: sometimes, true leadership is knowing when to let go. Their story is immortalized not only in the pages of the Talmud but also in the streets of modern Jerusalem. The next time you walk down Benei Beteira Street, take a moment to appreciate its meaning. It is not just another street in Jerusalem; it is a tribute to humility and the wisdom to know one’s limits, and a reminder of the greatness found in putting truth above ego.
In a world where it’s rare to hear someone say, “I don’t know,” the story of the Benei Beteira feels more relevant than ever.
Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home (www.myisraelhome.com), a real estate agency focused on helping people from abroad buy and sell homes in Israel. To sign up for his monthly market updates, contact him at gborvick@gmail.com.
Benei Beteira views
Recent controversy has emerged surrounding Qatar’s gift of a $400 million Boeing 747-8i to the Trump administration for potential use as Air Force One. Among the critics is conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, who called the arrangement “indefensible” and “a bribe,” suggesting it represents “a stain” on the administration.
“I think if we switched the names to Hunter Biden and Joe Biden, we’d all be freaking out on the right,” Shapiro stated on his podcast, connecting the Qatari deal with other reported “influence peddling” concerns. He further emphasized, “President Trump promised to drain the swamp. This is not, in fact, draining the swamp.”
There is no question that President Trump’s accomplishments in freeing Americans, in standing up for justice, and in his peace accomplishments are quite remarkable achievements – but that does not pertain to this question.
Headlines Halacha
Qatar’s Plane Gift Is Ben Shapiro Right? A Halachic Analysis
By Rabbi Yair Hoffman
This article examines the validity of Shapiro’s claims by analyzing the material differences between the Qatari gift and the current Air Force One, followed by a halachic (Jewish law) perspective on accepting such gifts in positions of leadership.
Breaking Down the Differences: Qatar’s Gift vs. Air Force One
Aircraft Type and Age
• Current Air Force One : Military versions of Boeing’s 747-200B (VC25A), entered service in 1990
• Qatar’s Gift: Boeing 747-8i, built in 2012, representing the largest and newest version of the 747 series
Technology and Capabilities
• Current Air Force One: Subject to upgrades over time but based on 30+ year old foundation
• Qatar’s Gift: Features modern engines, improved fuel efficiency, and likely contains state-of-the-art technology
Cost and Size
• Current Air Force One: Originally cost $325 million each, with billions in upgrades over decades; approximately 231 feet long with 7,800-mile range
• Qatar’s Gift: Valued at approximately $400 million; around 250 feet in length with an 8,000-mile range
Interior Design and Purpose
• Current Air Force One : Customized for command and control with military-grade communications, in-flight refueling capabilities, medical suite, and secure conference rooms
• Qatar’s Gift: Designed as a luxury aircraft with emphasis on comfort rather than military functions, featuring lounges and dining suites
Ownership and Operation
• Current Air Force One : Government-owned and operated by the U.S. Air Force
• Qatar’s Gift: Previously ordered by the Qatari royal family, later gifted to Jordan’s King Abdullah II before being offered to the U.S.
The Critical Questions
The controversy raises several important questions:
1. Does accepting such a gift constitute a bribe that might influence U.S. policy toward Qatar?
2. Does the timing of the gift, coinciding with a $1.2 trillion economic commitment between the U.S. and Qatar (including a significant Boeing order), suggest a quid pro quo arrangement?
3. How should we evaluate President Trump’s defense that “we’re giving to everybody else. Why wouldn’t I accept the gift?”
Halachic Perspective
To analyze this question from a halachic perspective, we must examine three key sources:
• A Gemara in Sanhedrin (27a and b)
• A ruling of the Rosh (Sanhedrin Zeh Borer Siman 17)
• And the words of Rabbi Yom Tov Heller in his Pilpulah Charifta
The Gemara
The Gemara tells us of a man named bar Chama who allegedly killed a person. The Raish Galusa said to the dayan, Rav Abba bar Ya’akov: “Go investigate this case, and if he certainly killed him, let the government authorities put his eyes out” (a fine that is extra-legal and not halachic – Rashi). Subsequently, two witnesses came and testified that he did kill him. Bar Chama then went and brought two other witnesses, who testified about one of the first witnesses that he stole.
Rav Abba bar Ya’akov said to Bar Chama: “Why did you bring these witnesses? What do you hold? Do you hold like Rabbi Meir in his dispute with Rabbi Yossi, that one who is guilty of theft is disqualified from testifying in capital cases?” Rav Pappi, who was present at the time,
then proved that we do rule like Rabbi Meir. Based on this conclusion, bar Chama was acquitted. Bar Ḥama then arose and kissed Rabbi Pappi on his feet and accepted upon himself to exempt him of his karga-tax for the rest of his life.
The Rosh
The Rosh (Siman 17) asks, “How is this at all permitted? Isn’t this out and out post-facto bribery? (See Ramah CM 34:18 that post-facto bribery is forbid-
emption). Therefore, it is not considered post-facto bribery. Otherwise, it would be forbidden just like paying post-facto interest is forbidden.
The Pilpulah Charifta
The Pilpulah Charifta (letter Shin) on the Rosh writes: Come and see the great matter that our Master has taught us! That bribery is forbidden even in matters that are not a din Torah but rather are a technical fine like Rashi explains.
Does accepting such a gift constitute a bribe that might influence U.S. policy toward Qatar?
den based on this Rosh.) He answers that he didn’t give Rav Pappi any monetary compensation – rather he spoke to the king on his behalf to exempt him from a tax that he was technically exempt from paying anyway (a clergy ex-
And even still our Master (the Rosh) explains that he (Rav Pappi) took it upon himself to take care of the karga-tax in a manner that did not involve a bribe. I wrote this to teach that those who have been appointed to the tzibbur (serving
the public) that even though their decisions and responsibilities are not din Torahs and they were not appointed as such, they must be careful not to accept gifts for their decisions.
We now go to Rabbi Abraham Tzvi Hirsch Eisenstadt of Byelostok (18121868), the author of the Pischei Teshuvah on Shulchan Aruch. He cites (CM 9:1) the ruling of the Pilpulah Charifta authoritatively.
Conclusion
Based upon all of this, it is clear that both President Trump and even an administrator of a yeshiva may not take freebies or perks if he is in charge of decision-making.
A wise rosh yeshiva once remarked, “You must always ask yourself whether you would regret doing it if what you did would appear in The New York Times with its negative slant. If you would regret doing it, then don’t.”
This article should be viewed as a halachic discussion and not practical advice. The author can be reached at yairhoffman2@ gmail.com.
Iwas going to get rid of my smartphone. It was a massive step for me, and I did tons of thinking and planning to make it happen. The anticipation of this step filled me with a lot of emotion and strength. With this burst of inspiration, I shared my decision with my family and friends. They were very proud of my choice and in awe of my decision to undertake such a hard thing.
Then the flip phone arrived. It was a huge pain. I knew it would be, but I hated it. Phone calls were difficult, I missed WhatsApp, and my messages were hard to listen to and access. I was miserable. I know so many people who took this plunge and kept to it. They managed— and so would I.
Pushing myself to get used to it, I trudged through the first month, feeling
rassed to fail and be judged by everyone I shared my decision with.
After several more frustrating weeks, I caved and took my SIM card out of my flip phone and inserted it back into my smartphone. Scrolling through it, I felt relief and disgust. I was back to this? Others did it, but I couldn’t?
Then I decided to make some real changes. Even though I couldn’t deal with the flip phone at this point in my life, I could still do everything I could to clean out my smartphone. I uninstalled everything from my phone except for phone calls and text messages. In essence, it did less than my flip phone had—but it worked.
So even though I feel like I failed, in truth, I made significant changes in
for not sticking to the flip phone, I am still a strong person who is still fighting the fight of technology servitude. And who knows? Maybe at some point I can try again when I feel ready. For now, at least I am better off than I used to be.
DID YOU KNOW?
When reviewing the apps and websites we allow our children to use, we often assume that photo storage and file-sharing platforms like Google Photos, Apple Photos, or Google Drive are safe and harmless. After all, what could be wrong with a daughter sharing an online album of pictures or song-anddance videos from school or camp with her friends?
But it’s important to consider the features these platforms offer. Friends can comment on pictures, add their own videos, copy and re-share content, and more. This can quickly evolve into something
much bigger: albums with long lists of followers—sometimes including people they barely know—who check in daily, leave comments, and even contribute their own content. These albums may contain not just personal photos but also viral memes, funny video clips, and even fulllength movies. In essence, the uploading, commenting, and constant interaction starts to mirror social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok.
It’s wise for parents to monitor and place limits on how these platforms are used. Take time to periodically review the content your child is viewing or sharing, and don’t assume these spaces are completely innocent. Shared albums and drive folders may seem benign, and often they are, but they can become active hubs for socializing and media consumption—sometimes in ways you wouldn’t expect.
Stringency With Sensitivity Living Kiddush Hashem
WBy Rabbi Shraga Freedman
e discussed last week that there are many times in life when we may be mocked or condemned for doing what halachah requires. Contrary to some common misconceptions, this is not a case of a chillul Hashem
There is an important caveat to this principle. Mesillas Yesharim
creating ill will, then we are required to do so.
There are countless situations in which a person must make these calculations. A passenger on a plane must daven, and follow the other requirements of halachah, but he also must minimize the disturbance to other passengers.
standing still, I instructed her to drop them on the street. “But that would be a chillul Hashem!” she protested.
“It would be a chillul Hashem if it were not the halachah,” I told her, “but since it is what the Torah requires of us, it is not a chillul Hashem at all.” Nevertheless, she made sure to wait until there were no passersby
Rabbi Shraga Freedman is the author of Sefer Mekadshei Shemecha, Living Kiddush Hashem, and A Life Worth Living.
Email LivingKiddushHashem@ gmail.com for a free sefer. Visit LivingKiddushHashem.org for more resources
Living Kiddush Hashem was
Forgotten Her es The SAS Raid at Pisticci
By Avi Heiligman
Using non-traditional methods to accomplish military missions and objectives is called unconventional warfare. In 1941, British Lieutenant David Stirling had an idea that could turn the tide in the North African campaign. His plan was to train small groups of soldiers to operate behind enemy lines. These men would be trained as paratroopers, and their missions would include intelligence gathering, destroying enemy aircraft and air facilities, and attacking enemy supply routes. Known as the Special Air Service, or SAS, they conducted operations throughout World War II. Many of their missions remained classified, and in 2023, an incredible rescue operation of a concentration camp that was undertaken by the SAS came to light.
On September 9, 1943, as part of the Allied invasion of southern Italy, the British landed paratroopers from the 1 st Airborne Division at the port of Taranto. Operation Slapstick, as it was called, was supposed to be a diversion, but the German generals only sent in small forces to cause small problems by setting up roadblocks and ambushes. The landings themselves were unopposed.
Soon after the landing, an escapee from a concentration camp made his way to Allied headquarters. He had slipped past the guards in the middle of the night and reported to the British that there were hundreds of inmates at a concentration camp about 60 miles from the Allied front lines. Zelcko, the name of the Yugoslavian escapee, said that the camp housed many Jews, freedom fighters, intellectuals and others. Their future was grim as they were about to be evacuated towards Nazi Germany. Headquarters realized that they needed to act fast to save as many inmates as possible, and the only soldiers in the area capable of pulling off such a daring mission was the SAS. The SAS had landed at Taranto and were tasked with committing sabotage, blowing up enemy supplies, cutting com-
munications probing enemy lines, and creating a path so the rest of the army could pass through safely. Using intelligence about the camp and its guards that Zelcko had given them, the SAS began to plan a daring rescue mission.
British Major Oswald Cary-Elwes of 2 SAS and French officer Raymond Couraud were chosen to lead 50 commandos on the raid. The plan was daring as it involved speed and surprise as they were to take control of a civilian train, enter the camp, load it with as many inmates as possible, and hightail it back to friendly lines. Cary-Elwes trained at Sandhurst (the British military academy) and was handpicked by David Stirling. During training, he had learned to operate trains, and this skill would prove to be very useful during the rescue mission. Couraud was a French Foreign Legionnaire and was attached to the SAS. He had previously helped save 2,000 Jews in France by smuggling them out of the French port of Marseille. During this operation, he would be in charge of
to also transport the camp’s inmates to Allied lines. As the train approached, the group got into position and quickly took control of the locomotive once it stopped. Jeeps went ahead of the train to secure the route to the camp. Hackney was in charge of making sure the train overcame obstacles on the perilous journey. The jeeps patrolled key crossroads to prevent any Axis troops from attacking the train.
Italian guards at the camp were not alarmed as the train approached on September 14 as it seemed like a regular commuter train. However, they were surprised when the commanders leapt off the train shooting their guns. The SAS quickly took down the guards and made contact with the inmates. Led by Cary-Elwes, the prisoners were gathered together while other commandos held off the rest of the fascist guards. The fanatical Italian commandant was taken prisoner by Cary-Elwes and Couraud as he tried futilely to organize a counter-assault. The prisoners were
The fanatical Italian commandant was taken prisoner by Cary-Elwes and Couraud as he tried futilely to organize a counter-assault.
the French resistance fighters that were needed to secure the route. Charles Hackney was an experienced tanker that had been recruited by Cary-Elwes and drove over 1,000 miles to join the SAS in their training for the mission.
The raid on the Pisticci concentration camp began on September 12, 1943. The first stop of the commandos was the town of Chiatona to take control of a train. The train was not only needed to get the SAS into the camp but
then moved towards the train while Hackney ensured that the path was clear on the return journey.
Not all the prisoners were able to fit on train and were told to make a break for the mountains. Once there, they were to hide out until Allied troops came to the area. The trip for the train back to Allied lines was fraught with danger as alert enemy patrols were in the area. Traveling through the night, the train made it back to safety.
Despite being one of the most daring operations in SAS history, no one knew about the raid for 80 years. The British suppressed information on the raid as they didn’t want the world to know about the horrors of the concentration camps and the Italian collaboration during the Holocaust. Just a month after the raid, Italy left the Axis powers and joined the Allies in their effort to stop Hitler.
For the men who took part in the raid, their bravery in saving 180 lives would go unrecognized. No medals were awarded, and it took decades before the British would declassify documents pertaining to the raid. It wasn’t until historian Damien Lewis came across references of the raid at Pisticci and uncovered the details of the incredible mission that their story came to light. The Forgotten Heroes of this unbelievably true mission is history to be remembered.
Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comments and suggestions for future columns and can be reached at aviheiligman@gmail.com.
Major Oswald Cary-Elwes, left, with SAS Corporal Eric Mills
TJH Centerfold
Memorial Day Trivia
1. Memorial Day was originally made to memorialize fallen soldiers from which war?
a. Revolutionary War
b. World War I
c. Civil War
d. Vietnam War
2. About two dozen towns across the United States claim they were the first to celebrate Memorial Day. In 1966, Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson by proclamation designated one place as the official birthplace of Memorial Day. Which place was that?
a. Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
b. Waterloo, New York
c. Fargo, North Dakota
d. Arlington, Virginia
3. Memorial Day was once called by another name. What was the former name?
a. Decoration Day
b. Military Remembrance Day
c. Remembrance Day
d. Freedom Day
4. According to federal guidelines, how should the U.S. flag be flown on Memorial Day?
a. At half-staff all day
b. At full-staff
c. At half-staff in the afternoon
d. At half-staff until noon
5. Bugle calls are musical signals that announce scheduled and certain nonscheduled events on an Army installation. During the Civil War, a U.S. general thought the bugle call signaling bedtime could use a more melodious tune, so he wrote the notes for a bugle call that is played at military funerals and at Memorial Day celebrations. Which bugle call is that?
a. Taps
b. To the Color
c. Retreat Call
d. Ode’ to The Lost
6. By law, which of the following are Americans supposed to do on Memorial Day?
a. While flying the U.S flag they must comply with the flag flying guidelines (which you may or may not know...no giveaways here).
b. If they place too much sauerkraut on their hotdog they must first offer the excess kraut to another person before discarding it.
c. Pause at 3 p.m. local time on
Answers:
Memorial Day to remember and honor the
While visiting a military cemetery, they must place a flag on a grave.
Wisdom Key:
5-6 correct: I know what you will be doing on Memorial Day at 3 p.m., observing the national moment of silence. Remembering those who fought and died so that we can live in freedom is a good thing.
2-4 correct: Not bad, you can brush up a bit, though. Start with observing the moment of silence at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day.
0-1 correct: You too should observe the 3 p.m. Memorial Day moment of silence, celebrating the lives lost defending your right to know nothing about how we memorialize their ultimate sacrifice.
“Well Said, Sir”
To ensure perfect aim, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.
Murphy’s Law of Combat: Never forget that your weapon was manufactured by the lowest bidder.
“They couldn’t hit an elephant at this dist...” –Taliban soldier’s last words
If at first you don’t succeed, call in an airstrike.
Why does the Air Force need expensive new bombers? Have the people we’ve been bombing over the years been complaining?
Military justice is to justice what military music is to music.
Army food: the spoils of war.
The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other [guy] die for his.
Our bombs are smarter than the average high school student. At least they can find Kuwait.
Riddle Me This
At the beginning of World War I, the uniform of the British soldiers included a brown cloth cap. As the war went on, British officials became more and more concerned about the growing number of soldiers suffering from head injuries. They decided to replace the cloth cap with a metal helmet. However, to their surprise, the number of soldiers with head injuries grew even more, although the intensity of the battles was the same before and after the change.
Why did the number of head injuries per battalion increase even though all the soldiers were wearing metal helmets instead of cloth caps?
Answer: The number of head injuries increased because the number of deaths decreased. Before metal helmets, if a soldier was shot in the head by a bullet or a piece of shrapnel, it would penetrate his cap and kill him. This would have been registered as a death, not a wound. After metal helmets were introduced, the bullets caused injuries rather than deaths. Therefore, the number of head injuries increased while the number of deaths decreased.
You Gotta Be Kidding Me
A drill sergeant had just chewed out one of his cadets, and as he was walking away, he turned to the cadet and said, “I guess when I die you’ll come and dance on my grave.”
The cadet replied, “Not me, Sarge…no sir!
“I promised myself that when I got out of the Army I’d never stand in another line!”
Notable Quotes
“Say
What?!”
You don’t like the fact that they’re White.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio responding to Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) who rebuked him at a Senate hearing for the U.S. taking in 40 white refugees from South Africa
I have to tell you directly and personally that I regret voting for you for Secretary of State.
- Sen. Chris van Hollen (D-MD) addressing Secretary of State Rubio
Your regret for voting for me confirms I’m doing a good job.
- Sec. Rubio in response
We deported gang members — gang members including the one you had a margarita with. And that guy is a human trafficker, and that guy is a gangbanger.
- ibid., referring to Sen. Van Hollen’s recent trip to meet with a criminal who was deported to El Salvador
He did not develop it in the last, 100, 200 days. He had it while he was President. He probably had it at the start of his presidency, in 2021. I don’t think there’s any disagreement about that.
- Former Obama advisor Dr. Zeke Emanuel on MSNBC talking about Joe Biden’s cancer announcement
My wife and I were on vacation in Portugal last year. And another American came up to us. And he looked at me and says, “I know you. I know who you are. You’re John Boehner.” I had to spend the whole evening pretending to be John Boehner.
- Chief Justice John Roberts at a recent conference
I have the same cancer that Joe Biden has…But I’ve had it longer than he’s admitted having it. My life expectancy is maybe this summer. I expect to be checking out from this domain sometime this summer.
– Dilbert creator Scott Adams on a recent podcast
Teach until you die
- Francis Dominici Piscatella, 112, a nun who lived her whole life on the South Shore of Long Island, sharing her secret of longevity to the New York Post
Trump is lying, and his statements are not worth a response. Death to America! Death to England! Death to Israel!
- Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responding to Trump warning Iran that it must discontinue its nuclear program
Are you frustrated at all with Prime Minister Netanyahu?
- Bret Baier, in an interview with President Trump
No… He’s got a tough situation. You have to remember there was an October 7 that everyone forgets. It was one of the most violent days in the history of the world— not the Middle East, the world.
- President Donald Trump
We know there has been meddling by the Trump administration into USCG staffing, and we need to know how this might have impacted the events of last night — from a command, communication and local coordination level.
- Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), bizarrely suggesting that DOGE cuts to the US Coast Guard could have been to blame for a Mexican tall ship’s deadly collision with the Brooklyn Bridge
I, too, question Donald Trump’s leadership of the Mexican Navy.
- Jim Treacher on X, pointing out the idiocy of Schumer
Dating Dialogue What Would You Do If…
Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters
Dear Navidaters,
Hi, I love the column! I’m 20 and have been in shidduchim for a little while. I’ve been going out with a guy for some time, and overall, it’s been going really well. He’s kind, easy to talk to, and we connect on a lot of levels. There’s just one thing that’s been bothering me: he vapes.
He says he’s in the process of quitting, but I’m not sure how seriously he’s working on it or if he’s just saying that because he knows I don’t like it. I’ve never vaped and honestly really don’t like the idea of it. Aside from it not being my type of lifestyle, I’m also concerned about the health risks. Even though vaping is sometimes seen as “not a big deal,” I know it can still be addictive and harmful.
Is this something that should be a deal breaker? (For me, I feel like it might be but I don’t really know).
Thank you,
Disclaimer: This column is not intended to diagnose or otherwise conclude resolutions to any questions. Our intention is not to offer any definitive conclusions to any particular question, rather offer areas of exploration for the author and reader. Due to the nature of the column receiving only a short snapshot of an issue, without the benefit of an actual discussion, the panel’s role is to offer a range of possibilities. We hope to open up meaningful dialogue and individual exploration.
Tova*
The Panel
Dear Readers,
We want to offer YOU an opportunity to be part of the discussion!
Please email us at MichelleMondShadchan@gmail.com, subject line “reader’s response,” if you would like to participate in the new “A Reader’s Response” columnist spot. We will send you a question and publish your answer in an upcoming Navidaters edition.
If you have a question you would like the Navidaters to answer, please reach out to this email as well.
Looking forward!
Michelle, the “Shadchan”
The Rebbetzin
Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.
Tova, apparently vaping by a prospective mate for you is a deal breaker. But you are not confident enough to say
so. You are seeking affirmation from us.
Look at this experience as a step in refining your criteria for a mate. There are some negotiables and some non-negotiables on everyone’s “list” as well as preferences and needs. You are learning what are yours.
You may want to consider seeking help (mentor or therapist) to help identi-
fy them as well as how to deal with nonpreferred behaviors and attributes that will come out in a relationship. How do you learn to gauge how much it matters to you? Help, self knowledge, and communication will help you develop skills and confidence in your own judgment.
You are young and in shidduchim for a little while, as you say. Learn to date well.
The
Shadchan Michelle Mond
It is situations like this that make me wish all yeshivos would completely ban vaping and smoking. Not only are both extremely unhealthy and clearly not in line with the halachic obligation of v’nishmartem me’od l’nafshoseichem, they are also unsanitary and very hard
Only time will tell if he likes you more than he likes vaping.
habits to break.
Vaping may look cleaner than smoking, but it still introduces chemicals and nicotine into the lungs. It can damage lung tissue, negatively impact brain development, and lead to long-term addiction. On top of that, the vast majority of women do not want to marry someone who smokes or vapes. Why would a young man knowingly put himself in that position to begin with?
This is why I believe yeshivos should
take more responsibility and stop this problem before it starts. Allowing these habits to take root only sets these young men up for a very difficult and frustrating journey later, when they start dating and try to stop.
Tova, you are only 20 years old, and something about this is already bothering you. That is not something to ignore. I believe you need to take your discomfort seriously. If you were older and had fewer options, my advice might be different. If you had been dating for ten years, felt like you had met everyone, and this guy seemed particularly shayach, I might suggest being patient and seeing how things develop. But right now, at 20 years old, if he is not genuinely working on quitting, you can absolutely consider this a valid reason to move on. If he is motivated and actively trying to stop, it makes sense to continue dating a little longer to see how serious he really is about following through.
Wishing you clarity and lots of hatzlacha moving forward.
The Zaidy
Dr. Jeffrey Galler
Your concerns are well-justified. Here are some thoughts for you to consider:
1. Is it a big problem?
Vaping, or the use of electronic cigarettes, is supposed to be a safe alternative to smoking. But, according to research conducted at Johns Hopkins University, vaping is not safe and can cause very serious health issues, such as heart and lung disease.
These electronic cigarettes can actually deliver more nicotine than regular cigarettes and are extremely addictive.
A 2021 National Youth Tobacco Survey reported that “young people seem to be getting hooked on vaping.”
They worried that young people mistakenly believe vaping is less harmful than smoking and indulge because it is less expensive than regular cigarettes.
We dentists are especially alarmed
when a young patient starts vaping. These e-cigarettes cause dry mouth, bad breath, reduced saliva production, and an increased risk for decay and periodontal disease.
You do not want to marry someone who either smokes or vapes.
2. Is he really serious about quitting?
It’s easy for someone to say that they are “in the process of quitting.” But, my father, a”h, always admonished that actions speak louder than words.
For this relationship to thrive, the young man has to demonstrate that he is taking concrete steps in trying to quit the habit.
For example, is he undertaking Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)? This effective therapy reduces the urge to vape or smoke by utilizing patches, gums, lozenges, or nasal sprays; it helps addiction withdrawal by providing a small, controlled, amount of nicotine, without the other dangerous chemicals found in cigarettes or e-cigarettes.
Or, has he demonstrated that he is really trying to quit by going for counseling? Hypnosis? Medical intervention? Has he called 1-800-QUIT-NOW? Checked online on CDC.gov/Quit?
3. Does vaping indicate a personality defect?
Research seems to indicate that vaping is more prevalent “among individuals with lower conscientiousness, higher levels of anxiety, and certain impulsivity traits.” That sounds alarming!
However, the National Institute of Health (NIH) cautions that these findings “are merely associations and are not causal relationships.” That means that one should NOT make any generalizations about individuals based on their vaping habits.
Perhaps he merely started this noxious habit by hanging out with the wrong friends. It doesn’t necessarily define who he is.
4. What should you do?
This is a tough situation. You have dated for a while and have finally found someone you can connect with. So, you don’t want to act rashly, or imprudently, and end a rela-
tionship that seems so promising. May I respectively suggest that you have a serious talk with your boyfriend. Make it clear that you cannot envision a future with someone who either vapes or smokes. Make it clear that you need him to demonstrate concrete actions that could lead to quitting. And explain that you are willing to wait the couple of months that it may take for him to completely quit vaping.
Good luck. Only time will tell if he likes you more than he likes vaping.
Reader’s Response
Devorah Landau Retiree Reader
Dear Tova, I’m so glad you have found someone you connect with in so many ways. It is unfortunate that the
young man has taken up vaping. As you wrote, vaping presents health risks, and those who vape usually associate with a social circle outside your comfort zone. If you haven’t already, you should discuss your concerns frankly. If you believe he is sincere about quitting, and you feel that there is no other obstacle to prevent you from going ahead with the relationship, you might want to give him some time to show you that he has the discipline it takes to refrain from addictive and unhealthy behavior and from associating with people who engage in such behavior. Unfortunately, if he has an addictive personality, it is possible he will replace the addiction to vaping with an equally harmful addictive behavior. Also, please understand that addictive habits are difficult to break, which leads some to sneaking and lying. I sincerely hope that your young man is earnest and honest and committed enough to your relationship to stop vaping.
The Navidaters
Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists
Dear Tova,
Thank you for your kind words and for writing in with such honesty. I can tell how thoughtful you are and how much you’re trying to strike the right balance between being open-minded and staying true to what matters to you.
You’re not overreacting. Vaping might seem like “not a big deal” to some, but if it feels off to you, whether because of the health risks, the lifestyle it suggests, or simply because it doesn’t align with your values, that matters. You’re allowed to care about how
someone treats their body and what habits they bring into a relationship. It also sounds like there’s a question under the question: Can I trust what he’s saying? That’s just as important. If someone tells you they’re “working on” something, it’s okay to look for follow-through. Are there signs he’s genuinely taking steps to quit? Is he open to talking about it? Are you left feeling reassured or uneasy?
Only you can know whether this is a dealbreaker for you, but if it’s already gnawing at you and you’re questioning whether he’s being honest about quitting, that’s something to pay attention to. Trust your intuition. If something feels off now, that feeling doesn’t usually disappear with time; it often grows.
If something feels off now, that feeling doesn’t usually disappear with time.
You’re allowed to want a relationship that feels aligned on all levels, including lifestyle. It’s not shallow or rigid. It’s knowing yourself.
Sincerely, Jennifer
Jennifer Mann, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist and certified trauma healing life coach, as well as a dating and relationship coach working with individuals, couples, and families in private practice at 123 Maple Avenue in Cedarhurst, NY. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 718-908-0512. Visit www.thenavidaters.com for more information. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email JenniferMannLCSW@gmail.com. You can follow The Navidaters on FB and Instagram for dating and relationship advice.
Mental Health Corner
Does Your Coworker Have A Personality Disorder?
By Rabbi Azriel Hauptman
The workplace can be a stressful place. Deadlines must be met, clients must be satisfied, and all of the members of that specific workplace have to collaborate on a common goal. Sometimes, one encounters in the workplace an individual who is not only hard to work with, but is also downright mean, vindictive, and malicious. In circumstances such as these, you might be facing a coworker who has a personality disorder. In this article, we will not attempt to solve the problem, but we will attempt to offer some insight and understanding of what is happening before your eyes.
Before we begin, it behooves us to emphasize that by understanding the nature of personality disorders in the
workplace, we should be able to feel compassion for the other person. Once you understand how that person’s psyche operates, how hard it is for them to manage their own emotions, and how much personal pain they are feeling inside of themselves, you will be able to view that person as a regular human being who deserves our kindness and sympathy no matter how badly they are treating everyone around them. Now, let us begin.
There are many different personality disorders that one might encounter, but we will focus on one specific type, and that is borderline personality disorder (BPD). BPD is characterized by intense emotional dysregulation that significantly affects the way they
perceive themselves and those who they interact with. At its core, sufferers of BPD have a deep feeling of emptiness and a fear of abandonment that is coupled with an intense fear of getting too emotionally close to other people. The contradictory feelings and the emotional roller-coasters leads to fluctuating between different contradictory behaviors. They can one day idealize another person and the next day completely devalue them.
Another common behavior of BPD is called splitting, which is basically black-and-white thinking. This is due to the fact that their emotional dysregulation makes it difficult for them to hold two opposite feelings at the same time. Most people are basically good people with some imperfections. However, someone with BPD will have a hard time accepting the coexistence of these opposites, and therefore people are either totally good or completely evil.
Let us see now how all of this manifests itself in the workplace.
to the opposite emotion on a dime. The uncertainty of the other person’s state of mind can be exhausting for coworkers.
An additional and related concern is that everyone might feel as if they were walking on eggshells. No one wants to make another person feel angry, especially if you share a space with them. Since even a small trigger has the potential to inflame their anger, the coworkers might need to expend a lot of energy on keeping their coworker with BPD happy. This may also prove to be very burdensome and draining.
Finally, it is not uncommon for individuals with BPD to be verbally abusive and antagonistic. Due to the intensity of their emotions and their black-and-white thinking, they might actually believe (while they are in a state of intense anger) that everything that they are saying is true and genuinely needs to be said.
Someone with BPD may plant the seeds of conflict in a workplace. There are inevitably differences of opinion amongst coworkers. However, when one has BPD, those who agree with their opinion are the flag bearers of good and those who disagree are a complete disgrace. Therefore, immense effort may be put into elevating the status of those on one side of the disagreement and denigrating the status of those on the opposite side, often by gossip and slander. This can very quickly poison the very air of that workplace.
Another possible concern is the confusion as to what version of the individual will the coworkers have to face at that moment. As mentioned earlier, individuals with BPD suffer from emotional dysregulation. Therefore, one moment they can be very gracious and flattering, and then flip
Suffering from BPD may be compared to someone who suffered burns on their skin and even the slightest touch hurts intensely. Similarly, if one’s emotional skin was burned off, they may feel emotional agony with even a minor trigger. Even when someone is aware that they have BPD, they still suffer from intense confusion, since they do not know about themselves if their anger in a specific situation is justified or not.
Although we have not offered any advice in this article regarding what to do if a coworker has BPD, we have still offered a basic understanding of what is going on beneath the surface. And knowing is half the battle.
This is a service of Relief Resources. Relief is an organization that provides mental health referrals, education, and support to the frum community. Rabbi Yisrael Slansky is director of the Baltimore branch of Relief. He can be contacted at 410-448-8356 or at yslansky@reliefhelp.org
Parenting Pearls Consistency Makes Things Happen
By Sara Rayvych, MSEd
There are so many goals we set yet not reach. There are many reasons for this, but stopping before the end is one major hindrance. We can be very motivated to start, but then the excitement fades with each passing day. Soon enough, it’s forgotten and gets placed in the pile of good intentions.
There are so many techniques to parenting, and for each area, there are so many different ways to do it. Perhaps some will advocate a softer approach, others a harsher one. Maybe it’s building a bond, effective communication, or addressing technology. Discipline, in particular, has many voices. For each method, you will find those who are strongly supporting it and can’t imagine any other way of raising their young.
There is one important aspect that each of these methods will have in common, and that is the need for consistency. You can choose the most powerful parenting technique, but it will be useless if not used consistently. I’ve seen the most well-intentioned parents, thrilled with seeing success, still find it challenging to be consistent. Sadly, these successes can fade simply from a lack of consistency in the long term.
It sounds so simple, but maintaining consistency may be one of the greatest challenges of parenting. We can search for exactly what our child needs, find something that our child responds to –and neglect to keep it up. It can be frustrating, but ultimately powerful, to know how much we can accomplish by simply being consistent.
Importance of Consistency
Many goals may seem out of reach but are within our grasp if we take small but consistent steps. Learning a new language, skill or almost anything in life can be done if we stick to it. I join the many proud wives of Daf Yomi learners that can testify to the power of consistency. Daf Yomi is one daf a day, until all 2,711 dapim are complete. When my husband started, it felt like there was no end in sight – but seven and a half years later, he had experienced every page of Gema-
ra. Truthfully, it wasn’t seven years; it was day after day. His Gemara accompanied us through Superstorm Sandy, trips, labor and delivery. We underestimate how much can be accomplished if we can maintain something for the long term.
Consistency in Childhood
Childhood may have many major milestones, but it predominantly consists of many small moments. We display our love for our new baby not by making a fancy party upon their birth, but by consistently showing up for each feeding. It’s these seemingly minor but frequent tasks that demonstrate our love and provide a feeling of comfort and security.
Our children know they can come to us when we consistently make time for them and keep the lines of communication open. The child who reaches out when in distress is the one who has an already established line of communication with their adult.
A child’s ability to develop a secure attachment and healthy future relationships originates in these daily, seemingly mundane expressions of caring. Having a secure attachment in childhood is one of the major indicators of emotional health in a child. This security derives from consistently being able to trust and rely on their loving adult.
Consistency creates stability and an awareness of what to expect for a child
still unfamiliar with the world. Children thrive on stability and routine. Knowing what to expect permits them to mentally prepare themselves and place everything around them in an organized manner. A little one sees Mommy light the candles and knows to expect kiddush and hamotzi to follow. Week after week, this consistency sows the seeds of a love for Shabbos.
Consistency in Discipline
When a child knows what will happen as a result of their actions, then they are less likely to act hefker. For example, children with severe allergies learn very quickly to only eat what comes from a trusted source. They know the result if they eat an allergen, and they don’t want to experience that again.
Parents are often looking for the “best method” to discipline, but much of discipline is really just consistency in responding to their actions. If they know they will lose a privilege if they abuse it, then they will be cautious. If a parent is inconsistent, then they will take their chances knowing they have a high probability of getting away with it.
When a child knows we will respect them when they tell the truth – even if they did something wrong – then a child can be honest. If they know we can’t be relied upon to respond appropriately, then they will say whatever they need to avoid problems.
I need to point out that discipline is often confused with “punishment.” Nothing could be further from the truth, and only a minor aspect of discipline involves punishment – or even the use of consequences. Maintaining a close, loving connection with our child is crucial. Discipline is just one part of the way we guide them towards becoming their best selves.
Consistency in Rewards
Star charts and other rewards systems are only successful when used consistently. The main downfall of the best reward system is inconsistent usage. Kids are not motivated if they know we won’t follow through.
Often, we try to institute something beautiful into our family, but a lack of follow-through prevents lasting change. Maybe we want to add a daily read aloud, sh’miras halashon at the Shabbos table, or a nightly walk together. So many well-intentioned ideas fall away after the first few days. To make meaningful change, we need to prioritize consistency. Like Daf Yomi, one page a day will get us further than a single cramming session.
In general, it’s crucial that children understand their parents can be relied on and trusted. If we say we will do something, then we need to make sure we do it, and we should never promise what we can’t fulfill. This is a responsibility that all adults in a child’s life need to take seriously.
As parents dedicated to giving our child the best chinuch we can, it’s only natural we will want to take advantage of all available options. Before discounting any method, it’s best to check if we implemented it properly and maintained the consistency that is the foundation of any future success.
Sara Rayvych, MSEd, has her master’s in general and special education. She has been homeschooling for over 10 years in Far Rockaway. She can be contacted at RayvychHomeschool@gmail.com.
Health & F tness The Power of the Mic
By Rivka Kramer, PMHNP-BC
You’re walking the dog, washing dishes, commuting to work, and someone’s in your ear, talking about anxiety, trauma, ADHD, or the benefits of microdosing psilocybin. It’s not your therapist. It’s your favorite podcast host.
And you trust them.
In fact, if you’re like most podcast listeners, you trust that host more than you trust your doctor, a pharmaceutical company, or a mental health professional. And that trust is starting to change the way we think about and treat our mental health.
Podcasts: The New Mental Health Gurus?
There’s no denying the meteoric rise of podcasts. Over 500 million people globally now tune in, with mental health, wellness, and personal development ranking among the most popular genres. These shows aren’t dry lectures. They’re raw, real, and deeply personal. A host shares their battle with depression. A guest opens up about childhood trauma. A conversation meanders through anxiety, healing, and psychedelics—sprinkled with jokes, tears, and epiphanies.
It’s intimate. It’s relatable. It’s real.
And for many listeners, it’s more than entertainment. It’s therapy; or at least a version of it.
Why We Trust Podcast Hosts (More Than Experts)
Podcasts feel like a conversation, not a broadcast. You listen alone, often through headphones, in vulnerable or quiet moments. That creates a unique relationship between listener and host—a one-sided but powerful connection known as a parasocial bond.
You’re not just consuming information; you’re building a kind of friendship. And in that friendship, hosts become trusted advisors, even if they’re not licensed, trained, or qualified to give mental health advice.
According to a 2023 Pew study, twothirds of regular podcast listeners trust their favorite hosts as reliable sources of information. That’s a staggering level of influence—especially in a world where public trust in institutions, including healthcare, continues to erode.
The Upside: When Podcasts Help
Let’s be fair: podcasting isn’t all snake oil and misinformation. In many cases, podcasts have done tremendous good in the mental health space.
1. They Break the Silence
Hearing a public figure talk openly about depression or panic attacks can be profoundly validating. It makes it easier for listeners to think, “Maybe I’m not broken.
Maybe I’m not alone.”
Stigma thrives in silence. Podcasts help break that silence.
2. They Educate – In Plain English
Psychoeducation doesn’t have to come from a textbook. A good podcast can explain trauma responses or neurodivergence in language anyone can understand. That kind of accessible insight can be life-changing.
3. They Offer Company
In moments of isolation, a podcast can feel like a warm presence in the room. For someone with social anxiety or depression, that sense of companionship—even if virtual—is invaluable.
4. They Spark Curiosity and Action
Sometimes, a podcast is the catalyst. It pushes someone to finally make that therapy appointment, ask their doctor about ADHD, or open up to a friend. That’s powerful.
The Downside: When Trust Goes Too Far
But here’s the catch. Not all podcasts are created equal. And trust, when misplaced, can be dangerous, especially in something as delicate as psychiatric care.
1. Self-Diagnosis Gone Wild
You hear someone on a podcast talk
about feeling overwhelmed, distractible, emotionally sensitive. You nod along. That’s me, you think. Next thing you know, you’re convinced you have ADHD, CPTSD, or are on the autism spectrum.
Sound familiar?
This isn’t just harmless curiosity. Self-diagnosis based on podcast anecdotes can lead to:
• Misunderstanding your symptoms
• Delaying proper assessment
• Clinging to an identity that doesn’t fit You might even start adjusting your behavior to match that label, even if it’s not accurate. That’s called identity foreclosure, and it can complicate your actual healing.
2. Bad Advice in a Polished Package
Some podcast hosts promote untested supplements, bash psychiatric meds, or suggest intense trauma therapies without evidence or warnings. They mean well. But meaning well doesn’t make it safe.
The danger? Listeners may:
• Ditch life-saving medications based on anecdotal stories
• Try risky treatments unsupervised
• Avoid legitimate psychiatric care out of fear or misinformation
Charisma is not a substitute for clinical training. But when a podcast host is likable, vulnerable, and articulate, it’s easy to forget that.
3.
One-Size-Fits-All Healing
Podcast hosts often share what worked for them: journaling, EMDR, ketamine therapy, quitting therapy altogether. But what works for one person can be irrelevant—or harmful—for someone else.
There’s no single path to healing. But podcasts often turn personal journeys into templates, leaving little room for nuance or complexity.
The Echo Chamber Effect
Here’s another problem: algorithms.
Click on a few mental health podcasts, and soon, your feed is flooded with similar content. ADHD TikToks. Trauma podcasts. Inner child workshops. It’s comforting at first. But it can trap you in a confirmation loop, reinforcing a single narrative.
You start to believe it’s the truth. And you stop questioning whether that truth actually fits your life.
So…Should We Stop Listening?
No. Podcasts aren’t the problem. Uncritical listening is.
Podcasts can be amazing tools for mental health awareness, education, and connection. But they’re not a substitute for individualized, evidence-based care. They’re certainly not a replacement for li-
censed professionals.
It’s like learning about fitness from a YouTuber. Great for tips. Not great for diagnosing a torn ligament.
So, how do we move forward without tossing our AirPods in the trash?
For Podcast Hosts:
• Disclose your background. Be honest about your qualifications, or lack thereof.
• Use disclaimers. Make it clear that your content is not medical advice.
• Partner with professionals. Bring licensed therapists or psychiatrists onto
In that friendship, hosts become trusted advisors, even if they’re not licensed, trained, or qualified to give mental health advice.
What Needs to Happen –On Both Sides of the Mic For Listeners:
• Stay curious, not compliant. Ask questions. Double-check claims. Don’t take any podcast as gospel.
• Know the difference between lived experience and clinical expertise. Both are valuable – but they serve different roles.
• Talk to a professional if a podcast leaves you with new questions or emotional turmoil.
your show to check the facts and add clinical context.
• Be humble. Remember that your story is yours. It’s not a template for everyone.
For Mental Health Professionals:
• Join the conversation. Start a podcast. Guest on one. Translate your knowledge into the language people are actually listening to.
• Teach media literacy. Help patients understand how to vet mental health
content online.
• Don’t dismiss podcast culture. Meet patients where they are—sometimes, that means talking about what they heard on last week’s episode.
Between the Headphones and the Heart
Podcasts are more than background noise. They’ve become mental health companions, advisors, and in some cases, substitutes for care. That trust isn’t necessarily misplaced but it needs to be earned, scrutinized, and balanced.
The mic is powerful. And when someone picks it up to talk about mental health, they carry more than just a voice; they carry influence, and with that, responsibility.
As listeners, let’s stay thoughtful. As creators, let’s stay ethical. And as a society, let’s recognize that the future of psychiatric care is already being shaped-not just in clinics, but in earbuds.
Rivka Kramer is a Board Certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. She has a psychiatric private practice based in Cedarhurst, NY. She serves as a member of the board of JANPPA, the Jewish American Nurse Practitioner Psychiatric Association. She can be reached at 516-945-9443.
Chaim & Chavi Grayman on the birth of a son
Leah E., 5
Note: Not all
Isaac Hakimi, 2.5
Tully Kinzbrunner, 10
Penina Winchell, 6
Noa S., 7
Bobbi S., 8
Shlomo Goldberg, 7 Leo, 5 Aviel Hakimi, 6
Baila Ungar, 7 Ari Rosenbaum, 8
Note: Not all submission have been published. Keep sending in your artwork for another chance to be featured!
This recipe has been one of the most popular from my book Perfect Flavors. My photographer Miriam (Pascal) Cohen shared it with me from her blog overtimecook.com. You can
also use Lotus cookies and drizzle in some melted Lotus butter through the center.
Ingredients
Crust
◦ 1½ cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs
◦ 3 Tablespoons butter, melted
Filling
◦ 3 (8-ounce) blocks brick cream cheese
◦ 1 cup sour cream
◦ 4 eggs
◦ 1 cup sugar
◦ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
◦ 2 Tablespoons flour
◦ 1½ cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs
◦ Whipped cream, for garnish, optional
◦ Additional sandwich cookies, halved, for garnish, optional
Preparation
1. Prepare the crust: Combine cookie crumbs and melted butter in a small bowl until coarse crumbs form. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of
a 9-inch springform pan. Press around the edge with the bottom of a measuring cup to smooth it out.
2. Place the pan in the freezer for the crust to firm up while you prepare the cheese mixture.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F.
4. Prepare the filling: In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and flour until smooth. Do not overmix.
5. Assemble the cheesecake: Remove ¾ cup of the batter and mix it with cookie crumbs. It should form a wet mixture.
6. Remove pan from freezer. Pour about half of the plain batter into the pan. Drop spoonfuls of the cookie mixture over the batter, covering as much of the surface as possible.
7. Carefully cover the cookie mixture with remaining plain batter.
8. Bake for 55 minutes. Turn the oven off; let cake cool in the oven for about 1 hour to prevent cracks.
9. Allow the cheesecake to cool completely before serving.
10. Optional garnish: Top with whipped cream and halved cookies.
Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet.com or at (516) 295-9669.
