Baltimore Jewish Home 8-14-25

This initiative is sponsored by Mr. & Mrs. Bruce and Lois Kauffman in loving memory of Mr. Philip Kauffman, ה׳׳ע, and Mr. and Mrs. Morris and Rosalie Zwagil,

WANTED! YESHIVA BOCHURIM*

Before You Return to Yeshiva for Elul Zman, Train to Blow Shofar!

Special Shofar-Blowing Training Session

Thursday, August 21 @ 5:30 PM.

*and others who would like to attend an earlier session

Pick up a free shofar and join a free shofar-blowing training session so you can do this important chesed for your community when needed.

ADDITIONAL SESSIONS

Sunday, August 31, 2025 @ 12:30 PM

Thursday, September 4, 2025 @ 8:30 PM Sunday, September 7, 2025 @ 12:30 PM

Only one session required.

Sessions to be held at the Ari Fuld, a"h, Rear Building, behind 3209 Fallstaff Rd.

No prior sign-up necessary. For any questions, email info@chesedfund.com or call 410-653-3333.

Sessions led by Rabbi Ephraim Horowitz and are for bar mitzvah age and up.

The Chesed Fund Limited is dedicated in memory of Mordechai & Rebecca Kapiloff,

Dear Readers,

There is something rare and precious about these last weeks of summer. Camps are over, school has not yet begun, and for a little while life slows down. For many of us, that means more time at home with our children than we have had in months. No carpools to rush for and no camp buses to catch. Just family. In a world that moves so quickly and pulls us in a thousand directions, these days offer an unfiltered chance to be together. It can be noisy and sometimes overwhelming, but it is also a gift. These days create the kind of connection no scheduled program can match. They are the moments children quietly store away, even if they do not realize it at the time.

When we think back to our own childhoods, many of our warmest memories are from simple summer days. Walking to buy a sno-ball on a warm day. Long games of catch in the yard. Afternoons sprawled on the couch with siblings. Family picnics in the park. We remember laughter, togetherness, and a sense of belonging. Those moments did not happen by chance. They were given to us by parents and grandparents who slowed down and were present. Now it is our turn. If we can give our children what we were blessed to have – unhurried time where love is felt without words, we give them something no toy or camp can match: a foundation of security and connection they will carry forever.

These days are not always perfect. Children get restless, siblings argue, and parents feel the pull of work and chores. But that is part of the beauty. Real family time is not about curated perfection. It is about being present in ordinary moments and in special ones. It is in making bbq’s, letting the kids “help” with a home project, or sitting outside to watch the sunset. Between the squabbles and the “I’m bored” moments, there is laughter, conversation, and the joy of catching your child’s smile when they feel truly seen. That is when we remember why this time matters so much.

As we approach Elul, this window of togetherness becomes even more valuable. Elul is a time to prepare for the year ahead—spiritually, emotionally, and in our relationships. The closeness we build now strengthens our families and our hearts. It allows us to enter Elul with warmth, connection, and peace. Let’s enjoy these days for what they are; time to be with our kids, share some laughs, and soak in the moments we’ll look back on.” School and schedules will return soon enough. For now, let us savor the time we have so that when the shofar calls us to a new year, we answer with hearts that are full. Wishing you a peaceful Shabbos,

Aaron M. Friedman

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Around the Community

Star-K Annual Kashrus Training Programs Provide Eye-Opening Experience

By: STAR-K/Margie Pensak

The intensive three-day Foodservice Mashgiach Training Seminar held July 21-23 kicked off STAR-K’s two annual backto-back training programs. It provided in-depth training for those currently involved – or who are interested in becoming involved – as mashgichim and mashgichos in the foodservice industry.

Ruth Brunschtein flew approximately 4200 miles roundtrip from Panama City, Panama, to attend STAR-K Certification’s Food Service Mashgiach Training Seminar, held July 21-23, at the agency’s headquarters in Baltimore. She was sent by the rabbis of the Vaad Hakashrut Shevet Ahim. Her responsibilities include follow-up with ongoing supervision and implementation.

“My goal,” says Ruth, “is to share what I learned with all the mashgichim who work with our certification agency in Panama, to raise the level of knowledge and professionalism across the board.”

Aharon Arguedas’ flight from Costa Rica was just as lengthy. He mentioned, “We need people to certify establishments in Costa Rica. I had some hashgacha experience prior to taking the seminar. Attending it ensures that I now have an organization that I can call up if I have any problems or doubts of what to do.”

Avraham Yehuda Garcia had a comparatively shorter journey from Malden, Massachusetts. “A couple of us who are here work for the KVH, and our Rav Hamachshir suggested that we attend the seminar. Working for the KVH for 12 years, I have some quite broad-based experience in hashgacha, but for getting new perspectives and getting up to date on new developments in Kashrus, I couldn’t have come to a better place.”

STAR-K’s Kashrus Training Program, held July 28-31, was tailored for rabbonim, certifying agency administrators, kollel members, and others serving in klei Kodesh. Program attendees were provided with a handson, practical application of the Shulchan Aruch. They were taught how to structure a Kashrus organization, and the ins and outs of Kashrus challenges

invarious commercial and industrial settings as well as retail venues.

Both training programs provide the opportunity to meet the personalities behind the internationally recognized and trusted STAR-K symbol and take the participants behind the scenes of a first-class luxury hotel’s kosher kitchen, kosher establishments, and manufacturing plants. All attendees benefit from lectures delivered by STAR-K administrators; audio-visual presentations; and a hands-on practicum to find the less obvious thrips and aphids hiding in vegetables.

Rabbi Meyer Meth, who recently began supervising industrial plants for the Vaad Hakashrus of Atlanta (AKC), shares, “I particularly appreciated learning the interpersonal skills needed by a mashgiach who visits factories, taught by Rabbi Mayer Kurcfeld. I found that very insightful.”

Dallas Kosher’s Executive Director, Rabbi Moshe Aryeh Tropper, remarks, “It was absolutely worthwhile! For me, the most impactful parts of this conference were being exposed to the expertise, knowledge, and experience of all the different rabbonim here and to see how everything is implemented just based on what makes sense, the halacha, the practical, and the protocols – no postering, just a very pure application of what the Rav says and how he understands it. That’s really all that counts.”

Two family members of HaRav Yissocher Dov Eichenstein, the Zidichover Rebbe of Baltimore, shlit”a, attended the STAR-K Kashrus Training Program – the Rebbe’s son, Rabbi Shlomo Eichenstein, and the Rebbe’s son-in-law, Rabbi Menachem Zev Portugal, both of Monsey.

Rabbi Shlomo Eichenstein notes, “It was amazing for me to learn that hours and years of work from an organization goes into giving the hechsher on a product that I see on the store shelf. There are thousands - even tens of thousands - of ingredients that need to be tirelessly tracked to enable one to eat even regular ketchup!”

The Zidichover Rebbe comments, “It’s a phenomenally eye-opening

experience to be able to see the inner workings of such a prestigious kashrus organization -- to realize the amount of work and effort which is almost always underestimated, underappreciated, and to understand what really goes into Kashrus. The willingness to want to be open to anyone from the whole community, or any type of community – whether chasidishe, Litvish, or whatever background you come from – shows the authenticity of the kashrus organization and how it is just not something to hide, but something very proud about to be able to give and to promote to everyone throughout. It is a sign of the kashrus organization, itself, headed by one of the gedolei poskim of our generation, HaRav Moshe Heinemann, shlit”a. It’s been a truly great experience for a lot of people and younger rabbonim have gone through it just to be able to bask in the knowledge and experience and the true gadlus of one of the greatest poskim of our generation.”

Notes STAR-K Kashrus Administrator Rabbi Sholom Tendler, “These

seminars are B”H full every year, with usually many people who we unfortunately cannot accommodate due to space considerations. The huge number of applicants each year show us how much people want to learn and know about Kashrus. That is always a huge chizuk to all of us. It is also always a pleasure to interact with the seminar attendees as we benefit from hearing their questions and interest as well. We wish them all much hatzlacha in all their future endeavors.”

STAR-K Kashrus Administrator, Rabbi Zvi Goldberg, concludes, “It was pointed out that this is the 22nd year of the program, which is equal to the 22 letters of the aleph-beis. From Aleph to Tav, we try to cover every important aspect of kashrus -- Shabbos and Yomtov issues, weddings, restaurants, bug checking, appliances and even demonstrating a shechita. We are grateful that we can continue to train a new generation of Kashrus professionals.”

Around the Community

Pickwick Community Hosts Successful Electric Scooter And Bike Safety Workshop With Kona Ice Treats

By: BJLife Newsroom

In response to growing concerns from residents of the Pickwick housing development, the community came together Thursday evening to host a much-needed Electric Scooter and Bike Safety Workshop aimed at educating local youth about safe riding practices.

Over the past few weeks, many adults in Pickwick observed troubling behaviors among neighborhood children on electric scooters and bikes. Children were frequently seen riding without helmets, darting from between parked cars, speeding down the middle of the street, and sometimes traveling in large swarms that blocked traffic. The safety risks became too pressing to ignore.

To address the issue proactively, residents organized a brief but impactful workshop and added a sweet incentive: free Kona Ice for all attendees. The event was held on a neighbor’s front lawn, with almost 50 children in attendance.

Rabbi Meyerowitz, LSW, LCSW-C, graciously led the interactive session. Drawing from both his professional and communal experience, Rabbi Meyerowitz kept the children engaged and connected with them, while delivering the message, we want you to have fun but do it safely and responsibly. Highlights of the workshop included: The importance of always wearing a helmet, and ideally, using a helmet designed for higher-impact electric vehicles. Maryland laws require scooter riders to ride on the right side of the road, stop at stop signs, and yield the right of way just like cars do. The importance of reflective gear and lights when riding at night. How to respond respectfully if a driver or adult offers guidance, and how that too is part of avoiding a Chillul Hashem.

The workshop also opened up space for kids to share their own experiences and questions, helping to cement the ideas in a relatable way. The interactive format made the rules more than just “do’s and don’ts”, but

part of a conversation about respect, responsibility, and being a good neighbor. After the session, the line for Kona Ice grew quickly, but the safety lessons lingered. Several children were seen immediately repeating the safety tips to friends who hadn’t attended the workshop but showed up for the treats. One parent noted, “It was amazing to see how seriously the kids took it after

hearing it from Rabbi Meyerowitz in such a relatable way.” Organizers hope this event will not only improve scooter safety in the neighborhood but also open the door for important conversations between parents and children about responsible riding, personal conduct, and being considerate members of the community.

From Reflexes To Results: Teachers Train In MNRI For Student Success

What if the real reason a child can’t sit still, focus, or control their emotions isn’t behavioral at all—but neurological? For many children, the challenge isn’t a lack of motivation or discipline—it may be the result of unintegrated reflexes. These reflexes, the body’s automatic responses to stimuli, are meant to develop and integrate in early childhood. But when they don’t fully integrate, they can disrupt a child’s ability to learn, self-regulate, and thrive in the classroom. That’s where Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration (MNRI) comes in.

MNRI uses simple, targeted movements to help integrate early reflexes and strengthen the connection between the brain and body. This can lead to improvements in focus, coordination, and self-regulation—skills that are essential for success in school. One participant noted how the training gave them “a new look into kids’ behavior and helped me try to understand the

underlying problem which causes the behavior,” echoing the deeper insight many attendees gained.

Fueled by a shared passion for helping children thrive, 21 educators and therapists from across Baltimore gathered this summer for the “Treasure Box for Learning” workshop, hosted by Jewish Educational Services. The two-day training introduced participants to MNRI’s principles and practical tools, with attendees representing schools including Ner Tamid Montessori, Bnos Yisroel of Baltimore, Yeshivas Toras Simcha, Talmudical Academy, Bais Yaakov Middle School, and Mosdos Kehal Chassidim.

Led by Dr. Leah Light, an audiologist specializing in auditory processing disorders, the workshop blended theory with hands-on practice. Dr. Light demonstrated each technique, guided participants through exercises, and encouraged open discussion to ensure everyone felt confident implementing what they learned.

The response was overwhelmingly positive. Participants appreciated the engaging format and the immediate relevance of the strategies to their work with children. One teacher shared, “Now I know I have so much more to learn,” reflecting the workshop’s ability to inspire continued growth and professional curiosity. Another noted that MNRI offered “an improved way to do transitions and reset the class,” a practical benefit many found immediately useful in their classrooms.

To build on the momentum, Jewish Educational Services has planned three follow-up sessions, giving participants

the chance to refine their skills, share experiences, and continue learning together as they bring MNRI into their classrooms and therapy rooms.

If you’re interested in learning more about MNRI or would like to participate in a future training, please reach out to Jewish Educational Services at info@jesbaltimore. org. We’re happy to share information and help connect educators and professionals to this growing area of support for children.

Week 11 Of The Summer 2025 Charm City Ballers Sponsored By Advanced Security Season Featured A Team Clinching A Playoff Spot And A Major Upset

Congrats again to Avner Shotz on Player of the Week!

Councilman Schleifer 70 Advanced Security 36

Shotz Blasts Off, Leads Schleifer to Bounceback Win

Avner Shotz scored 30 points and hit 4 3s, leading the charge as Councilman Schleifer defeated Advanced Security 70-56. Eitan Hariri took on a supporting role and thrived, scoring 16 points, grabbing 16 rebounds, and dishing out 8 assists in the victory.

Schleifer amassed an 11 point lead midway through the first half, with Shotz scoring 7 points in a 13-0 Schleifer run. Advanced fought back and tied the game before half, and then eventually led by 3 in the second half. But Councilman Schleifer controlled the game from there, with

Yali Rothenberg scoring 10 of his 18 points in the final 13 minutes to help seal the game.

Advanced was paced by Yisroel Luchansky, who narrowly missed a triple double with 19 points, 11 assists, and 9 rebounds. Yaakov Rosenblum had 16 points and hit 4 3s, all in the first half, and grabbed 11 boards, while sub Moshe Majeski chipped in 10 and 5. With the loss Advanced Security dropped to 2-6, putting their playoff hopes on life support.

Shotz also grabbed 8 rebounds in his strong performance, as he bounced back from a rough game to have one of the best games of the season. He needed just 22 shots to get to his 30 points, and the Schleifer team was extremely efficient overall. They moved to 6-2 and back into a first place tie with two games remaining in the regular season.

Platinum Insurance Group 41 Fired Up Promotions 32

Platinum Grinds Out Second Win, Bolsters Playoff Hopes

Platinum Insurance Group upset first place Fired Up Promotions 4132, further breathing life into what once seemed like a doomed season. Platinum now sits at 2-4-1, just half a game back of the final 2 playoff spots after starting the season 0-4.

This one was a full team effort, as Platinum played lockdown defense throughout and controlled the ball extremely well. They were able to limit possessions and prevent Fired Up from getting out on the fast break, where they have been lethal all season. On offense, Platinum was led by 12 points from Noach Schwartz, while Yoni Guggenheim added 10 and 6 rebounds and Mordi Spero had 9, 6, and 3 assists (Schwartz had 3 assists as well).

Fired Up couldn’t manage a spark all game, and while Platinum was never able to pull away, Fired Up’s only led was 3-2 in the early minutes. Chesky Lewin did have 19 points and 8 rebounds, but among his teammates only Zev Namrow managed to score more than 2 points, finishing with 9.

With the loss Fired Up dropped to 6-2, and back into a first place tie with Councilman Schleifer. For the moment Fired Up holds the tiebreaker due to their superior point differential, and both teams have 2 games remaining to push for that coveted #1 seed as both teams have already clinched playoff spots.

Around the Community

N’shei Agudath Israel Of Baltimore Proud Recounts Their “Striving for Greatness” Summer Lecture Series for Women

N’shei Agudath Israel Of Baltimore is proud to present this year’s Summer Lecture Series for Women. Our theme this year is “Striving for Greatness.”

Our program commenced with an uplifting lecture by Mrs. Bracha Goetz, a popular speaker and published author, on the subject of “Living with Joy.” In keeping with the season, the second lecture was given by Rabbi Moshe Heinemann, Rav of Agudath Israel of Baltimore, who spoke about “The Three Weeks.”

Subsequent lecturers that followed included Rabbi Moshe Matz, Director of Agudath Israel of Florida and Rav of Aventura, Florida, who spoke on “Reaching for the Stars: Achieving Our Maximum Potential”; Rabbi Sholom Tendler, Kashrus Administrator of the Star-K, whose presentation on the “Latest Updates from the World of Kashrus with Live Audio-Visual Presentation” provided valuable information for all homemakers; and Mrs. Shira Hochheimer, Director of Technology at WITS and a popular lecturer, who delivered an in-depth discussion on “Saying Shema with Meaning.”

Three more inspiring lectures are planned for the month of August (via Zoom and phone only):

• Rabbi Alexander Seinfeld, lecturer and co-author of Body and Soul, will offer insights for “Preparing for a Healthy and Holy New Year” on Tuesday, August 12th at 8:00 p.m.

• Rabbi Boruch Leff, Rebbi and noted author, will deliver a lecture on “Nothing New, But Improving What We Already Do” on Tuesday, August 19th at 8:00 p.m.

• Mrs. Chaya Kruk, popular lecturer and teacher, will explore “A Meaningful Way to Start off Elul” on Tuesday, August 26th at 8:00 p.m.

In anticipation of the Yomim Nora’im, Rabbi Moshe Heinemann, the Rav of Agudath Israel of Baltimore, will present his Annual Teshuva Shiur in the main shul at the Agudah of Baltimore on Wednesday, September 17th at 8:30 p.m. In order to get the most out of this shiur, it is preferable to attend in person; however, it will also be available via Zoom and by phone.

N’shei also hosts ongoing in-person bi-weekly Halacha shiurim given by Rabbi Moshe Heinemann on a number of important and relevant topics. The shiurim are given at the Agudah of Baltimore on the balcony at 9:00 p.m. every other Monday night. These shiurim are also accessible via Zoom and by phone.

For information on accessing these lectures and recordings, please email nsheibaltimore@gmail.com or call or text Mrs. Chavi Barenbaum at 410935-3010. ADA accommodations are available upon request.

N’shei Agudath Israel of Baltimore is part of an international organization of women dedicated to achdus, community service, education, and charity. Our members include women from different shuls, schools, and organizations. N’shei provides the women in our community with quality programs to enhance their homes and their families. N’shei organizes halacha and hashkafa shiurim, including our annual Teshuva and Pesach shiurim given by Rabbi Moshe Heinemann. Each year, N’shei officially welcomes the women

Collaboration Over Competition: Beauty Professionals Unite To Combat Domestic Abuse

In an industry often defined by competition, one event stood out for its spirit of collaboration and shared purpose.

The goal was clear: to equip beauty professionals with the skills to recognize signs of abuse and respond safely and compassionately.

Hosted by Adina Burstyn, owner of Adina B Salon, and Rebbetzin Hindy Motzen of Congregation Ner Tamid, local beauty professionals gathered in early August for a morning of education and empowerment. The event was held in partnership with CHANA, a Baltimore-based organization supporting victims of domestic abuse.

Lauren Shaivitz, executive director of CHANA, spoke powerfully

about the unique role stylists play in their clients’ lives and how they can be the first step toward safety and hope.

“The trusting relationship between stylists and their customers makes disclosures of abuse very common. It is critical to know how to respond. CHANA is not only available to clients in need but is also a resource for the community to gain knowledge and guidance.”

The morning combined warmth and camaraderie with vital, practical education on identifying and responding to domestic abuse.

CHANA offers a Jewish response to those facing physical, emotional, sexual, financial, or spiritual abuse in Northwest Baltimore.

who are new to the community at our Welcome Newcomers Night.

All shiurim are free of charge, but sponsorship opportunities are available. You can sponsor a shiur or you can sponsor an ad. Please call or text Mrs. Chavi Barenbaum or email nsheibaltimore@gmail.com for more information. This year, we did not hold our annual N’shei Café fundraiser, but we still have operating expenses. We would greatly appreciate N’shei dues and donations so we can continue bringing quality programs to our community. Dues are still only $25 and can be paid at any of our shiurim; mailed to Mrs. Sandy Cohen at 6314 Cross Country Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21215; or paid online by requesting a link from nsheibaltimore@gmail.com.

We always need volunteers to help with our programming, especially with publicity, phone calls, and computer graphics.

We look forward to having you join our lectures and events.

Join us for CHANA’s 7th annual VOICES event, Rooted in Resilience, celebrating 30 years of service to the Baltimore community.

Need support? Call 410-234-0030 or chat at CHANABaltimore.org.

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Preschool/Elementary School:

Kodesh and General Studies Assistants

Permanent Subs

Middle School:

Ivrit Teacher

General Studies Teachers

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High School:

Office Support: Full time, Part time: PM

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Computer Assistants

AM & PM Tutors

IT: Tier II IT Support Technician

Early Learning Center: Teachers

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For more information please visit:

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JCSL By MDSC Concludes In Dramatic Fashion – YL Waitering Takes Home The Crown And The Premier Financial Trophy

What a way to conclude a season! For the first time in JCSL history, the entire RenoSafe Homes Postseason (to include the Playoffs AND the Championship) took place on the same, warm and sunny August Sunday morning.

With the AMP Solutions Fields all ready to go by 9:00 AM thanks to the overtime efforts of the K & D Gold Exchange Grounds Crew, the four remaining teams battled in the Playoff round with Number 1 seed YL Waitering competing against Number 4 seed The Friendship Circle, while Number 2 seed GB Homes battled against Number 3 seed, Web Interactive Technologies (WIT). In exciting fashion, YL Waitering was victorious in the 1 vs 4 seed game and GB Homes was the victor in the 2 vs 3 seed game – setting up a Championship Game that was not to be missed: YL Waitering vs GB Homes.

When the dust had settled, YL Waitering was the victor.

Read on for the details from the Championship Game:

YL Waitering 9, GB Homes 5

In a high-stakes title game, YL Waitering delivered a dominant performance to defeat GB Homes 9–5, capping off their season with a 7-game win streak and earning the title of World Champions.

YL wasted no time setting the tone, retiring GB in order with a quick 1-2-3 inning to open the game. They struck fast in the bottom half, jumping out to a 2–0 lead thanks to sharp at-bats from Yaakov Furman and Mordechai Schiermeyer — and they never looked back.

Avi Friedman was unstoppable at the plate, going 3-for-3 with 3 RBIs, providing the offensive punch YL needed. Simcha Malin also came up big, going 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs, including a clutch late-game hit that widened the gap. Yoni Levin stayed hot with a 2-for-3 day, while Mendy Rauh added a key sacrifice fly and anchored first base defensively, scooping up everything in sight.

On the mound, Yanky Goldsmith pitched a gem, holding GB scoreless through the early innings. Sol Kuhnreich was masterful behind the plate, calling a composed, strategic game that helped guide the pitching staff to victory.

Defensively, Yehuda Rosen was rock-solid in the outfield, tracking down everything hit his way, while Zev Fishkind added a critical hit to extend YL’s lead during a key rally.

Up 9–0, YL seemed in full control — but GB Homes didn’t go down quietly. They mounted a late-game surge, narrowing the score to 9–5 and loading the bases in the final frame. With the tying run at the plate and two outs, Ezra Bregin grounded into a fielder’s choice, sealing the championship for YL Waitering.

Final Score: YL Waitering 9, GB Homes 5

YL Waitering ends their season on top — 7 straight wins, a dominant playoff run, and a championship trophy to prove it.

They can now officially call themselves world champions.

Greater Washington: Around the Community

YISE Announces Comprehensive Yom Tov Schedule And Community Events

Young Israel Shomrai Emunah (YISE) has released its detailed plans for the Yomim Noraim, offering a variety of davening options designed to accommodate different needs and schedules.

The shul will host multiple simultaneous minyanim during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, including Ashkenazi minyanim in both the Be-

lonofsky Sanctuary and social hall, as well as Sephardic and neitz (sunrise) minyanim. According to shul leadership, each minyan maintains its own distinct atmosphere and character.

“With the neitz minyan, I can daven early and be home so that my wife can hear tekias shofar at a later minyan instead of needing to run for an afternoon tekiah in the neighbor-

hood,” noted one member, highlighting the practical benefits of the varied schedule. “It also means that she can daven in shul, something that is not always easy with an infant at home.”

YISE mora d’asra Rabbi Dovid Rosenbaum and Rabbi (Lt. Col.) Joseph Friedman, a member of the shul, will deliver drashos throughout the Yomim Noraim. The shul will also be the site of community teshuva drosha featuring Rabbi Yissochar Frand during the aseres yemei teshuva.

Beyond Rosh HaShanna and Yom Kippur, YISE is also building momentum for Sukkos, including preparations for their annual gala Simchas Torah kiddush. The shul continues to invest in facility improvements, recently completing a dedicated nursing mothers’ lounge and refurnishing the Small Beis Medresh thanks to a generous donation honoring longtime member Mel Farber.

“The new furniture can be easily reconfigured for different learning needs,” appreciated one member of the weekly post-haskomoh minyan shiur.

Looking ahead to September 14, the shul will host its popular annual “Meat & Greet” barbecue, an event that typically draws hundreds of community members and features family-friendly activities including a bounce house for children.

“This event offers everyone some time before the holidays to come together in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere,” explained a shul representative. “We hope that the camaraderie enjoyed at this event carries through to an enhanced sense of community when we gather together during the Yomim Noraim”

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

8:45 pm YGW School Days

9:30 pm YGW S-Th

Silver Spring Jewish CenterSpring/Summer

9:45 pm Ohr Hatorah

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The Week In News

The Week In News

U.S. Sanctions Iranian Entities

According to an announcement issued Thursday by the Treasury Department, the United States, in an effort to crack down on Iran financially and militarily, will be sanctioning 18 individuals and companies that have assisted Tehran in secretly raising money and circumventing previous sanctions.

“Treasury will continue to disrupt Iran’s schemes aimed at evading our sanctions,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declared. “We’re committed to starving Iran’s weapons programs of funds to keep Americans safe.”

The 18 sanctioned entities are now unable to do business with U.S. citizens. Additionally, their U.S. assets are now frozen. Foreign banks that aid the entities

could also face U.S. sanctions.

Among the 18 sanctioned entities is RUNC Exchange Systems Company, the creator of the CIMS (Cross-Border Interbank Messaging System) platform, a tool intended to bypass global payment networks such as SWIFT, thus enabling the Iranian regime to carry out financial transactions amid sanctions. CIMS has been used in dealings with the Bank of Kunlun, a Chinese institution that the U.S. previously sanctioned. According to the Treasury, any banks or financial institutions that use CIMS risk future sanctions. Additionally, the U.S. sanctioned three senior RUNC officials.

Cyrus Offshore Bank, an institution based in Iran’s Kish Free Zone, was also sanctioned, along with a few of its executives. According to the U.S., the bank was established to secretly move oil sales money and hide links to Iran’s central bank. The institution cooperated with the Parsian Bank and the Iranian military, routing funds through Chinese banks.

The U.S. also sanctioned Pasargad Bank’s tech firm FANAP, which supplies Iranian banks with technology and software, including ATMs and digital

payment systems. FANAP’s owner was previously sanctioned. The U.S. also sanctioned the director of FANAP and several subsidiaries of the tech firm. According to reports, FANAP helped Iran’s intelligence ministry and police build surveillance technology, including facial recognition systems, domestic messaging apps, and other tools that limit Iranians’ access to the web.

According to the U.S., the sanctions are designed to push Iran into changing its ways.

Is Perrier Natural?

Throughout the world, Perrier and other French water companies are beloved for their “natural” mineral water. However, one year ago, reports from Le Monde and Radio France called into

question just how natural the companies’ water is. At the time, the outlets reported that the companies had illegally treated one-third or more of the mineral water they’ve sold in France, using bacteria-removing ultra-violet light, carbon filters, or ultra-fine micro-meshes.

Though the company’s treated water is safe to drink, the treatment is legally problematic, as the European Union considers “natural mineral water” to be completely unaltered, meaning Perrier’s decision to label its water “natural” — and to sell it at a higher price than filtered water — may have been deceptive. Now, in the next few months, the European Commission is expected to decide what level of micro-filtration is allowed for “natural mineral water,” in a move that will determine whether Perrier’s methods violated the E.U.’s rules.

Executives in charge of Perrier and Nestlé, its parent company, also reportedly concealed reports of contamination. The outlets also reported that President Emmanuel Macron’s government knowingly withheld key facts from the public because it viewed the mineral water industry as strategically important to

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France. The government was accused by a Senate inquiry of a “deliberate strategy” of “dissimulation.”

Several months ago, Nestlé CEO Laurent Freixe confessed that Perrier has, in fact, treated its water in an unauthorized manner. Freixe also admitted that hydrologists inspected Perrier’s site in southern France’s Gard department and recommended against renewing the product’s “natural mineral water” status. Since its founding in the 1860s, some 160 years ago, Perrier’s water has been labeled as “natural mineral water.” Soon, it may lose that status.

Perrier sources its water from deep aquifers in the region between Nîmes and Montpellier, a heavily populated, farmed, and boiling area. The company maintains that its micro-filtration methods are in line with the E.U.’s rules. Officially, the E.U. only recognizes mineral water as natural when its mineral makeup is unaltered and it is not disinfected. The European Commission’s decision will determine what level of micro-filtration counts as alteration.

Researcher

Found in Melting Ice

Dennis “Tink” Bell fell into a crevasse in Antarctica in 1959 at the age of 25. He was working for the organization that eventually became the British Antarctic Survey. Now, due to melting glaciers, Bell’s remains have been found, along with his watch, radio and pipe.

“I had long given up on finding my brother. It is just remarkable, astonishing. I can’t get over it,” David Bell, 86, said.

“Dennis was one of the many brave personnel who contributed to the early science and exploration of Antarctica

under extraordinarily harsh conditions,” says Professor Dame Jane Francis, director of the British Antarctic Survey. “Even though he was lost in 1959, his memory lived on among colleagues and in the legacy of polar research.”

The bones were found on the moraine and surface of the Ecology Glacier, on western shore of Admiralty Bay.

Bell had worked with the RAF and trained as a meteorologist, before joining the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey to work in Antarctica.

“He was obsessed with Scott’s diaries,” David said, referring to Captain Robert Scott who was one of the first men to reach the South Pole and died on an expedition in 1912.

Dennis went to Antarctica in 1958. He was stationed for a two-year assignment at Admiralty Bay, a small UK base with about 12 men on King George Island, which is roughly 75 miles off the northern coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. Dennis’s job was to send up meteorological weather balloons and radio the reports to the UK every three hours, which involved fir-

ing up a generator in sub-zero conditions.

Described as the best cook in the hut, he was in charge of the food store over the winter when no supplies could reach them. He was also involved in surveying King George Island to produce some of the first mapping of the largely unexplored place.

It was on a surveying trip when the accident happened, a few weeks after his 25th birthday. He had been on a surveying mission with Jeff Stokes when Bell went on ahead without his skis. Suddenly, he disappeared into a crevasse and was not able to be rescued.

His remains were found earlier this year by a team of Polish researchers working from the Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station.

Virus Spreads in China

The chikungunya virus, an infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes, is spreading in China’s southern manufac-

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turing city, Foshan, prompting the government to take action to slow the virus’s spread. By Wednesday, over 7,000 cases of the virus were reported.

Authorities in Foshan are handing out mosquito nets, while workers are spraying insecticide on residential areas, streets, and construction areas. Officials are also imposing a 10,000 yuan ($1,400) fine and threatening to cut off electricity to those who don’t empty bottles, flower pots, and other outdoor receptacles that attract breeding mosquitoes.

The outbreak was exacerbated by heavy

and high temperatures this year.

This recent outbreak is China’s first, University of Oxford’s César López-Camacho noted.

“What makes this event notable is that chikungunya has never been established in mainland China before,” he stated. “This suggests that most of the population had no preexisting immunity, making it easier for the virus to spread quickly.”

Chikungunya generally causes mild symptoms, such as fever, muscle pain, nausea, fatigue, and a rash. The disease, which is caused by a virus with the same name, rarely leads to severe joint pain, hospitalization, or death. The majority of chikungunya deaths are babies and elderly individuals with pre-existing medical issues. Patients with serious symptoms are, in many cases, hospitalized to prevent potential organ damage.

Though the virus has no particular treatment, patients can benefit from medications that reduce fevers and soothe muscle pain. Britain, Brazil, Canada, and Europe, along with other regions, have two approved chikungunya vaccines, though the areas hit the worst — including in Africa, Asia, and the Americas — do not have sufficient access to the vaccines.

Across 16 countries, the European Centres for Disease Prevention and Control have recorded 240,000 cases of the virus, including 90 deaths as of July. Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, and Peru have the most cases.

Since 2000, there has been an up-

tick in cases of chikungunya and other mosquito-transmitted viruses, including dengue and Zika, said Robert Jones, an assistant professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. According to Jones, outbreaks may spread in areas of southern China with humid climates and dense cities.

Trump’s ArmeniaAzerbaijan Peace Deal

On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump held a meeting with the heads of Azerbaijan and Armenia, during which they signed a joint peace declaration.

Trump declared the agreement a historic “peace deal.” For almost 40 years — since the 1988 dissolution of the Soviet Union — Azerbaijan and Armenia have fought for sovereignty over a disputed territory called Nagorno-Karabakh.

During the early 1990s, fighting led to over 30,000 deaths. In 2020, another 6,000 or more people died during the two countries’ 44-day conflict.

Both sides said they would drop all territorial claims, avoid the use of force, and adhere to international law.

“It’s a long time,” Trump declared during the ceremony. “Thirty-five years they fought and now they’re friends and they’re going to be friends for a long time.”

“They’re going to be able to really live and work together,” the president added.

The deal grants the United States exclusive rights to build a transit route through Azerbaijan called the Zangezur corridor, which would connect two territories of Armenia. The Trump administration has named the route the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP).

“What this will do for American businesses, and, frankly, for energy resources across Europe, will be enormously powerful,” a senior administration official said of the deal.

The route could lead to “significant infrastructure development by Amer-

ican companies,” which would likely “economically benefit all three of our nations,” Trump declared.

Trump added that Azerbaijan will have complete access to Nagorno-Karabakh but will also accept Armenia’s sovereignty over the disputed region. As per the deal, the U.S. can take “up to 99 years” to build the corridor, Trump said.

For some time now, Russia has hoped to broker a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan. However, Moscow’s war on Ukraine distracted it from getting involved. The Russian army also tried to stop Azerbaijan from taking over the disputed region but did not succeed.

The two countries haven’t decided where to draw their border, though Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan jointly signed a letter before Trump’s ceremony on Friday, asking the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe to dissolve the Minsk Group, a diplomatic mediation body meant to bring peace to the region. The group, which is headed by the United States, Russia, and France, failed to stop Azerbaijan from taking control of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023, thus rendering the body powerless.

“There should be no doubt and no suspicion that any of the sides would step back,” Azerbaijan’s president said, insisting that both countries are committed to peace. “If any of us, Prime Minister Pashinyan or myself, had in mind to step back, we wouldn’t have come here. So you can be absolutely sure, as well as Azerbaijani community, that what has happened today will result in peace—long-lasting peace, eternal peace in the Caucasus.”

This is one of several peace and economic deals struck by Trump since his second term began in January. Trump brokered a peace deal between Rwanda and Congo and another agreement that ended fighting between Cambodia and Thailand. Trump also claimed to have been heavily involved in the recent peace deal between India and Pakistan, though India denied such claims. The Trump administration has also been working on ceasefires in Gaza and Ukraine.

“I came in, and this whole world was on fire,” Trump said on the day of the ceremony. “All these things were sort of happening. We’ve only been here for six months. The world was on fire. We took care of just about every fire.”

Trump has his eye on the Nobel Peace Prize. A number of world leaders have nominated him for the award. Now, the heads of Armenia and Azerbaijan have

said they will also nominate Trump.

“Who, if not President Trump, deserves the Nobel Peace Prize? …As soon as we [return], we will agree to issue a joint letter,” said Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, echoing a statement from Armenia’s prime minister.

“The losers here are China, Russia and Iran. The winners here are the West,” a senior Trump administration official said.

Israel to Take Over Gaza City

Despite IDF warnings that such an operation could harm hostages, Israel’s security cabinet authorized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to take control of Gaza City. The approval, a milder version of the premier’s previous proposal to take over the entire Gaza Strip, came overnight Thursday-Friday of last week.

The prime minister’s office said the plan was designed with the goal of “defeating Hamas” in mind. As such, further operations in areas of the Strip besides Gaza City have not been ruled out.

The one million Palestinians living in Gaza City will have until October 7, 2025 — the second anniversary of the 2023 Hamas-led massacre — to leave the city. At that point, the Israel Defense Forces will put Gaza City under a blockade to kill any terrorists in the area. According to a senior Israeli official, the IDF will move onto the rest of Gaza after taking over the Strip’s capital.

Only 25% of Gaza, particularly Gaza City and areas in central Gaza, isn’t under Israel’s control. The IDF, fearing that Hamas would murder the 20 living hostages it is holding, has thus far refrained from entering those areas. Last August, Hamas murdered six hostages in Rafah after Israeli soldiers mistakenly approached a tunnel where the terrorists

rains

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held the abductees.

In a statement, Netanyahu’s office said most of his cabinet agreed that five objectives must be accomplished before the war ends: Hamas must be destroyed as a military entity; all 50 hostages must be returned; the Gaza Strip must be demilitarized; Israel must have security control over the Strip; and Gaza must be governed by a government besides Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.

Netanyahu has said that “Arab forces” will take control of Gaza after Israel concludes its operations in the enclave. However, Arab countries have said they would only get involved if the PA takes Hamas’s place.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, during a 10-hour meeting, objected to the plan to take over Gaza City.

“The lives of the hostages will be in danger if we go ahead with this plan to occupy Gaza. There is no way to guarantee that we will not harm them. Our forces are worn out, the military tools need maintenance, and there are humanitarian and sanitary [concerns regarding the Palestinian population],” he reportedly said.

Zamir claimed that the operation

would take a long time, kill soldiers, and make it impractical to rescue the hostages. He suggested a different course of action, though ministers branded his plan as ineffective.

Some suspect that this plan is a tactic designed to get Hamas to the negotiating table. If Hamas surrenders, the IDF will pause its Gaza City campaign, Netanyahu said, though National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have taken issue with that plan. Ben Gvir and Smotrich, who voted against Netanyahu’s proposal, were unhappy that the plan provides aid to Gaza City evacuees. They also want the IDF to permanently take over the entire Strip.

BBC: Hamas Steals Aid

The BBC released a report last week claiming that Hamas is secretly paying its tens of thousands of terrorists money using a $700 million cash stockpile the terror group hid in underground tunnels before the October 7 massacre. Additionally, the report backs Israel’s assertion that

Hamas steals humanitarian aid and sells it at exorbitant prices or gives it to loyalists.

According to the report, over the past week or so, three Hamas members were given around NIS 1,000 ($300). Currently, terrorists receive a much lower salary than they did before the war. Every ten weeks, they’re paid no more than 20% of their previous pay. Since the war broke out in Gaza, 30,000 individuals designated as “civil servants” by the terror group have received salaries from Hamas.

The report adds that Hamas, over encrypted text messages, secretly invites terrorists for “tea” at a particular place and time. During the meeting, the operatives are discreetly handed an envelope with money by an individual who walks past them. Israel has previously struck these meetings’ locations.

To raise money, Hamas has been taxing traders and selling cigarettes for up to 100 times their pre-October 7 price. According to the report, Hamas has also been raising money by stealing aid en masse and selling it on the black market. Between January and March, when Israel increased aid deliveries during a ceasefire deal, Hamas stole “significant quantities” of aid, the BBC reported. The Wall Street Journal, in April, also noted that Hamas relies on stolen aid to pay its terrorists.

Though the United Nations has long rejected Israel’s claim that Hamas systematically steals aid, the U.N. recently confessed that, over the past few months, 88% of aid trucks were looted.

According to the report, many terrorists are unhappy about their low wages.

Israel’s Largest Gas Deal

On Thursday, owners of Israel’s Leviathan gas field signed a $35 billion deal — the biggest in the Jewish state’s history — to export natural gas to Egypt.

The partners — NewMed Energy (which owns a 45.3% stake in Leviathan), Chevron (with a 39.66% stake), and Ratio Oil Corp. (which owns a 15% stake)

— will sell 130 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas to Egypt, either by 2040 or until the parties fulfill the contract quantities, according to NewMed, an Israeli company owned by Yitzhak Tshuva’s Delek Group.

Israel is supposed to receive hundreds of millions of shekels in royalties and taxes from this deal.

“This is the most strategically important export deal to ever occur in the eastern Mediterranean and strengthens Egypt’s position as the most significant hub in the region,” said Yossi Abu, the CEO of NewMed. “This deal, made possible by our strong regional partnerships, will unlock further regional export opportunities, once again proving that natural gas and the wider energy industry can be an anchor for collaboration.”

Leviathan, which began supplying to the Israeli domestic market in December 2019, is among the world’s biggest deep-water gas fields, storing around 600 bcm of gas some 120 kilometers west of Haifa. Since then, Israel has received NIS 4.2 billion in royalties. In 2024, Israel collected nearly NIS 1.02 billion.

In January 2020, Leviathan’s partners started selling natural gas to Egypt under a 60 bcm deal that should continue until the early 2030s. As of now, Egypt has received 23.5 bcm of gas from Leviathan.

Thursday’s deal will begin in 2026 with the sale of 20 bcm, with the reservoir’s annual gas supply to Egypt rising from 4.7 bcm annually to 6.7 bcm. Then, in 2029, Leviathan’s production expansion plan and the building of a new transmission pipeline from Israel to Egypt will be complete, thus allowing Leviathan to supply another 110 bcm, bringing the annual total from 12 bcm to 13 bcm.

“The deal should pave the way for the expansion of Leviathan and ensure the supply of natural gas to the Israeli market until 2064,” NewMed insisted.

A few months ago, Israel’s Finance Ministry warned that the Jewish state risks having a natural gas shortage within 25 years due to fast-rising domestic energy needs.

In 2024, natural gas exports from Israel to Egypt and Jordan rose by over 13%, making up around half of Israel’s gas production. According to the Joint Organizations Data Initiative, Egypt receives 15% to 20% of its gas from Israel. Israel, Egypt, and the European Union signed an agreement, allowing Israeli natural gas exports to the E.U., supplied through Egypt’s liquefied natural gas plants. Europe has been looking for

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alternative natural gas exporters, as the E.U. distances itself from Russia.

Australia to Recognize Palestinian State

On Monday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that his country will recognize a Palestinian state in September. Albanese’s announcement comes amid a growing list of countries that have professed their intention to recognize a Palestinian state.

A formal recognition will be made at the United Nations General Assembly next month, where “Australia will recognize the right of the Palestinian people to a state of their own predicated on the commitments Australia has received from the Palestinian Authority,” Albanese said at a press conference.

On Monday, New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters said his country was also considering recognizing a Palestinian state and would make a decision at a cabinet meeting in September.

“New Zealand has been clear for some time that our recognition of a Palestinian state is a matter of when, not if,” Peters said.

Describing the situation in Gaza as an “absolute human catastrophe,” New Zealand Prime Minister Chrisopher Luxon said in a press conference that it was “entirely appropriate that we take the time to actually make sure we weigh up our decision and work that through in a sensible way.”

The United Kingdom, France and Canada recently announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state in September.

Albanese said Australia had sought and received assurances from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that Hamas would play no role in any future Palestinian state.

Other conditions include a commitment to demilitarize and to hold general elections, abolish a “system of payments to the families of prisoners and martyrs,” and governance and education reform, as well as “international oversight to guard against the incitement of violence and hatred,” Albanese said.

“A two-state solution is humanity’s best hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East and to bring an end to the conflict suffering and starvation in Gaza,” he said. “This is about much

more than drawing a line on a map. This is about delivering a lifeline to the people of Gaza.”

Last week, U.S. Foreign Secretary Marco Rubio said that declarations of support for a Palestinian state were “largely symbolic” and only “emboldened Hamas and made it harder to achieve peace.”

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a rare press conference with international media in which he called steps by Western nations to recognize Palestinian statehood “shameful.”

“To have European countries and Australia march into that rabbit hole, just like that, fall right into it, and buy this canard is disappointing,” Netanyahu said. “But it’s not going to change our position. We will not commit national suicide to get a good op-ed for two minutes.”

A Journalist and a Terrorist

Anas al-Sharif was a prominent Al Jazeera journalist. But aside from broadcasting news, the man was a terrorist who had joined the Hamas military wing ten years ago and was receiving a terrorist’s salary. This week, al-Sharif was killed in an Israeli airstrike.

“Prior to the strike, we obtained current intelligence indicating that [Anas] al-Sharif was an active Hamas military wing operative at the time of his elimination. In addition, he received a salary from the Hamas terror group and terrorist supporters, Al-Jazeera, at the same time,” IDF international spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said on X.

The IDF said that Sharif was “the head of a Hamas terrorist cell and advanced rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and IDF troops.

“Intelligence and documents from Gaza, including rosters, terrorist training lists and salary records, prove he was a Hamas operative integrated into Al Jazeera,” it said, alongside a screenshot of relevant documents.

The documents, published by the IDF in October, showed that Sharif joined Hamas’s military wing on December 3, 2013, where he served as a commander of a rocket-launching squad in northern Gaza. He was certified as the team commander on January 1, 2019, according to the documents.

Sharif’s military ID number was listed on the documents as 305342.

On April 7, 2017, Sharif was wounded in his eye and suffered hearing loss during Hamas training, though he continued to remain in the organization on a $200 a month salary, according to a 2023 document published by the military.

A separate, undated document showed that Sharif’s name was on the internal phone registry of the elite Nukhba Force company in Hamas’s East Jabalia Battalion. A codename for Sharif is also listed in the directory.

Al-Sharif’s death sparked an international outcry from those who say that Israel is targeting journalists in Gaza.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an “independent and impartial investigation into these latest killings,” said UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

“At least 242 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war began. Journalists and media workers must be respected, they must be protected, and they must be allowed to carry out their work freely, free from fear and free from harassment,” he added.

Al Jazeera said the attack killed its correspondents Sharif and Mohammed Qraiqea along with cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Moamen Aliwa and Mohammed Noufal. Freelancer Mohammad al-Khaldi was also with the group and lost his life in the strike.

The European Union joined the chorus of international condemnations of the strike, with the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas calling on Israel to provide “clear evidence” of its claim regarding the affiliation of the journalists it targeted.

In his Monday post, Shoshani wrote that the documents the army published in October are “only a small, declassified portion of our intelligence on al-Sharif leading up to the strike.”

“This information was obtained during ground operations in Gaza at two separate locations,” he added.

Germany to Halt Arms Sales

Germany won’t authorize any exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in Gaza “until further notice,” Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday. The announcement was made right after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet’s decision to take over Gaza City.

Germany, along with the United States and Italy, is among the top for-

eign suppliers of equipment used by Israel’s military. The pause adds to action taken by European countries — including economic, military and diplomatic measures — against Israel in recent months out of concern over its government’s conduct in the nearly twoyear war in Gaza.

Merz said in a statement that Israel “has the right to defend itself against Hamas’ terror” and that the release of Israeli hostages and purposeful negotiations toward a ceasefire are “our top priority.” He said that Hamas mustn’t have a role in the future of Gaza.

“The even harsher military action by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, approved by the Israeli Cabinet last night, makes it increasingly difficult for the German government to see how these goals will be achieved,” he said. “Under these circumstances, the German government will not authorize any exports of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip until further notice.”

Netanyahu spoke with Merz on Friday and expressed disappointment with the arms decision.

The German government remains deeply concerned about the suffering of civilians in Gaza, Merz said.

“With the planned offensive, the Israeli government bears even greater responsibility than before for providing for their needs,” he said.

Merz called on Israel to allow comprehensive access for aid deliveries — including for U.N. organizations and other nongovernmental organizations — and said that Israel “must continue to comprehensively and sustainably address the humanitarian situation in Gaza.”

The move has particular weight because Germany has been seen as one of Israel’s strongest supporters.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, or SIPRI, last year, Germany was the No. 2 supplier of arms to Israel after the United States.

German companies provide 30% of Israel’s defense imports, mostly naval armaments, according to data analyzed by Zain Hussain, an arms transfers researcher at SIPRI. He suggested the German pullback would be temporary.

“This is going to be a limited measure,” Hussain said. “Germany has been committed to providing Israel with arms, especially with ships.”

German-made engines can be fitted in Israeli Merkava tanks and Namer armored personnel carriers, which are ac-

Board with what’s being served?

(NOT ANYMORE)

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tively deployed in Gaza. Sa’ar corvettes — small warships festooned with sophisticated radar equipment and cannons — from Germany have been used to shell targets in Gaza during the war, Hussain said.

Last week, even before the Gaza City takeover plan, Slovenia announced that it would ban the import, export and transit of all weapons to and from Israel in response to the country’s actions in Gaza — saying it was the first EU member country to do so.

Making D.C. Safer

This week, in an effort to make Washington, D.C., safer for residents and visitors, President Donald Trump sent around 800 National Guard troops to the city. He also placed the city’s police department under federal control.

“This is Liberation Day in D.C., and we’re going to take our capital back,” Trump said during a news conference at the White House, where he was flanked by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi and other senior administration officials.

Trump said he would consider calling in active-duty military troops if needed. He also suggested he might attempt to exert more federal control over other U.S. cities, mentioning Baltimore, New York, and Oakland, Calif.

The president compared the homicide rate in Washington with capitals around the world, including Bogotá, Colombia. D.C. has a higher per capita homicide rate than most other major U.S. cities.

“You want to have safety in the streets. You want to be able to leave your apartment or your house where you live and feel safe in going to a store to buy a newspaper or buy something, and you don’t have that now,” Trump said, adding that he was going to “get rid of slums.”

The president has said that D.C.’s Mayor Muriel Bowser hadn’t done enough to control crime and homelessness. He also increased federal law-enforcement’s presence in the city, deploying hundreds of federal agents throughout the district, including more than 100 from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Bowser called Trump’s decision to

exert control over D.C. “unsettling and unprecedented,” and she raised concerns about the prospect of sending the military into the city.

“We don’t believe it’s legal to use the American military against American citizens on American soil,” she said during a Monday news conference. But she said the president has the authority to federalize the police.

Under the Home Rule Act, which established the district’s governing body, Congress has the power to challenge laws passed by the Washington city council and must approve the budget, although it rarely gets involved. The president can deploy the district’s National Guard but has limited ability to intervene in day-today matters.

Trump invoked Section 740 of the Home Rule Act, which allows the president to federalize the D.C. police when “special conditions of an emergency nature exist.” Trump signed an executive order on Monday declaring a “crime emergency” in the district that requires the use of D.C. police for federal purposes such as maintaining law and order.

Bondi will oversee the city’s police department. Terry Cole, the administrator for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, will serve as interim federal commissioner of the D.C. police.

The president said he planned to call on Congress to take action to end cashless bail, which he has said contributes to an increase in crime in cities. Illinois, New York, and Washington, D.C., have eliminated or limited the use of cash bail, which proponents say makes the criminal justice system more equitable. Others say that it puts criminals back on city streets.

Earlier this year, the president signed an executive order creating a “D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force,” and called for an increase in law enforcement in public areas and efforts to “beautify” parks and other public spaces in the city.

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First floor, Johnson Professional Building across from the Zen Meditation Garden

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out of the Lone Star state – until the session is over for the summer.

The Texas House of Representatives is meeting on a handful of bills, most notably a congressional redistricting bill. But bills can’t be called without a quorum, which is why the Dems have fled to Chicago – to ensure that any redistricting vote does not pass.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, separately, escalated legal efforts last week to get Democrats back to Texas or investigate

who is funding their efforts.

Abbott has also said he will call a special legislative session after a special session to get the Republican-supported maps passed, even if Democrats run out the 30-day clock on the current session.

“I’m authorized to call a special session every 30 days. It lasts 30 days, and as soon as this one is over, I’m going to call another one, then another one, then another one, then another one. If they show back up in the state of Texas,

they will be arrested and taken to the Capitol,” he said.

“If they want to evade that arrest, they’re going to stay outside of the state of Texas for literally years, and they might as well just start voting in California or voting in Illinois, wherever they may be,” he continued.

Some of the Texas House Democrats who have broken quorum will be appearing at pressers in Illinois on Monday criticizing the continued efforts to redraw the maps.

During an interview with NBC News on Sunday, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker took pride in housing Texas Democrats, calling President Donald Trump a “cheater.”

“[Republicans] know that they’re going to lose in 2026, the Congress, and so they’re trying to steal seats, and so that is what these Texas Democrats are trying to stand up against and then don’t forget. The map that they put together, it violates the voting rights act and it violates the constitution,” Pritzker said.

Shooting at CDC

In a statement on Saturday, Kennedy said, “No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others,” adding that top federal health officials were “actively supporting CDC staff.” It could take “weeks or even months” to replace the damaged windows and fully clean up the site of the shooting.

Old Chicken

Pearl is getting old.

Sonya Hull’s egg-strodinary pet chicken is now officially the oldest chicken in the world, according to Guinness World Records.

Pearl’s birthday was recorded as March 13, 2011. She was born in Hull’s incubator in Texas. Guinness named Pearl the oldest chicken at the age of 14 years and 69 days old.

“She’s defied all odds because most Easter-Egger Hens live an average of five to eight years,” Hull told Guinness World Records.

On Friday, Patrick Joseph White attacked the Centers for Disease Control ) headquarters in Atlanta and fired more than 180 rounds into the campus, shattering about 150

Bullets pierced “blast-resistant” glass, sending shards into numerous rooms, according to internal information circu-

The 50-year-old from Georgia had publicly blamed the Covid vaccine for

White also killed a police officer, David Rose, during the crime spree. No one

CDC security guards stopped the shooter before he drove to a nearby pharmacy and opened fire again. White later died, though authorities have not confirmed whether he was killed by police or

On Monday, U.S. Health Secretoured the CDC campus, where security staff pointed out bullet damage across multiple buildings, including the main

Kennedy also visited the DeKalb County Police Department, where he met with the police chief before holding a pri-

Pearl can’t get around too well, so she spends most of her time in the Hull family’s laundry room. Still, she’s not cooped up.

“She is welcome to come out into the living room, because she likes to watch TV when she hears it on,” Hull said.

Pearl is also fond of the family’s elderly cat and new kitten.

“She doesn’t seem to mind the other animals, and the kitten will sometimes sit with her,” Hull said.

Hull said Pearl’s egg production has slowed, but she laid one right after the family found out she was an official Guinness World Record-holder.

The previous oldest chicken living, an Illinois pet named Peanut, died on December 25, 2023, at the age of 21 years and 238 days old.

That’s no spring chicken.

Amud HaYomi Siyumim On Masechta Eruvin Held At Homes Of Senior Gedolei Yisrael Regional Siyumim On Eruvin Held Around the World

By Chaim Gold

One had to be there to see the simcha, to feel the contagious joy exuding from the senior Gedolei Yisrael to truly appreciate the Torah revolution transpiring since the inception of the popular Amud HaYomi program.

The Gedolim, who were the first to recognize the transformative impact that such an ambitious project would have on Klal Yisrael, urged Dirshu to forge ahead, and now the fruits of their far-reaching vision was being celebrated.

Over the past several weeks, siyumim on Masechta Eruvin were held at the homes of leading Gedolim and in Amud HaYomi gatherings the world over to celebrate the milestone event of the completion of the difficult, foundational masechta of Eruvin

Siyumim were held at the homes of HaGaon HaRav Moshe Sternbuch, shlita, Raavad of the Eidah Hachareidis, HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka, HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka, HaGaon HaRav Avraham Salim, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Rosh Yeshivas Me’or HaTorah, and HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron.

Regional siyumim were also held in locales across the world to celebrate the accomplishment. From Lakewood and Brooklyn to Montreal and Toronto and even far off South Africa, siyumim were held.

The fact that leading elder Gedolei Yisrael agreed to open their humble homes to host the siyumim is indicative of the tremendous importance that they attach to the Amud HaYomi shiur and what it does for Klal Yisrael. Rav Meir Shapiro’s Vision

The siyum at the home of Rav Dovid Cohen encapsulated the hashkafa of the Gedolei Yisrael regarding the Amud HaYomi and its importance as a pivotal limud for Klal Yisrael.

Rav Cohen recalled how some two years ago, when the foundational meetings were held to establish the Amud HaYomi,

“I shared an important thought. Rav Meir Shapiro had tremendous zechuyos when he established the Daf HaYomi. Many people have, baruch Hashem, completed the entire Shas through learning with the Daf HaYomi and that is wonderful. Nevertheless, the fact is that for those who learn the daf in a half hour or 45 minutes, it is nearly impossible to learn it properly. When Rav Meir Shapiro established the Daf HaYomi in Poland, Yidden after a day of work or before the work day started, spent not a half hour learning, but hours learning the daf. They were able to review and truly achieve a havana in the sugyos they were learning.”

“If someone can learn the daf and know it in accordance with that august vision of Rav Meir Shapiro, that is wonderful! Tavo alav bracha! The question is, what happens if a person learns the daf without really understanding it? It is better to learn less but to really understand. Thus, if the Amud HaYomi will ensure that a person can learn less but understand, then this accomplishes the ultimate purpose of the Daf HaYomi!

“A Building That Is Complete Has A Tremendous Advantage!”

The siyumim in Bnei Brak at the homes of both Rav Dov Landau and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch were deeply inspirational. Rav Landau, who is always sparing with words, thanked Dirshu and Rav Dovid Hofstedter who was present at the siyum, for facilitating such an increase in limud haTorah and kevod shomayim in Klal Yisrael.

In his brief remarks at the siyum held at his home, Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch spoke about the importance of completing entire masechtos. “Why,” he asked, “when we finish a mesechta like Eruvin that contains 105 dafim, do we make a siyum whereas when we complete 176 dafim of Masechta Bava Basra, we do not make a siyum? He answered that Eruvin is an entire masechta. There is a shleimus in its completion. A building that is complete has a tremendous advantage.

“It is for that reason,” Rav Hirsch ended off, “that I feel that Klal Yisrael

has to give a sincere, groise shkoiach to Rav Dovid and Dirshu for doing so much for Klal Yisrael. Dirshu has increased kavod haTorah and yedias haTorah in an exponential way.”

Rav Dovid Hofstedter briefly addressed each of the siyumim at the home of the Gedolim. At the beautiful siyum held at the home of Avraham Rav Salim, he said, “The Amud HaYomi not only prevent one from transgressing the negative of bittul Torah but it is much more than that! It also elevates us and elevates our goals to finish Shas on a higher level. It enables us to learn it with greater clarity and amkus and review it more and retain it.”

Amud HaYomi in All Corners of the World

Speaking of positive and uplifting, the sheer impact that the Amud HaYomi has had on communities all over the world, even those far from the crowded frum population centers, is truly remarkable.

One such example was the siyum on Masechta Eruvin in Johannesburg, South Africa. Although Dirshu has been popular in South Africa for many years, the primary program learned there was the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha. More complex Gemara programs with regular tests were not as prevalent.

It was simply amazing to see so many members of the community who

in the past would not have dreamed of making a siyum, especially a siyum on Masechta Eruvin, doing just that! Rabbi Taback spoke with great emotion about the strides the community has made through Dirshu’s programs.

Now is the Time to Join

Perhaps the remarks voiced at the home of Rav Dovid Cohen by HaRav Aryeh Zilberstein, one of the most popular Amud HaYomi maggidei shiur who is heard by thousands daily on various platforms said, “The message of Dirshu is to upgrade your limud haTorah in any way possible. That is the raison d’etre of Dirshu. Even if you have not joined yet, now is the time to join the Amud HaYomi. You will see that if you do, your life will never be the same!”

GNIRIHGNIRIH

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Torah Thought Alien Rights

By Rabbi Zvi Teichman

Although the Torah asserts in several places Hashem’s love for His people collectively and for the Patriarchs, there is but one individual to whom Hashem proclaims ardor for specifically - the Ger, a convert, as it states ...and (He) loves the proselyte to give him bread and garment. (חי י םירבד)

The very next verse then commands us, ‘You shall love רגה — the proselyte..., giving the reason for this directive, for you were םירג — strangers in the land of Egypt.

Can the fact that we endured being a stranger in a foreign land compel love? That reality might suffice to prevent us from demeaning or neglecting a ‘greener’, a foreigner to our people, but is that a sufficient reason to obligate love? Certainly one who was formerly poor should show sensitivity to others who may be presently stricken with poverty, by treating them kindly and remembering how it felt to be in desperate need. Similarly we who have experienced oppression and disregard when we were strangers in a new land, should exhibit extra attention to newcomers to our community, but where does love come into the equation? The Torah never requires one who suffered poverty to love others who are likewise poor. What differentiates the ger from all the other downtrodden?

The profound thinker and illustrious Rosh HaYeshiva, Rav Yitzchok Hutner, offers a poignant teaching to answer this question.

Just as we are to love our fellow Jew, not out of any pity for his personal circumstance, simply because he is a Yid, so too we must love a ger because of the greatness inherent within him. The very fact that he has chosen to abandon his

familiar surroundings, relinquishing his natural link to friends and family members, due to an idealistic pursuit of a truth he has discovered, even at the expense of feeling isolated and uneasy in totally new turf, makes him deserving of our absolute adoration of his heroic undertaking. This is a quality unique to a convert alone.

Rav Hutner says this is evident in the Rambam’s recording of this command where he equates the love for a convert with the love for Hashem. The love for Hashem stems from our admiration for all of Hashem’s awesome qualities, not out of any sympathy. The convert as well is not merely to be ‘tended to’ in his lonely state, but to be valued for his entering under the wings of the Divine Presence, with the awareness that although he may be lonesome in that journey and considered a ‘stranger’, yet is willing to make that sacrifice.

We now can understand the reason the Torah gives for our obligation to love the ger. We as well endured a journey in a foreign land striving to maintain our identity despite the temptation to easily assimilate into society at large. We were defined as םירג, strangers in a foreign land. That is our credo for all of time, to defy the allure of the cultural influences around us and define ourselves as ‘alien’ to the forces that seek to seduce us. The personal awareness of that great accomplishment should prod us to adore the ger.

(טכ,

The Netziv in a remarkable essay entitled, לארשי ראש - ‘Remnant of Israel’, contends that the very first reference in the םירתבה ןיב תירב, Covenant of the Parts, to the future Jewish nation, where Hashem tells Avrohom, that your offspring shall be

רג aliens in a land not their own, wasn’t just an allusion to their sojourn in Egypt, but rather the key to their survival throughout all of their subsequent travels. The greatness of the Jewish people will lay in their ability to be 'םירג', strangers, in warding off the instinct for acceptance and accommodation, and in our willingness to suffer alienation for the greater love of Hashem and His Torah.

The Talmud addressing the one who is so callous as to demean the ger, admonishes him, ךרבחל רמאת לא ךבש םומ, the blemish within you, don’t tell to your friend, since you too were a ‘flawed’ stranger in Egypt.

This would seem to be a simple lesson in not projecting one’s own deficiencies onto others.

But the Talmud goes on to compare this sentiment to a popular aphorism, If a member of your family was hanged, don’t tell your friend to ‘hang’ up some fish. (םש י"שר .טנ מ"ב)

The analogy seems incorrect and not parallel to the case at hand. The person casually using the delicate word ‘hang’ is the one who has a relative, who was hanged, not the person he is making the request of. The person he asked to ‘hang’ the fish will not be perturbed by his remark. As opposed to the circumstance of a convert who is derided as a ‘stranger’ will be the seemingly ultimate victim of his insensitive remark.

Perhaps the Sages are intimating that it is not as much about the insult to the convert as it is a testament to the speaker being ignorant to the greatness inherent within him. One who doesn’t contemplate the quality and value of being willing to be isolated for the sake of a greater relationship with Hashem cannot possibly appreciate the magnitude of those that do. That is the terrible flaw being stressed here.

Regardless of whom one is talking to, if he can so loosely use the term ‘hang’ in the context of suspending a fish, he clearly is not cognizant of the tragedy that befell his family member.

Might I conjecture that the reference in this popular saying to someone

hanged may be referring to a member of his family that was crucified for his beliefs, who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Name of Hashem. If he can be so unmindful of the glory of that act to so heartlessly utilize the term ‘hanging’ in context of dangling some fish, he evidently doesn’t ‘get it’, and is tragically blemished.

Our greatest defect is when we no longer cherish the greatness of one who can maintain his principles even at the expense of isolation.

Rabbeinu Bechaye points out that each one of the Avos, the Patriarchs, were labeled םירג, strangers.

Avraham tells the children of Cheis, I am an alien — רג and resident among you. (ד גכ תישארב), Yitzchock is told by Hashem to dwell in Gerar, instructing, רוג — Dwell (as a stranger) in this land. (ג וכ םש) Yaakov is described as living, in the land of ויבא ירוגמ — his father’s sojourning (א זל םש)

We marvel at the convert who has sacrificed his comforts for an ideal. We must be inspired and emulate this quality which preserves us as well, identifying us with the Patriarchs.

Hashem too is called a רג, stranger. The prophet Yirmiyahu appeals to Hashem, Why should you be רגכ — like a stranger in the land...?

(ח די והימרי) ,

The Chasam Sofer explains that when we act like ‘dwellers’, indulging in our comfortable lodgings here on earth, then Hashem remains a stranger. When we behave like ‘strangers’, persisting in our beliefs, never submitting to ‘easy living’, that is when Hashem promises, םכותב יתנכשו, I will dwell in your midst, and no longer be a stranger. (היהו

We must ask ourselves; where in our lives do we display a willingness to alienate ourselves so proudly and defiantly from the amenities that seek to inundate and prevent us from reaching closeness with Hashem? It is precisely there, where He will reciprocate with a display of an exquisite personal love that is the hallmark of the ger.

You may reach the author at: Ravzt@ohelmoshebaltimore.com

PARSHA

OVERVIEW

Moshe continues his farewell address to the Jewish nation. He explains to them the importance of observing even seemingly "minor" commandments. He reviews the events of the Jewish people's 40-year journey through the desert, teaching various important lessons along the way.

Quotable Quote “ ”

EGO is when we Edge G-d Out of our lives.

TSorahparks

Inspiration Everywhere

Parshas Eikev on

-Rabbi Baruch Gartner

GEMATRIA

The numerical value of the first two words of the Parshah, בקע היהו , is 198, which is the same as קחצ , or laughter.

Chazal tell us that בקע היהו is an allusion to the End of Days, to what we call “ikvesa d’meshicha.”

QUICK VORT

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? Is there anyone who has not heard this question before? But what is the actual answer?

According to MyLandPlan.com, New York state wildlife expert Richard Thomas found that a woodchuck could (and does) chuck around 35 cubic feet of dirt in the course of digging a burrow. Thomas reasoned that if a woodchuck could chuck wood, he would chuck an amount equivalent to the weight of the dirt, or 700 pounds!

This is incredible, if you think about it. A little animal, a simple woodchuck (also known as a groundhog), can produce an amazingly large home, by simply gnawing and chucking away at the dirt little by little.

In life, we often strive to go after the big stuff. We aim for the big leagues, sometimes forgetting that we need to go through the minor league first. Of course, connecting to the big things is important, but we mustn’t forget and “trample” over the small things in life. A woodchuck knows that chucking away at dirt, little by little, is the most effective way of producing its burrow masterpiece.

Words - 1,747 PARSHA STATS

Pesukim - 111

Letters - 6,845

Mitzvos - 8

ThoughtsChassidus in

Sfas Emes makes a stunning observation: By the Luchos, it says ךל לספ - Carve for yourself, yet by Avoda Zara it says לספ

, stating

before

The idea is that when you put yourself first instead of G-d, that is idolatry.

A yid is meant to put G-d first and then ךל, yourself.

Did You

Know?!

The Torah tells us: What does Hashem, your G-d, ask of you? ONLY to fear Hashem. The Derashos HaRan (10) explains profoundly that Hashem is not asking something overburdensome of you, something beyond your nature; to the contrary, you have a natural inclination to Hashem and will rejoice in its attainment. Fearing Hashem does not have to be overly confusing and complicated. It is built into who and what we are.

At that time, beH, when Moshiach finally arrives, there will be a great laughter...

Rabbi Ori Strum is the author of “Ready. Set. Grow.” “Dove Tales,” and “Karpas: The Big Dipper.”

His shiurim and other Jewish content can be found on Torah Anytime and Meaningful Minute. He may be reached at 443-938-0822 or rabbistrumo@gmail.com

Rashi understands the name of the Parshah –ב קע – as a reference to the heel of the human body. He explains that the Torah is teaching us that since humans tend to walk right over and trample upon the small Mitzvos, we must strengthen our commitment to Hashem by keeping and valuing the small Mitzvos. It is only when we come to Hashem with the complete package – the big Mitzvos AND the small Mitzvos – that we can truly be ready to receive His promised blessing of love and bounty.

Let us take the message of the woodtchuck and grasp the בקע , connect to the small steps in life: One. Mitzvah. At. A. Time.

PointsPonder to

At the beginning of the Parshah, Moshe Rabbeinu says, “Hashem, You have just begun to show me Your greatness.”

This is perplexing. Moshe has seen and experienced so much, yet he says, “You have just begun to show me...”

What is going on here?

Baltimore Weekday Minyanim Guide

Shacharis Mincha

Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah: EVERY 15 MINUTES M-F:

8:15

8:30 AM, 8:45 AM, 9:00AM, 9:15AM, 9:30AM, 9:45AM, 10:00AM

Neitz Beit Yaakov [Sefaradi] M-F

Ohel Yakov S-F

6:00 AM Shomrei Emunah Congregation M-F

6:10 AM Agudath Israel of Baltimore M, Th

6:15 AM Kol Torah M, TH

Shearith Israel Congregation M, TH

6:20 AM Agudah of Greenspring M, TH

Agudath Israel of Baltimore S, T, W, F

Arugas HaBosem (Rabbi Taub's) S-F

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation M-F

Kehilath B'nai Torah M, TH

Pikesville Jewish CongregationM, TH

Shomrei Emunah CongregationS, M, TH

6:30 AM Agudah of Greenspring T, W, F

Chabad of Park Heights M-F

Darchei Tzedek M-F

Kehilath B'nai Torah T, W, F

Khal Bais Nosson M-F

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach Tzedek M-F

Kol Torah T, W, F

Ohr Yisroel M-F

Pikesville Jewish CongregationT, W, F

Shearith Israel Congregation T, W, F

Shomrei Emunah CongregationT, W, F

6:35 AM Aish Kodesh (downstairs Minyan)M, TH

Ohel Moshe M, TH

6:40 AM Aish Kodesh (downstairs Minyan)T, W, F

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion CongregationM, TH

6:45 AM B”H and Mesivta of Baltimore (Dirshu Minyan) S-F

Beth Abraham M, TH

Greenspring Sephardic Synagogue M-F

Ner Tamid M-F

Ohel Moshe T, W, F

Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim M-F

The Adas: Chofetz Chaim Adas Bnei IsraelM, TH

6:50 AM Agudath Israel of Baltimore M, TH

Ahavat Shalom [Sefaradi] M, TH

Bais Medrash of Ranchleigh M, TH

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion CongregationT, W, F

Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh M, TH

Derech Chaim M-F

Kol Torah M-F

Ohel Moshe S

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi] M, TH

Shomrei Emunah CongregationM, TH

The Shul at the Lubavitch CenterM, TH

6:55 AM Beth Abraham T, W, F

Kol Torah M, TH

The Adas: Chofetz Chaim Adas Bnei IsraelT, W, F

7:00 AM Aish Kodesh (upstairs Minyan) M-F

Agudath Israel of Baltimore S, T, W, F

Ahavat Shalom [Sefaradi] T, W, F

Arugas HaBosem (Rabbi Taub's)S

Bais Medrash of Ranchleigh T, W, F

Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh T, W, F Greenspring Sephardic Synagogue S Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach TzedekS

Kol Torah T, W, F

Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah M-F

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi] S, T, W, F

Shearith Israel Congregation S, M, TH Shomrei Emunah CongregationT, W, F

Shomrei Mishmeres Hakodesh M-F

The Shul at the Lubavitch CenterT, W, F Tiferes Yisroel M-F

7:05 AM Machzikei Torah (Sternhill's) M, TH

7:15 AM Kedushas Yisrael S Kol Torah S

Machzikei Torah (Sternhill's) S, T, W, F

Ner Israel Rabbinical College S-F

Shearith Israel Congregation T, W, F

For edits, additions, or sponsorships, email ads@baltimorejewishhome.com

Shomrei Emunah CongregationS

Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim S

The Adas: Chofetz Chaim Adas Bnei IsraelS

Tzeirei Anash M-F

7:20 AM Agudath Israel of Baltimore M, TH

Beth Tfiloh Congregation M-F

Kol Torah M-F

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi] M, TH

Shomrei Emunah CongregationM, TH

7:30 AM Agudah of Greenspring S

Agudath Israel of Baltimore S, T, W, F

Ahavat Shalom [Sefaradi] S

Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim S-F

Bais Hamedrash and Mesivta of Baltimore S-F

Bais Medrash of Ranchleigh S

Beit Yaakov [Sefaradi] S

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion CongregationS

Chabad of Park Heights S

Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe AryehS-F

Darchei Tzedek S

Kedushas Yisrael S-F

Khal Bais Nosson S

Ner Israel Rabbinical College (Mechina) S-F

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi] S, T, W, F

Shomrei Emunah CongregationT, W, F

7:45 AM Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation M-F

Talmudical Academy S-F

Darchei Tzedek M-F

Mesivta Kesser Torah S-F

Mesivta Shaarei Chaim S-F

Yeshivas Torah Simcha (school days only) S-F

7:50 AM Derech Chaim S

Ner Tamid S

Ohel Moshe M-F

8:00 AM Agudath Israel of Baltimore S-F

Beth Abraham S

Chabad Israeli Center M-F

Darchei Tzedek S

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach TzedekS

Kehillas Meor HaTorah S

Ohr Yisroel S

Pikesville Jewish CongregationS

Shearith Israel Congregation S

Shomrei Emunah Congregation S-F

The Shul at the Lubavitch CenterS

Tiferes Yisroel S

Tzeirei Anash S

Yeshiva Tiferes Hatorah S-F

8:15 AM Kehilath B'nai Torah S

Kol Torah S

8:20 AM Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim S-F

8:25 AM Ohr Chadash Academy (School Days Only) S-F

8:30 AM Agudath Israel of Baltimore S-F

Chabad Israeli Center S Machzikei Torah (Sternhill's) S-F

Ohel Moshe S

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi] S

Shomrei Emunah Congregation S-F

Shomrei Mishmeres HakodeshS

9:00 AM Aish Kodesh S

Agudath Israel of Baltimore S-F

Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim S

Beth Tfiloh Congregation S

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion CongregationS

Moses Montefiore Anshe EmunahS

Shomrei Emunah Congregation S-F

Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim S-F

Mincha

Mincha Gedolah Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/Tzemach Tzedek

1:45 PM Yeshivas Torah Simcha (school days only) M-Th

Reischer Minyan - 23 Walker Ave 2nd Floor 10055 Red Run Blvd Suite 295

2:15 PM Pikesville Beis Medrash - 15 Walker Ave

2:30 PM Bais Medrash of Ranchleigh

Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh

Tov Pizza Mincha Minyan

Ner Israel Rabbinical College

Mesivta Shaarei Chaim (Community Kollel)

Shearith Israel Congregation

2:45 PM Kollel of Greenspring

Shearith Israel Congregation (S-Th)

3:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore (S-F)

Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim

Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah

3:05 PM Kedushas Yisrael

3:15 PM Hat Box

3:22 PM Ohr Chadash Academy (School Days Only, Call to Confirm)

3:30 PM Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah

4:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore (S-Th) Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah

4:30 PM Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah

5:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore (S-F) Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah

5:30 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore (S-Th) Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah

6:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore (S-F)

Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah

Shearith Israel Congregation (S-Th)

6:30 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore (S-Th)

Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah

10 Min Before ShkiAh Chabad Israeli Center

14 Min Before ShkiAh Kol Torah

Mincha/Maariv

Plag

Maariv

continued

9:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Arugas Habosem

Shomrei Emunah Congregation

Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim

9:20 PM Kol Torah

9:30 PM Agudah of Greenspring

Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Kedushas Yisrael

9:40 PM Ahavat Shalom [Sefaradi]

9:45 PM Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim

Kollel Erev Birchas Yitzchok (Luries)

Kollel of Greenspring

Machzikei Torah (Sternhill's)

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi]

Yeshiva Tiferes Hatorah

9:50 PM Aish Kodesh

Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh

Ohel Moshe

10:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Darchei Tzedek

Kehilath B'nai Torah

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach Tzedek

Shearith Israel Congregation

Shomrei Emunah Congregation

10:05 PM Kol Torah

10:10 PM Ner Israel Rabbinical College

10:15 PM Derech Chaim

Khal Bais Nosson

10:30 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

11:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

11:30 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Agudah of Greenspring - 6107 Greenspring Ave

Agudath Israel of Baltimore - 6200 Park Heights Ave

Ahavat Shalom - 3009 Northbrook Rd

Ohel Yaakov

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nspiration Nation

R’ Yisroel Majeski Time is Love

By Eliyahu RosEnBERg

For most baseball players, the highlight of their job is the game. For Adam LaRoche, the best part was his son.

Every day at work, his 14-year-old son Drake would tag along. LaRoche, a former batter for the Chicago White Sox, once marveled at his fortune. “It’s like having your son and your best friend alongside you all day long, at work,” he remarked. “It’s been awesome.”

By 2016, Drake was practically an

In His Words…

honorary White Sox player — a delightful everyday presence at the team’s clubhouse. He chipped in, fetching balls and scrubbing cleats. He bonded with the team. And sometimes, he’d even join in during batting practice. It was a symbiotic relationship: Drake loved the team and the team loved Drake.

That’s why it came as such a shock when management one day, out of the blue, asked LaRoche to stop bringing his son to work every day. It was a soul-shat-

i heard a great quote once: ‘What someone else thinks of you is none of your business.’ What’s the difference? as Rabbi avigdor Miller says, you only have to care about what hashem thinks of you.

life is meant for us to become big; to grow. Just look at the greatest tzaddikim, yosef, Moshe, avraham and the tests they went through. Challenges make us great. We don’t ask for them, but we embrace them.

We can’t give up hope, because we have hashem on our side. i think it was Babe Ruth who said, ‘it’s very hard to beat someone who never quits.’ how does a yid quit? our name, yisroel, means we’re fighters. We fight our yetzer hara, we fall, we get up, we have challenges, we get back up, and we live with emunah.

tering request. Without Drake by his side, the game would lose its magic. And so, LaRoche immediately quit, forfeiting his $13 million contract.

“In his exit interview, they asked him, ‘Why did you do it?’ You know what you could do with $13 million? You could buy your son a house!” Rabbi Yisroel Majeski says, recounting the story. “And he said something so powerful. He said, ‘I know I’m going to have a lot of regrets in my life. But I’ll tell you one thing you will never ever hear me say. You will never hear me say that I spent too much time with my son.’”

“The name of the game is relationships,” says Rabbi Majeski, a passionate lecturer and rebbi in San Fernando Valley, California.

Relationships — cultivating them, repairing them, mastering them — is the key to, well, probably everything in life.

Relationships are at the core of every role we play. As parents, we cultivate connections with our children. As husbands and wives, we bond with our spouses. And as Jews, we connect to Hashem and our fellow Yidden. To be successful in our jobs, we need to cultivate relationships with our superiors and co-workers. And to be happy, we need to love ourselves. Simply put, good relationships make good lives.

But what makes a good relationship? Rabbi Majeski answers that question with one word: Time.

“Rabbi Zecharia Wallerstein, zt”l, used to say, ‘How do you spell love? T-IM-E.’ I love that line. Love is time: being

there for someone, listening to them, and caring about them,” Rabbi Majeski shares. “By a pidyon haben, we ask the father, ‘Do you want your money or your son?’ And Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky says that that question is really profound. We’re asking this father: ‘What’s more precious to you? Money or your son? What are you going to spend most of your time on?’ Of course, Hashem should give us money, but people get so lost in the money and the craze for money, in the chase, that people give up so much time. And that’s the thing we need to give our kids, students, campers — any relationships we have — the most: give time, undivided time.”

But, as Rabbi Majeski explains, it’s not just about the minutes, hours, and days we spend with those we care about. It’s not about quantity. It’s about quality. To show we care, it’s not enough to spend time with our loved ones; we need to dedicate time to our loved ones. Quality time entails listening, caring, and focusing without passivity or distraction. Ten minutes of genuine conversation is infinitely better than ten hours of shallow togetherness. Two people can occupy the same space, but if they’re glued to their phones and stuck in their heads, they’re not really spending time with each other.

“I was once driving with my boys. They were in the backseat of my car. And I looked at one of my sons and I asked, ‘Can you tell me what I could do to be a better Tatty?’ And he said, ‘Tatty, you’re on your phone too much,’” Rabbi Majeski recalls. “No matter how many speeches we hear, I don’t think we can say it enough: We have to be present. We have

to make ourselves more present for our wives, for our children, for our talmidim, and for ourselves.”

* * *

Rabbi Majeski once had a boy in his class who refused to daven. Every day, during davening, the teen would stare blankly into space, his siddur closed or turned to a random page, perhaps in protest, disinterest, or something else. Rabbi Majeski tried to encourage him — to plant little nuggets of inspiration during class. But five months passed, and the boy was unmoved.

One day, Rabbi Majeski was snacking on

some beef jerky when the kid walked up to him and asked for some.

“He mentioned his favorite flavor is Teriyaki. I gave him two, three pieces. He tried taking more. But I was like, ‘Enough!’” Rabbi Majeski jokes. “Anyway, three days later, I was in the supermarket. And as I’m walking out, I see they have beef jerky there (they know exactly where to put it!). And when I saw Teriyaki, I thought, ‘I’m going to get it and give it to him.’

“It was right before Mincha. I had it in my pocket. I saw him. I walked over to the back of the Beis Medrash. And I just flipped it to him. And he looked at it like, ‘Wow.’ He had this smile. He put it in his pocket. I went to daven. I finished Mincha. I look across the Beis

Medrash. And I see him davening...for the first time. First time in five and a half months,” Rabbi Majeski recounts. “What was it? No speech, no lecture. It was simple. I realized he actually saw someone who cared about him. To him, that just clicked. He knew I went to buy it. I remembered his flavor. And he connected to Hashem without me saying a word.”

As Rabbi Majeski explains, parents and rebbeim often serve as a bridge of sorts between children and G-d. When a kid has trouble connecting to his parents or teachers, the child may also struggle in his or her relationship with G-d. It’s hard to relate to Hashem — the Parent of all parents, the King of all kings — when parental love feels like a foreign concept and authority figures seem distant and

cold. But when that boy saw that his rebbi cared for him, it changed everything. His rebbi’s warmth made it easier for him to love G-d. And maybe, in that moment, he realized that Hashem loves him, too.

Indeed, in Tehillim, Chapter 116, Dovid HaMelech declares his love for G-d. He writes, “Ahavti ki yishma Hashem es koli tachanunai.”

“Why does Dovid HaMelech love Hashem? He says, ‘I love You because You listen to me. Hashem, You heard my voice.’ People love people who listen to them,” Rabbi Majeski explains. “Going back to the idea of giving time, Hashem is never too busy to listen to you. You can talk to Hashem all day, because Hashem always listens.”

This article is based on a podcast, “Inspiration For the Nation,” hosted by Yaakov Langer. To catch more of this conversation, you can watch it on LivingLchaim. com or YouTube.com/LivingLchaim or listen wherever you listen to podcasts (just search for “Inspiration For The Nation”) or call our free hotline: 605-477-2100.

Relationships Rewired When Parenting Stirs Old Wounds

By Bassy Schwartz, LMFT

As summer winds down, many of us welcome the return of routine— alarm clocks, carpools, and bedtimes that actually stick. The structure can feel like a relief after the unstructured days of summer. But routine means more than just order for our kids— it also means more responsibility and pressure for us as parents. The mornings get faster, afternoons louder, evenings busier. And in this pressure cooker, many of us find ourselves feeling triggered, dysregulated, and maybe even resentful toward the people we hold closest to us.

Why is it so hard to stay calm and present? For many of us, the answer lies not in the moment but in our own histories. More and more, we’re talking about parenting after having a traumatic childhood or being a child of emotional neglect. This isn’t about being broken— it’s about recognizing that if we grew up without emotional safety, steady caregiving, or enough resources to feel secure, parenting can touch raw, unhealed parts of us.

If we didn’t get our feelings soothed as children, being the soothing, steady presence for our own kids is much harder. Our children’s meltdowns often land on us as emotional ambushes. Their need for comfort pulls on our own unmet needs. Their growing independence stirs up hidden fears of rejection or abandonment that we might not have even realized we were carrying.

I wish it wasn’t the case, but the truth is, if this topic is resonating with you, unfortunately, you are not unique. Many parents grew up without the stability needed to navigate adulthood — and parenting — with ease. This is not a disease or disorder... It’s a reality. Fortunately, we now have the tools and resources to face it head-on.

Healing while parenting is hard. But instead of trying to fix everything at once, here are two simple, powerful practices that can shift our experience over time.

1. Meet your own needs, not just your kids’

If we grew up feeling that our needs

didn’t matter, or that taking care of ourselves was selfish, this can feel unfamiliar and even uncomfortable. But humans don’t generally function well from depletion and no surprise— parents don’t either. Ignoring our own physical, emotional, or spiritual needs leads us to parent from survival mode: short-tempered, reactive, disconnected.

Meeting our needs doesn’t mean ex-

won’t get tired or frustrated— but we’ll have more bandwidth to respond instead of react. Our children don’t need us to be perfect; they need us to be present and resourced.

2. Let repair be your superpower

Every parent loses it sometimes. Everyone says things they regret, snaps when they wish they’d stayed calm, or misses moments to connect. The differ -

Parenting while healing asks us to meet our children in moments that may feel eerily similar to moments that broke us— but to show up differently this time.

travagant vacations or hours of free time we don’t have. It might be a quiet cup of coffee before the house wakes up, a short walk after dinner, a therapy session we schedule instead of delaying, or calling a friend who “gets it” instead of scrolling alone on our phones.

Meeting our needs builds a reservoir of calm and capacity. It doesn’t mean we

ence between relationships that break and those that grow is repair. Repair means circling back — sometimes minutes or hours later — and saying, “I’m sorry. I was feeling overwhelmed and raised my voice. That wasn’t okay. I love you, and I’m here.”

When we repair, we teach our children some of the most important rela-

tional skills they’ll ever learn: how to acknowledge hurt, how to take responsibility, and how to feel valued. We also give our children what many of us never got— the experience of being worthy of a parent’s return.

Repair doesn’t erase mistakes, but it builds trust. It says: Even when I mess up, I’ll find my way back to you. That’s one of the most secure foundations we can offer.

Parenting while healing asks us to meet our children in moments that may feel eerily similar to moments that broke us— but to show up differently this time. Every time we meet our own needs, every time we repair instead of withdrawing or reacting intensely in shame, we change not just our relationship with our children but the story our family will carry forward.

If this resonates, I highly recommend the work of Dr. Robyn Koslowitz, whose insights into post-traumatic parenting are compassionate and practical. And for those ready to go deeper, check out the therapy groups we’re offering at Core Relationships this fall. These groups are producing unparalleled results by helping parents break stuck relational patterns and build emotional safety for their families.

We can’t change the past we came from— but we can absolutely shape the future our children will inherit.

Bassy Schwartz, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy, brings a compassionate and unique approach to her practice – focusing on couples and individuals dealing with conflict and disconnection due to childhood emotional neglect and complex family dynamics. Bassy empowers clients to harness their inner strength and authentic selves to achieve meaningful relationships beyond what they could have ever imagined. Reach out to directly at bassy@corerelationships.com or check out the practice website corerelationships.com.

To Raise a Laugh

Swimming By Mesorah

There comes a time in every parent’s life where he has to teach his child to swim. And he has to do it in a way that won’t get him in trouble for child endangerment.

I mention this because I’m sending my son to a camp this summer where they won’t let him near the lake unless he can pass a deep-water test. And I want him near the lake, because generally, in all the weeks he’s there, he doesn’t otherwise shower.

And yes, I’ve been sending my kids to day camps for years, but despite what they claim, they don’t really teach the kids to swim. They’re not really there to teach. That’s why I think yeshivos should have pools. That, and the fact that most camps are in yeshivos.

So it falls to the parents, especially if you have a child who doesn’t really care to learn. Many kids don’t really see the need to swim these days. Yes, there was a need for swimming once upon a time, but nowadays, how often are you really in middle of the water where you didn’t intentionally go in for a recreational activity that you had a choice about? There are also life jackets nowadays. In the old days, life jackets were made out of oak, and they weighed 200 lbs. You spent the entire time lying down on the floor of the boat, trying to breathe.

So I may have some kids who don’t want to learn to swim or think they know enough and don’t want to improve. I can tell they don’t really know how to swim, because when they go swimming, they refuse to get in the pool unless they have nose plugs. I’ve never worn nose plugs in my life.

You’ll put a crayon in your nose, but you draw the line at water? Have you ever seen a professional lifeguard use a nose plug? No, they hold their noses and swim with one hand.

So what I do is try to get a quiet, empty pool, where the kid can learn without all the splashing

that comes with a crowded pool. Even though I learned to swim in a crowded day-camp pool with people splashing everywhere.

Yes, despite my parents’ occasional attempts to teach me, I taught myself to swim. For a really long time, I had step one down – dunking. I spent like 4 years practicing dunking. I used to have dunking contests with my friends, to see who could stay under for longer. The best part of the dunking contest is when you come up and your friend’s still down there, and you go back down and pretend you were down there the whole time. And then he does that. And you both keep doing that the entire swim session. I think this is why I didn’t get a whole lot of actual swimming done for several years.

I also knew how to do a dead man’s float, which is where you just float there, face down, which is not the optimal way to stay alive. So one day I was lying there, face down in the water, and I wondered, “What would happen if I just started paddling?” And suddenly I just started swimming! And people were like, “Hey! Get out of the way! We’re having dunking contests here!”

It was really crowded in the shallow end.

Point is, I know how to swim, but I don’t know that I can prepare my son, because I never really took any kind of deep-water test. I kind of just coasted under the radar until I got to an age where people just assumed I knew how to swim. I can actually stay afloat for a really long time, but I don’t know if it’s by anyone’s official testing standards.

But what I’m saying is that I have no idea how to teach a kid. I kind of hoped my kids would teach themselves.

So I’ve been reading up on techniques. For example, one thing experts say is that you should stand in water that’s a comfortable depth for you to hold your child in the correct position. Unfortunately, most pools have exactly two depths – knee depth and ocean depth – separated by an 85-degree

By Mordechai Schmutter

slope that you cannot stand on, because it’s slippery when wet. And it’s always wet.

Another thing experts say is that you want to show your child, by example, that the water is not scary. For example, you can get in first and show them. Of course, the way that I get in – and I learned this from my father – is first I spend 20 minutes alternately getting used to the water and shrieking. (“Don’t splash me! Don’t splash me!”) So this might be a little counterproductive.

On the other hand, some people say – and this was a legitimate teaching technique for years – to just throw your child into the deep end. No one had time for drawn-out swimming lessons back then, because life was short. For reasons like this. But supposedly, the science was that his survival instincts would kick in, and he’d swim. Or the parent would jump in, after 20 minutes of getting used to the water, and save him. Or throw him a piece of oak.

“BONK!”

But for a very long time, this method supposedly worked, the idea being that if you push your child into the water and he gets out himself, he’ll have the self confidence to go out and live on his own, because there’s no way he’s going near you again.

But that’s kind of playing with dynamite, isn’t it? That’s kind of like teaching a child to drive by jumping out of the car while you’re speeding down the highway.

So maybe we should do some variation of this. Maybe, to start, you should throw another adult into the pool to demonstrate. Or at best, maybe throw something in that your child really treasures and have him jump in after it.

“There goes your phone!”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.

Forgotten Her es The Making and Dropping of the Bomb – 80 Years Later

By Avi Heiligman

On August 6, 1945, an American B-29 Superfortress bomber named the Enola Gay dropped a uranium bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later, another B-29 bomber named the Bockscar dropped a plutonium bomb. This time, the target was Nagasaki. Days later, on August 15, the Japanese surrendered unconditionally to Allies. The discussion of whether these bombs were necessary is beyond the scope of this article. The atomic bombs, widely believed to have been the principle factor in ending World War II, were the result of many individuals’ efforts in their creation and deployment.

Years of research went into building the weapons. The American secret program was called the Manhattan Project. Led by General Leslie Groves of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the project had three main sites: Hanford, Washington, was where plutonium was produced; Oak Ridge, Tennessee, specialized in uranium enrichment; and Los Alamos, New Mexico, was the location of the top nuclear scientists who designed and assembled the weapons. Los Alamos was chosen for its location in a remote area that would be far away from unwanted observers.

Groves needed someone with the technical skills to lead the Manhattan Project and in 1943 appointed Jewish nuclear scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer as the director of the laboratory. Oppen-

heimer would become known as the “father of the atomic bomb” as he supervised the building of the laboratory, recruited the best scientists, and came up with brilliant ideas on the how the bombs should be constructed.

There were a number of Jewish scientists working on the Manhattan Project including Hungarian-born physicist Leo Szilard. In 1939, Szilard convinced Albert Einstein to write a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt which stated in part “in the course of the last four months

behind other countries in developing nuclear weapons and had built the first nuclear reactor at the University of Chicago.

Other Jewish scientists included Edward Teller who was known for his work on the implosion design and was known as the “father of the hydrogen bomb.”

Mathematician John von Neumann worked on building computers that would calculate computations for the bomb.

Richard Feynman was a theoretical physicist and focused on complex calculations in the design used for the bombs.

The only person to have flown on both strike planes was Jewish First Lieutenant Jacob Beser.

it has been made probable – through the work of Joliot in France as well as Fermi and Szilard in America – that it may become possible to set up a nuclear chain reaction in a large mass of uranium, by which vast amounts of power and large quantities of new radium-like elements would be generated. Now it appears almost certain that this could be achieved in the immediate future.”

Szilard felt that the Americans were

On July 16, 1945, a plutonium implosion-type bomb nicknamed “the Gadget” was detonated at the Alamogordo Bomb Range in the deserts of New Mexico.

Known as the Trinity Test, the successful detonation proved that the bombs could be implemented for use overseas.

The search for a plane and the men who would drop the bombs was a work in progress that took over two years.

The 509th Composite Group (CG) of the

29th Air Force was selected to plan for the raids that were to drop the bombs on Japan. Colonel Paul Tibbets was recommended by General Jimmy Doolittle to General “Hap” Arnold to work out problems with a new long-range bomber that could carry a very large payload. Arnold, the commanding general of the United States Army Air Forces during the war, wanted the best field grade officer with extensive experience in the B-17 to help test-fly the newly introduced B-29 bomber. The B-29 was a four-engine heavy bomber with a range of over 3,000 miles and was suitable to carry atomic weapons. After extensive tests, the B-29 was ready to fly combat missions, and Tibbets was selected to lead the 509th with the intention of him leading the atomic bomb missions.

Sixty-five B-29 Superfortresses were modified to carry atomic bombs, and these became known as the Silverplate bombers. Tibbets handpicked the fifteen planes he wanted for the 509th as well as the crews that would be flying them. The men were not told of the nature of the missions for most of the training period.

Flying from their base on Tinian, the Enola Gay dropped the uranium bomb named “Little Boy” on Hiroshima on August 6. Tibbets named his plane the Enola Gay after his mother, and the Bockscar was named for its pilot, Captain Frederick Bock. However, on

August 9, Bock flew in the Great Artsie on a mission as the measurement instrumentation aircraft. Major Charles Sweeney and his crew flew the Bockscar and dropped the “Fat Man” bomb on Nagasaki.

The only person to have flown on both strike planes was Jewish First Lieutenant Jacob Beser. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Beser studied mechanical engineering at Johns Hopkins but left college to join the Army Air Corps. He was sent to work on the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and

was with the 509 th through the training period. During the atom bomb missions, he was the radar counter-measure observer and needed to make sure that the bombs didn’t explode too early. There was concern that the Japanese may jam the fuse frequencies to cause it to prematurely detonate, and his job was to prevent it from happening. Beser was awarded the Silver Star for his role in the bombing missions.

Jewish First Lieutenant Charles Levy was the bombardier for the Great Artsie on the Nagasaki mission. During

that mission, he was the photographer and took the famous photo of the mushroom cloud over the city. He was originally supposed to fly on the Bockscar, but the crews were switched around because of a complication stemming from flight equipment.

After the war, most planes were sent to the scrap heap, but the Enola Gay and the Bockscar were saved. After extensive restorations, both planes are now on display. The Enola Gay is at the Smithsonian outside Washington, D.C., and the Bockscar can be viewed

at the U.S. Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. Eighty years after the bombs were dropped, the scientists who designed the bomb as well the airmen who flew the missions are remembered for their part in ending World War II.

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.

Paul Tibbets with the Enola Gay

The crew of the B-29 Superfortress Bockscar

General Leslie Groves and J. Robert Oppenheimer

Jacob Beser

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming more and more integrated into our lives — and the lives of our children. At its core, AI refers to technology that can mimic human thinking and communication. The most popular AI tools, like ChatGPT, are trained on vast amounts of internet data and can hold intelligent, human-like conversations.

Many adults now use tools like ChatGPT in their daily workflow. Interacting with these platforms can feel like chatting with an endlessly knowledgeable friend. While that might sound helpful, it raises serious concerns — especially for children. Conversations can easily veer into

connection and growing dependency users can develop with these systems.

Have you heard about the toll-free number to call AI? Your kids probably have. It’s a free service that lets users speak with AI by phone — the responses sound just like a real human, with voice, tone, and emotion. While a few sensitive topics are blocked, most are not. It’s entirely possible your child already has a digital “phone friend” — one who’s ready to talk about anything and shares the full range of ideas and values found online, including those that may conflict with what we teach at home.

Another popular service is Character.AI — an app and website filled

users are under 24, and a significant number are minors. While the app is technically for ages 13 and up, many children simply lie about their age. Kids are having deep, personal, and even intimate conversations with characters like “the most popular kid in class,” “the girl next door,” and others that are far more inappropriate. Tragically, some children have formed intense emotional bonds with these bots, leading to devastating, real-life harm. Lawsuits are already underway related to the app’s content and lack of protections, but as of now the app remains the same.

Of course, not all AI use is dangerous. A child may say they’re using AI to help with math homework — and they may be. But what starts as tutoring can quickly evolve into a personal

conversation neither the child nor the parent ever intended.

AI is incredibly powerful and evolving quickly. It’s exciting — but deeply concerning. As always, we urge you to stay informed and monitor the apps and services your children are using. And if you need help or guidance, don’t hesitate to reach out to TAG. We’re here to help you navigate the digital world safely.

Political Crossfire Hunger in Gaza Has Many Authors, But Israel Isn’t

One of

Them

Last Tuesday, Israel delivered 1,829,520 meals to suffering Gazans through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation – a nongovernmental organization created this year, with U.S. support, to replace UNWRA, the corrupt, Hamas-infiltrated U.N. relief agency. That is enough to feed nearly the entire Gazan population.

Indeed, since May 26, the foundation reports that it has distributed at least 108 million meals in Gaza. According to the Israel Defense Forces’ Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Israel has facilitated the delivery of almost 1.9 million tons of international humanitarian aid to Gaza since the start of the war by land, sea and air – including food, water, flour, baby formula, cooking gas, shelter and medical supplies.

Far from deliberate starvation in Gaza, Israel is doing something no nation has ever done, or even been expected to do: feed the population of the aggressor force that attacked it while the war is still going on.

“There is no historical precedent for a military providing the level of direct aid to an enemy population that Israel has provided to Gaza,” John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at West Point’s Modern War Institute, recently pointed out.

The United States did not feed Germany and Japan while the war was going on; we forced their armies to surrender and then fed their populations.

Today, despite having been defeated militarily, Hamas refuses to surrender. Hamas fights on because it clearly doesn’t care about the suffering of the people of Gaza. Indeed, the suffering is central to Hamas’s strategy of survival, which is to weaponize images of Palestinian misery to build international pressure on Israel to stop its military campaign before Hamas is destroyed.

By Marc A. Thiessen

Food being dropped into Gaza

Unfortunately, that strategy is working. We see its success in the coverage by Western media outlets, such as the New York Times, which recently published a frontpage photo of a Gazan mother holding her emaciated child to illustrate the suffering Israel was supposedly inflicting. It turned out the boy was suffering from “pre-existing health problems” affecting his brain and muscle development, the Times later acknowledged in an editor’s note – though it continued to report he “suffers from severe malnutrition.” Of course, they failed to show his healthy, well-fed older brother, perhaps because his inclusion would have undermined that assertion.

We see the success of Hamas’s strategy in the response of governments like France, Canada, Britain, Ireland, Spain and Norway, which have declared, in response to the international outcry Hamas has generated, that they will recognize a “State of Palestine” – thus rewarding Hamas for the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack and its refusal to release Israeli hostages.

This success is why Hamas is determined to stop Israel and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation from delivering aid by systematically stealing it. The United Nations reports that, from May 19 to Aug. 4, a total of 2,545 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza. Of those, 2,310 – or about 90 percent – were “intercepted” (either by hungry people or armed actors) and 31,113 tons of aid was taken. As Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) explained on the Senate floor, Hamas resells looted supplies on the black market allowing it “to rake in more than half-a-billion dollars in profit – profits that fund Hamas’s campaign of terror against Israel and its own people.” Meanwhile hundreds of trucks have sat inside Gaza filled with undelivered aid, because the U.N. wouldn’t distribute it – and refused to let the Gaza Humanitarian Fund distribute it. Whose fault is that?

Who else is responsible for Gaza’s suffering? Its neighbors. The normal way to get humanitarian relief to civilians in wartime is allow them to leave the conflict

zone as refugees. For example, there are more than 5 million Ukrainian refugees in Europe. Poland has taken in nearly 1 million, while Germany has accepted 1.2 million. During the civil war in Syria, more than 4.2 million civilians fled that conflict, taken in by Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and other neighboring countries.

It would be easier to feed Gazan civilians if they were in safe third countries. But Gaza’s neighbors refuse to allow its civilian population to flee. Jordan’s King Abdullah II declared at the start of the war: “No refugees in Jordan, no refugees in Egypt.” Indeed, Egypt’s response to the suffering of the Gazan people has been to reinforce its border wall with Gaza. They claim it is because Israel might not allow them to return. But the real reason is that they do not want to import Gaza’s problems. Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi admitted as much, when he pointed out that accepting Gazan refugees risks bringing in Hamas operatives, which could use Egypt as a base for terrorist attacks.

Of course, there is a policy of deliberate starvation in Gaza. It is being carried out by Hamas, which last week released photos of two emaciated Israeli hostages. The brother of one of the hostages told the U.N. Security Council this week, “As my younger brother, a living skeleton, was forced to speak and dig his grave, the chubby and well-fed hand of a Hamas terrorist entered the frame. Suddenly, Hamas confirmed what we have known for months – the terrorists have plenty of food. The only ones starving in Hamas’s tunnels are the hostages.”

To lay the blame for this situation at Israel’s feet, rather than on Hamas, requires a stunning level of moral blindness – which apparently is plentiful when it comes to what is happening in Gaza.

© 2025, Washington Post Writers Group

Voices of Greater Washington

Marvin Konick’s Army Service

based on

an

interview with two Yeshiva of Greater Washington High School students

By Eliyahu Levi and Chaim Schnittman

Early Life and Decision to Enlist

It was just another day of school when we were approached about interviewing a 102 year old Jewish WWII veteran, Mr. Marvin Konick. We were excited about the opportunity to converse with someone who had been through so many defining moments in history. Although, when the date for the interview rolled around, we were unsure of what to expect. It is not every day you meet a 102-year-old or a WWII veteran, or someone who is both. Would he be relatable? Would he be stern? Would he want to answer our questions or just tell his story? We arrived at Mr. Konick’s home and were greeted by his son and daughter-in-law. Captain Steve Deutsch and Commander Scott Schlesinger from the Jewish War Veterans were also present. Mr. Marvin Konick sat in a chair with his notebook and was excited to see us. Prepared with many questions we eagerly awaited the many answers he would give and the experiences he would share. However, the tale to be told begins thus: Mr. Marvin Konick, 102 year old World War II veteran, joined the military after America’s entry into the war. When asked why he decided to join the army, Mr. Konick replied that he felt a sense of duty and responsibility to his country. He wanted to show gratitude for the freedom the United States had given him, and he wanted to make a difference. Throughout his service in the U.S. military, Mr. Konick did just that. As a Corporal, he commanded a crew of six soldiers; he was a leader of men. Marvin Konick’s military experience reveals many timeless lessons for all of us regardless of our positions in life.

Military Training

Mr. Konick enlisted in the army on December 10, 1942, as he heard about the numerous German invasions into neighboring countries. He knew that he wanted to be a part of the effort to stop the Nazi menace. He was in the reserves until the Spring, when his number was finally called. He began service with basic training in the Engineering Corps in St. Louis, Missouri, Jefferson Barracks. After finishing basic training in St. Louis, he was shipped off to the University of Nebraska for advanced study in mili-

tary-related areas of engineering. On his journey back to Missouri, Mr. Konick experienced his first clear moment of Hashgacha Pratis. On the train ride from the University of Nebraska back to Missouri, a trailer truck carrying buckets of red paint rammed into one of the train’s three cars in the middle of the night. The collision forced the mail car off the track, suspending it in the air, while the engine and passenger cars miraculously remained nearly unscathed. Any one of the other train cars could have shared the same fate as the mail car, but incredibly the soldiers emerged from the train unharmed. Seemingly as an indication of this possibility, the red paint lay splattered all over the ground surrounding the train. Mr. Konick tallied this example as one of the many countless ways Hashem protected him. He remains incredibly thankful for Hashem’s infinite influence in his life and the lives of others.

Responsibilities and Early Experiences in the Army

Later in training, Marvin was transferred to Alabama where they needed to fill training spots. There he became a member of the heavy weapons division. He and his crew members were responsible for .50 caliber machine guns, and the 81 millimeter mortars. They also trained in Arkansas before going overseas in the fall of 1944. Their means of transportation was a converted German war vessel from World War One. This five story ship was put to use as an army transport vehicle. Once Mr. Konick and the other soldiers boarded, it took the army transport, consisting of 50 ships, a two week period to cross the Atlantic. Finally, Mr. Konick and his crew landed in England and were stationed in Dorset, a small town in southwest England. There, the troops resided in small wooden buildings and slept on straw mattresses, where they could hear the distinctive “baaing” of sheep, even at night.

In Dorset, Mr. Konick was made a member of the 66th “Black Panther” Infantry Division, commanding the 81 millimeter mortar. As part of this division, he received an infantry badge for his participation in ground combat.

Throughout the war, Mr Konick’s unit frequently exchanged mortar shelling with the Germans and although both sides were unsure of each other’s exact positioning, they approximated locations while firing rounds back and forth.

Overseas Instances of Hashgacha Pratis

Mr. Konick regards missing D-Day as another experience of Hashgacha Pratis. Although it was a successful part of ending the second World War, it was responsible for heavy casualties: upwards of 4400 allied soldiers were killed on D-Day, with more than half of those being American. Remarkably, while D-Day was in June of 1944, Marvin didn’t cross the English Channel until December of 1944.

Mr. Konick’s unit remained in England until December 24th. As they prepared to leave for an active combat role in France, Mr. Konick experienced the third case of Hashgacha Pratis in his service. Before departing England to France, his commander took the crew for coffee and as a result, Mr. Konick and his crew missed joining their ship, requiring them to take another to France. They were miraculously saved from the fate of the first ship, which was torpedoed by a German U-boat. The sinking of the Leopoldville was later reported by the U.S. Navy as the second greatest loss of life among sunk transport ships in the American WWII European campaign. Mr. Konick and his crew were divinely saved from that outcome.

Soon thereafter, as they were driving to the port to be picked up by a warship, the convoy suddenly stopped. The blackout the English executed made it difficult to navigate and communicate, so as they came to a fork in the road they were unsure which direction to go. The Military Police arrived and drove the soldiers to the dock. Mr. Konick recalled the ominous instance of getting ready to board the U.S. Navy Landing Craft. As the ramp descended for boarding it was then that it dawned on him: “I’m going to war.” Mr. Konick declared these words with a sense of trepidation for the challenges that lay ahead. However, this

realization also came with a strengthening of his faith that Hashem would be by his side, supporting and helping him throughout the rest of the conflict.

The transition to a U.S. warship was pleasant: with it came fresh water, fresh air, and a skilled cook. Before long, Mr. Konick experienced the fourth episode of Hashgacha Pratis in his army service. One morning, a contingent of soldiers traveled by boat off the ship heading for Paris to fight in the Battle of the Bulge. They arrived at an airfield in Paris, where they parked and stayed the night. In the morning, the 66th Division was told by superiors that they were turning around, with the 94th division taking their place in the battle. The 66th Division stayed along the French coast, while the 94th Division proceeded to fight in the Battle of the Bulge, the last big German offensive into the Western Front. The swap turned out to be miraculous for the 66th Division due to the large amount of life lost during the battle. The death total of American troops topped 19,000, and around 54,000 more were wounded, missing, or taken prisoner in this single deadliest battle of World War II. Once again, Mr. Konick witnessed Hashem’s Hashgacha Pratis and was thankful for being saved from this deadly battle, albeit pained by the large loss of American and allied lives.

In 1945, the 66th Infantry division was tasked with destroying the remaining contingent of German troops in port cities such as Lorient, St. Nazaire, and La Rochelle in Western France. They collaborated with French forces in this endeavor, while relieving the 94th Infantry Division. The use of artillery shells to bomb German positions played a significant role in their progress in the region. They were also able to repel German attacks on French ports. Eventually, the remaining German contingent surrendered to the 66th Division on May 8th, 1945.

Judaism in the Military

Throughout his time in the military, Mr. Konick didn’t have much contact with other Jews or Rabbis, but he was still able to maintain his faith. On a couple of occasions, Mr. Konick and a fellow

Jew went into town on Yom Tov to go to shul. The first time occurred while he was still in training in Little Rock, Arkansas during Pesach, and later in the same year, when stationed in Marseilles, France, they went to the local shul to daven on Rosh Hashanah. Mr. Konick remembered both of these memories fondly, recalling the importance of these ventures.

After the war in Europe was over, Mr. Konick was stationed in Marseilles, France, residing in a large converted airfield housing troops awaiting transport to the Pacific. While on “leave” in Marseilles, Mr. Konick journeyed to Switzerland with a couple of friends. While they went shopping, he decided to go to a movie. Unsure of where to go, Mr. Konick approached a young lady who answered him in perfect English and they began talking. She had been sent to Switzerland on a program by her family to protect people in France from the Nazis. Mr. Konick noticed a mezuzah necklace she was wearing and told her he’s Jewish, and she answered in the affirmative when asked if she was Jewish too. They went to the movies together, and afterwards she invited him to have dinner with her family. Upon arriving at her home, he shared a large, warm, kosher meal, all of which he had not been able to enjoy during his army service. The parents spoke Yiddish and, in classic Jewish fash-

ion, (Mr. Konick paused here for comedic affect) asked him if he had any relatives in Brooklyn. The meal progressed: Mr. Konick speaking English, the young lady talking in French, and the parents in Yiddish; three different languages united by their Judaism. Mr. Konick continued correspondence with the young lady and her family for many months. This teaches a valuable lesson that fellow Jews can connect with each other even unexpectedly at any time or place.

Looking Back

Mr. Konick related that his Judaism was strengthened as a result of his military service. Although there wasn’t consistent access to Jewish items, rituals, or customs, his beliefs were bolstered by the incredible experiences of Hashgacha Pratis, and brushes with death that he faced in the army. First and foremost, looking back on his service, Mr. Marvin Konick has no regrets. In fact, he is extremely proud of his military service and the work he did for his country. Having the ability to fight alongside fellow Americans against the evils of the Nazis is something he is both honored and delighted to have done.

Impact of Military Service

The influence the army had on Mr. Konick greatly impacted the rest of his

life. After moving on from the army Mr. Konick worked as an engineer in research and development for munitions, including small arms, medium caliber cannons and helicopter rockets. He began

his career at the Springfield Armory, in Springfield, MA, and retired from the Army Materiel Command, in Northern Virginia in 1974. Additionally, Mr. Konick’s son, Mr. William Konick, also worked for over 40 years on munitions as an army civilian electronics engineer and then as a contractor, truly displaying the effects Mr. Konick’s military experiences had on his son.

Advice for Longevity

When asked what secret Mr. Konick attributed his long life to, he instantly noted exercise, a trait he no doubt picked up in the military. He explained there were seldom days in the 102 years of his life when he was not active in some way or another. In high school, Mr. Konick was on the track team. Then, of course, he was in the military and was held to the rigorous fitness standards of the U.S. Army. When he retired from his civilian employment, Mr. Konick played tennis for about 10-15 years with a contemporary who survived the Holocaust. Additionally, Mr. Konick mentioned his daily tendency to walk at least a mile, which continues

to the present, when weather permits. He also watches his diet very carefully, eating strictly kosher and avoiding foods with excess sugar, salt or fat.

Besides the advice Mr. Konick mentioned, we believe there is another secret to his longevity that he did not address. It is evident that Mr. Marvin Konick’s Simchas HaChaim, pure, unadulterated joy of being alive, contributed to his long life. Happy people tend to live longer, and it was apparent throughout this interview, smile after smile, joke after joke, that Mr. Konick is someone who is sincerely happy to be alive, and Sameach B’Chelko. Through 102 years of life, he wasn’t dragged down by the rigors of war, or any other obstacles he faced. He trudged through difficulty with a hearty smile and a sense of determination. He endured with profound feelings of gratitude to Hashem. This is the true secret to his longevity, his happiness.

Mr. Konick’s military service is ripe with lessons that benefit all of us. From Hashem’s infinite Hashgacha, to knowing you can always count on a fellow Jew. From Miracles to Simchas Hachaim, everyone can learn from the profound experiences in Mr. Marvin Konick’s service to our country.

Daniel Adler & Rivka Alyeshmerni

Avi Goldstein & Baila Gabay

Yossi Muller & Elki Zahler

Moshe Mordechai Bernstein & Leah Steinberg

Asher Bortz & Aliza Hyatt

David Zargari (Great Neck) & Atara Hakakian (Baltimore)

Mark Rosenberg & Yocheved Michelson

Bentzy Harrar & Tova Sauer

Menachem Tzvi Rothenberg & Temima Lewin

A Summer Of Infectious Kiddush Hashem Living Kiddush Hashem

By Rabbi Shraga Freedman

Below is a letter from a Best Western hotel following a visit from the 10th-grade traveling camp of Minneapolis Yeshiva last year.

they had to unload and prepare their rooms, they were very polite, quiet, and considerate of the other guests.

It was very nice to have them overnight and to interact with them on a personal level. I just wanted to

The power of reflecting the midos of Hashem is truly infectious.

Camp Maayan

Last year, after a wonderful first half of the summer in camp Maayan midwest, it was time to go back home. Most campers and staff have to fly home. Many staff members and campers were on a flight going from Chicago to New York.

As the plane was preparing for landing the flight attendant made an announcement over the loudspeaker saying how there is a group on the flight who has made an unbelievable impression on the flight crew. She commended our group of Maayan girls on their

and doing the right thing. Keep it up and keep staying strong because your people are holding up the world for all of us. Keep strong!’”

Living al kiddush Hashem means awakening the Yud Gimmel Middos within us—lighting up our neshama, which in turn awakens the soul of humanity, and spreads Hashem’s middos and presence throughout the world.

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

TJH Centerfold

Vacation Trivia

1. Where is the tallest waterslide in the world located?

a. Kansas City

b. Las Vegas

c. Dubai

d. Qatar

2. Which of the following countries was the most visited country in the world by tourists?

a. Afghanistan

b. Turkey

c. France

d. United States

d. Due to bacteria from smelly tourists, it has to be cleaned with rubbing alcohol every night

6. According to a study by accounting firm Deloitte, what percentage of people in the U.S. planned a summer vacation this summer?

a. 14%

b. 23%

c. 41%

d. 53%

Answer Key:

1) D-The Vertigo and The Fractionator at Meryal amusement park in Qatar stand at 76.35 meters.

3. Match the national parks with their locations

1. Great Smoky Mountains

2. Glacier

3. Olympic

4. Acadia

a. Maine

b. Washington State

c. North Carolina, Tennessee

d. Montana

4. Which U.S. national park receives the most visitors during the summer months?

a. Yellowstone National Park

b. Great Smoky Mountains National Park

c. Grand Canyon National Park

d. Yosemite National Park

5. What happens to the Eiffel Tower in the summer?

a. It gets a few inches taller

b. The heat index goes up to 170 degrees

c. It is closed every day from noon to 3PM for clean-up of all the trash left around

2) C-France had approximately 102 million international visitors in 2024; Spain had approximately 93.8 million visitors. The United States came in third with 72.4 million people visiting, and Turkey came in at fourth place. Afghanistan? Well, not really a great place to visit if you like this thing called “life.”

3) 1-C, 2-D, 3-B, 4-A

4) B-The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, stretching across Tennessee and North Carolina.

5) A-The Eiffel Tower expands approximately 6 inches during the summer. This is largely due to the fact that steel contracts when it’s cold and expands when it’s hot.

6) D

Wisdom Key:

4-6 Correct: You are a globetrotter. Do you ever work?

2-3 Correct: You are average. Hey, that means you plan on taking a vacation this summer. Enjoy!

0-1 Correct: You may not be taking a vacation this summer, but your brain definitely is!

Gone On Vacation Automatic Email Responses

I’m not in the office right now but if it’s important, tweet me using #YOUAREINTERRUPTINGMYVACATION.

I am currently in St. Tropez, France. Enjoy your wor- week.

I am currently out at a job interview and will reply to you if I fail to get the position. Just kidding—I’m only on vacation … but I wish I was on a job interview.

I am in Cancun and will return your email upon my return unless I buy out one of these tourist T-shirt shops and stay here forever.

I am currently out of the office on vacation. I know I’m supposed to say that I’ll have limited access to email and won’t be able to respond until I return – but that’s not true. I’m actually looking at your email right now, but I’m not responding because I don’t have to.

I am currently between two 60-foot palm trees on a hammock, listening to the waves and drinking a smoothie directly from a coconut. The last thing on my mind right now is your email… just like it’s the last thing on my mind when I am in the office.

I am on vacation. Please don’t contact anyone else in the company. The incompetence virus is rampant…just wait until I get back.

I will return your email upon my return to the office. Before sending your email to me, please have some pity and think about what the first day back at work is like after vacation. Think: can this wait a few days?

Gone on vacation for 2 days to clear my mind so that I can return to this craziness for the next 363 days and be able to handle it without losing my mind.

I have gone on a cruise! Because I like volatile, slow moving, loud, virus-infested things…it reminds me of my office.

I work 51 weeks a year and go on vacation for one week a year. During my absence, please contact my boss who works one week a year—this week—and is on vacation 51 weeks a year.

I am on vacation, and so is my AI, so my AI will respond to you as soon as I get back.

His and Hers Road Trips (Pre-Waze)

HERS: Pulls off at wrong exit. Opens window. Asks directions from a knowledgeable police officer. Arrives at destination within moments.

HIS: Pulls off at wrong exit absolutely positive it’s the correct one. Drives five miles into wilderness, still thinks he’s right. Drives an extra 5 miles just in case. Finally rolls down window just to get fresh air. Pulls up to a 7-Eleven. Gets chips, ice cream and a large Slurpee. Asks person behind counter how to get back onto the highway. Gets back into car. Laughs at the idea of looking at a map as he pulls away from the 7-Eleven. Drives down a dirt road with no street lights insisting this is the way back because guy from 7-Eleven said it was. Almost hits a deer. Spills his Slurpee. Drives and fiddles with radio. Waves off wife’s suggestion that he ask for directions again. Says he never wanted to drive anyway. Arrives at destination after an hour and a half.

Turns to wife and says, “See, I told you I’d find it.”

Notable Quotes

“Say

What?!”

Bernie Sanders claimed that Kamala Harris was heavily influenced by wealthy people. Who were these wealthy people that influenced her? Well, there was Captain Morgan, Samuel Adams…and, of course, Bloody Mary.

- Greg Gutfeld

Illinois Governor J.D. Pritzker called Texas Democrats who fled Texas to avoid a vote on redistricting “heroes,” prompting those Democrats to go into hiding, fearing Pritzker might eat them.

- ibid.

Two blind passengers were left behind on a Southwest flight. Who is at fault? The airline or the blind person who says, “ I have a good idea—I’ll travel with another blind person.”

– ibid.

Pres. Trump moved Barack Obama’s White House portrait to a rarely used stairwell. If he really doesn’t want anyone to see it, he should just give it to Jimmy Kimmel.

- ibid.

An ABC News anchor claims that she was jumped by a half-dressed vagrant in D.C. But John Fetterman said that he was in Pittsburgh at the time.

– ibid.

A Washington Post source says that DC is safe but wants to stay anonymous over personal safety concerns. That’s when you know crime is bad—when the people reporting on it are going into the Witness Protection Program for reporting on it.

- ibid.

Tariffs – it’s clear that the President is succeeding in his reshaping of the global economy. He is opening up new markets and putting in a modest amount of protection that makes it more expensive to buy overseas and will stimulate some degree of US manufacturing. It not a barrier but a tilting of incentives that is not disruptive. At the same time, this rebalancing will bring in about $200 billion a year (which is $2 trillion of deficit reduction) as we import about 11 percent of our economy, which is $27 trillion in size. This will not have any real impact on inflation (as about half is paid by the foreign exporter) and as it’s a contractionary tax should lead to lower interest rates if the fed does the math.

- Tweet by former Bill Clinton advisor and pollster Mark Penn

For those of us [in Butler], it was such a horror, because you saw an emerging America. And, it wasn’t the shooter, Chuck. I got diagnosed with PTSD within 48 hours. I got put on trauma leave. Not because, I think, of the shooting, but because you could — you saw it in the eyes, the reaction of the people; they were coming for us. They were coming for us. If he didn’t jump up with his fist, they were going to come kill us… They were gong to beat us with their hands

- CBS correspondent Scott MacFarlane on the Chuck Todd podcast, oddly recalling the day that Trump was shot

It shows you the level of the main character syndrome that they have. A man died and the guy running for president almost had his head blown off on live TV, and they are like, “But what about me?”

- Comedian Joe Devito, Fox News

By recognizing Palestine, the UK government is effectively claiming that Palestine is an entity with recognized borders, even though those borders are, of course, very far from clear, and the UK is claiming that Palestine has a viable government, when that government is actually shared between Fatah and Hamas, and Hamas, in case you have forgotten, is a psychotic Islamo-fascist death cult that treats women as second-class citizens and throws [some people] off rooftops.

- Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson writing in The Daily Mail

No government can live next door to another government that is expressly dedicated to killing your entire population. That is why Israel is right to try to remove the terrorist regime in Gaza, and that is why the UK is so wrong to puff Hamas and offer recognition now.

- ibid.

Because in my first term, I was fighting lunatics like you.

- Pres. Trump when asked by a reporter why he didn’t do tariffs in his first term

First of all, none of these countries has the ability to create a Palestinian state. There can be no Palestinian state unless Israel agrees to it.

- Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Fox News

At the end of the day, Hamas is sitting there saying: We’re winning the PR war. We’ve got all these countries lining up on our side of this argument. We’ve got leverage now. We shouldn’t agree to anything. We should keep this thing going.

- Ibid.

Iran publishes its list of senior political and security officials in Israel designated for elimination. I suggest to the Iranian dictator Khamenei that when he leaves his bunker, he should occasionally look up at the sky and listen carefully to any buzzing.

- Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz on X

Can you build us a larger press briefing room?

- Reporter Brian Glenn to Pres. Trump at a recent press conference

I don’t want you to be comfortable. I don’t want to do that.

- Pres. Trump’s response

Just had a conversation by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, and I told him that besides criticism from weak politicians and biased media, there are millions and millions of people in Europe supporting him and his brave actions to free both Israel and Gaza from the terrorists of Hamas. His fight is our fight since we cherish life and freedom while they love death and destruction. Am Yisrael Chai!

- Tweet by Dutch politician Geert Wilders who heads the largest party in the Netherlands

My father always used to tell me, “Son, when you walk into a restaurant and you see a dirty front door, don’t go in. Because if the front door is dirty, the kitchen is dirty also.” If our capital is dirty, our whole country is dirty.

- Pres. Trump while announcing a federal takeover of law enforcement in Washington, D.C.

When Caitlin Clark retires from the WNBA, she’s going to work at a Waffle House so she can continue doing what she loves most: fist-fighting black women.

- Shane Gillis at the 2025 ESPY Awards

If you look at the people from Hamas, when they get photographed, they’re well fed. None of them are hungry. I guarantee you, look at their faces, look at their bodies. And instead of food, they could use some Ozempic.

- U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee in an interview with Piers Morgan

So Israel is expected to surrender to Hamas & feed them even though Israeli hostages are being starved? Did UK surrender to Nazis and drop food to them? Ever heard of Dresden, PM Starmer? That wasn’t food you dropped. If you had been PM, then UK would be speaking German!

- ibid, tweeting in response to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s criticism of Israel

Dating Dialogue What Would You Do If…

Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters

Dear Navidaters,

Thanks for your awesome column! We love discussing it together on Shabbos and decided to finally write in with a question.

My brother and I are married and have been married for many years. We have a younger brother (the youngest) – he’s 31 – who is the most confusing case. We just think he’s too comfortable in his stage or scared of moving forward. He was learning for a long time and is now working. He’s been dating a lot since he’s been super young. He thrives in being super intuitive and claims he “just knows,” which justifies saying no to every idea that comes his way. He’s probably been suggested to every girl that exists. Ninety-five percent of the time he says no to even go out altogether. He won’t even go on a date. He says he could tell by a picture if she’s “the type” and will go out if someone is his type, but if not, there is no convincing him.

We are starting to think we should delve deeper to try and help him – this doesn’t seem normal. The most amazing and beautiful girls are sent his way, and he just says he doesn’t see it and won’t take her out.

What do you all think is happening here, and can we help him?

Thank you, Rafi & Leah*

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.

Help him by staying out of it. Obviously, your brother is protecting himself for whatever reason. When he is ready to

share his dating progress or lack thereof or personal criteria with a therapist, mentor, friend, or family member, he will do so and begin to deal with his issues. If he is shutting you out, it’s not your role to push your way in. Tactfully suggest that he talk things over with someone he trusts at an opportune moment with sensitivity.

The Shadchan

Michelle Mond

Ihave dealt with many guys who sound just like your brother. You can try ad nauseum to help him. You can drive yourself crazy to find the most successful, beautiful girls from the best families, and he will still come up with reasons why “it just won’t work out.” Perhaps he will even date a girl for a while and then find a way to seemingly self-sabotage. He will convince you why he is one hundred percent certain his intuition is correct. You will continue to wonder what the missing piece is in this story. You will try to find that missing needle in the haystack while digging through all the while burying yourself with the emotional toll it is taking on you.

My advice to you is separate your -

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He is not going to progress in his dating until he alone decides to do some serious inner work.

selves from his dating life completely. He is not going to progress in his dating until he alone decides to do some serious inner work. Perhaps his fear stems from childhood and his own parents’ difficult marriage, or he has low or no drive to get married at all. Whatever the case may be, you won’t be the ones to fix it. Real

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interest in dating for marriage will come when he is in a good place within himself, after he has worked through his internal struggles. That can only happen on his own timeline with a large dose of self-motivation.

In the meantime, be there for him in other ways, continuously showing love and care independent of his martial/dating status.

The Zaidy

Dr. Jeffrey Galler

One of the frustrations with writing this column is that we never get to ask the letter-writer for additional information.

For example, it would be nice to know:

*Is he sociable, and does he have friends from yeshiva or work?

*Has he had experiences that may have damaged his self-esteem or confidence?

*Has he spent Shabbosim with your families, and how does he feel in those settings?

*Has he actually expressed frustration, or regret, about not yet being married?

You might wish to consider that not all men feel the same urgency to get married. Some may simply not feel a strong enough attraction to women or a compelling desire to leave their comfortable single lifestyle behind.

There are men who remain single and, nevertheless, lead fulfilling, meaningful lives. Not everyone follows the same timeline or path toward marriage.

The Reader’s Response

Dr. Jenny Druxman

You and your brother are married and naturally you both want the same for your younger brother who is already 31 years old. That’s beautiful. You said he has been dating “a lot since he’s been super young,” and now 95% of the time he says “no” to go out altogether. In your

Pulling It All Together

The Navidaters

Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

Hi Rafi and Leah,

First, I love that you read this together on Shabbos. It says a lot about how much you care about each other and your family that you decided to write in. Your brother’s situation is tricky because it’s easy to get caught up in the “why” when really, dating patterns can be the result of a hundred different things – some emotional, some practical,

some uncon - scious. Sometimes, people are holding out for a very specific feeling or “click” that may or may not be realistic. Sometimes, it’s about fear of vulnerability or of the changes marriage will bring. And sometimes, saying no quickly is a way of keeping a sense of control.

estimation, if he just dated more often, he would find his zivug and be married like you and your brother.

What are his reservations? Has he been exposed to toxic marriages that have made a bad impression on him? Do you and your brother have happy, respectful marriages, or does he see siblings who are stressed out with kids and other responsibilities? Maybe he doesn’t like the frum dating process or doesn’t feel like it is working for him. Frum dating can be mentally, emotionally, and financially very challenging, not to mention time-consuming. Saying yes to women who intuitively don’t feel right to him is not a good use of his resources. And his heart won’t be in it.

Remind him that while his intuition may have served him well in the past, when it comes to marriage, many couples are very surprised to find that who they end up with is not the “package” or the “look” they predicted.

Suggest an alternative way to dating like a 30 minute coffee date to get a first impression before the intense reference checking and expectation for longer dates. With his background in learning, he may be relying on Hashem to make the shidduch and doesn’t feel he has to date every one of the most “amazing and beautiful girls” redt to him and do more hishtadlus.

Many couples are very surprised to find that who they end up with is not the “package” or the “look” they predicted.

Your brother is a grown man. Unless he is asking for help, he doesn’t seem to be desperate or worried about finding his bashert. He may be concentrating more on developing his career to provide for a future family after many years of learning. There is so much more you can do for him than to delve deeper into what you perceive is a problem with him. As a single Jewish man in his 30s, he needs a community of family and friends to rely on. He needs to know that he is loved, supported, and feels included. Call him on a regular basis. Find out if there is anything he wants or needs. Most of all demonstrate to him the beauty and fulfillment of having a happy family with shalom bayis. He’ll want the same.

From the outside, it’s tempting to think, “If he would just go out with her, he’d see.” But he’s telling you how he’s making his choices, and pushing too hard will only make him dig in more. The best approach is to stay connected and curious without judgment. Ask open-ended questions. Not “Why won’t you give her a chance?” but “What is it you’re looking for that feels important to you?” or “What’s the part of dating that feels hardest?” You might also ask, “What do you really want for your life in the next few years?” or “Would you ever consider speaking to

a therapist to sort through what might be holding you back?” These kinds of questions invite reflection instead of defensiveness.

You might not be able to “fix” this. He may need to come to his own realizations in his own time. Your role might simply be to keep the door open so that when he does want to talk honestly about what’s going on for him, you’ll be someone he trusts enough to do it with.

Sincerely, Jennifer

Jennifer Mann, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist and certified trauma healing life coach, as well as a dating and relationship coach working with individuals, couples, and families in private practice at 123 Maple Avenue in Cedarhurst, NY. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 718-908-0512. Visit www.thenavidaters.com for more information. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email JenniferMannLCSW@gmail.com. You can follow The Navidaters on FB and Instagram for dating and relationship advice.

Mental Health Corner Making Decisions

By Rabbi Azriel Hauptman

Depression is an illness that has many possible symptoms. Some of

sions. Indeed, the DSM 5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Dis-

sible task for many individuals with depression? This is what we shall attempt to explain in this article.

Decision making takes a lot more mental resources than you might imagine. (1) First of all, mental energy is expended in the mere gathering and weighing of all the pros and cons. (2) Then, the pros and cons themselves have to be properly analyzed, without putting unrealistic weight on one over the other. (3) Additionally, you need to be optimistic that your decision will have a beneficial outcome. (4) Furthermore, you have to be willing to accept some level of risk, being that as hard as you try, you might not achieve the desired outcome. (5) Finally, you have to take action.

We have enumerated five stages in the making of a decision. As we shall expound, all of what we have just mentioned are mental abilities that can be extremely challenging when dealing with depression.

Let us first focus on the simple gathering of information, the classical list of pros and cons. One of the symptoms of depression in the DSM 5 is “diminished ability to think or concentrate”. A depressed mood puts a damper on everything, including brain function. If one has a lethargic thought process, there might not be enough mental resources to gather together the necessary information.

sumes” that there will be a negative outcome, then the entire decision process becomes exponentially more difficult. Furthermore, when one takes the default position and does not decide, then if the outcome is negative, it feels less of their responsibility since they did not make any decision at all. Although in reality, not making a decision is a type of decision, that is not how it feels.

Then comes the necessity of risk-taking. No decision is foolproof. We try our best to make educated and informed decisions, but sometimes life does not work out the way we planned. Unfortunately, risk-taking can be very difficult for someone suffering from depression. Since there is a tendency to assume the worst, the idea of taking a risk can be paralyzing.

As a caveat, we must point out that sometimes when one suffers from depression there is a chance of a paradoxical increase in unhealthy risk taking. Due to cognitive distortions, they might engage in risky behavior that they would never dream of doing under normal circumstances.

Finally, when making a decision, nothing can happen unless you take action. Loss of interest in activities is a common symptom of depression. Even if internally a decision has been made, it can be very difficult to implement this into action.

The next step was making sure that each pro or con is properly weighted. One who is suffering from depression also has the tendency to be very pessimistic. When weighing the pros and cons, the cons might be imagined to be more severe and dangerous than they are in reality. Once one puts too much weight on the negative possibilities, it is very easy to become stuck and not be able to move on.

As mentioned, making decisions also requires a certain amount of healthy optimism. The pessimistic nature of depression also leads one to imagine the worst. When one “as-

If your loved one is suffering from depression, you might become frustrated with their inability to make decisions that can be beneficial for themselves. It might seem to you as a form of self-sabotage. However, just like a virus in one’s body is not self-sabotage, similarly depression in one’s psyche is an outside force that is interfering with basic functioning. Depression is not a choice.

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

Health & F tness

Getting Your Baby Off the Bottle

By Hylton I. Lightman, MD, DCH (SA), FAAP

Iknow the scenario.

Baby is on the bottle. Baby is attached to the bottle. Mom, Dad, or whoever tries to get the baby off the bottle. The primal screaming. The tears. The exhaustion.

Let’s leave alone (for now) who is the parent and who is the child: stay tuned for that article. Instead, let’s discuss that weaning your baby off a bottle is a key milestone in his development. It’s an essential step toward supporting healthy oral habits, motor skills, and budding independence, which should be nurtured.

Prolonged use of bottles can lead to health concerns. These include:

• Tooth decay – Milk or juice can lead to tooth decay if there’s frequent exposure. Think of a child falling asleep with a bottle. It can lead to cavities and early childhood decay.

• Speech delays – Too much use of bottles may inhibit tongue and jaw development. It might even affect speech clarity.

• Iron deficiency – Research has shown that bottle-fed toddlers may consume excess milk which can interfere with iron absorption. This can lead to anemia.

• Feeding issues – Relying too long on

a bottle can delay progress in self-feeding and trying new textures.

Now you understand why the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends weaning off the bottle by 18 months of age.

My suggestion: start weaning off the bottle no later than 12 months old. This helps to assure a smoother transition and fewer long-term challenges.

Here are some signs your child might be ready to start the process.

• They sit independently and self-feed with fingers or utensils.

• They’re curious about cups. They might even grab yours at the Shabbos table.

• They can hold a cup with two hands and bring it to their mouth.

• They are drinking other liquids like water or juice from a sippy cup or with a straw.

Choosing the Right First Cup

Here are some suggestions.

• Spouted sippy cups – While they’re familiar and reduce spills, they offer, at best, limited support for oral motor development.

• Straw cups are great for strengthening mouth muscles and supporting speech.

• Open cups are best for motor development. Beware, though: they can be quite messy and are perfect for home use.

Of course, you can always speak with one of my providers or me about this.

Starting the Transition

• Start s-l-o-w-l-y. Perhaps start with a cup at dinner time and then a bottle for another time, then gradually increase the frequency of the cup. Replace one bottle feeding at a time. Keep the routine in place and move forward gradually in order to minimize pushback.

• Praise and encouragement are important. Be generous with them. Suggested language? “Big cups are awesome.” “I love how you drank that all by yourself. You must feel so grown up.” Encouragement builds confidence and positivity.

• Cups = Fun. Let your toddler pick out the themed or favorite color cup by giving him 2-3 options from which to choose.

• Patience is a virtue. Spills are inevitable. So is messiness. Keep shmattes nearby to clean up. Avoid frustration.

Common Challenges

• Giving up the bedtime bottle can be harrowing for baby and parent. Create

a new routine, like introducing mellow, “comfy” bedtime stories in place of the bottle.

• Offer the bottle before bedtime, followed by brushing teeth and then into story time.

• If your toddler needs a drink at bedtime, make it water. Among other positive points, it will lessen tooth decay.

• Your baby spits out the drink from the sippy cup? That’s common. Stay calm. They’re exploring new behaviors. You, Mommy and Daddy, stay steady.

• Your baby cries for the bottle? This, too, is common. Validate their feelings –“I know you’re missing the bottle” – and then offer them hugs and kisses.

What do you do if your child is older and still on the bottle? Make an appointment with your pediatrician to discuss what to do.

As always, daven

Dr. Hylton I. Lightman is a pediatrician and Medical Director of Total Family Care of the 5 Towns and Rockaway PC. He can be reached at drlightman@totalfamilycaremd. com, on Instagram at Dr.Lightman_ or visit him on Facebook.

Parenting Pearls Representing the Am Hanivchar

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

We are fortunate to live in such a beautiful Jewish community. We have access to shuls, schools and, of course, restaurants. We are surrounded by others who share our values and who we can connect with. While many of us may work or be involved in the secular culture around us, others may have little to do with the outside world. This is especially true for children.

A frum family was at a children’s museum when lunch time arrived. Opening their lunches, they walked to the water fountain to wash before eating bread. The security guard quickly stopped them, insisting they needed to wash their hands in the bathroom. There was no way to explain how their hands were physically clean yet needed to be washed for spiritual reasons, nor why the bathrooms were unfit for this purpose.

As our families walk down the streets, it can be easy to forget that others are watching us and seeing how we act. What makes sense to another frum Jew may be understood completely differently by someone not familiar with our customs.

Living in the sad realities of galus, we need to make sure our actions positively reflect the beauty of our heritage. Additionally, children should be aware of how to respectfully and appropriately explain our actions to others. While

often unnecessary for in-towners, those raised in small, out-of-town Jewish communities are very familiar with how to answer basic questions that others may ask. All children benefit from being able to answer for others – and themselves – why we do what we do.

The Need

I know there are many that might argue against the premise of this article, strongly protesting “Eisav soneh Yaakov ” and what’s the point of caring about the opinion of others. In a time when we are surrounded by so much hate, it may seem futile. But, even when so many are against us, we are still surrounded by others who are unsure how to view us or who can be positively impacted by our actions.

Growing up in a small, out-of-town community predominantly surrounded by gentiles meant that I learned early on how to interact with those outside the Jewish world. I had to think carefully before acting and speaking, fully aware that I was being judged. I had to look at my actions and speech from their perspective, not only my own. I knew how to speak without using Yinglish, and I had to be able to answer questions for those who were well meaning but clueless. Sadly, many of those unaware of basic Jewish practices were themselves Jewish.

For many people, this idea will sound laughable. Isn’t it obvious how to interact with others? Sadly, I have seen far too many negative interactions where a frum person meant well but their actions would be interpreted negatively by others.

It’s also important to remember that when others view us, some of those individuals on the sidelines may actually be Jewish themselves. Think how powerful it is for these people to see the beauty of their heritage right in front of them. As a child, when meeting people in the secular culture around me, those who were Jewish made sure to tell me. I was inspired to see how proud they were to share this with me – their neshama recognizing the emes – even as they lacked any basic Jewish knowledge.

Basic Manners

I’m slightly embarrassed to have to add this section. In addition to being good middos, we all need to demonstrate basic good manners. Basic good manners include throwing away trash and not littering, holding doors for others, and saying “please” and “thank you.”

Even if others do something doesn’t mean we should. We stand out more, as do our actions. Line cutting is not acceptable. Yelling, cutting off others, or cursing are all inexcusable. Even if

you’re in your car, they will still see that you’re Jewish. Additionally, it’s my personal opinion that all of these actions are bad for one’s own neshama, too. We should not use words that others may not understand. While “chutzpah” has become a universal word, most of the Hebrew, Aramaic or Yiddish phrases we use are unintelligible to others. It’s helpful to have prepared accurate, respectful translations for commonly used words/phrases. There are some words we use that outsiders may think they understand but mistake as inherently derogatory, such as “goy.” Tone of voice is also important, and anything said in a nasty or derogatory tone will come off as such – even if it’s actually innocent. Others may dress or act differently than us, but we certainly should not comment or gesture about it. Kids often have questions when they see something different or inappropriate. It’s important we answer them, but any chinuch lessons can be imparted after leaving the premises.

Children should not stare at others, nor should they avoid someone in a way that may be misconstrued as offensive. Rather, children, like adults, can simply smile. Some children are naturally shy and hesitant. I don’t think we need to pressure these children to smile at strangers, and we should avoid putting

them in a situation that will make them uncomfortable.

Beyond the Basics

It’s important to remember that while some manners are universal, there are many that are culturally specific. Because of this we also need to educate our children in the basic manners of the society around us. For example, in most areas, it’s considered very rude to point at someone.

We need to be extra careful in areas where we know others have misconceptions about us, or situations that are especially sensitive in the culture around us. I’ve heard some of the most bizarre “explanations” given for why we do things. It would be funny if it wasn’t so dangerous. For example, it’s sad how many people assume all tzinius practices are meant to be disparaging towards women.

In public, children should not ask if someone else is Jewish or frum. Children should be stopped immediately if they publicly ask insensitive questions. “Why doesn’t he keep halacha?” “Doesn’t she know that’s assur?” “How can he be Jewish if he does that?” “How can she be Jewish dressed like that?” Children should be very careful with their tone

if they ask their friends these questions about an off-the-derech sibling, or –even better – consider not violating the family’s privacy at all. These families are going through enough and don’t need more insensitivity. All these areas of chinuch can be discussed at a later time – in private.

addressed to one’s personal rav.

There are many situations that may come up. It’s worthwhile to prepare children in advance for how to address them. Many children may benefit from role-play. For example, there is a respectful (and non-respectful) way to decline non-kosher foods.

We are gifted with the holy task of representing Hashem’s teachings of the Torah to the world around us.

Before visiting non-religious relatives or family friends, it can be helpful to respectfully prepare the children. “We will be seeing Aunt Barbara. She is very sweet and excited to see you, but she may dress differently than you’re used to, or she may not understand about Shabbos/ kashrus.” They can be given examples for how to act respectful and which questions or topics to avoid. Any questions about ways to explain this issue can be

Children also need to understand that each community has their own rabbanim who may pasken differently than theirs. We certainly don’t need to increase sinah among Klal Yisroel. Learning to recognize and respect the different minhagim among Klal Yisroel enhances unity and helps children appreciate the beautiful variety within our nation.

While much of this article appears to be a list of “don’t”s, the overall theme is

to teach children to be sensitive to others, not only to those who may look or act similar to themselves. To very loosely paraphrase Hillel, what you don’t like don’t do to others. Having good middos starts with not doing things that will upset the other person.

Beyond avoiding the negative, knowing how to answer questions strengthens a child’s own knowledge and emunah. Sadly, some basic knowledge is deemed too simple to bother learning or is just taken for granted. Having to reach the level of understanding that it can be explained to someone completely ignorant is a much greater level of comprehension. We are gifted with the holy task of representing Hashem’s teachings of the Torah to the world around us. This is a heavy responsibility and one we do not take lightly. Teaching our children the beauty of their heritage and how to reflect that light is one step towards this ultimate goal.

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.

Mr. & Mrs. Shmueli Silver on the birth of a son

Moshe & Shira Baila Purec on the birth of a daughter

Aharon & Tova Bracha Katz on the birth of twins son and daughter

Chaim & Rochie Ziman on the birth of a daughter

Rabbi & Mrs. Ben and Nechama Prero on the birth of a daughter

Moshe Dovid & Sima (Goldman) Cohen on the birth of a daughter

Ohad & Shira (Bemaras) Ushdi on the birth of a son

Rafi & Sara Shasho on the birth of a son

Atara Erez, 5

Racheli Kupferstein, 4

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Emmy Feld, 4

Dovid Zaslow

Gabey D., 7

Talya Zirkind, 5

Akiva T., 5

Chaya K., 8

Chuna Danziger, 7 Leah, 6 & Zevy, 4 Seidel

Kaylah M., 5

Sarena Bloch, 6

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Mordechai Edelman, 10

Yehuda Kupferstein, 7

ADF, 6

Ariella Dancziger, 8

Binyamin Tzvi HaKohen AMF, 9

Avi Danziger, 4

Rivka Edelman, 5

Aliza Ezzatpour, 4

Rena

Chananya Grossman, 4

Aryeh Kushner, 9

Chananya Urszuy

Shana Leibowitz

Leah David, 12

Aryeh Gross, 6

Chana Mehdizadeh, 2.5

Azi Sperling, 4.5

Chevi Tenenbaum, 5

Malky, 6

Yitzhak M., 4

Naftali M., 10

UNF, 7

Tehila Moradian, 6

Elisheva Livingstone, 5

In The K tchen

Seed and Mill Cheesecake

By Naomi Nachman

Recently, I hosted fellow Australian Rachel Simons—now a New Yorker—on my cooking show, Sunny Side Up on Kosher.com

Rachel owns a business in Manhattan called Seed and Mill and makes the most amazing techina which she sells at her store in Chelsea Market. She recently wrote a cookbook called Sesame: Global recipes and stories of an Ancient Seed, and we prepared a cheesecake on my show from her cookbook. This cheesecake is perfect for a hot weekend when you don’t want to turn the oven on but want a show-stopping sweet treat for the center of your table. Browning your butter to make the base is not essential and you can use regular melted butter in a pinch, but if you don’t agree that the smell of browned butter isn’t the most delicious aroma in the world, then I’m not quite sure we can be foodie friends!

Ingredients

For the Base

◦ 2 and 1/4 cups digestive biscuits (I like McVitie’s) or plain graham crackers

◦ 1 cup lightly toasted pistachios

◦ 1 teaspoon salt

◦ 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the Fillings and Toppings

◦ 27 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

◦ 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

◦ 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

◦ ½ cup Tahini

◦ 1½ cups heavy cream

◦ 8 ounces crumbled halva, plus 2 to 3 tablespoons

◦ 1 cup lightly toasted pistachios, finely chopped in a food processor

Preparation

Make the Base

1. Line the bottom of a nine-inch springform pan with parchment paper.

2. In a food processor, pulse the biscuits to a fine crumb, then add the pistachios and salt and pulse a couple of times more until just combined. This allows

the base to retain a crunchy texture— keep pulsing if you prefer a finer crumb. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.

3. Set a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. After about two minutes, when the butter is just past melting, it will start to foam and then settle into a clear-ish golden liquid with brown specks (which are the milk solids browning and separating from the fat in the butter).

4. Pour the brown butter into the bowl with the biscuit mixture and use your hands or a spoon to combine until the mixture resembles wet sand and just holds together in your hand.

5. Spread the mixture over the bottom of the prepared pan, using the bottom of a glass or measuring cup to press it down into an even, smooth layer all the way to the pan’s edges. I usually allow a little bit of the mixture to creep up the sides of the pan by half an inch.

Make the Filling

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until well combined, about two minutes. Scrape down

the sides of the bowl with a flexible spatula, add the tahini, and beat again for one minute more.

2. In a medium bowl, whip the cream in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form, two to three minutes. Fold half of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until just incorporated. Gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream until the mixture is combined.

3. Pour half of the filling over the biscuit base. Sprinkle the eight ounces halva and all but three tablespoons of the pistachios over the filling. Pour the remaining filling over the top and smooth the surface.

4. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and freeze for at least six hours or overnight.

To Serve

1. At least 10 minutes before serving, remove the cake from the freezer to soften slightly. When ready to serve, loosen the cake by running a knife along the side of the pan, then remove the ring and place the cake on a serving dish. Scatter the remaining two to three tablespoons halva and three tablespoons pistachios over the cake.

2. To serve, dip a knife in boiling water, wipe it dry, and slice the cake, cleaning the knife between each cut.

Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet.com or at (516) 295-9669.