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Dear Readers,
Staying up the night of Shavuos has always been a battle for me. I’m tired, especially after a heavy Yom Tov seudah, and my bed is beckoning. It’s so tempting to rationalize it by saying if I go to sleep now, I’ll be more refreshed tomorrow and will daven better, learn better, and I’ll help out my wife more.
Even more so, as someone who left the walls of Yeshiva many years ago, it’s really tough to sit down and learn for 5-6 hours straight! The refreshments help, but egg rolls at 3am don’t necessarily hit the spot. (For me, as a traditional Baltimorean, it’s the sheet cake and punch that fuel the night.). So an internal tug-of-war ensues: sleep seems so appealing, yet something inside pushes me to keep going.
Ultimately, I decide to push through and go to shul to learn, mostly because my son is not as immature as me. So, I daven at the latest possible Maariv minyan, extend the meal as long as possible (my wife and daughters love that, of course), and finally, take the slowest walk to shul ever.
But once I get there, something unexpected happens. Despite the tiredness, despite the battle in my head, the energy in the Bais Medrash is infectious. The shul is packed, filled with people engrossed in Torah learning, their faces glowing with passion and connection to what they are learning. The power of Torah is undeniable, and it takes charge of the night. I realize that the atmosphere here is like no other, and before I know it, the hours have flown by.
The night passes with a sense of purpose, and the Torah’s power and strength seem to renew my energy. The more I learn, the more I feel alive, and the deeper the satisfaction grows. When the night is finally over, and you head home after Shacharis (at a much faster pace than the way there!), I’m a different person. That initial fatigue,
that resistance to staying up, seems so far behind me. The sense of accomplishment and connection with Torah fuels me through the rest of Shavuos. Each meal, each Dvar Torah, and each interaction throughout Yom Tov is imbued with greater meaning and joy.
I believe this is the essence of why we stay up on Shavuos night. It’s a night that stands apart from all other nights of the year. The battle to stay awake on any regular night feels impossible as sleep inevitably wins out. Yet on this night, something different happens. We act as if we are Talmidei Chachomim, engaging with the Torah in its purest way. It’s a reminder of what we wish we could do every night, if only we had the stamina, the drive, and the love for Torah that we feel so strongly during this special time.
Shavuos night isn’t about pushing through the physical exhaustion alone; it’s about a deeper yearning to connect with the Torah. It’s the spark of spiritual growth, the effort to sustain that connection to the sweetness of Torah that gives this night its unique significance. The effort we make, the hours we stay awake and learn, is our way of telling Hashem that we want this to be our reality every day. We want to embrace Torah learning with this same fervor all year round, but we acknowledge that it’s not always easy.
It’s my hope that the effort we put in on Shavuos night doesn’t just end with the night itself. Perhaps, it will serve as a spark – one that ignites a renewed love of Torah within us. A love that will continue to burn brightly long after Shavuos has ended, and that will drive us to make Torah learning a more consistent and integral part of our daily lives.
Wishing you a peaceful Shabbos and a beautiful Yom Tov, Aaron M. Friedman
your: community events, articles & photos, and mazal tovs to editor@baltimorejewishhome.com to be featured in coming editions!
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Honoring Heroes: JUSA And JWV Host Powerful Memorial Day Kaddish Service
By: BJLife Newsroom
The Jewish Uniformed Service Association of Maryland, in partnership with Jewish War Veterans of Maryland Post 167, held a Memorial Day Kaddish Service at the Jewish Section of Garrison Forest Veterans Cemetery—one of the few such ceremonies nationwide. The powerful and heartfelt gathering drew veterans, elected officials, and community members, marking one of the largest turnouts to date.
The service was led by MDDF Chaplain MAJ Rabbi Chesky Tenen-
baum, who opened with readings from Psalms. This was followed by the solemn recitation of the names of Jewish fallen heroes. The newly elected commander of JWV Post 167, Dan Berkovitz then addressed the crowd and the service concluded with the Kel Molei Rachamim and Kaddish.
Baltimore County Councilman Izzy Patoka (District 2) and Maryland Delegate Jon Cardin were present and shared moving reflections in honor of our fallen heroes.
Honoring Jewish Veterans: Flags Placed And Unique Kaddish Service Held In Baltimore
Jewish veterans from Jewish War Veterans of the USA Post 167, along with Scouts from Pack and Troop 611, joined forces to place flags near veterans’ graves at Hebrew Young Men’s Cemetery in Gwynn Oak and at the grounds near the Maryland Free State Post 167 Cemetery in Rosedale.
A special thank you goes to Mel Shichtman, Rabbi Dovid Cynamon, Chuck Sandler, and Dan Berkovitz.
If there’s a Jewish veteran in your family in the Greater Baltimore area whose grave you’d like to have honored with a flag, please email: 167@ JWV-MDI.org.
Today also featured a one-of-akind Memorial Day Kaddish Service — possibly the only one of its kind in the country — held at the Garrison Forest Veterans Cemetery in the Jewish section in Owings Mills.
By: BJLife Newsroom
Bais Yaakov High School STEM Students Bring Home 4 Top Awards At CIJE Innovation Day Competition! By:
Bais Yaakov is excited and proud to announce that their talented students brought home four top awards from the recent CIJE (Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education) Innovation Day 2025, held this year at the American Dream complex in East Rutherford, NJ. Out of more than 1,500 students and over 400 project submissions, the Bais Yaakov students truly stood out with their creativity, innovation, and technical skill, under the guidance of Dr. Joseph Saltzman, CIJE coach for Maryland Schools and our STEM teachers: Mrs. Esti Pasternak, Miss Pessi Rappaport, Miss Devorah Preiser, Miss Rikki Berry, Mrs. Chava (Meth) Hoffman and Miss Chana Leah Nissel
Mazel tov to these remarkable young women on their well-deserved success!
First Place: Website Design – EZ Elevation
Shana Gross, Shira Steen and Naami Steger won First Place for Best Website for their brilliant project EZ Elevation, (https://ezelevation.replit.app/) a shopping cart designed to help people with back pain. With the push of a button, the cart floor rises to make reaching heavy items easier—an amazing idea with real potential to help so many!
Best Pitch: Assistive Technology – Sound Scout
Shaindy Bulka, Sarala Frankel, Adira Herman, and Michal Stern received Best Pitch in Assistive Technology for Sound Scout, an assistive device designed to enhance sound localization for hearing impaired individuals. Utilizing an array of microphones, it pinpoints the direction of sound, providing clear directional cues. This minimizes confusion in many diverse environments and helps users feel more confident and safe.
BJLife Newsroom
Best Mechanical Engineering: Power of the Sole Tikvah Kholasechi, Meira Lutch, Naomi Liskovich and Leah Rosenbloom were awarded Best in Mechanical/Environmental Engineering for Power of the Sole—a sneaker that turns the energy from walking into electricity to charge your devices. What an incredible and advanced innovation!
Best Pitch: Engineering for Children – Kinder Reminder
Aliza Bloch, Ayelet Goldberg and Temima Grove won Best Pitch in Engineering for Children for their important and thoughtful invention, Kinder Reminder. This clever keychain device detects if a child has been left in a car and immediately alerts the parent. Simple, portable, and potentially life-saving, Kinder Reminder offers an extra layer of protection and peace of mind for families.
These groups, as well as all Bais Yaakov High School STEM groups, have amazed us with their achievements. They all worked very hard to tackle real-world problems with creativity, and showed true teamwork throughout the process. They proudly represented Bais Yaakov, and we couldn’t be more proud of them.
WEEKLY CALENDAR
JUNE 4TH - JUNE 6TH
Wednesday June 4th
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- Torah Portion Overview
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 June 5th
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 Karp- Fascinating Hilchos Berachos
12:00 pm
Lunch & Learn
1:00 pm
Arts & Crafts with Shifra
1:45 pm
Guitar with Yossi K
Friday June 6th
9:00 am
Breakfast Club
9:30 am
Yoga with Deborah Bandos
11:00 am
Discussion Group with Rabbi Karp- Parsha Dilemmas
12:00 pm
Lunch & Learn
1:00 pm
Music with Aharon Grayson
End Of The Year Chemdas Trip For Yeshivas Kochav Yitzchok Torah Institute
Over 350 Talmidim, across grades 3-8, from Yeshivas Kochav Yitzchok Torah Institute enjoyed a full day at Knoebels amusement park. The entire park was rented out for exclusive use for the Cheder, only possible with the generous help of the Torah Institute PTA. This was the treat given to each of the Talmidim for finishing being tested on between 30 and 60 Perakim of Mishnayos, depending on grade, from the beginning of the year.
Baruch Hashem over 12,000 Mishnayos were learned, and a great day was enjoyed by all, a huge Kiddush Hashem!
Two TA Teams Win First Place At CIJE Innovation Day
By: BJLife Newsroom
Talmudical Academy (TA) of Baltimore made a remarkable showing at this year’s CIJE Innovation Day, with two student teams taking home top honors in their respective categories at the national competition.
The annual event, hosted by the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE), brings together hundreds of students from Jewish schools across the country to present engineering, robotics, and design projects they developed over the
academic year. Held this year at the American Dream complex in East Rutherford, NJ, the event saw over 200 cutting-edge projects aimed at solving real-world problems.
One of TA’s standout teams, comprised of Rummi Azman, Eytan Erez, and Gavriel Mirkin, won Best in Mechanical Engineering for their invention: BuckleBuddy (https:// bucklebuddy.onlin). The device is a smart safety alert system that notifies parents if a child is left buckled in a car seat—designed to prevent acci-
dental tragedies and enhance peace of mind for families. Simple to install and affordably priced, BuckleBuddy stood out for its combination of practical application and mechanical innovation.
The second winning team, made up of Asher Luxenburg and Reuven Shnidman, earned Best in Engineering Design and Process for their project FootFusion—a concept aimed at improving comfort and support in foot pain through innovative design. Their thorough engineering process
and attention to usability set their project apart from a crowded field.
Both groups represent the growing emphasis on STEM education in Jewish day schools and the exceptional creativity of young minds when given the right tools and mentorship.
“The level of innovation and problem-solving from these students was extraordinary,” said a spectator . “We were blown away by the professionalism and thoughtfulness of both BuckleBuddy and FootFusion.”
The Brilliance of the Pnei Menachem
From the Master of Tefillah: A New Classic on Tehillim
Menachem Alter— the Pnei Menachem – was a beloved Torah leader, master orator, and guiding light to thousands. In this powerful collection of his derashos on Yamim Tovim, we hear his voice: wise, clear, and deeply inspiring.
Weaving together Midrash, Zohar, halachah, Kabbalah, Mussar, and Chassidus, his insights elevate our understanding of the Jewish calendar—and enrich every day of the year.
With over 40,000 copies in print, the bestselling Rav Schwab on Prayer continues to transform the prayers of thousands each year.
Now, the legendary clarity of Rabbi Shimon Schwab zt”l enlightens us with insights into some of the most frequently-recited chapters of Tehillim: Borchi Nafshi, Shir HaMaalos, Hallel, and L’Dovid Hashem Ori, brilliantly revealing the heartfelt emotions and timeless messages of Dovid HaMelech.
More than a commentary, this sefer helps us bring Tehillim into our daily lives - our struggles, our triumphs, and our connection to Hashem. It will transform not only how we say Tehillim... but how we live.
JCSL By MDSC – Week 4 Recap: Balance Defines The 2025 Season
As the 2025 JCSL season approaches its midpoint, one theme continues to stand out: competitive balance. With every team still in contention, the league remains wide open—any single win or loss has the potential to dramatically shift the standings. As of this writing, the standings are:
Team Wins Losses
Ambush Law21
Clothier 21
GB Homes22
Orshan Legal Group 22
The Friendship Circle 22
Web Interactive Technologies 22
YL Waitering 22
Donny Ankri
Architects 12
Lazar Real Estate12
If the parity continues, the race for the RenoSafe Homes postseason and the coveted Premier Financial Trophy will be as unpredictable as it is exciting.
All photos courtesy of Josh Finkelstein.
Game Recaps
GB Homes 6, The Friendship Circle 0
In a crucial bounce-back performance, GB Homes delivered a dominant all-around game to blank The Friendship Circle, 6-0.
The game remained scoreless through the first three innings, with both teams showing strong defensive resolve. GB Homes finally broke through in the fourth, sparked by aggressive baserunning and timely hitting. Yoffi Storch stood out with his heads-up play throughout the game.
The highlight came in the seventh inning, when Shalom Stein delivered a bases-clearing single, made even more effective by his savvy movement on the base paths. On the mound, Barry Rosenbluth was stellar, allowing just five hits and issuing no unintentional walks en route to a shutout performance.
YL Waitering 11, Lazar Real Estate 6
YL Waitering secured an impressive 11-6 victory over Lazar Real Estate, showcasing a potent mix of clutch offense, tight defense, and unified team play.
Yaakov Furman set the tone early with a 3-for-5 performance, including a game-shifting triple. Moshe Burr and Simcha Malin were both unstoppable at the plate, each going 4-for-5 to drive the offense forward.
Mordechai Schiermeyer delivered in crucial moments on both sides of the ball, while Yaakov Lichter added two key RBIs to extend the lead. On the mound, Yanky Goldsmith made a statement with a pivotal strikeout of Chaim Finkelstein, flipping the momentum decisively.
In the outfield, Yehuda Rosen was a rock, handling every opportunity with poise. Captain Yoni Levin added multiple highlight-reel catches and drove in two runs, underscoring his leadership. At first base, Sol Kuhnreich made multiple inning-ending plays, including a standout throw to home plate to prevent a score. Behind the dish, All-Pro catcher Chaim Glazer delivered a show-stopping performance, throwing out runners and making acrobatic defensive plays that energized the crowd.
With a complete team effort, YL Waitering looks poised to make a serious postseason push, while Lazar Real Estate will aim to rebound in their next outing.
Orshan Legal Group 13 Web Interactive Technologies 4
On a gorgeous Memorial Day weekend, Orshan Legal Group was successful in evening its record at 2-2 after trouncing undermanned Web Interactive Technologies.
Back in the leadoff spot, 3B Hillel Stutman continued his hot hitting with a solid single. After the next 2 hitters failed to move the runner over, LCF Avrami Freund brought Stutman home on a prodigious power display by hitting an opposite field triple. This was no little league triple either… However, OLG would fail to bring Freund home, taking the lead 1-0.
WIT answered by scoring 3 in the bottom of the first on a string of solid hits.
The next 4 innings were a pitcher’s dream with only one total run scored by both teams combined. WIT P Akiva Katz shut down OLG’s vaunted lineup and All-Star P Mark Stutman did the same to WIT’s Meister-less (Mazel tov!) lineup.
OLG manufactured a run in the 4th when RF Tzvi Schechtman reached on an error, 2B Shlomo Rosenfeld singled, and Mark Stutman adjusted the score to 3-2 on a hard-hit single.
OLG’s top of the lineup finally woke up in the top of the 6th with Hillel Stutman, LF Yoseph Orshan, SS Zelig Glazer, RF Schechtman, Rosenfeld, and Mark Stutman (who aligned into 2nd with a double) stringing together hits, plating 4. In the bottom of the inning, Glazer would start a 6-4-3 double play to snuff out a WIT rally.
WIT scored their 4th and final run in the 7th, but as he did all game, Orshan ended the rally by tracking down every ball hit to left field, while respecting utility fielder Shulie Hochman’s warning track power. To think, 2 years ago Hochman had Orshan languishing in RF picking dandelions, and their team only became a championship team once Orshan switched to LF.
OLG scored 5 runs in the 8th inning, the first scoring on an inside the park but legitimate HR by Glazer, and after the next 4 batters reached on 3 singles and an error, 1B Ben Blackman emptied the bases with a mid-90s classic TA triple over the right fielder, who underestimated the big lefty’s old-school power.
Up 11-4 in the 9th, OLG had runners at 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs and WIT made the ill-fated decision to intentionally walk Freund to pitch to Shechtman. Schechtman shechted the next pitch for a 2 run double.
Due to the combination of Mark Stutman’s dominant pitching, 2 big offensive innings with timely hitting up and down the lineup, and impeccable left and left center-field fielding, OLG went home victorious.
Ambush Law 9 Clothier 3 Ambush Law put on a defensive clinic in their matchup against the (formerly) undefeated Clothier this past Sunday. Yaakov Benzaquen shut down the Clothier’s bats and gave up 0 runs in an impressive pitching performance. Captain Eliezer Ambush led the infield and set the tone with an impressive over-the-shoulder grab on the first play of the game.
The game was locked at 1-1 all the way through the 7th, but Eli Kelemer helped turns the tides with a hard-line drive to RF to score Aharon Loiterman and take the lead. Yehudah Roll followed with a double and Yeshayahu Schwartz kept the carousel turning with a key base hit to put Ambush Law up 4-1.
Clothier pulled within 1 in the top of the 8th, but Ambush Law closed the door with hitting from Adam Ben-Zev and baserunning of Nosson Waldman to put up 5 more runs in the bottom of the 8th. Gedaliah Gelb recorded the final out to seal the win and launch Ambush Law to the top of the standings.
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Around the Community
Let’s Connect! Inaugural Event Dramatically Exceeds All Expectations
By: Sara Brejt
The debut of Let’s Connect! was much-anticipated. The dynamic new community, for vibrant Baltimore women 55+, was greeted with such enthusiasm that every one of the 130 chairs was taken. Women who couldn’t even stay for the event insisted on participating in the set-up - so they could become part of the community.
Anticipation filled the Storch Pool House as the activity-filled program began. Moshay Cooper, a member of the Let’s Connect! steering committee, warmly opened the program, with Tehillim and with words of gratitude to the members of the overflowing crowd.
“Women want to be connecting upwards, inwards and outwards,” said Reb. Chasida Teichman, the initiator of Let’s Connect!, in her welcoming remarks. And that perfectly described the May 4 program.
First, Mrs. Estelle Levitas told of her self-described journey as Baltimore’s “oldest ba’alas teshuva” (at 90!), as she was gently and professionally guided by Sara Helman. Mrs. Levitas, a comedienne par excellence, also shared some of her jokes, to the delight and outright laughter of the audience.
Next, Judy Landman, Baltimore’s very own published poet, turned a Butterfly Garden trip with her son into an analogy for life’s precious and transitional moments, as she led the women in a writing exercise. Two women courageously read the personal poems that they had just written. Esther Badian’s,
in Hebrew and in English, focused on “connecting”, the theme of the day. Stacy Spiegelman’s poem celebrated “Life’s Butterfly Moments”. A journey inwards, indeed.
Lastly, the audience participated in a speed- meeting, speed-greeting game, “Perfect Connections”, with each woman answering a different question to her table-mates. The questions ranged from the sublime, “what’s your favorite mitzva?”, to the unusual, “talk about sourdough for 30 seconds”. The connectedness and the enthusiasm generated by the game were so contagious that this game will no doubt become a signature activity of Let’s Connect! get-togethers.
All in all, the warm feeling and energy of joining together was palpable in the room. As one participant said, the event was “something really special. Everyone felt comfortable, no matter her age, no matter her background. Even people who didn’t know each other beforehand sat together and were comfortable with one another”.
Connecting “upwards, inwards and outwards” also represents the theme of the organization’s plans going forward. Smaller, more narrowly focused, mini-sessions will be held in 4-6-week time blocks, in addition to the larger community gatherings, such as this one, which will continue to be held 2-3 times a year.
The women of Let’s Connect! will themselves choose the topics of the smaller groups, as this is to be a peer-
led community. The choosing began with the pre-event registration process and continued with the detailed questionnaires that the women answered at the event.
The topics will fall within one of these three areas of connectedness. Sara Brejt, another member of the Let’s Connect steering committee, gave examples:
“Connecting with Hashem” might include a volunteer community project, such as decorating a room for children with special needs or sending necessities to Israeli soldiers. Other options might be interviewing authors of Jewish books or chabura-style learning.
“Connecting with others” could be a nature hike or a deep-dive conversation, on an area of relevant interest.
Lastly, “connecting with oneself” would likely include creative outlets, such as artwork, and thinking outlets, such as creative writing.
Of course, the Let’s Connect! thank
you’s were many; to Mr. Frank Storch for kindly allowing the use of his Pool House, where so many good things in Baltimore have started, to Mr. Avrohom Klugman and Mr. Baruch Bitman for their generous assistance with the excellent sound system and the videoing and photographing of the event, to Chavi Wealcatch and Chaya Dachs and their team of volunteers for the beautifully-arranged refreshments, to Zahava Hochberg and her registration committee for ably and calmly greeting the overflowing crowd, to Goldie Silberberg for the stunning logo and welcoming graphics and to Chaya Major for collating and organizing the all-important audience input to determine the focus of the mini-sessions.
In closing, Moshay Cooper requested the women to stay in touch with one another and she invited them to continue making suggestions by emailing to letsconnectbaltimore@ gmail.com. It may seem like a “goodbye”, she said, “but really it’s hello”.
Hello, Let’s Connect!
District 41 Lawmakers Engage With Community At BJC Legislative Roundtable
By: BJLife Newsroom
Senator Dalya Attar, along with Delegates Rosenberg and Stinnett, attended the Baltimore Jewish Council’s “Catching Up on Annapolis” event. During the gathering, they participated in a roundtable discussion with constituents from the 41st District, engaging in meaningful dialogue about key legislative updates, community priorities, and the recent developments from the 2025 General Assembly session. They are pictured here actively listening and exchanging ideas with district residents.
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A Full Day Of Torah And Hisorerus At Ner Yisroel’s Yarchei Kallah
By: BJLife Newsroom
On Memorial Day, Ner Yisroel hosted its Annual Yarchei Kallah on campus. The day’s schedule was full of shiurim and divrei chizuk by various members of the hanhala and members of Kollel Avodas Levi. Those who attended in person or viewed the sessions via livestream enjoyed hearing from the Rosh Hayeshiva, Moreinu Harav Aharon Feldman; Menahel Ruchani, Harav Beryl Weisbord; Menahel, Harav Boruch Neuberger; Harav Yissocher Frand; Harav Yehuda Weiner; as well as Rabbi Abba Kroll.
This year’s Yarchei Kallah featured an updated schedule, created to enhance the experience of those talmidim and guests who took part. New for this year was an opportunity to hear a special Divrei Machshava shiur from Harav Nochum Lansky, who traveled especially from Lakewood to take part; Divrei
Hisorirus in honor of Shavuos from Rabbi Pinchas Gross, Mara D’Asra of Kehillas Derech Chaim in Baltimore; and an extended Question and Answer session during dinner with Harav Shraga Neuberger and Harav Tzvi Berkowitz.
Alumni returned to campus and filled the beis medrash with their kol haTorah as they prepared together for the upcoming Yom Tov of Shavuos and Kabolas HaTorah. The energy spilled over to the Rebbeim, Yungeleit, and current Talmidim in Yeshiva as they took in the sight of former Talmidim coming back to learn in this special Makom Torah.
Charm City Ballers Sponsored By Advanced Security Week 2 Recap
Charm City Ballers sponsored by Advanced Security returned in Week 2 with Platinum Insurance Group and M&S Enterprise each kicking off their seasons, while Fired Up Promotions and Orshan Legal Group looked to bounce back from tough season opening losses. Both games were closely fought throughout, with some strong performances proving to be the difference.
Three Point Flurry Buries Platinum Insurance
Yaakov Rosenblum hit a pair of 3s and Ouriel Nafisi followed with a 3 of his own as Advanced Security turned a 3 point deficit into a 6 point lead they wouldn’t relinquish in a 3 possession span, as Advanced knocked off Platinum Insurance Group in a tightly contested game.
Rosenblum starred in his league debut with 15 points and 11 rebounds after missing the season opener. Yisroel Luchansky led the game in scoring with 16 points, and also grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 5 assists. Advanced bounced back from a season opening loss to move to 1-1.
Platinum Insurance had a strong team effort, with all 5 starters scoring
between 5 and 10 points. Noach Schwartz paced the scoring with 10 points while also grabbing 8 rebounds. Yoni Gugenheim had 8 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Mordi Spero added 9, 7, and 4. Platinum will look to bounce back next week in their matchup with Councilman Schleifer.
M&S Enterprise Opens Season With Win
Jonah Schindelheim paced M&S Enterprise with 18 points and 12 rebounds as they opened their season with a convincing win over Orshan Legal Group. Schindelheim repeatedly found holes in the Orshan Legal defense, as he scored his 18 points on just 11 shot attempts while his time dished out 12 total assists.
Avi “rum Cake” Goldstein hit a pair of early 3s to get M&S out to a quick lead, and played his usual strong defense along with an 11 point scoring effort. Avi Yudkowsky filled up the stat sheet with 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists in the win.
Orshan Legal did have three players in double figures and for much of the game was well within range, before a flurry of turnovers
and defensive lapses doomed them to defeat. Isaac Beletskiy did most of his scoring late but finished with a team high 13 points. Heshey Green and Yoseph Orshan each scored 10, with Green grabbing 9 rebounds while Orshan pulled down 8 and dished out 4 assists. Orshan Legal dropped to 0-2 with the loss, but will have a chance to get in the win column next week against Fired Up Promotions.
Greater Washington: Around the Community
Ohev Shalom Talmud Torah Of Olney Marks Yom Yerushalayim With Spirited Memorial Day Color War Celebration
Memorial Day took on a special meaning at Ohev Shalom Talmud Torah of Olney, as the community came together to celebrate Yom Yerushalayim with a spirited and joyful Blue and White Color War. The event brought out children, parents, and extended community members for an evening filled with energy, connection, and pride in Israel’s miraculous history.
The celebration was a colorful and creative tribute to the reunification of Jerusalem, with teams of blue and white— the colors of the Israeli flag—competing in a wide variety of high-energy games and challenges. From three-on-three basketball to classic egg-and-spoon races, the friendly competition had both adults and kids cheering and laughing in a true display of achdut.
A highlight of the evening was the “Chopped”-style dessert competition, where teams crafted delicious Israeli-themed desserts. The creativity and
effort on display made for a sweet and spirited culinary showdown.
Rabbi and Mrs. Ben-Horin led the program with signature enthusiasm and warmth, organizing engaging activities such as banner-making and team games that kept the energy high and spirits even higher.
The celebration continued with a delicious Israeli-style dinner, featuring savory shawarma and the crowd-favorite Tovavi French fries. The tastes of Israel brought authenticity to the event and provided a flavorful break before the evening’s meaningful conclusion.
Rabbi Ben-Horin offered a heartfelt reflection on the miracles of the SixDay War, reminding the community of the fear and uncertainty leading up to the conflict, and how Hashem’s hand became unmistakably clear in Israel’s stunning victory. He paid tribute to those who fought in the war, including members of the Ohev Shalom commu-
nity, emphasizing the importance of remembering their courage and sacrifice.
As the sun set, families gathered around for one final treat—yummy s’mores by a fire pit, bringing warmth and sweetness to close out the meaningful evening. Children and adults left with full hearts, proud of their heritage and grateful to Hashem for the continued miracles that sustain the Jewish people and the land of Israel.
More than just a celebration, the Yom Yerushalayim Color War at Ohev Shalom Talmud Torah was a powerful expression of community, gratitude, and hope—an event to be remembered.
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 pm OSTT (OLNEY) S-Th
shacharis
The Week In News
The Week In News
Chemical Plant Explodes in China
On Tuesday, a large explosion occurred at a chemical plant in eastern China, sending towers of gray and orange smoke into the air and damaging windows in nearby buildings. Immediately, authorities launched a rescue operation. At least five people were killed in the blast.
The blast took place in the work-
shop of Shandong Youdao Chemical in Gaomi city, Shandong province, minutes before noon local time. A loud bang could be heard in buildings miles away.
One worker at a factory about 6 kilometers from the blast site said she heard a boom and felt a shake and “a strong gust of wind.”
“A strong gust of airflow scared me so much that I didn’t dare leave my office,” she said. “The doors and windows in (my) factory were damaged… The airflow rushed in through the window, and if I had been a bit closer, it might have thrown me against the wall.”
Shandong Youdao Chemical is owned by Himile Group. Founded in August 2019, Shandong Youdao Chemical occupies more than 46 hectares of land in the Gaomi Renhe chemical park and employs more than 300 people. It develops, produces and sells pesticides, pharmaceuticals and chemical intermediates, according to its website.
In 2015, a series of blasts at a chemical warehouse in the northeastern city of Tianjin killed more than 100 people and sent toxic fumes into the air.
King Charles Heads to Canada
On Monday, Britain’s King Charles III arrived in Canada for his first visit as its head of state, where he carried out a highly-symbolic trip seen by many as a show of support for Ottawa.
Charles, 76, was in Canada for two days with his wife, Queen Camilla. He delivered a speech in Canada’s parliament and celebrated the country’s cultural heritage and diversity.
The King was met at the airport in Ottawa by dignitaries, including Canada’s new prime minister, Mark Carney, and the country’s first indigenous governor general, Mary Simon, who is the king’s representative in Canada.
Carney, who was elected on an an-
ti-Trump platform in April, asked the King to visit shortly after he became leader of the Liberal political party. At the time, Trump had imposed tariffs on Canada and was suggesting that the U.S. annex Canada as its 51st state.
In a statement, Carney said the King’s visit was an historic honor that matches the weight of the times.
“It speaks to our enduring tradition and friendship, to the vitality of our constitutional monarchy and our distinct identity, and to the historic ties that crises only fortify,” Carney said.
The King attended the State Opening of Parliament on Tuesday, where he delivered the ceremonial Speech from the Throne to the Senate chamber. The address marks only the second time in Canadian history that the reigning sovereign has opened parliament and the third time that the British monarch has delivered the Speech from the Throne.
During his throne speech, Charles said, “Every time I come to Canada, a little more of Canada seeps into my bloodstream and straight to my heart.” This is his 20th visit to Canada, although it’s his first visit as king.
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He added that he always had the “greatest admiration” for Canada’s “unique identity” for its “bravery and sacrifice in defense of national values,” and the “diversity and kindness of Canadians.”
As tensions have been rising between Canada and the U.S., Charles stated that by staying true to Canadian values, Canada can “build new alliances and a new economy that serves all Canadians.”
He added that the relationship between Canada and the U.S. is “rooted in mutual respect and founded on common interests, to deliver transformational benefits for both sovereign nations.”
The Canadian government is also working to strengthen its relationships with “reliable” trading partners around the world, the King said, adding that it is “recognizing that Canada has what the world needs and the values the world respects.”
EU Tariffs
Postponed
On Sunday, President Donald Trump announced that he had agreed to provide an extension on a proposed
50% tariff on imports from the European Union. Trump had originally said the tariffs will go into effect on June 1.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said he received a call from European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen requesting an extension on the June 1 tariff hike.
“I agreed to the extension — July 9, 2025 — it was my privilege to do so,” Trump wrote. “The Commission President said that talks will begin rapidly. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Von der Leyen said on X that she had a “good call” with Trump and that Europe is “ready to advance talks swiftly and decisively.”
On Friday, Trump threatened to impose a 50% tariff on imports from the European Union amid ongoing trade negotiations.
“Their powerful Trade Barriers, Vat Taxes, ridiculous Corporate Penalties, Non-Monetary Trade Barriers, Monetary Manipulations, unfair and unjustified lawsuits against Americans Companies, and more, have led to a Trade Deficit with the U.S. of more
than $250,000,000 a year, a number which is totally unacceptable,” Trump said. “Therefore, I am recommending a straight 50% Tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025.”
The EU tariff threat came after Vice President JD Vance met with von der Leyen and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on May 18.
Earlier in the week, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said President Donald Trump is trying to “light a fire” under the European Union.
“I would hope that this would light a fire under the EU, because... I’ve said before, [the] EU has a collective action problem here,” Bessent said on “America’s Newsroom.” “It’s 27 countries, but they’re being represented by this one group in Brussels. So some of the feedback that I’ve been getting is that the underlying countries don’t even know what the EU is negotiating on their behalf.”
Denmark to Raise Retirement Age
and yet the EU’s highest retirement age,” he said. “A higher retirement age means that [people will] lose the right to a dignified senior life.”
In Europe, other countries offer different ages for retirement. For instance, in Sweden, the earliest age individuals can start to claim pension benefits is 63. The standard pension age in Italy is 67, although as in the case of Denmark, this is also subject to adjustments based on life expectancy estimates and may increase in 2026.
In the UK, people born between October 6, 1954 and April 5, 1960 start receiving their pension at the age of 66. But for people born after this date, the state pension age will increase gradually.
In France, a law was passed in 2023 that raised the retirement age from 62 to 64. The highly unpopular change sparked protests and riots and had to be pushed through parliament by President Emmanuel Macron without a vote.
Want to retire? Don’t move to Denmark. The country is set to have the highest retirement age in Europe after its parliament adopted a law raising it to
Since 2006, Denmark has tied the official retirement age to life expectancy and has revised it every five years. It is currently 67 but will rise to 68 in 2030
The retirement age at 70 will apply to all people born after December 31, 1970.
The new law passed on Thursday with 81 votes for and 21 votes against.
Last year, Social Democrat Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the sliding scale principle would eventually
“We no longer believe that the retirement age should be increased automatically,” she said, adding that in her party’s eyes “you can’t just keep saying that people have to work a year longer.”
Protests backed by trade unions against the retirement age increase took place in Copenhagen over the last few weeks as many workers rail against the
Ahead of Thursday’s vote, Jesper Ettrup Rasmussen, the chairman of a Danish trade union confederation, said the proposal to increase the retirement
“Denmark has a healthy economy
In the U.S., the full retirement age for Social Security benefits is gradually increasing. For those born in 1960 or later, the full retirement age is 67, although you can start receiving partial payment from the age of 62. Those born between 1955 and 1959 have a full retirement age between 66 and 67. Individuals born in 1954 or earlier have a full retirement age of 66.
Former Hostage Recounts Torture
Omer Wenkert, who survived 505 days of being held hostage by Hamas, recounted the torture he endured during his time in Hamas captivity while speaking to the Bar Association conference on Sunday.
Wenkert, now 24 years old, was intentionally starved, with his captors, for two or three weeks straight, only giving him half a pita a day to eat. After Israel’s ground campaign expanded to Rafah, Hamas terrorists began torturing Wenkert for fun.
“One of them brought insect repellent, stood me up at the end of the corridor, and sprayed me in the face, with my eyes open,” he recounted. “He also decided to beat me with an iron rod.”
For six and a half months, Wenkert
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lived in isolation, with terrorists approaching him “once in a while.” About 80 days after he was taken hostage, his captors relocated him from one tunnel to another tunnel, which he says was a “dark room with a little lamp.” The tunnel he mostly stayed in had a hole he could use to go to the bathroom and was “about 90 centimeters (35 inches) wide, and about 9-10 meters (29-32 feet) long.”
“I was on a small mattress, with my back against the wall. I was there for 420 days, I think,” Wenkert said.
“They tried to drive me crazy — to damage my sense of time,” he said. “When they put down food for me, they told me to turn around, so they could leave. Bathing was once in 50 days, with a little bottle. Only after nine and a half months did I bathe for real.”
On June 13, 2024, Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, two hostages who have yet to be freed, joined Wenkert in the tunnel.
Wenkert was taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023, at the Supernova music festival. Around 40 others were kidnapped from the festival, while 360 others were killed. Wenkert was finally brought back home on February 22, 2025, after spending more than 500 days in Hamas’ hands in Gaza.
Hamas Executes Gazan Looters
According to reports by Reuters, Hamas executed four Gazan men on Monday for allegedly stealing from arriving aid trucks last week and “causing the death of members of a force tasked with securing aid trucks.”
The terrorist organization is now searching for seven others suspected of stealing aid, according to a Hamas-controlled umbrella group that calls itself the “Palestinian Resistance.”
Yasser Abu Shabab, a large clan leader in Rafah and Hamas’ opponent, announced he was establishing an armed force to ensure aid isn’t stolen. Hamas has alleged that, in months past,
Abu Shabab himself stole aid, an accusation he denies. Abu Shabab calls himself a “grassroots leader who stood up against corruption and looting,” though a Hamas security official branded him a “tool used by the Israeli occupation to fragment the Palestinian internal front.”
On Monday, Israel announced that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation had started distributing aid to Gazans. The foundation is meant to deliver aid in a way that prevents Hamas from stealing it, as it generally does.
40 Years Since Operation Moses
On Monday, Yom Yerushalayim, thousands of Ethiopian Israelis gathered at Mount Herzl, where they commemorated the 40th anniversary of Operation Moses, which took place in 1984 and 1985. During the operation, the Jewish state rescued 8,000 “Beta Israel” community members from the embattled and famished country of Ethiopia and brought them to Israel.
During the annual ceremony, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog spoke.
“Generations of Ethiopian Jews prayed and swore to return to Zion, to Jerusalem,” said Herzog. “They did not forget or lose hope during thousands of years of exile, hardship, longing and yearning. And when the opportunity came, they left their homes, their possessions, sometimes even part s of their families and set out on a difficult and dangerous journey that took a painful and heavy toll.”
“The code word for thousands of Jews who left their cities and villages was one word that said it all: Jerusalem,” Netanyahu declared at the ceremony. “This is a victory of faith, hope, and willpower. This is the victory of love for Jerusalem.”
In the early 1980s, thousands of Ethiopians traveled hundreds of miles on foot to Sudan, where they were put in refugee camps, with 4,000 of them dying from the journey or from starvation, disease, or violence. To rescue thousands of Ethi-
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opian Jews, Israel secretly coordinated Operation Moses with the United States, the CIA, and many Jewish organizations. Israel also had to bribe Sudanese officials to help, since the Jewish state did not have diplomatic relations with the Northeast African country. The operation took place from November 21, 1984, to January 5, 1985.
In Operation Joshua, which took place in March 1985, and Operation Solomon, which took place in 1991, Israeli officials rescued more than 14,000 people in the span of 36 hours.
Around 170,000 Ethiopian Jews currently live in Israel.
2 Israeli Embassy Staffers Killed
Two Israeli embassy staffers, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, were murdered on Wednesday night outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington,
D.C., during an event. Lischinsky had planned on proposing to Milgrim the following week after their move to Jerusalem.
According to recent charges, the pair was repeatedly shot by Elias Rodriguez, who told police that he killed them “for Palestine. I did it for Gaza.” He has since been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and other charges, such as the murder of foreign officials. He allegedly shot the two staffers several times.
Security footage shows Rodriguez outside the museum, shooting the embassy workers in the back. From the scene of the murder, investigators found 21 empty shell cases and a 9mm handgun that matched a weapon bought by Rodriguez in 2020 in Illinois. Rodriguez declared and brought the gun on a flight from Chicago to Virginia.
“This brutal, antisemitic violence has
no place in our country or anywhere in civilization,” said Pam Bondi, the U.S. Attorney General, who visited the site of the murder. “We will follow the facts and secure the most severe possible punishment for the perpetrator of this heinous crime, which robbed two wonderful young people of a bright future together.”
Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI are investigating the murders. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia is prosecuting the alleged murderer.
Lischinsky, a German Christian, grew up in Nuremberg, Germany, and moved to Israel. He had served in the IDF. He was a research assistant in the political department at the Israeli Embassy. Milgrim had organized and worked with delegations. They were both known as peace-seeking bridge-builders, according to their colleagues.
Before the murderer shot the two victims dead, he was kicked out of the event. He then waited outside for the embassy workers, where he killed them. Three other people escaped from the attack and were not hurt.
“The person who shot these two young people dead last night shouted,
‘Free, free Palestine.’ This was done in the name of a political agenda to eradicate the State of Israel,” noted Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the United States. “The State of Israel is now fighting a war on seven fronts. This is the eighth front in the war to demonize, to delegitimize, to eradicate the right of the State of Israel.”
Dan Bongino, the FBI’s deputy director, said officials were investigating the possibility that Rodriguez wrote and posted a manifesto on X called “Escalate For Gaza, Bring The War Home,” which legitimized attacks against Jews and Israelis.
Lischinsky, 30, was laid to rest on Sunday in the village of Beit Zayit, nestled in the wooded hills west of Jerusalem. Milgrim is to be buried in Kansas, where she grew up.
Sewage Boat Explodes in NYC
On Saturday morning, a boat that had been carrying raw sewage exploded at the North River Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility in West Harlem in New
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York City. Sadly, one person lost their life in the explosion: Chief Marine Diesel Engineer Raymond Feige, 59.
“Ray was a respected engineer and a steady, beloved colleague who will be deeply missed,” said DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala. “For more than three decades, he worked at DEP in a job that is largely unseen by most New Yorkers but is critical to keeping the City running, and we are grateful for his service.”
The DEP said Feige started at the agency in 1991 in the marine section, where he remained for the rest of his decades-long career with a love for working on the water and bonding with shipmates.
The city employee “brought deep technical expertise and unwavering dedication” to the city’s wastewater operations, the agency said.
Another employee who was injured in the explosion was brought to the hostpial.
The DEP said the explosion was caused by an accident on the boat, which is still under investigation.
Harvard Int’l Student Ban
The Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security recently moved to terminate Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, thus attempting to ban the Ivy League university from enrolling international students.
A day after the order went out, U.S. District Court Judge Allison Burroughs issued a temporary restraining order, blocking the Trump administration’s order. Burroughs said Harvard proved it would “sustain immediate and irreparable injury” if the ban on international student enrollment is implemented. However, the restraining order will expire after around a week, after which the ban will be implemented unless Burroughs issues a preliminary injunction. A preliminary injunction would stop the Trump administration from terminating Harvard’s certificate until the lawsuit is decided in court.
As such, for now, Harvard University can continue enrolling international students. On Thursday, Burroughs is expected to decide whether to issue a
preliminary injunction after hearing arguments at a Boston federal courthouse. Harvard University had 6,793 international students as of the 2024-2025 academic year. That is over a quarter of its student population.
If the Trump administration’s order goes into effect, Harvard would lose all its current international students starting next semester and be banned from enrolling them anymore. Thus, to keep their non-immigrant status in the United States, international students would have to transfer to another university, according to a letter sent by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to Harvard.
Harvard claims that the Trump administration’s move constitutes political retaliation. Research at the university would be affected, and Harvard would lose a substantial amount of money, as much of its tuition-paying students are foreign.
A Big, Beautiful Bill
The House passed a major bill, called the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” last Thursday evening in a 215-214 vote. Now, the Senate will have to vote on the bill.
The bill, if signed into law, would accomplish several of President Donald Trump’s goals: revive Trump’s 2017 tax cuts; increase border, deportation, and national defense funding; create Medicaid reforms, including work requirements; do away with green energy tax incentives; increase the debt limit by $4 trillion; and eliminates taxes on tips and overtime.
Though it may not survive the Senate, the bill’s passing is a big victory for House Speaker Mike Johnson, who persuaded Republican lawmakers to vote for the bill.
“Today, the House has passed generational, truly nation-shaping legislation to reduce spending and permanently lower taxes for families and job-creators, secure the border, unleash American energy dominance, restore peace through strength and make government work more efficiently and effectively for all Americans,” Johnson declared.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), and House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) condemned the bill in a joint statement, asserting that it would take healthcare and food assistance from millions in order to make the rich richer. John Thune, the Senate majority
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leader, said he was considering making a few changes to the bill, including by making certain tax provisions permanent and lessening the legislation’s impact on Medicaid. Johnson has asked Thune to make any tweaks as minimal as possible.
Top Republican lawmakers said they aimed to put the bill into law by July 4. Congress has until mid-July to prevent a default, according to Treasury Department Secretary Scott Bessent.
Only two House Republicans voted against the bill: Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie and Ohio Rep. Warren Davidson. Maryland Rep. Andy Harris, the chair of the Freedom Caucus, voted “present,” while Arizona Rep. David Schweikert and New York Rep. Andrew Garbarino mistakenly missed the vote.
Bye-Bye Penny
By early 2026, the Treasury Department will stop producing pennies. Once the penny’s production is phased out, businesses are expected to round their prices to the nearest 5 cents, as there will not be enough pennies circulating.
In February, President Donald Trump requested that the Treasury pause
making pennies. The House and Senate have since introduced legislation to end the minting of pennies. The Treasury can pause the minting of new coins, but only Congress can permanently discontinue or eliminate coins.
After ending penny production, the United States Mint expects to save $56 million a year in reduced material costs. One penny costs almost 4 cents to mint. The government will also save more money after retiring some of the facilities it uses to produce pennies. Last year, the government lost over $85 million after minting around three billion pennies.
Americans will still be able to use whatever pennies remain for everyday transactions.
In 2012, Canada discontinued its penny. Decades ago, Australia and New Zealand did the same.
The U.S. Mint began producing pennies in 1792. Its design, size, and composition have changed over the years.
10 Commandments in TX Classrooms
On Sunday, a key vote in the Texas legislature passed a requirement that all public school classrooms in the Lone Star State display the Ten Commandments.
Senate Bill 10 moved forward despite a federal court ruling that a similar Louisiana law violated a constitutionally required separation of church and state.
The bill passed the House 88-49 on Saturday. The lower chamber’s initial approval came after more than two hours of debate and despite last-ditch Democratic efforts to water down the law, including giving school districts the opportunity to vote on the policy and adding codes of ethics from different faiths into the bill.
On Sunday, the House passed the bill 82-46, but clarified in it that the state would be responsible for any legal fees if a school district were to be sued over the policy. With the amendment, the bill must go back to the Senate for final approval, which passed it 20-11 in March. If the Senate approves it, the bill then heads to Gov.
Greg Abbott, who is expected to sign it.
The bill was sponsored by Republican Senator Phil King. Every classroom will need to visibly display a poster of the Ten Commandments of at least 16 by 20 inches.
“It is incumbent on all of us to follow G-d’s law, and I think we would all be better off if we did,” Rep. Candy Noble, a Republican from Lucas who is carrying the bill in the House, said during the floor debate on Saturday.
Supporters argue that the Ten Commandments and teachings of Christianity more generally are core to U.S. history.
In 2021, Texas required schools to display “In G-d We Trust” signs if they were donated by a private foundation. In 2024, the State Board of Education approved Bible-infused teaching materials.
This session, lawmakers have also advanced bills that allow a prayer or religious study period in school.
Texas is one of 16 states where lawmakers have pursued the Ten Commandments bills.
Last June, a federal court struck down a Louisiana law requiring all public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments — the first state this decade to pass such a law. The state is appealing the decision.
For
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He had been guiding a group of Indian army officials up the mountain when he reached its 8,894-meter summit at 04:00 local time on Tuesday.
On the Moo-ve
Parts of Australia have been struggling with devastating floods. Thousands of houses and animals have been affected by the rising tides, and at least five people have been killed. One cow, though, made an udderly amazing journey when it was found alive on Old Bar Beach, around 11 miles away from its home in Taree, New South Wales.
Layla Philipson discovered the bovine in the sand and shared photos on the Taree Community Noticeboard on Facebook, leading to the cow’s reunion with its owner.
“Alive cow Oldbar beach between Wallabi and meridian,” read her post. Thankfully, the owner was found, and the animal was reunited with its master. Cowabunga!
“Everest Man” Sets Record
Nepali sherpa Kami Rita is known as the “Everest Man” – and for good reason. This week, the 55-year-old guide scaled Mount Everest for the 31st time, breaking his own record for the most climbs up the world’s tallest peak.
“Kami Rita Sherpa needs no introduction. He is not just a national climbing hero, but a global symbol of Everest itself,” expedition organizer Seven Summit Treks said.
Kami Rita first summited Everest in 1994 guiding a commercial expedition and has made it to the peak almost every year since. In some years, he even got there twice.
His closest competitor for the Everest record is fellow Nepali sherpa Pasang Dawa, who scaled the peak 29 times – the latest attempt made last week.
“I am glad for the record, but records are eventually broken,” Kami Rita said in May last year. “I am more happy that my climbs help Nepal be recognized in the world.”
Kami Rita’s feat comes one week after British mountaineer Kenton Cool summited Everest for the 19th time, also breaking his own record for the most climbs for a non-sherpa.
More than 500 people and their guides have climbed Everest successfully this climbing season, which is coming to an end. Nepal had issued more than 1,000 climbing permits this season – for Everest and other peaks – according to its tourism department.
Kami Rita, though, is the one who has soared the highest.
Includes: Pickwick, Beazer, Heather Ridge, Towers, Summit Park & more
Torah Thought Essential Services
By Rabbi Zvi Teichman
‘Need’ is a deviously simple word to translate. Several years ago, during the pandemic we have discovered that its translation is certainly not all that obvious.
What is ‘essential’?
Despite the many things we thought we simply could not survive without — we had managed famously and are still here to tell the tale.
The world-renowned Chazzan, Yitzchok Meir Helfgot, whose mellifluous voice resonates with the sweet music of the angels, was recovering from a difficult bout of COVID-19. He retold the apocryphal story of a man who after being released from a long stay in the hospital on a ventilator, was presented with a huge, itemized bill for services rendered and began to cry. He explained that he was not crying over the bill, but rather over his newly gained appreciation for the priceless ability to fill one’s lungs with air, that he too often took for granted.
If you have spoken to people who have suffered this illness and recovered, you will hear how they all express unparalleled joy over the ability to simply just breath freely once again.
The great Rosh HaYeshiva, Rav Yitzchok Hutner, observed that generally when we are deficient in the essentials of life, we experience the pain of lack. Yet, when we regain those essentials, we do not feel particularly happy.
Soda, for many, is something we have become accustomed to, and if it
is missing at a meal it is discomforting. When it is there, though we enjoy it, we do not break out into a jig.
With luxuries it is just the opposite. In the absence of them we do not experience any anguish. Yet, when we merit them, they bring us much joy.
An expensive car is a luxury. We do not suffer if we just drive a Ford. But one who buys a Tesla wears a brighter smile.
According to this axiom, then the lack of oxygen, an essential component of life, should be torturous when missing, and not necessarily bring us joy when it returns after having struggled to breathe.
The answer is evident. It is the one exception. Oxygen is life itself. When we are in danger of losing our life, we sense great torment. When we are brought back from the brink to live once again, we are of course jubilant.
There is no greater joy than to be alive.
He continued to explain a prayer we recite each night, that remarkably expresses this very sentiment.
Without it, we are bereft and lost. With it, we experience the epitome of happiness itself.
Is it a necessity? Certainly! Then why the joy?
The reason is because Torah is the elixir of life — it is life itself.
In an article that appeared years ago in Ami magazine, Rivki Cherrick, shared an anecdote regarding her grandfather, Bill Cherrick, who was stricken at the age of three with the Spanish Influenza, during the pandemic of 1918.
The doctor, who made a house call on a Friday night to examine the extremely sick child, declared there was nothing he could do. Noticing the Shabbos candles, he commented, how obviously being religious people, they should turn to their only hope - G-d.
They added a name to the child and prayed fervently. His mother pledged that if Bill survives, she will enroll him in cheder at the age of four, a year earlier than commonly practiced.
He recovered.
and we will rejoice with the words of the study of Torah, and with your commandments forever, for they are our life and the length of our days...
Here too, we ‘exult’ over the study of Torah and the performing of Mitzvos, for they are our ‘life’. They are unequivocally essential for living — without it we do not exist.
The melamed at first hesitated, but eventually consented after hearing of the mother’s promise, taking the boy under his tutelage, continuing to learn with him through his teenage years as well.
Bill Cherrick, and his wife, became legendary pillars of the Orthodox Jewish community in St. Louis, Missouri, raising generations of Torah observant Jews.
During those unusual times we
had learned to value many of those simple things, like breathing, that we usually overlook. Our entire perspective has shifted in appreciating items that are critical and putting into proper perspective matters that are inconsequential for our happiness.
But, as we head towards the day of the giving of Torah each year, we must realize as well, that even the faculty to breath, is only essential as much as it powers lungs filled with the oxygen of Torah and good deeds as well.
Bill’s mother acutely understood, that if we are fortunate to merit life, that breath of life can be deemed essential, only if the oxygen becomes enriched with Torah and Mitzvos.
The single heroic act of a Yiddeshe Momma, who instinctively fathomed what is the life force of the universe, continues to supply the vital nutrients that ensure the continuity of her generations.
Will our future generations look back upon us fondly, knowing that we lived ‘essential’ lives that guaranteed their very existence?
May we accept once again, the source of all life, with extra fervor and stronger commitment.
Who knows how far the effects of that life-giving force will travel?
for they are our life and the length of our days...
You may reach the author at: Ravzt@ ohelmoshebaltimore.com
OVERVIEW PARSHA
Hashem tells Moshe to take a census of the adult Jewish males in the desert. The census showed how much Hashem loves the Jewish people, and more technically, its purpose was to form an army, should one be necessary. The formations of the encampments are given as well The Leviim are appointed, counted, and the firstborns are redeemed.
Quotable Quote “ ”
“The use of power diminishes others; the exercise of influence enlarges them.”
TSorahparks
Bamidbar | Shavuos
Rabbi Lord J. Sacks zt”l
GEMATRIA
QUICK VORT
There are exactly 159 pesukim in Parshas Bamidbar. Interestingly, the Hebrew equivalent of 159 is the word ןטק , which means small.
In life, sometimes we feel small, insignificant, and unimportant. We fall into moments of low self-esteem where we feel a sense of תונטק (smallness).
PARSHA STATS
Pesukim - 159
Words - 1,823
Letters - 7,393
Mitzvos - 0
ThoughtsChassidus in
Reb Naftali M'Ropshitz, in the Sefer Zera Kodesh, teaches us that the Torah being given, of all places, in a רבדמ - a lowly desertshows that everyone is connected to the Torah, even those who are "low."
The Torah is relevant to everyone and anyone
Did You
KNOW?!
The gematria of רבדמב (Bamidbar) is 248, which is the same as םהרבא (Avraham). A רבדמ /desert represents humility. Humility is the ability to make space for Hashem in your life. Avraham Avinu was a paragon of t his, as he left his “other” life behind, and chose to be different than everyone else. He let Hashem into his life, and the rest...is history!
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. You can reach him at 443-938-0822 or oristrum@torahsparks.com
However, the same Parshah which contains 159 - ןטק - pesukim, is the same Parshah that tells us about the census, the counting of the Jewish people.
Hashem says: שאר תא ואש - lift your head ! I am counting you because I love you. You are great. You are significant. You are important. Don't ever lose sight of this reality.
Rav Naftali Jaeger, Rosh HaYeshiva of Sh’or Yashuv, once pointed out that the famous words which Klal Yisroel said when accepting the Torah - עמשנו השענ (we will do and we will obey) - are found in Chapter 24, Passuk 7, thus teaching us that a yid’s acceptance of Torah and Mitzvos is meant to be constant and always, 24/7.
Yes, we might be in a desert. We might be on a path that looks confusing and hard. We might not see the end in sight. But each and every one of us are counted by Hashem. If that’s the case, that means we certainly count. We are capable of so much positivity, holiness, and goodness.
So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and lift your head up!
Have a beautiful Shabbos and Shavuos!
PointsPonder to
The Torah was given in a desert, a lowly place, symbolic of humility. If Hashem wanted us to accept the Torah with humility, then why did He give us the Torah atop a mountain in the desert? Shouldn’t He have just given in on the flat desert land?
Unquestionable Unity between the U.S. and Israel at Jerusalem Post Conference
The 2025 New York Jerusalem Post Conference was held last week at the Pierre Hotel, with representatives from Israel and the Jewish community joining together to speak about the state of the State of Israel and the Jewish people.
Zvika Klein, JPost editor-in-chief, headed the packed program, welcoming local and international leaders and advocates from across a broad spectrum.
“Despite everything we’ve been through, we are still standing, we are still thinking, and we are still believing in the future of Israel and the Jewish people,” he declared.
in a display of unity following the October 7 attacks. Rep. Mast believes President Trump is making positive moves for all parties involved.
“The President, across the globe, wants to use business and not bombs. That’s his strategy, and we see that play out in this situation as well, but it plays out in a very pointed way. We want to do this diplomatically, but if we have to do it kinetically, don’t think that that’s off the table,” said Mast.
He addressed the possibility of a more peaceful Syria, “We’re having serious conversations to bring the world to a different place than where it’s been historically. Think about the gravity and the history to be in the conversations that we’re having.”
By Tammy m ark
The conference lineup was filled with those who support Israel, coming from sectors of business, healthcare and entertainment. Topics included the reliability of the U.S.-Israel allegiance, the growth of Israel in all sectors, and, of course, the vital immediate urgency of rescuing the remaining hostages in Gaza. A pervasive concern was the question of President Donald Trump’s allegiance to Israel, in regards to his recent trip to the Middle East and meetings with Arab countries without visiting Israel. This was met with many assurances that there was no cause for concern.
Congressman Brian Mast, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is a U.S. military veteran who lost his legs while serving in Afghanistan in 2010. In 2015, he went on to volunteer with the Israel Defense Forces packing medical kits and publicly wore his IDF uniform
Mast reassured the crowd, “You know, I was looking back at this backdrop, and I was looking at the flags, and as long as there are 50 stars in a sea of blue and 13 red and white stripes, she’ll never be alone.”
Florida Senator Rick Scott agreed with the strategy. “I think if you look at the Middle East where Trump’s going to be is, he’s going to do everything he can to expand peace and to build relationships, not just for America, but also for Israel. I think it’s no question he’s going to stand with Israel. He’s never going to back down from what he’s done for Israel.”
Scott stated emphatically, “We have to completely destroy Hamas.”
Representatives for Israel included Ofir Akunis, Consul-General of Israel in New York, who relayed his hopes for the region. “I am saying to all of you and Qatar from here – they should be using their money to build Gaza above
ground, not under it. Hamas must put down their weapons. They cannot be a political or military party anymore.”
He continued, “Gaza can be like the Emirates if they want to. The same applies to Judea and Samaria with the Palestinians.”
Gilad Erdan, Magen David Adom Global president and former Israeli Ambassador to the UN, spoke frankly on the state of the UN.
“The United Nations is beyond reform. It’s beyond repair,” Erdan declared. “The institution created to prevent atrocities after the Holocaust now protects genocidal regimes.”
“After four years at the evil UN, I chose to channel my devotion into an organization of pure good,” he said. Erdan closed by honoring Adham Safadi, a senior EMT who lost his daughter when a Hezbollah rocket hit the soccer field where she was playing.
Adam Boehler, U.S. Special Envoy for Hostage Response, shared his experience upon the release of American hostage Edan Alexander.
“It was an unbelievable moment on Sunday. The whole time, we couldn’t sleep. It was exciting, nerve-wracking… That first phone call was unbelievable. It was right on Mother’s Day when we went over. It had a lot of meaning – for me, Steve [Witkoff] and everybody.”
Boehler said he hopes for an imminent deal. “I think it’s getting closer and closer to make a deal here. If Hamas wants to come forward and make a legitimate offer they’re willing to stand by and release hostages, we’re always open to that.”
Boehler continued, “I do think we’re closer than we ever were. Part of that is because of the movement of Israel and the IDF on the ground.”
Chants of “Bring Them Home” echoed throughout the ballroom. Im -
passioned pleas came from Keith and Aviva Siegel, Hamas captivity survivors, on the dire state of the remaining hostages and the critical need to bring every single one home. Bar Godard, daughter of Meni Godard whose body is held in Gaza, and Ilay David, brother of Evyatar David, who is a living hostage in Gaza, shared their stories and echoed the sentiment. October 7th survivors Liora Eilon and Oded Etinger from Kfar Aza were in the audience, after spending Shabbos at the Young Israel of Woodmere to share their journeys of survival and beyond. To witness their personal suffering underscores the goal of the public conversation – the absolute peace and security for the Jewish people in Israel and around the globe.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams joined Economy Minister and former Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat to sign an historic initiative, launching the NYC-Israel Economic Council to increase economic cooperation between NYC and Israel. Additionally, the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism will set about immediately establishing an interagency task force dedicated to fighting Jew-hatred. A vocal advocate for Israel and the Jewish community, Adams stated, “As long as I am mayor of this city, we will be invested in Israel.”
Dani Naveh, former Member of Knesset and current President and CEO of Israel Bonds, explained the significant role of Bonds.
“On October 7, I initiated a special campaign of support for Israel,” Naveh shared. Immediate impact was made and continues on. “Since October 7, Israel Bonds raised almost $5 billion… These funds really have played an important part in Israel’s economic resilience.”
Rabbi Yehoshua Fass and Tony Gelbart of Nefesh B’Nefesh and Adv. Avi-
chai Kahana, of the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, shared good news about upsurges in Aliyah.
“After October 7, we have seen an incredible increase of Aliyah interest,” said Rabbi Fass. Despite the surge, his organization is working fervently to bolster medical immigration, to support the shortage of doctors.
Siggy Flicker, national spokeswoman for JEXIT and former TV personality, took the stage alongside her father, Mordecai Paldiel, a Holocaust survivor and historian. Flicker, who was born in Israel and grew up listening to her father’s tales of the Holocaust, was recently nominated to The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council. Flicker stood up and gave an impassioned impromptu speech about her absolute faith in President Trump’s support for Israel.
“He will never turn his back on the Jewish people or the Jewish homeland,” she assured.
She said she appreciates that people are very concerned about Israel, worried about Qatar and Hamas, but trusts the plan. “Sometimes you have to go to the head of the snake to normalize the region.”
Montana Tucker, actress, singer and descendant of Holocaust survivors, received an award in recognition of the use of her platforms to serve as a social media activist despite brutal backlash. One panel brought together Rudy Rochman, current IDF soldier, Jewish and Israel rights activist and filmmaker, along with internet influencers and advocates Lizzy Savetsky and Zach Sage Fox, to discuss the battles facing the Jewish people. Former TV personalities Julia and Miriam Haart shared their evolution into staunch Israel advocates. All of them have lost fans, brand deals and personal relationships, while enduring massive online hatred.
Inbal Bouskila welcomed guests
from diverse backgrounds. Internet entrepreneur “Nas Daily” Nuseir Yassin, with his imitable energy, shared his hopes for peace and understanding as an Israeli-born Palestinian Muslim. Deputy Chief Richie Taylor, NYPD’s highest-ranking yarmulke-wearing Orthodox Jew, spoke on the commitment to protect the New York community and the efforts to help identify and arrest violent perpetrators.
Klein wrapped up the event with talk show host and political commentator Brian Kilmeade of Fox & Friends.
“America and Israel make mistakes—we’re not perfect—but I believe we are on the right side of history. There’s a fundamental synergy between our two countries,” he said.
With top security inside, the conference was free of disruptions unlike the previous year, yet anti-Israel protestors camped outside the venue. A musical performance by Miri Ben-Ari, Grammy Award-winning American-Israeli violinist, kept spirits up. Through moments of tough talk and realistic conversations, the comforting and reassuring messages shared throughout were universal and concrete.
“We want to do this diplomatically, but if we have to do it kinetically, don’t think that that’s off the table.”
Living an Elevated Life
MiriaM Baver ShareS Why She
ChoSe to Join the JeWiSh nation
Written by Malkie Schulman
Igrew up in Philadelphia with my parents and four siblings, completely secular and non-Jewish. My family never went to church and observed no religious practice of any kind. Yet I always retained a strong belief in G-d. I don’t even know where it came from, but I had always had this sense that there was a G-d taking care of me. As a teenager, I became interested in religion, but that phase didn’t last too long. First of all, it wasn’t an easy path, especially in my not-interested-in-religion-at-all family, and then I ended up in a kind of cultish religious group for a while, which I (baruch Hashem) eventually backed away from because it didn’t feel right.
After that negative experience, I stopped looking into religion. Instead, right after high school graduation, I got married at 18 years old. I had two children in two years, and by the time I was 20 or 21, the marriage was over, and I was left a very young, very
inexperienced single mom. In my early to mid-30s, my kids were budding teenagers, and I was a struggling mom, trying to figure out how to discipline them and get them to understand the concept of personal accountability. I started searching for religion again. Over the span of two years, I explored a number of different churches, finally ending up in a fundamentalist Bible Baptist church.
Although the church had obviously some very distorted views of halacha, still, I would say, 75% of their teachings came from Torah, what they called “The Old Testament.” They believed in Sabbath as a day of rest, for instance. And although their Sabbath was on Sunday, so they got that wrong, they did not work that day. Of course, they didn’t have the Lamed-Tes Melachos – they drove to church, used electricity and even handled money, for example. But the women all dressed modestly. In fact, I started only wearing
dresses once I joined the church.
Shortly after joining, I became a Sunday school teacher for four-year-olds. As I taught, I noticed a pattern: when the kids asked questions from the “Old Testament.” I was comfortable answering them. When they asked about the New Testament, I’d say, “Ask your parents.” I discovered that I didn’t feel comfortable with those answers. I believed in the Old Testament; I just wasn’t buying into the rest. After a while, I realized I was in the wrong place.
opening the Door to JuDaiSM
That’s when I started looking into Judaism. At that time, I didn’t even know there was an option to convert to Judaism. Nevertheless, I began to learn. I found an Orthodox rabbi willing to teach me and soon found out there was possibility to convert (though that was still
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down the road for me). I was living in South (New) Jersey at the time, and I traveled on two buses and a train to the nearest Orthodox community to meet with the rabbi every week to learn. Eventually, I stopped learning with him because of an incident involving some of his congregants driving to shul for Rosh Hashana services. I’d just come from a strict fundamentalist church, and here was this rabbi allowing congregants to desecrate the holiday. I had a hard time with what I felt was a lax attitude, so I found myself a Chabad rabbi in the next town over. The Chabad rabbi was the one who ultimately arranged for my conversion in New York three years later.
It wasn’t so simple just getting the conversion arranged, by the way. Even after I was living in a frum Jewish community in Atlantic City and observing everything I was allowed to observe as a non-Jew, I had to push a lot to make the conversion happen and repeatedly tell the rabbi, “I’m ready to convert. Can we get this moving?”
My father, who always said he was an atheist (though I think he was really agnostic), supported me completely. He drove me to the beit din, and while I was inside, went to the flower shop and bought me a beautiful bouquet of baby roses to present to me when I emerged as a Jew. As he handed the flowers to me, he wished me all the blessings and happiness in my new chosen life.
My mother, on the other hand, didn’t feel quite the same way. I hadn’t been eating in my parents’ home for a few years already, ever since I began exploring Judaism. But when I walked into my parents’ house after the conversion, I smelled the aroma of roast pork. My mother made roast pork only once a year, on January 1. It was not January 1 that day, but nevertheless, she made it and asked me if I wanted to have some. So, I’d say there was a little passive aggressive message in that offer somewhere. She said she wished me well, but her actions didn’t mirror that.
My children were ages 16 and 17 at the time of my conversion, and while they’d gone along with me to the Baptist church, they felt Judaism was too much for them. In any case, my son was living with his father then, and after graduation at age18, my daughter moved out as well. It wasn’t that they were angry with me, it’s just that they felt Judaism was not for them. Over the years, both of them, at different times, moved back home for a while when I was already remarried and living as an Orthodox Jew. But, no, neither of them are practicing Jews. I say “practicing Jews” because it’s a possibility that they are Jewish. I have evidence pointing that way but not enough to prevent me from having to have gone through my conversion and not enough to say that my children are definitively Jewish.
ClueS froM the paSt
While I was going through the conversion process, I started uncovering evidence and observing indications that my mother and grandmother might be Jewish. One thing that pointed me in that direction was my mother’s deep fear that the Holocaust could happen again. After I converted, more than once, out of the blue, she would make a comment expressing this fear. Also, there were multiple times when I asked my mother if our family
was Jewish. She never admitted it. But she never denied it either.
Another interesting incident occurred during the first Pesach after my conversion. My rabbi asked me to drive to Lakewood to pick up food for the shul sedarim. I asked my mother if she wanted to come along for the ride and she said yes. Normally, if we were going on a long car trip, she’d bring snacks along, but because my car was already kosher for Pesach, I told her I’d bring them. While driving, I asked her if she wanted to try a type of cracker called matzah. She said, “I don’t have to try it. I know what it tastes like.” I asked her how she knew, and she told me, “Babci (Polish for Grandma) gave it to us all the time when we were growing up.” That was an “aha” moment for me, because while today, many stores around the country carry matzah and it’s no big deal for non-Jews to have tasted it, in the 1940s, when my mother was growing up in Philadelphia, you couldn’t just find matzah unless you were looking for it. Why would her mother be looking for matzah?
There was more. I had always been told a certain narrative about how my grandmother came to America. But I found out it wasn’t true. She was actually born in the U.S., and the family returned to Poland
Even as a non-Jew, I knew G-d was always there taking care of me.
when she was five. Her brother, my great-uncle, was arrested by the Nazis. By the time I discovered this through a letter from a relative in Poland, my grandmother had already passed away and my great-uncle had died in a nursing home a week after I received the information. I never got to ask him why the Nazis had arrested him. That discovery, however, blew up the family story I’d always been told.
Another even more telling incident occurred after my mother suffered her stroke. We were sitting in the hospital and talking about my and my siblings’ marriages. I’ had already married my wonderful, love of my life, husband, Nechemya, z”l. My mother said she was happy with our spouses. She saw they were good people and that we were happy.
I remember asking, “What about Babci? Was she happy with your choice of a husband?” I expected her to say yes, of course (otherwise I probably wouldn’t have had the nerve to ask her) because my father was a hard worker and a good man. I even recall that whenever we came to visit, my grandmother would always tell my mother to give my father something to eat. “Give him a sandwich,” she’d say. I thought she adored him. So, when my mother suddenly became furtive and an-
swered, “No,” I was stunned. “Why not?” I asked. I remember her mouthing the words to me, “Because he wasn’t Jewish.” Then she quickly changed the subject.
The last telling experience is that throughout our childhood, we were always encouraged not to talk to our grandmother about her past in Poland. We were told never to ask her any questions about her childhood because it would only cause her pain. None of these anecdotes are enough evidence for a beis din to conclude that I am a Jew from birth, however. All I can say, though, is that when my daughter’s first child was born, the rabbi who knew my story and believed that it meant we were born Jews gave my new granddaughter a Hebrew name.
In a strange way, my father had already been teaching me about Judaism before I even realized it. He always told me not to speak badly about people, to always be honest. When I began learning Torah, I felt like I already knew so much of it. He was the one who taught me the basic principles.
My father’s lessons coupled with my innate belief in G-d made conversion to Judaism almost a natural progression. Even as a non-Jew, I knew G-d was always there taking care of me. For instance, years before my conversion when my children were young, I lived near my parents. My younger brothers were seven and eleven years older than my kids, and they’d come over and play a lot. Our neighbor down the block was jealous of my family. She saw us always doing things together, and even though I may not have seen us that way, in her eyes, we were one big happy family.
Anyway, I’d babysat for her children when they were small, and she was friendly with my mom, as well. But out of jealousy, she decided to call Social Services on us one day. She reported that my brothers were abusing my children. It was a total fabrication, and the case was thrown out right away because there was no foundation for her lies. I remember thinking at the time that I didn’t have to worry about getting her back for what she’d tried to do to us. G-d would take care of her for the pain she’d caused. I was able to totally let it go.
A few months later, it turns out her police officer husband was out target practicing in the woods with a buddy. They had been drinking beer and shooting when he accidentally shot and killed a train conductor riding by on a passing train. This neighbor was very conscious of social status, and her world crumbled. I felt sorry for her but at the same time also validated in my belief that I don’t need to take justice into my own hands. G-d runs the world. He sees everything and takes care of me –and that’s all I need to rely on.
BuilDing a JeWiSh life
The small Orthodox community in Atlantic City where I was living was very welcoming to me. They
were an older congregation, and I think they were happy to have fresh young blood. Not long afterwards, I met Nechemya. We were both participants on an online chat group that was called Torah & Thought, and through this venue, we corresponded, eventually started dating and then married. Nechemya was a ba’al teshuva since his teenage years, significantly older than me and divorced with children. By the time we met, he was well respected and established in the Chicago Jewish community. After we married, I moved to Chicago, and we were very happy together for 18 years until he passed away from brain cancer a few years ago.
Most people have no idea I’m a convert. I look like a regular frum woman—I wear the uniform, say the brachos, and do what I’m supposed to do. I’ve always been open about my conversion, much to my husband’s chagrin. I think he was worried that people would treat me differently if they knew. But they never did, probably because I never expected to be treated differently.
I learned so much from my husband. As a freshly minted Jew, I was often mortified by other Orthodox Jews’ sometimes less-than-perfect behavior. When I’d discuss it with Nechemya, his response was always, “Don’t judge Judaism by Jews. We’re all humans trying to do the best that we can. Judaism is perfection. We strive for it but rarely reach it.”
Nechemya truly lived emunah. Who am I today is because of him in many ways. When he was diagnosed with his final illness, we took up the mantle of ein od milvado although we’d already been living it throughout our married years. In fact, I’d been giving emunah classes for three years prior to the diagnosis, which I believe was Hashem’s way of preparing me for what was to come, so I’d have the proper tools to deal with it. We’d both experienced challenges in our lives and understood that this world is transient. I didn’t rail against Hashem. We would literally walk into each doctor visit chanting the words “Ein od milvado.”
After Nechemya underwent his first brain surgery, as the doctor was walking back with me to the recovery room to see my husband, he explained that because the brain is such a delicate organ, there’s always a risk that accidentally touching the wrong area could cause damage.
He told me that during the entire surgery my husband was mumbling incoherently, and when he came out of the anesthesia after the operation, he was screaming the same incoherent words. He wanted to prepare me for the worst. However, when we got into the recovery room, I saw that the words my husband had been mumbling and then literally shouting were “ein od milvado.” I laughed and assured the doctor, “Don’t worry, he’s saying just what he should be saying!”
My husband’s life was permeated with that faith. I teach hisbodedus and emunah to clients and students around the world, and this is what I learned from my husband.
In a way, for me at least, physical illness is the easiest way to see Yad Hashem. My challenge is when a person is unkind to me. That’s when I must work hard at understanding that this person has no control over me and that this struggle too is directly from Hashem. And if it’s from Hashem, it must be good. I get there eventually, but my first response very well
might be, “Why me? Why me?” or “How dare you step on my toes?”
The example that comes to mind involves an incident during Covid with my mother with whom I’ve always had a difficult relationship. In 2020, she suffered a stroke and was placed in a nursing home. Though my father never left her bedside, out of five siblings, my sister and I bore the brunt of her care.
Life had been good, but with Judaism, it became something elevated and more complete.
My sister and I made sure she had what she needed and did our best to keep her comfortable. I was in Chicago at the time and would FaceTime with her two to three times a week, staying on the phone sometimes for as long as seven hours. Some days, she was mean to me and said nasty things. Some days, she wasn’t cognizant. That was the challenge—caring for someone on a regular basis with the appropriate amount of love and respect despite how she treated me.
In one call, she began speaking only in Polish. I said, “Ma, I don’t understand you. You have to speak in English.” She said, “Ask him. He knows,” meaning my husband. I asked him if he understood her, he said, “No.” (He knows Russian, not Polish). She said, “Uch, you’re both dumb Polaks.” Then she stopped talking to me altogether. Thankfully, the tablet died so I had an excuse to get off the phone.
The way I looked at it was how to do it right and not make a chillul Hashem. It’s difficult when interacting with people who are not nice or not in their right mind, to make sure my behavior is aligned with what
Hashem expects of me. I try not to react emotionally. If I caused pain, I took responsibility. But no matter what she was doing or saying to me, I wanted to make a kiddush Hashem. In a previous lifetime, I may have been hurt or fought with her. But now, my focus was and is: am I doing the best I can? Could I have done something better to make other people have honor and respect for Hashem?
The truth is, I was always a bit of a black sheep in my family of origin. There were five of us, (three boys and two girls), but I always felt outside of them, like they had this tight-knit kinship that I was not part of.
In fact, my sister didn’t talk to me for decades. It was well before my conversion, so it had nothing to do with that. Though, ironically, when I converted, she took her two sons and had them baptized. Years later, when my mother had the stroke, and we were forced to come together, we began to speak again. At one point, we were on a three-way call with my brother, and I think my sister thought I’d hung up, when I heard her say, “I can’t believe we’re getting along—we’re so much alike.” It hit me then that we probably could’ve been friends all these years. Today, although we live far apart, we speak often. We do have similar interests and similar personality traits so it’s not hard.
rooteD in EmEs
I didn’t feel like I gave up a lot to become Jewish. OK, yes, I liked bacon and my grandmother’s kielbasa was amazing. But seriously, becoming a Jew wasn’t about losing anything; it was about stepping into something I had always been moving toward. It felt like the whipped cream on top of a latte. Life had been good, but with Judaism, it became something elevated and more complete.
As a Jew, I feel more connected to my fellow Jews. After my husband Nechemya passed away, I remarried, but that marriage did not work out. I am now divorced and staying with a friend until my apartment is ready. I think if this had happened to me as a non-Jew, I would probably be homeless right now. The friendships I’ve formed as a frum Jew are stronger.
Even my professional work as a certified energy healer and certified life coach is directly sourced from Torah and Kabbalah. These teachings would not have been available to me in the life I lived before. I work with clients all over the world. They don’t have to be Jewish, but they do need to have a basic belief in G-d.
When someone becomes Jewish, part of that choice means showing up every single day and doing what you need to do, whether it’s easy or hard. Sometimes, it is a challenge just to be, just to continue going on day after day, especially when life brings loss, hardship, or disappointment. But, for example, I believe that my short and difficult remarriage was something my neshama needed, and Hashem knew that.
And I think, whether we are ba’alei teshuva, born frum, or converts, we all have the same choice when we wake up each morning. Every single one of us decides whether we will live according to Hashem’s will or not. That decision is not something I think about because I am a convert. It is something I live because I am a Jew.
Originally known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day is a time to remember and reflect those who have given their lives in the service of the United States. While Veterans Day is commemorated to honor those that have served, Memorial Day is specifically for those that did not come home. Many people visit cemeteries where memorials take place, and flags are placed by the graves of those killed while in uniform. Throughout the history of the American military, many Jewish service men and women have paid the ultimate sacrifice. Here are some their stories.
About 10,000 Jewish soldiers served on both sides of conflict during the American Civil War. One of the 600 Jewish soldiers killed in battle was Lieutenant Max Sachs of the 32nd Indiana Volunteer Regiment. Born in Prussia, Sachs’s home was listed as Cincinnati, and he enrolled with Company C of the 32 nd Indiana in August 1861. The regiment was sent to the Green River in Kentucky, north of Bowling Green, to guard bridges and pontoons. On December 17, 1861, at the Battle of Rowlett’s Station in Kentucky, Sachs was killed after fending off a de -
Forgotten Her es Heroes to Be Remembered
By Avi Heiligman
termined Confederate attack. He used his two revolvers to kill seven enemy soldiers before falling in battle. Sachs was described as “an old country soldier and a brave man” and is buried in a Jewish cemetery in Cincinnati.
Flight Officer Joseph Levy was a fighter pilot with the 18th Fighter Squadron, 343rd Fighter Group, 11th Air Force. The fighter group had been activated
tinguished Flying Cross and the Purple Heart posthumously.
The USS Plymouth (PG-57) was a gunboat assigned to patrol duty off the East Coast. The presence of German U-boats was an ever-present danger, and ships like the Plymouth were sent to protect convoys traveling to and from American naval bases and ports. She made several trips from New York to Key West and
He used his two revolvers to kill seven enemy soldiers before falling in battle.
in September 1942 and was sent to the Aleutians later that year. Levy flew a P-40 Warhawk. The unit’s mission was to provide air defenses for the American bases and to attack Japanese positions on Kiska Island. On July 24, 1943, Levy’s plane was shot down by anti-aircraft fire on Kiska, but he didn’t survive the crash.
The 23-year-old was awarded the Dis -
three trips to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. On March 2, 1943, she accidently collided with and sank a submarine chaser off the coast of Cape Hatteras. A few months later on August 5, she was again off the coast of North Carolina when she made radar contact with something underwater. A few moments later, the ship was struck by a torpedo, causing a violent explosion.
It was later determined that the torpedo that sank the Plymouth came from the German submarine U-566 which in turn was damaged and scuttled just two and half months later.
On board the Plymouth was Ensign Rubin Keltch from the Bronx. The torpedo struck on the port side and caused fires that rapidly were spreading to other compartments on the ship. Disregarding the danger, Keltch helped several sailors to safety. He then went to the engine room to assist trapped sailors but was unable to leave the room in time. Ensign Keltch tragically lost his life while saving others who were able to escape the engine room. For his actions, he was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.
American involvement in Vietnam started in the early 1960s, and by the time the Vietnam War ended in 1975, over 2.7 million American servicemen and women had served in the region. Of these, approximately 30,000 were Jews, with 270 of them paying the ultimate sacrifice.
Corporal Jack Rabinovitz from Dorchester, Massachusetts, enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1963. He was sent to Vietnam as a machine gunner with Com-
pany C, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division. On February 14, 1966, the lead vehicle in his convoy hit a hidden mine in Quang Nam Province. Five marines were killed in the initial blast and four more, including Rabonovitz, later died from their wounds. Rabinovitz had been badly burned and had been transferred to a navy hospital in California. He is buried in a Jewish cemetery in Massachusetts.
Twenty-seven Jewish servicemen and women were killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom. 1st Lieutenant David Bernstein
of Phoenixville, Pa graduated fifth in the 2001 class at West Point. His assignment in Iraq was with 2nd Platoon, B Company, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 508th Infantry, of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, and he parachuted into combat to secure an airbase near Kirkuk. “Super Dave,” as he was called by the men whom he served with, led several missions and soon was selected to become the executive officer of C Company. On October 18, 2003, his convoy of three vehicles was coming back to its base when the base started taking enemy fire. The convoy went to find the enemy
that was shooting at the American base when they came under small arms fire. Bernstein’s Humvee lost control and went into an embankment, trapping the driver underneath. As he exited the vehicle, he was hit by a bullet in the upper thigh and after five attempts managed to climb on top of the Humvee. Bernstein was able to move the vehicle off the injured driver and pull him to safety. Bernstein collapsed at that point from a loss of blood. A medavac helicopter took him to a hospital, but it was too late. For his actions in saving the driver, David Bernstein was posthumously
awarded the Silver Star.
These heroes who died while in service are just a few who served bravely on the battlefield but didn’t make it home. Memorial Day is a time for remembrance to those who made the ultimate sacrifice and is a reminder that freedom isn’t free.
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.
USS Plymouth
Corporal Jack Rabinovitz
1st Lt. David Bernstein
To Raise a Laugh
Sleep On It
Irecently read an article called, “What Your Sleeping Position Says about You.” Apparently, some researchers in England conducted a sleep study, and they got a lot of volunteers, because they were basically offering to pay people to sleep.
Now at this point you’re probably wondering, “How many sleeping positions are there, anyway? There’s back, front, side… other side… Is someone sleeping standing up?”
But apparently, there’s a whole bunch, and they all have names, like yoga poses. That way you can reference them in conversation.
Fetal
HOW TO DO IT: Lie on your side, bend your elbows, and raise your knees to your chest. Try to look like one of those sonogram pictures where you can’t tell what’s going on but you say, “Yeah, I see the baby!” so the technician doesn’t think you’re stupid.
PEOPLE IN THIS POSITION: give off a tough exterior, but are sensitive on the inside. Like a watermelon.
ALSO: The higher the knees, the more internal comfort they give themselves. If your knees are on your pillow, you’re like one of those watermelons that are 90% rind.
Yearner
HOW TO DO IT: This is a variation of the fetal position where your legs are pretty much straight, but your arms are extended straight out in front of you, possibly onto your nightstand.
PEOPLE IN THIS POSITION: are trying to hit snooze without waking their roommates.
ALSO: Might be having dreams about sleepwalking.
Log
HOW TO DO IT: I’m not even sure. Supposedly, you lie on your side with all of your limbs straight down, but when I do that, I don’t find myself sleeping peacefully. I find myself putting all of my focus into balancing on my arm and not falling over.
PEOPLE IN THIS POSITION: like to be part of a crowd. And I can see that. I personally adopt something like this when I have a crowd of kids in my bed that I don’t have the energy to kick out.
ALSO: This might be where we got the expression, “I slept like a log.” Apparently, it means that you slept on your side, while balancing. And by that logic, the fetal position is where we got the expression, “I slept like a baby.”
Freefall
HOW TO DO IT: This is the only stomach position listed. Your arms and legs can be any which way, and your head is turned to one side, like you’re falling but you’re getting too much wind in your face, so you have to turn.
PEOPLE IN THIS POSITION: cannot find the cool side of the pillow. They are free, sociable personality types, but, quote, “don’t like criticism.” Everyone else likes criticism.
ALSO: This position is probably named after the kinds of dreams you have when you’re in it, like that one where you’re falling and all you have is a blanket flapping behind you and two pillows.
Soldier
HOW TO DO IT: Lie face up with your arms straight down at your side and count the ceiling tiles. If you don’t have ceiling tiles, picture sheep jumping over you, one at a time, until you close your eyes because the view isn’t helping you fall asleep.
PEOPLE IN THIS POSITION: enjoy snoring, and then denying it.
ALSO: This position is the best for your back, and is recommended by most doctors who don’t have to share a room with you.
So that was the study. I find it hard to believe that those are all the positions. What about Banana, Headstand, Sniper, Superman, Hamstring Stretch, and Chicken Dance?
And none of this takes into account sleeping in shul on Shavuos.
And there’s more than one position for that too: Extended Tachanun
HOW TO DO IT: Rest your forearm on the table. Rest your forehead on the arm, facedown, like you’re trying to see if something glows in the dark.
CAN BE IDENTIFIED BY: their bright red forehead, often with an impression of their watch. Also, they can’t feel their hands.
PEOPLE IN THIS POSITION: tend to enjoy looking at things in depth.
By Mordechai Schmutter
Drifter
HOW TO DO IT: Sit still and attempt to listen to whatever’s going on around you as your head sinks lower and lower. Then suddenly JERK your head up, look around quizzically, and repeat.
CAN BE IDENTIFIED BY: whiplash collars.
PEOPLE IN THIS POSITION: have no idea they’re asleep. They’re convinced they caught the whole shiur, but they may have a lot of questions, now that they think about it.
Leaner
HOW TO DO IT: Tilt your chair back on two legs. For extra balance, hook your feet onto your table or shtender or chavrusa’s legs.
CAN BE IDENTIFIED BY: suddenly waking up and trying to grab anything that will pull them forward before they fall.
PEOPLE IN THIS POSITION: are working up to learning all of Torah al regel achas.
Strangers on a Plane
HOW TO DO IT: Put your head on the shoulder of the guy sitting next to you. If you’re listening to a shiur and can’t talk and you’re not sure if this person minds people putting their heads on his shoulder, see if there’s someone on his other shoulder. If there is, it’s probably okay.
CAN BE IDENTIFIED BY: drool.
PEOPLE IN THIS POSITION: want to make sure that if they’re not staying awake for the shiur, at least someone will. No one has ever fallen asleep with someone’s head on his shoulder.
The Chair-bed
HOW TO DO IT: Line up several chairs in the women’s section so you can lie down.
CAN BE IDENTIFIED BY: shoes lined up neatly on the floor. May be using a tablecloth as a blanket.
PEOPLE IN THIS POSITION: like to be the guy who says Birchas Hashachar for everyone.
Mordechai Schmutter is a freelance writer and a humor columnist for Hamodia and other magazines. He has also published eight books and does stand-up comedy. You can contact him at MSchmutter@gmail.com.
Health & F tness
Fat Chance
The False Promise of Yo-Yo Dieting
By Aliza Beer MS, RD, CDN
Yo-yo dieting, also known as weight cycling, refers to the repeated loss and regain of weight, usually due to restrictive or unsustainable diets. Many people find themselves caught in this frustrating pattern: they lose weight through intense dieting, gain it back once the diet ends, and then struggle even more the next time they try to lose it. This isn’t just a matter of willpower, there are real biological and psychological reasons why this cycle gets harder over time.
What Makes a Diet a Yo-Yo Diet
Yo-yo dieting usually begins with an extreme or overly restrictive plan that promises fast results, often by cutting calories too low or eliminating entire food groups. These types of diets are often labeled as fad diets or very low-calorie diets, and while they may lead to quick weight loss at first, they are difficult to maintain and rarely support long-term success. In general, diets that fall below 1,200 calories per day for women or 1,500 for men are considered too low and can be harmful if followed for more than a short time.
Rapid weight loss, especially more than two pounds per week, often means you’re losing not just fat but also water and muscle mass. This kind of loss isn’t sustainable and usually causes a rebound once normal eating resumes. When your body adapts to such low-calorie intake, your metabolism slows down to conserve energy, and your cravings tend to increase. Once the diet becomes too hard to follow or ends altogether, most people return to their old eating habits. But now, with slower metabolism and lower muscle mass, weight is often regained quickly, and usually as fat rather than muscle. This starts the yo-yo cycle: diet, lose weight, regain weight, repeat.
Ultimately, the cycle of yo-yo dieting is both physically and emotionally exhausting. A healthier and more sustainable approach focuses on steady, gradual weight
loss, about one to two pounds per week, through balanced eating that includes all food groups and enough calories to support your body’s needs. Real, lasting progress comes from creating habits you can stick with, not from jumping from one restrictive plan to the next.
How Yo-Yo Dieting Affects Your Metabolism
When you go on a very low-calorie diet or try to lose weight quickly, your body sees it as a form of stress—almost like you’re starving. To protect you, it slows down your metabolism, the rate at which your body burns calories. This process, known as metabolic adaptation or “starvation mode,” means your body learns to function on fewer calories. Your body starts using energy more slowly so it can hold onto fat and make the most of the few calories you’re eating. During this time, your body makes several changes in order to preserve energy. It lowers your body temperature, slows your heart rate, and may even reduce the function of some hormones, causing you
to feel tired, cold, or sluggish. At the same time, your hunger hormones also change, causing you to start feeling hungrier and less satisfied after eating. You may crave high-calorie foods, especially sugar and fat, because your body is trying to quickly replace the energy it thinks is lacking.
When you return to normal or increase calorie intake, your metabolism doesn’t automatically speed up. This lag causes more calories to be stored as fat. Over time, your resting metabolic rate may decrease, making future weight loss more difficult and less effective.
Loss of Muscle Mass
During rapid weight loss, especially from crash diets or very low-calorie eating, you don’t just lose fat; you also lose muscle. This is a problem because muscles are important for keeping your metabolism strong. Muscle burns more calories than fat, even when you’re resting or sleeping. Therefore, the more muscles you have, the more energy your body naturally burns throughout the day. When you lose
weight too quickly, your body often breaks down muscle to use for energy, especially if you’re not eating enough protein or doing strength-training exercises. This encourages your metabolism to slow down, making it easier to regain weight once you go back to normal eating. Additionally, when the weight comes back, it’s usually more fat than muscle. This changes your body composition as you may weigh the same as before, but now suddenly you have more fat and less muscle. This further encourages your metabolism to slow down even more. Over time, going through this cycle again and again leads to a steady loss of muscle. Each time you diet, your body burns fewer calories than it did before, making it harder to lose weight and much easier to gain it back. You might also find that you’re more tired and weaker, and that exercise doesn’t feel as effective. This ongoing loss of muscle makes it harder to stay active, which can further lower your calorie burn and lead to more weight gain.
To avoid this, it’s important to focus on gradual, steady weight loss and include strength training and enough protein in your diet to help preserve muscle. Keeping your muscle mass strong is key to keeping your metabolism healthy and supporting long-term weight management.
Hormonal Changes
Weight cycling disrupts the hormones that regulate hunger and fullness. Leptin, the hormone that signals satiety, drops with weight loss, while ghrelin, the hormone that triggers hunger, increases. This imbalance leads to stronger food cravings, less satisfaction from meals, and a higher likelihood of overeating. Your body becomes increasingly driven to regain the weight it lost, viewing it as a protective measure against future “starvation.”
The Psychological Toll Yo-yo dieting not only affects your
body, but it also affects your mental and emotional health. Constantly losing and regaining weight can damage your self-confidence and create a cycle of frustration and disappointment. Many people begin to feel like they’re failing, especially when their efforts don’t lead to lasting results. This can lead to low self-esteem and a growing sense of hopelessness about ever achieving their health goals.
Over time, yo-yo dieting often leads to an unhealthy relationship with food. Instead of seeing food as fuel or something to enjoy, it becomes a source of stress and anxiety. People may start labeling foods as “good” or “bad” and feel intense guilt or shame if they eat something they think they shouldn’t. This way of thinking can create an all-or-nothing mindset—where being slightly off-track feels like total failure. As a result, some people may fall into a pattern of restrictive eating followed by binge eating, which only deepens the cycle.
These emotional ups and downs can be exhausting. The constant pressure to diet, the fear of weight gain, and the disappointment that comes with regaining weight can lead to increased stress, anxiety, disordered eating and even depression.
ones. Healing your relationship with food and your body takes time, patience, and often a shift in mindset. It means letting go of perfection, focusing on balance instead of restriction, and learning to treat yourself with kindness. Long-term success comes not from punishing your body but from nourishing it, both physically and emotionally.
Why It Gets Harder Over Time
As the cycle continues, weight loss becomes slower, fat regain becomes easier, and metabolic resistance increases. Your body becomes more efficient at storing fat and less responsive to weight loss efforts, a phenomenon known as “metabolic memory.” Muscle mass continues to decline, resting metabolism decreases, and hormone levels shift in a way that favors fat retention. Meanwhile, diet fatigue sets in, motivation drops, and the emotional burden of dieting grows heavier. Each round of dieting becomes harder both physically and mentally.
Breaking the Cycle
Avoiding or breaking free from yo-yo dieting is possible, but it requires a shift
1. Rather than chasing fast results, focus on long-term, sustainable habits.
2. Eat enough food to support your energy needs by aiming for balanced meals that include lean protein (like chicken, fish, eggs, or beans), healthy fats (like avocado or olive oil), and fiber-rich carbohydrates (like oats, quinoa, fruits, and vegetables).
3. Avoid extreme restrictions; no food needs to be labeled “off-limits.” Instead, practice the 80/20 rule: eat nourishing foods 80% of the time, and allow for enjoyment and flexibility the other 20%. It’s all about moderation, not deprivation.
4. Incorporate strength training 2-3 times a week using bodyweight exercises, resistance bands, or weights to preserve and build muscle, which supports a healthy metabolism.
5. Prioritize 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night and manage stress with techniques like journaling, daily walk, or something that you find enjoyable and relaxing.
6. Work on improving your relationship with food through mindful eating. This means eating without distractions, slowing down, recognizing hunger and fullness cues, and letting go of guilt
7. Use practical tools like meal planning apps, food journals (not calorie counting apps), or even setting reminders to take breaks and eat consistently every 3–5 hours.
8. If needed, seek help from a registered dietitian or health professional who can guide you in building a flexible, nourishing plan that works for your life, not against it.
If you’ve struggled with yo-yo dieting, it’s not a personal failure, your body is responding exactly as it’s designed to do under stress and deprivation. With patience, consistency, compassion, and help, you can stop the cycle and support your body’s natural ability to maintain a healthy weight. Sustainable change may be slower, but it is far more effective and empowering in the long run. Your body deserves nourishment, not punishment, and lasting health comes from working with it, not against it.
Aliza Beer is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in nutrition. She has a private practice in Cedarhurst, NY. Patients’ success has been featured on the Dr. Oz show. Aliza can be reached at alizabeer@gmail. com, and you can follow her on Instagram at @alizabeer
Mental Health Corner
The Risk Of Retraumatization
By Rabbi Azriel Hauptman
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder that may occur to someone who has experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. Symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, and severe anxiety. Although up to 75% of people who experience a traumatic event will feel better after a relatively short period of time, there are people who will have symptoms for months or even years after a traumatic event.
Very often, individuals with PTSD will find it difficult to discuss the details of their trauma. Would it be advisable to encourage such a person to get it out of their system by discussing and talking about their trauma? The short answer is that this is a very dangerous proposition unless it is done with the approval and under the guidance of an experienced trauma therapist. Now, let us explain why.
As mentioned earlier, one of the symptoms of PTSD is flashbacks or nightmares. What exactly is the reason for these symptoms? The answer lies in the role of the brain in PTSD. Without getting into the intricacies of the different regions of the brain, it will suffice to say that one part of the brain stores away information into long-term memory in order to be retrieved when needed, and another part of the brain keeps information stored in short-term memory if it is part of one’s present situation.
When one experiences a traumatic event, the brain’s fight or flight response kicks into action and remains vigilant and ready to act until the danger passes. The magnitude of the trauma may trick the brain into thinking that the danger has not passed and we cannot ease up on the hypervigilance. The trauma gets stuck in the short-term memory. For this reason, a tug-of-war emerges between the individual and his or her brain. The individual with PTSD is trying to block out the trauma in order to suppress these highly volatile emotions, but the brain, which is convinced that the trauma is a present danger, is not letting up. This is the source of the flashbacks and nightmares.
Now let us imagine what would happen if the individual with PTSD is encouraged to talk about their trauma. Since the brain does not comprehend that the trauma is a thing of the past, talking about the event may be interpreted by the brain as if the event is actually recurring. All of the emotions of the actual event may be experienced while retelling the event. The result is that the brain is now convinced that the traumatic event did actually recur and therefore it needs to be even more vigilant than before. In other words, retraumatization.
When therapists determine that retelling an event should be part of the therapeutic process, specialized techniques are implemented in order to ensure that the brain realizes that this retelling of the event is not a recurrence of the event, but is merely a story being told about a past event. This indeed may be therapeutic as the brain comes to realize that it is not happening now, and it is time to transfer the memory of this event into long-term memory.
Although this is a very complex field, let us focus on one example of retraumatization prevention so the reader can have a flavor of how trauma work operates.
One of the ways that the brain becomes convinced that the trauma is recurring is through a process called dissociation, which is basically a disconnect between your thoughts and your reality. A benign example of this would be if someone was daydreaming. When one dissociates when experiencing a memory of the trauma, one becomes disconnected from the present time and place and is transported back into the time and place of the trauma. Using mindfulness techniques, a therapist can help the client remain firmly grounded in the here and now. This allows the client to experience a memory of the event and at the same time the brain can understand that this event is not actually happening right now.
Sometimes, people will say, “Just get over it. It is all in your head.” As we demonstrated, it actually is all in your head, as the source of PTSD is in the brain. However, we also demonstrated that you cannot just get over it. Yet, there is light at the end of the tunnel. A skilled trauma therapist can help you heal in ways you might not have thought possible.
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
School of Thought
By Etti Siegel
Q:Dear Etti, Our school is switching over to ParentLocker, “a digital platform schools use to keep parents informed and organized. It serves as a central hub where parents can view homework, grades, announcements, calendars, and important updates, all in one place. Teachers can post assignments and messages, and parents receive real-time notifications, reducing the chance of missed information. It streamlines communication between home and school, making it easier for families to stay on top of their child’s education.” (I asked AI to help me define the platform…)
It sounds great, but what does it do to teaching children responsibility? Why should they write down homework or remember when a test is if Mommy can just pull up the info for them?
I’m concerned. Should I be?
- A Teacher
A:Dear teacher, First of all, thanks! Thanks for being there for our children! Your question proves how teaching is more than a job; it is “an act of heart.”
It makes sense that a teacher would be concerned about the deeper implications of using tools like ParentLocker. You gave us a good working definition of what it is and why it is a good tool. On the surface, it’s an efficient, user-friendly platform offering transparency, instant communication, and a single place where assignments, grades, updates, and schedules can be accessed. In a world where families are juggling multiple demands, it can be incredibly helpful. But that very convenience also brings with it a real and troubling cost that you are alluding to, especially when it begins to replace the kind of mental work that students need to be doing themselves in order to build cognitive strength and independence.
You’re absolutely right to raise the concern about memory. Research going back to George Miller’s work in the 1950s points out that the average person used to be able to hold about seven items in short-term memory. That’s the reason phone numbers were originally seven digits long. Recent research suggests that people can now hold up to four when it comes to working memory, especially in the current environment where we are less frequently required to use memory intentionally. Technology has made it easier than ever to outsource memory (think reminders, lists, calendars) and, now even more, through tools like ParentLocker.
When students know that every homework assignment,
project deadline, and upcoming test is already uploaded and accessible through a portal, the drive to remember or even write down these details is significantly reduced. That might seem like a minor shift, but it actually represents a major departure from how students used to develop cognitive habits. Writing down homework in a planner, remembering to bring home the right books, recalling which teacher mentioned an upcoming quiz, all of these daily tasks served a dual purpose: getting the work done and strengthening the brain’s ability to manage information.
When those routines disappear, students may appear more organized, but in reality, they are not developing the skills of organization at all. Everything is simply being organized for them. And that distinction matters. Because memory, like muscle, atrophies when not used. And when the stakes become higher, like in high school, seminary/ college, or running a home or job, when parental scaffolding falls away, students often find themselves ill-equipped to manage the mental load of academic life.
We see this in classrooms all the time. When students are told they don’t need to take notes because everything will be uploaded, or when they begin to rely entirely on slides and recordings instead of engaging with material actively during the lesson, their retention suffers. Studies have repeatedly shown that note-taking by hand, especially when students are summarizing or rephrasing what they hear rather than transcribing notes word-forword, increases understanding and recall. But that takes effort. And when systems are built to remove effort, we remove the learning, too.
This doesn’t mean we should abandon ParentLocker altogether. It’s a helpful tool when used as a support rather than a replacement. The key is to preserve the challenges that build memory and executive function while allowing families to stay informed. For instance, teachers can still require students to write down their homework assignments, even if they’re also posted online. Students should be held responsible for managing their own work, even if their parents have access to it. Perhaps parents should not be asking, “Why didn’t you do your math homework? It’s on ParentLocker,” but the more meaningful question, “Did you write it down when it was assigned?”
We also need to be more intentional about teaching students how to remember and organize information. In
some classrooms, teachers are bringing back techniques like retrieval practice, which ask students to remember what they learned yesterday without looking at their notes. Others, individual teachers or schoolwide, are encouraging analog tools, planners, checklists, and color-coded folders that force students to engage with the material and its management more directly. Happily, most of our schools have limited technology. Thankfully, teachers are continuing to ask the kinds of questions that build memory muscles: “What were the three key points from today’s discussion?” “Can you repeat the directions back to me?” “What’s your plan for remembering this tomorrow?”
There’s also an important human element. When students struggle to remember something and then succeed, it builds confidence. There’s a unique satisfaction in realizing that you didn’t have to rely on a screen – you remembered it on your own. That feeling, much like reaching the top of a mountain after a steep climb, creates a positive feedback loop that motivates future effort. That’s something technology can’t replicate.
What we’re seeing now is a slow erosion of that struggle and the triumph that comes with it. With every system designed to make life easier, we must ask: easier for whom and at what cost? Because education was never meant to be easy. It was meant to develop the tools we need to manage complexity, to adapt, to grow. Memory is part of that. Executive function is part of that. And while digital tools can support these goals, they must never replace the work that students should be doing themselves.
There are too many studies coming out about decreased motivation, teenage depression, etc. I wonder if it is all related. When children feel the challenge and then succeed, they build resilience and self-confidence. Our students don’t just need grades and assignments delivered to them. They need the mental endurance, flexibility, and resilience that come from doing the harder work themselves, even when there’s an easier way.
So yes, let’s use ParentLocker wisely. But let’s also keep our eyes on the long-term goals.
Thanks for sharing your concerns. And please keep us all focused on the most important thing of all: our students, our children.
Thanks again for all you do and how much you care,
- Etti
Mrs. Etti Siegel holds an MS in Teaching and Learning/Educational Leadership and brings sound teaching advice to her audiences culled from her over 35 years of teaching and administrative experience. She is an Adjunct at the College of Mount Saint Vincent/Sara Shenirer. She is a coach and educational consultant for Catapult Learning, is a sought-after mentor and workshop presenter around the country, and a popular presenter for Sayan (a teacher-mentoring program), Hidden Sparks, and the Consortium of Jewish Day Schools. She is a frequent contributor to Hamechanech Magazine and The Journal for Jewish Day School leaders. She will be answering your education-based questions and writing articles weekly for The Jewish Home. Mrs. Siegel can be reached at ettisiegel@gmail.com.
Living Kiddush Hashem
“Orthodox Jews Don’t Care What The World Thinks”
By Rabbi Shraga Freedman
Someone sent me a striking article that’s been circulating online (attributed to @AP_from_NY). It’s bold, and makes a powerful point.
But as with many strong messages, it needs context.
Did you ever notice how Orthodox Jews couldn’t care less what the world thinks of them?
Not a little. Not secretly. They truly, completely, deeply don’t care.
They’ll walk through an airport looking like they time-traveled out of 1850. Pray out loud in a hoodie or a hat while people whisper.
The men grow beards, wear hats, let their tzitzit hang out, like from another world.
And they’ll show up to your office two days late because it was a holiday no one’s ever heard of.
And they won’t apologize.
You can’t imagine what it’s like to
No phone, emails, group chats, news, and no chaos.
You could be calling them a hundred times… They won’t pick up.
And they wouldn’t even know. And honestly? They don’t even care.
While the world is busy arguing over the next divisive topic, they’re sitting around the table with their eight kids. Singing 1,000-years-old songs…
It’s not just that they are screen-free or tech-free. They are world-free….
You might think they’re disconnected from the world. Maybe.
But somehow, many of them still manage to run multimillion-dollar companies, donate billions to charity, raise big families, live rich lives…
How?
Because when you live with clarity, you waste less time chasing noise… you’re not shaken by what’s trending.
Because when you know who you are, you don’t need to keep proving it.
But because they already have something better than approval: conviction.
Their compass doesn’t point to likes or clicks.
It points to Sinai…
So yeah, they’re not ashamed. Not of their prayers.
Not of their outfits.
Not of the way they live.
Not of the rules that guide them.
They’re not trying to be different.
They’re trying to stay loyal.
To something eternal.
In a world obsessed with changing— they’re holding on.
And that kind of confidence—that kind of freedom—
You can’t buy it.
You can’t fake it.
You can’t even imagine it.
But they live it. Every day. Proudly. Openly.
And they wouldn’t trade it for
@AP_from_NY
If taken the wrong way, this attitude “we don’t care what the world thinks” — can foster a culture that’s dismissive, and potentially damaging to our mission as Hashem’s ambassadors in the world.
So what’s the truth?
When should we care — and when should we not?
It’s certainly not black and white.
So where’s the balance?
We don’t care for the world’s values or physical pursuits. We do care about filling the world with spirituality.
We don’t care what the world thinks of our lifestyle — but we do care about the world around us.
We care about every human being, recognizing their tzelem Elokim and spiritual potential.
We care that every encounter reflects His midos—compassion, honesty, and humility.
We care deeply about kavod Shamayim We yearn for a world filled with the knowledge, midos, and values of Hashem — like water covering the sea.
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 founded with the goal of imbuing every Jew with a powerful sense of mission — the mission to be mekadeish Sheim Shamayim in his or her own unique way. We strive to accomplish this by raising awareness of the paramount importance of the mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem and its centrality in everything we do.
Want to see your simcha here? Email mazeltov@baltimorejewishhome.com or text 443-675-6507 to submit your simcha!
Mr. & Mrs. Noah Wilkowski on the birth of a daughter
Tamar & Amir Tsemach on the birth of a son
Simcha & Margie Gross on the birth of a daughter
Want to see your simcha here? Email mazeltov@baltimorejewishhome.com or text 443-675-6507 to submit your simcha!
TJH Centerfold
What Type of Flower You Are & What it Says About You
Rose – You’re dramatic, high-maintenance, and absolutely worth it. You pretend you don’t love attention, but you literally come with thorns.
Sunflower – You radiate joy and positivity; sunshine in a stalk, but low-key offended every time someone treats your offspring as a snack.
Tulip – You’re sleek, seasonal, and always leave people wanting more. Emotionally available for three weeks a year, tops.
Orchid – You thrive in complex conditions and need five apps just to keep track of your skincare. Basically: elegant, mysterious, and a little high-strung.
Dandelion – You’re scrappy, underestimated, and somehow everywhere. Technically a weed, but you call that “low-maintenance and spontaneous.”
Peony – You peak for ten minutes and expect lifelong loyalty. You have big main-character energy and zero tolerance for rain.
Lily – You’re classy, quiet, and definitely judging everyone at the brunch table.
Daisy – You think you’re “not like other flowers,” but everyone knows you cried at a commercial about the latest skin care medication.
Lavender – You tell people you’re chill and calming, but you’ve threatened at least one person with herbal revenge.
Cactus Flower – You’re cute but will emotionally poke anyone who gets too close. Vulnerability? No, thanks. You’re thriving alone in a dry climate.
You Gotta Be Kidding Me
A man walks into the police station wishing to speak with the burglar who had broken into his house the night before.
“You’ll get your chance in court,” says the police officer guarding the burglar.
“No, no, no!” says the man. “I want to know how he got into the house without waking my wife. I’ve been trying to do that for years!”
Flower Trivia
1. Who was the first flower breeder in the United States?
a. George Washington
b. John Flowersmith
c. Alexander Graham Bell
d. René Barbier
2. How many flowers are there approximately in Dubai’s Miracle Garden’s 72,000-square-foot attraction that opened in 2013?
a. 4 million
b. 17 million
c. 24 million
d. 45 million
3. What is the national flower of the U.S.?
a. Daisy
b. Tulip
c. Rose
d. Violet
person who harvested the nicest tulips gets to plant the garden at Buckingham Palace.
d. It was a craze that took place in the Netherland’s in the 1630s when tulips were seen as a status symbol, causing them to become more valuable than gold. The market eventually collapsed, and tulips became nearly worthless, leaving tulip speculators in financial ruin.
4. Which flower shares its name with a musical instrument?
a. Drumflower
b. Flute pedals
c. Viola
d. Harp flower
5. What was tulip mania?
a. It’s a WWE wrestling match that takes place in a large city’s botanical gardens at the end of every summer.
b. It’s a disease in which a person is compelled to plant tulips in every free space of their garden.
c. It is a tulip competition that takes place in England. The
Answer:
1) A- Not only was he the first U.S. president, but George Washington was also the first American rose breeder. He had hundreds of bushes at his home and believed his ability to care for roses came from pruning cherry trees as a child.
2) D
3) C-On November 20, 1986, then-President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation certifying the rose as the national flower in a ceremony at the White House Rose Garden.
4) C
5) D
Wisdom key:
4-5 correct: A scent of genius… Flower power!
2-3 correct: You are a carnation… “Eh, nothing special!”
0-1 correct: Were you knocked in the head during tulip mania?
Riddle Me This
When do we have kri’as haTorah five days in a row, other than on Pesach, Chanukah, and Sukkos?
Answer: When Rosh Hashana falls out on Thursday and Friday. The third day is the regular Shabbos leining, the fourth day is Sunday which is Tzom Gedalyah, and the fifth day is Monday, on which we always lein.
Notable Quotes “Say What?!”
The world may go on a weekend break, but the war continues, regardless of weekends and weekdays. This cannot be ignored. Silence of America, silence of others around the world only encourage Putin.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemning the “silence of America” early Sunday following one of Russia’s biggest attacks yet in Kyiv
What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD. He’s playing with fire!
- Pres. Trump on Truth Social condemning the attacks on Sunday
Regarding Trump’s words about Putin “playing with fire” and “really bad things” happening to Russia. I only know of one REALLY BAD thing — WWIII. I hope Trump understands this!
- Putin’s right-hand man Dmitry Medvedev, responding on X to Pres. Trump’s comments
Democrats, my brothers and sisters, I understand why you’re worried about Trump. I understand why you call him an ultimate evil, but I don’t agree. And if you want the ultimate evil, look at the Islamists, the extreme ones in America, not just Muslims, and mind your dogs who are doing their bidding.
– Chris Cuomo on NewsNation after a leftist heinously murdered two people at the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., last week
Whoops! My ear!
- President Donald Trump at a Washington event when there was a loud popping sound in the room
That was amazing. Very strange noise. That brings back some not-so-good memories.
– ibid.
“Free Palestine” is just today’s version of “Heil Hitler.”
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
We are not cutting Medicaid. We are not cutting SNAP. We’re working in the elements of fraud, waste and abuse. SNAP, for example, listen to the statistics: in 2024, over $11 billion in SNAP payments were erroneous.
– Speaker Mike Johnson on “Face The Nation” talking about what’s in the One Big Beautiful Bill
I know many in our community are mourning the absence of our graduate, Mahmoud Khalil.
- Columbia University interim president Claire Shipman at the school’s graduation, stoking the flames of hatred by “mourning the absence” of a 30-year-old Palestinian activist who the Trump administration is deporting for leading Jew hatred protests and anti-American protests on campus while being here on a student visa, despite the fact that he did not attend classes
If Biden Was Too Old For The Job, Voters Should Have Been Informed
- The Washington Post in a headline that should win a Pulitzer Award in the “You Think?” category
How Did So Many Elected Democrats Miss Biden’s Infirmity?
- New York Times headline that should win a Pulitzer Award in the “No Mirror Here” category
They don’t want to live together. All of these diplomatic solutions… it’s not going to work because it’s us or them.
- Hamas captivity survivor Agam Berger to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot at a meeting in Paris
If it were possible not to choose war, we wouldn’t choose it. But the moment that there is a war for the existence of our country — that’s what we’re going to do.
- ibid.
Somebody’s calling me from some number I don’t recognize, something in Florida, and I sent it to voicemail. And a little bit later I thought, I better check that voicemail and see if that was anything I need to deal with. And the first sentence in the transcription, cause you know the phone gives you the text version of the voicemail as well. The first sentence is, “This is your favorite president.” And I thought to myself, no, did I just send the most important person in the world to voicemail?
- Dilbert comic creator Scott Adams talking about the call he received from Trump after he revealed on a podcast last week that he has terminal cancer
Same day, it’s the afternoon, and all of a sudden another call comes through, also from Florida, and I thought to myself, no … way, there’s no way he’s calling me again, and I answer it, and it’s Trump.
- ibid
I’m gonna get blasted for this, but you know, I see all these negotiations going on in the Middle East and then, I don’t know when these buildings were approved or when these deals got done, but then I also see like, oh, there’s a brand new [Trump] hotel going up in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, and another one going up in Doha. That stuff kind of worries me.
- Former Navy SEAL Shawn Ryan on The Tucker Carlson podcast
Well, it seems like corruption, yeah.
- Carlson, in reponse
This is what globalizing the intifada looks like. Palestinianism is built on violence. This is a culture built on violence, and we need to start treating it that way.
- Congressman Randy Fine (R-FL) talking to reporters after the heinous murder at the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., last week
We need to start to call evil for what it is, and not make excuses for it. And the fact of the matter is, the Palestinian cause is an evil one.
- ibid.
The only end of the conflict is complete and total surrender by those who support Muslim terror. In World War II, we did not negotiate a surrender with the Nazis; we did not negotiate a surrender with the Japanese. We nuked the Japanese twice in order to get unconditional surrender. That needs to be the same here.
- ibid.
Common Cents
By Elliot Pepper, CPA, CFP®, MST
Too Legit To Quit: The Proven Benefits Of Long-Term Investing In The S&P 500
When it comes to investing, everyone wants the secret sauce. The one trick that turns your hard-earned dollars into a mountain of wealth. But the truth is, the closest thing we have to a “magic formula” isn’t flashy, fast, or fueled by adrenaline. It’s boring. It’s steady. And it works.
It’s called long-term investing in the S&P 500.
The Power of Staying Put
If you had invested $10,000 in the S&P 500 back in 1993 and let it ride through tech booms, housing crashes, political chaos, pandemics, and meme-stock mania, that investment would be worth over $120,000 today.* That’s not because you outsmarted the market. It’s because you stayed in it.
(*Source: Based on historical S&P 500 total return data through 2023.)
When you zoom out and look at the market over decades, one truth emerges loud and clear: time in the market beats timing the market. And the S&P 500, an index tracking 500 of America’s largest companies, is one of the best tools for building long-term wealth.
Why the S&P 500?
Let’s break it down:
• Diversification: With 500 companies across all sectors, you’re not betting on one business— you’re betting on the economy.
• Historical Returns: Since its inception, the S&P 500 has
returned an average of 10–11% annually, including dividends.
• Low Cost, High Value: Through index funds or ETFs, you can own the entire S&P 500 for pennies on the dollar in fees.
• Resilience: The market has weathered every type of storm and kept growing. That’s not luck—that’s capitalism in motion.
But What About the Crashes?
You might be thinking: “Yeah, but what if I had invested right before a crash?” Good question. Let’s look at a worst-case scenario:
If you had invested $10,000 in October 2007, literally the peak before the financial crisis, and did absolutely nothing, your portfolio would still have more than doubled by 2023.
In other words, the market always comes back. The key is to not jump ship during the storm.
Meet the Anti-Hero: Market Timing
Let’s say you tried to time the market instead. You got spooked during COVID, pulled your money out in March 2020, and waited for things to feel “safe” again. By the time you jumped back in, the S&P had already recovered most of its losses, and you missed one of the best 12-month stretches in history.
Missing just the 10 best days in the market over a 20-year period can cut your returns in half. Read that again. Half.
doesn’t pick flashy tech IPOs. He buys American companies and holds them… forever. The same playbook can work for you:
1. Buy a low-cost S&P 500 index fund
check your portfolio five times a day or chase the next big thing, remember this:
The market rewards patience. The S&P 500 rewards believers. And you? You’re too legit to quit.
Subscribe to Common Cents digitally on LinkedIn.
The Secret Sauce is Boring
Warren Buffett
Dating Dialogue What Would You Do If…
Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters
Dear Navidaters,
Thanks for the opportunity to send in a question. My daughter just reached her 30th birthday, and to be honest, everyone around is shocked how she is still not married. She has been dating since she was 21. She is smart, geshikt, has her law degree and has a very fulfilling job, and is fit, active and very beautiful.
For the first few years of dating, she was only looking for a learning guy, but that never panned out –the guys she was dating were never with it or worldly enough. She’d go out a lot but never feel connected. Once she started looking for working/learning guys, she was already in her upper 20s, and the prospective options she received were also not her speed both religiously and in terms of personality.
She is 30 now and is so ready to find the right one, but she is still struggling. We do live out of town, and for her job, traveling is difficult. She does require prospective guys to come and meet her in our town. I have been told that she should work it out with her job to allow more flexibility in this regard and more opportunities will arise for her. The problem is she won’t budge about that; she wants to keep her job as is and not be flexible about traveling.
What can my wife and I do?
Thank you, Aron & Mindy*
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.
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.
Iunderstand your quandary. Your daughter is accomplished with much to offer yet not looking to travel to meet prospective possibilities. Being creative about dating opportunities takes time, creativity, and resources. Investing the energy to coordinate for the sake of blind dates suggested by people who don’t know her can seem like a poor investment with little return.
If someone who knows her makes a suggestion and the fellow is a legitimate candidate, it’s normal to have a few Zoom dates first before one of them travels. That is the way of today’s world. Young people do travel from out of town and often combine dating and recreation or a simcha. However, your daughter has to make the decisions about who, where, how, and when. It’s her life and her career you are talking about.
I think that the initiative you take with regard to her dating life should be focused on communicating with people who will get to know her, by Zoom or phone, will respect her accomplishments, and frequently deal with outof-towners. Don’t frustrate yourself and jeopardize your relationship with your daughter by trying to push her or by chasing after shadchanim who are bombarded. Take the time to investigate newer, creative initiatives for her demographic. Some of us rebbetzins did just that recently.
The Shadchan Michelle Mond
Dear Aron and Mindy,
Thank you so much for writing in with this important question. Being on the sidelines while your daughter goes through this process can feel incredibly challenging. As parents, it’s only natural to want to ensure she’s doing everything possible to maximize her chances of finding the right one.
Those who have advised her to be open to traveling for dating are making a very valid point. Expanding her flexibility, especially when it comes to location, could open doors to meeting many serious and Torahdik frum professionals in the tri-state area. These men are often balancing in-person work and learning, and many of them simply don’t have the time or flexibility to travel for a first date when they already have plenty of local suggestions within their immediate circles.
Another idea would be for her to attend singles’ events in New York that are geared specifically toward young professionals. In many cases, once a man meets a woman he is genuinely interested in, he will gladly make the effort to travel and continue the relationship. At that point, it often becomes a shared responsibility, with both parties alternating travel as the dating progresses.
Ultimately, if your daughter is serious about getting married, it’s important for her to view dating as an active
investment rather than something that simply happens passively. That means being willing to stretch a bit outside her comfort zone and prioritizing opportunities that may not be convenient but are potentially very fruitful.
That being said, she is an adult, and while you can guide and advise her, she will make her own decisions. Which is, as you’ve experienced, hands down the hardest part about being a parent. If she seems resistant to hearing it from you, try encouraging a trusted mentor or a married friend she respects to gently open the conversation with her. Sometimes hearing it from someone a bit more neutral can make all the difference.
Wishing you much hatzlacha and clarity with your daughter!
The Zaidy
Dr. Jeffrey Galler
Your daughter has worked hard to establish a fulfilling and successful career, and she has every right to feel proud of her accomplishments.
It’s understandable that she’s hesitant to make compromises when it comes to her career, because her current position is an important part of her identity.
I heard a story that might give your daughter some perspective about achieving the proper balance between career and personal life. I believe that it was about the recently deceased Ethel Kennedy, who was the wife of Senator Robert Kennedy and the mother of 11 children.
Years ago, someone asked her, “How did you decide to forego a potential career as a lawyer and, instead, devote yourself to marriage and family?”
She reportedly answered, “I asked myself, in 50 years, would I rather look at a scrapbook of my major legal cases, or look at a photo album of my children and grandchildren?”
Ethel Kennedy became a celebrated human rights activist and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Her story illustrates that there are different paths in life — both equally important — and sometimes personal fulfillment and
It’s important for her to view dating as an active investment rather than something that simply happens passively.
Reader’s Response
Tova and Elana, Best Friends and Fans of The Navidaters
Dear Aron and Mindy, It seems like your daughter is an incredible girl who, at this point, knows exactly what she is looking for. She seems to have her priorities straight. However, she is finding it difficult to be flexible and travel for dating, even though that may help her find a prospective match. Being flexible is an important part of any relationship. Does your daughter lack flexibility in other areas as well? This may be something she wants to explore with a therapist or mental health coach; perhaps there are deeper reasons as to why she can’t budge or make compromises. Is she perhaps sabotaging her own dating because she is afraid to commit?
These are some issues she may need to work out. It is clear that you are very worried about her and that you care about her, but at this point, you can’t force her to do anything. She is an adult making her own choices. You can encourage her to be more flexible and tell her you’ll support her in any way she needs, but there’s not much else you can do. Although it may be difficult to watch, she has to work this out on her own, whether that means seeing a therapist or seeking out a mentor to help her navigate these issues.
Best of luck to you and your daughter.
career success can be intertwined with a strong family life.
Pulling It All Together
The Navidaters
Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists
Dear Aron and Mindy,
Thank you for reaching out and for sharing your hearts so openly. It’s clear how much you love your daughter and want to see her happy and settled. I can imagine how painful it must be to watch her longing for a relationship while doing everything “right” and still not finding the match that feels like home.
Your daughter sounds like an extraordinary woman – driven, accomplished, and grounded in who she is. She’s built a life that reflects her values and strengths, and that’s not easy to do. But I hear your concern. Dating hasn’t been straightfor -
ward. And now that she’s 30, the pressure, both internal and external, can really start to build.
It’s hard to know what to do as a parent in this situation. You want to help, but there’s only so much you can do. Dr. Shefali Tsabari, a psychologist whose work I deeply respect, often reminds parents that our children are not extensions of us. They don’t exist to fulfill our visions or timelines. They are their own beings with their own timing, path, and purpose. That can be difficult to sit with, especially when we think we see a clear way to fix what seems off. But
conscious parenting in adulthood means recognizing that our role shifts from guiding to simply being with. (“The Conscious Parent” by Dr. Shefali Tsabari was recommended to me by a close friend many years ago and has informed my practice and my personal life. I personally found it to be game changing as have many of my clients and friends. It is a book recommendation I would offer to any parent at any stage of parenting.)
That said, if she’s open to it, there are ways to gently support her. Not by pushing or correcting, but by offering. You could ask if she wants help brainstorming ways to meet more people. Maybe a new platform, a weekend trip, a different kind of event. You could invite her to reflect, ideally with a coach or therapist, on what she’s really looking for now and whether anything has shifted for her emotionally or spiritually in recent years. You could offer to be a sounding board, or to help vet potential matches if she finds that exhausting. But if she says
no, the work becomes holding space for her choice with grace.
You mentioned her unwillingness to travel and the demands of her job. That may be frustrating to watch, especially if you believe that loosening those boundaries would help her meet more people. And maybe you’re right. But timing change is different from forcing change. You can invite her to reconsider, but it’s up to her whether or not she’s ready. If you try to push too hard, you risk shutting down connection. Sometimes the most healing thing a parent can say is, I trust you. I see how hard this is. I’m here, no matter what. This is a scary and tender time for you as parents. You’re holding so much; love, hope, fear, even grief for how things haven’t gone the way you imagined. I just want to say I see that. And I hope you can also hold onto the truth that things can still unfold in beautiful and unexpected ways.
Warmly,
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.
Marbles P oon on the Menu
By Vera Newman
Crustless Cheesy Vegetable Quiche
Dairy | Yields 6 servings | Pesach | freezes well
It’s hard to come up with healthier sides when planning a dairy menu. Quiches are usually my go-tos, in addition to dishes like pastas, pizzas, salads, and fish. This crustless version is as good if not better than quiches baked in a flaky crust; the combination of veggies, the cheesy goodness, and the yummy texture will have you convinced. Feel free to use your favorite veggies, and, if you really want a crust, bake this recipe in two (9-inch) ready-to-bake pie shells!
Ingredients
>> 5 Tbsp olive oil, divided
>> 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
>> 1 orange bell pepper, diced
>> 1 large zucchini, quartered and sliced
>> 1¼ tsp sea salt, divided
>> ¾ tsp garlic powder, divided
>> ½ tsp black pepper, divided
>> 1 (6-oz) bag fresh baby spinach
>> 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
>> 8 eggs
>> ¼ cup sour cream
>> ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
>> ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
>> ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil and the onion. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until translucent. Add bell pepper, zucchini, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften.
Transfer vegetables to a bowl.
Add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the same frying pan. Add spinach, cherry tomatoes, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon garlic powder. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until spinach is wilted and tomatoes begin to blister. Transfer to the bowl of sautéed vegetables.
Meanwhile, to a second bowl, add eggs, sour cream, mozzarella cheese, feta cheese, and Parmesan cheese to the egg mixture; whisk to combine. Carefully add cooked vegetables to the bowl. Stir until just combined.
Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes, or until no longer jiggly in the center.
Allow to cool for 15 minutes before cutting into the quiche.
a lmond Crunch
Ice Cream Cheesecake Pie
Dairy | Yields 10-12 servings | freezes well
This recipe has me so excited for Shavuos, I can hardly wait! If you know me, you know my attempts at baking an uncracked proper cheesecake were thrown out the window years ago. I refuse to spend $20+ on ingredients to have my cheesecake flop; call it pride but after several failed attempts over the years, I’ve been on the quest for easy cheesecake alternatives you can be proud to serve on your Shavuos table and be sure to come out victorious. Across my cookbooks you’ll find several different recipes for easy cheesecakes; this one, though, is in a category of its own. I truly cannot wait until you try it: it’s just perfect!
Ingredients
Almond Crunch
>> 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
>> 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
>> 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
>> ¼ cup almond meal (not almond flour; see note)
>> ½ cup sliced toasted almonds
No-Bake Crust
>> 1¼ cups graham cracker crumbs (8 sheets graham crackers, crushed)
>> ¼ cup almond meal (not almond flour; see note)
>> 5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
>> 1/3 cup granulated sugar
Ice Cream Cheesecake Filling
>> 2 (8-oz) blocks cream cheese, at room temperature
>> dulce de leche, melted in the microwave for 30 seconds for easy drizzling
>> fresh strawberries, diced
>> store-bought cream cheese frosting
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prepare the almond crunch: Combine butter, sugar, flour, and almond meal in a bowl. Use your fingertips to combine ingredients until mixture is crumbly.
Spread crumble evenly on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 1012 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
Prepare the no-bake crust: Generously spray a 9- or 10-inch springform pan or line with parchment paper. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, almond meal, melted butter, and granulated sugar. Press mixture firmly into the springform pan; place into the freezer while you prepare the filling.
Prepare the ice cream cheesecake filling: To a high-powered
food processor or blender, add softened cream cheese and ice cream. Process until smooth and creamy, 2-3 minutes.
Remove the graham cracker crust from the freezer. Pour in the filling, smoothing it with a spoon. Top with cooled almond crunch. Return to freezer; freeze for at least 4-6 hours prior to serving.
Before serving, remove the cheesecake pie from the freezer for a few minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the cake and remove the springform pan. Place pie on a cake stand.
If desired, drizzle with dulce de leche, decorate the edge of the pie with fresh strawberries, or pipe on cream cheese frosting.
Tr Y THIS : Blend 2 cups frozen strawberries into the ice cream cheesecake filling to create a strawberry ice cream cheesecake pie. Increase blending time, if necessary to achieve a smooth mixture.
N OT E: Almond meal is sometimes also known as ground almonds. You may substitute with ground walnuts.
recipes
excerpted from Marblespoon – Tried and True by Vera Newman, published by ArtScroll Mesorah Publications.
Shimon Ghatan, 3 Davi L., 8
Note:
Joshi Munk, 5
Yoel Ghatan, 6
Shoshi Mond, 7
Sara, 11
Eden S., 5
Moriyah, 7 Eli & Nina Korb Ruti Tuchman, 4
Avrohom Nesonel Goldman
Nava M., 6
Note: Not all submission have been published. Keep sending in your artwork for another chance to be featured!
Gavi Yifrah, 7 & Eliana Yifrah, 4
Tuvia, 12
Tzipora Feigenbaum, 11
Chedvah Mark, 6
Aharon Dovid F., 5
Chaya Sara Munk, 7 & Avigayl Berman, 6 LC, 6
Shoshana Winchell, 4
Avrohom Bondi, 8
Adina Abrahams, 7
Maya F., 5
Leah Seidel, 6
Elisheva, 7
Alter Chaim Edelman, 6
Gavriel Goldstein, 7
Avigayil Robinson, 8
AC Szendro, 11
Eliam Hakimi, 4 AMF, 8
Chezky, 9
Yitzy Kravitz
Miriam Zaslow
Talya Z., 5 UNF, 7
Tehila Robinson, 2
Parenting Pearls From Flowers to Cheesecake
By Sara Rayvych, MSEd
There have been a number of occasions when I’ve heard gentiles express excitement when hearing that we have a holiday when we eat cheesecake. While our focus will be mostly on Matan Torah, we will still make time for enjoying some dairy. Ice cream, blintzes and cheesecake will all be a major part of what the children are looking forward to over Shavuos. Those who are lactose intolerant will find a suitable substitute to at least feel included. There is something special about minhagim. They add a unique flavor to our celebrations and a tradition to hold onto. We often don’t realize what a strong role minhagim have in our Jewish lifestyle. Interestingly, a significant amount of minhagim surround the foods we eat. Meals are a time for bonding and connection. Food naturally brings us closer together and gives us the opportunity to share with each other. It should not be surprising that so much tradition surrounds the gastronomic area of life.
Minhagim are passed down through the generations and become part of a family’s unique tradition. Pesach, for example, will look very different from home to home. Yes or no to kitniyot. Avoid gebrokts, or matzah balls with every meal. Enjoy the entire Pesach supermarket section or stick to potatoes and onions. Often, families couldn’t imagine Pesach any other way. This applies to every yom tov where we can appreciate the beauty of each other’s unique traditions. Children should be raised with an awareness of the beauty of being part of the Am Hanivchar. At Matan Torah, we were bequeathed a lifestyle that is based on emes, resulting in a life of happiness and connection to our Creator. Truly, only the Creator of humanity could design guidelines to perfectly match our needs. Minhagim add a unique spice to an already flavorful dish.
Lessons From Minhagim
We often underestimate how educational minhagim are. An entire lesson plan could be written just focusing on what is brought out by these special practices. One common example is gefilte fish that was developed as a solution to avoiding borer on Shabbos.
Children learn best from hands-on experiences. Minhagim are a practical way to impart a deeper lesson that would be difficult to teach as an abstract. For example, one of the origins for the minhag of eating dairy is to commemorate the Shtei Halechem in the Beis Hamikdash. After discussing the avodah in the Beis Hamikdash, we can then springboard into learning some of the halachos of separating milk from meat. Reading Megillas Rus (a predominantly Ashkenazi minhag) brings to mind her devotion and mesiras nefesh for a nation that was not yet her own. The resulting hashkafic discussions are an opportunity to impart these important lessons.
Let’s not let these opportunities pass us by. Use each precious minhag as a chance to educate and inspire the next generation in a way that only minhagim can. Whenever possible, we should try to include our children in the process. Especially with food, they can prepare, bake, and, of course, eat alongside us. Children can decorate the house with a floral decor and set the table. Allowing children to be a part of the process makes them feel included and internalizes the memories.
Familial Pride
Within the greater Jewish nation, we are fortunate to have such variety in the nuances of our observance. Some kids will gravitate to potato kugel; others will turn towards ash reshteh masty. They may smell cholent or hamin as they wake up on Shabbos morning. We all follow halacha, but with the specific distinctions that mark our family’s more recent origins. The Shabbos table of my Ashkenzi family will look a
little different than that of my Sephardic friends, but we’ll all be connecting with Hakadosh Baruch Hu.
Minhagim are one way parents can pass on a greater pride in their family’s personal heritage. We each descend from ancestors who have withstood great challenges and displayed incredible mesiras nefesh to keep their traditions. Teaching minhagim can be one way to pass on our family’s unique historical story.
Often, children don’t even realize what their family does differently until it’s pointed out. It took a few years before I realized that potatoes weren’t a karpas staple on every Pesach table. We may need to consciously educate a child in this area.
As meaningful as traditions are, children should be carefully taught the difference between what is halacha versus a minhag. Sadly, many adults can’t separate between the two, and this can cause confusion and problems.
Kids can be very black and white thinkers, often belittling anything different from themselves as being “bad” or “less.” We can use these traditional differences to educate the next generation about the beauty of each individuals’ uniqueness, helping them to better appreciate each other.
Consistency in Practice
I wanted to have more examples of different minhagim. If asking this question before Pesach, I would likely get a separate answer from each individual, leaving me with a list longer than this paper. With so few specific mitzvos for the yom tov, I assume Shavuos lends itself to fewer minhagim.
I reached out to some Sephardic (pre-
dominantly Persian) friends for a greater variety of minhagim beyond the traditional Ashkenazi ones so many of us are familiar with. I became increasingly frustrated as the Shavuos answers started coming in. While some Persian families include dairy at some point, such as after kiddush, they are makpid to have basar v’yayin as seudat yom tov. Shavuot is also called “Muid Gol” (the holiday of flowers) since they decorate the shul and table at home with flowers. The men stay up for “tikkun liel,” learning Torah until late into the night. Surprisingly, each time I was told of a unique Sephardic minhag for Shavuot, I recognized it as also having an Ashkenazi counterpart. Despite the differences, we truly share far more similarities. After the initial confusion, I realized that this isn’t a chisaron but a sign of the strength of Klal Yisroel. With little communication between different countries spanning across many continents, we all held strongly to our mesorah over centuries of separation. We all came from the same source, sharing the same Torah after standing together at Har Sinai.
We are a nation that has withstood millennia together, even if at times separated by land and large bodies of waters. While developing our own flavor to our festivities, we still strongly maintained the mesorah we received together. May we once again reunite as one nation – together in Yerushalyaim.
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.
