The mitzvah of bikurim is not only about bringing first fruits but also about the declaration the farmer recites upon presenting them. That declaration, filled with gratitude for the land, geulah, and sustenance, culminates in bowing before Hashem. Dovid HaMelech teaches, “Zoveiach todah yechabdoneni.” While often understood as thanksgiving, Rashi interprets todah as admission and confession. In truth, both meanings are intertwined: one first admits dependence and limitation by acknowledging that success was not achieved alone, and only then can one truly express hodaa. This dynamic reminds us that authentic thanks always begins with humility, with the recognition that everything we have and everything we are is a gift from Hashem.
This dual sense of todah illuminates the purpose of Selichos. Rav Elyashiv zt”l held that the ideal time is early Sunday morning, when rising from slumber sets the tone for viduy, admitting our failures and unfulfilled potential. The very act of pushing oneself out of bed symbolizes a readiness to confront one’s shortcomings and seek forgiveness. Others, following the Leket Yosher, stress beginning Motzaei Shabbos, carrying the joy of Torah and oneg Shabbos into Selichos. This is todah as thanksgiving: recognizing Hashem’s abundant kindness and approaching Him with joy and gratitude, which naturally leads to teshuva. Both approaches highlight the same truth: Selichos is not an exercise in despair, but a blend of humility and appreciation that draws us closer to Hashem.
When understood this way, the practice of Selichos becomes a Ruchnius bridge. We admit our weaknesses, our missed opportunities, our failures to live up to our potential. Yet at the
same time we thank Hashem for His constant kindness, for family, health, Torah, sustenance, and the countless brachos of life itself. The essence of bikurim, bringing the first fruits and declaring gratitude, captures this same synthesis. The farmer bows before Hashem not only to give thanks, but also to admit dependence and recognize that all bounty comes from Him. The same todah that is expressed in words of thanks is also expressed in the confession that we are never truly able to repay Hashem for what He gives us.
This message weighs heavily upon us this week. Six precious lives were tragically taken in the shooting at Ramot Junction: Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Pash, Yaakov Pinto, Rabbi Yisrael Metzner, Rabbi Yosef David, Rabbi Mordechai Steintzeg, and Sarah (Sarita) Mendelson. Each was a korban offered on the altar of Jewish destiny, lives cut short al kiddush Hashem. As we read the parsha of bikurim and its declaration of todah, we hear its dual meaning more poignantly than ever. On the one hand, we bow in humility, confessing our inability to comprehend such loss and admitting our absolute dependence on Hashem’s rachamim. On the other hand, we lift our voices in gratitude for the kedoshim whose lives were sanctified, davening that their neshamos be received as the most beautiful bikurim, the first fruits of Klal Yisroel, placed before the Kisei HaKovod. May Hashem accept this heartbreaking offering, bring nechama to their families, and may our Selichos, uttered with both confession and gratitude, help bring the day when there will be no more tears, no more tragedy, and only the joy of the geulah
Wishing you a peaceful Shabbos, Aaron M. Friedman
& photos, and mazal tovs to editor@baltimorejewishhome.com to be featured in coming editions!
Opening Remarks and Divrei Bracha
Rabbi Yaakov Hopfer
Mara D'Asrah, Shearith Israel Congregation and President of the Vaad HaRabbanim
Keynote Address
Rabbi Yechiel Spero
Noted Rebbe, Author, & Lecturer
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Around the Community
A Silver Celebration: Hachnosas Sefer Torah In Ranchleigh
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This past Sunday, the greater Ranchleigh community gathered for a beautiful and uplifting Hachnosas Sefer Torah. The new Torah, commissioned by Dr. & Mrs. Moshe Silver in honor of their family and to mark Dr. Silver’s second siyum of Shas, was donated to Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah. A lively procession accompanied the Torah from the Silver home and down
Baythorne Road to the shul, led by a chariot-style truck and children holding torches, with joyous music and dancing led by the renowned Dushinsky Zemiros Group of Eretz Yisroel. The celebration culminated as the members of Kollel Zichron Yehoshua Heschel of Zidichov, each holding Sifrei Torah from the shul, warmly welcomed the new Sefer Torah to its home.
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Baltimore Jewish Community Annual High Holidays Public Safety Meeting Highlights Comprehensive Plan Of Coordinated Security Measures
The annual High Holidays Public Safety Meeting, hosted this morning at Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion by Councilmen Yitzy Schleifer & Izzy Patoka, was a crucial annual event that brought together key stakeholders to ensure the safety and security of the Jewish community during the High Holidays. This collaborative effort was a testament to the commitment of both city and county authorities to protect the rights and safety of all their residents.
At this meeting, representatives from the Baltimore City Police Department, Baltimore County Police Department, the Baltimore Sheriff’s Office, and Senator Dalya Attar sat down with shul presidents and rabbis from most local Jewish congregations and institutions. The goal of this gathering was to coordinate security measures and share information to address potential security concerns during the
High Holidays, which are among the most significant and widely attended events in the Jewish calendar.
During the meeting, law enforcement agencies provided updates on their security plans, offered guidance on best practices for enhancing shul security, and discussed potential threats that may be relevant to the Jewish community. This open dialogue fostered a sense of trust and collaboration between the police and the religious leaders, ensuring that the community was well-prepared to respond to any security challenges that might arise.
Moreover, the Baltimore City and Baltimore County Regional High Holidays Public Safety Meeting served as a symbol of unity and resilience within the local community. It highlighted the shared commitment to maintaining a safe and inclusive environment for all residents, regardless of their
faith, during a time when people came together to celebrate and reflect. This proactive approach to public safety underscored the importance of community partnerships and proactive measures in ensuring a peaceful and
secure environment for everyone. The community could expect to see both stationary and roaming patrols, as well as police command assets parked throughout the community.
Around the Community
JCNSL Regular Season Wraps Up in Dramatic Fashion
The 2025 JCNSL by Tripping Kosher has officially closed out its regular season, and what a season it was! The playoff picture didn’t crystalize until the very last pitch on Sunday night, leaving fans and players alike glued to every score.
That morning, things weren’t looking too sunny. A bout of rainfall had players nervously eyeing the skies, unsure if the fields would even be playable. But thanks to the tireless work of the Donny Ankri Architects Grounds Crew, the Tidy Up Fields were drained, raked, and — true to their name — tidied up to perfection. By evening, the diamonds were gleaming and ready for one final night of regular-season drama.
All eight teams took the field, and several games came down to nail-biting finishes in the ninth inning. When the dust settled, the standings were locked, and four teams booked their tickets to the NIV Advisors Postseason — with dreams of hoisting the Premier Financial Trophy.
Here’s who made the cut:
1. Miracle Massage – Last year ’s champs, now chasing a historic back-to-back title run.
2. YL Waitering – Fresh off their JCSL Morning League crown, they’re aiming to be the first team to capture both morning and night league titles in the same year.
3. Aisle 9 – The rookie squad with the poise of veterans, turning heads week after week.
4. Tov Pizza – Back for revenge after last year’s heartbreak, and determined to write a new ending.
But before we dive into the recaps, a big shoutout to the I Heart Remodeling Umpiring Crew. Officials like Robbie Meehan, Mike Slawinsky, Tuttie, and Ric Kahoe brought consistency, professionalism, and just the right sprinkle of humor to every game. Without them, the JCNSL wouldn’t shine nearly as bright.
Game Recaps
Miracle Massage 17, Ambush Law 10
It wasn’t pretty — more errors than runs — but it sure was entertaining. Miracle Massage, gunning for the top seed, found themselves locked in a dogfight against Ambush Law. Tzvi “Swines before” Perlman racked up singles like it was batting practice, while “Super Sub” Frosty launched a homer to keep things tight. Tied in the bottom of the ninth, with a runner on third, Meir “SAMBana Banana” Samberg lived up to the nickname, blasting one over center to seal Miracle Massage’s third walk-off win of the season.
Tov Pizza 16, Clothier 5
The stakes couldn’t have been higher: win and you’re in, lose and you’re waiting 12 months for redemption. Tov Pizza wasted no time, exploding for a 4–0 lead and never looking back. Ace Barry Rosenbluth controlled the mound with zero walks, backed by slick defense led by captain Shua Novograd. When it was all over, Tov Pizza had punched their postseason ticket in decisive fashion, cruising to a 16–5 victory.
YL Waitering 8, Aisle 9 6
In what felt like a playoff preview, YL Waitering edged out Aisle 9 in a thriller. Yoni Levin went 3-for-4, Yoni Frager was unstoppable at 5-for-5, and Avi “The Kid” Abramson teamed with Benzion Shamberg to turn three double plays in the first three innings alone. DY Green vacuumed up everything in the outfield, while Shlomo Fantl crushed a triple and dominated at first. Mayer Goldsmith pitched strong, Brian Ponczak delivered a clutch 2-run double, and the entire squad rode the momentum to clinch the #2 seed.
MDSC
7, The Fireside Bakery 4
This one didn’t change the standings, but it was history in the making. Team MDSC, otherwise known as the “Traveling Strum Family Softball Experience,” walked away with bragging rights — and likely the record for most immediate relatives on a single roster. Between father Tali, sons Rafi, Ori, and Ezra, son-in-law Aharon Leib Wealcatch, plus honorary cousins and teammates like Shai Sheller, the game was less about wins and losses and more about family memories. Still, a 7–4 victory was a sweet way to close their season.
What’s Next?
The stage is set. Miracle Massage, YL Waitering, Aisle 9, and Tov Pizza are gearing up for the NIV Advisors Postseason, where one team will etch their name on the Premier Financial Trophy. Will we see a repeat champion, a double-league dynasty, a rookie miracle, or a pizza-fueled revenge tour?
Baltimore softball fans won’t have to wait long to find out.
The Thirteen Middos of Hashem open the Gates of Mercy. In The Master of Mercy… and Me, Rabbi Yechiel Spero brings these Middos to life with profound insights, practical guidance, and inspiring stories.
Each chapter ends with a powerful “Takeaway” to help us live the Middos in our daily lives, along with a special story section on emulating Hashem’s attributes.
This year, let the Thirteen Middos deepen your tefillah, strengthen your connection to Hashem, and transform the way you live.
Torah Institute Third Grade Haschalas Mishnayos!
B’ezras Hashem, The Cheder’s wonderful third graders began to learn Mishnayos this past Sunday.
S’gan Menahel Rav Nosson Adlin addressed all four classes, and discussed the Zechus of starting Torah She’bal Peh. Afterwards, he
handed out a personalized Mishanayos Berachos to each boy, who then received a delicious donut from his Rebbe to celebrate this momentous occasion.
We look forward to these Talmidim growing in Mishnayos and all of Torah She’bal Peh!
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France is now on the way to getting its fifth prime minister in less than two year’s.
French Gov’t Collapses
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou was ousted on Monday in a 364-194 confidence vote in the National Assembly, leading to the collapse of the French government. Now, the government of Bayrou, which was appointed by President Emanuel Macron less than a year ago, must resign. Macron, in turn, needs to decide who will replace Bayrou. Macron’s office said this would happen
Some have speculated that Macron will turn now to a leftwing prime minister, having failed with the conservative Barnier and the centrist Bayrou. Still, others believe that Macron will be turning to Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu. Labour Minister Catherine Vautrin and Finance Minister Eric Lombard are also said to be in the running.
Lecornu, 39, has held several positions throughout Macron’s tenure in office, including Minister for Local Authorities and Minister of the Overseas. He has lasted longer than other ministers who have held office since Macron’s 2017 election and has been a key ally to Macron. He is a member of Macron’s Renaissance Party.
Nicolas Bonnet, a member of the general assembly from the Green Party, told France 24, “I’m happy that François Bayrou is out. The National Assembly no longer trusted him. But I’m also concerned because we have to build some-
thing new, a new government. We have a new prime minister, and firstly, a new budget for next year. It will be quite difficult because we have seen in the past year, this was complicated to make different parties, different groups in the assembly to...build compromise.”
Protests Sweep Nepal
After Nepal’s government banned social media applications, including WhatsApp, thousands of people protested across the country amid widespread anger over accusations of government corruption. At least 19 people were killed in the protests. Hundreds others were injured during the violent crackdown by security forces on demonstrators.
Nepal’s home minister, Ramesh Lekhak, tendered his resignation to Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli amid calls for the latter’s resignation by critics across the political spectrum. Lekhak cited moral grounds. Oli, who is serving for the fourth time, heads the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Lenin-
ist) and is leading a coalition government alongside the Nepali Congress party.
Police in Kathmandu, the capital, responded with lethal force to throngs of protesters entering the area around the parliament building. Officials fired live ammunition along with water cannons, rubber bullets and tear gas.
Protests and clashes in Kathmandu and other Nepali cities continued even after a curfew was imposed for certain neighborhoods in the afternoon.
The demonstrations have come to be known as the “Gen Z protests,” given young people’s widespread participation. Photos showed signs decrying nepotism and political elites.
The wife of former prime minister of Nepal Jhala Nath Khanal died after she was burned alive when her home was set on fire by protesters.
On August 28, Nepal’s Ministry of Communication and Information Technology ordered all social media platforms, foreign and domestic, to register with the ministry within seven days or face a nationwide ban. In a notice issued after a Supreme Court directive, the government said companies must appoint local
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
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
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
shacharis
The Week In News
representatives — including a grievance officer and compliance monitor — in order to continue operating. Platforms that did not comply would be deactivated, while registered services would be reactivated immediately. The ban went into effect Thursday. Twenty six apps were blocked, including WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Signal, Reddit and X.
The ban on these applications was strategic. Many of these platforms were used by citizens to express their discontent with Nepal’s government. Many people living in Nepal hail from India, Malaysia, and countries in the Persian Gulf. As such, communication with family members has been hindered.
“The independence of the nation is greater than the loss of jobs of a handful of individuals,” Oli, the prime minister, said in a speech Sunday in defense of the social media crackdown. “How can it be acceptable to defy the law, disregard the constitution and disrespect national dignity, independence and sovereignty?”
Nepal’s former prime minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, widely known as Prachanda, criticized the social media ban and asked for it to be lifted in posts to
X on Monday. He said the government should address the wider issues of corruption to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.
Largest Dam in Africa
On Tuesday, Ethiopia inaugurated Africa’s largest dam to boost the economy, end frequent blackouts, and support the growth of electric vehicle development in a country that has banned the importation of gasoline-powered vehicles.
Reservoir waters flowed into the turbines of the Grand Renaissance Dam on Tuesday. Hundreds of Ethiopians came out in celebration, viewing the ceremony on large screens across the capital, Addis Ababa.
The almost $5 billion mega-dam, located on a tributary of the River Nile in the northwest of the country, near the border with Sudan, will produce more than 5,000 megawatts and is expected to double national electricity generation capacity, according to officials.
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, speaking during the launch, said the dam was a “big achievement” that would show the world what Africans are capable of accomplishing.
“I am proud to announce we will soon be signing an agreement with the government of Ethiopia to receive electricity from the dam that will benefit our hospitals and schools,” said South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir.
Kenyan President William Ruto said his nation is looking to sign a power purchasing agreement with Ethiopia based on the resources of the dam project, which he said was a “pan-African statement.” Kenya already imports Ethiopian electricity.
The dam is not without controversy.
Egypt has long opposed the dam because of concerns it would deplete its share of Nile River waters. The Arab world’s most populous country relies almost entirely on
the Nile to supply water for agriculture and its more than 100 million people.
Tamim Khallaf, a spokesperson for Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the dam posed an “existential threat.”
“There was no prior notification, proper consultations, or consensus with downstream countries, thereby constituting a grave violation of international law,” he said.
Abiy assured his neighbors this week that Ethiopia does not plan to hurt them and that they will have shared prosperity.
“I assure you that Ethiopia will never take away your rightful share,” he said.
“Today, I make this promise before my people. The hunger of our brothers in Egypt, in Sudan, or anywhere else is also our hunger. We must share and grow together, for we have no intention of harming anyone.”
Hezbollah to Disarm
On Monday, Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos said the country’s
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army would start disarming the Hezbollah terror group. However, the plan’s exact details, which were discussed on Friday, will remain “secret.”
When Gen. Rudolph Haikal, the military chief, arrived during a cabinet meeting, ministers from Hezbollah and Shiite Amal, along with an independent Shi’ite minister, walked out of the room and exited the government palace. They also left last month during a meeting in which the cabinet tasked the military with drafting disarmament plans, which would ensure that, by the year’s end, only state entities
officially possess weapons.
In August, when the Lebanese government decided to disarm Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terror group said it would “treat this decision as if it does not exist.” Hezbollah alleged that the government made that decision after succumbing to pressure from the United States and Israel.
After the October 7 massacre, Hezbollah began launching rockets at northern Israel. Just under a year later, in September 2024, that conflict escalated into an all-out war, with an Israeli ground
HIRINGHIRING
campaign in southern Lebanon. The war ended with a ceasefire in November 2024, leaving Hezbollah at its weakest. As per the truce, both Hezbollah and Israel were required to withdraw from southern Lebanon. However, Israel has kept troops stationed in strategic areas. The Jewish state has said it would leave if Hezbollah disarms, a demand that the terror group has rejected. Morcos has accused Israel of “reneging on these obligations and seriously threaten[ing] regional security and stability.”
Antisemitism Increases in Britain
YouGov and Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) published results on Sunday for an online poll it conducted in Britain about Israel and Jews. According to the survey, 21% of British citizens agree with four or more antisemitic statements — an almost 200% increase since 2021.
Forty-five percent of respondents and up to 60% of 18- to 24-year-olds believe that Israel treats Palestinians in the same way that Nazis treated Jews — up from 33% in 2024.
“This is one of the most common antisemitic tropes that we see,” CAA said. “It both trivializes the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were industrially slaughtered, and insultingly accuses victims of the crime committed against them of perpetrating it.”
Almost half of young Britons said they’d feel uneasy about spending time with people who are openly Zionist. Just 31% agreed that the Jews have a right to Israel as their homeland. Nineteen percent of young respondents said that the October 7 massacre was justified, while around 10% admit to holding positive views about Hamas, and 14% believe it shouldn’t be designated as a terror group. Fifty-four percent admitted to not knowing the definition of “Zionism.”
“Our country is clearly at a tipping point,” said a spokesperson for the CAA. “These are the highest antisemitism figures that we have ever recorded, having
doubled in less than five years. Our young people are being radicalized into adopting hateful ideologies before our eyes. Britain will lose its soul to extremists unless the silent majority wakes up.”
However, many Britons still oppose the pro-Palestinian marches. Around 32% view the protests negatively, 69% say the marches are futile, and 58% believe that the protestors should be responsible for cleaning up and paying for the costs of the riots.
A Day of Mourning
On Monday morning, two Palestinian terrorists murdered six Israelis and injured 12 more in the Ramot Junction in Jerusalem after attacking a group of people waiting at a bus stop.
The victims were identified as Levi Yitzhak Pash, 57, Yaakov Pinto, 25, Yisrael Matzner, 28, Rabbi Yosef David, 43, Rabbi Mordechai Steintzag, 79, and Sarah Mendelson, 60.
The terrorists were neutralized by a charedi soldier and an armed charedi man who obtained his gun license after the October 7 massacre.
Malka Cohen, who was on the number 62 bus when terrorists opened fire, recounted the harrowing moments of the attack.
“I was on the bus. The bus was packed,” Cohen told Channel 12. “The moment [the driver] opened the door… terrorists came. It was terrible. I was by the back door, I fell on everyone and escaped, I saved myself.”
She said she hid behind another nearby vehicle until the shooting stopped and the terrorists were neutralized.
“There was gunfire there beyond anything imaginable. I can’t believe I’m standing here. Indescribable gunfire,” she said.
The Shin Bet identified the terrorists as Mohammad Taha, 21, and Muthanna Amro, 20, from the Judea and Samaria villages of Qatanna and Qubeiba, respectively. The assailants used improvised “Carlo” submachine guns. Along with the guns, police also recovered a knife and ammunition.
A third man — an East Jerusalem res-
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ident — was later detained by the Shin Bet security agency for allegedly smuggling by car the two terrorists into Jerusalem.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the scene of the terrorist attack, along with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and MK Zvi Sukkot.
Netanyahu also boarded the number 62 bus that was attacked and expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. Later, Netanyahu held a situational assessment with security establishment heads. Ben Gvir held a situational assessment with deputy police commissioner Avshalom Peled and Jerusalem District commander Amir Azrani.
Hamas hailed the attack as “heroic” and urged Palestinians to continue attacking Israelis but didn’t claim responsibility.
Following the attack, police blocked off Route 1 through the Arazim Tunnel to
eastbound traffic.
Army engineers mapped out the two terrorists’ homes on Monday, as they are now set for demolition. Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered authorities to impose “civil sanctions” on the relatives of the two terrorists as well as residents of Qatanna and Qubeiba. Katz also said that 750 work and entry permits to Israel would be revoked in response to the attack.
Levi Yitzhak Pash, Hy”d, a father of six children, was laid to rest in Har Hamenuchos on Monday. He was the maintenance man in Kol Torah Yeshiva and was waiting at the bus stop on his way to work. A short while before the attack, R’ Pash gave up his seat in a car when he heard that someone going to a medical appointment needed a ride. R’ Pash decided to take the bus instead.
“In the past ten years, I had the privilege of knowing an extraordinary man with a warm and radiant face,” said Elhanan Koren, who works at the Kol Torah yeshiva, told ynet. “He was always the first to help, the mother and father of the students in the dormitories. Levi Yitzchak always came with a glowing face and wisdom. He was a true example of
dedication. Beyond his work as a maintenance man, he never wasted time — he always had a sefer in hand and would go study in the beit midrash. He was a joyful Jew, and we were happy to be in his company. He would stay late into the night, well beyond working hours.”
Yaakov Pinto, Hy”d, got married a year ago. He recently immigrated to Israel from Spain. He was learning in Derech Emunah Yeshiva in Lod.
Yisrael Matzner, Hy”d, was a father of three who was born in Bnei Brak. R’ Yisrael learned in Yeshiva Hevron and was learning in Meisharim Kollel in Jerusalem when he was killed.
Rabbi Yosef David, Hy”d, was on his way to yeshiva, carrying his sefarim with him, when he was murdered.
Rabbi Mordechai Steintzeg, Hy”d, was also known as Dr. Mark. He lived in the Ramot Bet neighborhood. Rabbi Steintzeg was the founder of the well-known Dr. Mark’s Bakery in Beit Shemesh. He immigrated from Pennsylvania in 1993 and embraced a healthy lifestyle that included wholesome food. He eventually opened a small home bakery specializing in spelt and sourdough loaves. Today, his products are sold in
nearly every supermarket in Israel.
“For him, bread was not just food but a symbol of warmth, home, belonging and generosity. Through bread, he brought people together and offered comfort,” the bakery’s Instagram page said on Monday.
Sarah (Sarita) Mendelson, Hy”d, lived in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood. She is survived by four children and grandchildren. A longtime leader in the Bnei Akiva youth movement, she was affectionately known as “Sarita” and worked for decades as director of municipal relations in the movement’s finance department. She was killed on her way to work at Bnei Akiva’s national headquarters in Jerusalem.
“Sarita was like the mother of Bnei Akiva. She sat in the director-general’s office, always welcoming everyone with a smile,” Netanel Elk, deputy secretary-general of Bnei Akiva, said. “Over the years, dozens of employees came through, and she always helped and supported them, even in stressful times.”
Her daughter, Aviya Ben-Haroush, said at the funeral, “How can a pure thing like you meet such evil? I’m sure you will look after us and send us powers of joy
The Week In News
and support from above. The people of Israel have suffered enough; it hurts too much. Pray for the hostages, for our soldiers, and for us.”
Secretary-General of Bnei Akiva, Yigal Klein, said, “Sarita, before we say our final goodbye, one more request from you. With all your light, you knew in your role how to demand, to demand payment, to demand debts from the authorities, to demand what Bnei Akiva always needed. We have one request, Sarita: please, rise up before the throne of glory, and with your unique strength, demand the debts owed by the Master of the Universe, who already owes us redemption.
“Demand goodness for your family and for all our people. Demand the safe return of our soldiers in health and peace, crowned with victory until the victory of light and good. Demand the swift return of our hostages. Demand the return of our people to the beloved expanses of our land. Demand deep unity within us. Demand that ‘joy will come to our land, gladness to our city, and a great light will shine for the house of Yishai, your Moshiach.’ … Sarita, you’ve already met many more demands that you have called for,
so on our behalf, to Heaven, please demand these too.”
This was the first major terrorist attack in Jerusalem since November 2023, when two terrorists murdered four children near Givat Shaul.
So Much Pain
On Monday morning, four IDF soldiers lost their lives in a Hamas attack on the outskirts of Gaza City.
The announcement came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning to the residents of Gaza City to “get out” of the area and as the IDF continued its campaign of heavy bombardment ahead of an imminent ground offensive to capture the major city.
The four heroes who lost their lives while fighting for their nation and coun-
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try were Lt. Matan Abramovitz, 21, from Ganei Tikva; Staff Sgt. Uri Lamed, 20, from Tel Mond; Sgt. Amit Arye Regev, 19, from Modiin; and Sgt. Gadi Cotal, 20, from Kibbutz Afikim.
They all served with the 401st Armored Brigade’s 52nd Battalion.
Additionally, a soldier of the Nahal Brigade’s 50th Battalion was moderately wounded in the incident, the army said.
According to a preliminary IDF probe, three Hamas terrorists launched an attack on an army encampment in the Kafr Jabalia area, on the outskirts of Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, at around 6 a.m. The incident took place shortly after troops had returned to the outpost following an overnight activity.
The operatives reached a tank at the entrance to the encampment and opened fire at the commander, who had his head outside the armored vehicle’s open hatch. The gunmen then hurled an explosive device into the tank, killing the four soldiers, according to the initial investigation.
The probe also found that other soldiers stationed in the encampment returned fire at the fleeing gunmen, hitting at least two of them. During the exchange of fire, the wounded infantryman was hit in the leg, according to the IDF.
Spain: Ben-Gvir, Smotrich Banned
On Tuesday, Spain said that it will deny entry to Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, as part of measures tied to the Gaza war.
In response, Ben-Gvir posted on X,
The Spanish government has already moved to bar ships and aircraft carrying weapons to Israel from using Spanish ports and airspace, and to boost aid to Palestinian bodies while targeting settlement-linked goods.
A day before the announced ban on Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, Israel announced a ban of entry against two Spanish cabinet members, Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz and Youth Minister Sira Rego, after they supported sanctions against Israel. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar had accused the Spanish ministers of promoting antisemitic and anti-Israeli rhetoric, drawing a sharp protest from Madrid and the recall of Spain’s ambassador to Israel for consultations.
This is not the first time that BenGvir and Smotrich have faced international pressure. In June, Britain joined allied countries in sanctioning BenGvir and Smotrich over incendiary remarks linked to the Gaza war, a move that Jerusalem criticized. Other European capitals have also targeted the pair. In late July, the Netherlands imposed its own entry ban on Ben-Gvir and Smotrich and summoned Israel’s ambassador in The Hague.
Israel Strikes Doha
On Tuesday, in a targeted strike against Hamas leadership hiding out in Qatar, Israel launched a strike that targeted the “residential headquarters” where senior Hamas politicians lived. As of now, it is unclear if those members were killed in the strike, although Palestinians say that two members of
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Hamas were killed in the attack.
Qatar condemned the attack, dubbed by Israel “Summit of Fire.”
Qatar has played a major role as a mediator in talks between Israel and Hamas to end the war in Gaza. According to Qatari officials, Qatar agreed to host an office for Hamas at the request of the United States.
“This criminal assault constitutes a blatant violation of all international laws and norms, and poses a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents in Qatar,” Majed al-Ansari, the spokesman for the Qatari foreign ministry, said.
U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack, saying
Saudi de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also condemned the attack.
The crown prince offers Saudi Arabia’s “full support for the sisterly State of Qatar, and its condemnation of the blatant Israeli attack on the sisterly State of Qatar, which constitutes a criminal act and a flagrant violation of international laws and norms,” says the kingdom’s Foreign Ministry.
Saudi Arabia says it is also “deploying all its capabilities” to support Qatar “and the measures it is taking to protect its security and preserve its sovereignty.”
The United States was informed of the attack prior to it being carried out.
Finland Calls for Two-State Solution
On Friday, Finland joined many
Saudi Arabia is the most significant international effort in years to create the conditions for a two-state solution,” Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said of the United Nations summit held in July to address the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel and the United States skipped the event in protest.
The declaration, which supposedly includes “tangible, timebound and irreversible steps” toward a two-state solution, first calls for an end to the war in Gaza.
Valtonen has said that Finland “is committed to recognizing the state of Palestine at some point in the future,” though she hasn’t specified when. The ruling right-wing coalition government, which includes the Finns Party and the Christian Democrats, is against recognizing a state for the Palestinians.
Recently, many European countries have moved to recognize Palestine as a state, sparking condemnation from Israel and the United States. In retaliation, Israeli officials have considered annexing more of Judea and Samaria.
Controlling the Murdoch Fortune
Rupert Murdoch, 94, is worth $24.2 billion, according to Forbes. He had sought to put the family trust and media empire into the hands of his son, Lachlan. But his other children, James, Elisabeth, and Prudence opposed the move.
For the past few years, much of the family’s battle had played out behind closed doors. Last December, a Nevada probate commissioner ruled against Murdoch’s efforts to amend terms of the trust and give control to Lachlan.
Murdoch sought the change, in part, because Lachlan is the one most aligned with his conservative political views as well as the best manager to run the companies. Murdoch owns Fox Corporation, The Wall Street Journal, New York
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Post, The Sun, and The Times, along with broadcast networks such as Fox News
This week, the Murdoch family announced that it reached a deal over control of its media empire.
Lachlan Murdoch is set to take control of his father’s media assets as part of the new agreement between the patriarch and his children. Lachlan will control all the votes in a new trust that will hold sizable stakes in Fox Corp. and News Corp once the deal is completed.
The transaction is valued at approximately $3.3 billion, according to a person familiar with the situation.
The Murdoch trust, which currently holds roughly 40% voting stakes in Fox and Wall Street Journal parent News Corp, was initially designed to give each of his four oldest children an equal voting share.
As part of the settlement announced Monday, Rupert Murdoch’s children James, Elisabeth and Prudence will give up their claims to the existing trust. They will instead receive new trusts with cash funded in part by sales of some of the existing trust’s Fox and News Corp stock. The three children will also be subject to a long-term agreement preventing them from buying shares in the companies.
New trusts will also be created for Lachlan, who is executive chair and chief executive officer of Fox Corp. and chair of News Corp, as well as the two children that Rupert Murdoch had with Wendi Deng. Grace and Chloe Murdoch are beneficiaries of the original trust
Christian Groups Sue UN Member
Two pro-Israel U.S. Christian groups have sued the UN special rapporteur on the Palestinians for alleged defamation and libel. The groups say that Francesca Albanese sought to harm them due to their support for Israel.
The plaintiffs in the case against Albanese are Christian Friends of Israeli Communities and Christians for Israel USA, two U.S.-based nonprofits.
In the lawsuit filed in a federal court in Colorado, where Christian Friends of Israeli Communities is based, the two groups said Albanese “spread malicious lies” to “harm their reputations and financial wellbeing” due to their support for Israel.
In April, Albanese sent letters to the two groups accusing them of complicity in “gross human rights violations that require immediate cessation,” war crimes, crimes against humanity and apartheid, according to the lawsuit.
The letters said the plaintiffs were at “serious risk of being implicated in international crimes.”
The lawsuit included copies of the letters, which accused the nonprofits of aiding illegal settlement activity, assisting the Israeli military, denying the Palestinians the right to self-determination, and aiding the unlawful annexation of Palestinian land.
The letters drew a response from Leo Terrell, the head of an antisemitism task force at the U.S. Department of Justice, who warned Albanese that her actions were false and defamatory, the lawsuit said.
Weeks later, Albanese published a UN report that attacked the two Christian groups. In the report, Albanese said that the groups and others should be punished by governments, courts and the public. The report demanded the nonprofits cease any activity linked to “crimes against the Palestinian people,” pay reparations to Palestinians, be investigated by international and U.S. authorities, and be subject to a boycott.
The lawsuit alleged that Albanese made the statements knowing they were false, which would constitute defamation and libel.
The lawsuit said Albanese has claimed immunity as a UN official but argued that she made the defamatory remarks outside of her official duties.
Albanese has a history of antisemitism and extremist rhetoric toward Israel. In July, the United States imposed sanctions on her, accusing her of “political and economic warfare” against the U.S. and Israel.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the step was taken in light of “her illegitimate and shameful efforts to prompt International Criminal Court action against U.S. and Israeli officials, companies, and executives.”
In June, the Trump administration wrote a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urging him to remove Albanese from her post, alleging “virulent antisemitism and support for terrorism.”
Albanese, an Italian national, regu-
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larly accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza and has said that the October 7, 2023, massacre by Hamas in Israel must be put in a “context of decades of oppression imposed on the Palestinians.” She has come under harsh criticism from both the Biden and Trump administrations.
Albanese has said that the “Jewish lobby” controls the U.S., repeatedly compared Israelis to Nazis, rejected antisemitic motivations for Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, blamed Israel for the invasion, rejected Israeli security concerns, condemned Israel’s killing of Hamas terror chief Yahya Sinwar, and denied Israel’s right to self defense, among other inflammatory statements.
Running High
Running backwards isn’t easy. Running in high heels isn’t easy, ei-
ther. Running backwards in high heels? Even harder.
This week, Christian Roberto López Rodríguez, a man from Spain, defeated one of his own Guinness World Records titles by running 328 feet backward in 16.55 seconds –while wearing blue high heels.
He broke the record for the fastest 100 meters backwards in high heels, which he previously set at 20.05 seconds during an appearance on Spanish TV series La Noche De Los Récords.
The record-keeping organization’s rules for the record required Rodríguez’s shoes to have heels of at leash 2.76 inches and be no wider than .59 inches at the tip.
Rodríguez currently holds more than 80 Guinness World Records titles, including the fastest 400 meters in clogs, 1 minute and 1.38 seconds; the fastest 100 meters wearing flip flops, 12.10 seconds; the fastest mile traveled while balancing a pool cue on a finger, 5 minutes and 52.30 seconds; the fastest 100 meters on a space hopper, 29.91 seconds; the fastest 100 meters carrying an egg on a spoon in the mouth, 17.21 seconds; and the fastest 50 meters backwards wearing swim fins, 8.82 seconds.
He’s on the run.
Lego On the Go
get a drink in middle of the night, only to stumble on a pile of LEGOs? Gabrielle Wall is unafraid of those tiny building blocks. The New Zealand mom recently broke a world record for running barefoot across a track littered with LEGOs.
Wall earned the Guinness World Record for fastest 100 meter barefoot on LEGO bricks back in January — but she went viral this week, racking up 9.3 million views, after Guinness World Records posted a video of the effort on Instagram.
Wall, a mother of two, ran the 100 meters in 24.75 seconds and explained it was one of the items on the bucket list she wrote after she suffered a health scare in 2022.
“I am proud to have pushed myself to new limits,” she told Guinness World Records, calling it an “unforgettable” experience.
The track Wall sprinted through was constructed from a staggering 661 pounds of LEGOs, which were donated.
We have three words for her: Ow!
Ki Va Moed
Oraysa Begins The Final Masechta In Seder Moed
Have you always dreamed of learning Shas in a goal-oriented manner and exploring sugyos at a manageable pace? Here is your chance to join Oraysa, the Amud V’Chazara Initiative – as they embark on the final Masechta in Seder Moed – and be a part of this monumental movement as we reach a historic milestone in just a few months!
Excitement is mounting among the thousands of Lomdei Oraysa around the globe as they approach the end of Maseches Moed Katan. This Masechta has been learned, toiled upon, and reviewed by lomdim over the past three months as they now prepare to begin Maseches Chagigah.
Masechta Chagigah is especially meaningful as it begins with sugyos at the core of Yom Tov: Olas Re’iyah, Shalmei Chagigah, Aliyah L’regel, Mitzvas Aseh She’hazman Grama, and Simchas Yom Tov.
With Oraysa beginning this Masechta right before Yom Tov, lomdim will have the unique opportunity to enter Yom Tov while learning these very relevant sugyos.
An additional reason for excitement is the fact that Chagigah is the final Masechta in Seder Moed. The completion of this Masechta will be celebrated with a Siyum
on the entire Seder Moed, slated to take place at the beginning of Kislev 5786 –end of November.
The completion of an entire Seder is the first such celebration since the inception of Oraysa almost six years ago. Lomdim have been tirelessly toiling through Masechta after Masechta, amud by amud, slowly and steadily making their way through Seder Moed. The ripples of excitement and anticipation are being felt in chaburos all over the globe.
B’siyata d’Shmaya, the central Siyum will be celebrated at the Cure Arena in Trenton, New Jersey on Sunday, November 23. This event will surely be a historic Maamad of honor to the Torah, graced by Gedolim and Roshei Yeshiva and attended by thousands of lomdim and their families.
Siyumim will also be held in Israel and Europe, drawing thousands of lomdim in each location to rejoice in this monumental milestone of Torah study.
The Oraysa Amud V’Chazara program was developed in collaboration with leading Roshei Yeshiva and Torah leaders to address the growing demand for a Gemara-learning framework that balances consistent progress with structured review.
Oraysa is a worldwide initiative designed to unite and empower Lomdei Torah through a structured daily seder limud of an amud a day. It provides the framework with which to learn, review, and retain Shas while delving into its sugyos, at a pace that works.
With every Masechta, Oraysa sees extraordinary growth with siyata d’Shmaya, with more chaburos and hundreds of individuals joining all around the world. The program’s structured yet flexible approach makes it accessible to lomdei Torah across the spectrum, from kollel scholars to working professionals to educators. With Oraysa, every participant, regardless of their background or schedule, has the ability to grow in their Torah learning and deepen their connection to their learning.
Lomdim can also avail themselves of the many varied resources that are provided both digitally and in print. These
include the daily world-class shiurim that are accessible by video or audio, as well as the highly-popular Yalkuts which contain many valuable resources to complement one’s learning and are distributed around the world on a monthly basis.
Oraysa has become a global movement, connecting approximately 35,000 lomdim in 450 chaburos across 100 cities worldwide. Join the Lomdei Oraysa as they embark on this journey into the sugyos of Maseches Chagigah. Savor the satisfaction of learning in a goal-oriented way with a system which incorporates review and retention, ensuring that every amud remains truly yours for years to come.
To join Oraysa, for more information, or to help establish a chaburah in your community, contact Oraysa at 914.8.ORAYSA, email info@oraysa.org, or visit www.oraysa.org.
Avi Schwam (Lakewood) & Tziporah Klein (Baltimore)
Torah Thought Cry, Baby, Cry
By Rabbi Zvi Teichman
Some time ago I had the privilege of attending and participating at a Bris, celebrating the arrival of another precious Jewish soul and its entree to the journey of a life in service to G-d.
Having been honored with giving the name I recited, with great enthusiasm and hope for this child, the concluding sentiment of this special prayer with the words: Just as he entered the covenant, so may he enter Torah, the marriage canopy, and good deeds.
Ironically, later that very same day I was privileged to lead the burial of a cherished friend, an elderly woman who lived an inspiring life, who happened to be related to the family of the little boy who underwent his Bris earlier that day, who would have otherwise certainly been in joyous attendance of that celebration.
At the funeral I recited Tziduk HaDin, a very different — although equally meaningful — sentiment: A man whether he be a year old, or whether he lives a thousand years, what does it profit him? — As if he has never been shall he be... Blessed is He, for His judgment is true, He scans everything with His eye, and repays man according to his account and just sentence... Great in counsel and abundant indeed, Your eyes are open upon all the ways of the children of man, to give man according to the fruit of his deeds.
Here today, gone tomorrow.
Each morning we express in the blessing of Elokai Neshamah gratitude to G-d for restoring our vitality in the morning with a soul of pure, heavenly origin, and for sustaining us in life and health.
The ‘Mechaber’, Rav Yosef Karo, in his commentary Beis Yosef, records the principle that all blessings must have an acknowledgment of G-d’s תוכלמ — sovereignty, and asks why in this blessing of Elokai Neshamah it is missing, with no mention of G-d as King?
He answers that the mere notion of G-d as the creator of all souls, Who infuses the soul into our bodies with His breath, retrieving them and restoring them daily, is the greatest testament to His dominion as the ultimate ךלמ — King. (ש"מו ה"ד ףסוי תיב ד"יר 'יס ח"וא רוט)
But it is not just about not taking our existence for granted.
Too often, we tread onward in life forgetting our humble beginning, neglecting to ponder our inevitable end, and more significantly, the lifelong mission that links the two, as we add in that earlier prayer: ונתי הידוה ומשל לכהו — All must give His Name acknowledgment.
Blessed shall you be ךאובב — when you enter, and Blessed shall you be ךתאצב — when you go out. (ז חכ םירבד)
Rashi quoting the Talmud, interprets this verse as referring to how fortunate is one ‘who exits this world free of אטח — sin, just as he came in without sin.’
Just as a child enters the world with a pure soul untainted from sin so may we leave the world as pristine.
Is that our greatest aspiration, to simply avoid sin? What about accruing merits and developing our character in achieving great accomplishments in the realm of Torah study and good deeds?
Several verses later, where the Torah discusses the lot of those who
do not adhere to His call, it states: Accursed will you be ךאובב — when you come and accursed you will be ךתאצב — when you go out.
Considering the previous understanding that 'ךאובב' refers to the state of purity of our unsullied soul upon entering the world, how can we ever describe that as ‘accursed’? Is anyone ‘accursed’ from the get-go?
Additionally perplexing is the concept of the blessing of being free of sin at birth. A child has no choice, his lack of sin is meaningless until he becomes an adult and chooses to do what is right and avoids sin.
The word אטח more literally means ‘missing’ or ‘removed’. It is used to indicate sin because one who sins has erred and ‘missed’ the target and ‘removed’ himself from G-d.
Perhaps the focus therein is not on the lack of ‘sin’ upon entry to this world, as much as it is referring to having been born complete, not lacking anything in terms of our being equipped to achieve perfection in cultivating one’s unique soul and elevating it towards exquisite closeness to G-d.
The Holy Reb Levi Yitzchok of Berditchiv taught that a child cries upon birth because he left a wondrous world where one basks in the greatest pleasure of sensing the Shechinah — the Divine Presence without any barrier between them.
The Talmud records a debate whether it was better not to have been born — basking in heavenly bliss upon high, than to be born into a world of temptation that prevents us from perceiving G-d so easily — something to truly cry about.
Our challenge remains whether those earliest tears of frustration will transform into tears of longing — compelling one to ‘seek’ G-d even amidst the morass, or will it degenerate into
tears of dejection — leading us down the path of apathy and hopelessness.
The privilege of being gifted with a ‘perfect’ soul is a double-edged sword.
It is up to us to determine whether we choose to be inspired toward greatness — blessed, or to view it as an overwhelming burden requiring tedious effort and challenge — accursed
It is said in the name of the Holy Arizal that one whom does not cry at some point over Rosh Hashanah is evidently one whose soul is defective or sealed off.
The Chassidic masters assert that the verse in Tehillim (ז ב םילהת), התא ינב — My son you are, םויה
— I have this day, ךיתדלי — begotten you, is alluding to Rosh Hashana, the day of Adam’s creation, which affords each one of us an opportunity for rebirth as well.
Perhaps that same frustration and tears that Adam shed after being driven out of Gan Eden, is echoed by every child that enters a world where G-d his hidden and not as evident as in the world they just descended from.
On Rosh Hashana that primal cry of frustrations echoes once again.
One who does not shed a tear reflects on a blockage in the Neshamah.
May we cry like a baby, yearning for a life where we can reconnect to the source of all life, ever remaining conscious of our mission, and merit even when the going gets tough, to always feel blessed in that divine privilege bestowed upon us.
You may reach the author at: Ravzt@ ohelmoshebaltimore.com
OVERVIEW
Parshas Ki Savo begins with the discussion of the Bikkurim (first fruits) procedure and the Tithe declaration. Moshe Rabbeinu concludes his address to the Jewish people and provides instructions upon crossing the Jordan. The Jewish people are told of the blessings that they’ll receive for following G-d, as well as the 98 curses if they don’t, chas v’shalom
TSorahparks
Inspiration Everywhere
Parshas Ki Savo
QUICK VORT
Quotable Quote “ ”
“The old shall be renewed, and the new shall be made holy.”
Recently, when I went to Rita’s with my family, instead of asking the man behind the counter for ices or ice cream, I pointed to the “Order Happiness” sign and said, “Hi there, can I please get one order of happiness?!” I just wanted to see his reaction. He was confused for a moment, but then realized I was referencing the sign. He smiled and told me that anything I order will provide happiness. I got some vanilla ice cream (with sprinkles!) and walked out a happy camper!
Now, between you, me, and that “Order Happiness” sign, we all know – deep deep deep down – the truth. And that is: YOU CANNOT ORDER HAPPINESS. If only it was so easy! One “happiness” coming right up! Nope. Sorry. That is not how it works. We may get something, do something, or “order” something that provides us with a quick dopamine rush, a fleeting moment of joy, but overall, that’s not what leads to true joy and happiness.
Happiness is not something on a menu that we can merely order to get it; happiness is much deeper than that. It is not something external; rather, real happiness is found internally, within our own mind and psyche, within our attitude and mindset.
GEMATRIA
The gematria of
Pesukim - 122
Words - 1,747 PARSHA STATS
Letters - 6,811
Mitzvos - 6
ThoughtsChassidus in
The Tzofnas Peneach says about the Arizal Hakadosh that תגשה
- Everything he attained in matters of Divine spirit and inspiration was as a result for his great joy with his Yiddishkeit!
Make sure to live with joy!
Did You
Know?!
The tzaddikim point out that we read the Klalos (curses) in a low whisper since special secrets are said in an undertone, and from a deeper perspective, the Klalos contain epic blessings!
- and you shall love.
is 414, which happens to be the same as
The connection is quite clear. We are meant to love Hashem and serve Him with joy and good hearts. Living with Yiras Hashem is good, but living with Yirah and Ahavas Hashem is so much better!
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
The Torah tells us that the curses come about, chas v’shalom, “because you did not serve Hashem with joy and with gladness of heart, when you had an abundance of everything” (Ki Savo 28:47). The term “abundance of everything” – לכ ברמ – is quite interesting. On some level, perhaps we are being taught that a lack of joy comes from focusing on the בר – the abundance – instead of on everything – לכ
We know that Yaakov Avinu lived in the realm of יל שי לכ , where he understood that he had everything, because he had everything he needed. Esav, on the other hand, lived in the realm of בר יל שי , where he had an abundance, but always wanted more.
Yaakov was satisfied, and lived a life of inner peace, joy and happiness. Esav, however, lived a classic ratrace type of lifestyle, constantly wanting, searching, and seeking more physicality.
When a person is not living with החמש , it is usually a result of לכ ברמ , from focusing on the בר instead of the לכ . A life focused on abundance leads to wanting more, which leads to needing more, which means to “never enough.” This is a spiritual and emotional death trap. However, a life focused on לכ and understanding that “I have everything I need” is a life that will carry weight, value, meaning, and true
We can’t order happiness. But we can be happy. We just need to remember that Hashem provides each of us with לכ – everything that we need to carry our unique life mission.
PointsPonder to
Why does the Torah require us, when bringing bikkurim, to retell the entire story of our nation’s journey from Yaakov to Egypt to redemption instead of simply thanking Hashem for the fruits themselves?
The Adas: Chofetz Chaim Adas Bnei Israel - 5915 Park Heights Ave
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Tiferes Yisroel - 6201 Park Heights Ave
Tzeirei Anash - 6706 Cross County Blvd
Wealcatch Insurance - 37 Walker Ave 2nd floor
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A LIfe of KIndness & ConneCTIon
RemembeRing Racheli n isanov,
b y eliyahu Rosenberg
a”h
ITwas one of the last moments Rebbetzin Ora Nisanov shared with her 13-year-old daughter, Racheli. And it was also one of their most tender experiences together. On the morning of their jet ski trip, Racheli asked her mother to make her a braid.
“Of course, I’ll make you a braid,” her mother replied.
There, the mother and daughter stood together quietly, with Ora gently brushing Racheli’s hair. “No bumps, please,” the young girl said. Then, her mother separated three strands and lovingly twisted them into what Ora calls “the best braid ever.”
“My daughter was very beautiful, inside and out. She had long, beautiful, thick hair. And I was so happy that Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave me the opportunity to brush her hair, pull out three strands, and make a very special braid for her,” Rebbetzin Ora Nisanov says. “She saw how much I was doing it with love. And we just had a connection that I never experienced with her before.”
In a photograph taken later that day — shortly before the jet ski accident that tragically took Racheli’s life — the young girl can be seen with her older sister Aviva, wearing that same braid, loosened up and tossed to the side. “That’s the last picture we took of them together,” Rebbetzin Nisanov says.
A few days after the tragedy, Ora’s daughter-in-law
shared an insight about the braid during shiva.
“Mommy, I have to tell you something about the braid,” her daughter-in-law said. “Did you know that Hashem made Chava a braid before He showed her to Adam at Creation, to beautify her?”
“Hashem very much wanted to beautify Chava,” Rebbetzin Nisanov explains. “And I felt like, now, Hashem gave me the opportunity to beautify my daughter before she goes to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. And the fact that it happened in the water — I felt like she was dipped into the mikvah, purely, and then kissed up to Hakadosh Baruch Hu — in beauty, with her braid.”
Racheli’s parents, Rabbi Shlomo and Rebbetzin Ora Nisanov, are the rav and rebbetzin of Kehillat Sephardim of Ahavat Achim in Queens and have eight children.
“We have a very busy lifestyle. People come in and out. And we have a very open home, open door policy,” the rebbetzin shares.
But during their short vacation in Boca, Florida, the environment was very different. The couple and their two daughters stayed at the beautiful home of a family friend, enjoying a sense of tranquility that they rarely encountered in their day-to-day lives.
“There was a lake in the back of their home. And I was happy that I was able to give that opportunity to my daughter to enjoy that serenity and peace — because
that’s what she resembled,” Rebbetzin Nisanov recalls.
“She loved tranquility, she loved peace. Any time her siblings would argue, she would run to the back and start crying. She didn’t like conflict. She actually promoted peace; she promoted them to be happier together. Her living essence was all about making everyone happy and finding peace in the world. She was always sweet, soft, quiet, gentle, just knowing her place. She never gave me a hard time. She was just a good kid.”
When it was just the two of them alone, late at night, Ora and Racheli, her youngest child, would sit together, drink tea, and talk about life.
“She was my fashion designer, and she was my confidant,” Rebbetzin Nisanov says. “We would talk about any struggles I had. You would think, why would I talk to my 13-year-old? What does she know? But she was the one I could talk to. And she would give me proper hadracha, like, to the next level.”
Racheli had a rare love for life. She loved dancing, music, and laughing with her friends. She knew how to make even the most mundane tasks fun, taking before and after pictures and recording time-lapse videos when she would empty out the dishwasher, prepare the Shabbos candles, and clean up the house. Along with her sister-in-law, she worked with kids during the summer and came up with her own little ways to bring them joy, including giving them special snacks.
“In class, she was called ‘Rebbetzin Rach,’ because she was the one who, for example, reminded them to daven Mincha,” her mother shares. “When a girl didn’t
get into the high school that some of them got into, Racheli said, ‘OK, we have to do something. Let’s not listen to non-Jewish music, and it should be in that zechus that she should get into the yeshiva.’”
Just a month before she passed away, Racheli committed to a self-improvement contract, which was a list of physical and spiritual goals she sought to accomplish in 30 days. But she was so humble that she never even told her parents about it. She was, in her father’s words, “an influencer without the social media.”
Racheli had one device: an iPad with a filter that she would use to FaceTime her friends.
“I would hear her, in her room, laughing with her friends and making cute jokes. That was just her essence: connecting,” her mother says.
Whereas technology disconnects many people from the world, she used technology only to cultivate her friendships. She was always present with her friends and family. In fact, Racheli inspired one of her babysitters to refrain from texting on the job. “Her presence next to me when I was once texting made me realize that it’s not nice to text with kids around,” her former babysitter recalls. “This spurred my growth in the area and, now, I don’t even have texting on my phone anymore!”
“Rachel, a”h, was a mevakeshet,” one of her teachers shares. “She didn’t keep the inspiration for herself. She shared it with others.”
Her science teacher remembers her as a “quiet leader in the classroom” and a “source of joy and positivity” who got along with everyone.
“Rachel was someone who made me a better teacher, a better parent, and a better person, as a whole,” another teacher of hers recalls. “The one word that sums up who Rachel was is ‘growing.’ I don’t mean that she wasn’t already a special person. All you needed to do was watch the way she interacted with others for five minutes in order to see that her middos far exceeded what you would expect from a typical eighth grade student.
“But she was never satisfied with where she was. She wasn’t afraid to do things differently from others if she felt it was necessary for her personal growth. She really understood that we are here for a reason. It is our loss that her time here was so brief.”
Her mother notes that Racheli rarely spoke about the future. Rather, the young girl was always hyper-focused on the present moment. She had a poster on her bedroom wall that read, “Don’t count the days. Make the days count.”
In fact, the one time she spoke about the future was when she made the out-of-theblue declaration –just a week or two before her
passing — that she wanted to marry a talmid chacham. She also often spoke about her yearning for Moshiach. She felt an intense connection to her grandfather, whom she never met, and desperately wanted the geulah to come so that she could have the privilege of meeting him.
“She passed a week before his yahrtzeit,” Rebbetzin Nisanov says. “And now, she’s with him in a better place.”
Through their unbearable loss, Racheli’s bereaved parents choose to see the nishikot — the little kisses from Hashem — in their tragedy. While trying to save Racheli and Aviva from the water, their father got an awful cut on his hand.
“The paramedics saw and said, ‘You better take care
of your hand. I know that this is the last thing on your mind, but you have to take care of it, because it could get infected from the seawater,’” Rebbetzin Nisanov recalls. She sees that as a chessed because, while waiting to hear about what happened to their daughters in the hospital, they were distracted getting his stitches done. It kept them busy for an hour — an hour that, if spent idly, would have otherwise been unbearable.
“While we were waiting by the hospital, there was a Chabad couple who came to give us support,” Rebbetzin Nisanov shares. “And the rebbetzin’s name was also Rachel. And I remember holding her and feeling like Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave me what I needed at that moment: to hold another woman named Rachel. And that was also a nechama for me.”
The lead-up to the tragedy was also filled with little moments that now mean so much to Racheli’s parents. Right before leaving for the trip, Racheli turned to her mother and asked, “Mommy, can I sit
in the front seat?”
Though Racheli’s mother or 16-year-old sister would typically sit in the front, Rebbetzin Nisanov nevertheless said, “Of course, you could sit in the front.”
“My older daughter made some food, and we basically gave the job to Racheli to feed Abba in the front seat while he was driving. So, we gave her a napkin with chicken nuggets and sweet potato fries,” Ora Nisanov recounts. “And I was just so thankful that Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave us the opportunity to allow Rachel to do kibbud av v’eim in such a special way. She didn’t put up a fight of, ‘Oh, why do I have to feed him?’ She was just happily feeding him. But that’s Racheli. She was born with such a chein.”
The night before the tragic accident, her parents got her sushi and a special drink with two cherries on top — specially for her.
“I was just so happy that I was able to give her that sense of, ‘Wow, I’m actually getting things I want,’” her mother shares. “And a week before our trip, we were thinking of doing some renovations in our home, and Racheli asked my husband, ‘Abba, can we do something in my room?’”
“What do you want done?” Racheli’s father asked her.
“I want to reface these cabinets,” she said, pointing to the yellow, oakwood cabinets in her bedroom.
The refacing was finished one day before the trip.
“That morning, he refaced the cabinets. And now it has this white refacing, and I felt like the Shechina was in her room. For one night, she got to sleep in that room with the refaced cabinets,” Rebbetzin Nisanov says. “She said, ‘I don’t know what hit Abba in the head to do this.’ And we didn’t fix anything else in the house but her room. And that was something that we were very happy we gave her.”
Perhaps most comforting of all for the grieving parents was the nechama that came after Racheli’s passing.
“We never imagined that my daughter would be buried in Eretz Yisrael. First of all, my husband’s passport was three months away from expiring. If you want to travel to Israel, you need a passport that’s good within six months. So, the fact that we had a passport in Florida with us, and he was able to get an appointment for a rush passport, go the very next morning to get his passport, get Hatzalah Air to fly Racheli’s body to New York and to Israel, and back before Shabbos to New York was a miracle in it of its own,” Rebbetzin Nisanov declares. “So, all these nissim, I know, are because of her zechusim. It wouldn’t have happened with anybody else.”
Thirteen-year-old Racheli tragically left this world just a short month ago. Her funeral, which was attended by thousands of people, was on August 13. Her shloshim is this Thursday, September 11.
“She was mevater even her own life for her own sister to live, which didn’t make sense at all because my older daughter was the one in front on the jet ski, and you would think that the impact would hit her. But my younger daughter took the bullet, and she was mevater,” Racheli’s mother says. “Now, people are tak-
Racheli with her sister Aviva on erev Shabbos in Florida
ing on so many things l’lui nishmas Racheli and in the zechus for a refuah sheleima for my other daughter, Aviva Bracha bas Ora. It’s like a gadol hador just passed away. The funeral was unusually huge. And even people who didn’t know her just felt this real connection.”
Racheli was very close to her only sister, Aviva, who miraculously survived the accident but sustained injuries, required surgery, and still needs physical therapy and a complete refuah sheleima. Racheli, who was almost 14, was about to join the same high school as Aviva.
“She was so excited. They were going to do everything together: walk to school together, buy school supplies together, and take videos together. They would always be together,” Rebbetzin Nisanov shares. “And now she sees what happened to her sister, and she very much believes that this was already predestined at Rosh Hashanah last year, that Racheli’s life was going to be taken. And Aviva’s very, very sad about it. But I really applaud her for her strength. She’s just really, unbelievably positive, and I’m very proud of her.”
Racheli also connected to her six brothers, each in a unique way. A month or two before her passing, her 17-year-old brother wrote her an apology letter for something he did that upset her. After that, they started really connecting. Before he went away to summer camp in July, Racheli gave him what he calls “the best hug ever.” A few months ago, her relationship with her 30-year-old brother, Yona, the oldest in her family, also began to flourish. “He was so happy that he had that time to connect to her before she left him,” their mother explains.
“And even though she’s not here and we’re missing her, I see the chassadim , even after her petira — there have been so many engagements, brisim, blessings in our family that are, like, to the next level,” Rebbetzin Nisanov adds. “There’s clarity. My son, who wasn’t so happy in the high school he was in, all of a sudden goes
to school now, and he’s like, ‘Mommy, I feel like the school changed. I feel like Rachel’s davening for me. I actually like it now.’ We’re seeing so many brachos.”
Ora Nisanov attributes her ability to see the good in her life despite her challenges to her upbringing and life experiences. When she was five, her and her future husband’s families immigrated from Uzbekistan, in the former Soviet Union, to the United States. Five years later, her family moved from Cincinnati, Ohio, to New York. The lessons she learned along the way,
including while becoming a marriage coach through Marriage Secrets, have strengthened her emunah tremendously.
“I realize that if Hashem put me in this situation, there must be a reason, and I must be strong enough to handle this nisayon,” she declares.
Racheli was, in her mother’s words, an “old soul.” She did things that no 13-year-old does. While packing for the jet ski trip, Racheli wrote a list of everything she wanted to take along with her. The list started with “B’siyata Dishmaya,” followed by the word “list” with an exclamation mark. And then, the first thing she wrote was, “Don’t forget Racheli.”
Then, she wrote out a list of your run-of-the-mill necessities: jewelry, chargers, phone, headphones, toothbrush, shoes, siddur, Tehillim, sweater, notebook, pen, money, among other items. Everything was checked off, except for the last line. On the very bottom of the list, Racheli wrote the following: “Hashem, everything is going to be okay, right?”
And then she signed: “I think so.
“Racheli.”
To Raise a Laugh
Crazy Laws
As Yidden, we sure have a lot of people who look at us and say things like, “You’re praying AGAIN? You just ate!” or, “You’re doing WHAT with a chicken?... Well, does the chicken have to say the prayer too?”
But it’s really unfair. Because if you look around, every country has laws that are weirder than anything we do. The only difference is that most of these are laws that no one’s aware of. In fact, breaking most of these laws will not actually get you in trouble, unless the cop is an anti-Semite.
Here are a bunch of them. How many of these have you broken without even realizing?
I got 12.
-In England, if you find a washed-up dead whale, its head belongs to the reigning monarch. That also means you can’t personally remove the whale from the beach. I guess the monarch has to.
-In Vermont, it’s illegal to disguise your horse. What kind of disguise would a horse have to wear for people not to realize it’s a horse? Is there a costume that makes it look like two humans?
-In England, it’s illegal to be drunk in charge of a horse or a cow. Which is probably what got you to decide to put it in a Purim costume.
-In Singapore, it’s illegal to sell or import gum. Unless you have a medical prescription for it. Gum is a disgusting habit anyway. People keep blowing bubbles while you’re trying to talk to them. Imagine people did that with other foods.
-In England, it’s illegal to die in the houses of parliament. But if you do, your head belongs to the reigning monarch.
-In Rosemead, CA, it’s illegal to eat ice cream in public with a fork. If you want to eat ice cream with a fork, at least don’t do it in public. Have some decency.
-Also, in California, it’s illegal to eat an orange in your bathtub. This law was passed around 1920, when people believed that the citric acid would combine with the bath oils and create a highly explosive mixture. How are they enforcing this? Also, I can still eat oranges in the shower, right?
-In New York, on elevators, “One must talk to no one and fold his hands while looking toward the door.” No good conversation has ever started in an elevator. But at least now we know why everyone faces the door. It’s not just to make it weird for the next person who comes in and tries to find room to stand with everyone in the elevator staring at him.
-In England, under the Salmon Act of 1986, it’s illegal to handle salmon in a suspicious manner. Luckily, I live in America, where I can suspiciously handle salmon all I want. (Do they mean eating just the head?)
-In Canada, it’s illegal to scare the queen (who lives in England). So bringing her that whale head unannounced – just leaving it on her throne and hoping she finds it before she sits down – is out of the question.
-In Alabama, masks may not be worn in public. Why on earth would you wear a mask in private?
-In Quitman, GA, it’s illegal for chickens to cross a road. Also, cars are not allowed to drive on the sidewalk. The two laws might be related. (“Why did the chicken cross the road?” “Because the car was driving on the sidewalk.”)
-In Arizona, donkeys cannot sleep in bathtubs. This law came about in the 1920s, when someone let his donkey sleep in an abandoned tub on his property, and then one day the nearby dam broke and the donkey was washed away down the river and got stuck, and the town spent a considerable amount of resources and a manpower to save it before they said, “This is the last time.”
-In Georgia, donkeys cannot even be kept in bathtubs. Fish, sure. Why not? But
By Mordechai Schmutter
not donkeys. Unless you want to have to share your orange every time.
-In Arkansas, alligators may not be kept in bathtubs. Well, that one goes without saying.
-In Mobile, Alabama, it’s prohibited to bathe in city fountains. (“What? There’s a donkey eating an orange in my bathtub.”)
-In Arkansas, if you must walk your cow down a public highway, you may not blindfold it first. (“Yeah, but then he’s going to find his way back!”)
-In Portland, Oregon, it’s illegal to wear roller skates in the bathroom. This is not a dumb law.
-In Indianapolis, one may throw a stone at a bird only in self-defense. Like if the bird started it.
-In Dunn, NC, it’s illegal to drive cars through city cemeteries for pleasure. I don’t know what kind of pleasure you’re getting out of this. Is it a Chol Hamoed trip? Point is, you can only do it for business.
-In Virginia, roadkill may be taken home for supper. (“What are we having?” “Chicken.”)
-In Canton, OH, if one loses their pet tiger, they must notify the authorities within one hour. You can’t just hang fliers and wait for things to play out.
-In Glendale, CA, one may not take his dog on an elevator with him. But if one does, the two of them must not talk – they must fold their hands and look toward the door.
No wonder our prisons are overcrowded.
“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.
Israel Today The Wallet
By Rafi Sackville
Ramya has been with us for almost half a year, though honestly, at this point it feels like she runs the household and I just rent space in it. She came to Israel from Sri Lanka with nothing but her suitcase, her courage, and the kind of determination that makes you feel guilty about your own life choices. Back home, she left behind her children, the tropical hills, and the comforting smell of curry wafting through the air – basically everything she loves. And she did it so her young daughter could go to school.
And to think I get stressed when I get caught in a traffic jam.
In Jerusalem, she’s built a new rhythm. She lives behind Machine Yehuda market. In the morning, she walks to Zalman Shazar Blvd from where she takes Bus 15 to us. She looks after my wife with a warmth that makes our home feel lighter, as if she sneaks in a bit of Sri Lankan sunshine every morning along with her bag. She’s gentle, polite, and utterly reliable. Truth be told, I’m getting a little tired of eating curry and rice, but when Keren turns on the gas-top flame for Ramya to cook, I’m not going to say no.
But what impresses me most is’’t her caregiving – it ’s her honesty. Because honesty, I’ve discovered, is not just “telling the truth.” It ’s also about returning things you find, even when those things might contain enough cash for hundreds of curry and rice dishes.
One morning, Ramya walked in holding a wallet.
“I found this,” she said, as casually as if she were telling me she ’d bought Sri Lankan spice from the International food store at the top of Agripas Road. No drama. Just a wallet.
“Where?” I asked, already bracing
myself for a detective story.
“Gan Sacher,” she replied.
Of course. Gan Sacher – the grand park of Jerusalem. Families picnic there, joggers torture themselves around its paths, and teenagers pretend they’re studying on the grass while really scrolling TikTok. Ramya has a large group of friends who all work in similar fields as hers. They often congregate there on Saturdays, where they make barbecues and dance to music from their homeland.
I opened the wallet. Inside was cash, a few cards, and – jackpot – an identity card. The owner ’s name: Yoel Amedi. His address? Not far from the park. I patted myself on the back. This was going to be easy.
Later that day, I met one of my oldest friends for coffee on Emek Refaim. I told him the story. He smirked. “I don ’t doubt Ramya ’s honesty,” he said. “I doubt your eyesight. Did you actually look properly?”
I bristled. “Of course I looked! Thoroughly!”
Without asking, he grabbed the wallet, fished around for three seconds, and pulled out a dentist’s business card.
”See? Call the dentist. Mystery solved.”
I hated that he was right. I phoned. The dentist answered mid-surgery, probably with someone’s molar halfway out. She promised to call back. Great. So now I was carrying a stranger’s wallet while a dentist had my number.
Not wanting to waste time, I headed across the city. Past the golden walls of the Khan Theater, I caught a bus. The bus lumbered past Liberty Bell Park, where we used to take our kids roller skating back in the late ’80s.
Just then, my phone rang. An un -
familiar number. Probably the dentist. I answered, trying to sound professional.
Instead, an animated female voice nearly burst through the phone: Yoel’s wife. She was practically hyperventilating with joy. I explained I was on the way to deliver the wallet. She told me they were already headed to the Ministry of the Interior to replace the ID. Bureaucracy was about to win, but I was determined to beat it.
solve. Within 10 minutes, a young boy was knocking at our door thanking me for finding his card.
I jumped off the bus at Jaffa and King George, Jerusalem’s chaotic intersection where everyone looks lost but insists they know exactly where they ’re going. And there, in the middle of the crowd, I saw him. Yoel himself. I recognized him instantly – not because I’m Sherlock Holmes, but because I’d seen his ID photo.
The handoff was quite emotional. He shed tears of joy. He thanked me warmly. His wife said that she had a feeling that today was going to be the day a stranger returned the wallet.
But the real hero wasn’t me. It was Ramya. She could have ignored the wallet. She could have pocketed it. Instead, she brought it to me without a second thought.
My wife and Ramya were out walking when I got home. As soon as they were through the door, I showed them the photo. All my wife Keren could do was laugh.
“Ramya’s been at it again,” she said.
Ramya instantly handed me a bus card she’d found outside.
Woohoo! Another detective case to
Jerusalem is full of drama – ancient walls, holy sites. But the truest beauty is in the small, quiet acts: a wallet returned, a caregiver making curry (again).
Ramya reminds me of that every day. She cares for my wife with the same honesty and respect she showed to the wallet she found. She left her own children an ocean away, and yet she still finds the strength to mother us all in her own way.
And so, whenever I think of the Great Wallet Caper, I don ’t remember my friend ’s smug grin or the dentist who probably still has my number. I remember Ramya, strolling through Gan Sacher, spotting the wallet in the grass and picking it up with the calm certainty that honesty is never negotiable.
If Jerusalem had more people like her, we wouldn’t just be the Holy City – we ’d be the Lost-and-Found Capital of the World. Then again, maybe we are.
Rafi Sackville, formerly from Cedarhurst, teaches in a prominent yeshiva in Yerushalayim.
Rafi with Yoel -- and the lost wallet
Board with what’s being served?
(NOT ANYMORE)
Mental Health Corner
When Your Boss Is Insecure
By Rabbi Azriel Hauptman
The self-help book market is a huge business, and books about dealing with difficult bosses is a very large portion of that market. Clearly, this is a sore point that strikes a nerve with many employees out there. We cannot possibly broach such
an enormous topic in one article, but we can focus on one specific type of challenging boss, and that is the insecure boss.
Healthy self-esteem is something that helps all of us in our daily lives,
and when we are lacking in this critical area, it can create some real hurdles. When an employer suffers from low self-esteem, it’s effects can be felt throughout his or her entire team of employees. Insecurity can lead a boss to be unkind and controlling, even if they are not actually that kind of a person.
In this article, we will delineate some of the different ways that feelings of insecurity can affect your boss. We will also include some common-sense suggestions on how to manage your boss’s emotions and actually make your workplace a pleasant environment.
Positive Feedback
Sometimes a boss with low self-esteem is just not receiving enough positive feedback. Although it is the job of the boss to inspire their team with positive feedback and not vice versa, nevertheless they are human too. If they are not blessed with a healthy dose of self-esteem, they might actually need their own employees to point out their strengths and show them appreciation. This is not empty flattery, rather it is praising someone for their actual strengths in order to boost their confidence.
Facilitate Decision Making
Just a disclaimer before we continue. There are many levels of insecure bosses. We are focusing on an employer who does not have a clinical level of a mood, anxiety, or personality disorder. Rather, we are discussing someone who is a regular person in other areas, but in situations that require confidence, such as managing a team in the workplace, he or she is in
An insecure boss may be living with fear that they are being undermined or sabotaged by their own employees. This might lead them to be insensitive with an employee who they suspect is trying to run rings around them. This feeling stems from not really knowing in detail what is going on amongst different members of the team, and thus they may fear the worst.
The simple solution for this would be to involve your boss with the details of your work and maintain constant transparency. When your boss sees for himself your integrity and loyal work ethic, it allays his fears and makes him feel calm.
Another cause for antagonistic behavior from an insecure boss is the pressures of the business can be weighing on his or her psyche and can cause them to lash out at work. If you approach your boss and ask them if there is anything specific that you can help them with, it makes them feel more at ease and less alone. The diminished stress can work
Another issue that plagues insecure bosses is their hesitation to make decisions. The role of the leader is to make decisions, so any lack of decision making will adversely affect the entire team. You might need to check in regularly with your boss, and remind him or her that there is some doubt regarding a certain issue and guidance is needed. This will hopefully spur them to make those necessary decisions.
Ask Questions
Sometimes, an insecure boss will have a hard time accepting blame for issues that come up in the workplace. Here too, being in regular contact with your boss and making sure that your boss knows that this was a directive from the top will help avoid a situation where you are being blamed for something that is completely not your fault.
These are some examples of issues that may come up with an insecure boss and how to mitigate them. Sometimes, a little bit of reflection can help you mold your work environment into a more pleasant place to spend your working hours. It does not always work, but it may be worth a try.
This is a service of Relief Resources. Relief is an organization that provides mental health referrals, education, and support to the frum community. Rabbi Yisrael Slansky is director of the Baltimore branch of Relief. He can be contacted at 410-448-8356 or at yslansky@reliefhelp.org
School of Thought
By Etti Siegel
Q:Dear Etti, My 8-year-old daughter is very sensory, especially to irritating and scratchy items of clothing, and lots of noise and bright lights. What can you advise us to help make this school year smoother, with less meltdowns? Last year was rough.
- Mother of Easily Overwhelmed
A:Dear Mother of Easily Overwhelmed, I remember that issue well! One of my children needed to wear her tights inside out so that the seam would not irritate her. I never even noticed that the seam stuck out! And when she was in lower elementary school, she had to wear tights all year, even in the summer, because she liked the feeling.
When a child has strong sensory sensitivities, the school year can feel like a gauntlet of potential overloads: itchy uniforms, noisy hallways, flickering lights, and unpredictable disruptions. But with some thoughtful planning and support, you can absolutely help make the school year smoother and more manageable for her.
Sensory meltdowns often start first thing in the morning, with the dreaded getting dressed routine. To minimize stress, use what occupational therapists I spoke with call the “3 S rule”: Softer, Simpler, Seamless.
• Choose soft, tag-less clothing made from breathable cotton or bamboo.
• Avoid zippers, seams, or buttons that might irritate the skin.
• Stick to clothes your daughter already finds comfortable, especially in the first few weeks. Now is not the time to introduce new uniforms or shoes unless they’ve been broken in slowly.
If a uniform is required and causes discomfort, many schools will allow soft undershirts, leggings, or shorts beneath to ease the sensory strain. If your school or community has a lightly used uniform gemach, get those! They are already worn in, and you can take them to the cleaners to get a fresh-pressed look.
Children with auditory and visual sensitivities often struggle in the classroom, lunchroom, or gym, not because they don’t enjoy learning or socializing, but because the sensory load is just too much.
In one of the schools I visit weekly, the children are visibly more agitated and rowdy after lunch. Lunchtime has no programming, and the level of noise is high. Even the staff find the lunch period a tad overwhelming! The school is experimenting with ways to bring the sensory overload
down a few notches.
You can equip your daughter with soft silicone or foam earplugs or noise-reducing headphones. Choose neutral colors to avoid drawing attention. Teach her when and how to use them. Walking around with headphones might draw unwanted attention.
If she’s bothered by bright or flickering lights, try lightly tinted (non-dark) glasses or transition lenses that block harsh glare while still allowing eye contact.
Have her “test drive” these supports at home and then in short outings before sending them to school.
A small, unobtrusive sensory kit can empower your daughter to self-regulate throughout the day. Depending on her needs, you might include:
• A stress ball, fidget stone, or stretchy toy, if she can be discreet.
• A chewy necklace (with teacher approval).
• A soft fabric swatch or piece of velvety ribbon to keep on hand for tactile soothing.
• A visual schedule to help her anticipate transitions.
• A small protein snack to prevent dips in blood sugar, which can intensify sensory overwhelm.
Pack the kit in a zippered pouch she can keep in her desk, cubby, or backpack, all arranged with the teacher’s permission.
Children with sensory sensitivities often thrive on structure. The more predictable her school days and transitions are, the safer she will feel.
• Establish consistent home routines for waking up, dressing, breakfast, and after-school decompression to help her with her school days.
• Preview the school day together each morning (and review the next day’s plan each evening), even if they are the same day to day, until she does not seem to need it anymore.
• Ask the school to notify you of any schedule changes, assemblies, or fire drills in advance so you can help her prepare and explain why.
You can also create a “transition checklist” with pictures or icons she can check off, reinforcing both routine and independence.
Your daughter’s teachers can be powerful allies – but
they need to understand her sensory profile to support her well, so partner with the school.
• If you can, set up a meeting before the first day of school to explain her sensitivities, needs, and what helps. If not, try to meet within the first few weeks.
• Ask if the school can create a “calm space” for her to go to or use when she feels overwhelmed.
• Work with the teacher to create a nonverbal signal your daughter can use to request a break.
Some other accommodations might include permission to wear earplugs or tinted lenses, seating away from noisy doors or vents, scheduled sensory breaks, and extra transition time.
If you approach the teacher with sensitivity, knowing she has a whole class of students to care for, and explain how these accommodations make her experience with your daughter easier, then you might have more buy-in. These aren’t “special treatments,” they’re essential supports, and the teacher should want to consider them when a sensory issue is impacting educational access.
Last but never least: support your daughter’s emotional needs around all this. Let her know that her brain works differently, and that’s okay. She should understand that she is not “too sensitive.” She is sensitive, and you’re here to help her learn how to manage that and you are working with her teachers to make school a place she can thrive.
Encourage her to help choose strategies and tools that work for her. Even small amounts of choice (like picking out her earplugs or the color of her sensory kit) build ownership and resilience. Keep your eyes open so that she does not use her sensory issues to curry favors, demand attention, or make it become her identity, all things that would be unhealthy for your daughter in the long run.
You’re already doing so much right. You’re paying attention, you’re advocating, and you’re planning ahead. With the right tools and support, your daughter can grow to feel safe, capable, and confident, even in a world that sometimes feels like “too much.”
Wishing you both a smoother, more sensory-friendly school year,
- Etti
Mrs. Etti Siegel holds a MS in Teaching and Learning/Educational Leadership and brings sound teaching advice to her audiences culled from her over 35 years of teaching and administrative experience. Etti is an Adjunct at the College of Mount Saint Vincent/Sara Shenirer. She is a coach and educational consultant for Catapult Learning, FACTS Education Solutions, Brienza Academic Advantage, Yeled V’Yalda; is a sought-after mentor and workshop presenter around the country; and a popular presenter for Sayan (a teacher-mentoring program), Hidden Sparks, and the Consortium of Jewish Day Schools. She is a frequent contributor to Hamechanech magazine and The Journal for Jewish Day School Leaders and has a weekly column in The Jewish Home.
Relationships Rewired Copy, Paste, Compare: The Trap We Fall Into
By Bassy Schwartz, LMFT
You walk into the children’s clothing store, excited to pick out a few outfits for the new school year and the upcoming holidays. But before long, the excitement dips. You look around and notice how polished everyone else seems – sleek sheitels that fall perfectly into place, manicures that look freshly done, glowing skin, long lashes that somehow look effortless. Suddenly, you’re all too aware of your oversized workout shirt, the black skirt that’s seen better days, and the sneakers that don’t bear a fancy label.
And then, just like that, the sinking feeling. The woman across from you isn’t just another shopper anymore; in your mind, she’s become a symbol. She represents “togetherness,” “perfection,” “what you’re supposed to be.” Meanwhile, your brain starts its familiar play-by-play of inadequacy, and no amount of reasoning with yourself can quiet the noise.
Maybe you try to shrug it off. It’s fine. I don’t need all that. I know what really matters. But then, maybe, you catch yourself wondering: do you? Wouldn’t it feel good to walk in somewhere and not feel like the underdog? To stop measuring yourself as “less than”? The next thing you know, you’re booking a full gamut of “self-care” appointments – nails, new wig, shopping trips, maybe even lash extensions – because this time, you’re going to level up, even if it’s going to cost you. If you’ve had a moment like this, let me reassure you of two things: 1) You are extremely normal. We are wired to want to fit in. That ache of comparison? It’s deeply human; 2) You’re more in control than you think.
Here’s why: Most of us are walking around town tweaking, masking, and editing our looks because we’re secure and happen to “prefer the style.” More often than not, we’re patching over a bigger void. The parts of ourselves we alter on the outside are stand-ins for the intan-
gible parts we’re terrified the world will see on the inside. The messy parts. The scared parts. The parts that feel small, or not enough, or broken in some way.
So we mask our humanness at all costs. We put on armor disguised as a “look.” And for a little while, yes, it works. That trendy wig style, that new pair of shoes, that little nip or tuck of our ap -
ty and inadequacy are baseline parts of being human. Everyone feels them, even the woman with the perfect lashes. But it doesn’t have to rule our lives.
The hamster wheel of perfection will never stop turning on its own. We have to choose to step off. And stepping off doesn’t mean neglecting yourself or deciding appearances don’t matter at all.
While being put-together feels nice, your worth isn’t hanging in the balance of your next purchase or appointment.
pearance makes us feel invincible. We stand a little taller, we smile a little more confidently, and for a moment we believe we’ve closed the gap between us and everyone else.
The catch is, underneath that armor, the same feelings are still there. We may look shinier, but the insecurity hasn’t gone anywhere; it’s just dressed up differently. And that’s the real truth: insecuri-
It means putting yourself together in a way that reflects care, not desperation. It means getting dressed because you value yourself, not because you can’t stand yourself unless you look a certain way.
Stick with me on this: life moves so quickly. We’re barely finished growing up before we’re thrown into the thick of adulthood – marriage, kids, careers, homeownership, community responsibil-
ities. Most of us never get a real chance to sit down and ask: Who am I, really? What are the stories I tell myself about being enough? Where did those stories even come from?
Instead, the inner void remains strangers to us. We don’t know how to handle the wounds, the insecurities, the messy “non-parts” of ourselves, so we run from them. We bury them. And when they inevitably creep out, we panic and rush to cover them again, with makeup, with clothing, with appointments, with “all the things.”
But here’s the hope: you can get to know your inner self. You can learn to sit with your humanness instead of running from it. And you can discover that while being put-together feels nice, your worth isn’t hanging in the balance of your next purchase or appointment.
The next time you feel that clothing store spiral, the comparisons, the pressure, the urge to upgrade yourself, take a breath. Notice what’s happening inside rather than rushing to cover it up. The real work isn’t about keeping up; it’s about catching up to yourself. The put-together image might look superior, but it’s your honest, imperfect, growing self that actually has depth and potential for true stability.
That’s the part worth investing in.
Bassy Schwartz, LMFT, 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 her directly at bassy@corerelationships. com or WhatsApp (347) 309-5362.
Is Antisemitism Inevitable? Living Kiddush Hashem
MBy Rabbi Shraga Freedman
anchester, NJ, is yet another neighborhood experiencing tension over the growth of its Jewish community. A mikvah is being built to serve 500 families, and it has drawn fierce opposition. Local bloggers and activists are rallying neighbors to fight against it, while Facebook has once again erupted with venomous attacks against the Jews of Lakewood and surrounding areas.
Some argue that nothing can be done. It’s antisemitism. Eisav sonei l’Yaakov. It’s inevitable. The cultures are too different, and peace will never be possible. All we can do is fight it out in court.
But Rav Mattisyahu Salomon zt”l taught a very different perspective. The Torah way of life is meant to attract. It naturally elevates and inspires. Its very purpose is Kiddush Sheim Shamayim. And if,
instead, it generates hatred and opposition, then we must pause and ask: are we truly representing Torah fully with middos and derech eretz? The name of Hashem should become beloved through us.
“Eisav sonei l’Yaakov” is not a decree of inevitability. It depends on us. As the Netziv (Sefer Sheair Yisroel) explains, when we fail to represent Hashem properly, He sends hatred as a wake-up call. But when we do serve as true representatives, there can be love and admiration.
Shragie Bloch, who is spearheading the mikvah project, shared how one neighbor living right near the new mikvah has been surprisingly supportive and advocating for the mikvah. This man was a mechanic in Lakewood for 25 years, and had countless interactions with Jews—and all his experiences were positive!
Imagine if there were hundreds of such advocates in the growing neighborhoods, each with warm stories of respectful, positive encounters—on the street, at work, or even just on the road. The Kiddush Sheim Shamayim would be immeasurable.
So the question is: can each of us make a difference by being more respectful, sensitive, and conscious of how we interact with our neighbors? Could we change the tide? Could our explosive growth be an explosive growth in Kiddush Hashem?
The Yamim Noraim are a time when we focus intensely on our ultimate mission of Kiddush Hashem, a theme woven throughout our tefillos. This is the time to look inward and ask: are my actions aligned with this mission? Is our community’s growth in Torah leading to a parallel growth in Kiddush Hashem in the world?
To help inspire this reflection, the Living Kiddush Hashem Foundation has produced a powerful, free film with three remarkable stories—including the shocking story of the Manchester mikvah with many more astounding details.
Rabbi Uri Deutsch and Rabbi Joey Haber share fundamental yesodos on the mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem, alongside Avi Schnall, who offers perspective on the
current friction in New Jersey.
This film is truly life-changing. It offers a whole new perspective on our glorious mission of Kiddush Hashem.
Watch it at LivingKiddushHashem. org beginning this Motzei Shabbos Selichos, September 13.
For schools and shuls, please email LivingKiddushHashem@gmail.com to receive a downloadable link.
Rabbi Shraga Freedman is the author of Sefer Mekadshei Shemecha, Living Kiddush Hashem, and A Life Worth Living.
Email LivingKiddushHashem@ gmail.com for a free sefer. Visit LivingKiddushHashem.org for more resources
Living Kiddush Hashem was founded with the goal of imbuing every Jew with a powerful sense of mission — the mission to be mekadeish Sheim Shamayim in his or her own unique way. We strive to accomplish this by raising awareness of the paramount importance of the mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem and its centrality in everything we do.
United Nations Trivia
1. Who is the current Secretary General of the United Nations?
a. António Guterres
b. Ban Ki-moon
c. Nikki Haley
d. Kofi Annan
e. Boutros Boutros-Ghali
2. Which one of the following countries is not a member of the UN Human Rights Council?
a. Afghanistan
b. China
c. Cuba
d. Saudi Arabia
e. United States
3. The longest speech in the history of the UN was made on January 23, 1957. It was for five hours. Who gave the speech?
a. Russian President Nikita Khrushchev, accusing the U.S. of nuclear proliferation
b. Indian representative V.K. Krishna Menon defending India’s position on Kashmir
c. Egypt’s Mahmoud Fawzi,
Wisdom Key:
arguing that Israel does not have a right to exist
d. Cuban President Fidel Castro, claiming that the U.S. was poisoning its water supply
4. How many countries are members of the UN?
a. 54
b. 112
c. 193
d. 237
5. What is the color of U.N. peacekeepers helmet or beret?
a. White
b. Blue
c. Green
d. Red
6. Who donated the property where the U.N. is headquartered?
a. John Rockefeller, Jr.
b. State of New York
c. Joseph Kennedy
d. The U.S. Government
5-7 correct: You should try to get the position as next UN Secretary General. You may have to change your name from Gila Goldberg to Gwonzlliala Gwaldbwagleberg in order to increase the odds, though.
2-4 correct: You are stuck in the middle of the pack. You need a good fivehour speech and some real foot stomping during your next speech at the General Assembly in order to make yourself stand out.
0-1 correct: You are un-un-educated!
7. Which president signed the United Nations Charter, making the United States the first nation to complete the ratification process and join the UN?
a. Harry Truman
b. Franklin D. Roosevelt
c. Dwight D. Eisenhower
d. Woodrow Wilson
You Gotta Be Kidding Me!
Moishe asked his wife Sarah what she wanted for her birthday.
“World peace,” she replied.
Moishe laughed and said, “You have to tell me something more realistic.”
“OK,” she said. “How about for the next month, when I ask you to do something, you will do it in less than a week.”
Moishe reached for the phone.
“Who are you calling?” asked Sarah.
Moishe replied, “The United Nations!”
Official UN Rules
1. Every speech must be twice as long as necessary.
2. Acronyms are mandatory. If it doesn’t sound like alphabet soup, it’s not real.
3. Resolutions are like Wi-Fi passwords: everyone has one, nobody remembers them.
4. Coffee must be served in small paper cups because the U.N. is wasting all their money supporting terrorists around the globe.
5. Diplomacy = arguing politely while drinking bad coffee.
6. Nothing gets done until at least three recesses and one photo op.
7. Every meeting begins with a reminder that this meeting is historic.
8. Everyone nods, even when the earpiece isn’t working.
9. If you can’t solve it, schedule another summit.
10. Every delegate must begin their speech with, “Distinguished colleagues…” even if they forgot your name.
11. If the meeting is running on time, you’re in the wrong building.
12. Coffee breaks are sacred –miss one, and you’ll miss three major alliances.
13. The louder the applause, the less likely the resolution will pass.
14. If two countries agree too quickly, expect a 300-page appendix.
15. “Let’s revisit this issue” means “see you in 2035.”
16. If a delegate says, “I’ll be brief,” cancel your lunch plans.
17. The word “dialogue” means “we don’t have a solution, but we want credit for trying.”
18. A working group is just a nap scheduled in a circle.
19. The longer the title of the resolution, the shorter its lifespan.
20. Sad but true: If it is against the Jews or Israel, it will have near unanimous support, with only the U.S. objecting.
Riddle Me This
Five delegates – Brazil, Egypt, India, Norway, Peru – are seated left-to-right at a committee table.
Rules:
1. Norway is not at either end.
2. India sits immediately to the right of Brazil.
3. Egypt sits somewhere to the left of Norway.
4. Peru is not next to Egypt and prefers an end seat.
5. Brazil is not at the far left.
6. Brazil must be to the left of Norway.
What is the exact left-to-right order?
Answer: Egypt – Brazil – India –Norway – Peru
Notable Quotes
“Say
What?!”
After fierce criticism, the LAPD withdrew its officers from guarding Kamala Harris. And already she is missing her favorite officer: Captain Morgan
- Greg Gutfeld, Fox
The White House plans to deport [Kilmar Abrego Garcia] to Eswatini. It’s a tiny nation in Africa that sounds completely made up— like Narnia, Atlantis, or Palestine.
– ibid.
Last week, Trump obliterated 11 narco terrorists, turning them into a finer powder than the drugs they were shipping. I’m surprised Hunter didn’t swim to the blast site with a snorkel up his nose.
– ibid.
Oh gosh, I think it’s going to be something like, I don’t know, at least $600 billion through 2028 in the U.S., yeah.
- Mark Zuckerberg responding to President Trump asking him how much he plans on spending on technology in the U.S. over the next few years
Sorry, I wasn’t ready…I wasn’t sure what number you wanted me to go with.
- ibid., on a hot mic, talking to Trump a few minutes later
If I must choose between victory over our enemies and bad propaganda against us, I choose victory.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
I think they’re so addicted to Trump...I mean he’s the most ubiquitous president in American history... If he goes missing for more than 30 seconds...they’re like... “maybe he’s dead.”
- Ben Shapiro on Greg Gutfeld explaining why a rumor spread last week that Trump died
It was like the second worst thing that happened to them. They were at a Coldplay concert.
- Ben Shapiro addressing the viral video of Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin telling Israeli concert-goers that they are “equal humans” even though they are from Israel
These individuals are terrorists responsible for smuggling deadly drugs into the United States. Next question.
– Vice President J.D. Vance when asked by a reporter what “legal authority” Trump had to blow up 11 narcos on a boat who were transporting narcotics into the U.S.
Many of the journalists in this room spilled plenty of ink, trying to smear Daniel Penny for defending a subway car from a deranged lunatic in New York City. But none of those same reporters lift a finger to write stories about an actual murderer.
- White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressing the media ignoring the senseless stabbing of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina, by a thug who screamed afterwards, “I got the white girl!”
Look at that video that chills our very souls out of Charlotte. That beautiful, young woman stabbed to death, murdered savagely on a subway just trying to get home from work, fleeing war, only to run into a Democrat war zone here in our country. That monster, 14 prior arrests in and out, in and out. The Democrat policies of catch and release for barbarians and savages is truly an act of terror…against the American people. It cannot be explained unless you deeply, fundamentally hate America.
- White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller
Moral of the story: Felonies do not come with a side of fries.
- Social media post by police in Auburn, Massachusetts, after they arrested two criminals who stopped off at a drive-thru after shoplifting more than $2,000 of merchandise from a T.J. Maxx
Law enforcement isn’t to prevent crime. They are there to solve crime, not necessarily prevent them from happening per se.
- Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX)
I know you’ve taken $855,000 from pharma companies.
- Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a Senate hearing responding to Sen. Elizabeth Warren screaming at him that he should not make certain vaccinations optional
Political Crossfire
Hamas’ Refusal to Give Up Is Grounded in Ideology
By Adam Rasgon
JERUSALEM — Israel has killed thousands of Hamas’ fighters, taken out most of its senior military command, and destroyed much of its arsenal and underground tunnel network.
The country’s relentless military campaign has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, cities have been reduced to rubble, and people have struggled daily to find enough food, water and electricity.
And yet Hamas has refused to surrender. The group wants to secure its future in the Gaza Strip, but its unwillingness to give up to Israel and disarm is also rooted in its ideology.
Since the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which ignited the war in Gaza, the group’s leaders have acknowledged that the resulting Israeli counterattack has caused enormous destruction. But they have said it is a “price” Palestinians must pay for their ultimate freedom.
In interviews, some Hamas leaders have said that the group’s calculation was less about defeating Israel on the battlefield and more about drawing the government into an intractable conflict, one that isolates it diplomatically and undermines its international support. Eventually, they say, Israel will be compelled to realize that its policies toward Palestinians are not sustainable.
“Surrender, as Israel and America are calling for it, is not in Hamas’ dictionary,” said Khaled al-Hroub, a professor at Northwestern University in Qatar who has written books about the group.
Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the leader of Hamas’ military wing, said recently that if he cannot get what he described as an
honorable deal to end the war with Israel, then the conflict would become a war of liberation or the group would face “martyrdom,” according to a senior Middle Eastern intelligence official familiar with al-Haddad’s thinking.
What Hamas considers to be an “honorable deal” is an agreement that could lead to the end of the war and enable the group to continue wielding power in Gaza.
Hamas has previously agreed to temporary ceasefires with Israel in part to provide relief to people in Gaza. But it has firmly rejected ending the war on terms set by Israel, which has demanded the group disarm and send its leaders into exile, and has shown a willingness to tolerate the ongoing suffering of civilians in pursuit of the deal that it wants.
There are no suggestions that Hamas’ position is shifting. This week, it released a statement reiterating that it was ready to accept a deal that would see the release of all remaining hostages held in Gaza in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners, an end to the war and a withdrawal of Israeli forces.
But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas by force or dismantle it through negotiation, and has rebuffed any deal on the end of the conflict that would leave the group intact.
Civilians in Gaza have paid the highest price for the continuation of the war.
“Have Hamas’ weapons stopped Israel from killing us?” said Abdullah Shehab, 32, who has been staying at his sister’s home in Gaza City since he was forced to leave his hometown, Jabalia, at the end of May. “Have they stopped Israel from invading our cities? The only thing Hamas’ weapons
have done is given Israel a justification to continue the massacres.”
During the October attack, some 1,200 people were killed and about 250 others were abducted, according to Israeli authorities. While Hamas has celebrated the attack, more than 60,000 people in Gaza have been killed in the ensuing war, said the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The seemingly irreconcilable positions of Hamas and Israel on how to end the war suggest that the fighting will continue until one side is forced to compromise.
And Hamas believes that Israel will eventually come to terms with an agreement that does not require the group to give in, Palestinian political analysts say.
“They know that the continuation of the war is very costly, but they’re hopeful that they’ll get a deal they can live with, if they remain patient and steadfast,” said Esmat Mansour, a Palestinian analyst who spent years in Israeli prisons with several top Hamas leaders.
“They see the internal and external pressure on Israel to end the war and they know that Israel can’t free the captives without them,” he added. “So they’re saying to themselves, ‘Why should we surrender when we can get something better?’”
Still, Mansour said, Hamas may conclude that to maintain some power it needs to make difficult concessions, like suspending military recruitment and training and putting its weapons in storage, potentially overseen by a third party.
Ibrahim Madhoun, a Palestinian analyst close to Hamas, said the group needed “an exit” from the war. “The problem is Israel has closed all the exits,” he said.
Hamas, at least publicly, has refused to entertain discussions about abandoning its weapons or sending its commanders into exile. Husam Badran, a senior Hamas offi-
cial, framed the group’s refusal to surrender as safeguarding Palestinians.
“We’re dealing with an extremist government that carried out massacres at the expense of our people and that is still plotting the killing, slaughter and expulsion of our people,” he said in a text message. “We can’t stop defending ourselves and our people in light of the impotence of the international community and the clear American complicity.”
“Without a clear political agreement that protects the Palestinian people and its land, the resistance will continue its fight,” Badran added.
Another Hamas official, Taher El-Nounou, recently suggested that the war could ultimately turn in Hamas’ favor, a result that appears unlikely given Israel’s military advantage. Asked on Russia Today’s Arabic-language channel whether carrying out the 2023 attack had been the right decision, he said nobody could judge the results of the war while it was still ongoing.
“Before the Normandy landing, Germany was occupying almost all of Europe,” he said, referring to a costly but decisive battle during World War II. “After that landing, the situation changed.”
Residents of Gaza are facing the reality that the war could drag on into a third year. Though outraged by Israel’s continued bombing campaign, many are also frustrated with Hamas.
Conceding defeat, Shehab, the displaced man in Gaza City, said, would be the least Hamas could do to take responsibility for “the catastrophic error” of the October 2023 attack — one that “caused plunder greater than the Nakba of 1948,” the dispossession and displacement of Palestinians after Israel’s founding.
But he had little hope Hamas would agree to step aside. “We’re trapped,” he said.
Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters
Dear Navidaters,
Thank you for your intriguing column.
I’m 33 and have never been married. Dating has been one big rollercoaster. In my younger years, I was really not ready for marriage and dated all the best guys. Now, though, I’m dying to get married, but there is nobody I want to date. I’m also not interested in moving out of state or traveling for dating. I feel like I missed the boat and am feeling very upset by my situation.
I would really like advice for moving forward successfully.
Thank you, Maya*
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.
Maya, you are generalizing. You also sound very negative and discouraged. “There is no one I want to date” is one clue. There are others in your query. Find a good professional and commit to several sessions to lift your mood and attitude as well as identify some actionable steps to find people to date. This will be a process.
Wishing you hatzlacha and a successful new year!
The Shadchan
Michelle Mond
I’m so sorry for the pain you are going through now. One of the most intense feelings are those of regret. It sounds like you regret giving up many good opportunities when you were younger. You mention that now, when you are “dying to get married,” the guys that you want are no longer around. I wonder if there is something deeper to this.
There is a concept in psychology that when something is too accessible or when someone comes too close ( in your case marriageable men in your younger years), people with specific attachment styles pull back, specifically avoidant attachment styles. It’s scary to think about getting married; one must be vulnerable, emotionally open, flexible, trusting. So
instead of settling for one of these great men, people with these attachment styles keep dating with a heavy dose of excuses. You will hear things like, “He’s too short,” “He’s too tall,” “His nose is too big” – whatever it takes to go on to the next. However, eventually, all those men get married. What happens when someone like this no longer feels that she has options? She then decides with such a strong conviction that she finally wants to get married, and that she is finally ready. But, is she really? Or is it just the lack of options which is her biggest fear weighing her down?
Stating that you are “dying to get married” yet also stating you refuse to travel for dating or relocate from your hometown is all the proof I need to tell me you are not yet free from the shackles of this attachment style. Your situation is different than it used to be, but you still need to work through the same issue.
Get a great therapist and learn to break through this attachment style that is hindering you and creating a fear of change. You will learn to broaden your horizons, trust others, and be vulnerable, and with that will come an openness you have never possessed. You will learn to be open to take chances, such as traveling to new towns and getting to know people in other communities.
Once you work through this internally, you will see how quickly doors will open up for you.
Your bashert can be anywhere in the world, however, you have boxed yourself into one room due to these fears. I can’t wait to see what happens once you get the key and open the door.
The Zaidy
Dr. Jeffrey Galler
Trying to find a suitable life partner is, unfortunately, very challenging for many of our wonderful young women. And, sadly, as singles get older, the search can feel even harder.
But Maya, here’s the good news: your past experiences dating “all the best guys” give you a huge advantage. You’ve learned how to navigate different situations, and, more importantly, how to recognize what you truly like, and don’t like, in a partner. These skills will serve you well when the right person comes along.
Here are a few thoughts for you to consider:
First, be proactive. Don’t wait at home for the phone to ring.
• Join social events at work.
• Attend programs and lectures at your synagogue or Jewish community center.
• Volunteer at chessed and charitable activities.
• Reach out to friends who are married and ask if they know a good single guy.
Even if you don’t meet “the one” right away, you’ll be building connections, making yourself known, and creating opportunities. Someone who knows someone could have the perfect recommendation waiting.
Second, consider expanding your horizons. You wrote that you “aren’t interested in traveling” for dates, but there’s a little contradiction here: you’re “dying to get married,” yet you’ve ruled out seeing people who aren’t right in your backyard. Your perfect life partner could be just a city, or a state, or a time zone away.
That said, flexibility doesn’t mean forcing yourself on dates you’re not genuinely excited about. Only travel for dates that feel promising and fun. Otherwise, it can create more stress than success.
Third, avoid future regrets. You may feel some frustration that, ten years ago, you didn’t date with marriage in mind. But you still will have plenty of opportunities. Don’t put yourself in a position where, 10 years from now, you will have regrets about not being more proactive and not being more flexible about travelling for a date.
I can’t wait to see what happens once you get the key and open the door.
Finally, please don’t feel that you have “missed the boat.” You’ve merely weathered some rough seas. And, the perfect harbor, and the perfect first mate, is still waiting for you.
Reader’s Response
Isaiah Cox
The Curmudgeon
Maya, You feel like you missed the boat. But you live in a landlocked area, and instead of being willing to go where the boats are, you choose to complain. Do you really think that is going to work?
The only way to get – and stay – married is to change yourself. At 33, that is not easy to do: if, as you say, you don’t want to move or even travel for dating, then you are not even willing to try to see things from a different perspective. What would you call a wife or mother – or husband or father –who does not care about others?
You need an enormous mental shift if you want to get married before the door slams shut and you mutate into a crazy cat lady. Whatever the outcome, you will have nobody to blame but yourself.
A man is not (merely) an accessory; a husband is meant to be a partner. And partnership requires a mutual willingness to change and grow.
You need to re-adjust yourself, and re-adjust your expectations. You are not who you were ten years ago – and neither are the men. If you truly decide to make it work, then you will. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
You already knew the answer to your question before you wrote in. You just don’t want to put in the work to make it happen. Sheesh.
Pulling It All Together
The Navidaters
Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists
Dear Maya,
First, I want to say that your feelings are so valid. It sounds like you’ve been carrying a lot of grief around this, almost like you missed some invisible train that everyone else seemed to catch. That’s such a heavy feeling. And yet, here you are, brave enough to name it and ask for guidance. That in and of itself says so much about your readiness and your heart.
Here’s the truth: you haven’t missed the boat. You’re still very much here, very much alive, and very much worthy of love. What may have shifted is the
stage of life you’re in and the dat- ing pool around you. That can feel discouraging, but it also opens space for a more intentional approach— one where you’re clearer on what you want and what truly matters.
I hear that moving out of state or traveling for dating doesn’t feel right for you. That’s OK. But then the key becomes: how do you expand opportunities while staying grounded in your world? It might look like letting friends and community know you’re open to introductions, join-
ing spaces where people in your stage of life gather, or even shifting how you show up on the apps (sometimes small tweaks really do change who shows up).
Also, and I say this with so much compassion, there’s often a layer of grief that needs tending before moving forward. Grief for the years that passed, grief for the “best guys” you weren’t ready for, grief for the timing not matching your heart. Allowing yourself to feel and honor that may open up fresh energy and hope.
The boat hasn’t left—you just may need to let go of the image of what the boat was “supposed” to look like. Sometimes, the life raft, the ferry, or the unexpected rowboat ends up being exactly what carries us where we need to go.
Sending you encouragement, hope,
You need an enormous mental shift if you want to get married before the door slams shut and you mutate into a crazy cat lady.
and a reminder: love is not behind you. It’s still ahead.
Warmly, Jennifer
Jennifer Mann, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist and certified trauma healing life coach, as well as a dating and relationship coach working with individuals, couples, and families in private practice at 123 Maple Avenue in Cedarhurst, NY. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 718-908-0512. Visit www.thenavidaters.com for more information. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email JenniferMannLCSW@gmail.com. You can follow The Navidaters on FB and Instagram for dating and relationship advice.
Common Cents
By Elliot Pepper, CPA, CFP®, MST
The Power of Budgeting — Beyond Cutting Coffee
Budgeting gets a bad rap.
Most people hear the word and immediately picture spreadsheets, guilt, or the dreaded “latte shaming.” But budgeting isn’t about sacrifice, it’s about *clarity* and *control.*
In this post, we’ll show you how a budget can actually give you more freedom, not less and how to build a system that works for real life. Spoiler alert: it’s not about skipping your morning coffee.
What Is a Budget—Really?
A budget is simply a plan for your money.
It helps you decide *before* the month begins how you’ll allocate your income—toward essentials, savings, debt, and the things that bring you joy.
Think of it as telling your money where to go, instead of wondering
– Too complex: If it takes hours to update, you won’t stick with it.
– No system: A budget needs a process—monthly setup, weekly check-ins, and easy tracking.
A Better Way to Budget
Here’s how to build a budget that actually works—no shame, spreadsheets optional.
1. Start with Your Net Income
Know what you’re really working with after taxes and deductions. That’s your monthly budget base.
2. Consider the 50/30/20 Framework (or some variation)
Allocate 50% of your income to needs (housing, food, utilities), 30% to wants (fun, travel, entertainment), and 20% to savings and debt payments.
3. Track Spending for Awareness
6. Review and Adjust Monthly
Money isn’t static, and your budget shouldn’t be either. Set a monthly check-in to adjust as needed.
Budgeting Isn’t About Deprivation
Done right, a budget helps you spend *more* on what you value, not less.
Want a $7 coffee every morning? Great—budget for it.
The point isn’t to restrict joy—it’s to *prioritize it.*
Pro Tip: Track Backward Before You Plan Forward
Before creating your first budget, track the last 1–2 months of spending. You’ll learn more from your history than from your hopes.
Look for surprises, trends, and habits. Then build a plan that reflects your real life—not someone else’s idea of it.
Your Common Cents Action Plan
– Track all your spending for the next 30 days, no judgment.
– Use a tool (like YNAB, Monarch Money, or a simple spreadsheet) to build your budget.
– Apply the 50/30/20 rule, or customize based on your goals.
– Schedule a monthly money meeting with yourself or your partner.
– Celebrate a win, like staying on budget or hitting a savings milestone!
At Northbrook Financial, we believe a good budget isn’t a prison—it’s a plan for freedom. Let’s help you build one that works for your life..
Subscribe to Common Cents digitally on LinkedIn.
The decision to start saving and investing is yours, but the “how” can be hard. Email commoncents@northbrookfinancial.com to schedule a financial planning consultation with our team.
Elliot Pepper, CPA, CFP®, MST is Co-Founder of Northbrook Financial, a Financial Planning, Tax, and Investment Management Firm. He has developed and continues to teach a popular Financial Literacy course for high school students.
Parenting Pearls Menuchas HaNefesh, Especially When Busy
By Sara Rayvych, MSEd
It’s a busy time of year. Families are adjusting to a new school schedule and trying to give their children the best start. As these changes are being made, parents are simultaneously preparing for the upcoming yomim noraim – cooking and baking, purchasing clothing and arranging guests along with shul seating. This is all happening before the first esrog hits the market.
The busier the schedule, the more we push aside our own needs. There is so much to do and not enough time to do it – running out the door without eating, staying up late to finish last minute items, and pushing ourselves to do more than possible in the allotted time.
We may forget we’re not invincible. We may not notice it chip away at our mental health. We may not hear our voice getting a little louder or harsher when speaking to our child. Everything comes at a cost, and parents need to carefully weigh that cost. Yes, the tasks mentioned above are necessary. We can’t wake up erev Rosh Hashana without a place to daven and lacking a machzor, nor can we light candles without food in the oven. We can’t send the kids to shul in their school uni-
form, nor in their baseball league jersey.
But the way we make those preparations will differ, with some families entering the new year with love, and others with anger. Some will have parents who are smiling and others less than pleasant.
Balancing the needs of our family with our own emotional health is also a way to give back to our family. Children need love and an emotionally available parent. This is crucial all year, but it’s the busiest times of the year when we often need the biggest reminders.
Importance of Mental Health
Baruch Hashem, today the average person is rather aware of the importance of mental health. It’s discussed in articles, with medical providers and among general conversation. Even with all this general awareness, we still tend to underestimate its importance and overestimate our abilities to push those limits.
Despite this awareness, many still fail to realize that we really can’t do anything without being emotionally healthy first. Our physical health, ability to function and interactions with others are all dependent on our emotional health. We may think we
are doing fine otherwise – even if we’re emotionally a mess – but we’re usually fooling ourselves.
We work more effectively and efficiently when we are emotionally strong. Only with our emotional health can we be there for ourselves. Even more importantly, only then can we be there for those around us. We may not realize how poorly we are functioning, and how dismal our behavior has become, but our loved ones can see it. It’s a different world when one has menuchas hanefesh.
Importance For Parents
It can never be overstated how dependent children are on their parents’ emotional support. They need us there for them and to be able to support them even when they themselves don’t know what they need. They may not appreciate our efforts. They may push us away to test us or out of frustration. No matter what, they still need us to be present for them. We are their safety and security in a frightening and new world.
It can also never be overstated how upsetting it is for a child to be pushed away by their adults. When adults don’t guard their own emotional health, they are likely to yell at their children – and everyone around them. They may act like their child is a nuisance and not someone they want around. A child’s world starts to feel less safe and less secure.
Our children also learn more from us than we realize. They pick up on our nuances and learn our habits. That’s one reason why kids are often so funny when
As parents, we are responsible for all areas of our child’s growth and development. Babies are born fully dependent on their loving adults. They are adorable but a full-time job. Toddlers are only slightly older but very mobile. They often need to be protected from their own silly antics. As they become older, we do begin stepping away, allowing them the freedom to make decisions and become independent adults, but we still provide for their main needs and step in, as needed. We can only do all this if we’re in a good place ourselves. The stress of parenting makes it harder. With sleep deprivation a constant companion as we balance the needs of multiple family members, it’s only natural that we will make less time for ourselves and struggle to maintain our own mental health.
they (respectfully) imitate their parents. It’s often the details they pick up on that we least expect. If we don’t prioritize our own emotional health, they will learn to do the same. They will run themselves ragged, ignoring their physical and emotional needs until they don’t function. They, too, will become short-tempered and unavailable for those closest to them.
Suggestions
If we’re not working, then nothing is working. Our entire family depends on us being emotionally available for them –something we can only do if we have our own reserves. We are each unique and need to manage our emotional health in ways that match us. What works for one person may make another feel worse. Keep only what works for you!
More important than calming down after being stressed out is avoiding stress in the first place. Prioritize and do what’s most important. Many things are not as crucial as we make them out to be, and there is so much we do that is truly unnecessary. If “the extras” can be done with simcha and menuchas hanefesh, then go ahead. If they will detract from our ability to be there for our families, we may want to reconsider. When possible, try to get things done in ad-
vance when time is less pressured. If time is never less pressured, then it may be worth skipping, when possible. One less errand, but one more smile.
Even items that are important can often be simplified. For example, we can make an easy dessert or one with multiple layers and steps. The simplified version
perienced about how to do so kindly. This is a middah worth working on.
Even with prioritizing, simplifying and an already filled freezer, life can still get hectic. Take time routinely – not just when you’re ready to explode – to prioritize yourself. This may be going for a walk, reading a book or doing a puzzle. We need
and that’s OK. The important thing is to know ourselves and do what we need, not what others require.
Life is stressful. Life is overwhelming. Some times are harder than others. Anyone who finds they are struggling should reach out for professional assistance. A professional can teach techniques and help a person learn to better regulate themselves. Baruch Hashem, our community has become more open to the mental health field, and seeking assistance no longer carries a stigma.
As in all areas, daven for siyata dishmaya in this worthy goal. All our efforts only become successful when we have Divine assistance.
may take fifteen minutes or less, while the complicated one may take hours to get everything right.
Many people have trouble asking others for help. Learning to politely ask for assistance and delegate to others is a skill on its own. Humans were never meant to be perfect. Others may not do it our way – or how we like it – but it’s better than feeling overwhelmed and like screaming at those around us. There are people who are great at giving out jobs but not as ex-
to keep calming activities in our schedule. Many may argue they don’t have time for “extras,”but I’d say this isn’t extra. A clear mind will function better than a stressed one, and it takes a lot of time to mend the feelings of those we can inadvertently hurt when we’re stressed, chas v’shalom. Truly, we don’t have time to not make time for ourselves.
Some people are naturally more prone to feeling overwhelmed than others. Hashem made us with different temperaments,
While often discussed before yomim tovim and other lifecycle events, our emotional health and maintaining menchas hanfesh is a life-long priority. Taking care of ourselves is a personal benefit, but it is also giving a gift to our spouse, children and all those who surround us.
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. and Mrs. Sammy & Hadassa Lapciuc on the birth of a daughter
Boaz Dovid & Sara Brinna Edinger on the birth of a son
Rabbi & Mrs. Yisroel Meir Lebovits on the birth of a son
Mr. & Mrs Ari Schreiber on the birth of a son
Ovadia & Faigy Bander on the birth of a daughter
Aryeh and Shira Rabinowitz on the birth of a daughter
Binyamin & Melissa Ouazana on the birth of a daughter
Aaron & Aviva Burstyn on the birth of a son
Noam & Leah Posner on the birth of a daughter
Eli Moshe & Rochel Leah Katz on the birth of a son
Rabbi and Mrs Yudi Benamou on the birth of twins- a son and a daughter
Rabbi and Mrs Moshe Sadwin on the birth of a daughter
Want to see your simcha here? Email mazeltov@baltimorejewishhome.com or text 443-675-6507 to submit your simcha!
Tehilla Wildman., 10
Simi Lasdun, 3
Note:
Mati Sova, 5
Tzofia Gaisin, 3
Nina Korb
Zevy Seidel, 4
Yonina & Kayla Polirer, 7
Rikki Hollander, 8
Racheli Schwartz, 4 Tilly Zedner, 4
Yitzchok Kupfer, 5
Tzipora, 5
Note: Not all submission have been published. Keep sending in your artwork for another chance to be featured!
Ruti Tuchman, 5
Sara Schwartz,9
Azi Sperling, 4
Yosef Meir Priluck, 4
UNF, 7 Sruli Tuchman, 3
Perel Chaya Lasdun, 8
Simi Lasdun, 3
Shmuel Salhanick
Tippy Brody, 9
Avrohom Nesonel, 7
Eliana Kushner, 6
LC (7), ER (4)
Simcha K., 6 3/4
Batsheva W.
Rikki Brody, 9
Avigail Hollander, 5
Talia Kohengadol, 6
Shana Preiser
Esti Milworm
Esti Soskil, 5
Chana Soskil, 1.5
Meir Loewy, 3
Kayla Kovacs, 4
Leah Gross, 6
In The K tchen
Simanim Chicken
By Naomi Nachman
For the first evening meal of the holiday, I am serving a variety of dishes, each featuring one of the simanim (i.e., symbolic foods that one eats on Rosh Hashana which we hope will bring about a prosperous and healthy new year). This chicken recipe is a combo of the traditional tzimmes, which includes chicken, carrots, honey and dates (all of which are simanim) and making it a perfect simanim dish to serve on Rosh Hashana.
Ingredients
Carrot Mixture
◦ 2 tablespoons canola oil
◦ 2 medium onions, sliced into ½ moon rings
◦ 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
◦ 3 10 oz. bags shredded carrots
◦ 1 teaspoon cumin
◦ ½ teaspoon cinnamon
◦ 1 ½ cups dried dates pitted and quartered
◦ 2 cups white wine
◦ 1/3 cup honey
◦ 8 pieces chicken leg quarters
Chicken Spices
◦ Cumin
◦ Smoked paprika
◦ Garlic powder
◦ Honey
◦ Olive oil
◦ Kosher salt
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Prepare two 9x13 pans and set aside.
In a sauté pan on medium heat, add oil till it gets hot. Add onions and cook until they are translucent. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt to the onions, followed by the carrots.
Sautee the carrots and onions for several minutes on low until the carrots are soft. Add in the dates, wine and honey. Mix well and cover. Let simmer on low for 10 minutes. This process will plump up the dates and release their flavor.
After 10 minutes, divide the carrot mixture into the two prepared pans.
Place four pieces of chicken per pan and season with spices.
Rub with a small amount of oil and drizzle with honey, smearing all over each piece of chicken.
Cover each pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
After 40 minutes, baste the chicken. Uncover and cook for another 30 minutes.
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.
